Newsletter: Essential California: Dramatic start to Sumner Redstone’s trial
Good morning. It is Saturday, May 7. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:
TOP STORIES
Dramatic beginning: The trial over the mental competency of billionaire media mogul Sumner Redstone started off with feisty testimony from the man himself. In a videotaped deposition, Redstone referred to former girlfriend Manuela Herzer with a two-word epithet. “I hate her ... I want Manuela out of my life,” he said. Herzer sued after she was ousted as his designated healthcare agent. Los Angeles Times
Presidential home: Ronald Reagan owned a Pacific Palisades home from 1957 until 1981 when he moved to the White House. The Midcentury Modern home that was a General Electric Showcase House is now on the market for $33 million after a massive makeover that makes the original property unrecognizable. The one nod to the late president is a plaque in the shower where Reagan learned he had been elected to the nation’s highest office. Curbed LA
The taco salad: Thanks to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s tweet about Cinco de Mayo, people are attacking the taco salad as inauthentic Mexican cuisine. But writer Gustavo Arellano has the back story on the dish that began as the Tacup and was served at Disneyland. “The Tacup proved popular enough with gabachos that people decided to make it bigger — and thus, the taco salad was born,” he writes. OC Weekly
New location: The Santa Monica Museum of Art is moving to downtown L.A. and changing its name to the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. The museum will be in a warehouse across from the Greyhound bus station in the trendy Arts District. Curbed LA
Making the cut: Take an inside look at auditions for the American Contemporary Ballet. Los Angeles Magazine
THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA
1. The beauty of California is captured in these photographs taken along the Southern Pacific Railroad. SFGate
2. When a boat sank off Marina del Rey, a dozen passengers put on life vests and waited for help. One woman chose to use Snapchat to capture the experience. Los Angeles Times
3. In-N-Out is more than just delicious burgers. For one photographer, it’s a source of inspiration. Orange County Register
4. Video shows a skateboarder taking on one of the steepest streets in Los Angeles. Curbed LA
5. The San Andreas fault has been too quiet. The southern end of the dangerous fault hasn’t experienced a major earthquake since 1857. Now, it’s “locked, loaded and ready to roll,” according to one expert. Los Angeles Times
ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS
The perfect wave: That’s Kelly Slater’s quest 110 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean. Welcome to the artificial wave. Los Angeles Times
Art therapy: Donnell Alexander attended every court hearing for the man he believed killed his 18-year-old sister in 1988. To cope with his grief and the disturbing evidence presented by prosecutors, Alexander drew the attorneys, witnesses and judge. The artwork acted as his security blanket. On Thursday, Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted of murdering Alicia M. Alexander and nine others in the Grim Sleeper serial killings. Los Angeles Times
Cold case: Lonnie Franklin Jr. was convicted this week of killing nine women and a teenage girl. The killings took place between 1985 and 2007 but it wasn’t until a reporter stumbled onto the story in 2008 that the public knew a serial killer had been targeting African American women in South L.A. Read the original story about the Grim Sleeper. LA Weekly
Slow progress: East Porterville, an unincorporated area in Tulare County, became a poster child for the drought two years ago when many of its wells ran dry. Now, officials want to restore the water supply, but that’s turning out to be difficult. Los Angeles Times
Environmental policies: Columnist Robin Abcarian headed up to the delta to see why people hate on the delta smelt. “It’s easy to pick on the poor little delta smelt. They are obscure, where salmon is iconic,” said Ted Sommer, a lead scientist with the California Department of Water Resources. Los Angeles Times
Mountaintop think tank: A billionaire wants to create a think tank of purpose in the Santa Monica Mountains. Los Angeles Times
LOOKING AHEAD
Monday: Transit officials will preview the new extension of the Metro Expo Line in Los Angeles.
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