Newsletter: Today: California’s Odd Couple. When Horses Fly.

I'm Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. Russia strikes targets in Syria; Nancy Pelosi and Kevin McCarthy ignore each other; and Hillary Rodham Clinton looks for a key endorsement. Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

Will Clinton Get Schooled?

Hillary Rodham Clinton hopes to get a passing grade from the biggest labor union in the U.S. She already has the support of the National Education Assn.'s leader. But many of the union's 3 million teachers are saying, "Not so fast." One stumbling block: Clinton's ties to charter school supporters.

Enter the Bear

Russian warplanes joined the fray in Syria, but the fog of war is already kicking in. Much like talks earlier this week, Moscow and Washington can't agree on what's happening. Russian officials said they attacked Islamic State positions. Syrian activists and some U.S. officials said the areas hit were in the hands of other factions. 

An Abortion Icon in Hiding

Amelia Bonow became the face of an online abortion rights movement with her story and the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion. It wasn't long before the death threats followed. "It does take people who are bold enough and brave enough to stand up and say they won't be intimidated," said one Planned Parenthood official.

California's Odd Couple

They couldn't be more different: Bakersfield versus San Francisco. Conservative versus liberal. Sandwiches versus salads and fried chicken. Kevin McCarthy, the would-be speaker of the House, and House minority leader Nancy Pelosi barely have anything to do with each other. They may have to form a relationship soon.

Ill Winds in Hawaiian Gardens

Hawaiian Gardens is home to a casino, a community of mostly working-class Latinos and a notorious gang. A years-long effort to rein in the gangsters has made some residents feel safer. But the recent slaying of a man by a sheriff's deputy has others, including the mayor, saying the crackdown is too harsh.

When Horses Fly

A Boing 777 with 44 of Europe's most-pampered athletes touched down in LAX. Not one of them had pressed the call button on their 5,700-mile trip. After all, they were show jumping horses and had seven grooms to serve them. Columnist Chris Erskine shows you how the competitors arrived in fine form for the Longines Masters at the L.A. Convention Center.

CALIFORNIA

-- Federal authorities are investigating allegations that a UC Berkeley contractor didn't pay overtime to custodial workers. 

-- Is the canonization of Junipero Serra a mixed blessing for Carmel-by-the-Sea? 

-- What will happen with that unnatural body of water known as the Salton Sea?

-- Vo Phien, a refugee who preserved the wartime literature of Vietnam, has died at 90.

-- An artist was fatally shot while working on an anti-violence mural in Oakland.

NATION-WORLD

-- The Pope's secret meeting with Kim Davis sends an unexpected message on same-sex marriage.

-- Kick the can: Congress averts a federal government shutdown, at least until Dec. 11.  

-- What to expect next in marijuana's "long, strange trip" of legalization. 

-- In Serbia, migrants are in limbo as they await word of the next open border.

-- Can drastically reduced nicotine take the "hook" out of cigarettes?

BUSINESS 

-- When the stock market swings wildly, what should you do? Some expert advice. 

-- Tesla delivered only six Model X SUVs -- and Elon Musk took one for himself.

-- A damaged Torrance Exxon refinery is sold, but don't expect SoCal gas prices to drop any time soon.  

SPORTS

-- The Angels' playoff hopes take a hit in an 8-7 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

-- A federal appeals court overturns a ruling that would have paid college athletes.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Nobel winner Malala Yousafzai is in a new documentary: "It's hard to watch your own movie." 

-- Why TCM is showcasing female directors this month.

-- Central Casting to HBO actors: Drop your pants.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Why Sweden is shifting to a six-hour workday. (Fast Company)

-- There's a medical code for almost everything, including being bitten by a macaw or injured in a prison swimming pool. (Washington Post)

-- Pew Research Center has an interactive map of how America's source of immigrants has changed.

ONLY IN L.A.

Poke may be a native of Hawaii, but the chopped raw fish (pronounced "poke-eh") is becoming the It-dish of L.A. Over the last two years, several poke restaurants have opened, from Venice to Pasadena. "I just think it was meant for the California palate," says one restaurant owner. Deputy food editor Jenn Harris offers a guide to nine worth visiting. 

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.