Newsletter: Essential California: Cal State teachers get a raise

Good morning. It is Saturday, April 9. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

Children and lead: Children living near the old Exide battery recycling plant in Vernon have higher levels of lead in their blood than those whose homes are farther away, according to new data. The California Department of Public Health found that 3.58% of children within a mile of the former Exide Technologies facility had elevated levels of lead in their blood compared to 2.41% of children living at a greater distance. Los Angeles Times

Dirty streets: A database of more than 9,100 miles of streets and alleys confirms what many Angelenos already believed to be true: Poorer parts of the city suffer from more blight than affluent areas. The database showed 4% of city streets are in such bad shape they require immediate cleanup. Last summer, 10 sanitation inspectors went out to catalog the trash and bulky items left on city streets. “They recorded observations on illegal dumping, bulky items, homeless encampments, loose litter and overgrown vegetation and uploaded photographs from a smartphone to a central database.” Los Angeles Times

Raises for teachers: Faculty at Cal State University campuses will receive a 10.5% pay increase over the next three years, under contract terms reached with university officials. The agreement averted a strike across the system’s 23 campuses. “We’re actually very pleased about what we were able to craft here,” said Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Los Angeles Times

Home free: A freelance photographer from San Diego was released by the Syrian government this week. Kevin Patrick Dawes, 33, was described by U.S. officials as a “detainee” and not a hostage. He was abducted in 2012. Los Angeles Times

No R/X needed: Women in California can now obtain birth control pills and some other forms of contraception without a prescription from a doctor. The goal is to increase access to birth control and reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies. California is the third state to enact such a law. Los Angeles Times

Trained professional: The man who led police on a bizarre, only-in-L.A. car chase Thursday was trained as a tactical vehicle driver for the U.S. Marine Corps. Herschel Reynolds, 20, underwent that training before being “prematurely discharged” from the Marines. The 90-minute chase in the rain included passes by the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a near-crash with a vigilante TMZ bus driver. Los Angeles Times

Ears are burning: The mayor of Palm Springs is taking heat over his public comments on the possibility of replacing the city manager. “My fear is there is great collateral damage even in making public statements the way that he did because it sends the rest of the staff a scary message, quite frankly,” said Councilman J.R. Roberts. The Desert Sun

Famous homes: A new special highlights how Pasadena’s Gamble House and the Pacific Palisades home of Charles and Ray Eames impacted architecture in America. “The segments show how these two imaginatively designed homes came to represent the principles of two different eras of architectural history.” Curbed LA

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. Brown sludge has been washing up on the shores of Orange County. Orange County Register

2. Before there was Kim, there was Robert Kardashian. Here’s what you need to know about the man who was once best friends with O.J. Simpson. Los Angeles Times

3. Let the expensive toasts of San Francisco give you some inspiration for a weekend brunch. BuzzFeed

4. The case of the Black Dahlia still has the power to captivate Angelenos. BuzzFeed

5. Did a North Hills father kill his son because of his sexual orientation? Drugs, mental illness and family dysfunction may have played a role. Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS

Water infrastructure: The plan to build water tunnels in the delta has been hailed as California’s next massive infrastructure problem and a potential drought buster. But look closer and it’s become clear the ambition for the grand water works is being downgraded. Los Angeles Times

On the run: How the police pursuit became such an essential part of the Los Angeles experience, and how the city became the chase capital. Los Angeles Magazine

Not a field of dreams: The desert town of Adelanto has welcomed prisons and, more recently, medical marijuana growers to avoid financial ruin. But an effort to bring minor-league baseball to the city has turned into a nightmare. Los Angeles Times

Water supplies: Members of the Westlands Water District are infuriated by the news they will receive 5% of their federal water allocation. “In the complicated, legally fraught hierarchy of federal and state water allocation, Westlands has little priority,” writes columnist Robin Abcarian. Los Angeles Times

The good fight: Scott Folsom has made it his mission to take on the L.A. Unified School District. “As he once put it, the job is to raise issues, raise awareness, raise hell,” writes Steve Lopez. Los Angeles Times

Caregiving in California: Nursing homes in California are coming under extraordinary pressure with an aging population and a shortage of beds, especially for those with mental illnesses. The results have been dire. Sacramento Bee

LOOKING AHEAD

Saturday: Los Angeles Times book festival gets underway.

Monday: Cyndi Lauper and Harvey Fierstein get stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Thursday: The Natural History Museum will present its new scientific agenda.

Saturday: The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium will present “Earth Day Fair and Coastal Bird Fest” in San Pedro.

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.