Newsletter: Essential California: A return to executions in California?

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Friday, Aug. 25, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

A return to executions?

The California Supreme Court largely upheld a measure Thursday passed by voters to speed up executions but severely diluted a key provision aimed at ending a backlog of appeals. The majority decision, signed by five of the seven justices, is likely to have the biggest effect on more than a dozen death row inmates who have exhausted their appeals. Backers of Proposition 66, sponsored by prosecutors and passed by 51% of voters in November, predicted executions would resume in months unless Gov. Jerry Brown decides to commute death sentences. Los Angeles Times

Plus: A database of who is on death row. Los Angeles Times

National monuments under review

The White House is getting ready to move on a contentious plan to shrink public lands in the West, which could involve the redrawing of borders at several national monuments that are home to unique geological formations, rare archaeological artifacts and pristine landscapes. The blueprint delivered to President Trump on Thursday by the Department of Interior — but not yet shared with the public — represents an unprecedented effort to roll back protections on federal land. Los Angeles Times

A tense time in the Bay Area

Back-to-back rallies this weekend that are expected to draw far-right figures and large groups of counter-protesters to the Bay Area will offer a test of whether police can prevent the violence that plagued similar demonstrations this year. Law enforcement has spent weeks planning for the events in San Francisco and Berkeley. At the center of the campaign will be a huge police presence, perhaps more than 1,000 officers who intend to crack down at the first sign of trouble. Los Angeles Times

Can tabloids rescue daytime TV?

Can old-fashioned tabloid copy boost the fortunes of daytime TV? Fox is launching “Page Six TV,” a gossip news show based on the New York Post’s column. CBS’ syndication unit is launching “Daily Mail TV,” a show based on the British newspaper’s website. These shows will be live and focus on entertainment news. But they will face stiff competition in a celebrity news market already dominated by “Entertainment Tonight,” “Extra,” “The Insider” and “TMZ.” Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Tough stuff: Canter’s — the famed Fairfax Avenue deli and late-night hangout — was ordered closed this month for the first time in 20 years for health code violations. “We won’t let it happen again,” one of the owners vowed. Los Angeles Times

Arrested: A 20-year-old Ohio man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of battery after he “sucker-punched” a Trump supporter at an anti-illegal immigration rally in Laguna Beach on Sunday, police said. Los Angeles Times

Anti-Trump protesters: A District of Columbia judge ruled Thursday that a Los Angeles-based Web host provider must provide the government with digital data from a website widely used to help organize protests against Trump’s inauguration in January. Los Angeles Times

A changing neighborhood: In Boyle Heights, the disappearance of murals reflects the dramatic change that’s overtaking the predominantly Latino neighborhood. NPR

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

A wild tale: The 1985 murder of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent still haunts Mexico. Finally, a drug lord has been sentenced in the case. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

A party in crisis: Republican Assemblyman Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley said that he will step down as caucus leader and that Assemblyman Brian Dahle of Bieber will succeed him before the end of the legislative session next month. Mayes’ ouster was partially driven by his vote for cap-and-trade legislation. Los Angeles Times

The housing crisis: Times columnist George Skelton weighs in on why the Legislature probably can’t fix California’s affordable housing problem. Los Angeles Times

Plus: “A move to eliminate the state’s re-development agencies in 2011 effectively wiped out billions in revenues that were earmarked for affordable housing. Now Jerry Brown is trying to amend that problem.” Pacific Standard

Quite the analogy: “If Jerry Brown is the adult in Sacramento,” GOP gubernatorial candidate John Cox said, “then Gavin Newsom is the teenager with the bottle of liquor and the car keys.” Bakersfield Californian

Strong words: Fresno Unified School Board President Brooke Ashjian spurned demands for his resignation and compared the LGBTQ activists who want him to resign to the Ottoman Turks that perpetrated the 1915 Armenian genocide. Fresno Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

A sad tale: Read the mystery of how a 10-year-old boy ended up hanging to death on the family farm. The Mercury News

Plus: Listen to the podcast. The Mercury News

To drone or not to drone: As Los Angeles police pitched their plan to fly drones Wednesday night in a series of forums held across the city, the reaction was less positive than they might have hoped. Los Angeles Times

Body found: The decomposing body of a graduate student was found in a USC Health Sciences Campus dorm room Wednesday afternoon, coroner’s officials said. Los Angeles Times

THE ENVIRONMENT

Legal fight ends: Kern County has agreed to stop challenging the city of Los Angeles over its practice of dumping treated human waste on Kern County farmland, capping a bitter legal battle that has spanned more than a decade. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Public mourning planned: Linkin Park announced in a brief message Tuesday that the band is “working on a special public event in Los Angeles to honor Chester [Bennington]’s memory, and look forward to sharing details with you soon.” Los Angeles Times

In Carlsbad: Embarking on its most costly attraction yet, Legoland announced Thursday that it will introduce a submarine ride next year that will traverse a “deep sea” habitat populated with tropical fish, stingrays and exotic sharks. Los Angeles Times

Where to go next month: More than 50 museums are opening their doors for free for one day in September. Los Angeles Times

The poop brigade: Hundreds of San Franciscans plan to prepare Crissy Field, where the right-wing protest group Patriot Prayer will gather this weekend, with a generous carpeting of dog excrement. The Guardian

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Sacramento and Los Angeles area: sunny Friday and Saturday. San Diego and San Francisco area: partly cloudy Friday and Saturday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Janet Griffin:

“When I was a kid, we lived in very rural Stanton in Orange County. My friends and I had horses we rode everywhere — in the bean field ditches, through orange groves along the county roads, up to Los Alamitos to sneak on to the back of the racetrack. We had no trailer, so my mother would trail us home from local parades and horse play days in her Ford station wagon with the lights on. Our very favorite summer ride was through the orange groves along Highway 29 to Knott’s Berry Farm. In the back of Ghost Town were tie stalls meant for the stagecoach team. We’d tie our horses there with homemade feedbags and roam Knott’s, which was free. A real treat was if we had enough money for a burger at the Grill. Later in high school, almost all my friends and I had waitress jobs at Knott’s Berry Farm.”

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 Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.