In case I have not made this abundantly clear enough ... with five games to play in the NFL season, the Broncos have already mathematically eliminated the Chargers from contention for the AFC West division title. That's just wrong for a team with the talent level of the Chargers.

So this week, when the first and last place teams in the West meet at Qualcomm Stadium, there is little doubt who the favorite is. In fact, this was one game where the Vegas odds makers really missed on the line. Denver opened as a 3-point favorite, a number that has since been bet up to a 6-point favorite.

Keep in mind the Broncos are missing Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward and Sylvester Williams, yet public perception is they still have more than enough to beat the Bolts. So on that positive note, let's take a look at this week's three players to watch.

Donald Brown, RB

Usually, I look at guys who will have a positive impact on the game, but this time I just can't wait to see how Brown hurts San Diego. Will it be another dropped pass in space? Another missed block on special teams to get one of his teammates injured? I will say, though, that when you need one tough yard Brown will get you two and when you need three tough yards Brown will get you two. Consistency is key, folks.

Josh Lambo, K

As good as Philip Rivers is, the chances of the Chargers moving the ball with consistency against this Wade Phillips-coached defense are not great. Wade's bunch leads the NFL with 37 sacks and as much as he respects Rivers he will take great pride in getting 17's uniform dirty. So when the Chargers do get close enough to score points, Lambo will have to have a big leg. I foresee a couple of long field goal tries in Sunday, which could be the difference in the game.

Corey Liuget, DT/DE

Liuget is playing through a leg injury that would have sidelined most guys. But as he'll tell you, if he's going to be out there he needs to be effective. Broncos guard Louis Vasquez is dinged up but playing and Denver is going with 6'8" QB Brock Osweiler, making for quite the large target. This is Osweiler's third career NFL start and we're not entirely certain how he handles consistent pressure yet. It would be nice for the Chargers to give him that test.

Derek's Prediction:

It would be the total Chargers thing to do, to finally win a game against a winning record when nobody thinks they can. But let's not kid ourselves.

Final score: Broncos 30, Chargers 13

The FBI is investigating whether the mother of one of the San Bernardino gunmen knew anything about the attack before it occurred, NBC News reported.

Rafia Farook shared a home in Redlands, California, with her son, Syed Rizwan Farook, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, who built more than a dozen pipe bombs and stockpiled thousands of rounds of ammunition on the property, law enforcement officials have said.

"Obviously it's something that we're looking at very, very closely," Attorney General Loretta Lynch told NBC's "Meet the Press," when asked what Rafia Farook may or may not have known prior to the attack.

Syed Rizwan Farook and Malik left their 6-month-daughter at home with Rafia Farook before opening fire at a state-run social services center, killing 14 and injuring 21 others.

 Let's make this brief. No need to prolong the pain and discomfort.

In front of a large, largely orange-clad crowd at Qualcomm Stadium the Chargers lost to the Broncos 17-3. The Bolts offense was once again almost non-existent at home.

Going back to the second half of the Monday Night loss to the Bears, the Chargers have scored nine points in 10 quarters at home.

This time they were bit by turnovers. Quarterback Philip Rivers tried to find tight end Antonio Gates but threw it at linebacker Danny Trevathan instead. Trevathan returned it 25 yards for a touchdown, the fifth time Rivers had had a pick returned for a score this season (one shy of the NFL record set by Peyton Manning in 2001).

Melvin Gordon and Malcom Floyd both lost fumbles, both coming in Denver territory to end drives that had looked promising.

Considering all of that San Diego's defense was solid. The Bolts allowed young quarterback Brock Osweiler to go 76 yards for a score on the opening drive but after that only gave up three points.

Even more dismaying than the loss was an injury suffered by Chargers wide receiver Dontrelle Inman, who caught a pass for a first down and was hit awkwardly. He was immobilized and carted off the field on a backboard. As if this writing the only update the Chargers had provided is Inman was being evaluated for a neck injury.

The Chargers are now 3-9 and guaranteed the first losing record of head coach Mike McCoy's tenure.

A high school teacher has been arrested on suspicion of having a sexual relationship with one of her students, according to the Murrieta Police Department.

Shannon Fosgett, 44, is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a male student at Murrieta Valley High School, where she was a teacher. The relationship reportedly began with after-hours texting and escalated to a sexual relationship, according to police.

Fosgett resigned from her job Wednesday, a day after being placed on leave by the school district. The alleged relationship was brought to school officials by other students, according to a police statement.

“The minor told detectives that one of his teachers began showing interest in him over a year ago, which started with after hour texting. As the relationship grew, the minor and the teacher engaged in oral sex and ultimately sexual intercourse,” the statement read.

Fosgett was arrested Friday and charged with one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor under 18 and two counts of oral copulation with a minor.

She has been released on bail.

Parents were notified of the investigation in a recorded phone call and email sent home Tuesday.

Fourteen people were displaced after a garage fire in Lakeside spread to apartment units Sunday morning.

The fire started around 2:10 am. in a garage underneath an apartment on the 12000 block of Lemoncrest Drive.

According to Lakeside Fire District, the fire spread to the apartment upstairs. It is unclear how many units were engulfed in the fire. 

There were two deaf residents inside the apartment upstairs next to the unit where the fire was located. Both were evacuated and are safe.

Fire crews asked the American Red Cross to help the victims displaced in the fire. According to Heartland Fire, Red Cross has relocated some of them.

There were no injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

With healthy dining options galore, San Diego International Airport has just landed on a list of the healthiest busiest airports in the nation, as ranked by dietitians.

According to the Physician Committee’s 2015 Airport Food Review, a report that highlights the airports with the healthiest food, San Diego International Airport ranks No. 15 on the list with 19 out of 27 of its restaurants considered “healthful.”

The report touts fresh, local California fare at spots like the PGA Tour Grill, located in Terminal 2 West, as a fine example of healthy dining. The report says the golf-centric eatery’s “On the Green” menu is fit for an athlete, with options like antioxidant-packed kale, romaine, and Mediterranean salads topped with avocado, pumpkin seeds and quinoa.

Meanwhile, the airport’s Seaside Stack Shack, also located in Terminal 2, offers a house salad stacked with healthy components: Israeli couscous, yellow peppers, diced tomatoes, golden raisins and a citrus dressing.

Over at The Counter: Custom Built Burgers, located in Terminal 1 East, health-minded travelers can snag a vegan burger in a bun or in a bowl of fresh greens, topped with veggies.

For the full list of dining options at San Diego International Airport, visit the airport website.

According to the report, more than 70 percent of airport eateries across the country serve disease-fighting foods, while 71 percent of restaurants at the nation’s busiest airports offer at least one high-fiber, plant-based, vegan meal option – a 25 percent increase from 2001.

The report says a “healthful meal” is one that includes fiber-packed ingredients that prevent blood sugar levels from spiking.

“Salads that mix a leafy green base and are topped with root vegetables, lentils or beans, whole grains, and garnished with fresh fruit, nuts, or seeds is always a great find,” said Cameron Wells, M.P.H., R.D., associate director of clinical nutrition with the Physicians Committee, in a press release.

The No. 1 airport on the list is Los Angeles International Airport, with 44 of it 49 restaurants considered healthful. Other airports that landed high in the rankings include, in order: Newark Liberty International Airport, San Franciso International Airport, Philadelphia International Airport and Denver International Airport. At those airports, 80 to 84 percent of eateries offer dishes that focus on healthy basics – vegetables, whole grains, fruits and legumes.

Meanwhile, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport are at the bottom of the report due to a higher proportion of fast-food restaurant chains, including Burger King and McDonalds, clogging their terminals.

The Physicians Committee collected airport restaurant menus from the top 30 busiest airports in the United States and determined rankings based on cholesterol-free, plant-based, high-fiber menu entrée options across airport eateries. A total 1,227 menus were included in the research for the 2015 review.

For the full report, click here.
 

Two people have died in a small plane crash in Apple Valley, airport officials confirmed Sunday.

