Newsletter: Today: California’s Waterloo? Melting Mummies.

Hello. I'm Davan Maharaj, the editor of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines you shouldn't miss today.

TOP STORIES

Islamic State: It Was Us

The extremist group wreaking havoc in Syria and Iraq says it was behind a failed attack on an exhibit of cartoons lampooning the prophet Muhammad. The two gunmen were killed by police outside the event. Islamic State involvement may be difficult to gauge, but it is the first time the group has laid claim to an attack on U.S. soil -- and it warned of more to come. 

California's Waterloo?

The numbers are in, and they're not good. California is nowhere near cutting water use by the governor's mandate of 25%. Moreover, few wasters are being fined. "Right now we're in the denial stage," one official said. State water regulators OKd tough new rules, but a big test looms: the arrival of summer, when outdoor use accounts for 50% to 80% of residential consumption.

A Big Forget

Daniel Chong was detained for what he was told would be five minutes after he was swept up in a drug bust. Instead, Drug Enforcement Administration agents forgot about him. He was found five days later in a dark cell, delirious and dehydrated. They got a bureaucratic slap on the wrist. Not good enough, says the Justice Department, which wants a full review of DEA discipline.

Melting Mummies

The world's oldest mummies aren't in Egypt. They are found in a part of Chile where it almost never rains. Now, curators say, the famed Chinchorro mummies are melting. They called in a Harvard ace who specializes in this kind of thing. His diagnosis: climate change. Higher humidity has helped germs morph into mummy eaters. The fight is on to save the relics.

Clinton Draws a Line

Hillary Clinton may be in no rush to pin herself down on policy, but she had no problem with this one: a path to citizenship for millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally. She also embraced President Obama's go-it-alone strategy against an immovable Congress. It's more than a play for Latino votes. It underscores a divide that could torment a crowded Republican primary field.

CALIFORNIA

-- At least 12 million trees have died in the state's national forests because of the drought.

-- If L.A. City Council candidate Carolyn Ramsay stumbles in her bid to succeed Tom LaBonge, it might be the concrete streets of Hancock Park that trip her up.

-- L.A. schools rethink tough new college prep class requirements that could block many from graduating. 

-- Steve Lopez weighs a huge response from readers to his column on L.A. pedestrian ticket "muggings."

NATION-WORLD

-- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee joins the Republican presidential primary race.

-- The Democratic Party says it will sanction six presidential primary debates.

-- Restless Scotland may play a huge role in British elections Thursday.

-- Nepali migrant workers abroad confront tough decisions after the devastating earthquake back home.

-- Q&A: Why Muslims have a problem with images of the prophet Muhammad.

BUSINESS

-- L.A's city attorney urges Wells Fargo clients to scrutinize bank statements for unauthorized accounts.

-- Michael Hiltzik: Comedy gold: Watch three U.S. judges dismantle a copyright troll's case.

-- California and L.A. break annual tourism records.

SPORTS

-- So far, it's costing NFL-stadium backers relatively little to fast-track their plans in Inglewood and Carson.

-- Calgary tops the Ducks, 4-3, in OT in their NHL playoff series. The Ducks lead the series 2-1.

-- The latest scores and stats.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Book Review: Like the star pitcher, Pedro Martinez's memoir is an ace.

-- Q&A: "Madding Crowd's" Matthias Schoenaerts talks love, life and sheep.

-- Netflix demands revisions to the AT&T-DirecTV deal.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- "The greatest hitter who ever lived on." Ted Williams' legacy and his only surviving child.

-- The 1977 magazine article that said Apple computers might be a big hit.

-- L.A. Weekly: Readers weigh in with some zingers on New York Times stories about L.A.

ONLY IN L.A.

There's been much ado in L.A. about "McMansions," those outsized  homes on undersized lots. At the other end of the spectrum: "tiny homes," like the one Elvis Summers built on wheels for a homeless woman named "Smokie." A video of its construction got more than 5 million views. You may be hearing a lot more soon about Summers' "Tiny House, Huge Purpose" project. 

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.