Newsletter: Today: The Twitterer-in-Chief and the #TransBan

President Trump tweeted that transgender people will not be allowed in the military, a decision that sparked outrage and caught many by surprise. 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

The Twitterer-in-Chief and the #TransBan

Is this what it’s come to? With just three tweets, Trump caught the Pentagon off guard, drew the opposition of several powerful Republicans in Congress, invited a legal fight and outraged some veterans by saying transgender people will be prohibited from serving “in any capacity” in the U.S. military. The reason given? “The tremendous medical costs and disruption.” One study estimated the annual price tag to be $2.4 million to $8.4 million (about 0.1% of Pentagon healthcare spending). The Israeli military, for one, doesn’t even see it as an issue. What the Pentagon does next isn’t clear.

Does the ‘Skinny Repeal’ Have a Fat Chance?

Repeal and replace? Nope. Repeal only? Uh-uh. So what’s left for Senate Republicans to try in their quest to undo Obamacare? It could be a plan called the “skinny repeal,” which would get rid of a medical device tax and the requirements that individuals buy health insurance and that large employers offer it. But dumping just those three Obamacare provisions might cause chaos in the insurance markets. A vote could come today.

More Politics

-- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, the Iowa Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, fired off an unmistakable warning to Trump: Don’t even think about trying to get a new attorney general confirmed this year.

-- Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held his first public event in five days, as aides tried to quiet speculation over whether he is considering resigning.

-- Incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci tweeted, then deleted, an accusation of a “leak” of his financial disclosure information.

-- Trump’s voter fraud panel asked again for data from California, and again the answer was no.

USC’s Mea Culpa: ‘We Could Have Done Better’

USC President C.L. Max Nikias has now said that the university “could have done better” in its handling of former medical school dean Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito and a new committee will look at how to better handle questions of employee behavior outside the workplace. A Times investigation found Puliafito took drugs and associated with criminals and drug abusers when he was the dean. Many in the Trojan family are angry with how the university handled the matter.

More Power Is Granted to California’s Parole Board

In Nevada, O.J. Simpson’s parole hearing got international attention. In California, thousands of them take place with little fanfare. Yet the very nature of the hearings here has changed over the years, as the parole board has gained greater legal flexibility and diversity. The focus in California is no longer so much on the severity of the crime, and more on whether offenders understand why what they did was wrong.

An Olympic Games-Time Decision for L.A.

For years, L.A. leaders have been trying to get the city psyched up to take on the 2024 Summer Olympics, but it’s looking more and more as if Los Angeles’ turn will come in 2028. Would it be easy to reset and refocus? That’s where many don’t see eye to eye. The skeptics say waiting 11 years carries much more risk, economically and politically.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Here’s what happened when celebrities stopped by the L.A. Times studio at Comic-Con.

-- The cast of “Mystery Science Theatre 3000” talks about some truly terrible movies.

CALIFORNIA

-- Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation aimed at improving air quality in disadvantaged communities, but many questions remain about how it will be implemented, especially in Southern California.

-- A leader of California’s marijuana industry is warning that the state has too much pot, and growers won’t be able to export the surplus.

-- Thirty-two inmates have been awarded $2.5 million in an abuse settlement involving a Rancho Cucamonga jail.

-- It’s almost August, and ski season is finally coming to an end at California resorts.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Al Gore and the husband-and-wife filmmakers behind “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” want to educate moviegoers about the perils of climate change and leave them feeling optimistic.

-- Nice places to visit but you wouldn’t want to live there: Two new shows, “Room 104” and “Guest Book,” tell the stories of the folks who inhabit a hotel and vacation home.

-- A jury has awarded producer Quincy Jones $9.4 million in his dispute with Michael Jackson’s estate.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

“All in the Family.” “Sanford and Son.” “Maude.” Norman Lear produced all these shows and many more. In a story earlier this year, while working on the remake of his series “One Day at a Time,” he said, “I’ve been busy all my life — why stop now?” He turns 95 today.

NATION-WORLD

-- A participant in the 2014 armed standoff between federal agents and supporters of rancher Cliven Bundy in Nevada has been sentenced to 68 years in prison.

-- The Trump administration and the House of Representatives have intensified demands for Iran to release all of its American prisoners.

-- A survey finds that American Muslims see Trump as unfriendly to them, but they’re finding support from the non-Muslims in their lives.

-- Wildfires blazing across the south of France have forced the emergency evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists.

-- Britain’s government says it will ban the sale of new cars and vans using diesel and gasoline starting in 2040 in an effort to tackle air pollution.

BUSINESS

-- Foxconn, the Taiwanese maker of Apple Inc.’s iPhone, will build its first American factory in Wisconsin. Trump was eager to claim the credit for it.

-- Coke Zero is out. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is in. So what’s the difference?

SPORTS

-- How do you make football games shorter? The Pac-12 will experiment with reduced halftimes and (gasp!) fewer commercials.

-- Manchester City routed Real Madrid, 4-1, in front of 93,098 people, the largest soccer crowd in Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum history.

OPINION

-- Trump’s transgender tweet wasn’t just the usual morning rant; it’s dangerously bad policy.

-- The media’s love affair with a John McCain that never was.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- “Let’s meet face to face, and you tell me I’m not worthy”: A retired Navy SEAL Team 6 member who is transgender has a message for the president. (Business Insider)

-- This scientist is hunting for antibiotics in toilet bowls, dog food dishes and on laptop keyboards. (The Atlantic)

-- Want someone to think your artwork is a masterpiece? Hang it up high. (Pacific Standard)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Who builds a water park in the middle of a historic drought? That’s what they did in Dublin in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ground was broken in 2015, just as the drought reached a crisis point. Columnist Robin Abacarian checked out the park, now that the water is flowing, to see if the haterade stopped pouring forth.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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