Newsletter: Today: The Golden State’s New Foil to Trump? One Year After the San Bernardino Attack.

I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss today, including our weekend recommendations and weekly look back into the archives.

TOP STORIES

The Golden State’s New Foil to Trump?

Alongside Gov. Jerry Brown, the state’s next attorney general will be an important player in how California will respond to Donald Trump’s efforts on immigration, climate change and more. Brown’s selection of Rep. Xavier Becerra seemed to catch even the congressman by surprise, but it’s an indication that the pushback against Trump could be aggressive. A vocal Hillary Clinton supporter, Becerra was briefly floated as a potential pick for Clinton’s vice president or the Cabinet. If confirmed, he would also be California’s first Latino attorney general.

Trump Picks a ‘Mad Dog’ a.k.a. ‘Warrior Monk’

James Mattis, a retired four-star general, is best known for leading U.S. Marines into the battle of Fallouja in Iraq in late 2004 — and for his colorful nicknames derived from his reputation as a hard-charging but scholarly figure. Now, the president-elect has chosen him to head the Defense Department. To confirm Mattis, though, Congress will have to grant a waiver, because he has been out of uniform for less than seven years.

More Politics

-- L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti is walking on a political tightrope as he looks to work with Trump on issues like infrastructure and the economy while holding a line on immigration.

-- Trump will preside over the richest Cabinet in U.S. history.

-- Trump lavished praise on Pakistan, a “fantastic place of fantastic people,” in a phone call with its leader.

The San Bernardino Attack: Missing Clues and an 18-Minute Gap

More than 600 interviews. Dozens of search warrants. An unprecedented fight over unlocking an iPhone. Massive investigations usually leave some questions unanswered, yet one year after the San Bernardino terrorist attack, the FBI says it is still looking for key information — including what happened during an 18-minute period after the assault. “Until we know what happened in those 18 minutes, I am uncomfortable, and my investigators are uncomfortable,” FBI Assistant Director David Bowdich said earlier this year.

Malibu’s Most Wanted Mountain Lion Gets a Reprieve

P-45, suspected of killing alpacas and a goat in the Santa Monica Mountains, set off a debate about wildlife that has made headlines around the world. Earlier this week, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife signed off on a virtual death warrant for the mountain lion: a permit allowing the big cat to be killed within days. But wildlife activists and ranchers in the Malibu hills have persuaded the owner of the 10 dead alpacas to take nonlethal measures instead.

Here’s a Real Page-Turner

A novel about two childhood friends who aspire to be dancers. A nonfiction look at America’s haunted places. A guidebook about cats and gun safety. Our Holiday Books Gift Guide has more than 170 titles to peruse. And in case you missed it, here’s our gift guide for everyone beyond the bibliophiles.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

Long before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy’s Pacific battle fleet made its home in the Port of Los Angeles at San Pedro. It would stay from 1919 until May 1940, when the fleet “unexpectedly was ordered to remain indefinitely in Hawaiian water and carry out further tactical exercises and maneuvers instead of returning to California bases.” In the intervening years, the Navy trained and paraded off the L.A. coast. Here are 32 photos of the ships and sailors from those days.

CALIFORNIA

-- L.A. County health officials ordered two Paramount metal-processing plants to stop emissions of a toxic chemical or shut down operations.

-- A prosecutor says a shotgun found on the beach in Malibu and a bounced check are key clues to a murder in Hollywood.

-- Police say someone vandalized the trucks and equipment being used to demolish a stone shelter built by territorial surfers in Palos Verdes Estates.

-- Columnist Robin Abcarian heads to Oakland to revisit the Black Panthers at 50.

YOUR WEEKEND

-- Tales from the dating world: “I tried to give my kidney to my boyfriend. He broke up with me anyway.”

-- What’s happening in the L.A. art world this weekend.

-- How Casa Vega is still making it, 60 years after opening in the San Fernando Valley.

-- A mac ’n’ cheese recipe that is cheesy in the best way possible.

-- Beyond the bottle: “Hostess gifts” that get you invited back.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Movie review: “Jackie” persuasively imagines the behind-the-scenes drama that followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

-- “Jackie” star Natalie Portman explains the deep preparation that went into portraying Jackie Kennedy.

-- In the documentary “Mifune: The Last Samurai,” Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and others shed light on the legendary Japanese actor.

-- Why the Weeknd and Bruno Mars are obsessed with the ’80s on their new albums.

-- Watch: “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah interviews conservative commentator Tomi Lahren about “the right way” for black people to protest in America.

NATION-WORLD

-- Chicago this week hit another gruesome milestone, surpassing 700 homicides for the year for the first time in nearly two decades.

-- The California man killed in Syria last week is being remembered as humble and dedicated to the Kurdish cause.

-- Wondering what Vladimir Putin hopes Russia will get from a Trump administration? We break it down.

-- There’s something in magic mushrooms that has been shown to ease anxiety and depression in cancer patients in one dose.

BUSINESS

-- The new chip technology in credit cards isn’t catching on very well. Are you ready for the CVV number on the back of the card to start randomly changing?

-- The never-ending election: How to stop recurring campaign donations, in this case to the Hillary Victory Fund.

-- Howard Schultz is stepping down as Starbucks CEO.

SPORTS

-- Former USC star running back Joe McKnight was shot to death in Louisiana. Police say it might have been a road rage incident.

-- Thanks for the memories: When John Wooden led UCLA to the 1975 NCAA championship in his final game as coach.

OPINION

-- Did Russia meddle in our presidential election? The public has a right to know.

-- A study says half the firearms in the U.S. are owned by 3% of adults. That means trouble for the NRA.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Do Silicon Valley companies have a lack of empathy? (The New Yorker)

-- A pioneer in gene-editing talks of the hopes and concerns around the technology. (The Verge)

-- The story of a famous photo of a streaker at a rugby match in 1974. (Deadspin)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Jellyfish? Sea slugs? Embryonic space aliens? No one was quite sure what to make of the pink gelatinous creatures that started washing up in Huntington Beach this week. Here’s what they are. Hint: definitely not space aliens.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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