Newsletter: Today: Will the Trump Train Get Back on Track? How the ATF Traces Guns.

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

Will the Trump Train Get Back on Track?

Donald Trump won’t quit running for president, will he? It’s highly unlikely, but lawyers have been looking into how the rules would work if the GOP had to replace Trump on the ticket, a source says. Though Republican officials can’t force him out, there’s a palpable sense of panic in the party and frustration that Trump won’t take advice. In swing states like Virginia and Arizona, Trump’s core supporters seem unfazed — but what about those who are less committed?

More Politics

-- Hillary Clinton is content to let Trump grab the attention while she campaigns.

-- French President François Hollande says some Trump comments “make your stomach turn.”

-- Homeland Security is sending advice to election officials to protect voting machines from cyberattack.

Remember Microfilm? How the ATF Traces Guns

If you think the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives searches through a sophisticated database to find the owners of guns used in terrorist attacks or other crimes, think again. The law prohibits the government from keeping such a database, thanks to gun-rights advocates. Instead, agents start by looking at one maintained by firearms companies. But the ATF often relies on paper files, microfilm, telephone calls and good old detective work, just like in the 1970s.

Free Rent and Parking, If You Can Afford It

If you’ve been in downtown L.A. lately, you’ve no doubt seen the construction — and probably been stuck in traffic as a result. Apartments are part of the boom, and with rents for a studio starting in the $2,000-a-month range, lots of developers want in on the action. That means some are luring tenants with perks like a month’s rent or half a year of parking for free. Thousands of more units are on the way, though, prompting worries of a bubble about to burst.

In Rio, the Poor Make Way for the Games

More than 6,000 miles to the southeast of L.A., a different type of development boom has remade portions of Rio de Janeiro, just in time for the start of the Olympics. New projects built for the Games have forced many poor families to relocate, and afterward those sites will become luxury developments. Look at the ties between the developers and the government, and you’ll see why critics are upset.

More About the Olympics

-- No opening ceremony yet, but the Games have begun. Get the latest from Rio on our live blog.

-- A victory over New Zealand points the U.S. women’s soccer team toward its golden goal.

-- Michael Phelps can add flag bearer to his Olympic resume.

After 16 Years, She’s Going to Eat

Irom Sharmila is known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur.” In November 2000, after Indian security forces killed 10 civilians at a bus stop, she began what would become the world’s longest hunger strike. Her goal was to overturn a law that gives impunity to Indian soldiers in troubled areas like Manipur. But next week, after 16 years of being force-fed, she plans to end the hunger strike — and continue her fight as a political candidate.

CALIFORNIA

-- After years of asking the hard questions, L.A.’s longest-serving police commissioner is stepping down.

-- Amid domestic violence allegations, Assemblyman Roger Hernández continues to collect pay while on medical leave.

-- How to stop human trafficking? State lawmakers have a lot of proposals. Too many, some say.

-- What’s lurking beneath the waves? Newport Beach has started a page on its website to keep track of sharks and other marine life.

NATION-WORLD

-- The Supreme Court has granted an emergency order to block a transgender male student in Virginia from using a boys’ restroom.

-- How a gold star became a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice.

-- Was this former U.S. soldier an aspiring terrorist, or was he set up by the FBI?

-- If the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram has a new leader, where is the old one?

-- Amish kids help scientists understand why farm life reduces the risk of asthma.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- “Jason Bourne” gets closer to the chaos and danger of real-life protest.

-- With the Reparations website, an artist has launched a “social experiment” on white privilege.

-- Movie review: “Suicide Squad” is a team, and a movie, in search of a mission.

-- The Rio opening ceremony will dance to the beat of Brazil’s vibrant musical tradition.

-- Barbra Streisand is a down-to-earth diva with Trump on her mind.

-- Do musicians have a legitimate gripe when politicians use their songs?

-- Patton Oswalt will finish his late wife Michelle McNamara’s book about a California serial killer.

BUSINESS

-- How the nation’s largest security-guard firm adapts to changing threats.

-- Tesla Motors reported a second-quarter loss of $293.2 million, much worse than Wall Street expected.

SPORTS

-- As USC football opens camp, the questions are on the field, for now.

-- The Dodgers have transferred pitcher Clayton Kershaw to the 60-day disabled list, a sign he may not return this season.

OPINION

-- Why Trump can’t tell the difference between a Twitter war and a presidential campaign.

-- Millennials are having less sex than any generation in 60 years. Here’s why it matters.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The Black Lives Matter movement isn’t going away. (The Atlantic)

-- Here’s where you can see the ruins of Olympics past. (Atlas Obscura)

-- The great cargo shorts debate. (Wall Street Journal)

ONLY IN L.A.

The Rams are back in L.A. to play football. A subset of their fans — the Melonheads — never left. As you might remember (or guess), they wore watermelons on their heads. Lance Goldberg began the tradition in 1983. “My opinion of the crowd was that it was very inhibited,” he told columnist Chris Erskine. “I thought: Let me put a melon on my head. Let me show it’s OK to show some emotion.” Get the scoop on the new Melon Patch.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.