Newsletter: Today: More Clues in Paris Attacks

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

Intelligence, or Lack Thereof

First, there was "chatter." Then, silence. That's how a U.S. official described the trail that intelligence officers were following as early as September about a potential Islamic State-related attack on France. A look at what French police knew of the attackers before Friday’s killings. Get the latest here and full coverage here.

'The Mastermind' and His Trail

The 27-year-old son of a Moroccan immigrant shopkeeper has been identified as a possible suspect in a variety of thwarted plots to attack churches, trains and police officers in Belgium and beyond. Did he mastermind the Paris attacks? His militant path has been unusually well documented. 

The Attackers Targeted 'Youth in All Its Diversity'

One, from Algeria, was a violinist. One, from France, played for a roller derby team. One, from Mexico, had been a business school student. French President Francois Hollande said the victims were of 19 nationalities and that the attackers targeted "youth in all its diversity." Here are a handful of their stories.

More About the Paris Attacks

-- Presidential candidates criticize Obama's Islamic State strategy, but their plans sound similar.

-- Washington is threatened as the next target in a video purportedly released by Islamic State.

-- Momentum builds among U.S. governors to reject Syrian refugees.

-- U.S. agrees to boost intelligence sharing with France.

The L.A. Fire Department Still Looks Like This

Sixteen months ago, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti overhauled how the city hired firefighters, amid allegations of nepotism and bias after a series of Times reports. But so far, new attempts to diversify the Fire Department — including a blind lottery — haven't done enough to reach Garcetti's goal, according to a Times analysis of data and interviews. Read on to see what can be done to make the department more closely resemble the city it serves. 

Heady Days for Craft Beer Brands

No, you aren't wearing beer goggles: Ballast Point, a San Diego craft brewery that began in the back of a home-brew supply store in 1992, is being acquired for $1 billion. "I can't believe it either," one executive said of the offer by beverage conglomerate Constellation Brands. If this seems familiar, it is: In the last few months, big breweries have been buying up craft brands — a rare growth area in an increasingly consolidated industry. 

CALIFORNIA

-- The LAPD has no reliable way to track employees on extended injury leave, an audit finds.

-- A detailed look at who are among L.A. County's unclaimed dead.

-- Why complaints from Bay Area residents under a noisy flight path are up 2,706%.

-- The Expo light-rail line has done little to relieve traffic congestion, a study says.

NATION-WORLD

-- In Venezuela, students and faculty are caught in budget-driven university closures.

-- A Mississippi firefighter receives the most extensive face transplant ever.

-- There are six quintillion gallons of water hiding in the Earth's crust, scientists say.

BUSINESS 

-- Another big merger: Marriott plans to acquire Starwood to create the world's largest hotel company.

-- Former AEG chief executive Tim Leiweke is back in Los Angeles to form a live events venture.

-- Columnist Michael Hiltzik: The squabble over Anne Frank's diary shows the absurdity of copyright law.

SPORTS

-- What do fathers of NFL quarterbacks do when watching the game on TV? For one, mute the sound.

-- Helene Elliott on the NHL: Please don't make the nets bigger. 

ENTERTAINMENT

-- The play "Until, Until, Until..." revisits Ben Vereen's performance in blackface before Ronald Reagan at the 1981 inaugural gala. 

-- For his directorial debut, actor Paul Bettany takes on homelessness in the film "Shelter."

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- First person: "Explaining the Paris attacks to my child." (Time)

-- One man's lesson after the Eiffel Tower's darkness was mistaken for a tribute. (Washington Post)

-- A celebrity portrait artist photographs L.A.'s homeless. (National Geographic)

ONLY IN L.A.

Long before it became a wedding venue, a film set and a listee on the National Register of Historic Places, Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills was where oil heir Ned Doheny and his secretary, Hugh Plunkett, were found dead in 1929. Speculation has swirled ever since. So when 25 designers gave the place a makeover, a few decided to give its dark history a nod. See how they did it.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.