Newsletter: Essential California: Drought fatigue sets in

Good morning. It is Wednesday, Feb. 10. The owner of the Los Angeles Rams, Stan Kroenke, just purchased a Texas ranch that is larger than the cities of L.A. and New York combined. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Helping the homeless

The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to invest at least $1.85 billion in helping the homeless through housing and services like mobile showers and public restrooms. Hours later, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors voted to spend $150 million on homelessness over the next two years. But city leaders now face a big challenge: How will they pay for the programs they voted to support? “This is a useless exercise until they come up with the money,” said Venice Stakeholders Assn. President Mark Ryavec. Los Angeles Times

Hot conditions

Los Angeles’ unusually warm temperatures could affect elite runners in back-to-back marathons this weekend. On Saturday, athletes will run a downtown course for the U.S. Olympic trials and on Sunday, thousands of runners will compete in the Los Angeles Marathon. Officials with the Los Angeles Fire Department say they’ll be ready for heat-related emergencies. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Drought survey: A survey from the Metropolitan Water District finds Southern Californians feel they have nothing left to give when it comes to conservation. Most of those surveyed said they had done all they could to reduce water usage at home. Los Angeles Times

Lots of green: California’s farmers had record sales in 2014, according to newly released figures that showed 76,400 farms had $53.5 billion in sales. How could they have done so well during the drought? Booming almond sales and the ability to dig bigger wells. Associated Press

L.A. AT LARGE

Union dues: United Teachers Los Angeles is a powerful force in local politics, but a declining membership has left the union with fewer resources. Union leaders now want members to increase their dues to as much as $1,000 a year. The funds would likely be used to “a fight for the life of traditional public schools in L.A. as advocates of largely non-union charter schools become increasingly assertive.” Los Angeles Times

Unpaid leave: Clippers player Blake Griffin will be suspended without pay for four games as punishment for punching the team’s assistant equipment manager. He’ll also have his pay suspended for a fifth game for breaking his hand in the fight. Griffin’s salary from those games will be donated to L.A. area nonprofits. Los Angeles Times

Detour ahead: Parts of Wilshire Boulevard will shut down for 22 weekends this year as Metro crews work on extending the Metro Purple Line. It was either that or shutting down the thoroughfare for seven weeks straight. LAist

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Job opening: Santa Clara Mayor Jamie Matthews shocked the City Council when he announced his resignation after the Super Bowl. Now, council members must select someone new to serve out the term’s remaining two terms. Matthews said he’s leaving office to spend more time with his family. San Jose Mercury-News

Transit funds: Sacramento could receive as much as $75 million in federal funding for a streetcar if city officials can come up with their own $75-million share. “Inclusion in the fed budget as an official project is a huge step,” said Sacramento City Councilman Steve Hansen. Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Young girl killed: A 1-year-old girl lying in her crib was fatally shot Tuesday evening by a gunman who opened fire outside her family’s home in Compton. Autumn Johnson had celebrated her birthday last week. Los Angeles Times

Unlock the phone: It’s been two months since Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, opened fire in San Bernardino’s Inland Regional Center, killing 14 people and injuring 22, and FBI agents still cannot break the encryption on the couple’s cellphone. “The encrypted data could shed light on why Farook left a bag with several homemade pipe bombs in the conference room, whether they considered additional attacks, or whether the couple was in communication with anyone about their plans before the attack.” Los Angeles Times

Jail repairs: One Orange County supervisor wants the sheriff to act now to upgrade security at the Central Men’s Jail. In a letter to Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, Todd Spitzer says authorities should not wait for an internal investigation into the escape of three inmates before securing the jail’s problematic roof. There have been 15 jailbreaks via the roof since the jail was built in 1968. Orange County Register

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

L.A. history: Los Angeles wouldn’t have the La Brea Tar Pits without Ida Hancock. “This is a revisionist tale — where the woman constantly cleans up the messes that men in her life have left behind, and survives and thrives, becoming universally revered for her kindness and charity.” KCET

All by myself: One survey finds Los Angeles is a pretty sad place to spend Valentine’s Day. LA Weekly

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will be sunny with a high of 80 degrees. Los Angeles will be mostly sunny and 87. Riverside will also be sunny with a high of 87. In Sacramento, morning fog will give way to sunshine and a high of 72. San Francisco will be partly sunny and 64.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Thomas Bliss:

“During our high school years, we hung out in the rolling hills, ravines and oaks of Porter Ranch, playing music and changing our minds. One night, after a school football game, we threw an invitation-only sleepover. Those of us who actually managed to sleep were awakened at dawn by the sound of bells followed by dozens of sheep materializing out of the fog. Decades later I returned to drop my young son at a party. Houses had replaced the hills, ravines and oaks. We never knew about the gas facility.”

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.