Newsletter: Essential California: The toll from California’s new right-to-die law

Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Wednesday, June 28, and here’s what’s happening across California:

TOP STORIES

The right to die

A total of 111 people in California took their own lives using lethal prescriptions during the first six months of a law that allows terminally ill people to request life-ending drugs from their doctors, according to data released Tuesday. The findings are largely in line with what Oregon saw when it instituted right-to-die rules. But the debate over the ethics of this rage on in California. Los Angeles Times

An institution shutters its doors

After 108 years, furniture chain Dearden’s is shutting all its stores — in Los Angeles, Chino, Van Nuys, Huntington Park and elsewhere. Generations of low-income Latinos came to rely on the store, and their loyalty wasn’t just about housewares. “Other places may not have treated them with the respect they deserve,” said Chief Executive Ronny Bensimon. “Here, we always catered to them and made them feel like kings.” Los Angeles Times

Big news in Sacramento

It’s not a widely known state agency, but it’s the one that collects your taxes. That’s why it’s such a big deal that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill to strip the California Board of Equalization of most of its powers and duties as officials scramble to create an entirely new department by July 1. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

A grocery store battle: A Southern California grocery store fight is heating up with the spread of German discount brand Aldi. The expansion is adding to the pressure on Ralphs, Albertsons, Wal-Mart and other big chains — as well as smaller grocers such as Sprouts — to keep loyal shoppers and avoid losing market share. Los Angeles Times

Remember this: When mountain lions hear the sound of human voices, they almost always flee, even if it means abandoning their prey, according to a new study from scientists at UC Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Puma Project. Los Angeles Times

That big building: The new Wilshire Grand Building embraces Los Angeles in many ways, including in how it’s designed. Los Angeles Times

Wild yarn: One woman’s experience on Beverly Boulevard shows why you don’t want to give birth to a baby in a car. The New York Times

An Rx for L.A.? Can these 20 steps fix Los Angeles? LA Weekly

IMMIGRATION AND THE BORDER

Coming soon: The Trump administration is at least two months away from starting construction of prototypes for a wall along the Southwest border, underscoring the difficulties the White House faces making good on one of the president’s key campaign promises. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

A warning for the swamp: Los Angeles County officials gathered Tuesday morning to warn of the effects the Senate healthcare bill could have on the county, which is home to one out of every 20 of the nation’s Medicaid recipients. Los Angeles Times

Recall begins: The campaign against state Sen. Josh Newman has turned in more than enough signatures to force the freshman Democrat from Fullerton into a recall election. Los Angeles Times

Up north: A small coalition of Asian parents in Pleasanton wants subgroup nationality designations to be dropped from California school district registration forms. East Bay Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Fallout continues: Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday that investigators have identified additional cadets who may have taken rides in stolen police cars, part of an ongoing scandal involving the LAPD’s signature youth initiative. Los Angeles Times

A decision is rendered: The Los Angeles Police Commission decided Tuesday that three officers were justified in fatally shooting an 18-year-old during what police have described as a “running gun battle” in a Watts housing project in which one officer was shot and wounded. Los Angeles Times

#DTLA: Crime in downtown Los Angeles has slowly been ticking up, and residents and local stakeholders are not exactly sure what to do about it. Los Angeles Downtown News

Controversy in Silicon Valley: In the latest sexual harassment scandal to shake Silicon Valley, the co-founder of a venture capital firm resigned this week after six women accused him of making unwelcome advances ranging from late-night texts to groping. The Mercury News

Naming names: A sober look at the Oakland police sex abuse scandal. East Bay Express

THE ENVIRONMENT

Watch: With summer here to remind Californians what it’s like to be hot and thirsty, we fired three big questions at Bettina Boxall, the Los Angeles Times’ most experienced water reporter. Los Angeles Times

A fire burns: A fast-moving wildfire that has scorched 5,800 acres of rugged terrain just south of Beaumont in Riverside County was 20% contained late Tuesday morning as firefighters battled the flames with air drops and ground crews. Los Angeles Times

Saved by the CHP: A California Highway Patrol rescue helicopter plucked a 25-year-old Nevada man from the raging South Yuba River recently as the man clung to a massive boulder. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Uh-oh: “Saturday Night Live” star Leslie Jones tweeted to her more than 694,000 followers on Monday about having the “worst stay” at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Los Angeles, asserting that “they don’t like black people.” Los Angeles Times

Sonic beauty: A touching ode to the great Mojave Desert. Wall Street Journal

Know your neighborhoods: Learn here about the history of Lincoln Heights, the original East Los Angeles neighborhood. LA Weekly

Must pull off for this: Heading out on a road trip through California’s Central Coast anytime soon? Here are the eight restaurants you need to check out. Eater LA

You buying? Here’s what $775K can buy you right now in the Los Angeles area. Curbed LA

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: sunny Wednesday, partly cloudy Thursday. San Diego and San Francisco area: partly cloudy Wednesday and Thursday. Sacramento: sunny Wednesday and Thursday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Gael Venn:

“A native Angeleno, I grew up in Van Nuys in the ’40s. One of my best memories is of Tyrone Wash. Most of the year it was Tyrone Street, but as soon as winter approached, wooden bridges would be put out across the street at various intersections and sandbags were stacked along the street. After we had several days of rain, the water in the wash could get as high as the sandbags and be pretty rapid. We kids thought it was great fun to walk to school on top of the sandbags. Flood control came along and Tyrone Wash was no more.”

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 Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.