Updating . .   

American Muslims raise more than $100,000 for families of San Bernardino shooting victims -- Faisal Qazi had no idea the shooters who massacred 14 people in San Bernardino last week were Muslims, like himself. The Pomona-based neurologist only knew that the victims and their families were his Inland Empire neighbors, and his faith obligated him to help. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

San Bernardino mass shooter Syed Farook had photos of a Rialto high school on cell phone -- San Bernardino mass shooter Syed Farook had multiple photos of a Rialto high school on his cell phone, according to sources close to the investigation. As a health inspector for the San Bernardino County Department of Health, Farook inspected the majority of Rialto Unified’s 30 food preparation facilities twice a year, according to the district. Beau Yarbrough, Doug Saunders in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 12/8/15

L.A. County supervisors vote to welcome Syrian refugees -- The supervisors also voted to send a letter to President Obama and the county’s congressional delegation “expressing the board’s support of federal efforts to help Syrians fleeing violence and oppression and to increase the overall number of refugees that the U.S. will resettle over the course of the next two years.” Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Bay Area Muslims respond to Trump, San Bernardino -- After the San Bernardino killings last week by a Muslim couple, some Bay Area Islamic mosques fearful of retaliation stepped up their security measures and advised their members to lay low in public. Except at least one. "We are doing the opposite," said Zakir Agha, a member and volunteer spokesman for the Baitul Baseer Mosque in Milpitas. "We're encouraging our members to go out and meet their neighbors, talk with their neighbors, teach their neighbors and tell them who we really are." Joe Rodriguez in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 12/8/15

California falling short in push for more clean vehicles -- In a state with sprawling suburbs, stiff traffic and a longtime love affair with the internal combustion engine, slashing the amount of gasoline burned is a tall order. But unless it finds a way, California won’t accomplish the emissions goals it has promoted as a model for the rest of the world. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Jerry Brown heckled in France -- Gov. Jerry Brown, at the conclusion of a speech here Tuesday, was heckled by a group of protesters opposed to carbon offset programs they said could hurt indigenous people. Brown, accompanied by several South American governors at a 19th century mansion in Paris, has finished brief remarks urging further efforts to counteract climate change when protesters started yelling, “No REDD.” David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile sued by California for overcharging customers -- Forty-two California government entities, including the Regents of the University of California and Sacramento and Los Angeles counties, have joined a lawsuit against four giant wireless companies alleging they overcharged government customers by more than $100 million. Associated Press -- 12/8/15

In new California climate initiative, bill will target key pollutants -- California would target certain harmful emissions under new legislation being introduced by state Sen. Ricardo Lara in an effort to boost public health while battling global warming. Known as short-lived climate pollutants, the emissions include diesel exhaust and methane from agriculture. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

California mulls new water plan to save imperiled salmon -- California officials, eyeing another season of drought, outlined a plan Tuesday for holding more water back at Lake Shasta in 2016 in an effort to save the endangered winter-run Chinook salmon. Dale Kasler and Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

The Pacific Ocean 'blob' is gone, but not its problems -- The "blob," a warm patch of water in the northern Pacific Ocean associated with algal blooms and marine die-offs, is gone. But that doesn't mean the associated wildlife problems will go with it, scientists say. Amy McDermott in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/8/15

Another exhausting year for California high-speed rail -- California’s high-speed rail might be remembered in 2015 as a real-life example of the Little Engine That Could. Allen Young Sacramento Business Journal -- 12/8/15

San Bernardino shooting: Attackers may have left bomb to kill police, used loan to buy weapons -- The $28,500 loan came from WebBank.com, a Utah-based company. According to its website, WebBank is an FDIC-insured, state-chartered industrial lending institution headquartered in Salt Lake City. It was organized in 1997 and provides “niche financing to businesses and consumers. Richard Winton, Richard A. Serrano and Corina Knoll in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

After San Bernardino attack, rattled residents reach for their guns -- Nicholson, a 23-year-old Redlands resident, said he had thought about buying a firearm in the past. But the attack that claimed 14 lives at a San Bernardino social services center on Wednesday — about five miles away from Gun Boss Armory — made up his mind. Kate Mather, Peter Jamison, Ben Poston, Taylor Goldenstein and Nigel Duara in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Activists endorse California marijuana legalization bid backed by Gavin Newsom, Sean Parker -- A handful of legacy activists in the state’s marijuana community have agreed to support the recreational legalization effort backed by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and expected to receive financial support from former Facebook President Sean Parker. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

