Essential California: The water project that never was

Good morning. It is Tuesday, Sept. 22. As Pope Francis flies around the East Coast this week, he'll be snacking on flatbreads and crostini provided by a Marin County-based bakery. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

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Reimagining public education

The Los Angeles Unified School District already has the most charter schools of any district in the nation. Now, the Broad Foundation and others want to raise $490 million to ultimately get half of the district's students into a charter, according to a memo obtained by The Times. Such a plan could destabilize the second-largest school district in the nation, said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of…