Newsletter: Today: A Book? A Gun? And the Rage in Charlotte. Which Way Will Goldwater Country Go?

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

A Book? A Gun? And the Rage in Charlotte

A second night of protest erupted in Charlotte, as one person was shot, police officers were injured and the governor of North Carolina declared a state of emergency. What happened during the fatal police shooting that prompted this outrage? Two conflicting narratives have emerged in this city of long-simmering racial tensions: Family members say Keith Lamont Scott was unarmed and reading a book in his truck as he waited for his young son to get off a bus. Some witnesses say a white officer fatally shot Scott with no provocation. According to police, it didn’t happen that way: It was a black officer who shot Scott after the man refused to let go of a gun; no book was found.

Which Way Will Goldwater Country Go?

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson won’t be at the first debate on Monday, but his voice will be heard on election day. Look no further than Arizona, home of onetime small-government champion Barry Goldwater. Given many stalwart conservatives’ distaste for Donald Trump, Trump’s attacks on favorite son John McCain and Arizona’s sizable Latino population, voter turnout for Johnson could do the unthinkable: swing the red state in Hillary Clinton’s favor. Or it could work for Trump, pulling younger voters away from Clinton. At least one registered Republican-turned-Johnson fan is fine with either scenario: “The fact that we can start moving away from a two-party system — that’s a win.”

More Politics

-- Trump wants police to use stop-and-frisk tactics more aggressively in black communities. A federal judge has ruled that the practice violates minorities’ rights.

-- Clinton has reportedly spent $96.4 million for ads in the general election, compared with $17.3 million for Trump’s campaign.

How a Shipping Container Can Become a Home

After life at sea, on the rails and on the road, shipping containers are increasingly being repurposed for innovative homes, offices, schools and hip eateries. Can they also provide a quick and economical solution to housing the homeless? That’s the goal of an Orange County nonprofit that is building a two-story, 16-unit apartment complex for homeless veterans.

A Stroke of Genius for an L.A. Mix Master

Josh Kun makes connections: between music, food, society and more. TV producer Norman Lear calls him “a cross-cultural guru.” He thinks of himself more as a cross-fader, that little knob on a DJ mixer that helps make two songs into a third work of art. Now the man who has written books about old L.A. restaurant menus and the city’s sheet music is being honored as one of 23 MacArthur fellows. Meet him and all the recipients of the “genius grants.”

Here’s the Pitch: Share Your Vin Scully Story

The first time I heard Vin Scully was in 1989. I was a Metro intern with The Times. And I had turned on the TV to watch my first Dodgers game. I remember thinking: “Wow! That voice.” It was bewitching. Musical. Joyful. Only recently I understood why I was captivated. Two USC professors, asked by my colleague Chris Erskine to analyze clips of Scully’s calls, found that the Dodgers broadcaster brings to mind the same cadences and rhythmic hooks heard in great songs. His play-by-play involves rhythm, dynamics, build — all the traits of irresistible music. For nearly seven decades, Vin has filled our lives with, well, song. Now, we’re sending him a massive love letter from Los Angeles — and we want you to be a part of it. Please share your favorite stories, memories and photos at latimes.com/vinscully and they could get hand-delivered to the legend himself. Let’s make it sing.

CALIFORNIA

-- Air quality regulators are considering seeking an increase in vehicle registration fees for millions of Southern California drivers.

-- UC campuses are scrambling to make room for the largest influx of new students in decades.

-- An illegal stone-and-wood shelter built by a group of territorial surfers on the Palos Verdes Peninsula will soon be demolished.

-- George Skelton: A promise is a promise, even when it comes to rolling back a tax hike on the wealthy.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Major League Baseball lent a hand to “Pitch,” a new TV drama about the first woman to become a major league player.

-- If Trump loses the election, launching a TV network won’t be an easy Plan B.

-- Did we have a “song of summer” this year? Statistics are one thing, but our ears are another.

-- Van Morrison is returning with a new album and shows in the U.S. with Tom Jones.

-- What do divorce lawyers see ahead for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie? It’s all about custody of the kids.

NATION-WORLD

-- Secretary of State John Kerry lashed out at Russia and called for the grounding of all aircraft in key opposition-held areas of Syria in an attempt to get humanitarian aid through.

-- The global climate accord reached in Paris is moving toward enactment, with 60 countries having formally approved it. World leaders want to get it done before President Obama’s term ends.

-- After a deadly summer, Chicago plans to hire nearly 1,000 new police officers, detectives and other personnel to rein in the bloodshed.

-- Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had plenty of differences, but they put on a united front on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

-- A senator in the Philippines is the last major obstacle to the country’s war on drugs, but she may end up behind bars.

BUSINESS

-- Lawmakers blasted the chief executive of the maker of EpiPens at a House hearing, saying the company’s huge price increases were preventing families from keeping children safe.

-- Federal Reserve policymakers held off on an interest rate increase for now, with a rare level of dissent amid some lackluster economic data.

-- Viacom announced that interim Chief Executive Thomas Dooley would step down and that the company’s financial performance was worse than previously thought.

-- The decline in department stores is forcing a makeover of the shopping mall.

SPORTS

-- Los Angeles could be a step closer to hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, with a rival bid from Rome sinking into political turmoil this week.

-- Kings Coach Darryl Sutter knows there’s a lot of work to be done to get his team back to an elite level.

OPINION

-- No more school bonds until California fixes its system for funding school construction. No on Prop 51.

-- If Clinton loses, blame the email controversy and the media.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Roma migrants are leaving Europe, and some are making their way to California. (Bloomberg)

-- The real-life story of the Ugandan chess player who inspired the film “Queen of Katwe.” (The Undefeated)

-- A “futuristic prison”? An “upside-down beehive”? A “place that will cause us to reflect and think”? Whatever this artwork is, it costs $150 million. (Art News)

ONLY IN L.A.

Did you save room for dessert? A man who owns a healthcare staffing and recruiting company hopes you did, and not just because he’s in, you know, healthcare. He has started Dessert Week, during which L.A. restaurants, bakeries and ice cream shops will offer special creations or discounts. Check out the details — and how he came up with the idea — here. Sweet.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.