Newsletter: Did a fight over gentrification lead to a hate crime in Boyle Heights?

Good morning. It is Friday, Nov. 4. Here’s what is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

Neighborhood fight

A boom in art galleries in Boyle Heights has sparked debate over whether it is a sign of gentrification that could push working-class families out of the mostly Latino neighborhood. Now it appears to have taken a serious turn. The Los Angeles Police Department is treating three acts of vandalism in the last month targeting art galleries in Boyle Heights, including graffiti at one gallery that attacked “white art,” as possible hate crimes. Los Angeles Times

Border anxiety

At a time of heated rhetoric about immigration in the U.S. presidential election, attorneys gathered in Tijuana to help those desperate to enter U.S. legally. Here is how border anxiety has heightened for better or worse in the age of Trump. Los Angeles Times

Names and faces

As California decides whether to end the deal penalty, take a haunting look at all 728 men and 21 women currently on death row. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Carrying the torch: This next Rose Parade is going to have an Olympics theme. Daily News

Political allegiances: Southern California’s large Vietnamese population isn’t as loyal to Republicans as they once were, and that has big implications. CALmatters

Guerrilla art: The fascinating backstory of the “Pink Lady” of Malibu Canyon and the woman responsible for the art installation (she turned out to be a paralegal from Northridge). LA Observed

In new hands: After years of litigation and negotiation, Ontario officials assumed ownership of LA/Ontario International Airport from Los Angeles on Tuesday. They say they hope to turn around the once fast-growing airport, which saw dramatic cuts in airline service and its annual passenger volume plunge. Los Angeles Times

Shut it down: A small mental health courthouse in Highland Park — dubbed “the worst courthouse in California” — has been shut down because of structural problems. Some say the building had no business being a courthouse to begin with. CBS Los Angeles

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

New rules: Thousands of people are in jail for marijuana-related offenses; a disproportionate number of them are people of color. Robin Abcarian writes that legalization will clear records and help restore lives damaged by the failed war on drugs. Los Angeles Times

Prison population: New Los Angeles Times polls show mixed results for several hot-button criminal justice measures on the California ballot: Gov. Jerry Brown’s effort to revise and ultimately loosen state prison parole rules is ahead… Los Angeles Times

Death penalty: … But it appears both death penalty measures — including one to end executions in California — are headed for possible defeat. Los Angeles Times

Money back: California has changed its rebate program for buyers of all-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell cars. High-income earners are excluded from getting the rebates, and prospective buyers from lower-income households will get more money under the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project. Los Angeles Times

Vote tallies: California could hand Hillary Clinton the popular vote on Tuesday, even if she loses the electoral college to Donald Trump. Sacramento Bee

CRIME AND COURTS

Stealing grapes? A noted Napa Valley winemaker is accused of serious wine fraud. New York Times

New role: How a lawman who grew up wanting to be a “Miami Vice” cop became a hero in Orange County’s Vietnamese community. Orange County Register

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

What now? For the onetime celebrity hangout of Borrego Springs, the California drought is about to get very personal. The town must cut water use by 70% or risk going dry. Curbed LA

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Just water for me: If you make sugary drinks hard to find, will people lose weight and be healthier? An unusual study at UC San Francisco might yield the answer. As part of the experiment, even fast-food chains on campus, like Panda Express and Subway, have stopped selling sugary drinks. New York Times

Status quo: Remember all the optimism a few months ago about building a new stadium for the San Diego Chargers? It doesn’t look like that is going to happen. San Diego Union-Tribune

Only in L.A.: An art installation under the Viaduct in the Los Angeles State Historic Park is a shared work space. LAist

Landlord relations: San Francisco is turning over large amounts of public housing to private companies. Some don’t think it’s a good idea. Wall Street Journal

Please send me an email: Is Silicon Valley drowning us in message apps? Mercury News

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

San Diego will be 75 and sunny. It will be 86 and mostly sunny in Riverside. It will be 82 and sunny in Los Angeles. It will be sunny and 72 in San Francisco. Sacramento will be mostly sunny with a high of 73.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California Memory comes from GP Barton:

“My parents bought a quarter of an acre of grapevines near Concord in 1950 and built their own little three-bedroom home complete with a septic system and city water (luxury!). There was so much room. Neighbors pastured their horse next door, and my first school was at a two-room wooden structure with an outhouse. The mail was delivered by an old gentleman in a Ford Model T. We were surrounded by walnut orchards. All gone today.”

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.