Newsletter: Essential California: Is Paris spying on L.A.’s Olympic plans?

Good morning. It is Friday, June 17. The barista at San Francisco’s Elite Audio Coffee Bar may be the best coffee artist in America. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Fire dangers

The Sherpa fire north of Santa Barbara could be a bad omen for the upcoming fire season. So far this year, 30,000 acres have burned across the state. “You add a little bit of wind and these continued drought conditions and fires are going to threaten more homes and do more damage and take more resources,” said Daniel Berlant, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Los Angeles Times

Preventing blackouts

The L.A. Department of Water and Power will be allowed to burn diesel at three power plants this summer if it means avoiding blackouts. The South Coast Air Quality Management District agreed to exempt the utility from emissions standards for 90 days. Utility officials have warned there could be blackouts this summer if natural gas deliveries are curtailed because of problems at Aliso Canyon. Los Angeles Times

Corporate shake-up

Media mogul Sumner Redstone and his daughter Shari Redstone announced they are removing five members of the Viacom Inc. governing board. In response, Viacom accused Shari Redstone of trying to wrest control of the company. “Sadly, it is now clear that Mr. Redstone is being manipulated and used by his daughter in an attempt to accomplish her long-held goal of gaining complete control of Viacom,” said Viacom’s lead board member Frederic Salerno. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Collateral damage: California’s millions of dead trees could mean more wildfires, which trigger mudslides and diminish water quality. “No amount of rain is going to bring those dead trees back,” said the chief of Cal Fire. Wired

L.A. AT LARGE

Olympic competition: The people behind Paris’ Olympic bid paid a visit this week to Los Angeles — a rival for the 2024 Games. The group was spotted taking pictures and videos of potential venues at USC, the Coliseum and the Galen Center. “While surprising, we have no objection to Paris 2024 leaders wanting to tour our venues because they are not secrets,” said Jeff Millman, a spokesman for LA 2024. Los Angeles Times

Changing scene: Sunset Boulevard is becoming the newest stretch of luxury living. “The area’s shift toward luxury residences reflects a national trend in which young professionals and empty nesters are selling in the suburbs and embracing urban living. In Los Angeles, skyrocketing prices for single-family homes make renting more attractive.” Wall Street Journal

Street signs: Rainbow-colored versions of the Gadsden flag with the hashtag #ShootBack are popping up all over West Hollywood. “There’s a lot of frustration, a lot of rage, a lot of sadness, but we firmly believe that love conquers hate,” said Mayor Lauren Meister. Los Angeles Times

Getting around: What happens when a writer moves to Los Angeles without a driver’s license? He spends a lot of money on Uber and finds love along the way. “I also feel no shame now in telling people that I’m unable to drive — and I meet more fellow non-drivers every day,” he writes. Refinery 29

What’s for lunch: What was Pamela Anderson doing at an LAUSD school board meeting? Supporting vegan lunch options. “This is my first time to speak to the LA school board, and I think it’s so important to teach children to be vegan,” Anderson said. It’s unclear just how persuasive the appearance was by the A-lister. “I’m hooked on meat and ice cream,” said school board member George McKenna. LA School Report

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Studying guns: State lawmakers approved $5 million for the creation of a new research center on firearm violence. The National Rifle Assn. opposed the decision, arguing it would use taxpayer dollars to fund a political agenda. “It is a big step for us, frankly, and for the country to step in where Congress has failed,” said state Sen. Lois Wolk (D-Davis). Los Angeles Times

Not an emergency: Gov. Jerry Brown will not declare a state of emergency over homelessness in Los Angeles County. “We recognize the importance of addressing homelessness in our cities and will continue to support local governments, which remain best positioned to tackle challenges like this and tailor solutions to the needs of their communities,” said a spokeswoman for the governor. The declaration had been requested by the Board of Supervisors. 89.3 KPCC

