Newsletter: Today: The Latest Wave Forecast Is Blue

A new poll suggests some bad news for the GOP in the midterm election.

TOP STORIES

The Latest Wave Forecast Is Blue

Will Democrats flip the House? A new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll suggests they have a shot at it. Roughly 3 out of 4 likely voters said they saw their vote this fall as a way to express their views of President Trump, and for many, that view is negative. Particularly striking is how women now favor the Democrats by 28 percentage points, 62% to 34%, and traditionally Republican older voters are skewing Democratic. But given that congressional races are fought district by district, the outcome of the only “poll” that matters on Nov. 6 is far from assured.

Get more midterm election coverage on our Decision California page.

The Catechism and the Kegger

In hopes of saving Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court bid, Trump has accused Democrats of “playing a con game” and attacked Deborah Ramirez, the second woman to publicly accuse the judge of sexual misconduct, as being “totally inebriated and all messed up.” Meanwhile, Republican leaders have scheduled a vote on Kavanaugh’s nomination for Friday, even as he and professor Christine Blasey Ford are set to testify Thursday. In that hearing, the toughest challenge he may face is explaining why he now says he was a churchgoing, studious high school and college athlete when earlier descriptions of himself refer to much hard partying and heavy drinking.

The World Was Laughing at Us?

One of Trump’s signature lines at his rallies is, “The world is laughing at us.” On Tuesday, diplomats and world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly broke out in laughter when the president opened his speech by declaring his administration had “accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country.” Beyond the guffaws and self-praise, Trump continued to promote his “America first” agenda and question why the U.S. gives so much foreign aid when “few give anything to us.”

More Politics

-- China has ramped up its criticism of the U.S., portraying itself as a defender of global trade and the Trump administration as hurting the global economy.

-- The Trump administration appears ready to go to the mat for chlorpyrifos, a widely used pesticide that has been linked to developmental disorders in children.

‘He Thought He Could Get Away With It All’

It was 13 years ago that Andrea Constand reported she had been drugged and sexually assaulted by her mentor at Temple University, Bill Cosby. Now, the 81-year-old entertainer has been sentenced to serve three to 10 years in prison and to register as a sex offender. The image of Cosby being led away in handcuffs, after so many years in the public imagination as “America’s Dad,” represents a dramatic fall from grace. For those who once held Cosby up as a hero, like The Times’ Greg Braxton, it presents a complicated case of heartbreak.

A History of Violence

This month, a string of brutal assaults in L.A. and Santa Monica caused widespread panic among the homeless community. Today, police will ask prosecutors to charge Ramon Escobar with murder and attempted murder. Court records show the 47-year-old native of El Salvador has a lengthy criminal record in Houston and surroundings. Authorities say he left that city just days after his aunt and uncle were reported missing there, while immigration officials say he had been deported from the U.S. six times.

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MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- At the United Nations: Selected remarks from Trump’s address.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

With the advent of cellphones, mobile banking is in the palm of one’s hand. Back in 1967, they had to do it the old-fashioned way: in a Condor camper coach that got about five miles to the gallon. The Bank of America’s Valinda branch in West Covina made a round trip of about 12 miles per day.

CALIFORNIA

-- After the Border Patrol noticed an uptick in smuggling activity along a stretch in the California desert, agents have launched Operation Blazing Sands.

-- Bullet train officials are hoping to dodge a political bullet in the San Fernando Valley after a proposed route was unveiled.

-- University of California regents will gather this week to discuss faculty diversity, Native American remains and the effort to add more in-state students.

-- After a cockfighting bust last year, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors has moved to limit the keeping of roosters in unincorporated areas.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- ABC premieres two new series, “A Million Little Things” and “Single Parents,” tonight. TV critic Lorraine Ali says they rely on tired, old formulas.

-- Nick Jones, a former writer for Netflix’s “GLOW,” says he is “ashamed” of domestic violence allegations that resulted in him leaving the series.

-- If you love the TV show “Schitt’s Creek,” you would have loved “Schitt’s Creek: Up Close & Personal” at the Theatre at Ace Hotel.

-- Childish Gambino, the rap alter ego of actor Donald Glover, will not perform at the Forum as scheduled tonight, according to a spokesperson.

NATION-WORLD

-- In the aftermath of Florence, some South Carolina residents still have no idea when they will return home.

-- The divorce rate in the U.S. is sinking as marriages happen later and among those with more money and education.

-- Could there be a second referendum on Brexit? Britain’s opposition Labor Party is turning up the heat on Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan.

-- The deadly capsizing of a ferry in Tanzania illustrates a boat safety problem faced by many countries.

BUSINESS

-- A federal appeals court has ruled that Uber can force its drivers into individual arbitration over pay and benefit disputes, voiding a class-action lawsuit.

-- A new California law attempts to resolve a long-running dispute over wages and working conditions for port truck drivers by putting big retailers on the hook for labor violations by the cargo carriers.

SPORTS

-- The Dodgers saw their lead over Colorado in the National League West shrivel to a half-game after dropping a 4-3 decision to Arizona.

-- Angels Manager Mike Scioscia is expected to step down after Sunday’s season finale. This story, the first in a three-part series, examines how he came to the team from the Dodgers.

OPINION

-- Keeping Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein on the job would be good for the country … and for Trump.

-- Poor Kevin De León. He should be having the time of his political life right now, writes columnist Gustavo Arellano. Instead he is about to get beat, badly, in the Senate race.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Meet Rachel Mitchell, the female prosecutor whom GOP senators picked to question Kavanaugh and his accuser. (Washington Post)

-- A collection of political ads on Facebook and what they say about the social media giant’s advertising system. (ProPublica)

-- The humble tuna fish sandwich has a uniquely American, and L.A., history. (Taste)

ONLY IN L.A.

Beverly Hills has plenty of celebrity homes, but how about one that is styled in part after other famous people’s homes? When actress-writer Renee Taylor and her late husband, actor-playwright Joseph Bologna, acquired a 1926 house with an Old Hollywood pedigree, Taylor spent two years overseeing renovations to mimic, say, actress Greer Garson’s bathroom and the palace of Versailles. It recently sold for $7.245 million. Take a look at its secret passageways, leaded-glass windows and bamboo forest — for free right here.

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