Newsletter: Today: Children of the Border

I'm Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

A Done Deal, but …

President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran has the green light after a 34th senator agreed to support it. In terms of political calculus, that's enough to ensure the pact goes through, but it's far from a ringing endorsement. Republicans vow the fight is not over. So just how did the White House get this far?

Candidates Interrupted

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O'Malley and Jeb Bush have at least one thing in common: They've all been confronted by activists affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement. Each has responded differently to these and other protesters. Here's why some candidates are adjusting their campaigns in response. 

A Complex Story on the Border

Nothing about the border is as simple as it seems. Take the case of so-called anchor babies. In Texas' poor Rio Grande Valley, people live as if the mostly unmarked border with Mexico isn't there. That includes having kids -- and it brings up a lot of mixed emotions. 

Trouble in the City's Core

Crime is up in Los Angeles, with the biggest increase this year in downtown. New upscale high-rises and eateries provide easy targets, some say. At the same time, skid row is more crowded and desperate. Police are stepping up efforts but say it takes more than just law enforcement. Our interactive map puts the situation into focus. 

'Good' Versus 'Bad' Rentals

Say you own a house and want to rent it out for a day through an online platform like Airbnb. Should it matter in the eyes of the law if it's your primary residence? That's the kind of question L.A. City Hall is pondering. It's trying to rein in quasi-hotels while allowing homeowners to share their houses. 

CALIFORNIA

-- A new report finds ongoing iPad and technology problems in the L.A. Unified School District.

-- George Skelton: When California enjoyed the smoothest highways in America.  

-- 192 drought maps reveal just how thirsty California has become.

-- L.A. City Hall buzz: Backyard beekeeping should be legalized.

NATION-WORLD

-- How China's big military parade unfolded. 

-- A drowned Syrian toddler embodies the migrant crisis' heartbreak. Plus, a primer on the issues.

-- Sweden rethinks neutrality amid fear of Russian aggression.

-- Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina has resigned in the face of a fraud scandal.

-- She did it again: Kentucky clerk refuses to give a marriage license to a gay couple.

-- A new tally shows the Earth's trees outnumber us 400 to 1.

BUSINESS

-- Carmakers fret over China's slowing auto market.

-- Donald Trump is summer's biggest TV hit and ratings gold for cable news.

-- Hackers attack jailbroken iOS devices, accessing 225,000 Apple accounts.

SPORTS

-- A glimpse into the strategy L.A. Olympic bid leaders will use. 

-- Bill Dwyre: Mardy Fish limps off into the sunset at the U.S. Open.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- A filmmaker captures Occupy L.A.'s rage in the documentary "Radicalized."

-- Was the Will Smith film "Concussion" softened to appease the NFL?

-- Dean Jones has died. He starred in "That Darn Cat!" and "The Love Bug." 

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- A nerd's guide to the Museum of Modern Art's 2,229 paintings.

-- ESPN goes deep on former 49er Chris Borland's early retirement. 

-- NPR looks at "sisters in law" Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sandra Day O'Connor.

-- How the once-thriving commerce on the India-China border dried up.

ONLY IN L.A.

There are only four teams in the NBA without a mascot, including both Los Angeles organizations. Now, the Clippers are in the planning stages of creating one, according to an NBA official. No word yet on a name, although apparently "Seagull Knievel" has already been rejected.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.