Good morning. It’s Wednesday, July 27.
- Mono Lake faces another crisis as its waters recede.
- San Diego’s One America News faces a “death blow.”
- And the world’s first modern house still inspires.
Statewide
1.
Decades ago, “Save Mono Lake” bumperstickers proliferated across California. Now, in a third year of drought, the ancient lake on the eastern side of the Sierra is sharply receding, causing fierce dust storms and exposing a landbridge that threatens to give coyotes access to island havens for tens of thousands of nesting gulls. The state says it may step in to save the lake — again. S.F. Chronicle
2.
The Chronicle published startling satellite images showing the desiccation of California’s waterways and farmlands. 👇
3.
By one estimate, 32,000 California children have lost a parent or primary caregiver to Covid-19. So the state has decided to become the first in the nation to set up trust funds for the so-called “Covid orphans.” The money — $100 million in all — would go into interest-bearing accounts for low-income children who can tap them at age 18 for housing, education, or other expenses. CalMatters | A.P.
Northern California
4.
Mark Zuckerberg has been setting an increasingly relentless pace at Facebook as he tries to steer the company toward the immersive — and so far theoretical — world of the metaverse. He’s trimmed perks, reshuffled leadership, and informed employees that those who are not on board are welcome to leave. “Realistically,” he said during an all-hands meeting on June 30, “there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here.” N.Y. Times | The Verge
5.
A San Francisco couple said they got slapped with a $180 ticket for parking along a curb that was painted red while their car was parked there. A photo, above, appeared to show a gray spot where workers painted around the vehicle’s tire. They’ll fight it, Desiree Jolly said: “If it was warranted I don’t have a problem with it but this seems unfair to me.” KGO
6.
Dave Chappelle kicked off a series of shows in Santa Rosa on Tuesday after the venue rejected calls to cancel them over the comedian’s past jokes involving transgender people. The run at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts comes a week after a club in Minneapolis dropped a performance by the comedian in response to protests. “I get it,” Chappelle said from the stage Tuesday. “You don’t like the special.” Press Democrat | KGO
7.
If the ocean is nature’s sculptor, the rocky formations along California’s coast are some of its most striking works of art. The interaction of tectonics, waves, and time has resulted in thousands of pillars, arches, islets, and exposed reefs protected in 2000 as the California Coastal National Monument. The photographer Grayson King captured a fantastic video, excerpted above, of Pewetole Island off Trinidad, famous for a blowhole that sends pulses of sea water into the sky.
Elephant Rock. The Keyhole. Jug Handle. Here are some of the best rock arches along the California coast. 👉 Californiabeaches.com
Southern California
8.
Los Angeles’ celebrated new bridge is getting speed bumps. Almost immediately after the $588 million Sixth Street Viaduct opened on July 10, it became a hotspot for shenanigans, with street takeovers, crashes, and vandalism. Unveiling the speed bump plan on Tuesday, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said police had handed out more than 57 citations and impounded six vehicles over the last four days. City News Service
9.
Between 2015 and 2020, at least 31 Marines took their own lives at Southern California’s Camp Pendleton; about one every two to three months, an analysis found. All of them were 25 years old or younger. Over the same period at Naval Base San Diego, which is comparably sized, the suicide toll among young service members was two. Asked about the problem, a mental health official at Pendleton was fatalistic. “If they wanna go, they’re gonna go,” he said. Voice of San Diego
10.
After being dropped by AT&T’s DirecTV in April, One America News is now getting the axe from Verizon. The moves means the San Diego network known for spreading some of the most outlandish falsehoods about the 2020 election will have lost its presence in 20 million homes this year. “I really think this is the death blow for the network,” said Scott Robson, an analyst. An OAN host said the network was a victim of “toxic cancel culture.” N.Y. Times | Daily Beast
11.
Nowhere are Southern California’s water restrictions stricter than in Calabasas and surrounding communities nestled in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. Limited to one day a week of watering, once verdant lawns are now brown. Some celebrity residents have had a hard time adjusting. Kim Kardashian got a shutoff warning after multiple violations. Sylvester Stallone’s $18 million home was 351% over its water budget in May. Wall Street Journal
12.
Rudolph Schindler’s Kings Road House in West Hollywood is celebrating its centennial. Arguably the world’s first modern house, its communal plan, shorn of adornment, set the tone for California residential modernism for decades. The writer Alex Ross paid a visit and “fell into a happy stupor, lost in time.” New Yorker
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