Newsletter: Today: She Was the Sole Survivor. Data-Mining the Delegates.

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

Watching the Watchers

In 2012, 8-year-old Gabriel Fernandez was tortured and killed, even though authorities had numerous warnings of abuse in his home. In a rare move, four L.A. County social workers have now been charged with child abuse and falsifying public records in the case. Meanwhile, the dead boy’s mother and her boyfriend await trial.

She Survived Her Family’s Murder-Suicide

Binna Kim doesn’t want anyone thinking, “That poor girl.” Ten years ago, when she was 16 years old, her father shot her mother, her 8-year-old brother and her in their Echo Park apartment. Only she survived. Read on to see how she’s determined to piece her adulthood together on her own.

Why Bother With Panama? Pahrump Will Do

For as little as $309, you can hide your assets — no trip abroad required. Nevada is among a handful of U.S. states with incorporation laws that offer many of the same benefits found in the more far-flung locales implicated in the “Panama Papers.” Here’s why one tax expert says, “Panama is pretty much a microcosm of what the U.S. is a willing partner in.”

Data-Mining the Delegates

Smoke-filled room, meet Silicon Valley: With the GOP convention looking to be a cliffhanger, it’s possible the candidate with the savviest technology might take the nomination. A cottage industry of political techies is analyzing Facebook posts and TV viewing habits to help politicians target the right delegates. Who has the edge in such nitty-gritty details? Ted Cruz.

Harry Potter and the Rival Kingdom

If Disneyland is the Happiest Place on Earth, is Universal Studios Hollywood now the Harry-est? The opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, part of a $1.6-billion upgrade, represents the first serious challenge to the preeminence of its Anaheim rival. Aficionados are praising its immersive storytelling and attention to detail. But Disneyland has its own upgrades coming, in the form of its “Star Wars” land. Get ready for a theme-park throwdown.

Dim the Lights ... Here We Go

Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson and William Hung sang. President Obama used it as an opportunity to get out the vote. And one final “American Idol” was crowned. See how the end of a game-changing TV show made its swan song.

CALIFORNIA

-- A judge rules the Christian cross has no place on the L.A. County seal.

-- The Cal State faculty union has postponed a planned strike after a tentative salary agreement was reached.

-- “All I’m trying to do is help”: A man’s donation to Runyon Canyon has put him in the eye of a storm.

-- Robin Abcarian: Did you hear the one about the farmers’ water?

-- Which L.A. street is most desperately in need of a dedicated bike lane?

NATION-WORLD

-- In a 200-page document on family life, Pope Francis gives some wiggle room on granting Communion to remarried divorcees but firmly restates church opposition to gay unions, abortion and contraception.

-- Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders show no restraint in their New York brawl, even over how to use the subway.

-- Meet Donald Trump’s foreign policy advisors. Also, he canceled his trip to California originally planned for today.

-- The Border Patrol reports using force less frequently, but critics don’t have much faith in the data.

-- New twists in Brazil’s leadership crisis raise the possibility of new elections.

-- Israel’s military is caught in a rift over a soldier’s shooting of a knife assailant.

-- Is your high schooler sleep-deprived? Buckle up for bad news.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Kesha: A cautionary tale or a tipping point for women in an industry that celebrates misogyny?

-- The Festival of Books is this weekend: Catch up on our author interviews and get a peek at what’s coming.

-- Kristen Bell, who appears in the new film “The Boss,” is more than happy with her career as a “strong B-level actor.”

-- A computer-generated “Rembrandt” painting is unveiled, but not everyone is impressed.

-- Our critics’ picks for the weekend: “Song of the Sea,” Robert Mapplethorpe and more.

-- Kerry Washington reacts to her Adweek cover photo: “I was taken aback.”

BUSINESS

-- Bummer: PacSun files for bankruptcy, the latest victim of fast fashion.

-- Faraday Future and Snapchat stand to gain millions in state tax breaks for adding jobs.

-- What a settlement in the Sumner Redstone healthcare dispute would look like.

SPORTS

-- Bill Plaschke: Masters leader Jordan Spieth plays like a bro.

-- Las Vegas’ new T-Mobile Arena opens, with big fights and maybe the NHL coming.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Satire, racism or tone-deafness? A poem about Chinese food in the New Yorker causes a stir. (The Guardian)

-- A walk through history, as told through candy wrappers and other product packaging. (National Geographic)

-- Here’s why at-risk kids can thrive. (The Atlantic)

ONLY IN L.A.

Car chases endanger lives, but there’s also something inherently L.A. about them, and the one that transpired on TV screens Thursday was as L.A. as they come: a convertible with its top down doing doughnuts on Sunset Boulevard, people cheering from the sidewalk, a cruise past the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a close call with a TMZ tour bus. See how it ended with two suspects sharing hugs and handshakes with a crowd — and selfies.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.