Newsletter: Essential California: The fight for clean air

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, March 9. Here’s what’s happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Air regulations

The new conservative, pro-industry majority on the South Coast Air Quality Management District board may be short-lived. State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León said he would advance legislation to add three additional members to the influential board, including one public health expert and two environmental justice representatives. Los Angeles Times

New developments

The latest extension of the Metro Gold Line pushes L.A. County’s rail network much farther into the suburbs. There is now a push to rezone some of those areas in more urban ways, with denser walkable developments. The idea has worked in some places such as Hollywood and Pasadena, but not in South L.A. Los Angeles Times

Crime increase

Killings in Los Angeles have surged by 27.5% in 2016 compared with the same period last year as the city continued to see a rise in violent crime. This comes on top of an increase in violent crime last year. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Plenty of water: The latest storms have sent much-needed water — a lot of it — into California reservoirs. Between Friday and Monday alone, they added 391 billion gallons. San Jose Mercury News

Storm damage: A preliminary investigation shows that a mudslide triggered by days of rain probably caused a Bay Area commuter train to derail on Monday night, injuring several people. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

New heights: What will soon be L.A.’s tallest building “topped out” this week — and the view from 1,100 feet up is pretty awe-inspiring. Los Angeles Times

Dangerous timeline: A history of gas leaks in Los Angeles, including the disastrous blast next to the Farmer’s Market in 1985. Curbed LA

What’s a fauxnut: The organic, vegan food movement has hit an iconic Southern California junk food — the doughnut. And in Silver Lake, not surprisingly. Ready for a Fauxnut? LA Weekly

An extended farewell: The demolition of the Sixth Street Bridge is happening slowly but surely. Eastsider LA

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Bullet train: California’s troubled high-speed rail project survived a key legal challenge Tuesday. But it still faces fiscal and engineering challenges. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Drug ring: Six UC Santa Cruz fraternity and sorority members have been arrested in connection with an international drug ring investigation. The Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity and the Alpha Kappa Delta Phi sorority were used in the elaborate plot. Los Angeles Times

Back in U.S.: Alleged drug trafficker Victor Emilio Cazares Gastellum, once a top lieutenant in Mexico’s Sinaloa drug cartel, has been extradited to San Diego, four years after his arrest in connection with one of the largest U.S. investigations mounted against the powerful organized crime group. Los Angeles Times

BUSINESS

Up in the air: Southern California is the home for a new generation of airships. Just don’t call them blimps. The New Yorker

Pay gap: The boom in companies specializing in janitorial or security services in California has led to large pay disparities between workers doing the same jobs, according to a new study. Janitors who work for contractors earn on average $10.31 an hour, or 20% less than janitors who work directly for a company that uses their services. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Homeless in L.A.: A photo of a young woman next to a piece of street art in downtown L.A. — with a homeless person asleep below her — has gone viral. Some consider it insensitive and clueless. LA Weekly

Written word: A new entry into the canon of Central California literature. LA Review of Books

Heartbreak exhibits: It’s not LACMA or the Getty. But welcome to the Museum of Broken Relationships. Los Angeles Times

Photo history: Donald Trump has taken a lot of photos with a lot of celebrities over the years. Here’s a yearbook. SFGate

Funeral arrangements: First Ladies Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton are scheduled to attend Nancy Reagan‘s private funeral Friday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. President Obama, however, won’t attend and will instead be at the South by Southwest tech conference in Austin, Texas, according to several media outlets. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will have clouds and a high of 71 degrees. Riverside will have clouds and 75 degrees. San Diego will be sunny with a high of 69. San Francisco is expected to have morning rain and a high of 63. Sacramento will have rain and clouds with a high of 64.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Chris Long:

“I had stopped for a traffic light at the intersection of Cahuenga and Lankershim while driving home from my job in Hollywood one day in the mid ‘80s. I looked to my right at the Rolls-Royce in the next lane and saw that the driver was Frank Sinatra, who was alone in the car. Sinatra was presumably driving himself to work at the nearby Universal Amphitheatre, where he was performing at the time. As his car moved ahead, I saw that his license plate just had the letters FAS, which of course were the initials of Francis Albert Sinatra.”

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.