Newsletter: Essential California: A plan to shame ‘johns’

Good morning. It is Thursday, Nov. 5. In 1891, a San Francisco millionaire commissioned a painting of 42 of her favorite cats. This week, the "world's greatest cat painting" sold at Sotheby's for $826,000. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Future of Airbnb

The defeat of Proposition F in San Francisco, a ballot measure that would have restricted short-term rentals and imposed financial and criminal penalties for violations, is just the first battle in what could be a long war between companies like Airbnb and VRBO and cities across the country. "This is just one small, public taste of what Airbnb faces," said Sam Hamadeh, chief executive of PrivCo, a New York firm that does research on privately held companies. Los Angeles Times

Field trip to France

Members of California's political class will take Paris by storm next month when they head to the United Nations summit on climate change. Gov. Jerry Brown will be joined by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senate leader Kevin de León, outgoing Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins and her chosen replacement, Assemblyman Anthony Rendon. "It's kind of a candy shop for science and policy wonks," said Gary Gero, president of the Climate Action Reserve, a Los Angeles nonprofit. Los Angeles Times

Sparse debate

In the search for a new superintendent at the Los Angeles Unified School District, district officials want to hear directly from parents, so they've been hosting forums around the city. Each forum has been attended by an average of just 12 people. "I thought this place would be somewhat packed," said one man who had the undivided attention of consultants for 40 minutes. Los Angeles Times

Plus: A ranking of potential superintendent candidates selected by the Los Angeles Times.

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

School preparations: The Los Angeles Unified School District will spend $6.1 million on roof repairs at 10 schools in preparation for the rains that may come with El Niño. The work is expected to be done between April and May of next year, though the storm system is likely to roll in closer to the start of the year. Field offices are also being stocked with sandbags, plastic sheeting and shovels. Los Angeles Times

No apologies: Farmers in the Imperial Valley make no bones about having a lot of water. "Do we really need 127 golf courses in Palm Springs for Obama and the Hollywood elite?" asked one alfalfa farmer. Bloomberg

L.A. AT LARGE

Runners' low: For decades now, young runners with the Northridge Pacers have done laps at O'Melveny Park, but recently, a parks employee tried to have the group kicked out. The reason? No one has one, writes columnist Steve Lopez. Even when the offices of Mayor Eric Garcetti and Councilman Mitch Englander were contacted, no one could provide a satisfactory answer other than that the group would need to pay $25 an hour to run in a public park. Los Angeles Times

Office space: When the Wilshire Grand Center is completed in 2017, it could be a breath of fresh air for the downtown office space market, which has a vacancy rate of more than 18%. "A great city can't be defined by a beach, two theme parks and a sign. In this phase, now, it is retail and the next phase is office,” said Carol Schatz with the Central City Assn. New York Times

He loves L.A.: A writer from New England discovered that L.A. isn't so bad, even if we have a lot of freeways and like to indulge in healthy food. "And in just 48 hours, I'm not ashamed to say, I fell in love." Boston Globe Magazine

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Shaming "johns": L.A. County is considering a campaign to publicly shame men who seek out sex — especially with minors, who are too young to legally consent. "I really feel strongly that by posting the names and the pictures of those convicted of the solicitation, that's going to have a dramatic effect on the population out there," Supervisor Don Knabe said. The campaign would follow the Sheriff's Department's decision to stop using the term "child prostitution" in recognition that those children are victims of abuse. Los Angeles Times

Personal connection: Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) once spoke on the House floor about her own abortion. Now, she will serve on a new House select committee investigating claims that Planned Parenthood profited from providing fetal tissue to researchers. Los Angeles Times

Porn measure: A ballot initiative that would require actors in adult films to wear condoms has qualified for the November 2016 ballot. "We've taken polls that show, statewide, 71% support. We're very confident that we will be successful on election day," said Michael Weinstein, president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Students stabbed: Police shot and killed a student at UC Merced on Wednesday after he stabbed four people, authorities said. The attack began inside a classroom about 8 a.m. "We're doing everything we can to contact family and parents to make sure everyone here is safe and secure," a school spokeswoman said. Los Angeles Times

Maternity death: The family of a 26-year-old Chinese woman who bled to death in 2014 after giving birth in Orange County has won more than $5 million in court. A jury decided that $2 million should be paid by the obstetrician who left Ling Nie in intensive care. Los Angeles Times

Call for investigation: After several Chinese American scientists were arrested in the U.S. on suspicion of espionage, only to see the charges dropped, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) and 42 other members of Congress are asking for a full Justice Department investigation. "We request that you address why there appears to be an ongoing pattern and practice of people of color being singled out by federal law enforcement and prosecutors," their letter says. Los Angeles Times

BUSINESS

Tech investments: Silicon Valley has a new message: It's a tech bust, not a tech bubble. Venture capitalists believe that the sector's multibillion-dollar companies are undervalued because even if some "unicorns" fail, the upside is still enormous. BuzzFeed

GOLDEN STATE PERSPECTIVES

Airbnb in L.A.: The Los Angeles City Council — which is weighing its own ordinance on short-term rentals — should take note of San Francisco voters' rejection of a proposal to regulate sites like Airbnb, The Times editorial board says. Los Angeles Times

Bullet train spending: In 2008, voters approved $10 billion in bonds to build a high-speed rail system that has since ballooned in cost from an estimated $33 billion to $68 billion — and possibly even more, judging by a draft presentation that the High-Speed Rail Authority tried to keep from public view. With the bullet train now under construction, The Times editorial board says, lawmakers must now ask tough but fair questions. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Eccentric design: An unconventional, multicolored house in the Hollywood Hills is on the market for the first time in decades. The listing for the $1.585-million home says to "bring your imagination." Curbed LA

Heart-shaped distraction: No one likes to be stuck in traffic, but if you find yourself on the Hollywood Freeway, keep an eye out for two heart-shaped bougainvillea. "It's so cliché — it's like such a Hallmark card — but it’s an oasis," one driver said. Daily News

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will have clouds and a high of 62. Los Angeles will be sunny with a high of 73. In Riverside, it will be sunny with a high of 71. There will be sunshine and a high of 72 in San Diego.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Bob Calhoun:

"Winter 1949: I was sitting in grammar school class at San Juan Capistrano Elementary. It was raining and very cold — all of a sudden, the school yard started turning white. It was snowing! Most of us had never seen snow. We were mesmerized. The snow covered most, if not all, of Southern California."

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.