Newsletter: Essential California: A fight and then a fire

Good morning. It is Saturday, June 18. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

Suspect’s arrests: A Honduran citizen charged with killing five people in a fire was in the country illegally and had been arrested three times in the months before the Westlake blaze. Johnny Josue Sanchez was arrested by border agents in 2012 for illegally entering the country. This year, he was arrested for domestic violence and drug possession. He is accused of setting fire to an abandoned building to avenge a beating he took in a dispute. Los Angeles Times

Heat advisory: Southern Californians can expect heat warnings and advisories this weekend and early next week. The National Weather Service is warning people to limit their exposure outside and prepare for power outages. Los Angeles Times

Domestic abuse: Baldwin Park City Councilwoman Susan Rubio told a court Thursday that she is fearful of her husband in the wake of his loss in last week’s election. “I’m afraid he is going to blame it on me and try to retaliate,” she said of her husband, Assemblyman Roger Hernández. In court documents, Rubio accused her husband of choking, shoving and hitting her repeatedly and threatening her with a knife. Hernandez denies the allegations. Los Angeles Times

Top issue: A new poll finds that what concerns Angelenos most is homelessness and poverty. The result isn’t all that surprising, as the homeless population in L.A. is growing and encampments are appearing on more sidewalks and under more freeway overpasses. The poll comes as the Los Angeles City Council considers a ballot measure to raise millions of dollars for homeless services. LA Weekly

Ending a boycott: Should the Los Angeles City Council roll back its boycott of Arizona? After the state passed a controversial immigration bill, L.A. leaders prohibited city employees from traveling there for business or contracting with Arizona-based firms. But the boycott has repeatedly been loosened, and now Councilman Gil Cedillo wants to get rid of it. “What I find offensive — or unnecessary — is for us to pretend that we have a boycott,” Cedillo said. Los Angeles Times

Car vs. train vs. bike: What’s the fastest way to get from downtown to Santa Monica? A car, apparently, but just by a hair. This race between journalists makes a good case for an electric bicycle. Hollywood Reporter

Just relax: Dream meditation, float therapy and whole body Cryosauna are Los Angeles’ latest wellness trends. “We won’t take undue stress lying down — unless we’re lying in a sensory-deprivation tank or on a zero-gravity lounge chair with virtual-reality glasses perched on our faces.” LA Weekly

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. Working as a port pilot is one of the most lucrative jobs in Los Angeles city government. So when the coveted position went to the boss’ son, others called foul. Los Angeles Times

2. A 20-year-old Indiana man was found in Santa Monica with a car full of guns, ammunition and explosive-making materials. Once he said he was headed to the L.A. Pride festival, police went into high-gear. Los Angeles Times

3. It seems every TV character who lives in Los Angeles has moved from the Westside to Silver Lake. Here’s why that part of town is playing a starring role. Vulture

4. A Southern California start-up believes people need a mobile napping unit to catch a few minutes of sleep. Orange County Register

5. This video shows what the drought has done to one California town. Slate

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS

Breaking his silence: Former L.A. County Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti is talking about the O.J. Simpson murder trial two decades after the verdict. “The former official has regrets (a few), shrugs (more) and explanations (many).” Los Angeles Times

Trump studios: Donald Trump loves to have his name on projects and products, and in 2012 that meant a movie studio. His idea was to create the largest studio city in America — twice the size of the Universal Studios theme park in Florida. But an air reserve base and a political campaign got in the way. Hollywood Reporter

Art education: Before the Broad opens for the day, high school students from throughout Los Angeles, many of whom have never been to a museum before, take a seat in front of the works of art. The educational program encourages them to write about their interpretations of the art. Since January, 3,200 students have come through the program, writes Steve Lopez. Los Angeles Times

Up in smoke: Just about any question you have about cannabis can be answered by “Altered State: Marijuana in California,” the current exhibit at the Oakland Museum of California. “Marijuana is often misunderstood, or people have a very limited perspective based on what they think they know. We are going to put the debate out there,” said museum director Lori Fogarty. Los Angeles Times

LOOKING AHEAD

Thursday: YouTube’s “VidCon” convention will get underway in Anaheim.

Friday: Dwell on Design, the West Coast’s largest design show, will begin in Los Angeles.

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.