Firefighters are on the scene battling small explosions as of 2:40 p.m., according to the Apple Valley Fire Protection District.

The jet was taxiing down the runway when someone spotted flames coming out of the engine, according to AVFPD spokesman Jason Nailon. The plane then caught fire and exploded.

All flights into and out of the airport were halted after the crash.

The plane was an L39 jet, according to the fire department.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.

President Barack Obama is expected to call on Congress to review gun control measures during a prime-time address from the Oval Office on Sunday, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said this morning on "Meet the Press."

It comes in the wake of last week's deadly shooting in San Bernardino, California, which left 14 dead and 21 wounded. Federal authorities are investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, and ISIS has said the husband and wife held responsible were followers of the group.

"What you're going to hear from him is a discussion about what government is doing to ensure all of our highest priority — the protection of the American people," Lynch told Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press."

Obama is expected to speak at 8 p.m.

A north San Diego mother said an "angel" helped reunite her with a lost locket containing the ashes of her only son.

"Miracles do happen," mother Cristina Parodi-Araya told NBC 7 San Diego, her eyes filled with tears. "This is my miracle."

Parodi-Araya's son, Francisco Jose Araya, died eight years ago at the age of 19 from a rare cancer known as Ewing's sarcoma. She said another young woman, who is battling breast cancer, helped find the locket containing Francisco's ashes after Parodi-Araya lost it at a mall Nov. 30.

She described the necklace as an 18-inch-long silver chain with a 3-inch silver dangling locket charm in the shape of an angel. On the bottom of the angel charm is a small screw. Her son's ashes are inside the angel.

"There are no words enough to express the happiness and fulfillment that I have right now," Parodi-Araya said. 

Parodi-Araya first spoke with NBC 7 on Friday, when she said she was desperate to find the necklace.

After NBC 7 posted the story on Facebook Saturday, young mother Ana Hernandez said she was moved by Parodi-Araya's mission to find the locket. She called her husband Carlos, who works at Fashion Valley Mall, and told him to ask around for the locket.

Guest services had found nothing, but one of Carlos Hernandez's coworkers said she had found a locket in the street earlier that week, near the parking lot. She brought it back to her store for safe keeping.

Ana Hernandez got in touch with Parodi-Araya immediately. 

"When I received a call from that sweet, caring lady Ana, telling me if I was the lady who lost the locket, I couldn’t speak, I just said yes," Parodi-Araya said. "I went numb."

She and her husband met with Parodi-Araya on Saturday night to return the locket with her late son's ashes. Parodi-Araya said meeting the couple and getting the locket back was one of the happiest moments of her life. 

"I have my life, I have my happiness back," Parodi-Araya said, describing the meeting as being full of tears. "I feel complete. My angel is back."

Parodi-Araya, a single mother originally from Argentina, said she brought Francisco to the United States when he was 3 years old with hopes of a bright future for her only son.

She said Ana, too, is an angel and believes it was God's plan to have Ana and Carlos Hernandez find the locket and deliver it to her. 

"I'm so happy, I got my Christmas miracle," Parodi-Araya said. "I can't believe it, that the Lord is so merciful that he gave me my Christmas miracle, and my angel is back with me."

She said she was thankful for all the support she received when NBC 7 ran the story, describing an outpouring of support from strangers, saying she hoped she would find the locket. 

So that shows me that no matter how bad things are sometimes in the world we outnumber with people that still care and love and are compassionate. That's what happened," she said. "People truly care and people are part of Christmas miracles."

Homicide detectives are searching for an estranged husband believed to be a person of interest in a woman's death in Escondido Saturday. 

The incident happened in the area of the 3000 block of N Broadway in unincorporated Escondido at approximately 5:21 p.m. when deputies responded to reports of a woman suffering from upper body trauma, San Diego Sheriff's deputies (SDSO) said.

Teresa Ortiz, 46, was found inside the home, injured, by her family, and immediately taken to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries. The medical examiner has yet to determine the cause of death. 

According to officials, her estranged husband, Juan Garcia, 50, who fled the scene, is a person of interest in her death.

