Newsletter: Essential California: Life in a shipping container

Good morning. It is Tuesday, Aug. 4. What's for breakfast? At one San Francisco jail, it's farina, scrambled eggs and an old-fashioned chocolate doughnut. Here's what is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Climate changes

California will have no problem meeting standards set forth in President Obama's Clean Power Plan. The state has already eliminated coal from its portfolio and implemented some of the strictest rules against greenhouse gas emissions. "We're in really good shape. We're going to be able to comply and even over-comply," said Edie Chang, a deputy executive officer who oversees the Air Resources Board's climate change programs. The plan could also be good for the state's economy as companies focus on creating new sources of renewable energy. Los Angeles Times

School food chief quits

The man in charge of food at the L.A. Unified School District has resigned after a recent audit that found waste and financial mismanagement on his watch. David Binkle had been on leave since December, when district officials started investigating allegations that he had taken vendor-paid trips, mishandled a program to promote healthy food and engaged in conflicts of interest. "The facts show I did nothing wrong. But it's time to move on to pursue other opportunities," Binkle said. Los Angeles Times

Civic participation

Huntington Park appointed two immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally to a city commission, in a step intended to boost civic involvement in this southeast L.A. County city. The area is an entry point for immigrants from Mexico and Latin America, many of whom arrive illegally. It's also an area with exceptionally low voter participation and a history of government corruption. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT

Summery visions of snow: Don't pray for rain -- pray for snow. That's the word from an L.A. Times reporter and photographer as they drive around California observing the drought's effects on residents and the environment. "It's snow that holds the water through the winter and come spring melts into gurgling creeks and rivers that fill the reservoirs below. Melted snow is 30% of California's water supply." Los Angeles Times

Evacuation plans: As the Rocky Fire continues to burn, evacuees are trying to come up with plans on where to go. Los Angeles Times

Water deals: Could the West help with the drought by leasing rights to water? That's what the Palo Verde Irrigation District in Blythe did with the Metropolitan Water District. The move meant more water for coastal cities and money for farmers. Pacific Standard

Silent spring: The drought is changing the way California sounds. One soundscape ecologist has been recording his neighborhood's birds for 20 years. "This year -- because of the drought -- we experienced what was virtually a silent spring with no birdsong for the first time in living memory -- even at what would have normally been the height of the season in mid-April," said Bernie Krause. Fast Company

L.A. AT LARGE

LAPD lawsuit: A former police detective is suing the city of Los Angeles to get his job back, alleging that he was discriminated against because of his race. Frank Lyga, who is white, was heard on an audiotape making racially charged remarks. "The decision to terminate plaintiff Frank Lyga was based not on evidence that he was a racist police officer, but on the perception by others that he is a racist police officer," according to his lawsuit. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Reevaluating raves: The debate over whether government agencies should rent out space to raves was renewed this week after two women died of suspected drug overdoses at the Hard Summer music festival. The concert was held at the Fairplex in Pomona, which is managed by a nonprofit on land owned by Los Angeles County. Los Angeles Times

Harassment case: A former aide to Sacramento Councilman Allen Warren is accusing the politician of coercing her into a sexual relationship. In a claim, Delia Chacon says her former boss created an atmosphere of "quid pro quo sexual harassment" over a nearly two-year period. Warren said his attorney advised him not to discuss the case. Sacramento Bee

COURTS AND CRIME

Suspect wanted: Authorities released a composite sketch of a man they say is responsible for a four-day crime rampage in Kern County. The bespectacled suspect is believed to have killed a dentist, fired at sheriff's deputies and kidnapped three men near Twin Oaks. Los Angeles Times

Road rage: A pregnant 18-year-old woman was shot in the face in a road rage incident in Fresno County. The woman's husband, who was driving, passed an SUV on a rural, two-lane highway. The driver of that vehicle then sped up and someone in the passenger seat shot the woman in the left eye. She's in critical condition. Los Angeles Times

Not-guilty pleas: Two men pleaded not guilty to killing a 4-year-old Highland boy who was struck by a stray bullet. Prosecutors believe that Maurice Kelley, 25, and Darron Daniels, 20, were shooting at two people in a car when one of the bullets struck the child as he played in his grandmother's front yard in the San Bernardino County city. Los Angeles Times

HOUSING

Unusual homes: Unaffordable rents and homelessness can push people into unconventional living spaces, like converted garages. But in San Francisco, young entrepreneurs believe that such living arrangements could actually represent business opportunities. Some want to turn shipping containers into living quarters, and others hope to charge $1,000 to rent out a bunk bed in an overcrowded home. Bloomberg

"Sharing" economy: Guests occasionally steal robes from a hotel, so what happens when they rent out your home on Airbnb? Authorities say a guest stole $35,000 of merchandise from a San Francisco home she had rented on the website. The suspected crime was caught on tape, as the homeowner had set up surveillance cameras in her own place. NBC Bay Area

TRANSPORTATION

Traffic improvements: The 91 Freeway between Fullerton and Corona is 11 years into a 30-year upgrade. So far, more than $2 billion has been spent or earmarked for projects intended to speed traffic on the connection between Orange and Riverside counties. The congestion is in part the result of Orange County's concentration of jobs and Riverside's significantly more affordable housing. Los Angeles Times

ENVIRONMENT

Changing the car culture: The head of the California Air Resources Board wants to banish the internal-combustion engine from the state's freeways -- making her perhaps the most influential automotive regu­lator in the world. Mary Nichols, who helped clean up L.A.'s smog in the 1970s, wants to get Californians behind the wheels of electric vehicles. And she's set an ambitious goal of 2030. Bloomberg

Wildlife spotting: Officials believe they may have spotted a lone gray wolf in Northern California. Wolves were placed on the state's endangered species list last year. Reports of a large, furry animal in Siskiyou County started surfacing this summer. Los Angeles Times

Catching bobcats: Trapping bobcats could soon be a thing of the past. The Fish and Game Commission will consider banning, or at least partially banning, the practice at its meeting this week. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Conscious coupling: Gwyneth Paltrow moved the headquarters of Goop, her newsletter and lifestyle brand, from Britain to Los Angeles. She also hired a new CEO from Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. They're all signs that the actress is turning her project into a serious business. Fast Company

Diamond anniversary: The Beverly Hilton, a favorite spot of both President Obama and the Golden Globes, is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a $24,000-a-night package. Guests will stay in the presidential suite, have access to a personal photographer and receive a diamond necklace from jeweler Neil Lane. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will start with clouds and then have sunshine and 86 degrees. In Riverside, it will be sunny and 97 degrees. San Diego will have low clouds and then sunshine and 80 degrees. San Francisco will have clouds with some sunshine peeking through. It will reach 69 degrees.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Sue Chehrenegar:

"I remember the afternoon when I had come from the Culver City Library and was walking west along the path that runs next to Ballona Creek. I saw a blue heron standing in the water of the Creek. That is a very rare sighting."

If you have a great memory or fun story about the Golden State, please share it with us. Send us an email here, and 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.