Newsletter: Essential California: L.A.’s homeless emergency

Good morning. It is Wednesday, Sept. 23. The honeycomb exterior of the new Broad museum is now a meme. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

A 911 for L.A.'s homeless 

L.A. city leaders are acknowledging the sharp increase in men and women living on the street by planning to declare a "state of emergency" for homelessness. What they will do about it, however, remains something of a mystery. The Los Angeles City Council pledged $100 million for the issue, though no one could say where that money would come from. And a sweeping proposal promised by Mayor Eric Garcetti back in July has yet to materialize. "It shows an ongoing lack of leadership on behalf of the city," said Mark Ryavec, president of the Venice Stakeholders Assn. Los Angeles Times

Ready to see the pope

About 1,800 California Catholics will be in attendance today when Pope Francis canonizes Junipero Serra, who came to California in the 18th century to build missions and spread the religion. Tickets to the Mass were divided among the state's 10 dioceses. "Many fans unleashed their powers of prayer and persuasion, lighting candles while working the phones and email to reach Bible group leaders, priests and bishops." Los Angeles Times

Golden college memories

Three California universities — UC Santa Cruz, UC Irvine and Cal State San Bernardino — are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year. The schools were opened at a time when then-Gov. Pat Brown and UC President Clark Kerr wanted to ensure that the baby boom generation had access to a quality education. That has some questioning whether the same type of investment is being made in today's students. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT

Recycled water: Officials with the Metropolitan Water District are looking to invest in one of the world's largest plants that could recycle sewage water. The proposal reflects the reality that Southern California can no longer rely on imported water. "MWD officials hope that in about a decade, their treatment plant will produce 150 million gallons per day." Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Pro football in L.A.: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and six team owners are taking a more prominent role in the league's potential return to Los Angeles. It's a subtle but important shift in strategy. "The owners are the ultimate decision makers and may choose to nudge the L.A. situation along by making some actual decisions." Los Angeles Times

Modern healthcare: At the Standard hotel in downtown Los Angeles, young African Americans, many of whom identify as LGBT or gender-nonconforming, meet for the Banjee Ball. This "ball culture" is an opportunity for healthcare providers to share information on HIV prevention and testing. Advocate

Charter debate: A proposal to move half of Los Angeles' public school children into charters over the next eight years is dividing the Board of Education. The project is being organized by the Broad Foundation. "There is collateral damage: We won't be able to lower class size or provide comprehensive support our kids need," board President Steve Zimmer said. Los Angeles Times

Hate speech: The USC student body president took to Facebook to describe how on Saturday night someone leaned out of a fraternity house to yell a racial epithet and throw a drink at her. "Once his fraternity brothers realized it was me, they began to apologize. This stung even more," wrote Rini Sampath. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Party battle: Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins' decision to challenge incumbent state Sen. Marty Block could cause personal rifts that last for decades, columnist Dan Walters writes, as he reflects on the big intraparty fights of the last 50 years. Sacramento Bee

Restricting airspace: The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District learned this month that the airspace above Disneyland has the same protections as the White House. That is to say, pilots need special permits to make the flight. When that didn't happen for the district, officials had to cancel plans to spray a West Nile-related pesticide over eight cities. Orange County Register

Community benefits: Property owners in some parts of Los Angeles County could soon receive tax breaks for turning vacant lots into community gardens. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said that the proposal would "increase the amount of healthy fruits and vegetables grown within urban areas while reducing the number of vacant lots that often become blighted." Los Angeles Times

Child safety: Children in California will have to stay in rear-facing car seats until they are 2 years old. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that doubles the time infants and toddlers need to face backward in the car, starting in 2017. Doctors and traffic experts backed the bill. SFGate

CRIME AND COURTS

Bizarre accusations: One of the leaders of the "Bling Ring," which burglarized the homes of celebrities, is accused of stalking a West Hollywood skin-care guru, Dawn DaLuise, and trying to hire a man to rape her. Nicholas Prugo is scheduled to be arraigned today. Another man, Edward Feinstein, was arrested last week and released on bail. Earlier this year, DaLuise was acquitted of soliciting the murder and assault of a skin-care rival. Los Angeles Times

Drone dispute: The L.A. city attorney's office is prosecuting a man they accuse of flying a drone too close to a police helicopter. Martin Sheldon faces two counts of obstructing a police officer. Los Angeles Times

Costco fight: A 24-year-old Burbank man is facing charges that he punched a 78-year-old man in the face at a Costco. The dispute started when the victim suggested that Derrick Gharabighi was taking too many samples of a Nutella waffle, police said. Los Angeles Times

Roommate case: An Emmy-winning producer pleaded not guilty to allegations that he tried to kill his roommate with a kitchen knife. The man who was stabbed said the dispute started when Andre Bautista announced that he would someday win five Academy Awards. The roommate laughed, and allegedly that's when Bautista grabbed a knife. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Controversial memorial: A San Francisco supervisor's proposal to build a memorial to the women who were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military in World War II is drawing criticism. Opponents are concerned that the memorial would stir up anti-Japanese sentiments. San Francisco Chronicle

Cycling pros and cons: Despite the challenges of using roads that lack bicycle lanes, cycling can be a wonderful way to see Los Angeles. "With all this — and the hills, the ocean, the plentiful sunshine — I'm convinced L.A. has the potential to be the best city to ride a bike in America," one cyclist said. Los Angeles Magazine

This song's for you: Warner/Chappell Music does not have a valid copyright to the song "Happy Birthday to You." That's the finding of a Los Angeles judge. It's a loss for the company, as royalties on the song bring in an estimated $2 million a year. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will have low clouds and 72 degrees. In Los Angeles, highs will reach 86 degrees with sunshine and low clouds. Riverside will be sunny and 94. San Diego will be humid and 83 degrees.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Adrienne Israel:

"In the '50s in San Diego, you were allowed to burn your trash on your property, so my father built a cement block incinerator in our backyard. I can remember my excitement when I got to go out to the big, gray, black tarnished incinerator to throw in the trash, ignite it and watch it burn. Today, 'No way, Jose.'"

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.