On Sunday, deputies found the suspect's faded red Ford Explorer at a commercial property a few miles north of where the crime happened. Garcia, however, was not found near the car and is still outstanding. 

Garcia also goes by the name Jose Luis Paredes and could be headed to Mexico, police say.

“We’ve put out a ‘be on the lookout’ to all law enforcement within the county of San Diego and south of the border,” Lt. Kenn Nelson told NBC7. “We’re not sure where he’s at right now. That’s why we want to cast the net as wide as possible.”

Garcia should be considered armed and dangerous and is believed to have a rifle.

 Surfers could see 10 to 12 foot sets Monday and Tuesday morning south of Del Mar, warns a High Surf Advisory in place for the start of the week.

The advisory, in effect 6 a.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Tuesday, warns the surf may reach six to nine feet with even larger sets south of Del Mar and north of Newport Beach. Elsewhere, surf is expected to reach three to six feet. 

That means waves could come crashing over jetties and sea walls. There may be a chance for minor sea erosion as well and minor coastal flooding, particularily during high tide. 

During the advisory, expect "very strong" rip currents and high surf, the combination of which will create dangerous surfing conditions. 

Tides will reach six feet come 6:15 a.m. Monday, according to the advisorty, and 6.14 feet at approximately 6:43 a.m. Tuesday. Low tide will reach 1.1 feet around 1:15 p.m. Monday and 0.8 feet at 1:48 p.m. Tuesday. 

By Wednesday, beachgoers can expect to see a much lower surf. A larger Northwest swell is expected to peak Friday, which could bring "very large and potentially damaging surf," the advisory warns. 

Have a photo of the large waves or surf? Send them to us by tweeting us, sending us a Facebook message here or emailing them to isee@nbcsandiego.com. 

A sheriff's detective who won praise for boldly shepherding frightened people out of the San Bernardino building where a couple opened fire last week said he did nothing that anyone in his position wouldn't have done.

Detective Jorge Lozano said he knew the frightened people, including a terrified child, were relying on him for comfort and calm, so he provided it. The video of him assuring the group that, "I'll take a bullet before you do, that's for damn sure" quickly caught national attention, one of the few bright spots in a horrific moment of terror.

But Lozano didn't step forward to take credit for it until a news conference Tuesday night, where he explained what happened.

"There was a female there with a small child, maybe an 8-year-old little boy, that was just terrified, just shivering, almost to the point of shaking like a leaf and I said what I said," Lozano said. "I meant what I said. I said it for them just to kinda calm down, relax."

Lozano was among the first 24 law enforcement officers to arrive at the Inland Regional Center where a married couple went on a shooting rampage, killing 14 and injuring 21 in a case President Barack Obama has called a terrorist attack.

Lozano said his words to the scared survivors weren't anything special despite the attention they've gotten: "I don't feel like a hero whatsoever."

With the alarms going off, the sprinklers on and their vision dimmed by smoke from gunpowder, the first groups of officers encountered chaos at the scene of Wednesday's attack.

"We didn't have any cover. We didn't know where in the building the gunmen were," said Detective Brian Lewis, of the San Bernardino Police Department. "We didn't know exactly how many people were down, but we knew that we needed to get in there and save them."

Added colleague Lt. Mike Madden, the first officer on scene: "I think we fully expected to take gunfire, which we did not."

Dispatchers helped guide the group of four officers into the Inland Regional Center, unable to help the injured as they searched to clear the area of any possible shooters, who could yet hurt many more.

"They were asking for help and were asking for first aid," said Nathan Scarano, a San Bernardino County Probation officer.

He said that he and his partner heard people screaming for help.

They were hiding between cars in the parking lot. Some had been shot and needed help. Scarano and his partner started loading people into the bed of their trucks and driving them away from the scene, then returning for more. Between 15 and 17 at first.

Officer Brian Alvarez, of the California Highway Patrol, said that one of the reasons they all came running is because "this is what we train for. We sign up for this."

"They didn't sign up for this," he said of the victims. "They were having a holiday party. They were going to work. This is not what they were expecting to encounter that day."

