Newsletter: Essential California: Will the Dodgers return to L.A.’s television screens?

Good morning. It is Thursday, March 24. The San Francisco home that William Randolph Hearst once built as a publicity stunt is on the market for $5.8 million. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Green goals

A major effort by the Port of Los Angeles to reduce the pollution caused by ships idling at the massive harbor complex didn’t work out the way officials hoped — and didn’t achieve the clean-air goals sought. Los Angeles Times

Discrimination and free speech

University of California regents rejected a policy Wednesday that would have condemned anti-Zionism as a form of discrimination. But the panel backed a report decrying “anti-Semitic forms” of political ideology. The fight represented the balance between rejecting intolerance while respecting free speech. Los Angeles Times

California primary

If past primaries are any indication, Hillary Clinton should have an edge over Bernie Sanders when the presidential campaign moves to California. It comes down to several factors, including racial diversity. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Dry land: What is it like to farm during a drought? The Atlantic

Water releases: The levels in Lake Shasta are at a five-year high. In response, officials with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation “had to increase the amount of water coming out of Shasta and Keswick dams to reduce the chances of downstream flooding.” Redding Searchlight

L.A. AT LARGE

Shooting payout: The city of Los Angeles will pay out $6.9 million in a case involving a man who was shot by police as he fled a drive-by shooting. Robert Contreras was left paralyzed. He served time in prison for attempted murder, then sued the city for excessive force. In 2012, the Los Angeles City Council rejected a proposed $4.5-million settlement in the case. Los Angeles Times

Actor’s death: The president of SAG-AFTRA died Wednesday at age 71. Ken Howard was credited with merging Hollywood’s two acting unions in 2012. Howard was also known for his role in television’s “The White Shadow.” Los Angeles Times

Competing visions: The leaders of suburban Los Angeles County are not pleased with Metro’s plan for a sales tax increase, arguing that it favors projects in Los Angeles and the Westside. “The staff is playing to that board. They know how it’s weighted, and they know that when push comes to shove the city of L.A. is gonna prevail,” said Palmdale Mayor James Ledford. LA Weekly

TV negotiations: Don’t bring Vin Scully into the Dodgers’ TV fight, the longtime announcer says. “It’s really kind of embarrassing for me. If it will serve in any possible way to get the fans to see more games, that is the thing I would be rooting for,” he said. The comments followed the news that Time Warner Cable had cut its price for the Dodgers-owned channel. Los Angeles Times

What’s in a name: What were Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s college nicknames? “Gar-Sweaty” and “Gar-Sexy,” according to the man himself. Zócalo Public Square

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Harassment settlement: The man who accused former L.A. Unified Supt. Ramon Cortines of sexual harassment has resigned from his job at the district in exchange for $93,000. Scot Graham sued the school district after allegations came to light in May 2012. The courts never ruled on the merits of Graham’s case. Los Angeles Times

Advisor leaves: L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti’s advisor on homelessness is leaving after 18 months on the job. Greg Spiegel says he’s leaving to spend more time with his family and because he’s had “a major impact” on homelessness. Last month, the Los Angeles City Council approved a strategy to move thousands of Angelenos off the street. Los Angeles Times

County educator: Debra Duardo will take over the top education job for Los Angeles County. Duardo was a high school dropout and teenage mother who eventually worked her way through UCLA to earn a doctorate. She’ll now oversee the education of teenage inmates and thousands of disabled students. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Hacker code of conduct: The FBI isn’t getting much help in its efforts to hack the Apple iPhone. Wary of the stigma of working with the FBI, many established hackers say assisting the investigation into the San Bernardino terrorist attack would violate their industry’s core principles. Los Angeles Times

Air patrols: The design and size of Los Angeles mean police officers must patrol from the sky. “The built environment may inadvertently catalyze new forms of illegal activity, but this also means that the Los Angeles Police Department is constantly responding to criminal innovation with new forms of police work, often before the rest of the world even knows they might be necessary.” New York Times

Transit hero: Video shows the “Viking Guy” taking down an unruly and shirtless man on the Metro Expo Line. The commuter, whose real name is Adrian Kaczmarek, “kept the man subdued and locked in the chokehold for close to 15 seconds before briefly knocking him unconscious to the floor of the train, the viral video shows.” Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Swimming conditions: Lake Merritt in Oakland was once referred to as the Lake of 1,000 Smells. So, what would it take to make this body of water suitable for swimming? “To make it a swimming lake, we would have to close off all of the pipes that drain into the lake. Then we’d be tearing up all kinds of streets, so that’s not really feasible,” said Kristine Shaff, from the Oakland Public Works Department. KQED

Comedy fest: Jashfesht is the new comedy festival coming to Palm Springs next month. “We probably weren’t very clearheaded that evening when we came up with Jashfesht. It drives everyone around the office crazy,” said Daniel Kellison, one of the founders of Jashfesht. Desert Sun

Closed for repairs: “Urban Light” at LACMA will be closed for two months beginning in May. The lamp-post sculpture needs some minor work where the metal is rusting and paint is peeling off. But where we will take our profile pics? Curbed LA

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will be sunny with a high of 64. Sacramento will be sunny and 71. Los Angeles will be sunny and 79. There will be lots of sunshine and a high of 81 in Riverside. Sunny and 74 in San Diego.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Jayne Archambault Lee:

“My mom and I used to take the bus down Valley Boulevard from Rosemead to Los Angeles to shop at the only three large department stores in our end of L.A. County. May Co., Broadway and Bullock’s were near each other in the big city. All three had elevator operators, and May Co. had a wooden escalator. For lunch we would go to Clifton’s Cafeteria, which was a child’s dreamland in those pre-Disneyland days. What an adventure it was to walk around seeing the different sights and sounds compared to the sleepy town of Rosemead of the ‘50s.”

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.