Newsletter: Essential California: Stricter air pollution limits could save thousands of Californians
Good morning. It is Thursday, Aug. 11. #BartOnBART is a public art project that must be seen to be believed. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:
TOP STORIES
For the record:
8:46 a.m. May 9, 2024An item in this newsletter gave the wrong date for the Rams’ preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. The game is on Saturday, not Sunday.
Death penalty for ‘Grim Sleeper’
Lonnie Franklin, Jr., the man known as the “Grim Sleeper,” was sentenced to death Wednesday for killing nine women and a girl. Detectives believe he may have killed as many as 25 women. The sentencing marked the end of a case that stretched on for decades. Police say Franklin attacked the victims, many of whom were drug addicts and prostitutes, between 1985 and 2007. He was arrested in 2010 after police collected a sample of his DNA from a discarded piece of pizza. Los Angeles Times
Need for clean air
A new analysis finds that every year more than 2,000 people in Southern California die prematurely because of polluted air. Better air quality standards could prevent more than 3,600 deaths annually in California, according to researchers at New York University and the American Thoracic Society. “Southern California has the nation’s highest levels of ozone — the corrosive gas in smog — and does not meet federal standards for fine particles, harmful soot and chemical-laden specks of pollution that can lodge deep in the lungs.” Los Angeles Times
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L.A. AT LARGE
Mind the meter: The city of Los Angeles made $150 million on parking tickets last year. Hot spots included Larchmont Village, San Vicente Boulevard in Brentwood and Washington Boulevard near Venice Beach. “They got more parking enforcement around here than police. It’s like they are watching me,” said one driver who frequently gets tickets near the flower market. NBC Los Angeles
Ready for some football: There is such demand for tickets to Saturday’s Rams game against the Dallas Cowboys that the team will open up seating in the upper level corners of the Coliseum. It will be the first pro football game played in Los Angeles since 1994. “It’s just so historic, and there’s such an appetite for people to be here and be a part of this that it’s a unique situation for us,” said Jake Bye, the Rams vice president overseeing ticket sales. Los Angeles Times
Vroom, vroom: Take a ride with the East Side Moto Babes -- a club for female motorcyclists. 89.3 KPCC
Basketball league: In South L.A., the Drew has been giving basketball players in the off-season a place to practice since 1973. “Through the decades, the Drew has provided a counterbalance to the neighborhood tumult sparked by widespread unemployment and gang violence.” The New Yorker
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Raising funds: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton will be in Laguna Beach later this month for political fundraisers. She’s also expected to appear at an event at actor Leonardo DiCaprio’s home in Los Angeles. Orange County Register
Construction safety: The mother of a girl who died last year when the Berkeley balcony she was standing on collapsed testified before a state Assembly committee in support of a bill against negligent contractors. “How many of you ever thought that if you walk out onto a balcony that those steps could be your last?” said Jackie Donohoe. Specifically, SB 465 would require the Contractors State License Board and the Building Standards Commission to bring more transparency to the construction industry. Mercury News
Making news: Twenty years after her parents shot the footage of Reginald Denny’s beating and the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase, Katy Tur is living through her own famous news event -- covering Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. “The only safe prediction is that this most bizarre campaign will get even more bizarre before the ballots are popped,” she writes. Marie Claire
Medical costs: This is how California was able to cut the costs on many common medical procedures. New York Times
CRIME AND COURTS
Serious crime: A 47-year-old woman was beaten by three men Tuesday night in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district, police said. The men did not steal any of the victim’s belongings, which has left police searching for a motive for the crime. SF Gate
Teen killed: A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed by police in Boyle Heights after he allegedly fired a gun at officers. Police responded Tuesday evening to a report of vandalism involving possible “gang writings.” When they arrived, two suspects ran in opposite directions and one shot at the officers, according to police. However, a witness says Jesse Romero threw the firearm over a fence and that’s when it went off. Los Angeles Times
For its parts: An 8-foot-tall sculpture in Brea has been stolen. Police say “Selections” may have been taken for its copper. “Anytime we experience a theft of this kind on something that’s irreplaceable, it definitely has a negative impact on the community,” said Jenn Colacion, head of the Art in Public Places. Orange County Register
DROUGHT AND CLIMATE
Fire containment: A fire in the San Bernardino mountains is now more than 60% contained. The Pilot fire has scorched nearly 8,000 acres. Los Angeles Times
Under the sea: An examination of “the blob” in the Pacific Ocean. “The blob offers something of an analogue for future seas under climate change. And marine life in this sea of tomorrow will look very different.” National Geographic
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
L.A. or San Diego: Guess the city skyline. Buzzfeed
Boat repairs: The Queen Mary in Long Beach is getting a $15-million makeover. Los Angeles developer Urban Commons wants to bring boutique hotel amenities to the Art Deco ocean liner. The renovation could also include a new speakeasy, cinema and sports area. Los Angeles Times
On the road: A drive through California’s highway rest stops. California Sunday Magazine
Nom nom: The 25 most delicious tacos in Los Angeles. Los Angeles Magazine
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Sacramento will be sunny and 94 degrees. There will be low clouds and a high of 68 in San Francisco. Los Angeles will have clouds and a high of 81. It’ll be sunny and 92 in Riverside. San Diego will have clouds and a high of 75.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California Memory comes from Laurel Humphreys:
“My parents left studio jobs for freelance writing, moving to Rincon Beach, idyllic for small children, with the sand right outside our door. Dad pried plate-sized abalone off the causeway rocks and hauled in crayfish, swapping with the farmers across the highway for asparagus and strawberries. My brother and I could stand on the edge of the private road connecting the dozen beach cottages to watch the train roar by across the highway and get a wave from the man in the caboose. That all ended with PCH’s expansion swallowing the little community, pushing the pavement over what had been a wide strand. But, satisfyingly, in recent years, the relentless Pacific has again built up a beach at Rincon.”
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.