Two California men are facing federal charges for allegedly smuggling 911 endangered sea turtle eggs into the U.S. from Mexico, according to a grand jury indictment.

The indictment, released by the U.S. Attorney’s office Tuesday, alleges that on Nov. 23, 2014, suspect Olga Jimenez, 52, got on a Tijuana-bound bus in Nayarit, Mexico, with a large cooler containing nine plastic bags filled with about 911 sea turtle eggs.

Meanwhile, Jose Luis Jimenez, 64, drove from Hemet, California – the suspects’ hometown – to the Mexican border. Using a pedestrian bridge, he crossed into Mexico carrying two small coolers, federal authorities say.

The suspects met at a Tijuana bus station and transferred the eggs into the small coolers. The indictment says the men hid the eggs under layers of ice, fish and shrimp.

Investigators suspect the men then gave those coolers to a pickup truck driver headed for the U.S., telling the person the coolers were just filled with shrimp and fish.

The Jimenez men both crossed back into the U.S. using the pedestrian bridge. According to the indictment, Olga called one of the people in the pickup truck to make sure the coolers made it across the border.

Federal authorities are seeking the criminal forfeiture of the eggs in the indictment.

Olga was arrested in Arizona and is scheduled to appear in San Diego federal court on Dec. 16. Jose, who was not taken into custody, is ordered to appear before a federal judge on Jan. 14, 2016.

They are accused of conspiracy, smuggling, importation contrary to law and unlawful trafficking in wildlife.

The smuggled eggs came from the Olive ridley and Kemp’s ridley species of sea turtle, the indictment says. Both are considered endangered, and it is illegal in the U.S. and Mexico to trade any part of the turtles without permission from each government.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), both types of sea turtle have a unique, synchronized nesting habit. Large female groups will visit nesting beaches once or twice a year, laying clutches of about 100 eggs each and burying them in the sand – an event called an arribada.

The indictment says during the arribada, the eggs are vulnerable to poachers who want to sell them for food. They are considered a delicacy in Asia.
 

A self-proclaimed Tibetan healer in San Diego County sexually assaulted a client while giving her a massage, according to Escondido police.

In May, the alleged victim came to the Escondido Police Department’s Family Protection Unit, saying she had been raped by 61-year-old Vasiliy “Ardi” Galashev.

Galashev, a registered sex offender in California, calls himself “Master Ardi” and claims he is a 7th generation Tibetan healer, according to detectives. He massages clients as a form of treatment.

During one of those massages, the alleged victim said she was raped. When she went to police, investigators collected DNA evidence from her and sent it to the sheriff’s crime lab for analysis.

Two months later, detectives interviewed Galashev and collected DNA from him to compare to the evidence found on the woman.

The crime lab confirmed the two samples were an exact match in November, Escondido police said.

On Monday, detectives arrested Galashev and served a search warrant at his home. There, they seized additional evidence, according to investigators.

Galashev has since been booked into jail on charges of rape and false imprisonment. It’s unclear if he has obtained an attorney.

According to a 10 News report, Galashev pleaded guilty to sexual battery in 2005. As part of his plea deal, he was permitted to continue work at a massage therapist, but he will have to register as a sex offender the rest of his life.

Germany's so-called "Nazi Bride" broke her silence more than two years into a trial in which she has been charged with taking part in a racist killing spree that left 10 dead, NBC News reported. 

Beate Zschaepe, 40, is allegedly the sole surviving member of the National Social Underground (NSU), a neo-Nazi terror cell behind a series of murders, bombings and bank robberies between 2000 and 2007,prosecutors say.

Zschaepe denied participating in the murders committed by two of her close friends in a written statement read by her lawyers in a Munich court Wednesday. She insisted she was only told about the deaths after the fact and rejected charges that she had ever been a part of NSU.

"I was involved neither in the preparations, nor in the carrying out," Zchaepe said in the statement, acknowledging that she felt "morally guilty" that she could not prevent the crimes. 

In an act of defiance against the horrific massacre that has shaken San Bernardino and the rest of the country, members of the Islamic, Jewish and Christian faiths came together in San Diego’s North County to condemn the use of violence in the name of religion.

