Newsletter: Today: A Global Search for Answers

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

A Global Search for Answers

A visit to a gun range. Two semi-automatic rifles given to the shooters by a former neighbor. Nineteen pipes in their Redlands home that could have been converted into bombs. More details of the circumstances surrounding the San Bernardino terror attack are trickling out, as officials conduct a global investigation stretching into Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and beyond. The latest is here. 

Donald Trump: Ban All Muslims

The day after President Obama called for a rejection of “religious tests on who we admit into this country,” Donald Trump made his counterproposal: “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.” The response was immediate — and not surprising. Supporters cheered. Detractors, including Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, reacted with outrage. Here's our analysis.

The School Where a Shooter Studied Islam

Farhat Hashmi founded a network of religious schools in Pakistan that has educated thousands of mainly urban, upper-middle class women in a conservative strain of Islam. One of the students: future San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik. Read on for a closer look at Al Huda, which an expert says has graduated more than 15,000 women.

Can Tech Do More to Stop Terror?

Are tech companies doing enough to fight terrorist recruitment, propaganda and plotting online? Executives say they have been quietly working with law enforcement to report and disable suspicious content. But in the last few days, Hillary Clinton and President Obama have publicly called on Silicon Valley to cooperate more. 

Read With Interest: K-Town Banks Take Charge

It’s almost like one of Korea’s wildly popular TV dramas: Two banks announce they will merge, while a spurned rival waits in the wings. That’s the story line for the nation’s two largest Korean American banks — BBCN Bancorp and Wilshire Bancorp — and No. 3 Hanmi Financial, which called the BBCN-Wilshire deal “inferior” to its own proposed merger with BBCN. Here’s why so-called “ethnic banks” are now some of the biggest financial institutions in town.

Sarkisian Fights On, Against USC

“Instead of accommodating Steve Sarkisian’s disability, USC kicked him to the curb.” That’s the claim of a lawsuit filed by the former coach against the university, which fired him in October amid his struggle with alcohol. USC’s response: “Much of what is stated in the lawsuit ... is patently untrue.” 

CALIFORNIA

-- The L.A. city attorney has sued SoCal Gas over a gas leak affecting Porter Ranch.

-- China and the world turn to California for its climate change expertise.

-- A Compton woman was charged with attempted murder after her baby was found abandoned in a crevice. 

-- Twenty-foot surf pummels the Central Coast and brings dangerous waves to Southern California.

NATION-WORLD

-- Congress is ready to slap on new travel restrictions to fight terrorism.

-- The Supreme Court appears to give states and localities the green light on gun controls.

-- U.S. denies a Syrian accusation that its coalition bombed government troops.

-- Beijing issues its first "red alert" for smog.

BUSINESS 

-- Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman discusses the future of the media empire Sumner Redstone controls. 

-- The owner of Peet's will buy coffee pod pioneer Keurig for almost $14 billion. 

SPORTS

-- Bill Plaschke's Wakeup Call video: How can the Dodgers solve the Greinke problem?

-- Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby hasn't been as dominant in the NHL, and time is flying.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Meet the composer of the musical version of "The Bridges of Madison County."

-- Security concerns jangle Broadway, but not enough to keep audiences away.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- "The concept of liberty is under attack": interview with Afghanistan's president. (Spiegel Online)

-- A bridge between Sweden and Denmark goes from a point of pride to one of tension. (CityLab)

-- Will Christmas tree lights really mess up your WiFi? (Scientific American)

ONLY IN L.A.