Newsletter: Essential California: LAPD’s deadly car chases

Good morning. It is Monday, Oct. 19. Cheap can still be tasty. It’s Michelin’s list of inexpensive eats in San Francisco. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES 

Collateral damage

Bystanders are injured in 1 in 10 LAPD pursuits. An analysis by the Los Angeles Times finds that’s about twice the rate of police chases in the rest of the state. Critics believe the LAPD creates dangerous situations by pursuing suspects for relatively minor offenses, like reckless driving. However, LAPD believes the blame “falls on the city’s sprawling web of multilane thoroughfares and highways, which they say allow suspects to move at greater speeds and make wild turns through traffic, greatly increasing the likelihood that someone may be hurt.” Los Angeles Times

Bad science

Gov. Jerry Brown has blamed climate change for the state’s rash of wildfires, but scientists have not found any link between the fires and global warming. Nor do they believe that the state’s fires are unpredictable or unprecedented. “That is the nature of politics but sometimes the science really has to matter,” said University of Colorado climate change specialist Roger Pielke. Los Angeles Times 

DROUGHT

Hope for rain: Now is the waiting period. California has survived another dry year, and there is hope, maybe even optimism, that snow and rain could come this winter. “It's a time when you start looking to the sky and following the weather forecasts,” said Nick Zaninovich, operations chief at Friant Dam, a hydrologically vital federal facility on the San Joaquin River. Los Angeles Times

Top customer: When it comes to water use in the East Bay, the Oakland A's Billy Beane just about tops the list. Records show his household used 5,996 gallons per day, whereas the average customer uses less than 250 gallons a day. Much of that water is used to irrigate a large lawn. “I certainly pay for it,” he said. San Jose Mercury-News

Drought demolition: More and more Californians are saying goodbye to an icon in their own backyard: the swimming pool. In the past, people got rid of pools when their kids moved away or they got tired of the upkeep. Now, the drought and high water rates are motivating property owners. Los Angeles Times

Beware: A venomous sea snake was spotted in Oxnard. Experts believe the animal was attracted to the region’s warmer-than-usual water. Los Angeles Time

L.A. AT LARGE

New L.A. family: In Hollywood, more and more producers and actors are creating their families through foster adoption. For some, it’s faster and more reliable than domestic adoptions. "This is anecdotal, but the number of people who ask us how they can do this is up dramatically," says Andy Spahn, a Hollywood political consultant and co-founder of the foster advocacy group Children's Action Network. Hollywood Reporter

Attorney rehired: An attorney who once argued that a 13-year-old victim was mature enough to consent to having sex with a teacher is back working for the L.A. Unified School District. “You've got to be kidding me,” writes columnist Steve Lopez. Los Angeles Times

Animal in danger: Crews spent the weekend trying to rescue a humpback whale entangled in netting off Palos Verdes. “It’s heartbreaking when we come across a whale who’s suffering,” said Capt. Dan Salas of Harbor Breeze Cruises. Daily Breeze

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Paying for repairs: In Sacramento, Democrats and Republicans alike agree that something needs to be done to upgrade California’s infrastructure. But so far, neither party is willing to support the tax increases Gov. Jerry Brown wants to pay for the repairs. Officials estimate state roads need $59 billion in repairs; cities and counties would likely need an additional $78 billion. “We don't have any time to waste,” said  Sen. Jim Beall (D-San Jose), co-chair of a committee working on the issue. Los Angeles Times

Politicians' pet projects: Politicians are known for raising money for their own campaigns, but they can also ask for money for pet projects. Since 1997, California politicians have directed more than $120 million to private groups. “Critics say the payments may go to good causes, but are simply another way for special interest groups — largely powerful corporations with business before state government — to curry favor.” KQED

CRIME AND COURTS

Mother’s story: It’s been almost a year since 26-year-old Christopher Richard Walker was shot and killed while he stood in line for a hamburger. In a first-person essay, his mother reflects on the loss of her son and the search for his killer. “All of society suffers when evil is unleashed to dissolve unsuspecting citizens into thin air,” writes Ursula Denise Walker. Los Angeles Times

Alleged cover-up: A former sheriff’s deputy was indicted Friday for allegedly helping to cover up the beating of a handcuffed man by other deputies. The indictment of  Byron Dredd, who no longer works for the department, comes after other deputies in the case have already been convicted. The beating took place in 2011. Los Angeles Times

HOUSING

Short-term rentals: Homeowners in Mammoth Lakes are coming together to oppose nightly rentals in residential communities. “We became perhaps the first resort in California to take the power to transform family neighborhoods into commercial rental zones away from City Hall and put it in the hands of the voters,” said one resident. Los Angeles Times

Symbol of strife: Whole Foods in Oakland was once seen as a sign of progress in the city. Now it’s seen as a way of excluding longtime residents from the city’s new wealth. And a violent attack from a security guard on a man trying to use his EBT card there has sparked a new debate on the direction of the city. Buzzfeed

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Tech hype: What happens when hype outpaces reality in Silicon Valley? Theranos Inc. may be about to find out, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik. “If the rap on the firm's technology is even partly true, then its $9-billion venture valuation reflects investor's hopes and fantasies rather than the technical knowledge and rigorous financial assessment for which the venture community prides itself,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

Off into the sunset: An estimated 13,000 riders celebrated the final Love Ride this weekend. Comedian Jay Leno served as the grand marshal. “The annual Love Ride is credited with having helped bring the image of the motorcyclist from the outlaw fringes into the mainstream. An anomaly when it began, the ride now has dozens of imitators and has itself become squeaky clean.” Los Angeles Times

PR campaigns: Being a paparazzo isn’t what it used to be. During the recession, magazine sales slumped but there was an even bigger problem for photographers on the horizon -- social media. Whereas celebrities used to leak information to the paparazzi so they could be snapped walking down Robertson Boulevard, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat now allow celebs to break their own news without the middleman. Buzzfeed

Bygone era: A new book of photography captures LAX during the 1980s. KCET

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will be partly sunny with a chance of showers. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 76 degrees. Riverside will be sunny and 74. San Diego will be partly sunny with showers and a high of 75. San Francisco will be partly sunny and 69.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:

Controller Betty Yee (Oct. 19, 1957), L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis (Oct. 20, 1957), state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris (Oct. 20, 1964), rapper Snoop Dogg (Oct. 20, 1971), actress Carrie Fisher (Oct. 21, 1956), reality star Kim Kardashian (Oct. 21, 1980), Dodger Zack Greinke (Oct. 21, 1983), “Weird” Al Yankovic (Oct. 23, 1959), Rep. Brad Sherman (Oct. 24, 1954).

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.