Newsletter: Today: The Terrorist Attack That Didn’t Happen

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

The Terrorist Attack That Didn't Happen

The criminal complaint against Enrique Marquez contains chilling details: Not only did he buy two assault rifles used in the San Bernardino massacre, but by 2011 he also helped Syed Rizwan Farook plan an elaborate terrorist attack at Riverside Community College and on the 91 Freeway during rush hour, according to federal charges. Officials said there's no evidence Marquez collaborated with Farook and his wife in the Dec. 2 shooting. An in-depth look at the charges against Marquez.

Complete Coverage:

-- Read the full criminal complaint against Marquez.

-- Riverside City College students are stunned.

-- More details emerge about Farook's radicalization.

-- President Obama will be in San Bernardino today to mourn the victims.

It's a Small, Higher-Security World After All

Disneyland and Universal Studios Hollywood have begun using metal detectors. SeaWorld is "enhancing" security for the holiday season too. "It does freak me out, but I understand they have to do what they have to do to keep us safe," said one visitor to the Magic Kingdom. "It'll be a little weird, but that's just the world we live in now."

One Lucky Refugee in Germany

Like thousands of asylum seekers, Mustafa Kawsara arrived in Germany hopeless and alone. The 22-year-old native of Syria might have languished in an overcrowded refugee camp. But a kind, grandmotherly stranger took him into her and her husband's home. This story is the latest installment of "Fleeing Syria," our series about the millions who have migrated.

Med School, Brought to You by Kaiser

HMO giant Kaiser Permanente plans to build a medical school somewhere in Southern California, with its first class enrolling in 2019. The focus: hands-on training, technology and diversity. But some wonder: Will it focus too much on keeping costs down?

The 'Zombie' Blimp Takes a Hit

It still isn't dead, but the military's long-troubled program to use massive, radar-carrying blimps for missile defense is losing three-quarters of its funding in the government's new budget. In October, one of the 242-foot-long blimps cut loose and wreaked havoc. The program has cost taxpayers about $2.7 billion since 1998. The scrutiny started with an L.A. Times investigation.

CALIFORNIA

-- A judge in San Francisco will hear arguments on undercover Planned Parenthood videos.

-- Los Angeles will outsource its firefighters exam, which will now come with a price tag.

-- A state worker videotaped throwing coffee on a Muslim man was charged with a hate crime.

-- Long Beach schools remained open after an emailed threat was called "non-credible."

NATION-WORLD

-- EU leaders scramble to save a signature achievement: Passport-free travel.

-- Forget "Star Wars": India is in love with a 20-year-old film, which has played for more than 1,000 consecutive weeks in a Mumbai theater.

-- The U.S. Air Force will allow non-officers to fly drones for the first time.

-- Ride-sharing apps are booming in Latin America.

-- What deficit? The House GOP leads in the passage of a $650-billion tax-break package.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L. Jackson touch a raw nerve of racism in "The Hateful Eight."

-- TV review: Netflix's new true-crime documentary "Making a Murderer" is unnerving and addictive.

-- Movie review: "Son of Saul" is a powerful, immersive vision of hell in Nazi death camps.

-- How a special effects firm helped "Furious 7" say goodbye to Paul Walker.

-- "Star Wars" Q&A: Carrie Fisher thinks slave Leia bikini haters are asinine.

-- Our critics' picks in movies, TV, theater, art, food and more.

BUSINESS

-- Pharmaceutical pariah Martin Shkreli was arrested. And he was a terrible investor, SEC documents show.

-- Black Friday has come and gone. So retailers are pulling out the stops for Super Saturday.

-- Car sales for 2015 could be at their highest in U.S. history.

SPORTS

-- As the NFL nears its decision on a team in L.A., the stadium rhetoric heats up.

-- The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw gets a first-hand view of Cuba's passion for baseball.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The Washington Post examines the last time the U.S. military carried out an execution by firing squad.

-- Psy talks with the BBC about the dream and nightmare of "Gangnam Style." (video)

-- Should you let your kids defeat you at games like Monopoly? (Wall Street Journal)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Robin Abcarian visited an unusual country fair: the Emerald Cup in Sonoma County, a showcase of California's best marijuana. "In the full light of day, people smoked pot, vaped pot, ate pot, bought pot seeds, bought pot plants, bought equipment to process pot, demonstrated how to process pot, and of course, talked and talked and talked about pot," she writes. After that, we're just amazed she was able to file this beautifully written story.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.