Newsletter: Essential California: Massive bribery scheme creates a legal mess in Orange County

Good morning. It is Thursday, Sept. 8. Did you know the Los Angeles City Hall cafeteria once had its own china? Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Judge and jury

Prosecutors say a former clerk for Orange County Superior Court is at the center of a massive bribery scheme in which he falsified court records to make it appear that defendants had served jail time, been convicted of a lesser charge or paid fines when they had not. Jose Lopez Jr. allegedly received hundreds of thousands of dollars to manipulate more than 1,000 cases. “Very simply, he compromised the entire justice system in Orange County,” U.S. Atty. Eileen Decker said in a statement. Los Angeles Times

Perks of city life

Like its neighbors along the 710 Freeway, the City of Commerce is plagued by corruption. Its residents, however, continue to live the good life with cash subsidies, free access to an aquatic center and pool, and vacation rentals at a mountain retreat. Los Angeles Times

Development denied

After a marathon meeting, the California Coastal Commission voted against developing one of the largest open private parcels of land on the Southern California coast. The Newport Banning Ranch development called for the construction of 895 homes, a hotel and shops in Orange County overlooking the Pacific Ocean. “Your decision is one of the most important decisions this commission has faced in its 40-year history. It’s critical you get it right,” acting Executive Director Jack Ainsworth told commissioners. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Out at sea: The bankruptcy of a Korean shipper has left as much as $14 billion worth of cargo stranded at sea, including a good chunk stuck outside the Los Angeles and Long Beach harbor. Wall Street Journal

Fight for vets: Federal veterans officials appear to have reached an interim agreement with the Brentwood School over use of the VA campus in West L.A. The fate of a city-run dog park there remains up in the air. Los Angeles Times

RV village: This video tells the story of how a parking lot at LAX became home for airline employees. New York Times

Campus housing: A Cal State L.A. dorm for African American students is getting a lot of attention, but allowing rooms to be segregated by race, ethnicity or interest isn’t exactly new. Los Angeles Times

Underground culture: What it meant to be young, Latino and gay in the 1970s and ’80s. “The disco was not a space of intellectual but of visceral experiences.” KCET

Kids today: On a pedestrian bridge over the 5 Freeway, there’s free wi-fi, La Croix and a co-working space. “What if I just bring a bunch of school desks here and invite people to work and change up the coffee shop thing with this overpass?” LAist

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

City of the future: What will Venice look like if it secedes from Los Angeles? Some worry it might more resemble Santa Monica. Los Angeles Times

Bipartisan partnership: Two members of California’s congressional delegation are credited with getting the Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act of 2016 through the House this week. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Police misconduct: The Oakland Police Department is firing four officers and taking disciplinary actions against several others in connection with a sexual misconduct scandal that rocked the agency earlier this year. Los Angeles Times

Help needed: Asian American merchants in Sacramento are asking officials for help after a string of robberies has the community on edge. Sacramento Bee

TECHNOLOGY

Newest gadget: Here’s what you need to know about the new Apple iPhone. Los Angeles Times

Can you hear me now: Why is Apple getting rid of the headphone jack? Is it about advancing technology or increasing profits? Buzzfeed

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

New lands: Yosemite National Park got 400 acres larger this week. Adding Ackerson Meadow to the park will allow the habitat of the great gray owl to be preserved. “It was worth losing a little bit of money for that,” said Robin Wainwright who, along with his wife rejected a more lucrative offer from a developer. Los Angeles Times

Glass half full: Californians aren’t saving as much water as they were in 2015. Members of the State Water Resources Control Board, however, put a positive spin on the news — people are using less water than they were three years ago despite lifting mandatory conservation measures. Los Angeles Times

Check your area: An updated look at water use throughout California. 89.3 KPCC

CALIFORNIA IDEAS

Good old days: The San Fernando Valley remains a distant reminder of the way Los Angeles used to be. How long will it stay this way? Curbed LA

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Back to nature: A plan to reintroduce grizzly bears to remote areas of the Sierras is generating controversy. Some environmentalists like the idea, but state officials think it’s a big mistake to bring the predator back. Mercury News

More of the same: Hollywood is still doing a pretty bad job of increasing diversity, a new study shows. Los Angeles Times

These Instagrams will make you jelly: These tech millionaires and billionaires all had way better summers than you. Buzzfeed

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Sacramento will be 91 and sunny. San Francisco will have a high of 68 degrees. There will be clouds and a high of 78 degrees in Los Angeles. Riverside will be sunny with a high of 87. It will be cloudy and 76 in San Diego.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Greg Dempster:

“If I have a hometown anywhere, it’s Laguna Beach. I lived there most of my life, off and on, and I’m always coming back. My Sunday routine was the best — an early morning walk along Heisler Park bluff, the very best coffee and pastry at the Zinc cafe, and very often a drink with friends on the hotel deck, bathed in the sunset. To me, it is the friendliest and most beautiful beach town anywhere. I live in Washington state now, and three perfect sand dollars that I found on Main Beach live on my mantle.”

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.