Newsletter: Today: The Rift Over Russia. When Artists’ ‘Safe Spaces’ Are Deemed Unsafe.

I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

The Rift Over Russia

President-elect Donald Trump says U.S. intelligence reports about Russian interference in the election are “ridiculous.” Four high-profile Republican and Democratic senators say not so fast — it’s time for an investigation, untainted by partisan politics. “Recent reports of Russian interference in our election should alarm every American,” their letter began. Meanwhile, President Obama had ordered the CIA and other agencies to conduct a full review of foreign-based digital attacks before he leaves office on Jan. 20.

More Politics

-- Trump defended his potential choice of Rex Tillerson, a powerful oil executive with close ties to Russia’s president, for secretary of State.

-- Trump’s strategy on protecting American jobs is rattling some companies.

-- A look at the obscure constitutional provision that could be trouble for Trump.

-- Clinton won as many votes as Obama in 2012, just not in the states where she needed them most.

The Evolution of Stephen K. Bannon

Top Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon is a veteran of the Navy, Goldman Sachs and Hollywood. His former writing partner says Bannon used to talk about Plato and Socrates, Sun Tzu’s “Art of War” and the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu holy book. “Before 9/11, he was different,” she says. How did he go on to develop the archvillain image he now has?

How Much Would You Pay to Fight Climate Change?

California has some ambitious news goals to combat climate change. So how will that affect the world’s sixth-largest economy? The answer is: Without a detailed study, no one knows. But some of the nation’s top energy, housing and business experts say Californians are likely to pay more for gasoline, electricity, food and other basics as a result.

When Artists’ ‘Safe Spaces’ Are Deemed Unsafe

While Oakland’s arts community is mourning the 36 deaths in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire, some people living in unconventional spaces nearby are worried about being forced from their homes in the aftermath. “We take care of each other in our unsafe spaces that can feel so much safer than your safest spaces,” wrote one singer-songwriter on Facebook.

From Cold Storage to Hot Property?

The idea is a classic L.A. makeover: Take a gritty piece of land that houses a cold storage facility next to the train tracks and the L.A. River, add a rising starchitect and voilà: 800,000 square feet of office space, 250 residential units, two boutique hotels as well as shops and restaurants. As architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne writes, there’s a reason developers want to unveil it now: It would require significant variances from L.A.’s planning department, ahead of a ballot measure in March that aims to put a hold on such developments.

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- Amid the Ghost Ship’s enchanting disorder lurked danger and the seeds of disaster.

-- Behind the scenes in the Trump University case: The plaintiffs’ lawyers recount what happened.

-- These veterans came to North Dakota to protest a pipeline, but they also found healing and forgiveness.

-- Steve Lopez: If you’d been in the shoes of these immigrants from Mexico, what would you have done?

-- How a doctor’s note landed a former L.A. Trade Tech Foundation director in jail.

-- Parents pay for their kids to be models on the fringe of the children’s fashion business.

-- Without these ads, there wouldn’t be money in fake news.

-- “Making ‘Star Wars’ is a team sport”: “Rogue One” director Gareth Edwards on reshoots, inspiration and trepidation.

CALIFORNIA

-- A 29-year-old Simi Valley man has been arrested and booked on suspicion of committing a hate crime after authorities say he stabbed an apparent worshiper near a mosque.

-- The Stanford band will be suspended through next spring after administrators found “a systemic cultural problem” in the student group.

-- Two Malibu property owners were fined $5.1 million for blocking access to public beaches.

-- George Skelton: It’s time for legislators to act, not yak, and fix California’s roads and highways.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Inside the “Rogue One” premiere party: buzz about the new “Star Wars” film and an X-wing fighter on Hollywood Boulevard.

-- Walter White for Drug Enforcement Administration director? Bryan Cranston revives his “Breaking Bad” character to satirize Trump’s cabinet picks.

-- Ryan Gosling, the tortured heartthrob of “La La Land,” says shooting the musical numbers was “a high-wire act.”

-- The directors of the film “Office Christmas Party” reveal how to throw a black-out, call-the-cops, alert-the-ER shindig.

-- Classical music critic Mark Swed takes in two performances of “The Messiah” from opposite ends of the economic spectrum.

-- Dance review: Misty Copeland and American Ballet Theatre deliver a dazzling “Nutcracker” in Costa Mesa.

NATION-WORLD

-- Islamic State may be losing ground, but its recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria shows it is still a threat.

-- An offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers Party took responsibility for a double bombing in Istanbul that killed 38 people, most of them police officers, and wounded 155 others.

-- Mexico has established a vast marine reserve that includes the Coronado Islands near the U.S. border and the surfing spot Todos Santos Island.

-- A new clinical trial is strengthening the case that cooling caps can reduce the risk of hair loss during chemotherapy.

BUSINESS

-- Michael Hiltzik: The GOP unveils a “permanent save” for Social Security, with massive benefit cuts.

-- Marijuana is now legal in California, but it can still keep you from getting a job.

SPORTS

-- The Rams suffered a humiliating 42-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, with fans booing throughout the game and many heading to the exits early in the second half.

-- Bill Plaschke: UCLA’s No. 2-ranked men’s basketball team makes Pauley Pavilion the place to be again.

OPINION

-- Here’s why supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis’ initiative for women and girls in L.A. County is needed.

-- Democrats have some lessons to learn after Clinton’s defeat, but they don’t need an overhaul.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- A baby is diagnosed with cancer, sending him and his parents on a journey they couldn’t have imagined. (Boston Globe)

-- Who, and what, killed this Russian whistle-blower living in London? (The Atlantic)

-- Irish novelist Colm Tóibín looks at the dark side of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” (The Guardian)

ONLY IN L.A.

Sichuan noodles “with a mean streak.” A roasted squash platter “that could have come out of a 17th century Dutch still life.” A pork chop that is “a tour de force.” Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold gives us the 10 best dishes of 2016 in Los Angeles. Bon appétit!

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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