Newsletter: Today: Trump and Putin, Together at Last

After all the buildup, President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet face to face today. I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss.

TOP STORIES

Trump and Putin, Together at Last

When President Trump and Vladimir Putin meet today on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Hamburg, Syria and the fight against Islamic State are said to be on top of the agenda. Will the 2016 election come up? Democrats and Republicans have urged Trump to confront Putin about what U.S. intelligence officials have said was a complex spy operation designed to undermine America’s democratic process. Though Trump gave a speech in Poland in which he criticized Russia for “destabilizing activities” in Ukraine and for other issues, he later waffled when asked about Russian interference. “Nobody really knows for sure,” Trump said at a Warsaw news conference, then hinted that “other countries” may also have been involved and went on to attack some familiar targets: President Obama, the intelligence community and the news media.

More Politics

-- North Korea’s launch of a missile capable of striking parts of the U.S. doesn’t bring the two nations closer to war, Defense Secretary James Mattis said, even as Trump warned he was considering “pretty severe things.”

-- The director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics is resigning, after a rocky relationship with Trump and repeated confrontations with the administration.

-- California and 17 other states have sued Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for delaying new student-loan protection rules.

Trump Says the Clash of Civilizations Is Upon Us

Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama feared that casting the fight against terrorism as a battle between the West and Islam would help extremist groups. Just a few weeks ago, President Trump said that “this is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations” when he was in Saudi Arabia. But speaking in front of a World War II monument in Warsaw, Trump clearly framed it as a clash of civilizations: “The fundamental question of our time is whether the West has the will to survive.” And he linked “the desire and the courage to preserve our civilization” to his immigration policies.

An NFL Player’s Descent Into Darkness

At Utah State, the future looked bright for L.A.-born De’von Hall: He would pursue an NFL career and maybe even coach football. He was clean-cut, answered questions with “Yes, sir” or “No, sir” and had a close relationship with his mom. By the time Hall made the NFL, though, something seemed off to his teammates. Now, years after his career ended, he is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility, accused of killing his mother. What happened to the Hall his friends and family once knew?

Welcome to California, Fighters of Climate Change

The Trump administration isn’t the only one representing U.S. interests in Hamburg this week. Speaking at a gathering of climate activists, California Gov. Jerry Brown said the president “doesn’t speak for the rest of us” and unveiled plans for a global environmental summit in San Francisco in 2018. Though Brown and like-minded officials such as L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are having some success at undercutting the White House’s agenda, the big question is whether they will be able to take enough action on their own to curb global warming.

This Is Your Brain on Disneyland

The crowds. The corporate-ness. The cost. People have a lot of complaints about Disneyland, but millions keep coming back. Some, more so than others. Times reporter Todd Martens admits he is addicted to Disney theme parks. But why? His quest to find out led him to seek the counsel of Imagineers and psychology experts.

FLASHBACK FRIDAY

On this date in 1946, Howard Hughes took the first prototype of the F-11 reconnaissance aircraft on its maiden flight — and crashed in Beverly Hills. Hughes was critically injured, and parts of the plane hit four houses. But Hughes would recover to fly again, including piloting the Spruce Goose the following year.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Film critic Justin Chang reviews “A Ghost Story,” a haunting, melancholy film starring Casey Affleck.

-- What $100 buys at the swap meets in Chinatown.

-- Get a peek at a Malibu Colony home that just sold for $18 million.

CALIFORNIA

-- The University of California says it is on track to enroll 2,500 more California undergraduates this fall, but admission offers to California high school seniors this year declined from last year’s near-historic highs.

-- Californians will soon pay more at the pump, in part to fix more than 200 bridges at risk of erosion.

-- LAPD Chief Charlie Beck says crime has leveled off in L.A. and he’s “cautiously optimistic” it will drop.

-- Meet the Lassen Pack: A new family of gray wolves has been found in Northern California.

YOUR WEEKEND

-- Evan Kleiman explains how to grill seafood bruschetta like an Italian.

-- Jillian Michaels of “The Biggest Loser” wants to jump-start your fitness. (She swears it will be fun!)

-- The real place to chill out in Vegas: tea time. These hotels offer classic services that go way beyond scones.

-- This house used to look kind of like Darth Vader’s helmet. Look at it now.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne examines how the NRA puts architecture, and L.A., in the crosshairs in a recent video ad.

-- The last (porn) picture shows: Once dotted with dozens of adult cinemas, L.A. now has only two.

-- At age 77 and after 45 years in show biz, actor Denis Arndt has become an overnight sensation.

NATION-WORLD

-- The fate of Joe Arpaio, “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” rests with a judge after lawyers wrapped up closing arguments at his criminal trial on the topic that helped Arpaio win a nationwide reputation — immigration.

-- In rural America, opioid prescriptions continue to flow, according to a CDC report.

-- Filipinos are watching in horror as Marawi City is destroyed in a fight with an affiliate of Islamic State.

-- One size doesn’t fit all: In Salt Lake City, a community rethinks how it helps its homeless.

BUSINESS

-- Fox Business Network host Charles Payne has been suspended while 21st Century Fox investigates sexual harassment allegations made against him, the company confirmed.

-- The Milken Institute says that UCLA came out on top of 225 universities in generating start-up businesses, ahead of MIT, Caltech and Stanford.

SPORTS

-- As a solid everyday player, catcher Martin Maldonado has justified the “leap of faith” the Angels took on him.

-- The Dodgers’ Justin Turner won the fan balloting to grab the final spot on the All-Star team.

OPINION

-- Does Trump have what it takes to stand up to Putin?

-- A former special assistant to President Reagan says that if Trump wants China to “solve the North Korea problem,” he has to cater to Beijing’s interests.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Russian journalists give their take on how American media cover Trump and Putin. (The New Yorker)

-- Why did a zombie horde take to the streets of Hamburg before the G20 summit? (ArtNet)

-- An immersive tour backstage at the Metropolitan Opera. (New York Times)

ONLY IN L.A.

If you’re hankering for wonton nachos, pho tacos and boba tea in IV-drip bags, look no further than the 626 Night Market, now in its sixth year. Though it started with authentic Asian street food, it’s become an intersection of the San Gabriel Valley’s many parallel universes. No wonder the lines are so long for the ramen grilled cheese sandwich.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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