Newsletter: Today: Trump and Clinton, All Over the Map. Digging in Pismo Beach, but Not for Clams.

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

Trump and Clinton, All Over the Map

Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin haven’t backed a Republican for president since the 1980s. Donald Trump is hoping to change that. Hillary Clinton has been trying to do the same in red states like Arizona, where she’ll make a stop today. Is it posturing, psychological warfare, or can either candidate redraw the electoral map as we’ve known it for years?

Orange County Is the New Blue?

The birthplace of Richard Nixon. Reagan Country. The home of “B1” Bob Dornan. For the first time since the Depression, Orange County could be choosing a Democrat for president, just like some other traditionally GOP suburbs around the country. Here’s why it’s changing.

More Politics

-- Legal experts say it would take a bombshell for Clinton to face criminal charges in the email case.

-- We asked readers like you for words to describe Trump and Clinton. Here’s what they said.

Economic Growth: Not in Kansas Anymore

Kansas was supposed to prosper under the tax-cutting policies of far-right Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. Instead, in a survey of key economic indicators for the 50 states, Kansas ranks at the bottom for changes in unemployment, wages and more. To columnist Michael Hiltzik, it’s the latest evidence that dramatic tax cuts don’t pay for themselves by spurring economic growth. So much for the Laffer curve.

Digging in Pismo Beach, but Not for Clams

The case of the missing campaign signs began when placards put up in opposition to a Pismo Beach politician kept disappearing. What happened next was even more intriguing: Our intrepid columnist Steve Lopez landed at the house of Erik Howell, the city councilman and coastal commissioner whose name was on the missing signs. And then, Howell pulled a disappearing act of his own.

Santa Monica Wonders If Bigger Is Better

Santa Monica has been praised as an innovator — and maligned as “the People’s Republic” — for policies such as rent control, bike sharing and environmental protections. Next week, voters will consider one of the strictest measures around to control urban growth. And as before, it’s a warmup for the fight over development in Los Angeles.

In Mosul, House-to-House Combat Is Next

Iraqi troops have moved into the eastern reaches of Mosul, the first time government troops have been within the city limits during more than two years under Islamic State rule. Despite that success, the fighting is expected to become only more fierce in the coming days, as residents put out white flags in the hopes of not being hit by bombs intended for the militants.

YOUR ELECTION GUIDE

-- Will ending the death penalty save the state more money than speeding up executions?

-- It won’t be legal to take a ballot selfie until next year, though the ACLU is seeking a temporary restraining order to allow the practice next week. We’ll see.

-- What to make of all of California’s 17 propositions on the ballot.

-- Endorsements by The Times’ editorial board.

CALIFORNIA

-- Southern California Gas Co. wants to resume pumping pressurized natural gas into the Aliso Canyon storage field, closed since the largest methane release in U.S. history.

-- University of California regent Norman J. Pattiz has apologized for inappropriate comments about women’s bodies.

-- The L.A. City Council unanimously approved a mixed-use development designed by Frank Gehry that will anchor the eastern edge of the Sunset Strip.

-- Southern California’s weird weather continues this week with heat and Santa Ana winds.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Movie review: Andrew Garfield goes to war in Mel Gibson’s pacifist bloodbath “Hacksaw Ridge” — yes, it’s that contradictory.

-- Beyond the puppies and pratfalls, Vine was especially vital for short-form storytellers and people of color.

-- Theater critic Charles McNulty takes in a wild pop-up performance event in a 1920s L.A. warehouse.

-- Why music from 1594 still moves us in 2016.

-- The Marvel Studios film “Doctor Strange” is expected to draw a massive audience this weekend.

NATION-WORLD

-- Two years of opposition, 1,172 miles of pipe, 1.3 million Facebook check-ins: the numbers to know about the Standing Rock protests.

-- Two police officers in Des Moines, Iowa, were shot and killed Wednesday in ambush-style attacks.

-- Here’s why Bill Cosby’s lawyer is arguing that a deposition the comedian gave in 2005 should be suppressed from his criminal trial in Pennsylvania.

-- Remember the Panama Papers? Pakistan’s prime minister will be investigated after his children’s offshore financial holdings were listed amid the leaked documents.

-- The latest advice on fighting childhood obesity: routine weight screening for all kids ages 6 and up in doctors’ offices.

BUSINESS

-- Banc of California is under pressure from one of its largest shareholders to investigate the web of relationships between people close to the bank and a convicted con man.

-- A consumer group is suing Anthem Blue Cross for attempting to automatically renew Obamacare policies that no longer cover out-of-network costs.

-- Gannett ended its six-month effort to acquire Tronc, the owner of the L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune and several other newspapers.

SPORTS

-- The Chicago Cubs are trying to beat the odds with a World Series comeback against Cleveland. The decisive Game 7 is tonight.

-- Jerry West likes what he sees in the Golden State Warriors and the new-look Lakers.

OPINION

-- You’re probably tired of the presidential race, but long campaigns are a good thing.

-- Using political flacks as news analysts erodes faith in journalism. TV directors: Build that wall!

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter breaks her silence. (New York Times)

-- Meet the man who rescues Christian hostages from Islamic State in Iraq. (Harper’s Magazine)

-- The life and times of the first NBA referee to come out as gay. (ESPN)

ONLY IN L.A.

A half-billion-dollar monorail. An abandoned people-mover project that left the Tunnel to Nowhere. Freeways that never got built. Between the demise of L.A.’s Red Cars and the rise of Metro Rail, a lot of dreams for solving the city’s transportation woes have been crushed — just like that feeling you get on the 405 on Friday afternoon.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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