Newsletter: Essential California: The water project that never was

Good morning. It is Tuesday, Sept. 22. As Pope Francis flies around the East Coast this week, he'll be snacking on flatbread and crostini provided by a Marin County-based bakery. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Reimagining public education

The Los Angeles Unified School District already has the most charter schools of any district in the nation. Now, the Broad Foundation and others want to raise $490 million to ultimately get half of the district's students into a charter, according to a memo obtained by The Times. Such a plan could destabilize the second-largest school district in the nation, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. Los Angeles Times

Precedent in the making

A San Francisco judge's upcoming decision on frozen embryos in a contentious divorce could set a precedent. The case of Dr. Mimi C. Lee and Stephen E. Findley has put a spotlight on what should happen to embryos when one party wants to bring them to term and the other wants them destroyed. "The landscape is so uncertain," the judge in the case said. Los Angeles Times

'Killer King,' no more

As the new Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital gets off the ground, experts say it is implementing some of the industry's best practices. Those include following up with patients to lower the readmission rate. "The notion of 'Killer King' will be left far behind us," Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT

Water project that wasn't: The North American Water and Power Alliance was never built, but it's an engineering project that hangs over the state's continuing drought. "It's both a monument to the ingenuity of America and a monument to the folly of the 20th century. In a sense, we measure all other ideas against it," said Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute. BuzzFeed

Record damage: The Valley and Butte fires burning in Northern California are now among the top 10 most destructive fires in state history. "Despite the increasing damage, victims and communities hit hard by the fires still have no promise of federal disaster aid now that the smoke is clearing and temporary shelters are shutting down or relocating." Los Angeles Times

Historic lows: This interactive graphic shows the fluctuations in California's 30 largest reservoirs. "Since the drought started, the reliability of seasonal replenishment has all but dried up." KQED

Innovation, not regulation: More rationing and regulation may only make the California drought worse, Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah writes. He's the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources. "I believe that human beings can live harmoniously with our environment without deprivation, and that human entrepreneurship and technology can solve difficult problems -- even one as serious as the drought in the west and California specifically," he writes. National Review

L.A. AT LARGE

Serious infection: The CEO of the Union Rescue Mission on Skid Row says he will never walk again after contracting three kinds of deadly bacteria about two years ago. Andy Bales believes that a wound on his foot was first infected while he was handing out bottled water to the homeless. "So what I experienced, a lot of the vulnerable people on the sidewalk are experiencing because of the conditions that are out there right now," Bales said. LA Weekly

Growing industry: Craft beer has been a boon for Los Angeles County's economy. The 54 breweries surveyed in a report are expected to contribute $66 million to the economy this year. "L.A. County's vast population and the global shipping opportunities afforded by the ports make the region an attractive location for major brewery projects from outside businesses." Los Angeles Times

Get in line: That's the response for anyone hoping to visit the Broad museum downtown. Tickets are free but they are unavailable, at least on the weekends, until Thanksgiving. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Animal control: Coyotes in Irvine are getting too comfortable around people. In an effort to "haze" the coyotes, animal control officers are now shooting them with paintball guns. "The alternative is trapping, and what happens with trapping is once a coyote is trapped, they have to be euthanized. So this allows us to avoid that level of action," said Lt. John Condon, manager of the Animal Services Unit. 89.3 KPCC

CRIME AND COURTS

Fire fatality: The body of a UCLA student was found in a burning Westwood apartment Monday. It was unknown whether the woman had died before or during the fire. Los Angeles Times

Wine robbery: A man sported an Elvis Presley wig and mask when he robbed a Central Coast wine tasting room Sunday. Armed with a handgun, the thief got away with $400 in cash. Los Angeles Times

Driver sought: Beverly Hills cops are still looking for the member of Qatar's ruling family who owns a Ferrari that raced through a quiet neighborhood. Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al Thani, who is known in international racing circles, is believed to have fled the country. Los Angeles Times

HOUSING

High security: The new home of Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg in San Francisco includes a fence and 24-hour security. The Dolores Heights home reportedly has a rotating army of 15 guards. San Francisco Chronicle

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

L.A. neighborhood: Writer Judith Freeman has lived in Los Angeles' Rampart area for 30 years. Back in the late 1980s, "there was a kind of 'Blade Runner' feeling to the neighborhood in those days, the sense that things had gotten out of hand, and the citizens were scuttling for cover, beneath some perpetual eye in the sky," she writes. Zócalo Public Square

Full-time and homeless: Employees at the most successful tech firms in Silicon Valley are often driven to work by bus drivers who are homeless despite having full-time jobs. In part, that's because the success of those tech firms has sent rents through the roof. "At night, some South Bay parking lots are dotted with cars hiding people catching a nap before their day jobs." San Francisco Chronicle

Return to sender: A Northern California man was surprised to find $1,300 inside his box of chicken wings from a local Domino's. After asking his Facebook friends what he should do, the man returned the money. He'll now get free pizza for a year. Associated Press

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego is expected to have a morning thunderstorm and a high of 82 degrees. Riverside will be humid. Temperatures there are expected to reach 88 degrees. Los Angeles will be humid and sunny at 86. San Francisco will be sunny and 67 degrees.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Sara Ambler:

"My girlfriend and I drove to the Hollywood Hills to look at the big, beautiful mansions. We were oohing and aahing when at the corner of one property sat a gorgeous man in a fold-up chair. We drove on by. Then, we both yelled and looked at each other. The man was none other than Dean Martin! I turned around and drove very fast back to the house. All we could see was the soles of his shoes as he high-tailed it back inside. That was one of the best memories I had."

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.