Good morning. It’s Thursday, Aug. 31.
- Governor embraces dirty energy to keep the lights on.
- Firefighters turn to psychedelics for mental health.
- And a tour of Harry Gesner’s Sandcastle home in Malibu.
Please note: The newsletter will be off Friday, Monday, and Tuesday. Back in your inbox on Wednesday.
Statewide
1.
Since biologists confirmed the presence of gray wolves in the Southern Sierra, first sighted on July 6, they have grown increasingly optimistic that the pack will adapt to its new environs. But their arrival is already generating friction. A group of environmentalists has now called on the Forest Service to halt its fuel-reduction projects in the area, arguing that the chainsaws and trucks could harm wolf habitat. L.A. Times
2.
State wildlife officials captured two mountain lions that were attacking bighorn sheep in the Eastern Sierra in 2021 and relocated them more than 200 miles away, where they died of starvation, according to a newly released report. After being dropped off, the lions began making their way back to their home range in an apparent bid to reunite with their mates and entered a desert area with little to no prey. Critics called the episode “bizarre” and “disturbing.” L.A. Times | SFGATE
3.
“If there’s a blackout, it’s the governor’s fault.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigned on shutting down Aliso Canyon, a gas-storage facility that was the site of the largest methane leak in U.S. history. Five years later, his administration is poised to expand the facility. Newsom has also supported extending the lives of gas and nuclear power plants. The pivot reflects an awkward reality, wrote reporter Wes Venteicher: “Politics moves far faster than the building of solar fields, wind farms and transmission lines, while power blackouts and electric bill spikes hit home immediately.” Politico
4.
In California, pregnant women who have had a cesarean section but want to experience vaginal delivery are routinely forced to undergo another cesarean. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists opposes hospital bans on vaginal birth after cesarean, known as VBACs. Yet a review of 205 California hospitals found that 56, or 27% of the total, prohibit VBACs. Doctors tend to prefer cesarean deliveries because they are faster and more convenient. But research has shown that repeat cesareans increase risk of hemorrhage, infection, and death. Sacramento Bee
Northern California
5.
“I don’t start with no, I start with questions. but it may not be difficult to get to no quickly.”
“To say that this is going to be a long, long road is probably an understatement.”
“I just don’t see personally how they will ever get this done.”
If Silicon Valley investors expected a warm reception for their plan to build a new city in Solano County, they appear to have been mistaken. One government official after the next has reacted with skepticism or downright anger. S.F. Chronicle | KGO | Vacaville Reporter
6.
San Franciscans have the costliest commute in America, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by Chamber of Commerce, a research company for small business. The group multiplied average wages by average commute times to arrive at a dollar amount for total annual commute costs. For the median-wage San Franciscan, it worked out to $12,650, or roughly 12% of their salaries. In San Diego and Los Angeles, it’s about half that amount. SFGATE
7.
A Bay Area firefighter tried psychedelics at a retreat in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, in a last-ditch effort to soothe her extreme anxiety, which she attributed to disturbing encounters on the job. It worked. The experience was like “being turned inside out,” she said. She was so moved that she founded a nonprofit called the S.I.R.E.N. Project that has been covertly funding mushroom and DMT journeys for other firefighters dealing with issues like PTSD. Mercury News
- State legislators are considering several proposals to make psychedelics more accessible. CalMatters
8.
A San Francisco woman trying to shut down public pickleball courts in her neighborhood drew ridicule after it was revealed that she has a pickleball court in her own backyard. Holly Peterson, who lives in a Julia Morgan-designed mansion in exclusive Presidio Heights, launched a petition last week that said the pickleball noise threatens a fragile ecosystem: “It’s about preserving nature for future generations.” Phil Ginsburg, a parks official, responded: “Not everyone can afford a pickleball court in their backyard. That’s why it’s nice to have them in public parks.” S.F. Chronicle
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9.
In Big Sur, a place of sublime beauty, the bluffs at Andrew Molera Beach stand out. Dramatic views unfold in every direction: 3 miles of beach, a lighthouse atop a volcanic rock, forested mountains, and endless sea. Matt Khalar, a Big Sur park ranger, once told the Chronicle he had explored almost every inch of the region’s state parks. His favorite walk: the bluffs at Molera. Redwoodhikes.com | Hiking Project
Below, a few views.
Southern California
10.
Over six decades, John Verzi collected around 25,000 autographs and took more than 12,000 pictures of celebrities: Audrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, Brigitte Bardot, Jimi Hendrix. A hobbyist who worked at the Venice Beach Post Office, Verzi rarely sold a photo or signature. He retired to a trailer park in Las Vegas, watching soap operas during the day and playing the casino slots at night. He died in 2018 — 83 years old, alone, and nearly broke. Jeffrey Fleishman wrote about the “weird and wonderful life of L.A.’s most bizarre celebrity photographer.” L.A. Times
- “This collection is so Los Angeles.” The Los Angeles Public Library won a $144,000 bid to secure Verzi’s archives. PetaPixel
11.
The architect Harry Gesner built dozens of renowned homes around Los Angeles, saving one of his most fanciful creations for himself. Completed in 1970, the Sandcastle house on the shores of Malibu embraced a rounded shape inspired by forms found in nature. “Nests are round, everything is round, the Earth, planet solar systems, it’s all round. Why fight it?” Gesner, who died last year, once told the L.A. Times. Architectural Digest took a tour of the Sandcastle house, guided by the architect’s son. YouTube (~14 mins)
12.
Lowriding was born in California during the car customization craze after World War II only to be criminalized for decades by municipal anticruising laws. Now it’s enjoying a revival as cities have learned to embrace the pageantry of the gaudy cars that wiggle and bounce. This summer, British photographer Owen Harvey ventured to Boyle Heights, Venice Beach, and Pasadena for a great photo essay on how the latest generation of lowriders is keeping it “low and slow.” HUCK magazine | Owen-Harvey.com
- More at Harvey’s Instagram. 👉 @ojharv
Thanks for reading!
The California Sun is written by Mike McPhate, a former California correspondent for the New York Times.
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