The Jewish Collaborative of San Diego, the North County Islamic Foundation and Christ Presbyterian Church of Carlsbad collaborated to host a candlelight vigil Tuesday evening for the 14 killed and 21 injured in last week's shooting rampage.

About 100 people gathered at the corner of La Costa Avenue and El Camino Real for the interfaith event. Presbyterian Pastor Greg Bostrom said the group represents efforts to build bridges between faiths across the country.

“They might not get as much press as those who are using religion to divide, but there are a lot of good people doing a lot of good things together among faiths to make a difference in the world,” said Bostrom.

Last Wednesday, married couple Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik opened fire inside a conference room at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino – an act that President Barack Obama called an act of terrorism. The FBI said the couple had been radicalized for some time before carrying out the attack.

Muslim leaders attending Tuesday's vigil said they are just as offended as the rest of the country by what people do in the name of their religion.

Khalid Abudiwas, a teenage member of the North County Islamic Foundation, shared a poem with the crowd to express how he feels in the shooting’s aftermath.

“Muslim Americans are in no way different from any other American,” said Abudiwas. “We are proud to be here; we are proud to help this country, proud to contribute to this country, and we love this country like anyone else.”

Demonstrators held up signs reading "terrorism has no religion.” Individuals prayed for all the victims and their families as they cope with the tragedy.

Together, the crowd united around a collective goal.

“It’s beautiful to see people from all faiths come together and say, ‘Enough violence, enough hatred, enough prejudice,” said participant Scott Silk.

This was the first such interfaith demonstration involving these three North County groups, but organizers said they have collaboratively worked on many community service projects in the past.

Dozens of college students in Orange County, California, have been sickened by an outbreak of what's suspected to be the highly contagious norovirus, officials said.

The first cases of the gastrointestinal illness at Chapman University were reported last Wednesday, and the school says as many as 50 students have fallen ill since.

The source of the outbreak was unknown, but officials believe it did not originate at the school because several ill students live off campus and do not use the university's dining facilities.

The school said eight students were confirmed sick with norovirus. The illness can be spread by touching an infected person, and through contaminated surfaces and food. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration.

Sophomore Coby Becker fears he may have it.

"General stomach uneasiness, I guess you can say. I didn't throw up, but I definitely was feeling a bit off," he said.

The university said it has disinfected high-traffic areas and residence hall dining commons on campus, and was working with the Orange County Health Department to monitor and investigate the outbreak.

"We meticulously went through the entire university and disinfected every restroom so it's all very clean now - not that it wasn't before," said university spokeswoman Mary Platt.

The university posted an FAQ online that includes advice on how students and staff can minimize their chances of contracting the virus and what they can do if they feel symptoms.

At least 65 students at Boston College also contracted norovirus this week, according to the city's health commission. Officials have said they believe the Boston outbreak is linked to a Chipotle restaurant near campus.

A stolen car recovered by Escondido Police Tuesday has been identified as the vehicle used by Juan Garcia, an armed and dangerous fugitive wanted in the shooting death of his wife.

Police recovered a stolen Ford Taurus just two miles south of the home where Teresa Ortiz, 46, was found fatally injured on Saturday.

San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies responded the home on North Broadway near Sylvan Lane around 5:30 p.m. to reports of a woman suffering from upper body trauma.

Ortiz later died from her injuries and now her estranged husband, Juan Garcia, 50, is wanted in her death.

Garcia abandoned his red Ford Explorer at a commercial property a few miles north of where the crime happened. Detectives say they believe Garcia stole the Taurus from the area near Thunderbird Driving Range. 

On Tuesday, the Taurus was recovered near Reidy Creek Elementary School.

Garcia was still on the loose. He has been known to use the alias Jose Luis Paredes, officials said.

Garcia should be considered armed and dangerous and is believed to have a rifle. He is described as about 5-feet, 8-inches tall, 170 pounds with brown eyes and curly shoulder-length black hair. Officials say he has a small tattoo on the outside web of his right hand.

