Newsletter: Today’s Headlines: Tracking the Seeds of Hate. Hear the Police Dispatches.

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

When Were the Seeds of Hate Sown?

A widening investigation has found the San Bernardino killers began scheming to carry out a terrorist attack long before they were engaged or she entered the U.S. Exactly when is unclear. They talked to each other "about jihad and martyrdom" as early as late 2013, the FBI's director said. But one official said Farook may have planned an attack as early as 2011 or 2012.

Hear the Police Dispatches

"We have an active shooter. We need an entry team now!" From the first moments of the attack to the shootout with the suspects, our gripping audio timeline details key moments in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since Sept. 11 through police communications. Listen to it here.

The Chief: Calm Under Fire

San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan is uneasy with the attention that came as a nation on edge watched him give details of the attack and aftermath. "I believe in transparency," he says. "My philosophy has always been that if I can tell you, I'm going to tell you. And if I can't tell you, I'm going to say I can’t tell you." In this story, he tells you what it was like that day.

Full Coverage

-- Video: Remembering the San Bernardino shooting victims.  

-- The man who bought the rifles: Who is Enrique Marquez? 

-- One brother hatched a terrorist massacre, the other served his country in the U.S. Navy. 

-- Muslims raise more than $100,000 for victims' families; attacks on mosques appear to be rising.

'He Thinks a Lot Like Me'

Donald Trump's call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S. has caused an international uproar, but it has scored points with his biggest fans. What does the typical Trump supporter look like? Here they are, by the numbers. We checked in with one in Davenport, Iowa, too.

The Middle Class Gets Squeezed Out

Time to redefine the American Dream? The middle class is shrinking, in case you didn't notice it already. In 1971, the middle accounted for 61% of the population, according to the Pew Research Center; now, it's just under 50%. The good news: Upper-income households grew. The bad news: The lower-income bracket grew too. We take a look at what it means.

CALIFORNIA

-- A Highland Park nonprofit takes the homelessness problem into its own hands.

-- A deal to remove four hydroelectric dams on a prime salmon river could collapse.

-- Attorneys for teacher Rafe Esquith criticized the release of his disciplinary records.

-- Officials say "all hands on deck" are needed for El Niño preparations.

NATION-WORLD

-- Coming soon to two Muslim countries: Trump hotels. "Will anyone of conscience set foot there?" 

-- Affirmative action at universities is in doubt as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments.

-- A German woman's apology in the neo-Nazi killings of immigrants and a police officer falls on deaf ears.

-- Who pays for change remains a key question at the Paris climate talks.

-- Sad news: Scientists say happiness won't extend your life after all.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Selling Stardom: Wannabe actors pay for access to databases that most pros in Hollywood shun.

-- He's back: A "hated" pharmaceutical executive bought the secret Wu-Tang Clan album.

-- How the director of "Anchorman" has positioned "The Big Short" into the Oscar race. 

-- Golden Globe nominations are this morning: Live coverage will be here.  

-- Video: Watch the directors of five Oscar-contending animated features talk shop.

-- Sam Smith on having a James Bond theme song: "It feels very strange." 

-- The early DVD providers get the worm, er, nominations at the SAG Awards.  

BUSINESS 

-- Yahoo scraps its spinoff plan for Alibaba.

-- That's a lot of handbags: Chanel pays a record price for retail space on Rodeo Drive.

SPORTS

-- What did UCLA men's basketball coach Steve Alford write on the whiteboard after its opening loss?  

-- UFC's president says Holly Holm will wait for Ronda Rousey.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- How Jewish people in France and America have responded to Le Pen and Trump. (Haaretz)

-- Patricia Arquette writes about what happened after her Oscar speech on pay equality. (Hollywood Reporter)

-- Time magazine names its person of the year: Angela Merkel.

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