Newsletter: Essential California: Radicalization of the San Bernardino shooters

Good morning. It is Friday, Dec. 18. What is the most Instagrammed location in California? Disneyland, of course. Here's what else is happening in the Golden State:

TOP STORIES

New arrest

A friend of San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook, Enrique Marquez Jr. was arrested Thursday and charged with conspiring to give material support to a terrorist plot. According to authorities, Marquez purchased two semiautomatic rifles that were used in the Dec. 2 shooting that killed 14 people. In 2011, Marquez and Farook began plotting an attack that would include firearms and explosives, an FBI affidavit stated. “While there currently is no evidence that Mr. Marquez participated in the Dec. 2 attack or had advance knowledge of it, his prior purchase of the firearms and ongoing failure to warn authorities about Farook’s intent to commit mass murder had fatal consequences,” said U.S. Atty. Eileen M. Decker. Los Angeles Times

Who was she?

Before she was known to the world for her part in a mass shooting, Tashfeen Malik was a girl who straddled the differing worlds of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Classmates and teachers described her as a bright, accomplished student who became more and more religious over time. Although relatives in Karor Lal Esan had remembered her as a "modern girl," she now covered her face in a veil. She spoke Arabic — unlike many Pakistani expatriates — and occasionally would have conversations in Arabic online late at night. Los Angeles Times

Dark inspiration

Inside his Riverside home, Syed Rizwan Farook read the official magazine of Al Qaeda and watched videos from the Shabab. He listened to lectures on radical ideology. A criminal complaint filed against his former neighbor shines light on the radicalization of the man behind the Dec. 2 shooting in San Bernardino. Los Angeles Times

DROUGHT AND CLIMATE

Drought map: The U.S. Drought Monitor has a new map out that shows the severity of the drought. Los Angeles Times

Safe waters: More study is needed to ensure that gray water and stormwater runoff are safe sources for non-potable uses, researchers say. “There's the opportunity there for exposure to pathogens. And that's something that needs to be studied more carefully,” said Richard Luthy, a Stanford professor who was an author on the 326-page study on the issue. Los Angeles Times

L.A. AT LARGE

Fire exam: The Los Angeles Civil Service Commission has agreed to allow an outside firm to administer the test given to applicants who want to join the Los Angeles Fire Department. Though the test has always been free to take, PSI Services will now charge $69 per exam. A captain representing the LAFD’s African American firefighters said charging a fee will discourage recruits from disadvantaged parts of the city. Los Angeles Times

Port oversight: Rep. Janice Hahn is joining San Pedro residents in calling for greater independent oversight of the Port of Los Angeles after The Times reported that port officials failed to impose air quality regulations on one of its busiest terminals. “This was a settlement won on behalf of local residents to protect the health of the people living in the port communities of San Pedro and Wilmington and we trusted that the port would do what was promised,” Hahn said. Los Angeles Times

Theme park safety: Visitors to Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood can now expect metal detectors at the entrance gates. Disneyland will also prohibit toys guns as well as masks and costumes on visitors 14 or older. Los Angeles Times

Med school: Kaiser Permanente plans to open a medical school in Southern California. Details on a possible location and tuition weren’t available, but the HMO giant hopes to enroll its first class in 2019. “In some ways, the move extends what Kaiser already has been doing — it has about 600 physicians completing residency programs now and several thousand more do some of their training at Kaiser each year.” Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Political spending: Political consulting is nice work if you can get it. In the first nine months of the year, state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris spent $600,000 on 19 political and fundraising consultants brought in to help her campaign for the U.S. Senate. Los Angeles Times

Rules for drones: West Hollywood is considering new regulations on drones. The move comes after one drone crashed into a power line and another interrupted a resident while he was “less than fully dressed” on his balcony. The proposed rules would require drone operators to register their aircraft and further limit where the drones may fly. WEHOville¿

CRIME AND COURTS

Lewd acts: A 15-year-old YouTube star who goes by the names $CUMBEEZY or Baby Scumbag was arrested on suspicion of trying to lure a 12-year-old girl into having sex with him and two men in a vacant home in Compton. Steven Fernandez and his 22-year-old manager were arrested as part of a sting. A third man turned himself in, police said, and all three were booked on suspicion of lewd and lascivious acts with a child younger than 14. Los Angeles Times

Hate crime: An employee with the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was charged with a hate crime after allegedly ridiculing a Muslim man and then throwing coffee on him. “This kind of intolerance is totally unacceptable. It's just appalling on 50 different levels,” said a spokeswoman for the East Bay Regional Park District. Los Angeles Times

HOUSING

It’s a steal: Yes, you can still find a deal on a house in Silicon Valley. Just as long as you consider $672,000 for a 614-square-foot home a deal. “If you're a first-time homebuyer, or you've just moved here from Ohio for a tech job and you're experiencing the sticker shock you can still buy something nice in the 600s,” according to one realtor. San Jose Mercury-News

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

On the prowl: Surprise — the National Park Service discovered a new mountain lion kitten in the Santa Monica Mountains. The animal is about 6 months old and appears to have survived an attack from a wild animal that killed his or her two siblings. LA Observed

Late-night snack: Folks were pretty excited when Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors showed up at an In-N-Out with his wife, Ayesha, and rapper Drake. What better way to celebrate an NBA victory? BuzzFeed

Boat party: The 107th annual boat parade in Newport Beach will be sailing through Sunday. Orange County Register

Star Wars: In Mission Viejo, two siblings hosted an epic party for the premiere of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” That meant buying out an entire movie theater and preparing goodie bags and special tickets for their friends and family. “I get to do for my kids what my dad did for me: Help them have a great experience at the movie. My dad taught me to shoot for the moon — go big,” said Jason Carson. Orange County Register

New digs: Here’s a time-lapse video of the construction on 89.9 KCRW’s new building in Santa Monica. Curbed LA

Tail O’ the Pup: It’s making a return to La Cienega Boulevard. It disappeared a decade ago to make room for condos. A replica of the giant hot dog will also appear in downtown L.A. LAist

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

It will be mostly cloudy with some afternoon rains in San Francisco, where highs are expected to reach 57 degrees. Los Angeles will be sunny and 72. Riverside will have sunshine and a high of 72 degrees. San Diego will be sunny and 70.

AND FINALLY

Today's California Memory comes from Jan Clausen:

“This was in San Francisco, the Financial District, in the late '60s. A beautifully dressed businessman, gray hair, serious expression, bespoke suit, expensive leather briefcase, purposeful walk. The only thing odd was that he was also wearing Dorothy's ruby slippers, complete with ankle socks. It was a sight that screamed ‘only in San Francisco.’ I never forgot it.”

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.)

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