Newsletter: Today’s Special Edition: Contemplating President Trump

I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Today we’re taking a special look at what a Trump presidency will mean.

TOP STORIES

Who Will Change More, D.C. or Trump?

Repeal and replace Obamacare. Renegotiate trade deals. Build that wall. By now you can probably recite these and many other Donald Trump campaign promises from memory. But what will a Trump administration do when faced with the realities of taxes, the federal budget and quickly filling 4,000 political appointments — not to mention, “draining the swamp”? The first step happens today, when Trump meets with President Obama to set in motion a smooth transition of power.

Enter the Supreme Court, Stage Right

Mitch McConnell and other Republicans who refused for nearly nine months to consider President Obama’s nominee to fill the empty seat on the Supreme Court got just what they wanted. Now, with the GOP keeping control of the Senate, Trump is free to nominate a conservative justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia. But the real chance to push the court to the right for decades could come later, with three current justices age 78 or older.

The Trump Doctrine: Call It Unpredictable

Trump has said a lot about world affairs: his admiration for Vladimir Putin, his desire to force NATO allies to pay their “fair share,” his plan to withdraw from the Paris climate change agreement and his foreign-policy speech pledge to be “reliable” and “unpredictable,” for starters. Those all hint at a fundamental realignment of America’s role on the world stage. As for those who worry that control of a huge nuclear arsenal is about to go to someone with no experience? “We will seek common ground, not hostility, partnership, not conflict,” Trump said in his acceptance speech.

Two Nations: Red and Rural Vs. Urban Blue

Clinton and Trump supporters come from two Americas. See our divisions on one comprehensive map.

More About the Trump Transition

-- Here is how America feels about Trump’s shocking win.

-- Anti-Trump protests break out in cities across the nation. Thousands marched in downtown L.A., shut down the 101 Freeway and burned Trump’s head in effigy.

-- Financial rules governing everything from bank safety to payday lending could be scrapped or overhauled.

-- What’s in store for climate change agreements, environmental regulation and pipeline building?

-- Mexico’s leadership hopes that reality will be less harsh than some of Trump’s campaign rhetoric.

-- Watch and read: Hillary Clinton’s concession speech and President Obama’s remarks on the transition.

-- How did your neighborhood vote? Check out our precinct-level maps for L.A., San Francisco, Santa Clara and Sacramento counties.

How the L.A. Times Poll Got It Right

It was ridiculed by pundits, pooh-poohed by pollsters and frequently cited by (yes!) Donald Trump. But in the end, the USC/Los Angeles Times Daybreak tracking poll was the only major forecast to correctly call the presidential contest. Though it wasn’t perfect, the poll showed how conservative white voters who had sat out the 2012 election came into play this year. But even the man behind it had to admit: “To be honest, I was surprised.”

At Least One Glass Ceiling Is Gone

As Clinton said in her concession speech, “we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will.” On the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, consider it gone. With the election of Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger, four of the five supervisors will be women.

L.A. Opens Its Wallet for the Urban Future

L.A. voters were in a generous mood: They approved money for new parks, housing the homeless, repairing community college buildings and constructing more public transportation. As architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne puts it, voters here “definitively embraced a more urban future.” As for how a Trump administration would factor into some of this, it’s — surprise! — unclear.

What’s Next for California and the World?

For the last year and a half, L.A. Times journalists have crisscrossed the country with the candidates — by bus, plane and pounding the pavement — covering every moment on the campaign trail. After this historic election, join our journalists to hear behind-the-scenes tales and a breakdown of what happened, why and what’s in store for the years ahead. Local elected leaders and strategists will also join the conversation on Nov. 17. Here’s how to participate.

Don’t miss a moment of the Los Angeles Times’ election coverage. Sign up here for a week of free access.

CALIFORNIA

-- The “Calexit” movement hopes its effort to secede from the U.S. will gain momentum after the results of the presidential election.

-- Ten things you need to know about legalized pot.

-- Propositions and state races: the latest election results.

-- Here’s how the state’s congressional delegation has changed.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Who are these Trump voters? For a thoughtful portrait, theater critic Charles McNulty says you should check out playwright Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat.”

-- Of Magic Boards and counting commentators: TV critic Robert Lloyd recounts election night on the tube.

-- Why Trump celebrates victories with a grim Rolling Stones song.

-- Do you wear white to a victory party? Sartorial moments from the end of an election.

-- With the campaign no longer there to distract, Los Angeles’ preeminent film festival, AFI Fest, is getting underway.

NATION-WORLD

-- Reaction to Trump’s victory from around the world: caution and dismay.

-- Here’s how international newspapers announced the news.

-- In Israel, Trump’s win emboldens pro-settlement advocates and rivals of a two-state solution.

BUSINESS

-- Michael Hiltzik: Is stimulus spending now back on Washington’s agenda?

-- What a Trump administration means for Fox News and other cable news networks.

SPORTS

-- The election results bring an “added layer” to the U.S.-Mexico World Cup qualifier in soccer.

-- Clippers Coach Doc Rivers on Trump’s victory: “Don’t get mad, go do something.”

OPINION

-- Surprise, surprise, the disconnected plutocrat lost.

-- Don’t move to Canada. Stay and fight.

-- To Donald Trump, from the undocumented immigrant who graduated alongside your daughter.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The many entanglements of Trump’s businesses are unprecedented for a U.S. president. (Washington Post)

-- Opinion: Trump’s election is “nothing less than a tragedy for the American republic.” (The New Yorker)

-- Share this with your despondent friends who oppose Trump: Whatever you do, don’t panic. (Cracked)

ONLY IN L.A.

Donald Trump’s political star rose as high as it could go when he won the presidency. His Hollywood Walk of Fame star will need a couple more weeks. Officials are still fixing the sidewalk marker after a protester vandalized it on Oct. 26, though that didn’t stop a small group of Trump supporters from celebrating around it on Wednesday morning. Apparently all the star needs is some drying time — and polishing.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

If you like this newsletter, please share it with friends.