Newsletter: Today: ‘White Pride’ — and Prejudice. Uncle Sam Might Give These GIs Their Money Back.

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

‘White Pride’ — and Prejudice

Pundits called Trump’s victory the result of a “whitelash.” Civil rights groups say the win has inspired dozens of attacks on blacks, Latinos and Muslims. But some everyday Americans who insist they’re not white nationalists say the president-elect has made them more comfortable to be white. As one Donald Trump supporter who voted for President Obama eight years ago puts it, “that uncomfortable feeling of being afraid to speak your mind as a white man” is gone.

From Berlin, Obama Messages Trump Tower

As high-profile visitors stream in and out of Trump Tower — Mitt Romney, who called Trump a “fraud,” is said to be dropping in this weekend — President Obama is continuing his public lectures on how to govern. In Berlin, Angela Merkel joined in with Obama to emphasize that Trump needs to take foreign policy seriously, stand up to Russia and keep NATO together. But is Trump listening?

The Post-Election Battle: L.A. vs. Trump

During the campaign, Trump vowed to withhold federal funds from sanctuary cities like Los Angeles for their lenient policies toward illegal immigration. Now, city officials are working on plans for how they could push back on deportations while maintaining, or even increasing, federal money for transit, homelessness and other projects.

More Politics

-- Trump has offered retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn the job of national security adviser, according to a senior Trump official.

-- California Democrats are asking Obama to pardon nearly 750,000 “Dreamers,” but the White House says it wouldn’t work.

-- Trump’s victory is bringing optimism to an unlikely place: Iran.

-- Bernie Sanders outlines his plan to lead Democrats out of the wilderness.

Uncle Sam Might Give These GIs Their Money Back

Congress doesn’t work well together on much these days, but Democrats and Republicans are agreeing to take action to let nearly 10,000 California National Guard soldiers keep improper enlistment bonuses they received for going to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. One version of a bill could be approved as early as next week, when Congress leaves on Thanksgiving recess. Yet some soldiers are saying they’ll believe it when they see it.

The Crystal Cathedral Gets a Makeover, and It Looks Like…

The late Rev. Robert H. Schuller once described the Garden Grove compound surrounding his Crystal Cathedral as “a 22-acre shopping center for Jesus Christ.” After family discord and financial ruin shattered his ministry, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange bought it for a bargain price. Now, the diocese is looking to remake it as the Christ Cathedral to the tune of $72 million. Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne gives us a closer look at “a design more suggestive of the offices of a high-end law firm” and the curious history of an O.C. landmark.

CALIFORNIA

-- Japanese Americans recall the dark history of U.S. internment camps amid talk of a Muslim registry or ban.

-- Police say they arrested a suspect in the kidnapping and rape of an 11-year-old girl in Santa Ana because of DNA evidence found on a discarded water bottle.

-- A man who smashed Trump’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star with a sledgehammer and pickax has been charged with one felony count of vandalism.

-- At a secret spot in the desert, slabs of mud stone are indented with fossil tracks left by mastodons, camels, horses and cats the size of leopards.

YOUR WEEKEND

-- Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold reviews P.Y.T., a vegetable-centered nirvana in L.A.

-- Want to eat out on Thanksgiving? Here are 20 great restaurants we’d go to.

-- A look at one of the largest private collections of cookbooks by African American authors.

-- Before they’re gone, grab a free Black Friday pass to one of 116 California parks.

-- Ten hot home design trends heading your way in 2017.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- The “Harry Potter” prequel “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is enjoyable enough but missing that magic touch.

-- Kenneth Lonergan’s film “Manchester by the Sea” is heartbreaking yet somehow heartening.

-- Three of the four competitive prizes at the National Book Awards went to black authors for books that take on America’s troubled relationship with race.

-- At 19, Hailee Steinfeld chuckles at people calling her an “old soul,” and yet she doesn’t disagree.

-- The rapper who wrote the defining protest song of 2016 isn’t happy about it, “but I feel good for speaking up.”

-- “Duck Dynasty” calls it a wrap. The show’s 11th season will be its last.

NATION-WORLD

-- “Cuck,” “snowflake,” “masculinist”: a guide to the language of the alt-right.

-- A study shows life expectancy is dramatically lower in the poorest American states than it is in the richest.

-- Kosovo police say they prevented simultaneous attacks by Islamic State, including on the Israeli national soccer team.

-- Taiwanese legislators began deliberations on Asia’s first same-sex marriage law.

-- The U.S. surgeon general is calling for “a cultural shift in how we think about addiction.”

BUSINESS

-- Tesla is getting the go-ahead to acquire SolarCity, but many challenges remain for Elon Musk to transform how people power their lives.

-- What cars? A new pavilion at the L.A. Auto Show showcases scooters, electric bikes and hoverboards.

-- David Lazarus: Here’s how your kid is running up your credit card with “free” games.

SPORTS

-- For the second time in his career, Angels center fielder Mike Trout has been named the most valuable player of the American League.

-- Case Keenum is not happy about being replaced by Jared Goff as the Rams’ starting quarterback.

OPINION

-- Three times in 13 years, American journalism has suffered a massive institutional failure.

-- How California can survive Trumpcare.

BACK IN TIMES

About three weeks ago, L.A. Police Chief Charlie Beck fractured his pelvis after falling off his motorcycle on a mountain trail. For a veteran of motocross, that just comes with the territory. Back in 1974, The Times profiled a 21-year-old biker who said of motocross’ hazards, “After doing it for a while, it becomes less dangerous. It’s everything I look for in a sport.” That biker was, of course, Charlie Beck. See more photos and read the story here.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Russia, China, India, Turkey, Britain, the U.S. … Why is nationalism on the rise? (The Economist)

-- This will make you want to travel: Here are National Geographic’s best trips for 2017.

-- This 27-year-old is a pinball wizard. But there’s much more to his story than wanting to be the best player. (ESPN)

ONLY IN L.A.

You probably know the “paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state.” They’re in the Haunted Mansion’s stretching room at Disneyland. Did you know they were once hand-painted, before today’s printed paper versions? Now, one of those early canvases is going on the auction block in Sherman Oaks and is expected to fetch $30,000 to $40,000. Is your wallet actually stretching?

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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