Today: Clouds Burst. Stumped by Trump.

I'm Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. In July, in the middle of a drought, record rainstorms roll through the Southland; and have Republicans let Donald Trump go too far? Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

Clouds Burst

Yes, we're still in a drought, but what a weekend. Thunderstorms pumped in by a tropical storm off Baja brought lightning, beach closures and power outages. A bridge washout closed Interstate 10 in both directions at Desert Center. How unusual is this? Rainfall in downtown L.A. already has broken the previous July record of 1886. An Angels home game was rained out for the first time in 20 years. More may be on the way today.

The Trump Card

Did Republicans wait too long to turn on Donald Trump? He reminded America again that he's here to stay, refusing to back off remarks belittling Sen. John McCain's service in the Vietnam War. That brought a unified storm of outrage from Trump's GOP primary rivals. Now, though, it may be too late to dent his poll numbers and deny him a spot on the first debate stage. 

Leaving Afghanistan

Afghan officials, and some in the Pentagon, have plenty of reasons to try to persuade President Obama not to pull all U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016, his goal. Now they have another: Fighters loyal to Islamic State are causing more trouble. With the Taliban resurging, they say, it could be another Iraq. So far, the White House isn't budging.

Saudi Arabia's Glass Ceiling

In Saudi Arabia, a woman can go abroad for a law degree, but when she comes home she has the legal status of a minor. A strict form of Islam means she can't even drive a car. Yet, determined women are carving out careers. The Islamic glass ceiling remains thick -- some offices must install partitions to limit "mingling of the sexes" -- but cracks are starting to appear. 

 Solis Comes Through

A gradual minimum wage increase to $15 an hour looked like a done deal in L.A. County, as it was in Los Angeles. Then Supervisor Hilda Solis, usually a labor ally, surprised many by stalling a vote after pushback from small businesses, including the Latino-owned "mom and pop" variety. Now, though, she says she's on board with the needed vote to put it over the top this week. 

CALIFORNIA

-- L.A. County weighs cooperating with a new federal immigration policy on jail releases in light of a recent killing in San Francisco.

-- Hesperia considers a ban on single-serving sales of alcohol by stores to cut down on public drunkenness. Store owners say the real problem is homelessness.

 -- An "incidental production of revenue" through regulation? George Skelton looks at some Orwellian aspects of the state's pollution cap-and-trade program. 

NATION-WORLD

-- Legislation that would change the way drug offenders are sentenced finds bipartisan interest in Congress.

-- Former President George H.W. Bush leaves a Maine hospital several days after falling and breaking a bone in his neck.

-- Taiwan looks certain to elect its first female president, but which one?

BUSINESS

 -- Never heard of Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox? Your teens probably have. Now they and others like them are parlaying YouTube fame into big-screen deals. 

-- Michael Hiltzik: Short-term rental sites like Airbnb aren't as innocuous as they pretend to be.

SPORTS

-- Zack Greinke extends his scoreless streak to 43 2/3 innings in a Dodgers win over the Nationals.

-- Three share the British Open lead as the weather turns mild and the golfers go wild.

-- Use of defensive shifts in baseball is spreading -- because they work.

-- The latest scores, stats and schedules.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- How the "billennial" generation -- bilingual millennials -- is changing Spanish-language TV.

-- "Porn Star Karaoke": A lighthearted look at a Burbank bar and grill where the actors go to relax after long days on the set.

-- Weekend box office: Superhero "Ant-Man" emerges on top with $58 million, the 12th consecutive Marvel film to open in first place.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The Economist reports that elephants in Angola have learned the hard way to sniff out and avoid land mines.

-- Crosscut: How one Seattle neighborhood is earnestly getting ready for the Big One.

-- With an unmanned mission to Mars, the United Arab Emirates aims to launch a new era in the Middle East.

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

A spot on the National Register of Historic Places is a good thing, right? Not everyone in View Park, also known as the "Black Beverly Hills," sees it that way. Longtime residents who cherish it as a symbol of African American success already worry about sightings of "joggers ... dog walkers" -- white gentrification -- and fret that historic status could speed up unwelcome changes.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.