Newsletter: Essential California: Will Inglewood make a comeback?

Good morning. It is Thursday, Jan. 14. At $1.5 billion, the Powerball jackpot could buy a lot of burritos. Exactly 116 million, to be exact. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Shared costs

The cost of earthquake retrofitting older apartment complexes, typically concrete or wood-framed buildings, will be shared between landlords and tenants, under a vote taken Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council. Costs will be passed on to renters through rent increases spread over 10 years with a maximum increase of $38 a month. The deal was a year in the making and more or less acceptable to landlord and tenant groups. “It’s the best deal that we could have,” said Councilman Gil Cedillo. Los Angeles Times

Return of the champions?

Things are looking up for the city of Inglewood. Just a few years ago, the “City of Champions” was on the verge of bankruptcy. Now, the Forum has reopened as a concert venue and the Rams are headed to a new stadium on the former Hollywood Park site. “Now that this has happened it’s a real boost for civic pride,” said Mayor James T. Butts. However, others in the city are skeptical that the NFL will be enough to bring Inglewood back to life. Los Angeles Times

Dangerous infections

Dirty medical scopes led to 25 outbreaks of deadly bacteria, according to a new U.S. Senate investigation. That’s more than had previously been reported. Two of those outbreaks took place in Los Angeles. “Unfortunately this investigation makes clear that current policies for monitoring medical device safety put patients at risk, and in this case, allowed tragedies to occur that could have, and should have, been prevented,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). Los Angeles Times

Powerball victory

One winning ticket was sold in Chino Hills for the Powerball jackpot, state lottery officials said. (Florida and Tennessee also reported one winning ticket each.) Twelve more tickets in California matched five numbers but not the Powerball. And the store where the big winner was bought, a 7-Eleven, gets a $1-million bonus. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Far from home: A 20-inch-long yellow-bellied serpent was found on the beach in Coronado this week, hundreds of miles from its habitat. The animal may have found itself so far north because of the warm waters generated by El Niño. Los Angeles Times

Tricky figures: How much water does California need to end the drought? The answer depends on where you live and how you get your water. “California’s diverse water supplies, varying weather and fluctuating demand mean there won’t be a single point when the state’s water problems come to an end. And there’s no uniform definition of what constitutes a drought.” San Francisco Chronicle

L.A. AT LARGE

Rewards offered: Angelenos could now get $2,000 for turning in taggers. The L.A. City Council agreed to double the reward it offers for information leading to the arrest and conviction of vandals. In recent years, the number of rewards handed out over graffiti has steadily declined. One city official said it may be that politicians are hesitant to promote the reward, knowing people could be shot or beaten up for gathering information on taggers. Los Angeles Times

Bike, trains, automobiles: One journalist calls Mayor Eric Garcetti the “Che Guevara of Southern California infrastructure” because of his policies to get Angelenos out of their cars and onto buses and bicycles and trains. “Throughout the past year, he has made a series of proposals that would fundamentally alter the city by deposing the automobile, which has reigned over Los Angeles for a half-century like a cocksure Third World despot.” Newsweek

Coulda been a contender: This could be an art exhibit in the making. Take a look back at the renderings of failed plans to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles. “They were all so shiny and full of hope — and all doomed, every last one of them.” LA Weekly

More development: A new mixed-used complex is coming to the Arts District. ROW DTLA is expected to replace the existing American Apparel office off of Alameda. Curbed LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Open meetings: The Long Beach City Council will have to retake a vote because elected officials may have violated the city’s open meeting law. Aides to Councilman Rex Richardson reportedly authored a series of tweets that lobbied other council members to rename a library after First Lady Michelle Obama. Doing so may have violated the state’s Brown Act. Long Beach Press-Telegram

Personal information: Advocates for the homeless are circulating the phone numbers and home addresses of Sacramento council members on social media. It’s unclear who originally posted the personal material, most of which is incorrect. “We take everything very seriously and we’re looking into it as we do anything that could be a threat,” Sacramento police Chief Sam Somers. Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Claim for damages: The widow of a man killed in the Dec. 2 shooting at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino filed a claim against the county for $58 million in damages. Renee Wetzel’s claim argues the mass shooting “was preventable and caused by the negligent and careless actions” of the county and 25 unnamed individual respondents. So far, Wetzel’s claim is the only one that has been filed with the county in connection with the shooting. Los Angeles Times

Trial of the century: The O.J. Simpson trial is coming back to television as a made-for-TV movie. Producers say the story should resonate today as more attention is paid to the relationship between white police officers and black suspects. “We had the opportunity to be part of a conversation that needed to be had,” said producer Nina Jacobson. New York Times

EDUCATION

New leader: As the new president of Pitzer College, Melvin L. Oliver will be the first African American to lead one of the Claremont Colleges. Oliver, who will begin his new role July 1, is an award-winning sociology professor. “Melvin is a seasoned leader, a thoughtful problem solver and a visionary who is keenly committed to collaboration with an activist’s passion for culture and fairness,” said Pitzer Board of Trustees Chair Shahan Soghikian. Los Angeles Times

Science and harassment: An astrophysics professor at the California Institute of Technology fell in love with one of his graduate students and then fired her for it, according to a university investigation. After he told a second student about what had happened, Christian Ott was placed on nine months of unpaid leave. But some wonder why university officials didn’t act sooner to protect students. BuzzFeed

Safe choice: Columnist Steve Lopez writes he’s disappointed that school board members made what he sees as a safe choice in selecting Michelle King to lead the nation’s second-largest school district. “I kind of got my hopes up for a proven leader, from a functional enterprise, who could take a fresh look at what needs to be done. But after a far-reaching search, the board members settled on someone just down the hall,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Parking violation: Neighbors living next to Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg complain that the billionaire’s security team is illegally parking in their Liberty Hill community. A letter circulating the area “argues that Zuckerberg’s security guards could park in or in front of his driveway without incident, and argues that by refusing to do so, Zuckerberg’s detail has caused a chain reaction of illegal parking.” BuzzFeed

Tech boss: See what a day is like for the CEO of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki. Wall Street Journal

Style icon: The shirt now made famous by Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán is from a boutique in Los Angeles’ Fashion District. “We’re excited because he could buy anything, he could buy Versace, any other brand, but to choose our brand, our designs!” The Guardian

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will have sun and clouds with a high of 62 degrees. In Riverside, it will be sunny and 64. Los Angeles will be partly sunny and 64. San Francisco will have afternoon rain and a high of 54.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Norma Hollister:

“My family lived in Hollywood when I was growing up. At about the same time smog alerts began to be issued, late ‘60s, the jogging craze was in. Not to be left behind, Le Conte Jr. High had a PE requirement for jogging. Extra credit could be earned for jogging after school hours, signed by a parent. I remember my Dad jogging with me at night along Franklin Avenue, past Western Avenue and Immaculate Heart College toward Bronson Avenue and back. In the winter. The jealousy from relatives shivering and shoveling back east made even jogging worthwhile.”

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.)

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