Your morning catch up: Malibu’s post-fire silver lining, ugly scandals rock beautiful South Lake Tahoe and more big stories.
A terrible beauty has emerged on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. It took January’s wildfire to do it, but there it is: A 3.4-mile stretch of Route 1 is now mostly denuded by the flames that razed more than 300 homes and apartments.
For the first time in roughly a century, humans can catch an unimpeded view of the Pacific Ocean, from Topanga Canyon to Las Flores Canyon. And it’s glorious. This is not intended to diminish the anguish felt by all those along PCH who lost their homes. Hundreds continue to struggle — with insurance, the city’s bureaucracy and other hurdles — to rebuild houses that were sanctuaries. Their pain and losses are real and they won't end anytime soon. Many who suffered losses in the hellfire of January have remarked that in their sadness they have found some light: lost possessions reclaimed, neighborly attachments cemented even more firmly, a determination to start new lives affirmed. So it goes with the transformation of PCH, an asphalt ribbon of life for Malibu that also has too often been a place of horrific death. The highway has taken on a new incarnation since fire roared down from the Palisades Highlands a week after New Year’s. The once-frantic coastal route has slowed to a crawl, at least along the stretch from Topanga Canyon to Las Flores Canyon Road. Sections in that 3.4-mile stretch have been reduced to one lane in each direction. All of it has been reduced to a 25-mph speed limit, down from the previous 50 mph. The result? A ride that’s decidedly slower and less anxiety-driven than in days gone by, when the highway at times descended into a kind of Mad Max frenzy. Today, drivers mostly cruise and enjoy the newly reclaimed views that stretch all the way to Point Dume. It feels like they’re even slowing for cyclists, tottering on a way-too-narrow shoulder. The city of Malibu last week marked the second anniversary of the other calamity that changed life along the highway. That was the 2023 tragedy in which authorities say a 22-year-old man, speeding at 104 mph, plowed into four Pepperdine University students as they stood beside parked cars. All four young women died. And the crash reinvigorated a years-long effort to bring speeds on the highway under control. The deadly crash also got the California Highway Patrol to bow to Malibu's long-standing calls that it patrol the highway, something the state agency doesn't usually do within city limits, Malibu Public Safety Director Susan Duenas said. The agency’s presence increased the number of citations issued in the city by 59% from 2023 to 2024. That number is on pace to climb an additional 4% this year — a huge increase, given that traffic was reduced to a trickle in the five months before PCH opened to nonresidents at the end of May. Importantly, drivers just don’t have as much room to dart and speed at the east end of the city. For months, that stretch was reduced to one lane in each direction, instead of two. The unused lanes were largely taken over by fire debris cleanup crews and utility workers. And construction contractors also will add to the congestion, once rebuilding begins in earnest. And more speed checks are on the way, with the installation of automated speed cameras slated for the first quarter of 2026 at five PCH locations: Decker Canyon, Morning View Drive, Latigo Canyon, Carbon Canyon and Tuna Canyon. The resulting increase in safety has been dramatic. Through Oct. 17, the city has had a total of 154 collisions this year, with 73 people injured. No one has died. That’s a huge improvement from the same period in 2024, when there were 302 collisions, with 137 people injured and two killed. Driving down PCH, it hit me how much nicer the ride on the raggedy old highway had become, since the years I began driving there, as a rowdy teenager. With omnipresent CHP cruisers and orange traffic cones lining much of the road, my need for speed slipped away. Slowed to a granny pace, I could admire the newly exposed Santa Monica Bay, glistening in the late morning. Mayor Marianne Riggins said she hopes people in Malibu and those who visit appreciate the new normal. “So maybe I have to leave the house 15 minutes earlier. Is that really such a hardship?' Riggins said. 'It's beautiful land. So take a moment to take it in and remember what a fantastic opportunity we all have, by having this so close to us.” Residential policyholders across California could be paying several hundred million dollars to help cover the costs of claims arising out of the January firestorms in Los Angeles County.State Farm and other major insurers received approval to charge customers for portions of a $1 billion FAIR Plan assessment.A deputy U.S. marshal was wounded by a ricochet bullet from an ICE agent during an immigration operation in South Los Angeles on Tuesday morning.The suspect, wanted for illegal entry, allegedly tried to ram law enforcement vehicles and was shot, according to federal officials.The incident sparked tensions in the neighborhood, with residents protesting federal immigration enforcement operations near the Santee Education Complex.Nearly a year after the Palisades fire, Malibu has issued just four rebuilding permits compared with hundreds in Pacific Palisades.Property values are plummeting as burned lots sell at 20% to 60% discounts, with frustrated homeowners choosing to sell rather than navigate stringent permitting.Locals fear Malibu’s identity will change as international buyers and developers snap up properties while residents struggle with costly regulations.A 25-year-old California officer was struck and killed as she stopped to help at a freeway crash site.'You can’t make this stuff up.' Ugly scandals rock beautiful South Lake Tahoe at a key moment.A 2-year-old died in last month’s flooding. Now Barstow police have arrested the father on a murder charge.This is what could replace the Phillips 66 oil refinery in Wilmington.LAX will shut down Terminal 5 for renovation ahead of the Olympics.These Toys R Us stores are making a comeback in California.She was highly qualified to be California governor, writes columnist Mark Z. Barabak. Why did her campaign fizzle? With a subtle tweak to Social Security, Trump would renew the GOP war on disability recipients, writes columnist Michael Hiltzik.The Trump administration is targeting children of color, guest columnists Subini Annamma and David Stovall argue.The world’s largest wildlife crossing is finally getting plants. Animals are a year away.It took a village to free this L.A. grandma from ICE detention. They celebrated this week.Dining: Here’s how to eat three meals for under $25 a day in L.A.Theater: This bizarro comic show at Pasadena Playhouse wants to solve your most personal problems.Cafes: Why you’re having a hard time getting a matcha latte around L.A.Books: 'Iron Man' to 'Fargo:' A set decorator offers behind-the-scenes photos and stories from major movie sets in her latest book.Recipe: Here's a recipe for lemon ricotta pancakes. ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games. Michael writes: 'Kit Kats, dark or milk chocolate. The best!' William writes: 'When I was trick-or-treating not too long ago, my favorite treat to get in my bag was a homemade popcorn ball.' Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week. Today's great photo is from Times contributor Stephen Ross Goldstein. Pictured is 97-year-old Evelyn Bauer, who downsized from a four-bedroom Sherman Oaks home to a two-bedroom apartment and kept one-third of her antiques from 65 years of collecting. Jim Rainey, staff reporter Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor Andrew Campa, Sunday writer Karim Doumar, head of newsletters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
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