Newsletter: Essential California: What happens when police shoot suspects

Good morning. It is Monday, Feb. 22. Runners stripped down Saturday for the annual Cupid’s Undie Run in downtown Los Angeles. The race was a fundraiser for the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Just a typical February in Los Angeles. Here’s what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

On-duty shootings

Out of more than 2,000 police shootings in Southern California counties since 2004, only one police officer was charged with a crime -- and he was acquitted by a jury. Despite national protests against police shootings, jurors have shown they are unlikely to convict a police officer who fires a shot on the job. “Like it or not, the law provides huge cover for the police in these situations,” said former L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley. Instead, many family members turn to civil courts, where the burden of proof is significantly lower. Los Angeles Times

Environmental justice

In Wilmington, people have been through what one calls “a living hell” since Los Angeles city planners allowed an energy company to produce 5,000 barrels of oil a day. In South L.A., it took three years and hundreds of complaints for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate. And just east of the city, residents are living with contamination from a battery recycling plant. So why did local and state leaders react so differently to a natural gas leak in Porter Ranch? Los Angeles Times

Aliso Canyon’s future

With the Aliso Canyon gas leak plugged, the fate of the storage facility remains uncertain. Many Porter Ranch residents favor closing the operation for good, but that idea is raising questions about whether a permanent closure would destabilize the Los Angeles-area energy supply. “The whole L.A. area is dependent on one natural gas facility,” said U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Where’s the rain?: The best of El Niño may already be behind us, though the West could experience a wetter-than-normal spring. “It’s still strong, but it has reached a peak value and it’s starting its decline,” says a meteorology professor at the University of Oklahoma. Curbed LA

History of water: It was after the Gold Rush that San Francisco switched its water supply from barrels to creeks. “The Bensley Co. is gone, but both its old reservoirs on Russian Hill still exist and the Lombard Street reservoir is functional, providing water to nearby neighborhoods — a little-known link with San Francisco’s first water company.” San Francisco Chronicle

L.A. AT LARGE

Fundraising efforts: Mayor Eric Garcetti is quietly raising money for Los Angeles’ bid for the 2024 Olympic Games. Could LA 2024 be a way for businesses to show support for a mayoral pet project, as city rules limiting which companies may donate -- and how much -- do not apply here? “It’s just inevitable that you’re going to have people who are trying to influence city business by supporting the charities or interests of elected officials,” said UC Irvine law and political science professor Richard Hasen. Daily News

Recall petition: Community members in Studio City are launching a recall effort against City Councilman Paul Krekorian, arguing he’s favored business interests over those of residents. “We’re just tired of nobody listening,” said one of the petition sponsors. In response, Krekorian noted he won reelection last year with 75% of the vote. Los Angeles Times

Trains and buses: Here’s what Los Angeles County’s public transit system could look like in 2040. Los Angeles Magazine

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Republicans and Democrats: Columnist Steve Lopez writes that the 2016 presidential race is so bad he can’t look away. “Just don’t let your children near the TV set. Unless you want them to hear that science is just a rumor, rape victims should be required to give birth to their assailant’s spawn, and we should hold off on replacing deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia until after the next Super Bowl,” he writes. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Talent dispute: The “most interesting man in the world” is being sued by his former manager, who calls him the “least honorable man in the entertainment business.” Actor Jonathan Goldsmith, known for his work in Dos Equis beer commercials, is accused of stiffing his former talent agency on commission. In response, the actor argued his managers disclosed the terms of a confidential contract and jeopardized his career with the beer company. Los Angeles Times

Weapon missing: An agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Francisco lost his gun after he placed it on the roof of his car and drove away, police said. The gun was loaded when it went missing Friday. SFist

Baby’s funeral: The 1-year-old baby who was shot in the head as she lay in her Compton crib was buried Saturday. Autumn Johnson wore a purple ruffled dress and was given a pink teddy bear before her casket was closed. “I feel like my life is over. I wish it would have been me instead of her. She was my future, my firstborn,” the child’s mother said at the service. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Art with a message: Stop dumping motor oil into the streets. That’s the message of one mural in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco. The artwork is sponsored, in part, by the San Francisco Department of the Environment. City Lab

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Francisco will be mostly sunny with a high of 66 degrees. Sacramento will have a foggy morning followed by sunshine and a high of 68. Los Angeles will be very warm at 89 degrees. It will be sunny and windy in Riverside, where temperatures are expected to reach 90. San Diego will be sunny and 81.

AND FINALLY

This week’s birthdays for notable Californians:

Architect Frank Gehry (Feb. 28, 1929).

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.