Newsletter: Today: Around the Election in About 80 Days. What Happened at That Rio Gas Station?

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

Around the Election in About 80 Days

Regrets, he’s had a few, but then again too few to mention by name. In a sign of what could be a turn for his campaign, Donald Trump said he regrets having said some things, “particularly where it may have caused personal pain.” Hillary Clinton’s campaign called it too little, too late — a phrase the GOP’s Reince Priebus also used to describe the Clinton Foundation’s announcement that it will stop accepting foreign and corporate donations if she is elected president. An analysis of poll data heading into the final stretch shows Trump’s support narrowing and Hillary Clinton’s widening. But a lot can happen before Nov. 8.

More Politics

-- Trump pushes the use of nuclear weapons into the spotlight.

-- Clinton won praise as America’s top diplomat, but time has tarnished her record.

-- Who’s, um, behind the naked Trump statue in Hollywood and elsewhere?

An Unknown Toll of Devastation in the Cajon Pass

A few signs of progress in the Blue Cut fire: The 15 Freeway reopened, relieving some of the traffic nightmare that had ensued, and several communities lifted their mandatory evacuations. Surveying the damage, though, has been difficult as the battle to knock down the particularly ferocious blaze continues. Here is the latest on this fire and others, including a new one near Santa Barbara.

The Cajun Navy Saved Them, but Not Their Houses

In Louisiana, residents assessed the destruction by another force of nature: deadly flooding unleashed by torrential rains that submerged houses, washed out interstates, closed schools and cut off some bayou communities for days. Volunteer boats, called the “Cajun navy,” helped authorities rescue more than 15,000 people. Some are venturing back by watercraft to see if their houses survived. Meanwhile, President Obama is being criticized for continuing his vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.

Responsibility in a Time of Cholera

An outbreak of cholera in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake has killed at least 9,100 people, sickened at least 780,000 and continues to claim victims across the Caribbean nation. For years, the U.N. has refused to take responsibility for the outbreak, even though scientists traced it to a base sent by the U.N. from Nepal, where cholera is endemic. Now the organization is finally acknowledging it played a role. Still to be decided: whether to allow a lawsuit against the U.N. to proceed.

The Robot Cars Are Here

Just the other day, Ford said it will manufacture a completely driverless car by 2021. No need to wait five years for the next best thing to it. Within weeks, Uber plans to put a fleet of Fords and Volvos, capable of driving themselves, on the streets of Pittsburgh — though a human driver will still be at the wheel in case something goes wrong. What will the rules of the road be?

The Viacom War Is Over (We Think)

The fight that pitted Sumner Redstone and his daughter, Shari, against Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman and other members of its board has come to an end. Dauman will step down, with an expected payout of more than $85 million, and Viacom veteran Thomas Dooley will step up. If approved by the courts, the settlement will also end legal wrangling in two states.

What Happened at That Rio Gas Station?

What would Ryan Lochte do? We’re finding out, after Brazilian police presented evidence, including video, they say contradicts the swimmer’s story of being robbed at gunpoint along with three teammates. The head of Rio de Janeiro’s civil police said the American athletes damaged a gas station bathroom and were involved in a confrontation with armed security before they paid about $50 to resolve the matter.

More Olympics

-- Usain Bolt became the only man to win the 100- and 200-meter dashes in three straight Olympics.

-- The U.S. women’s basketball team defeated France, 86-67, for a trip to the gold-medal game.

-- Viewers may complain, but NBC isn’t running more commercials, an analysis shows.

CALIFORNIA

-- Two UC chancellor resignations show the power of Janet Napolitano.

-- Rep. Ami Bera’s 83-year-old father was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for funneling money to his son’s campaigns.

-- Clean tech leaders try to put a business-friendly spin on climate change policies.

-- L.A. Unified targets El Camino Real Charter High School for possible revocation of its charter after an investigation.

NATION-WORLD

-- The U.S. now says that $400 million to Iran was contingent on the release of prisoners.

-- Video images reveal filthy, crowded conditions in Border Patrol holding cells.

-- The haunting image of a boy in an Aleppo ambulance captures the plight of children caught in Syrian war.

-- The Justice Department will phase out private prisons.

-- Twenty-six overdoses in just hours: A small West Virginia city faces its demons.

-- Scientists unlock a secret to Latinos’ longevity, with hopes of slowing aging for everyone.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Movie reviews: The updated “Ben-Hur” has chariot thrills, but mostly spins its wheels, while “Kubo and the Two Strings” tells a wondrous stop-motion tale.

-- Usher’s extracurricular film career gets serious with his role as Sugar Ray Leonard in “Hands of Stone.”

-- Bulky, heavy, pricey, yet flourishing: Art catalogs keep print alive in the digital era.

-- How one slim novel, 300 soul classics and 3,000 hopeful musicians transformed “The Commitments” into Alan Parker’s most enjoyable film to make.

-- A journalist behind “War Dogs” discusses the movie’s real moral: “These guys didn’t break the law. The law broke them.”

-- “No Man’s Sky,” arguably the world’s largest video game, asks if bigger is better.

BUSINESS

-- David Lazarus: Health Net’s bullying of would-be whistle-blowers shows the need for regulation.

-- The gossip website Gawker will shut down next week.

SPORTS

-- The Dodgers lost to the Phillies, 5-4, but Clayton Kershaw might return soon.

-- Check out The Times’ first top-10 MMA power rankings.

OPINION

-- Maybe Trump’s not trying to win the White House — he’s trying to start Trump TV.

-- A fool and his water are soon parted.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Doctors in rebel-held parts of Syria are struggling to stay alive. (Foreign Policy)

-- Why people are leaving the suburbs of New England. (The Atlantic)

-- Has culture been consumed by nostalgia for the good old days, which may not have been all that good? (Aeon)

ONLY IN L.A.

Reading, writing and … resuscitation. Two first-of-its-kind firefighting magnet schools in the L.A. Unified School District started classes this week, part of the L.A. Fire Department’s effort to diversify its ranks, which last year were about half white and 2.8% female. Read on to see what the students learn and why not everyone wants to be a firefighter.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.