Newsletter: Essential California: Getting California’s elites to protect the coast

Good morning. It is Monday, Aug. 1. Boozy milkshakes are making a comeback in L.A.’s Arts District. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Changing tastes

As the downtown Los Angeles development boom marches on, the once-thriving jewelry district has fallen on hard times. Some businesses are being pushed out by gentrification. The working-class Latino immigrants who once helped sustain many businesses are diminishing in numbers too. Los Angeles Times

Flexing their power

Steve Lopez on the struggles to get California elites to continue to put their power and money behind coastal preservation: “The Packards of Silicon Valley made enormous donations to accomplish that very thing. Today, a Silicon Valley billionaire has ‘no-trespassing’ signs on Martins Beach near Half Moon Bay.” Los Angeles Times

Check cashing vans

When workers at some of Los Angeles’ garment factories receive a paycheck, they have to cash it in unmarked vans. It’s a way for factory owners to disguise the employees’ true wages, advocates and an official for the U.S. Labor Department say. “When you’re paying through this check cashing system, there is no record of the hours worked,” said Mariela Martinez, an organizer at the Garment Workers Center. Los Angeles Times

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L.A. AT LARGE

Famous house: “He’s not some bratty billionaire’s son in any way, shape or form.” Getting to know the new owners of the Playboy Mansion. New York Times

New challenges: USC has launched a different kind of boot camp -- this one helping veterans transition into higher education. Los Angeles Times

Building facelift: A building in West Hollywood that many consider perhaps the ugliest structure in L.A. (black and white stripes with pink accents) is getting a makeover. Curbed LA

Football season: More than 10,000 fans attended the Rams’ first training camp session in Southern California since 1994 -- on a field at UC Irvine. Orange County Register

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Political donations: Apple CEO Tim Cook will host a fundraiser for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton next month. That’s not necessarily a sign of his political leanings. Last month, he hosted an event in support of House Speaker Paul Ryan. Tickets to the Clinton event range from $2,700 to $50,000. Buzzfeed

Family illness: Sen. Dianne Feinstein missed the Democratic National Convention last week because she’s caring for her 80-year-old husband, who was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. Richard Blum is an investment banker who serves on the University of California Board of Regents. “It was caught early, he’s receiving treatment and expects to fully recover,” said spokesman Tom Mentzer. Los Angeles Times

Big purchase: Los Angeles County leases a “Super-Scooper” airplane from September to November to help crews during fire season. But Supervisor Mike Antonovich notes that “fire season” seems to be a year-round event now, so he wants the county to look at possibly buying its own plane. It comes with a price tag of $37 million. 89.3 KPCC

CRIME AND COURTS

Revolution will be televised: The way that media broadcasts terror and violence today can be traced back to one event: when the LAPD’s SWAT team surrounded members of the Symbionese Liberation Army at a South L.A. home. “The [Patty] Hearst kidnapping led to the first unplanned breaking news event broadcast live around the U.S.” Wall Street Journal

Rock on: George DeVincenzi spent his 90th birthday at Alcatraz. DeVincenzi spent eight years on the Rock as a guard and still goes back once a week to talk to tourists and sell his book, “Murders on Alcatraz.” San Francisco Chronicle

Stolen firearm: One of two guns stolen from Stockton Mayor Anthony Silva was used to kill a 13-year-old boy last year, according to prosecutors in San Joaquin County. Rayshawn Harris was shot and killed in February 2015 as he stood in his driveway. The mayor did not report that his gun had been stolen until March 2015. “Words cannot describe my sorrow and heartbreak for the victim and his family. I feel terrible, and I feel sick to my stomach,” Silva said in a statement. Stockton Record

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Still burning: The deadly wildfire raging north of Big Sur continued to grow in size over the weekend and has now burned more than 38,000 acres and destroyed nearly 70 structures. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Pretty laid back: Meet the hammerhead shark roaming off the Newport Beach coast. LAist

Good investment: The actress who played Jan Brady on “The Brady Bunch” just sold her Malibu home for $3.9 million. Eve Plum purchased the home for $55,300 when she was 11 years old. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will have low clouds and a high of 78 degrees. There will be low clouds and a high of 83 in Los Angeles. It’ll be partly sunny and 94 in Riverside. San Francisco will have clouds and a high of 69 degrees. Sacramento will be sunny and hot at 95.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:

Owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Arte Moreno (Aug. 1, 1946), former Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins (Aug. 1, 1962), L.A. City Controller Ron Galperin (Aug. 1, 1963), rapper Coolio (Aug. 1, 1963), James Hetfield of Metallica (Aug. 3, 1963), race car driver Jeff Gordon (Aug. 4, 1971), former L.A. Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti (Aug. 5, 1941) and Angels center fielder Mike Trout (Aug. 7, 1991).

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.