Newsletter: Today: UFOs and Drones. How to Save Rainwater.

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

Making Hay of El Niño, Well, Sort Of

If the predicted drenching from El Niño comes, how do you store all that rainwater? Increasingly, water agencies are looking to keep it underground. The method is often cheaper and more environmentally friendly than building dams or reservoirs. "Groundwater is far superior for putting water away for a long period of time," says the head of the California Water Foundation. 

The Light in the Sky? The Truth Is Out There

When a mystery glow streaked across the sky, social media lit up. Was it a UFO? A meteor? No, it was just an unarmed missile test from an American submarine off the coast of California, the U.S. Navy said. So why did the military not give everyone a little heads-up? Such is the nature of secret testing. Or the stuff of conspiracy theories. 

It's the Economy and the Ocean, Dude

Happy days are almost here again? On the whole, while voters are anxious about the future, those in California are more upbeat than the rest of the U.S. about their potential for prosperity, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. But there's a big divide in the state between people living along the coast and those who are inland. The most hopeful? Non-white male Democrats who live near the ocean. 

The Air Force's Rodney Dangerfield

Military drone pilots say they don't get respect: too much work, too much strain and too little chance for promotion. Records show there's been a shortage of them since at least 2007. This week, the Air Force is expected to unveil plans aimed at changing that. Get a ground-level view of the situation down on "The Farm," where America's drone pilots learn to hunt and kill.

A Java Man's Adventures in Japan

"How, exactly, did I end up on the roof of a coffeehouse in Tokyo, kneeling over a single-burner camp stove and something called a Whirley Pop?" In today's Great Read, Jason Song explains his journey from roasting his own coffee, sourced from a single farm, to helping out a small Tokyo-based chain. And in this video, he shows you how to roast your own coffee beans at home. 

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- Why some LAUSD teachers are balking at a new approach to discipline problems.

-- San Bernardino: A city broken down but not destroyed.

-- Attacks on hospitals appear to target the rules of warfare. 

-- California unveils a new method for executing prisoners.

-- After a lengthy, costly federal investigation, Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow finally goes on trial.

-- Billionaire investor Ron Burkle says bankrupt Fresh & Easy "was in a free fall."

-- The "Ishtar" effect: When a film flops and its female director never works again.

-- TV review: Larry David over Donald Trump in a landslide on "Saturday Night Live."

CALIFORNIA

-- George Skelton: Gov. Brown can be criticized for many things, but not over an oil study on his ranch. 

-- Restoration work begins on part of the Salton Sea.

-- A cold front could bring wind and light rain to the L.A. area.

NATION-WORLD

-- Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition party pulls out to an early lead in Myanmar’s parliamentary election.

-- Sen. Elizabeth Warren faces a test of her clout as Hillary Clinton consolidates support.

-- Ben Carson calls "special scrutiny" from the media unfair. 

-- U.S. officials: Russian plane crash was likely due to an ISIS bomb.

-- As L.A. eyes the 2024 Olympics, Tokyo struggles to plan the 2020 Games.

-- A high school heroine has South Koreans fighting over history textbooks.

BUSINESS 

-- Why set-top boxes for cable and satellite TV could soon be going the way of the rotary-dial telephone.

-- Social Security rule changes may affect one's retirement strategy.

SPORTS

-- USC freshman tailback Ronald Jones II keeps climbing the ladder of success.

-- Mike Davies, who introduced the yellow tennis ball at tournaments, has died at 79. 

-- The Lakers fall to the Knicks in what feels like a Kobe Bryant farewell to New York.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Festival Confidential: Reports from the AFI film festival in Hollywood.

-- Video: Casting Robert Redford as Dan Rather -- the making of the film "Truth."

-- Alejandro Iñarritu accepts LACMA honors and adds some politics to the pomp of the museum's gala.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- First person: "Everything I learned my first week as a White House reporter." (Independent Journal)

-- Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has some books he'd like to recommend. (Wall Street Journal)

-- Philadelphia still has more than 1,000 usable pay phones. (Billy Penn)

-- Antoni Gaudí’s basilica in Barcelona is slowly nearing completion after 132 years. (The Atlantic)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA