Newsletter: Essential California: A new feud over Mono Lake’s water
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Thursday, July 5, and here’s what’s happening across California:
TOP STORIES
Climate change is bringing less snow to the Sierra Nevada mountains — and less snowmelt to Mono Lake. That means if Los Angeles keeps taking its allocated share of water feeding into Mono Lake, it might be responsible for dust kicking up off the drying shore, authorities in the Eastern Sierra say. But L.A. officials don’t agree. Los Angeles Times
The back story
How did LeBron James get to L.A.? In many ways, it started more than a year ago with a legal battle within the Buss family. Jeanie Buss prevailed in a monthlong legal fight that cemented her as controlling owner of the Lakers, kept Magic Johnson as president of basketball operations and, eventually, cleared the path for James to agree to a four-year, $154-million contract Sunday. Los Angeles Times
— Laker fans say it’s time for Magic Johnson and company to show them the money. Los Angeles Times
— The big question in the San Fernando Valley: Where will LeBron’s son play basketball? Los Angeles Daily News
He’s suing
A civil rights lawsuit filed by Andrew Wilson accuses an LAPD detective of influencing a key witness to falsely identify him as a murderer, underscoring a continuing controversy in the way many police agencies handle eyewitness identifications. Wilson’s conviction was thrown out 32 years later. Los Angeles Times
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L.A. STORIES
Preservation battle: Preservationists hope to secure city monument status for three historic Los Angeles Times buildings, which could hinder a plan to redevelop the downtown block where they stand. The effort is notable because one of the buildings they want to preserve was once named among the ugliest in L.A. Los Angeles Times
Up in arms: Why is this man flying the Confederate flag in Palos Verdes Estates? Daily Breeze
ICYMI: L.A.’s dance scene has “historically struggled for visibility and viability.” But that might be changing. New York Times
CRIME AND COURTS
Quandary: Los Angeles lawmakers voted this week to accept a federal grant to combat extremism over the objections of civil rights groups that argue the program will unfairly target and criminalize Muslims. Los Angeles Times
Justice served? The families of people who died in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire say the punishment faced by the operators isn’t enough. East Bay Times
The governor weighs in: A potential boost in the effort for new DNA testing in the case of Kevin Cooper, on death row for a murder some believe he didn’t commit. San Francisco Chronicle
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
The battle ahead: Though California primary voters supported U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein by a huge margin, state party insiders are readying for a fight over choosing a favorite in her general election race against fellow Democrat state Sen. Kevin de León. Los Angeles Times
What to do? San Francisco might finally have reached some tipping point about filthy streets now that they are threatening its huge tourism industry. San Francisco Chronicle
“Wake-up call”: Unions are trying to figure out where to go next after a big Supreme Court defeat. Sacramento Bee
Money talks: Have rich Californians hijacked the state Legislature? Wall Street Journal
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
The making of a genre hit: “The Purge” isn’t Oscar bait, but it’s become a huge Hollywood success story in a period of tough economic times. Here’s an oral history of how the horror genre became so big. Los Angeles Times
Tally-ho! Silicon Valley sees its future, and that has big-money people jumping across the pond to Cambridge on a mission. New York Times
Radical: This Oakland filmmaker is taking on Silicon Valley. Wired
Do not view on a full stomach: The San Jose guy who remains the world’s eating champ. Mercury News
Fourth of July recap: A good moment to become a citizen. San Diego Union-Tribune
No. 1: The college town of Davis has long been a haven for cyclists. But now it’s been named the nation’s safest city for biking. Sacramento Bee
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles area: mostly sunny, 83, Thursday; sunny, 101, Friday. San Diego: mostly sunny, 79, Thursday; partly cloudy, 91, Friday. San Francisco area: mostly cloudy, 67, Thursday; partly cloudy, 71, Friday. Sacramento: sunny, 90, Thursday; partly cloudy, 92, Friday. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California memory comes from Ygnacio A. Coppola:
“I am from Arizona. As a child in the late ’60s and early ’70s, whenever we went to San Diego or L.A., we would go through areas of rolling green hills with homes and businesses perched on them. My hometown of Nogales is like that, and it all seemed familiar. Then we would hit the wonderful places we came to see: SeaWorld, Disneyland and the beaches. People were friendlier and interesting. It was always a happy place to visit. I still feel that way when I visit your Golden State.”
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 Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
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