Newsletter: Essential California: Inside the Farook family

Good morning. It is Friday, Dec. 11. I’m Nita Lelyveld, writer of City Beat features, giving Alice Walton and Shelby Grad a much-deserved break. On this day in 1885, again from the era of front-page one-liners, this newspaper printed the following: "A heavy snowfall is reported in Chicago. Ugh!" Here’s what’s happening to get you started on your day:

TOP STORIES

Farook’s friend and family

Syed Rizwan Farook used a friend to buy two rifles used in the San Bernardino attack so that he could dodge a federal background check, according to a government source. The ties between Farook and Marquez ran deep. Meanwhile, Farook and his brother were a study in contrasts, and court documents paint a picture of turmoil between their parents. Los Angeles Times

Sunken evidence?

The FBI searched a lake near the site of the San Bernardino shooting for a hard drive and other evidence linked to the shooter, law enforcement sources said. Investigators said they believe Farook and Tashfeen Malik were planning a bigger attack. Los Angeles Times

Full coverage

Victims are being buried. The investigation continues. Find all our stories here. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Brown in Paris: California Gov. Jerry Brown, just after giving a speech on climate change, asked to hear the 1965 song “Eve of Destruction.” That’s more or less the message, climate wise, that he was spreading far and wide overseas. Los Angeles Times

Stormy weather: While El Niño rains are still weeks off, the latest forecast suggests that another weather phenomenon that pushes storms away from California has stood aside, making way for heavy storms in Northern California. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Wallet woes: Rents continue to rise in L.A. as construction can’t keep up with demand, according to a report from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. Los Angeles Times

Hometown recipes: And again for your shopping list, a selection of L.A. cookbooks. LA Weekly

Sir Ludo: The French government awards celebrity chef Ludo Lefebvre the insignia of Chevalier dans l’ordre national des Arts et des Lettres. LA Weekly

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Superintendent search: The Los Angeles Board of Education is looking for a district leader via a confidential process, but names are leaking out. Among those who are considered to be in the running and who have been or are expected to be interviewed: San Francisco Supt. Richard Carranza, L.A. Unified Deputy Supt. Michelle King and Fremont Unified Supt. Jim Morris. Los Angeles Times

Investigation: L.A. County officials are using an outside law firm to investigate allegations of an inappropriate romantic relationship between Probation Chief Jerry Powers and a woman he hired to be the department’s top budget and personnel official, according to source. Los Angeles Times

Found what he's looking for: It took him years, but the U2 guitarist known as the Edge finally won state approval to built five rather large houses on a pristine ridge in Malibu. They all have swimming pools and are over 10,000 square feet. Los Angeles Times 

Hollywood heights: Speaking of large, the L.A. City Planning Commission just backed a proposal for two 30-story residential towers called the Palladium Residences. A neighboring nonprofit vows to keep fighting the 731-unit project. Los Angeles Times

Bumpy start: How worried should we be that a Metro Expo test train derailed after a crash with a truck in Santa Monica? "No passengers were on board, and the Metro operator was not injured. The truck driver was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries." Los Angeles Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Real trouper: A boy got a scare on a field trip to Walt Disney Concert Hall when a man grabbed him around the neck, officials said. The boy "was in good shape" but went to a hospital for scratches that may have come from a set of keys. Los Angeles Times

Repast past due: A federal judge in Santa Ana ordered Muhanad Elfatih M.A. Badawi — an Anaheim man accused of helping Islamic State — to eat dinner or be force-fed. “Mr. Badawi, this is going to end today,” U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said before arranging for honey, peanut butter, tuna, wheat bread and a banana to be brought to him. Orange County Register

CALIFORNIA COMMENTARY

Training wheels: A young L.A. resident describes learning how to bike to work safely in the big city. "Though more options exist than most of us know about, L.A. still lacks the infrastructure to make biking to work convenient." Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Holding tight: Recent studies show we in L.A. and also Californians at large may not be the very best at giving. LA Weekly

Instant regret: A man who jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge when he was 19 speaks in a video of “the millisecond my hands left the rail.” He’s now a suicide prevention activist. SFGate

Lucky puppy: Check out this video of Oakland firefighters using a snout mask to revive a dog they pulled out of a blaze. SFist

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles will have showers and reach 66. San Diego, showers and a high of 64. San Francisco will be rainy and 57.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Walter G Oshinsky:

"In 1963, I was fortunate to be able accompany my cousin and my aunt and uncle, who was a doctor, on a trip from Ohio to California in their brand-new Cadillac convertible that had 'airplane fins' on the back. We spent two weeks visiting his medical school classmate living in Santa Monica. I was 15 and spent a lot of time on the BEACH. Wow. I sure didn't want to go back to Ohio. The trip opened up a whole new world for me that influenced my life forever for the better, allowing me to understand what the Beach Boys were singing about in the '60s."

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Alice Walton or Shelby Grad.