Rep. Mike Thompson to host gun violence hearing in Sacramento -- With the nation still reeling from a mass shooting in San Bernardino, Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, plans to convene a Sacramento hearing on gun violence next Monday. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

Tom Steyer makes his climate pitch in Paris -- Tom Steyer, the billionaire environmentalist, was about to go on stage in an auditorium at France’s national stadium, and Nick Henry, founder of the London-based group Climate Action, was doling out praise. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

L.A. City Council approves labor deal, setting hiring goal of 5,000 -- The Los Angeles City Council approved a wide-ranging salary agreement with its civilian unions Tuesday, resolving a dispute over pension cuts and setting the stage for thousands of new hires. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

With teachers priced out, Cupertino school district — among the nation's best — wants to build 200+ apartments for its teachers -- The Cupertino Union School District is famous for its high-achieving schools, with student test scores that make other district officials drool with envy. But Superintendent Wendy Guadalewicz has a problem: Attracting new teachers and hanging on to the ones she has. Nathan Donato-Weinstein Silicon Valley Business Journal -- 12/8/15

New documents provide details of LAUSD probe that led to firing of famed educator Rafe Esquith -- The Los Angeles Unified School District’s internal investigation into celebrated fifth-grade teacher Rafe Esquith found that he allegedly fondled children in the 1970s and that in recent years he inappropriately emailed former students describing them as hotties, “sexy” and referring to himself as their personal ATM, according to new documents. Zahira Torres in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Apple tries to turn lemons to lemonade, releases battery case for iPhone -- It seems that even Apple is frustrated with the iPhone’s abbreviated battery life. Troy Wolverton in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/8/15

Republicans condemn Trump but won't rule out backing him if he becomes the nominee -- Facing a hail of criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike, Donald Trump on Tuesday reiterated his call for a religious test barring Muslims from entering the United States as a way, in his view, to prevent future terrorist attacks. Lisa Mascaro and Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times Eli Stokols Politico -- 12/8/15

White House: Trump's pursuit of ban on Muslims entering U.S. is 'morally reprehensible' -- The White House weighed in Tuesday on Donald Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigration, saying it made him unfit to serve as president and challenging Republicans to condemn his rhetoric or risk being “dragged into the dustbin of history” with him. Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Brits to Trump: Stay away -- British residents have started an official petition seeking to ban him from visiting the UK. Nahal Toosi Politico -- 12/8/15

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning   

Muslims' anger about Trump's proposal is tinged with fear -- After 9/11, Mohammad Salahat's eighth-grade classmates mocked him for being Muslim. Last month, after the attacks in Paris, a college classmate called him a terrorist. And Saturday, as he walked through an office supply store in Temecula, he said he could not help but feel some people were staring at him. Soumya Karlamangla, Sonali Kohli and Alan Zarembo in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

China and the world turn to California for climate change expertise -- China’s top negotiator at the United Nations summit on climate change practically gushed as he described his country’s relationship with California. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Lots of MOUs in Paris, but cap-and-trade expansion ‘moving slowly’ for California -- In his effort to rally local and state governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Gov. Jerry Brown has appeared repeatedly in Paris with like-minded politicians from around the world. His message is not only outward-looking; Brown is also trying to make an impression back home. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

Brown: ‘Never underestimate the coercive power of the central state’ -- One of the goals of Californians who traveled to Paris for climate talks this week was to showcase green-energy businesses that are succeeding in the state. But on Monday it was the “coercive power” of government for which Gov. Jerry Brown was seeking credit. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

L.A. city attorney sues SoCal Gas over gas leak affecting Porter Ranch -- Los Angeles leaders announced Monday that the city attorney is suing Southern California Gas Co. over how it handled a natural gas leak that has sent sickening fumes into Porter Ranch and caused hundreds of families to leave their homes. Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

California's congressional delegation calls for action on gun control -- California Democrats are taking up President Obama's call to action, asking for more law enforcement resources and trying to force a congressional vote on banning suspected terrorists from legally purchasing guns. Sarah D. Wire in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

In California tax dispute, Supreme Court ponders when one state can be sued in another's courts -- The Supreme Court took up a bitter dispute Monday between the state of California and an inventor it says moved to Nevada in the early 1990s to avoid paying taxes. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Walters: California gives local colleges a new role -- With some fanfare, state Sen. Marty Block delivered a symbolic check last week to a San Diego-area community college. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

