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Newsletter: Remembering the Palm Springs officers killed in the line of duty

Palm Springs Police Officer Jose "Gil" Vega was due to retire in December after a 35-year career.
(Palm Springs Police Department / Associated Press)
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Good morning. It is Monday, Oct. 10. It will soon cost money to park at the Griffith Observatory. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Fallen officers

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The Palm Springs community is reeling from the weekend shooting deaths of two officers: Jose “Gil” Vega, a 35-year veteran who was scheduled to retire in December, and Lesley Zerebny, the mother of a 4-month-old girl who recently returned from maternity leave. “I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s just so horrible. ... Nobody has any respect for law enforcement. People have lost all respect for law enforcement,” said one woman whose nephew is a Palm Springs police officer. Los Angeles Times

Housing feud

The community of Highland Park is at the forefront of the debate over income inequality and gentrification. Landlords are pushing out some longtime tenants in favor of jacking up rents. Now, protesting tenants in one building are facing the threat of mass eviction. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

To the Arts District: In a boon for downtown L.A., Warner Music Group plans to move hundreds of employees from Burbank and the Westside into a renovated former auto plant in the Arts District. Los Angeles Times

True crime: She was found dead 48 years ago on a bench in Griffith Park Only now, thanks to the help of an amateur genealogist, has she been identified. A real L.A. mystery, finally solved. Daily News

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China divide in the SGV: Did an event at the San Gabriel Mission playhouse celebrate the rise of the Chinese Communist Party? That’s what protesters say. San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Piece of history: One of the massive arches from the demolished Sixth Street Bridge will be preserved and moved to a new park. Eastsider LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Retirement savings: The small Northern California town of Loyalton is ground zero in the fight over “bulletproof” public pensions. New York Times

Caught on tape: Concerns over legal issues may have caused NBC News to miss out on one of the biggest political stories of the year — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s misogynistic remarks caught on tape by “Access Hollywood.” “When lawyers for the network learned of the tape shortly after NBC News chief Andy Lack did on Monday, they were focused on whether NBC-owned ‘Access Hollywood’ could face liability for releasing the audio.” Hollywood Reporter

Patriotic duty: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a longtime Republican, says he will not vote for his party’s nominee for president. “I want to take a moment to remind my fellow Republicans that it is not only acceptable to choose your country over your party — it is your duty,” he wrote in a social media post. Los Angeles Times

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You can’t sit with us: Some vulnerable California Republicans are also bailing on Donald Trump. Los Angeles Times

Fact check: During the presidential debate Sunday, Trump repeated the false claim that several witnesses saw explosives at the home of the San Bernardino terrorists but neglected to alert law enforcement. There is no evidence that witnesses saw weapons. Los Angeles Times

D vs. R: Come November, will Democrats score a supermajority in the state Senate and Assembly? Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Ready for a fight: The 26-year-old man accused of killing two Palm Springs police officers was wearing body armor and carrying high-capacity magazines when he was taken into custody, authorities said. John Felix was arrested by police at the end of a 12-hour stand-off Saturday. He’s expected to be booked on two counts of murder of a peace officer. Los Angeles Times

Remembering a tragedy: It has been five years since the worst mass shooting in Orange County history. Nine people were shot in and around Salon Meritage; one victim survived. “People were just shocked that something like that would happen in Seal Beach,” Tillie Boitel said. “This has been very, very hard for everybody.” Orange County Register

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Dangerous waters: Three children and five adults were injured Saturday when a boat capsized in the San Francisco Bay. It’s unknown what caused the boat to become submerged. “There were lots of rescue boats on the water because of Fleet Week, so we were fortunate,” said Fire Department Assistant Chief Bob Postel. Los Angeles Times

Police shootings: In the wake of a controversial killing of a mentally ill black man last month by police, an investigation found El Cajon police had a high per-capita rate of fatal officer-involved shootings. San Diego Union-Tribune

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

In the forest: The relationship between fog and Redwoods. Jefferson Public Radio

Out in the wild: A California condor chick has hatched in the wild for the first time in nearly a century. “Having 100 years go by without California condors nesting here in the park successfully really shows the struggle it’s been toward these birds’ recovery,” said Rachel Wolstenholme, who manages the condor program at Pinnacles National Park. 89.3 KPCC

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

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Iconic skyline: The Transamerica Pyramid has long been the center of San Francisco’s skyline. Another building is about to become the city’s tallest. But the pyramid remains a San Francisco original. San Francisco Chronicle

Food fight: Inside the egg industry’s secret two-year war against a vegan mayonnaise competitor supported by Silicon Valley. Los Angeles Times

Transit lines: With BART increasingly jammed along with the bridges, a water taxi could soon be operating between San Francisco and Berkeley. Tideline was just approved by the California Public Utilities Commission. A second private company is expected to offer service to Berkeley, Emeryville, San Francisco and Redwood City beginning next year. San Francisco Chronicle

Red or white: Here’s how to pair wine with Chinese food. Wall Street Journal

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will be partly sunny with a high of 79. Riverside will be partly sunny and 90 degrees. In Los Angeles, it will be partly sunny with a high of 82. San Francisco will be 68 and partly sunny. Sacramento will be partly sunny with a high of 82.

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AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (Oct. 10, 1967), television host Mario Lopez (Oct. 10, 1973), Rep. Ed Royce (Oct. 12, 1951), Clippers coach Doc Rivers (Oct. 13, 1961) and actor Tim Robbins (Oct. 16, 1958).

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.

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