Newsletter: Whatever happened to California’s pension savings?

Good morning. It is Saturday, Oct. 29. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

Retirement savings: Gov. Jerry Brown’s pension plan was supposed to be a game-changer. But by the time Brown leaves office in January 2019, the state’s annual retirement obligation is expected to double. “The package of modest changes he signed into law in 2012 has done little to slow the growth of retirement costs.” Los Angeles Times

New digs: The Silverlake Conservatory has a new space on Hollywood Boulevard. “Of the things I’ve done in my life the conservatory is the greatest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” said Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. LA Weekly

Real life: The Los Angeles reporter who used her experiences to create a much-anticipated Amazon show about young women fighting for their place in journalism in the 1960s. Los Angeles Times

Manson case: A California review board denied parole to Charles “Tex” Watson, the self-described right-hand man of Charles Manson and a key figure in the Manson family’s 1969 killing spree in the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles Times

Mysterious killing: A prominent San Francisco attorney was confronted by a gunman and fatally shot outside his home, shocking the legal world. Police say they don’t have a motive. San Francisco Chronicle

Coach sentenced: A former Torrance High School wrestling coach was sentenced to 69 years to life in prison for molesting more than 25 male students. Attorneys for some of the victims have sued Torrance Unified School District, arguing officials there failed to protect students from Thomas Joseph Snider. Los Angeles Times

Beyond “Blade Runner”: Examining Los Angeles’ rich science fiction roots. LAist

Eyes in the sky: Amazon now has a patent for miniature police drones. “Many situations arise in which a user may wish to review the situation from afar. It would be especially convenient if the (drone) were small enough to be carried on a person,” according to the patent filing. SFGate

Supernatural feeling: Is the late actress Peg Entwistle haunting the Hollywood sign? Joggers report the scent of gardenias when the blond-haired ghost appears. Vanity Fair

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. A bus heading back from a casino near the Salton Sea crashed into a big rig near Palm Springs Sunday. Thirteen people were killed and 31 were injured. Los Angeles Times

2. A mixed-use complex designed by famed architect Frank Gehry could be the new eastern entrance to the Sunset Strip. Los Angeles Times

3. A fight over a campaign sign for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump led one man to jail and another to do some soul-searching. New York Times

4. It took two years to shoot this time-lapse video of Los Angeles. Vimeo

5. Some San Francisco chefs had a very good week. SFist

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS

For generations, Chinese immigrants found that starting a restaurant was the best path to the American dream. But China’s economic resurgence has brought immigrants with different ambitions. Los Angeles Times

Unlocking the mystery of the abandoned homestead structures that dot the Palm Springs-area desert. “I used to go up there and just stand in the cabin,” one fan says. “There’s something so wonderful about the [fact] that you’re sort of sheltered, but you’re not.” Desert Sun

Genevieve de Montremare, the matriarch of the tight-knit Friesian horse scene, was of French nobility — or so she said. How this Fresno woman fooled people and faked her own death. ABC News

LOOKING AHEAD

Monday: The city of West Hollywood will host its annual Halloween Carnival.

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