Morain: Stumping for Ted Cruz on Nancy Pelosi’s turf -- Marco Rubio will drop by the Sutter Club on Tuesday to carry on the grand presidential campaign tradition of raising money in California. Tom Canaday will doing something very different: drumming up support for Ted Cruz in the heart of Nancy Pelosi’s district. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

Porn industry faces $61,500 fine for putting foreign money into 2012 campaign -- The porn industry has agreed to pay a $61,500 fine for illegally accepting donations from foreign entities in its effort to oppose a 2012 Los Angeles County ballot measure to require adult film actors to wear condoms. Jim Miller in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

From Warsaw to San Francisco, the roots of Edison’s historic fine -- The California Public Utilities Commission has begun to dig its way out of a monumental problem in public perception by imposing a $16.74 million fine on Southern California Edison. Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 12/8/15

Brown is no stranger to CPUC involvement -- A new batch of emails released by the City of San Bruno last week show Gov. Jerry Brown supervising his appointees on the California Public Utilities Commission closely. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/8/15

Senator claims California grows jobs faster than "rest of the nation" -- Top California Democrats like State Senate leader Kevin de León often claim that the state’s economy is humming right along — and not weighed down by their ambitious new clean energy requirements. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 12/8/15

Oakland City Council considering easing rules to overcome homeless shelter crisis -- There are so many homeless people living on Oakland's streets that city officials are considering a "shelter crisis" ordinance to ease restrictions on housing for the homeless. Mike Blasky in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 12/8/15

San Jose council explores tent city idea to house homeless -- As the tenth-largest city in the nation, San Jose is home to some of the world's biggest and most profitable high-tech companies. But it also has an intractable homelessness problem that has city officials contemplating extraordinary measures. Ramona Giwargis in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 12/8/15

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions      

China’s economic slowdown slams California exports -- California feels China’s pain. The recent economic struggles of the populous overseas nation have caused a slowdown in the state’s export trade industry. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

How the fade of San Francisco’s middle class affects a slice of the city -- Jaime Maldonado straddles two worlds. The self-proclaimed “mayor of the Mission” has owned La Victoria panaderia at 24th and Alabama streets since the early 1990s, and it has been in the family for three quarters of a century. Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/8/15

Greenhut: Climate policies chilling housing growth -- The California Supreme Court’s decision late last month to reject a nearly 6,000-page environmental report for a proposed development north of Los Angeles will not only delay or possibly kill a new suburban community. It will make it much more difficult for developers anywhere in California to build large-scale housing projects. Steven Greenhut in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 12/8/15

Drought   

Local California water agencies plead for relief from state drought cutbacks -- Municipal water agencies pleaded for relief Monday from California's mandatory drought cutbacks, arguing they should be given credit for coping with arid climates and developing their own supplies. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/8/15

San Bernardino   

Interfaith vigil for San Bernardino shooting victims draws hundreds -- Fourteen candles were placed on a table next to the alter at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral Monday night. Each candle represented on of the 14 victims of the Dec. 2 mass shooting at the Inland Regional Center. Then a 15th candle was added to represent those wounded in the shooting and all of those who have been victims of violence in the city. Monica Rodriguez in the Inland Daily Bulletin$ -- 12/8/15

Victim's widow says husband was targeted over beliefs -- The widow of a man killed in last week's rampage in San Bernardino said Monday that she believed the two shooters targeted her husband, and possibly other victims, because of their divergent religious beliefs. Matt Hamilton and Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

San Bernardino attacker was 'normal guy' while practicing at shooting range -- One of the San Bernardino attackers practiced firing a military-style weapon at a Riverside County gun range, according to an employee who described him as a "normal guy." Richard A. Serrano, Sarah Parvini, Joseph Serna and Richard Winton in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

San Bernardino Shooting: Survivors Recount Hiding From Gunshots -- She dropped to the floor, huddling with another woman under the table. Shots came, one after another. “They just don’t stop,” she recalled, providing the one of the first extended accounts from a survivor who had been in the room during the massacre. Zusha Elinson in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/8/15

San Bernardino shooters had been radicalized 'for some time,' went to shooting ranges before attack -- Officials also said Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, had gone to gun ranges in the Los Angeles area in the days before Wednesday's massacre, which killed 14 people and injured 21. Richard A. Serrano, Richard Winton, Joseph Tanfani and Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times Amanda Lee Myers and Justin Pritchard Associated Press -- 12/8/15

