Newsletter: Fatal police shootings stir anger in South L.A.

Good morning. It is Tuesday, Oct. 4. A taco truck flipped over on the Hollywood (101) Freeway. There were no injuries, although it’s unclear what happened to the tacos. Here’s what is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Police shootings

Anger in South Los Angeles is simmering in the wake of two fatal police shootings last weekend. Officers shot and killed Carnell Snell Jr. Saturday after the 18-year-old pointed a loaded gun at police, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said. Officers killed a second man Sunday who they believed had a gun; it turned out to be a replica weapon. About 25 protesters were at LAPD headquarters Monday as Beck spoke about the shootings. Los Angeles Times

Dangers in the hospital

How many Californians die each year from superbug infections contracted in the hospital? No one knows. Los Angeles Times

Justice and privacy

Does a rape accuser have a right to anonymity? That’s the question raised by a lawsuit against NBA player Derrick Rose. The identity of a 30-year-old woman who has accused Rose and two other men of assault could be revealed as soon as today. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Theater giant passes: L.A.’s “Moses of theater” has died at the age of 83. Gordon Davidson is credited with transforming the city’s theater scene beginning in 1967. He produced more than 300 works for the Center Theatre Group. Los Angeles Times

In the pictures: This was the first movie made in L.A. — back in 1897. KCET

Be prepared: Here’s what you need to know to prepare for a major earthquake. “Experts say quake preparedness is essential, though there are some myths that need debunking, such as you are safest in a doorway during a temblor.” Los Angeles Times

Precautionary measure: San Bernardino shut down its City Hall for a few days over elevated concerns about the “Big One.” “We’re not trying to suggest that the alert is an impending catastrophe. We’re just trying to use an abundance of caution,” said Mark Scott, San Bernardino’s city manager. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Troubling findings: Wasteful spending, political infighting and repeated violations of the state’s open meetings law are just a few of the challenges standing between Maywood and fiscal health, according to an audit. Los Angeles Times

State’s greatest: The 2016 class of the California Hall of Fame was announced Monday. Inductees include Tower Records founder Russ Solomon, actor Harrison Ford, former San Diego Padre Tony Gwynn and former California first lady Maria Shriver, who established the hall in 2006. Sacramento Bee

Unsafe environments: Is enough being done to protect doctors and psychiatrists inside California’s mental institutions? Patients at five state hospitals committed nearly 11,000 assaults on staff between 2011 and 2014, according to the Department of State Hospitals. “Employees were routinely kicked in the chest, punched in the face, shoved against walls and knocked to the ground, police logs obtained through public records requests show.” KQED

Fight for housing: A Section 8 housing voucher can mean the difference between a warm bed or a night on the street. But in Orange County, even those with vouchers face major obstacles. Orange County Register

Netflix and tax: Is a “Netflix tax” coming to Pasadena? City officials are considering whether to extend a cable television tax to users of streaming services. Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Deadly start to October: Five people were killed in an unusually violent weekend in San Francisco. SFGate

CALIFORNIA COMMUTE

Slow as molasses: The Bay Area has a new champ for the worst commute — a 6-mile trek from San Francisco to Treasure Island, which can take an hour at peak times. Some other bad roads might surprise you. Mercury News

Rules of the road: Should cyclists be able to ignore red lights and stop signs? Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Snowfall: The first snow of the season closed Highway 120 in Yosemite. But there’s not a lot to celebrate as California enters its sixth year of drought. SFGate

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Hollywood bigwigs: A quarter-century ago, super-agents Mike Ovitz and Ron Meyer were hard-charging Hollywood titans that many loved to hate. But they’ve mellowed considerably these days. LA Observed

Harassment investigation: The wife of Yosemite National Parks’ superintendent announced her retirement Sunday in the wake of allegations she protected her husband during an ongoing harassment investigation. Patty Neubacher was a deputy regional director with the National Park Service. Don Neubacher announced his retirement last week following reports of bullying, intimidation and harassment within the park service. Los Angeles Times

Art space: An abandoned hospital on Western Avenue has become an art gallery. LAist

Marketing plan: The campaign for “Birth of a Nation” has included church sermons, special screenings and study materials for 30,000 teachers. Compton Mayor Aja Brown hosted a screening of the film Monday night. New York Times

#BroadcastGoals: What journalists could learn from Vin Scully. NBC Los Angeles

In the garden: The Marin County garden is just about what you’d expect. New York Times

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Riverside will be sunny and 82. It will be mostly sunny and 78 in Los Angeles. There will be low clouds and a high of 75 in San Diego. San Francisco will have intervals of sun and clouds, with a high of 65 degrees. Sacramento will be partly sunny and 72.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from Ross Kelly:

“When I was about 10 years old, I said to my father, ‘I’m gonna live in California when I grow up.’ Joking he said, “Me too!” Every summer my family would drive from Albuquerque to San Diego to visit my grandparents. They were our best memories as a family. Years later, my father and I decided to road trip up the PCH. We made that familiar drive to San Diego and stopped in every coastal town all the way to the Redwood National Forest — daydreaming the whole time about living here. He passed away just six weeks after our trip and a year after that I finally ‘grew up’ and made the move. Aside from that last trip with my Dad, it was the best decision I ever made. Thanks California!”

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.