Newsletter: Essential California: Wildfire rages in Southern California

Good morning. It is Monday, July 25. In the world of high-end real estate, Los Angeles agents get some strange requests, particularly when it comes to the showers and bathtubs. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Dangerous fire

Fueled by high winds and dry chaparral, the Sand fire near Santa Clarita has burned through tens of thousands of acres. The fire began Friday afternoon and prompted the evacuation of thousands of residents. Eighteen structures were destroyed and one was damaged. At least 1,600 firefighters were working to extinguish the blaze. Los Angeles Times

Overtime pay

Pilots at the Port of Los Angeles are the best-paid city employees, averaging $450,000 a year in salary and bonuses. A clause in their union contract that guarantees four hours of overtime if a pilot is called back at the end of a shift is another lucrative way to boost pay. In the last decade, callback pay has resulted in a $5.3-million tab for the city. Los Angeles Times

On the road again

Columnist Steve Lopez visited Sonoma County to meet with the men and women who pushed to create the California Coastal Commission and Coastal Act. “Most of the people who fought for the coast 40-plus years ago are still at it, and concerned about what they see as a disturbing trend by current coastal commissioners to be more open to coastal development than past guardians,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

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L.A. AT LARGE

Moral behavior: The State Bar has so far declined to punish an attorney who used the N-word to describe the president of the L.A. City Council, who is African American, and drew a burning cross and a man hung from a tree on a public comment card. An official with the State Bar noted that Wayne Spindler has not been charged with a crime, but two men who filed complaints with the State Bar argue Spindler has engaged in acts of “moral turpitude.” Los Angeles Times

Church finances: Trinity Broadcasting Network is in trouble. Its revenue dropped from $207 million in 2006 to $121.5 million in 2014. And now it’s closing some attractions on its Costa Mesa campus. “TBN’s vision, long-term plans and short-term goals have not changed, and that is telling the world about Jesus through traditional and non-traditional broadcasting,” said spokeswoman Tanya Wiley. Orange County Register

Animal evacuations: The Sand fire prompted the evacuation of lions, tigers, horses and birds from the Wildlife Waystation, an exotic animal shelter near Sylmar. “You would hear lions starting to call to each other as the sun was beginning to rise. Then you would hear the chimps shrieking to each other and it just echoed around the canyon. It was completely surreal,” said Jess Peláez. 89.3 KPCC

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Place to stay: What’s the status of Airbnb in San Francisco? “The Chronicle’s third annual dive into listings data on Airbnb shows that visitors continue to flock to the rentals and that an increasing number of locals offer them — often in defiance of city requirements to register these impromptu inns and limit how often they rent whole homes to travelers.” San Francisco Chronicle

Rules on ballots: Some voting officials believe it’s time for statewide rules on provisional ballots. “It’s clear that there’s been an explosion of voting provisionally,” Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) said. Los Angeles Times

Parole denied: Gov. Jerry Brown denied parole for Leslie Van Houten, a member of Charles Manson’s cult who was convicted of the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. Back in April, a two-member review board granted parole to Van Houten. In his five-page decision, the governor wrote that the “shocking nature of the crimes left an indelible mark on society.” Los Angeles Times

City of Brotherly Love: California’s Democrats are headed to Philadelphia this week for the Democratic National Convention. A lot of Californians are scheduled to speak at the convention, but don’t expect to necessarily see them on prime time. “Right now, I’m just hoping that C-SPAN is up and running when I go on,” said Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. San Francisco Chronicle

CRIME AND COURTS

Brazen attacks: Police have linked a series of seemingly unrelated and violent crimes back to one man: 32-year-old Artyom Gasparyan. Authorities say he is responsible for at least one homicide, multiple shootings and an armed robbery. Gasparyan has pleaded not guilty. Los Angeles Times

Pot problems: A California investor is suing a marijuana chocolate company for securities fraud. The CEO of Altai is accused of spending $750,000 on private jets, fancy hotels and legal bills. The investor, who is not identified in the lawsuit, is seeking unspecified damages. Buzzfeed

Fight over rules: Airbnb is suing the city of San Francisco over a requirement that the home-sharing company allow listings only from hosts who have registered with the city and who have not exceeded the number of nights they’re allowed to rent out their property. The federal lawsuit centers on whether Airbnb and other companies such as Facebook and YouTube are responsible for the information posted by users. Associated Press

BUSINESS

Robot revolution: In Silicon Valley, apps are out and robots are in. “We saw a slow trickle in investments in robotics, and suddenly, boom — there seem to be a dozen companies securing large investment rounds focusing on specific robotic niches,” said Martin Hitch, chief executive of Bossa Nova. New York Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Health effects: A researcher at UC Riverside is studying whether consecutive years of drought can make people ill. The focus will be on the Central Valley as well as Riverside and San Bernardino counties. “The impacts of drought and extreme temperature on these communities, often disproportionately immigrant and Hispanic, can be severe. The stress, anxiety, and reduced income and job losses that occur within these communities likely result in health effects,” said Kurt Schwabe, a professor of environmental economics and policy. Press-Enterprise

Weather patterns: El Niño was a bust for Southern California. Will La Niña be, too? SFist

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

New characters: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at California Adventure is getting a makeover. The ride will be remade into a Guardians of the Galaxy feature as a way for Disney to incorporate Marvel Entertainment into the park. Los Angeles Times

Dinner spots: Eight must-try restaurants in San Francisco’s Financial District. Bloomberg

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will have some clouds and a high of 81 degrees. Riverside will be sunny and hot with a high of 100 degrees. It will be sunny and 87 in Los Angeles. San Francisco will have low clouds and a high of 70. It will be sunny and 100 in Sacramento.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:

Econometrician Daniel McFadden (July 29, 1937), billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong (July 29, 1952), Rep. Jeff Denham (July 29, 1967) and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (July 30, 1947).

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.