Newsletter: Elon Musk wants to take you to Mars

Good morning. It is Wednesday, Sept. 28. Here’s what is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Desert whodunit

Spinning and swerving wildly in an SUV this summer, someone cut 10 miles’ worth of ruts into a famous playa at Death Valley, best known as a site where large rocks leave seemingly impossible trails that wiggle, weave and turn for hundreds of feet. Though researchers figured out how those tracks were made, investigators are looking into who did the damage with the SUV. And they think they have a suspect. Los Angeles Times

Insensitive ride

Knott’s Berry Farm unveiled a new attraction for the Halloween season — something that was originally called FearVR: 5150. (5150 is the state health and welfare code that allows for involuntary psychiatric commitment.) Mental health advocates said the ride is insensitive. Now, park officials have shut it down. But, columnist Steve Lopez asks, did they do so for the right reasons? Los Angeles Times

The future is Mars

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk is moving to the next final frontier: colonizing Mars. He discussed his vision at an international space conference, where he said he wants humans to become a multiplanetary species within 40 to 100 years. Los Angeles Times

Police shooting

El Cajon police said officers fatally shot an African American man Tuesday after he raised both hands holding an object in a manner that looked as if he was holding a gun. Chief Jeff Davis said a video taken by a bystander showed the incident. The shooting sparked protests, and friends of the man’s family said he suffers from a mental illness and didn’t pose a threat. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Moving to L.A.: Facing major sticker shock because of soaring rents, some San Francisco artists are looking with interest to the Los Angeles art scene. Said one new L.A. transplant: “San Francisco turned into this billionaire playground. Everything I identified with was being pushed out. The community that I loved was crumbling and disappearing. I just didn’t want to be in that city anymore. So I moved to LA.” The Guardian

Site plans: A developer already making waves in downtown L.A. with several developments has purchased the Los Angeles Times building. A source says the plan is to tear down a portion of the old Times Mirror Square — a modern addition on 1st Street — and build apartments. Los Angeles Times

Unconventional recreation: The Eastside has long prided itself on a unique style of exercise: walking and jogging around the district’s many cemeteries. The Evergreen Cemetery track led the way, but now there is a second track being built at Calvary Cemetery. 89.3 KPCC

Port traffic: The Alameda Corridor was supposed to be a major transportation solution — and a financial boon — for the region. But the port rail line is not doing so well. Daily Breeze

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Miss Universe: Meet Alicia Machado, the Los Angeles woman who has become a new figure in the presidential race. She says that Donald Trump attacked her weight and “shamed” her when she won the Miss Universe pageant in the 1990s. Clinton made it an issue in the debate and Trump continued to keep the story going Tuesday. Los Angeles Times

Put down the phone: California is getting even tougher about using your phone while driving. Under a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, motorists are prohibited from using a mobile phone while driving unless the device is in a hands-free mode. In addition to texting and calling, the new law aims to prohibit other cellphone uses while driving, such as taking photos or streaming video. Los Angeles Times

A vote for Trump: Only one newspaper in California (so far) has endorsed Donald Trump for president: The Santa Barbara News-Press. And some critics of the paper’s controversial owner are not surprised. SFGate

CRIME AND COURTS

Uncertain future: It’s looking more likely that the Haitians who have been gathering at the San Diego-Tijuana border will be deported. San Diego Union-Tribune

Murder charges: A soldier in the U.S. Army and another man were charged with murder Tuesday in connection with the slaying of a Fullerton couple and their friend over the weekend, authorities said. Los Angeles Times

EDUCATION

Go Trojans: Foshay Learning Center, a school in a struggling neighborhood near USC, sent more freshmen to the university this fall than any other public or private school. “We are connecting with the surrounding community and building a pipeline to USC for students, especially those who are the first in their family to attend college,” said Timothy Brunold, the dean of admissions. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Wildfire: A new major fire is threatening communities in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Loma Fire has burned more than 2,000 acres and destroyed some structures. Mercury News

CALIFORNIA IDEAS

Bunkmates: Some Los Angeles millennials are reviving something that flourished during the Middle Ages: communal living. At Synchronicity LA, they make art and cook meals together. “It really feels like living in a big family,” said one resident. The Atlantic

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Chicken wire and xylophone notes: California might be mired in a five-year drought, but it’s cloudy with a chance of rain at the Walt Disney Concert Hall thanks to a new art installation. Los Angeles Times

“Baby Cobra”: Los Angeles comedian Ali Wong is becoming famous dealing with some of the last taboos of female comedy. New Yorker

International appeal: In-N-Out is a hit … in London. Evening Standard

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will be partly sunny with a high of 89. It will be 92 and partly sunny in Riverside. San Diego will be 83 and partly sunny. In Sacramento, it will be 91 and sunny. San Francisco will have a high of 69.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Michael Elias:

“I came out from New York with my writing partner to work on a little variety show that starred Dean Jones. One evening I was driving west on Pacific Coast Highway, hitting the buttons on the radio of my rented car, when I landed on the fourth quarter of the Lakers game. I had little interest in the sport; I wasn’t even a Knicks fan. Mile by mile, I got more and more involved in the game until I realized that I’d better pull over and just listen or I would end up in an accident. It was Chick Hearn, of course, who mesmerized me. It was the seventh game of the Lakers-Boston series (they lost), but I was hooked. The next season I bought season seats in the Forum stratosphere and never looked back. Thanks, Chick.”

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.