Newsletter: Today: Another Incriminating Video.

I'm Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. A police video takes center stage again as an officer in Ohio is charged with murder; and has Southern California forgotten how to build freeways? Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

Another Damning Video

Another confrontation between a white officer and a black suspect. Another fatal shooting. And yet again, it all hinges on a video.  In this case, it was so damning that a prosecutor in Cincinnati called it "the most asinine act by a police officer I have ever seen." The officer has been indicted on a murder charge. Once again, you have to wonder: Where would things stand without the video?

The Lost Art of Freeways

Have we forgotten how to build freeways? Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne sees something awry. Follow him along the newly widened 405, with its hodgepodge of fences, landscaping and "soil-nail walls." Bold, efficient unity, he laments,  has given way to a design "that keeps up a running argument with itself." The freeway's neighbors, he concedes, might not agree.

Who's in Charge?

As Afghan and Taliban leaders try to talk peace,  a key player has been missing: Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. Now, the Afghans say he is dead. Afghanistan's president says this should ease peace talks. Others see more chaos. Militants wary of the talks might defect to the newly arrived Islamic State insurgency. That could further complicate the U.S. troop pullout.

Channel Tunnel Turmoil

The U.S. has its immigration problems, but Europe's are becoming almost epic. Attention has turned from deadly Mediterranean shipwrecks to video of immigrants storming the French entrance to the Channel Tunnel in frantic efforts to reach Britain. Freight and passenger trains face serious delays, and the violence is fanning anti-immigrant angst on both sides of the channel.

Political Drought

Congress is no rainmaker, but there are things it could do to help California cope with this drought, and especially the next one. After four years, though, Republicans and Central Valley farmers still clash with Democrats and environmentalists over water rules. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is floating a compromise. Everyone's wary, but since she gets yelled at by both sides, it might work.

CALIFORNIA

-- A 15-year-old boy is being charged as an adult in the killing of an 8-year-old girl in Santa Cruz.

-- "Monsoon on steroids": A look at the science behind Southern California's unusual summer humidity. 

-- Mayor Eric Garcetti and Police Chief Charlie Beck go on a foot patrol in L.A.'s Leimert Park.

-- L.A. restores a ban on unlicensed vendors at city parks and beaches.

-- A new oil slick shows up off Santa Barbara County. The source is a mystery.

NATION-WORLD

-- House Speaker John Boehner appears to swat back an attempt by a rebel Republican conservative to oust him.

-- The Aurora, Colo., massacre trial: James Holmes, as seen through his mother's tears.

-- Gang killings of bus workers freeze El Salvador's transportation system.

BUSINESS

-- Efforts to revive the Export-Import bank hit another roadblock in the House.

-- More millennials are living with their parents, and the economy's not necessarily to blame, a survey finds.

SPORTS

-- Fallout from Boston's abortive 2024 Olympics bid could have repercussions for L.A.

-- The Dodgers trade for Marlins pitcher Mat Latos, and the deals may not be done yet.

-- The latest scores, stats and schedules.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- The ambitious rise and precipitous fall of Ryan Kavanaugh and Relativity Media. 

-- North Korean-born writers in exile are gaining prominence with their stories about life there.

-- Univision launches Spanish-language "Sesame Amigos."

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Outside: What a 140-year-old bottle of Arctic ale  says about the history of beer and seafaring.

-- ThePostGame explains why baseball managers wear uniforms instead of coats and ties.

ONLY IN L.A.

It's been called the world's most popular song. Did you know, though, that "Happy Birthday" is copyrighted, and that Warner Music Group has collected millions in royalties? Now, a company making a documentary about the song is pressing a serious challenge to the copyright in  federal court. It just might be time to blow out the candles on Warner. 

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.