Friend of San Bernardino shooter entered mental hospital after attack -- A friend of one of the San Bernardino shooters entered a mental hospital after the attacks, while investigators probed whether he provided two of the weapons recovered after the massacre, according to two law enforcement sources. Richard A. Serrano, Richard Winton, Joseph Tanfani and Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

School that taught San Bernardino assailant is known for anti-Western, fundamentalist views -- Her bespectacled face hidden behind a black veil, Farhat Hashmi’s voice is measured and confident as she mixes motherly advice about diet and child-rearing with solemn guidance about how to be a proper Muslim. Aoun Sahi and Shashank Bengali in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Jerry Brown wants stricter federal gun laws, hesitant on California measure -- Gov. Jerry Brown called Monday for stricter federal gun laws in the wake of the mass shooting in San Bernardino, while suggesting he has reservations about the use of the ballot measure process to strengthen gun control in California. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Fact check: Governor misleads on claim of ‘gigantic back door’ to terrorism -- While he does not directly attribute the shootings to gun laws in other states, his statement creates an association between the laws and the San Bernardino tragedy, which is somewhat misleading. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/8/15

Education 

L.A. school board to hold second round of interviews for superintendent -- The Los Angeles Board of Education on Tuesday will begin its second interview session with candidates seeking the job of superintendent for the nation’s second-largest school system. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Districts break new ground with new index on school performance -- The half-dozen California districts in the collaborative known as CORE last week introduced a new index for rating school and student achievement that will include measurements of school climate and culture as well as students’ social skills and attitudes toward learning. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 12/8/15

Environment 

Fear at the tap: Uranium contaminates water in the West -- In a trailer park tucked among irrigated orchards that help make California's San Joaquin Valley the richest farm region in the world, 16-year-old Giselle Alvarez, one of the few English-speakers in the community of farmworkers, puzzles over the notices posted on front doors: There's a danger in their drinking water. Ellen Knickmeyer and Scott Smith Associated Press -- 12/8/15

Open space district plans eminent domain to secure public access to scenic peak -- Intensifying efforts to open to the public the summit of Mount Umunhum, a former Air Force base that looms over Silicon Valley, a Bay Area open space agency plans to force two property owners to sell their land after years of disputes and battles. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 12/8/15

Health 

From Stone Age to Tech Age… With Empathy -- “Let’s admit it,” said Intel’s David Ryan at the recent Aging 2.0 conference celebrating the intersection of aging and technology. “We’re in the Stone Age when it comes to using technology solutions for seniors.” But not for long. Matt Perry California Health Report -- 12/8/15

Catholic Hospital in Redding Denies Two Women Tubal Ligation -- Redding’s Mercy Medical Center has refused — for the second time in four months — to allow doctors to perform sterilization on two pregnant women. The women requested the procedure be done immediately after they give birth next year. The hospital cited religious reasons. Lisa Aliferis KQED -- 12/8/15

Also . . . 

Mom charged with abandoning baby in Compton was under stress, hid pregnancy -- Porche Laronda Washington was arrested in Compton on Thursday after her baby girl was found buried under several slabs of asphalt on a bike path near 136th Street and Slate Avenue, according to Sgt. Richard Ruiz of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's Special Victims Bureau. James Queally in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Beltway 

Donald Trump calls for 'total and complete shutdown of Muslims' coming to U.S. -- The statement represents the most aggressive comments yet from the billionaire Republican presidential candidate, who in recent weeks has defend his remarks about seeing "thousands" of Muslims celebrating the 9/11 attacks in New Jersey and has for registering American Muslims in a database. Daniel Strauss Politico Paola Chavez and Veronica Stracqualursi ABC News Andrew Rafferty NBC News Kurtis Lee in the Los Angeles Times Jill Colvin Associated Press Reid J. Epstein in the Wall Street Journal$ Patrick Healy and Michael Barbaro in the New York Times$ -- 12/8/15

Donald Trump's call for Muslim ban is met with outrage -- Donald Trump's call for all Muslims to be barred from entering the United States for an indefinite period of time met with outrage from local Muslim activists. Sarah Parvini and Sonali Kohli in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/8/15

Mayor Bans Trump After Candidate Suggests Blocking Muslims -- A Florida mayor says he's banning Donald Trump from his city after the Republican presidential candidate called for the U.S. to stop Muslims from entering the country. Playing off of Trump's earlier words, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman tweeted Monday that he was banning Trump "until we fully understand the dangerous threat posed by all Trumps." Associated Press -- 12/8/15