Newsletter: Essential California: Fires take a deadly toll on those in their 70s and 80s

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It is Saturday, Oct. 14. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

The wildfires’ grim toll grows

As fires rage through communities in Northern California, family members are discovering a grim pattern to the devastation. Among the 34 people killed by the fires, a dozen have been identified, and most are in their 70s and 80s. This has become a tragic recurrence in California and elsewhere as wildfires sweep into neighborhoods with little notice and some simply can’t get out in time. Altogether, the 15 fires across wine country have burned more than 212,000 acres. Officials expect the death toll to rise as search efforts go on. Los Angeles Times

More about the fires

— Firefighters continued to gain control of some fires scorching Northern California on Friday, thanks in part to calm winds in some parts of the region. Los Angeles Times

— She survived two earthquakes in Mexico. When she returned to California, her house burned down. Los Angeles Times

— Dream houses with dramatic views and designer touches were destroyed in minutes by the Santa Rosa firestorm. Los Angeles Times

— Pot farms have been devastated by the fires. Emerald Report

— Fleeing from the flames into uncertainty. The New Yorker

— What role did PG&E power lines play in the devastation? Mercury News

Weinstein scandal’s repercussions

The Weinstein Co. board of directors and executive ranks erupted into turmoil Friday over the future of the company co-founded by disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Bob Weinstein, brother of Harvey Weinstein, said the mini-studio they founded in 2005 is not shutting down or for sale despite sexual harassment and assault allegations against his brother that have imperiled the company. But Weinstein’s statement was immediately contradicted by a high-level person within the company who was not authorized to comment. “It’s just not true,” said the person. Los Angeles Times

Plus: In Hollywood, what should’ve been a scandal was long met with a shrug. A new outcry has changed that. Los Angeles Times

AROUND CALIFORNIA

Hepatitis A outbreak: Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency Friday because of the state’s hepatitis A outbreak that has killed at least 18 people. Los Angeles Times

Las Vegas timeline: Police have once again shifted their timeline of how the Oct. 1 massacre unfolded in Las Vegas, saying Friday that a hotel security guard was shot only moments before the gunman shot at a concert crowd — not six minutes before the attack began, as they had previously stated. Los Angeles Times

Plus: The Dodgers ballgirls who survived the Las Vegas shootings will return to work this weekend. Los Angeles Times

Bannon is coming! Steve Bannon, the hard-right conservative media firebrand and former chief strategist to President Trump, will be a keynote speaker at the California Republican Party’s semiannual gathering next week in Anaheim. Los Angeles Times

Campus sold: Irvine developer Sares Regis is buying the sprawling Toyota office complex in Torrance that was formerly the Japanese car manufacturer’s North American headquarters. Los Angeles Times

Now hear this: Los Angeles officials are demanding that an oil company follow stringent new rules if it wants to continue operating a drilling site next to homes in South Los Angeles. Los Angeles Times

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. A prison newsroom mourns its former editor in chief, recently released and then killed in a crash. Los Angeles Times

2. Harvey Weinstein is finding that few in Hollywood want to be on his side. Los Angeles Times

3. Is time running out on Holy Jim Canyon? Nature and the feds are threatening. Orange County Register

4. They survived six hours in a pool as a wildfire burned their neighborhood to the ground. Los Angeles Times

5; In the solitary world of video poker, Stephen Paddock knew how to win. Until he didn’t. Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS

McGowan in the spotlight: Well before the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke, Rose McGowan was already, in her words, a “feminist whistleblowing badass.” For years, the actress had warned of a powerful Hollywood producer who had allegedly raped her. She railed against a casting call that asked her to wear a tight tank top “that shows off cleavage (push up bras encouraged).” She was subsequently dropped by her talent agency and tweeted: “I just got fired by my wussy acting agent because I spoke up.” Few people took notice. Many dismissed her as a little bit crazy. Now, in the wake of Weinstein’s spectacular fall from grace, everyone is listening to Rose McGowan. Los Angeles Times

Horror movies in the age of Trump: The movie “It” is a potent illustration of the idea that cinema can take on a terrifying life of its own. Or, indeed, that life can suddenly turn into a horror movie, as it no doubt feels for those who have interpreted “It” as a thinly veiled parable of life in Donald Trump’s America. Los Angeles Times

Plus: “Like characters in an old blues song, horror and I met at a crossroads decades ago. I went one way, horror another, and lately, I’ve been trying to figure out the reasons why,” writes Times film critic Kenneth Turan. Los Angeles Times

It’s a miracle: “Students come from around the world to struggling Redding, California, where the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry promises to teach them to perform miracles.” BuzzFeed

Samohi grad: Stephen Miller was once a conservative trapped in a liberal California high school. Now he has rocketed to the upper reaches of White House influence, especially on immigration. New York Times

How the Warriors became great: “In the past three years, the Warriors have won two NBA titles with the most explosive offense in history. This is the inside tale of how it all began — on a plate of appetizers.” ESPN

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.