Advertisement

Newsletter: Essential California: SF quake, 110 years later

Share

Good morning. It is Monday, April 18. Here’s what is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

The Big One

As San Francisco marks the 110th anniversary of the great 1906 earthquake, new studies suggest the city’s bustling Embarcadero area faces a different kind of seismic threat. It involves a sea wall that experts say could give way in another huge quake. Los Angeles Times

Advertisement

Party affiliation

Did you register as an independent voter? Are you sure? A Los Angeles Times investigation found lots of people inadvertently registered for the ultraconservative American Independent Party instead of registering as an independent. And that means they won’t be able to vote on a Democratic ballot on June 7. (The state’s Republican Party has a closed primary). Los Angeles Times

LAPD setback

Mayor Eric Garcetti pledged to equip nearly every LAPD officer with a body camera by the end of the year, but it looks as though that goal has been derailed by concerns over money. Officials with the Police Department don’t expect to get cameras on the 7,000 officers until the fall of 2017 -- or later. “This is an unequivocal disaster for public safety in Los Angeles,” said Steve Soboroff of the Police Commission. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Dry conditions: El Niño turned out to be a dud in Southern California when it came to rain. Now it’s fading, and its drier flip side, La Niña, could replace it by the end of the year. Los Angeles Times

Advertisement

L.A. AT LARGE

Streets of L.A.: Former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown likens Los Angeles’ homeless problem to the “slums of Kolkata.” “Blocks and blocks of shanty shacks, tents and shopping carts. And on the skyline, 15 construction cranes — high-rise condos and office buildings going up right in the middle of it all,” he writes. San Francisco Chronicle

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Public access: The Coastal Commission has lost the trust and respect of many who protect the California coastline, writes Steve Lopez. “Some of these people shouldn’t be put in charge of the bumper car concession at the Santa Monica Pier, let alone 1,100 miles of the greatest beaches in the world,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

Going blue: Conservatives in Northern California are so turned off by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump that some are considering voting for a Democrat. “They use such words as ‘miserable,’ ‘sickened,’ ‘ashamed.’ And most alarming for Republican candidates everywhere, they’re not opening their checkbooks.” San Francisco Chronicle

Driver licensing: The city of San Francisco wants Uber and Lyft’s 37,000 drivers to get business licenses. Both companies have maintained that their drivers are independent contractors, and in San Francisco, contractors have to register for a license. “People in San Francisco, who are choosing to drive with Lyft to help make ends meet, shouldn’t have to compromise their privacy in order to share a ride,” said a spokesman for Lyft. SFist

Advertisement

Animal shelters: Volunteers with the San Diego County Department of Animal Services feel unwelcome and disconnected from the employees, according to a new report. “In general, those that attended the engagement forums — both volunteer and staff — expressed that the quality of animal care could be improved and that the communication between DAS staff and volunteers was poor,” per the consultants. San Diego Union-Tribune

Into the wild: Is the Fish and Game Commission too cozy with animal rights groups? That’s the concern of hunters. “The commission has shifted from a philosophy of conservation to one of preservation, meaning its direction has gone to where fishing and hunting are more and more limited and very difficult,” said Marko Mlikotin, executive director of the California Sportfishing League. Los Angeles Times

EDUCATION

Educational standards: K12 Inc. is supported by thousands of California families and millions of state education dollars. But its students are not prepared for state universities, and an investigation by the San Jose Mercury-News found teachers were routinely asked to inflate attendance and enrollment figures. “Sometimes I feel like a terrible parent for enrolling them,” said one mother from Santa Clara. San Jose Mercury-News

CRIME AND COURTS

Too little, too late: Joseph Neale Jr. says he’s sorry. Eighteen years ago he walked into Riverside City Hall and shot several officials and two police officers. “It really doesn’t alleviate all the pain and suffering that all of us have had over those years since Oct. 6 of 1998,” said former Councilman Chuck Beaty, who was shot in the face, shoulder and back. Riverside Press-Enterprise

Advertisement

Policing skills: More and more, police departments are looking for candidates who have cultural awareness. “While old-school, control-oriented skills remain important parts of being a cop, intelligence and sensitivity are starting to eclipse toughness.” Orange County Register

Officers hurt: Two Los Angeles police officers were injured in a crash early Sunday morning when a driver apparently hit their SUV and crashed into four parked cars before his own car flipped over, authorities said. Police believe the driver may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Inaccessible instrument: At the top of the 236-foot-tall Crean Tower on the campus of Christ Cathedral is a carillon. “It’s probably the most exciting thing I do in my life. It’s worth it. It speaks to me,” said musician Melissa Weidner. Los Angeles Times

To the extremes: Irvine resident Cindy Abbott’s intense pursuit to become the first woman to both climb Mt. Everest and complete the Alaskan Iditarod sled dog race is the subject of a new documentary. “Everything we did was together, but these last two [adventures] were just her. It’s a drain financially and emotionally and it’s a drain on any relationship,” her husband, a retired Orange County sheriff’s lieutenant, says in the film. Orange County Register

Go for a hike: Barney and Sandy Mann are among the trail angels welcoming hikers from the Pacific Crest Trail into their home. “If you had the chance to be around and help a group of people who are on the cusp of a life-changing experience — and they’re frightened, they’re excited, they’re exhilarated — why wouldn’t you want to do that?” says Barney Mann. San Diego Union-Tribune

Advertisement

Home of the cougars: Here’s what you need to know about the mountain lion that showed up at a Granada Hills high school Friday. Curbed LA

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will be sunny and 85. San Francisco will be mostly sunny with a high of 75. It will be mostly sunny and 88 degrees in Sacramento. There will be plenty of sun and a high of 90 degrees in Riverside. San Diego will be mostly sunny with highs reaching 83 degrees.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:

Former Dodgers manager Don Mattingly (April 20, 1961) and Rep. Norma Torres (April 23, 1965).

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.

Advertisement