Newsletter: Essential California: Horror at a San Bernardino school: ‘He just shot everywhere’
A school shooting has left San Bernardino reeling from violence once again. Here’s United Airlines’ latest PR nightmare. Seuk Doo Kim, 78, has hiked to the top of Mt. Baldy more than 700 times. He’s been missing on the mountain since Friday. Storm L
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. It’s Tuesday, April 11, and here’s what’s happening across California:
TOP STORIES
Shooting horror
A teacher and an 8-year-old boy were shot and killed at a San Bernardino elementary school Monday morning when the teacher’s husband opened fire inside a special needs classroom before turning the gun on himself. Students described a horrific scene of random gunfire in the special ed classroom. He “just walked in with the gun. He just shot everywhere. I went under the table and then I saw a teacher run out. So I just ran out. My friend and my teacher, they got shot,” one girl said. Los Angeles Times
Tesla’s test
Investors sent Tesla’s market value into entirely new territory, briefly ripping past General Motors in market value, putting the electric car maker in first place among U.S. automakers. But this bull run also raises the stakes for the company as it prepares to begin assembling its highly anticipated mass-market electric sedan, the Model 3, which is scheduled for release this summer or fall, or perhaps later. Los Angeles Times
IMMIGRATION AND BORDER
San Diego’s wall: President Trump’s proposed wall on the southern border will kick off in the San Diego border community of Otay Mesa. The community is home to one of two border crossings in San Diego and will be the site where 20 chosen bidders will erect prototypes of the envisioned wall. Los Angeles Times
Crossings drop: Across the Southwest border, the number of immigrants caught crossing illegally into the United States has dropped dramatically. Fewer than 12,200 people were apprehended in March, a 64% decrease from the same time last year, and the lowest monthly number in at least 17 years. Los Angeles Times
Legal battle: How a jog near a border fence ended with dueling lawsuits between a former Navy SEAL and a Border Patrol agent. San Diego Union-Tribune
Pushing out: California’s protections for those here illegally are spreading to other states. New York Times
L.A. STORIES
Missing: A 78-year-old hiker who has gained a measure of international fame for hiking to the top of Mt. Baldy more than 700 times, has been missing on the mountain since Friday. Los Angeles Times
Kings departures: General Manager Dean Lombardi, who built the Kings into a two-time Stanley Cup champion but became ensnared in a series of questionable trades and signings, was dismissed on Monday, less than 24 hours after the team’s second non-playoff finish in the last three seasons. Coach Darryl Sutter is also out. Los Angeles Times
A bank that registers: An East Los Angeles bank known for a design that celebrates Latino spirit is now on the historic register. Curbed Los Angeles
POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT
Stadium woes: The California Legislature’s long, mostly failed history of trying to package big deals for professional sports teams. Los Angeles Times
Election fines: A national anti-marijuana coalition is facing $6,000 in fines for campaign finance violations in its opposition to Proposition 64, a November ballot measure that legalized recreational use of cannabis in California. Los Angeles Times
Trump tweet: A Cal State Fresno professor is facing criticism and an investigation after he tweeted that “Trump must hang.” Fresno Bee
Park investigation: The former Yosemite National Park superintendent’s management style was less than ideal, a new report says, but investigators did not find evidence of gender bias. Sacramento Bee
Charter woes: Charter schools are proliferating where they aren’t needed while state funding continues to support even those charters that violate state law, according to a report released Monday by a research and advocacy group. Los Angeles Times
CRIME AND COURTS
Wells Fargo scandal: In a long-anticipated report released Monday, Wells Fargo & Co. pinned the blame for its unauthorized-accounts scandal on weak corporate oversight, an overly trustful former CEO and the executive who led its community banking division. The San Francisco bank also said it would take back more than $47 million in pay from the former community banking executive, Carrie Tolstedt, and $28 million from former Chief Executive John Stumpf. The Los Angeles city attorney sued the bank in 2015, and Wells Fargo agreed on Sept. 8, 2016, to pay $185 million to regulators. Los Angeles Times
Facebook standoff: A man accused of shooting at Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies in a Covina neighborhood recorded the standoff live on Facebook. Los Angeles Times
CALIFORNIA CLIMATE
Shark jumps: Yes, this shark really jumped, near a famed Orange County surf spot. Orange County Register
CALIFORNIA CULTURE
Journalistic triumph: Oakland journalism has faced some tough times in recent years, as the venerable Oakland Tribune was folded and a more regional East Bay Times put in its place. But reporting remained vital. On Monday, the East Bay Times won the Pulitzer for its coverage of the Ghost Ship fire. East Bay Times
Plus: Earlier this year, the East Bay Express won a Polk award for its coverage of the Oakland police scandal. East Bay Express
Money men: Silicon Valley is thinking a lot about the future of money. San Francisco Chronicle
Show stopper: It’s the end of an era as Britney Spears leaves Las Vegas. Los Angeles Times
Fish story: Expect another shortened salmon season. San Francisco Chronicle
CALIFORNIA ALMANAC
Los Angeles: Mostly sunny, highs in the low 70s. San Diego: Mostly sunny, highs in the low 70s. Bay Area: Cloudy and rainy Wednesday and on the weekend. Sacramento: Cloudy and rainy Thursday and on the weekend. More weather is here.
AND FINALLY
Today’s California Memory comes from Rob Becker:
“It must have been 1948. I used to walk to school on a levee near one of the many creeks and rivers in the Sacramento area. In winter, the air was crisp and fresh. In the early spring, the new grass was a lovely green and dew-covered in the early morning. During the hot, humid summer vacations, afternoons were best spent in the house playing Monopoly with friends. It was good to be alive.”
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 Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
