Newsletter: How a Terrorist Cell -- and Its Leader -- Were ‘Neutralized’

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

TOP STORIES

How a Terrorist Cell Was 'Neutralized'

A seven-hour siege. More than 5,000 rounds fired by police. On Wednesday, French authorities said they took down another terrorist squad that was ready to act. Then on Thursday morning they announced that the suspected mastermind had been killed in the raid. Meanwhile, Islamic State boasted about Friday's attacks, last month's downing of a Russian airliner and the killing of two captives. In the U.S., the House of Representatives is expected to vote today on "pausing" the acceptance of Syrian refugees. Get the latest here.

Video: Life on the Streets of L.A.

On skid row, Khalil delivers water to a pregnant friend so she can shower. On Venice Boulevard, Rory inhabits an RV with two others. In Arroyo Seco Park, a family lives in tents. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti has ruled out declaring an immediate state of emergency to address the homeless crisis, frustrating some that more is not being done. As L.A. struggles to provide help, watch Lisa Biagiotti's video series delving into the lives of those on the streets and explore our interactive map of L.A. County's homeless.  

Your Insurance and Early Cancer Detection

A study is raising concern over Medi-Cal, which serves nearly 1 out of 3 Californians. UC Davis researchers found that cancer patients insured through the plan were less likely to have the disease caught at early stages, receive recommended treatments and be living five years after diagnosis. Read on to see why a study author said "Medi-Cal members seem to have little or no advantage over the uninsured."

'The Lady's' Guide to Governing

Now that Aung San Suu Kyi's party has won in a landslide election in Myanmar, how will she exercise power? The constitution prohibits the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist known as "the Lady" from becoming president. But she's indicated she wants to find a way around that. Here are some scenarios and why they are problematic. 

Sony's Road to Recovery

It was the hack that shook Hollywood. A year ago, Sony suffered the worst cyberattack in U.S. corporate history. The assault, which the U.S. blamed on North Korea, revealed embarrassing emails and exposed personal information. Employees received intimidating messages, and theaters were threatened. All over a Seth Rogen film. See how the studio is moving on. 

Not Splitting the Embryo 

In the end, it was about "cold legal principles." A San Francisco judge ruled against a woman who wanted to use frozen embryos to have children over her ex-husband's objections. The 46-year-old had argued it was her only chance for a child. But the couple had signed a form in 2010 that the embryos should be destroyed if they divorced. Read on for more about a ruling that was a first for California. 

CALIFORNIA

-- Activists seek a ballot measure to crack down on real estate "mega developments" in L.A.

-- What's behind a bid to shift dollars from the bullet train to water projects?

-- At LAX, 450 illegal tamales from Mexico are seized and "incinerated." 

-- L.A. Drives: A new video feature that takes a hot car and a cool route, and throws in history and sightseeing. First stop is Topanga and Malibu canyons.

NATION-WORLD

-- Bangladesh's high court upholds death sentences for two opposition leaders.

-- How the U.S. plans to stop the next Edward Snowden. 

-- A Pentagon study links prescription stimulants to military PTSD risk. 

-- The case of the heartbroken man who spent more than $700,000 on psychics.

BUSINESS 

-- Get the latest from the L.A. Auto Show with our live coverage.  

-- President Obama's in Asia with Pacific trade partners, but the pact depends on his sales job back home. 

-- Taxpayers will pay billions more as CalPERS lowers its estimate of investment returns.

SPORTS 

-- New Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis won't try to be a Vin Scully clone.

-- Did Zack Greinke deserve the National League Cy Young Award?

-- Bill Plaschke's Wake-up Call video: Charlie Sheen and Magic Johnson are not alike.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Movie review: "The Hunger Games" deserved a better ending than "Mockingjay – Part 2." 

-- Can "Circle of Life," a new Disney short film, bring Broadway into the virtual reality age?

-- "Black Mass" stars Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton chose "white-knuckling" over rehearsing.

-- Ta-Nehisi Coates' meditation on race in America wins the National Book Award for nonfiction.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- "Mapped: The Record Increase in Terrorism Deaths Driven by Boko Haram." (Telegraph)

-- The good, the bad and the bewildering: Ten countries' climate pledges. (National Geographic)

-- How convenient for capitalism that the self morphed so easily into the cellphone. (The Baffler) 

ONLY IN L.A.