Newsletter: Should grizzly bears be brought back into the Sierra Nevada?

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, Dec. 27, and here’s what’s happening in California:

TOP STORIES

Bear debate

In the Sierra foothill town of Three Rivers, a debate is raging over whether the time is ripe to reintroduce bigger and more aggressive California grizzly bears into the wilds of the Sierra Nevada. “There isn’t enough room for them, unless you first remove the human occupants,” one resident said. Los Angeles Times

Tamale outrage

It’s turned into a Christmas scandal, centered at a small Southern California market chain. Loyal customers came from miles around for 30- and 40-pound batches of masa to make holiday tamales. But this year, they found themselves scrambling for doctors’ numbers, sending guests home hungry and rummaging through cupboards for backup plans. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Take it to the bridge: One artist’s fotonovela series on the now-demolished 6th Street Bridge. “So many things happened on that bridge. When I heard [it was being taken down], I thought about how meaningful the bridge had been to me.” Los Angeles Times

Peacock problem: Where have all those notorious Palos Verdes peacocks gone? Residents have noticed fewer of them. It turns out 99 were trapped and moved away. Daily Breeze

Train stop: The Mine Train, a relic of early Disneyland’s Rivers of America in Frontierland, will be refurbished and moved to Griffith Park. Orange County Register

“99-seat” plan: A battle over minimum wage rules is roiling L.A.’s small live theater scene. Wall Street Journal

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Drawing the line: Gov. Jerry Brown is putting Donald Trump on notice: No rollback on climate change. “I wouldn’t underestimate California’s resolve if everything moves in this extreme climate denial direction. Yes, we will take action,” the governor said. New York Times

Sprawl stopper: Should California be rewarding communities that build housing near jobs and transportation but penalize suburban sprawl? Los Angeles Times

Suicide prevention: Clusters of teen suicides — in Palo Alto, San Diego and most recently Fresno — are forcing public schools to face up to a problem. Lawmakers have some ideas for how schools can help prevent suicides. CALmatters

CRIME AND COURTS

Victim’s story: A look at Susan Berman, the mobster’s daughter and writer whose murder is now at the center of the Robert Durst legal drama. New York Times

Transparency call: A group of African American community leaders in the Inland Empire is demanding that Riverside sheriff’s officials show more transparency over deputy body cameras. Press-Enterprise

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Rain numbers: When it came to rain in 2016, some cities did better than others. Eureka and Redding were at 120% of normal, while Irvine was only at 50% of normal. Mercury News

Comeback: How to rebuild a community after a devastating wildfire. Pacific Standard

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

L.A. via Korea: The future of Los Angeles has been portrayed in film in many forms, with the City of Angels taking on the look of Japan, China, and now with the new “Blade Runner” film, Korea. Los Angeles Review of Books

George’s world: The fascinating story of how Jimmy Stewart returned from the horrors of World War II and became George Bailey. “In sunny Southern California, the land of make-believe, this suddenly middle-aged man faced other problems. A new crop of youthful leading men had emerged in his absence. He also faced a crisis of conscience, wondering if acting was a worthwhile profession after the gravity of his daily life in the military.” Wall Street Journal

Fighting back: Wounded warriors at Camp Pendleton recover from their wounds by helping others. San Diego Union-Tribune

Holidays 2.0: Some technology companies are turning to, yes, the virtual holiday office party. The Atlantic

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: Sunny with highs in the low 70s. San Diego: Sunny with highs in the upper 60s. San Francisco area: Sunny with highs in the mid-50s. Sacramento: Mostly sunny with highs in the low 50s.

AND FINALLY

Today’s California memory comes from Rosanne Goodwin:

“I’m a native San Diegan. Now that we’re deep in a drought getting the big rain storms reminds me of a winter in the early 1960s, when I was 6 or 7. During a storm similar to what we had last week, I said to my parents, ‘No wonder there’s a water shortage; they’re wasting it all on the rain.’ My parents enjoyed that so much, my father sent it to Neil Morgan for his Tribune column.”

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 Shelby Grad.