Newsletter: Today: Clinton, Trump and Intimidation at the Polls? See the Faces on California’s Death Row.

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

Nausea? Tightness in the Polls? Don’t See Your Doctor

As we get into the final days before the election, the polls are tightening. Most indicate Hillary Clinton still ahead, and some show a path to victory for Donald Trump. But as wild as the polls and this campaign have been, Times Washington bureau chief David Lauter writes that they are following a familiar pattern that looks a lot the way things did four years ago. Here’s why.

Clinton, Trump and Intimidation at the Polls

Trump has called on his supporters to watch for vote fraud on election day, especially in “certain areas” of Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Louis. Though Trump denies any racist implications, a lot of black voters can’t help but feel that way given Trump’s frequent inflammatory remarks. That’s why some African Americans in Philadelphia are organizing groups to watch at voting stations too.

More Politics

-- Trump’s campaign denounced support from a KKK newspaper and condemned the burning of a historic black church that was spray-painted “Vote Trump.”

-- President Obama faulted the FBI for announcing an investigation of emails that may be related to Clinton’s private server so close to the presidential election.

-- When red meant Democrat: TV’s first electoral map appeared 40 years ago. Here’s how it evolved.

California, Should These 749 People Be Executed?

Californians are voting on the fate of the death penalty: Proposition 62 would abolish it. Proposition 66 would speed up the legal process. This interactive graphic shows you the names, faces and crimes of the 728 men and 21 women on death row.

Cosby, Victims’ Rights and Blind Justice

More than 40 women have publicly accused Bill Cosby of assaulting them over the last 40 years. This week, prosecutors and defense attorneys argued about whether 13 could testify in the criminal trial in which Cosby is accused of assaulting a former Temple University employee. The legal fireworks didn’t stop there. Cosby’s lawyers lobbied to throw out the case in part because the comedian has lost his eyesight: “We can’t test his memory because he can’t see.”

Now Batting, the U.S. Justice Department

Depressed. Angry. Frustrated. For three years, many Dodgers fans have gone through various stages of withdrawal after the team signed a deal with Time Warner Cable for the games to be shown only on SportsNet LA and other carriers balked at the high price tag of carrying it. Now, the U.S. Department of Justice alleges that DirecTV colluded with Cox, Charter and AT&T to not show the games. Will the 57-page lawsuit (read it here) pave the way to the Dodgers getting a wider TV audience? Don’t hold your breath, columnist Bill Plaschke says. Either way, we won’t be able to relive Vin Scully’s final seasons.

Holy Cow! There Is Joy in Wrigleyville!

The Curse of the Billy Goat did not go gentle into that good night. It took a Game 7 against Cleveland, 10 innings and even a rain delay for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series and end their 108-year championship drought. And if you’re still wondering what the big deal is, these confessions of a Cubs fan, written before the big win, will tell you that it wasn’t just about baseball.

YOUR ELECTION GUIDE

-- California appears poised to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, with a strong majority favoring Proposition 64.

-- A federal judge rules: No ballot selfies in California this year.

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

-- Endorsements by The Times’ editorial board.

CALIFORNIA

-- Can heartfelt letters from the homeless convince L.A. to pass a landmark housing bond?

-- Activists want answers from the city of Inglewood about why police officers fatally shot a couple found unconscious in their car earlier this year.

-- Police are investigating whether a McLaren sports car’s crash with an Audi in Woodland Hills was caused by street racing.

-- KTLA news anchor Lu Parker was arrested after a passenger at LAX accused her of stealing the person’s headphones in a security line, but KTLA says it was a misunderstanding.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Netflix’s “The Crown,” which bills itself as the most expensive TV series ever, is an epic drama of the British aristocracy.

-- Goodbye, Earl. Hello, Beyoncé: The Dixie Chicks got some superstar help at the CMA Awards.

-- How the Rolling Stones went from competent-but-unremarkable blues cover band to the “World’s Greatest Rock ’n’ Roll Band.”

-- Disabled actors and advocates plead to Hollywood: “Give us a chance, please!”

-- L.A. artist Marnie Weber reflects on why monsters hold such power for women.

NATION-WORLD

-- The High Court ruled Thursday that Britain cannot exit the European Union without a vote from Parliament.

-- The suspect in the shooting deaths of two Des Moines-area police officers has a history of racist incidents and confrontations with the law.

-- President Obama said federal officials are considering rerouting the Dakota Access pipeline.

-- Russia says its bombing of schools, hospitals and civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo is no different than the U.S.-backed offensive on the Iraqi city of Mosul.

-- This giant Mexico City restaurant has room for 2,200 patrons, parking for 600 cars and the capacity to make 15,000 tortillas a day.

-- Check out the video of the eerie “Jacuzzi of Despair,” a deadly pit of super-salty water and dissolved methane at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

BUSINESS

-- Wells Fargo will pay $50 million to settle allegations it overcharged homeowners for appraisals.

-- The maker of Bratz dolls is breaking ground on a Silicon Valley-style campus at the former site of The Times’ San Fernando Valley operations.

SPORTS

-- UCLA football player Takkarist McKinley fulfills a vow to his dying grandmother, and then some.

-- Jessie Vargas says Saturday will be “when my legacy begins,” when he defends his welterweight title against the Hall of Fame-bound Manny Pacquiao.

OPINION

-- Even with her email scandals, Clinton is the only alternative on election day.

-- Just say no to the Dakota Access pipeline.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- What if Americans overseas were allowed to vote as a 51st state? (The Economist)

-- Three months before #ImWithTur, Katy Tur wrote about what it was like to be insulted by Trump. (Marie Claire)

-- A new book looks at the essence of snobbery. (The Guardian)

ONLY IN L.A.

Marigolds, flickering candles and framed photographs of the “deceased” filled a downtown L.A. art gallery on Día de los Muertos. On one wall: a snake and a decorated skull floated above the cityscape. The occasion? They came to bury Kobe Bryant’s basketball career and to praise it. And to sell shoes.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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