Newsletter: Today: Trump’s Off to the City of Light, With Troubles in Tow

An American president in Paris, with a Russian firestorm at home. 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

Trump’s Off to the City of Light, With Troubles in Tow

President Trump is heading to Paris today to meet with France’s new president and attend Bastille Day celebrations, his first public appearances since the news became dominated by Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer last year. The two leaders will focus on fighting terrorism, and with all the pomp, the optics will probably be “presidential.” But they won’t make the questions go away over what Trump knew about Russian efforts to assist his campaign. In an interview with Reuters, he said he was unaware of Trump Jr.’s June 2016 meeting until a few days ago but that he didn’t fault his son.

More Politics

-- Donald Trump Jr. has been his father’s fierce and unapologetic champion, but it wasn’t always that way.

-- Senate Republicans will unveil a revised Obamacare overhaul proposal today, but political support has badly deteriorated.

-- Los Angeles-area Rep. Brad Sherman has introduced articles of impeachment against President Trump, hoping to “inspire an ‘intervention’ in the White House.”

‘You’re Going to Be Director of the FBI, Pal’

No loyalty oath. No “nut job.” No witch hunt. That briefly summarizes the testimony Christopher Wray gave to the Senate in his bid as President Trump’s nominee to head the FBI. “There is not a person on this planet whose lobbying or influence could cause me to drop a meritorious and properly predicated investigation,” he said. Wray’s answers pleased Republicans and Democrats, and at this point quite a few people think he’s a shoo-in to succeed the fired James Comey. At least Sen. Lindsey Graham does: “You’re going to be director of the FBI, pal.”

Iceberg, Dead Ahead

An iceberg the size of Delaware, two Luxembourgs or almost as big as the island of Bali (take your pick, depending on where you live) has broken away from Antarctica. In other words, that’s 1 trillion tons of ice floating freely in the Weddell Sea. Whether or not man-made global warming played a role is open to debate, scientists say, but they are using it as a way to study how ice shelves could break up due to rising sea and air temperatures.

How to Do Disneyland, for People Who Hate Lines

Go on a rainy day. Ride by yourself. Walk counterclockwise. It seems like everyone has a trick to beat the long lines at Disneyland. The theme park has made an art and a science out of trying to manage crowds, including raising prices. Guess what? A Times analysis found that the average wait time for the resort’s most popular rides in the first six months of the year was 24.4 minutes, a 28% increase over the same period in 2015. So how do you avoid the lines? Check out the wait times for every ride and readers’ tips.

Forget It, Jake. It’s Eminent Domain.

The story of how Los Angeles drained the Owens Valley of its water has been told many times before, including in the classic film “Chinatown.” Now, officials there are looking to write a new ending: They want to use eminent domain to take property acquired by Los Angeles in the early 1900s. In the long California Water Wars, it’s said to be the first time Inyo County has used those rules against the L.A. Department of Water and Power, which owns 25% of the Owens Valley floor.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Who would attack a Buddha statue with a sledgehammer?

-- My Favorite Room: Actress Donna Mills takes a golden opportunity to add magic to her dining room.

CALIFORNIA

-- A group of Medi-Cal beneficiaries filed a lawsuit against the state alleging that low payments to doctors are creating an unequal healthcare system in California.

-- Residents slowly returned to their homes to take stock of the damage after several destructive wildfires. One likened it to the zombie apocalypse.

-- Columnist George Skelton says a bill to reform the bail bond system is another nice idea lacking in details and funding.

-- A shark attack on a kayaker’s boat near Steamer Lane, a popular surfing location in Santa Cruz, has triggered a four-day swimming ban and closure of beaches.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- The Emmy nominations are this morning. Get our predictions and follow along live here.

-- Matt Reeves, director of “War for the Planet of the Apes,” got his first inspiration for making movies at the old Marineland on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

-- TLC is back with a new album, the group’s first since losing the flamboyant Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in a 2002 accident.

-- Psst. Wanna buy an unreleased Michael Jackson album? It’ll cost you at least $50,000.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

Aaron Chwatt was born in the Bronx, and after he started working at Dinty Moore’s Tavern in his hometown, customers took note of his red hair and bellboy uniform festooned with brass buttons. They gave him a nickname: Red Buttons. Before he died on this date in 2006, he had a seven-decade career as a comic, early TV star and Oscar-winning actor.

NATION-WORLD

-- What led to the beating death of a 22-year-old U.S. tourist in Greece? Police have been searching for answers.

-- Fake news is fueling nationalism and Islamophobia. Sound familiar? In this case, it’s in India.

-- Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was found guilty of corruption in the first of five trials facing the popular politician.

-- A team of scientists at Harvard says it has successfully embedded a short film (actually a GIF) into the DNA of living bacteria cells.

BUSINESS

-- Net neutrality supporters say this week’s online rally is just the start of the fight to keep tough FCC rules.

-- Beginning next year, Girl Scouts can earn merit badges in cybersecurity.

SPORTS

-- Life’s a beach: Volleyball partners come and go, as Long Beach hosts the World Series of Beach Volleyball starting today.

-- Wimbledon ball boys and ball girls are to be neither seen nor heard, but there has been a bit of uncomfortable scrutiny on them after some players’ actions in recent days.

OPINION

-- L.A.’s streets have become a de facto toilet. We need more public restrooms.

-- Whataboutism, the anti-anti-Trump school of commentary and more: Recognize the six categories of Trump apologetics.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Some participants in the border wall design competition say the process leaves a lot to be desired. (Foreign Policy)

-- Trump is going to Paris, but what would his friend Jim (of “Paris is no longer Paris” fame) think? (Associated Press)

-- In New Orleans, the bánh mì meets the po’ boy. (First We Feast)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

The Badwater Ultramarathon begins 280 feet below sea level, the lowest elevation in North America, and ends in Whitney Portal, the gateway to the highest summit in the contiguous U.S. In between, runners go 135 miles across a scorching desert and three mountain ranges. So it’s a good thing they have a nun and a kilt-wearing CHP officer along for the run.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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