At the time of his wife's death, he was wearing a blue, long sleeved shirt, blue denim shorts, long white socks and white tennis shoes.

Anyone with information can call Escondido Police Homicide at (858) 974-2321/after hours at (858) 565-5200 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

One of the county’s most powerful and well-paid school superintendents — John Collins at the Poway Unified School District — has hired an attorney and wants to negotiate a possible buyout of his $400,000 contract, a school district board member confirmed.

“Any reasonable person could infer we are talking to him about his departure,” Poway Board Member Charles Sellers told NBC 7 Tuesday. “The haste is all being driven by the superintendent. It’s on his timetable.”

Collins did not return phone calls or emails requesting comment for this story. His attorney was not available for comment.

But Collins told the Pomerado News, “The current situation is that the board and the superintendent have agreed that their relationship is not working well and we need to discuss our options going forward in the best interests of the district.”

Collins has led the district for five years. According to “Transparent California,” a website that lists public employee salaries and pensions, the superintendent received $478,000 in total pay and benefits in 2014.

Collins’ tenure has also been marked by controversy, including a contentious bond sale and his decision to rewrite and soften a consultant’s report that was critical of the district’s technology department.

Board Member Sellers told NBC 7 that Collins “didn’t like his (most recent) evaluation … and came to us with an attorney, wanting to talk about his contract.”

On Sunday, the board hired its own attorney as a prelude to negotiations that could very well lead to Collins’ departure.

Sellers said Collins has opposed several changes in the district that are being pushed by Sellers and his allies on the school board.

“For those changes to take effect, we may need a new superintendent,” Sellers said.

School Board President Kimberley Beatty confirmed that the board has hired an attorney, but stressed that it’s premature to assume a deal will be made with Collins that results in his leaving the district.

“The board hasn’t made any decisions with regard to the superintendent or negotiations, or even whether to engage in negotiations,” Beatty told NBC 7.

School board members will meet with their new attorney, Maribel Medina, sometime before the board’s next meeting, which is scheduled for Dec. 15.

A pharmaceutical company exec, who has been pilloried in the past for buying the rights to an HIV drug then hiking up the price, is now the sole owner of the new Wu-Tang Clan album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin."

And the Bay Area's Hip-Hop Chess Federation will benefit. 

The Wu-Tang Clan long ago announced that its newest release would only be distributed to one person, like a work of high art. That one copy would then be sold off to the highest bidder.

Well, it sold. For a bundle. Reportedly $2 million. And the buyer? Bay Area Biotech CEO Martin Shkreli, who cops to buying it in a series of tweets, including one reading,"If there is a curious gap in your favorite artist's discography, well, now you know why."

Bloomberg Business cited a source "familiar with the deal" as saying Shkreli spent $2 million for the Wu-Tang Clan record.

Shkreli became notorious when his company Turing Pharmaceuticals bought the rights to an HIV drug then raised the price from $13.50 to $750 per pill, according to NBC News. He eventually agreed to cut the cost to about $375 per pill amid widespread criticism.

He later bought up the majority of shares in another company, South San Francisco's KaloBios, whose stock price shot up more than 4,000 percent.

When NBC Bay Area spoke to Shkreli about all the attention, he said "I'm not here to please the media, I'm here to please investors, and ultimately help patients."

Wu-Tang leader RZA said he'd give some of the proceeds to charity. He came through. Among those getting money from the sale is the Bay Area's Hip-Hop Chess Federation. HHCF blends rap and chess to help kids make better decisions in life through the study of chess (a theme of many a Wu-Tang song) and martial arts.

HHCF co-founder Adisa Banjoko tells NBC Bay Area, "RZA told me the sale of the album occurred. He wanted to make a donation, as a karmic ripple effect. I'm thankful for the donation, at a time when it's hard for kids out there. RZA believes in what we're doing ... I hope other artists follow his lead."

Shkreli told Bloomberg he hadn't listened to the exclusive album yet but planned to "for a rainy day" or if "Taylor Swift wants to hear it or something like that."

Scott tracks tech on Twitter: @scottbudman