Newsletter: Sadness and signs of hope in San Bernardino
Good morning. It is Saturday, Dec. 3. Here’s what you don’t want to miss this weekend:
TOP STORIES
Signs of hope: The year since the terrorist attack that killed 14 people has been challenging for San Bernardino, which has seen a spike in homicides that has claimed 60 more lives. But there are also clear signs the troubled city is moving forward. It’s close to exiting municipal bankruptcy, and some parts of the city are seeing a revitalization fueled in part by its educational institutions. Los Angeles Times
Day of remembrance: It was a somber day across San Bernardino, where thousands of people marked the anniversary of the terrorist shooting. There was mourning, but also a defiant spirit that the violence should not come to define the city. Los Angeles Times
Struggling to cope: For victims and their families, there is no going back. “There are times when I think I’m still going to wake up from a dream…,” said one. “You just feel like you don’t fit anymore. You put on this face, you pretend you’re OK, and you show up.” San Bernardino Sun
USC stabbing: A USC psychology professor was stabbed to death, allegedly by a student, inside a campus building on Friday, law enforcement officials said. Los Angeles Times
Sentencing: A convicted con man who plotted to have a federal judge killed with a wood chipper and have federal prosecutors and FBI agents slain in a scheme for revenge was sentenced Friday to 20 more years in prison. Los Angeles Times
iMob: A swarm-style robbery of the Apple store in San Francisco was caught on tape. SFGate
Old school: Long before cold-pressed coffee and Whole Foods 365, Silver Lake had a different generation of hipsters with great influence on many aspects of culture. Los Angeles Magazine
Nervous time: In Silicon Valley, foreign tech workers are anxious about what a Trump presidency might mean. Mercury News
Anchor away: Longtime KTTV Channel 11 anchor Jeff Michael signs off. LA Observed
That’s a lot of gold: A new report says bringing the Olympics to Los Angeles would cost $5.3 billion. Los Angeles Times
What’s cooking: How California is leading the way … in home-made cookie freedom. Wall Street Journal
THIS WEEK’S MOST POPULAR STORIES IN ESSENTIAL CALIFORNIA
1. California, here they come? Did the Obama family buy a house in Rancho Mirage? The rumors are back. Desert Sun
2. Venice rising: Watch this drone video over Venice Beach and be amazed. Vimeo
3. “Lessons learned”: Metro will pay nearly $300 million more to the company that widened the 405 Freeway. Los Angeles Times
4. Save the fish: Some think the poke craze in L.A. is ruining the environment. LA Weekly
5. The new Dr. Ruth: The sex ed teacher who is a YouTube star. ABC News
ICYMI, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S GREAT READS
Presidential snub: Meet the Ventura County mother who is now one of an untold number of people who are blocked from following President-elect Donald Trump on Twitter. It’s a distinction that ordinarily wouldn’t matter, except that Trump, who hasn’t held a news conference since July, uses the social media platform as his primary tool for communicating with the American public. Los Angeles Times
Follow the money: There are questions over where the money is going at a famed San Francisco charity favored by the city’s blue-blood society types. San Francisco Chronicle
Don’t laugh: The “Persian Palace” mansion in Beverly Hills has been a punchline for years, and a symbol to many of excess over fine architecture. But there is much culture and history contained in these homes, and over time many have come to respect and even love them. Curbed Los Angeles
Land of opportunity: Orange County’s newest congressman has a backstory highly relevant in the age of Trump. He lived much of his early life in Mexico, learned English as a second language and says his life story was largely written on some of the county’s toughest streets. “To me, it’s a testament to the greatness of this country, where a person that grew up in this neighborhood can actually make it to the U.S. Congress,” says Lou Correa. Los Angeles Times
LOOKING AHEAD
Weekend: The 710 Freeway will be closed between the 60 and 5 in East L.A. as part of a major improvement project.
Monday: New L.A. County supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger will be sworn into office.
Tuesday: UCLA Anderson Forecast will host its quarterly economic forecast conference.
Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Shelby Grad.
