In California: An endangered gray wolf travels 7,600 miles before dying

Arlene Martinez | USA TODAY

Plus, a fire at the world's largest supplier of lacquer could have far-ranging effects on the vinyl record industry. The president of a private college says several student-athletes were involved in two separate racist incidents. And Democratic presidential candidates share how they will take care of a soaring aging population.

It's Arlene, bringing you lots of news to take you into the weekend.

But first, trailblazing MLB analyst Jessica Mendoza (a Ventura County native) steps down from ESPN Sunday Night Baseball and Mets duties. You'll still hear her on weekday games and offering commentary on “SportsCenter” and “Baseball Tonight.”

In California is a daily roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms and beyond. Click here to get this straight to your inbox Monday through Friday.

A 'disaster for the U.S. record industry'

Once a relic of the past cherished by enthusiastic collectors, vinyl has mounted a resurgence in the music industry with hundreds of millions in sales annually — but future production of records could be heavily impacted after a fire in Southern California wiped out a key industry supplier.

Apollo Masters, the world's largest supplier of the lacquer used in vinyl record production, suffered "catastrophic damage" on Thursday. Industry experts and musicians are raising concerns that the plant's destruction will impact the worldwide vinyl record industry.

"This is definitely a disaster for the U.S. record industry," Rick Hashimoto of Record Technology, a pressing plant in Camarillo, Calif., said via email.

"Apollo has supplied at least 75% of the world's master lacquer discs for the past 10 to 20 years," he added. "The only other supplier is a Japanese company, MDC. They are very small but have recently increased their market share."

A fire at the world's largest supplier of lacquer could have far-ranging effects on the vinyl record industry.

Far from home, endangered wolf found dead

An endangered gray wolf from Oregon was found dead in Shasta County earlier this week. The 4-year-old female, who was outfitted with a radio collar, had crossed into the Golden State in January 2018.

She traveled extensively throughout Northern California after that, covering some 7,600 miles before she was found dead; state fish and wildlife officials are investigating the cause. Experts said she went farther south than any other known gray wolf.

She came from a line of trendsetters: Her dad, OR-7, became famous in 2011 as the first gray wolf in California in more than 80 years, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

“This is a tragic development for the early stages of wolf recovery in California,” said the center's wolf advocate, Amaroq Weiss.

Today, there are about 6,000 gray wolves, and they typically live between eight and 13 years in the wild.

Oscar watch ... and other Hollywood news

Oscars 2020: All you need to know before you watch on Sunday.

We defend them all: Why "Ford v Ferrari," "The Irishman," "Jojo Rabbit," "Joker," "Little Women," "Marriage Story," "1917," "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" and "Parasite" should win Best Picture.

Why "Ford v Ferrari," "The Irishman," "Jojo Rabbit," "Joker," "Little Women," "Marriage Story," "1917," "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" and "Parasite" should win Best Picture. Why I think "Joker" should win : Joaquin Phoenix. I mean...

: Joaquin Phoenix. I mean... I can't even remember who and what is nominated. Here for you.

On behalf of Disney, Movie Licensing USA fines a Berkeley elementary school's parent-teacher association $250 for showing "Lion King" during a PTA fundraiser. At times like these, it's hard not to think of the $1.2 billion in tax subsidies Disney has gotten, most of it from California.

Student-athlete posts use N-word, blackface

In one video, students wearing what looked to be blackface lipsynched a song. Another showed a white woman using the N-word. Both social media posts allegedly featured student-athletes who attend a private university in Thousand Oaks.

Officials responded quickly to what the school president called racist incidents.

“Blackface and the N-word evoke white supremacy, anti-blackness and remind us that a violent, racist past is still with us today,” California Lutheran University President Chris Kimball wrote Wednesday in an email to students and faculty members, the day after another student flagged the N-word post to the school. “It invokes fear at a time when we strive to ensure that all our students, faculty and staff feel valued.”

A school spokesperson said the incidents would be reviewed to see whether the posts constitute hate incidents as defined by the student handbook.

On Feb. 24, CLU is hosting a campus-wide forum on race and equity. It had been scheduled prior to the two incidents.

What else we're talking about

A 21-year-old mother of two put her university dreams on hold when she got pregnant but now, she's ready. CSU Bakersfield is welcoming her with open arms.

The sun and moon get together about twice a year in just such a way to create King Tides. Head to the beach and help document the phenomena, an early peek at the impact rising seas could have on coastal communities.

The entrance to 13,000 acres of Lake Tahoe Basin's stunning backcountry will soon get an upgrade, with plans for a covered trailhead facility, new restrooms and an amphitheater.

Like stories about the Golden State? Click here to get our In California newsletter in your inbox.

California bans a pesticide linked to brain damage in children; that same day, the manufacturer says it will no longer make it.

AB 5's author tweeted plans to revamp the new labor laws designed to protect gig economy workers. Her Republican colleague, who introduced a counter-measure to (among other things) exempt freelance journalists, responded.

Six Redding pharmacies have been robbed in the last year, along with another half dozen others in nearby communities. Is this random or organized, police wonder? (Note: This story is for subscribers only)

Democratic contenders talk about aging Calif.

California's population of those 65 years and older was 5.5 million in 2016. In 2026, it's expected to shoot up a whopping 38%, posing challenges to many government agencies, including those providing health care and social services, and others that plan evacuation protocols and infrastructure like public transit.

Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom called for the development of a "Master Plan on Aging" to address issued shared by all generations going into the future.

The Desert Sun enlisted Dr. Bruce Chernof, the president and CEO of the Scan Foundation, which focuses on health and quality of life for older adults, to ask each of the candidates running in the Democratic Party's presidential primary a question about how candidates would approach aging populations.

“Aging and long-term care issues have rarely been on the mind of presidential candidates, and certainly weren’t in 2016," Chernof said, in an email. "These issues are universal to the human experience and connect across the main sectors of the economy – health care, housing, transportation, and the like – at federal, state, and local levels."

Check out what their plans include. And here's what they said about:

You don't want to be homeless here

Frustration and anger over the city's homeless population has been on full display in recent months in the NorCal community of Redding. There was the mayor who said people should be locked up while they cleaned up and became self-sufficient. Another elected official claimed* that homeless people everywhere are flocking to Redding for its services.

Then, there's an online vigilante group called the R.A.T. Patrol, which stands for Redding Area Transient Patrol (though it's not clear whether they do anything outside of Facebook ). And police have an open line to take reports about people living in illegal encampments.

One homeless mother of two put it like this: “We’re treated like scum.” Tani Kelley, 44, said she lost her housing following a series of misfortunes, including wildfires in 2018. Her children now stay with their grandparents and she in her car. “No one,” she said, “wants to be out here.”

*The myth endures, but research shows most people living on the streets are from surrounding areas.

Lastly, a travel suggestion:

It comes from the L.A. Times, which visited the town of Santa Paula in Ventura County (from where I usually write this newsletter).

It's a small lovely town in the mountains, and the Glen Tavern Inn where the writer stayed not only has delicious food, it's said to be haunted. And don't forget your hiking shoes! So many nearby trails to explore. I recommend the Punch Bowl.

See you next week!

In California is a roundup of news from across USA TODAY Network newsrooms. Also contributing: Good Jobs First, Capital and Main, CalMatters, Associated Press, KGET, Los Angeles Times, National Wildlife Federation.