Newsletter: Essential California: Crime is up in Los Angeles

Good morning. It is Saturday, July 23. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:

TOP STORIES

Crime stats: Crime is up in Los Angeles for the second year in a row. As of July 16, violent crime had increased 15.9% compared with the same time last year. There have been 142 homicides — the same number as this time last year — and 586 people have been shot. For a year now, LAPD officers have been focusing on neighborhoods hardest hit by violence to reverse those trends. Los Angeles Times

Political ideology: The youngest California delegate at this week’s Republican National Convention was a 22-year-old UC Berkeley student who supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Claire Chiara says she’s found college a challenge, as her political views and party affiliation are often ignored. “I’ve been in many classes where professors will be very quick to dismiss the entire Republican Party and say … ‘All Republicans think X.’” Los Angeles Times

Museum partnership: The California African American Museum is now affiliated with the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. The move will give the Los Angeles-based museum access to the Smithsonian’s permanent collection and will allow it to share exhibits with other sites. “The ability to be able to loan and borrow those things for the museum to be on view here in California is a huge accomplishment,” said Naima Keith, the museum’s deputy director. 89.3 KPCC

Farming in SoCal: About 100 miles north of Los Angeles, a family of farmers is creating its own non-GMO grain belt. “If you spend time in Los Angeles’ dining culture, you’ve likely heard of the grain project through a restaurant fundraiser, a bakery class or one of the loaves of bread that have traveled around the city like breadcrumbs embedded in a narrative.” Los Angeles Times

Students’ safety: After two of their students were killed in terrorist attacks overseas, University of California officials are reassessing their study abroad programs in 43 countries. “We’ve heard from some concerned parents and students and are providing assistance to students who want to return,” said Claire Doan, a spokeswoman for UC President Janet Napolitano. Nicolas Leslie died in the July 14 attack in Nice, and Tarishi Jain was killed July 1 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Reuters

City settlement: The family of a cyclist who was killed by a Muni bus in 2013 will receive a $3.25 million settlement from the city of San Francisco. Cheng Jin Lai, 78, was struck by a bus that was missing a safety feature intended to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from being crushed by the vehicle’s rear tire. SFist

THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA

1. How wealthy are the two women running for the U.S. Senate — Rep. Loretta Sanchez and state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris? Los Angeles Times

2. Outside of San Diego, there is a $14-million mansion for sale. It includes a go-kart track and a million-dollar swimming pool. Bloomberg

3. Donald Trump wants to “Make America Great Again,” but Hillary Clinton wants to “Make America California — without the nice beaches,” according to conservative author Ann Coulter. Capital Public Radio

4. Gravitational pull between the sun and the moon could produce earthquakes along the San Andreas fault. Los Angeles Times

5. A couple finally came forward to claim their portion of a $1.6-billion lottery jackpot. Los Angeles Times

ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS

Over the borderline: Two artists, one Mexican and the other American, set off on a road trip to map out the border between Mexico and the United States. But they weren’t mapping the border as it appears today. Instead, they followed the lines drawn up in 1821. “We wanted to engage real history,” said Marcos Ramirez. Los Angeles Times

A loving send off: Author Carolyn See was remembered at a ceremony Thursday at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Nineteen speakers were on hand to listen to the woman who once said, “When I started to write, I was relatively old, and lived in California. So I was the wrong sex, wrong age, wrong coast. Luckily, I was too ignorant to know it.” 89.3 KPCC

The week that was: This weekend is a breather between the major parties’ political conventions. Here were the 10 “most jaw-dropping” moments of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Bloomberg

LOOKING AHEAD

Sunday: The National Assn. of Counties will host its 81st annual conference in Long Beach.

Monday: The U.S. Open of Surfing will continue in Huntington Beach.

Saturday: The 21st annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival will be held in Los Angeles.

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.