CRIME AND COURTS

Dead sheep: Officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are seeking information about the killing of a Bighorn sheep in Northern California. The head and the horns of the animal had been removed. The animal is believed to be from a group of sheep planted near the upper Klamath River canyon. Siskiyou Daily News

Musical minutiae: Led Zeppelin lead guitarist Jimmy Page got into it with an attorney Thursday morning when he took the witness stand in a copyright dispute over “Stairway to Heaven.” “Page and Francis Malofiy, the attorney representing the estate of Randy Craig Wolfe of the Los Angeles rock band Spirit, sparred in sometimes sharp exchanges as Malofiy tried, largely in vain, to extract incriminating concessions from the 72-year-old, white-haired rock star.” Los Angeles Times

Terror lawsuit: The father of a 23-year-old Long Beach woman who was killed in a terrorist attack last fall in Paris is suing Google, Facebook and Twitter for providing “material support” to extremists. “The fact of the situation is that while these companies do something to try to curtail terrorist use of the websites, they don’t do enough,” said an attorney for Reynaldo Gonzalez. Los Angeles Times

Smash and grab: Remember last summer when two men used assault rifles to rob a Rolex store in Century City? The suspects were part of a ring that hit high-end stores and stole more than $6 million in Rolexes and watches, authorities said. Now three members of that crew are behind bars while two remain at large. LA Weekly

Mayor’s daughter: The daughter of Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts was charged with arranging an attack on her landlord. Ashley Melissa Butts is accused of hiring Israel Rios to attack the landlord with a metal bat back in April. The victim suffered cuts and bruises. If convicted, Ashley Butts could face seven years in prison. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Cannabis culture: Anything you want to know about marijuana you can learn at the Oakland Museum of California, which spent two years putting together an interactive exhibit on cannabis, writes Robin Abcarian. “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

Newsroom for sale: A Canadian developer is in talks to purchase the building that has been home to the Los Angeles Times since the 1930s, according to a person familiar with the deal. Onni Group has an eye toward redeveloping the property into modern offices, retail space and possibly residential units. It’s unclear if the L.A. Times will remain in the building. Its lease goes through 2018. Los Angeles Times

Cultural resurgence: The former head of L.A.’s Department of Cultural Affairs is helping bring neon signs back to Havana. Half a century ago, Cuba had as much neon as New York and Paris but after Fidel Castro came to power, the signs were seen as too commercial and ultimately became too expensive to maintain. Los Angeles Times

On the dance floor: For young gay men in the Latino community, clubs can often provide a sense of home and belonging. “The best part of the gay Latino club was that the DJ was one of us — he knew how to tap into the memory banks of our childhoods by surprising us with a cumbia, a merengue, a bachata and our bodies sprang into action.” BuzzFeed

Doesn’t sound right: Players with the new L.A. Rams tried to pronounce the names of city streets and neighborhoods like Tujunga and Sepulveda. They could use some practice. KFI AM 640

I’m so fancy: Disneyland has a secret menu of experiences for high rollers. But some visitors don’t like the idea of paying for perks on top of a $100 admission ticket. “It’s all part of the one-percenting of Disneyland. I’m a Bernie Sanders so far as Disneyland is concerned,” said one man. Los Angeles Magazine

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

It will be partly sunny and 67 in San Francisco. Sacramento will be sunny and 80. Los Angeles will be mostly sunny with a high of 79. It’ll be sunny and 89 degrees in Riverside. There will be patchy fog in San Diego as temperatures reach a high of 79.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Marybeth Vergara-Garcia:

“As a young girl growing up in South L.A. under the LAX flight path near Manchester Boulevard, I always wondered how the view looked from above and would even try to outrun the shadow of the planes as they passed. My father would pick us up from school and we’d go straight to Playa del Rey beach. We’d pick up a loaf of bread from Weber’s bakery, take a watermelon and head out towards the west. My brothers and sisters always competed to see who saw the ocean first. That’s how I learned to swim in the ocean. It was our special place.”

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.