Newsletter: Today: Drones and ‘Fog.’ Whole Lotta Shakin’.

Hello. I'm Davan Maharaj, the editor of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines you shouldn't miss today.

TOP STORIES

Drones and the 'Fog of War'

News that CIA drones inadvertently killed two Western hostages in Pakistan, including an American aid worker, was distressing if not surprising. Innocents dying in drone strikes is hardly new. President Obama apologized and spoke somberly of the "fog of war." He'll be under more pressure to address the limits of U.S. intelligence and the risks of war by remote control.

Merger Unplugged

Comcast is bailing on its $45-billion purchase of Time Warner Cable. Opposition from regulators, Congress and consumers was too stiff. It isn't about TV. It's about the Internet -- specifically, the control of broadband service people regard as a basic utility. Almost nobody wants so much of it in the hands of one company, especially one with a poor record of customer service.

Whole Lotta Shakin'

The U.S. earthquake capital may not be California, but Oklahoma. Shocker! A U.S. Geological Survey map of man-made quakes shows that the ground is shaking in unlikely places: Ohio? Colorado? Kansas? The new dangers have a lot to do with underground disposal of wastewater from fracking, an oil and gas extraction method. So what can be done about it? Read on.

A Living Memorial to Defiance

One hundred years ago, six Armenian towns in Turkey made a stand against Ottoman Turks waging a genocidal campaign. From a mountain named Moses, their ammunition and food dwindling, they held off the Turks for more than six weeks. Today, on the centennial of the genocide, their defiance is honored in the Lebanese town of Anjar, where their descendants  have made a home. Our Beirut bureau chief, Patrick McDonnell, has the story. 

Bruce Jenner

It's Bruce Jenner's story, so let's calm down and let him tell it. That's a plea from Times TV Critic Mary McNamara before the former Olympian's interview with Diane Sawyer in February airs Friday on ABC. Expectations that he'll discuss an apparent gender transition have sent fevered and uninformed fascination off the charts -- too far off the charts, McNamara writes.

CALIFORNIA

-- Whether it's plastic bags or soda taxes, some of the state’s most compelling policy battles are occurring not in Sacramento but in city halls and county seats.

-- The wife of a slain Bell Gardens mayor is indicted on a charge of involuntary manslaughter.

-- L.A.'s mayor unveils his program to get tossed furniture and other trash off the streets.

-- The nation's newest immigration detention center opens in downtown Bakersfield.

-- Robin Abcarian: Parents fighting childhood-vaccine requirements in the state Legislature have a high-profile ally: the ACLU.

NATION-WORLD

-- The Senate confirms Loretta Lynch as the new U.S. attorney general.

-- David Petraeus, retired general and former CIA director, is sentenced to two years' probation for leaking secrets to his former lover.

-- The family of Michael Brown, whose killing by a police officer sparked national protests, files a wrongful-death suit against Ferguson, Mo.

-- Saudi Arabia leads more airstrikes against Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen.

-- Song stuck in your head? A study says chewing gum might help.

BUSINESS

-- The Nasdaq index closes at a record high 5,056.

-- The Defense secretary's Stanford speech decoded: more money for Silicon Valley.

SPORTS

-- The Chargers and Raiders overhaul the design of a possible stadium in Carson.

-- Bill Plaschke: The Clippers need to close in pivotal games or they're finished.

-- The latest scores and stats.

-- Sign up at https://countdown.la/fight to receive The Times’ special edition coverage of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight on May 2.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Movie review: "The Age of Adaline" is a stylish affair of the heart and chance.

-- CBS will send off David Letterman with a prime-time special.

-- Book review: Toni Morrison's 11th novel, "God Help the Child."

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Many victims of Russia's economic crisis aren't even in Russia.

-- Right in front of senators' eyes: the homeless man who works in their office building.

-- Imagining Howard Cosell as a 21st century media figure.

ONLY IN L.A.

There's been a lot of talk lately about tips as they relate to L.A.'s minimum wage, but nothing quite like this: A jury awarded nearly 250 exotic dancers $6.5 million after they accused a strip club of keeping their tips after private dances for customers. Read how they made their case in court. The club says it'll appeal.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.