Newsletter: Essential California: The Expo Line’s a little too popular

Good morning. It’s Saturday, Aug 6. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

Tight fit: The Expo Line rail service to Santa Monica is proving to be very popular. In June, the 11.5-mile Expo Line saw nearly as many trips as the Gold Line, which is twice as long. But there’s a problem: Cars are overpacked, causing complaints from riders. A years-long series of delays in acquiring cars for several new rail lines has left Metro without a way to meet demand. Los Angeles Times

Oops, they did it again: The no-jail plea deals for two concert promoters charged in a $1.8-million bribery and embezzlement scheme involving raves at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is the latest embarrassment for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s anti-corruption unit, which had already racked up a number of missteps and setbacks in other high-profile, government corruption prosecutions. Los Angeles Times

How to save a life? A string of drug-related deaths at rave concerts in Southern California has prompted criticism as well as demands for the government to crack down. Is one solution to simply create a 21-and-over age limit? LA Weekly

Shifting alliances: Orange County used to be a Republican stronghold. But not anymore. A wave of Democratic registration in recent years is quickly closing the gap. Republican now make up just under 40% of registration while Democrats make up about 34%. Some say the rise of Donald Trump is helping the Democrats in a county that is increasingly non-white. Orange County Register

Long commute: With housing prices in the Bay Area hitting record highs, some people are trading long commutes for a home they can call their own. The crazed San Francisco-area real estate market is pushing some homebuyers to Sacramento and other parts of the Central Valley, where they get a lot more for their money but also sit in their cars (or on trains and buses) for a long time. Wall Street Journal

Tasty: The 18 Los Angeles sandwiches you must try. BuzzFeed

Falling arches: The great arches of the 6th Street bridge are slowly coming down. Curbed Los Angeles

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. If you live in L.A., here are 13 apps that have been deemed essential. Los Angeles Magazine

2. A castle with a drawbridge and turrets at the foot of the San Bernardino Mountains is for sale at the bargain-basement price of $849,000. SFGate

3. A new drone video takes you high above the California coast. LAist

4. One of the ugliest buildings in L.A. will be getting a makeover. Curbed Los Angeles

5. Activists in Boyle Heights want art galleries in the area to move out, saying they bring the scourge of gentrification. Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS

One man’s story: A remarkable story about crime, punishment and the quest for forgiveness on the mean streets of Stockton. The ballad of Rocky Rontal. California Sunday Magazine

Difficult times: They helped the American war effort in Afghanistan. Now, they are in California and struggling to survive as refugees. Sacramento Bee

Where’d everybody go? The Promenade in Woodland Hills was once one of the Valley’s most fashionable shopping malls. Now, it’s looking more like a ghost town. Daily News

Olympic ennui: Bill Plaschke finds little love — and little interest — in the Olympics on some streets of Rio. “The Olympics do nothing for me, nothing for our city. There is no benefit here to anyone but big business. It doesn’t help us, it hurts us.” Los Angeles Times

LOOKING AHEAD

Sunday: A commemoration service for the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings will be held at Koyasan Buddhist Temple in Little Tokyo.

Thursday: Actress Roma Downey gets her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Saturday: The Frogtown Art Walk in Elysian Valley.

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.