Newsletter: Today: All Ears on the 9th Circuit. A Puma in the City.

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

All Ears on the 9th Circuit

For an audio-only hearing in federal court, it drew extraordinary attention on TV and online: pointed questions for more than an hour from a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for both sides in the fight over President Trump’s limits on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries. While we wait for a decision, here’s a look at what both sides said, how Trump’s own words were used against his case, and why you shouldn’t read too much into how sharp the questioning was.

When Reality Hits the Wall

When Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly went to Capitol Hill, he took the fall — saying the travel ban confusion is “all on me.” Then, he talked the wall. The plan involves sections of wall and fence, as well as open spaces that would be monitored, because we live in “a world of finite time [and] resources.” Among other measures under consideration: demanding visa applicants’ social media passwords before they can fly to the U.S.

More Politics

-- Sen. Elizabeth Warren has earned a rare rebuke by the Senate for quoting Coretta Scott King and now is forbidden from speaking again on Sen. Jeff Sessions’ nomination for attorney general.

-- Andy Puzder, Trump’s nominee for Labor secretary, admitted to employing a housekeeper who was an immigrant in the U.S. illegally.

-- Millions of you debated over Betsy DeVos, who was confirmed as Education secretary in a historic tie-breaker vote. Tell us what you think.

-- Melania Trump refiled a libel lawsuit claiming she lost a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to profit off her high profile.

A Puma in the City

From the moment P-22 was discovered, he was a celebrity. How this mountain lion wound up in Griffith Park, set amid L.A.’s urban sprawl, is anyone’s guess. His daily life is a mystery too, rarely seen other than in the occasional mishaps that occur when a predator dwells in an 8-square-mile green space with more than 5 million human visitors a year. Here is a week in the life of the big cat, in graphics, video and words.

Fix That Pothole or Pay That Pension?

The city of Richmond in Northern California has cut back on road repairs, new library books and employees — eliminating nearly 20% of its workforce since 2008. A major cause of its problems? The huge growth in pension costs. By 2021, retirement expenses could exceed $70 million, or 41% of the city’s general fund. As the latest story in our pension crisis series shows, it’s a stark example of the financial stress facing cities across California.

Who’s the Macho Man Now?

Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer. Meryl Streep’s speech at the Golden Globes. Millions who marched around the globe the day after the inauguration. As Meredith Blake writes in this commentary, women are the ones who consistently seem to get under Trump’s skin. Up next: Rosie O’Donnell as Steve Bannon?

CALIFORNIA

-- The “atmospheric river” returned with a vengeance to Northern California, with flooding in rural towns and snow piling up in the Sierra Nevada.

-- Steve Lopez: How do you feel about subsidizing private schools, using students as political pawns, and escalating the war for control of public education?

-- Former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder visited Sacramento to meet with his clients in upcoming clashes with the Trump administration: California’s legislators.

-- For more than two decades, this foster father has served only children on the brink.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Jane Kaczmarek makes a big departure from “Malcolm in the Middle” in a revival of Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” at the Geffen Playhouse.

-- Two paintings by Diego Rivera, including his 1915 Cubist masterpiece, have joined an exhibition of Rivera and Picasso works at LACMA.

-- Salman Rushdie, an author who was a fierce Trump critic during the campaign, will take on American politics in his next novel, “The Golden House.”

-- “Battlestar Galactica” actor Richard Hatch has died at age 71.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

On this date in 1931, James Dean was born in Marion, Ind. At the time of his death in a late-afternoon car crash in San Luis Obispo County on Sept. 30, 1955, he was considered one of Hollywood’s brightest new movie stars. Here is The Times’ obituary.

NATION-WORLD

-- Seattle became the first city to sever its ties with Wells Fargo in protest of the Dakota Access pipeline. The Army Corps of Engineers told Congress it will allow the pipeline to be completed.

-- Iran’s supreme leader escalated the war of words with Trump, saying the Islamic republic is “not afraid of threats” and vowing large anti-American protests later this week.

-- Amnesty International accuses Syria of hanging thousands of prisoners and dumping the bodies in mass graves.

-- South Korea’s impeached president is expected to face prosecutors in the coming days.

-- Scientists have discovered a new type of gecko that can escape a predator’s grip not just by dropping its tail, but by shedding the scales on its skin.

BUSINESS

-- California lawmakers urged regulators to reconsider a natural gas project in Ventura County, citing environmental concerns and questions about whether the state already has too many power plants after they read an L.A Times report.

-- Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Robert Iger has opened the door to the possibility of remaining head of the Burbank entertainment giant longer than previously planned.

SPORTS

-- Bill Shaikin: That the Dodgers are primed for the playoffs is no surprise, but that the Angels are also primed for October is quite a surprise.

-- UFC fighter Cris “Cyborg” Justino is a big draw, but she is facing a possible suspension for a banned substance.

OPINION

-- If Republicans won’t take a stand on someone as incompetent as Betsy DeVos, what will they take a stand on?

-- A gang of 11 could end the madness of Supreme Court confirmations.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- There’s a reason Frederick Douglass was the “most photographed American” of the 19th century. (Hyperallergic)

-- Ernest Hemingway’s correspondence in the late 1920s shows that when it came to letter writing he was no Hemingway — but still interesting to read. (The Times Literary Supplement)

-- The De Stijl art movement of a century ago has had a lasting effect … on digital design today. (Backchannel)

ONLY IN L.A.

The concept of the tasting menu is hardly new, but some restaurants in L.A. are putting new twists on meals made up of dozens of small tastes. They’re not exactly cheap, though most are considerably less expensive than a Hong Kong-style palace with a $9,388 option. From “Chicano cuisine” to omakase, here are 14 restaurants that do tasting menus right, as selected by Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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