Newsletter: Essential California: L.A. says you can have more cats

Good morning. It is Wednesday, Oct. 21. It's never too early to think about lunch. Here are Jonathan Gold's recommendations for the five best burritos in Los Angeles. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Liftoff to airport delayed

In his State of the City address last spring, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promised that by summer app-based companies like Uber and Lyft would be allowed to pick up passengers at LAX. Summer came and went, and now it looks as if it could be the end of the year before such service is established. The permitting process has been held up, airport officials say, by the companies' reluctance to provide data. Los Angeles Times

Parsing Asian California

California is home to at least two dozen Asian ethnic groups. Contrary to the stereotype that all are successful and well-educated, the reality is that Chinese, Japanese, Cambodians, Taiwanese, Indians, Vietnamese and Laotians all face their own unique challenges. So proponents were shocked when Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that would have required state colleges and universities and a health agency to break down data according to nationalities rather than lump them all together as Asian Americans. Los Angeles Times

Tough choices on homelessness

At a strip mall in Sylmar, merchants struggle with the area's rising homeless population. On the one hand, the store owners look out for the men and women by leaving out food and inquiring about their medical appointments. On the other, they worry about violent and aggressive behavior. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT and CLIMATE

Emergency declared: The L.A. County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency for the northern part of the county damaged in last week's heavy rains. It's the first step toward receiving state and federal funds for repairs. The cost of the damage is still being assessed. Los Angeles Times

Dry days: Californians are counting on El Niño this winter, even though they know it won't end the state's drought unless it dumps water in the northern part of the state. Even if that happens, the relief could be temporary. Southern California still needs to find a way to become water-independent. Los Angeles Magazine

L.A. AT LARGE

Testing the mayor: A small but focused group of protesters has won attention for interrupting weekly L.A. Police Commission meetings, and that same group has turned its attention to Mayor Eric Garcetti. The protesters interrupted his town hall meeting in South L.A. Monday night, bringing the event to an abrupt end. It was the second confrontation Black Lives Matter protesters have had with Garcetti this year. Los Angeles Times

More cats: The city of Los Angeles is moving ahead with an ordinance that would allow residents to house five cats at a time. Councilman Paul Koretz believes that the change will encourage more people to adopt cats from city shelters. Los Angeles Times

N.Y. vs. L.A.: Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel is in the Big Apple this week so he decided to ask young New Yorkers what they think about Los Angeles. Kim Kardashian, plastic surgery and "dude" all make appearances. YouTube

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Help for homeless: Los Angeles' growing homeless population prompted a visit by U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro. Local leaders asked Castro for the federal government's help in getting vouchers for homeless veterans and recalculating how funds are given to cities. Los Angeles Times

Food poisoning: San Jose health inspectors are investigating a restaurant that may be responsible for sickening dozens. Diners are believed to have contracted shigella bacteria probably spread by an infected food handler. The eatery has been shut down since Sunday morning. San Jose Mercury News

Tech and diversity: Rep. Mike Honda said he's proud that firms in his Silicon Valley district reached out to Ahmed Mohamed, the Texas teenager who was arrested after a teacher mistook his homemade clock for a bomb. "In Silicon Valley, we know we are made stronger by the diversity of our workforce and we believe in the promise of religious freedom," Honda said after meeting with Mohamed in Washington, D.C. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

New representation: Bill Cosby is getting a new lawyer. After being deposed about allegations that he molested a 15-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion, Cosby dropped the high-profile Marty Singer for Christopher Tayback of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. The firm is known for its aggressive defenses and roster of former federal prosecutors. Los Angeles Times

Museum finances: The board president at the De Young Museum is facing questions over a $450,000 payment that was made to a former employee. The state attorney general's office wants to see an accounting of the museum's books, even as Dede Wilsey insists that the payment was approved by her board. SFGate

Rising crime: In an effort to address rising crime, Sacramento will expand the use of ShotSpotter, a network of sensors that notifies police when it detects gunshots. Crime in the city is up 24% compared to the same period last year. "Behind every crime statistic is a person, and we are keenly aware of the importance of safety in the community," police Chief Sam Somers said. Sacramento Bee

Home alone: Finding a squatter in your home would be troubling enough, but in San Francisco's Presidio Heights, one homeowner found that a trespasser stole his valuable artwork. Police believe that the suspect hocked 11 paintings valued at $300,000. So far, nine of the works have been recovered. SFGate

BUSINESS

Tesla troubles: News that Consumer Reports was withdrawing its recommendation for the Tesla Model S caused the company's stock to drop as much as 10%. The magazine found that the $100,000 electric sport sedan was unreliable, and that news spooked investors because it pointed to operational problems at the automaker, one analyst said. Los Angeles Times

Big day for @jack: Is Jack Dorsey the man to lead a revolution at Twitter? He's expected to announce significant changes today for the company he cofounded. "All of these changes won't go over easily with Twitter's existing users, and Dorsey and his team will have to find a delicate balance between attracting new customers and retaining existing ones — otherwise, it might find itself confronted with a counterrevolution, or worse: mass defection." Variety

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Unmarked grave: Where is Steve Jobs buried? He's in Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Silicon Valley, but beyond that it's a mystery. That hasn't stopped fans from making pilgrimages there to try to find his unmarked grave. San Jose Mercury News

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles and Riverside will be mostly sunny and 83 degrees. It will be mostly sunny, humid and 77 in San Diego. San Francisco will be sunny and 73.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Louis Mateo:

"In the mid-'60s I lived for a couple of years at the YMCA downtown on Hope Street. If you walked north, there would be the L.A. Library. In addition to books, it had a couple of manual typewriters for people who needed to type resumes or some school project. There was always the smell of concrete and Eucalyptus that were the signature odor of the area. Having moved to another state, this distinct smell would always remind of those times. Around the corner by Bullock’s, was an outdoor cafe run by Italians. The cappuccino and latte were authentic."

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.