Newsletter: Today: Disorder in the Court. Strongmen on Parade.

I’m Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

Disorder in the Court

After Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died this weekend, the fight to succeed him ensued almost immediately. Republicans said the next president should pick a replacement. No way, said President Obama. So who is on his list? It could be an Indian-born, Kansas-reared former basketball star who clerked alongside Ted Cruz. Or the partisan battle could mean a more liberal candidate. Here’s a look inside the process.

-- Scalia’s death puts the Supreme Court at the center of the presidential campaign.

-- Millionaire John Poindexter shares Scalia’s last moments on a Texas ranch, from a quail hunt to being found “in perfect repose.”

-- From the Archives: BFFs Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia agreed to disagree.

-- Michael Hiltzik: How Scalia’s death blew up an anti-union group’s grand legal strategy.

Strongmen on Parade

President Obama will start a two-day summit with 10 Southeast Asian heads of state at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage today, the first-ever such meeting on U.S. soil. Though China won’t be there, it will certainly be talked about -- alongside dealing with North Korea, Islamic State and the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Also on the agenda: human rights, considering many of the leaders assembled could be described as dictators. Perhaps they’ll be inspired by the grand setting and lighten up? We’ll see.

What Oscar Can Learn From Grammy

Unlike the Oscars, this year’s Grammy Awards can’t be accused of being completely out of touch. The major nominees -- Kendrick Lamar and Taylor Swift, to name two -- are mainstream, respected and of the moment. But you don’t have to go far back to see it wasn’t always that way, writes critic-at-large Sasha Frere-Jones. (Herbie Hancock’s Joni Mitchell covers for 2008 album of the year, anyone?) Here’s what changed. And don’t forget to watch the show with us tonight starting at 5 p.m. Pacific.

Mexico, Land of Opportunities

Pope Francis is continuing his outspoken ways, this time on a trip to Mexico -- a country with one of the greatest wealth disparities in the Western world. He scolded the elite of politics and his own church. And in one of Mexico’s poorest and most dangerous cities, he urged the masses to create “a land of opportunities, where there will be no need to emigrate in order to dream.”

Perspiration and Passion

It was a near-perfect day for a footrace and, for some, the best day of their lives. This is what happens when you run the L.A. Marathon on Valentine’s Day: At a makeshift chapel along the racecourse near Hollywood and Vine, two pairs wed and 34 married couples repeated their “I do’s.” Weldon Kirui of Kenya and Nataliya Lehonkova of Ukraine emerged victorious. And Chris Erskine survived. Read on to see what else happened on the marathon scene, and while you’re at it, check out our marathon simulator.

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- A recorded interview reveals former Sheriff Lee Baca lying to a federal prosecutor.

-- Steve Lopez: “Disgrace” isn’t a strong enough word to describe the Coastal Commission meeting in which its executive director was fired.

-- Scientists develop a new app that uses your cellphone to detect earthquakes.

-- With the Porter Ranch-area leak halted, Southern California Gas Co. prepares for legal battles.

-- Birth control pills without prescriptions, coming soon to California under a new law.

-- How crowdfunding has made flipping houses a lot easier.

-- The Weeknd shares the beauty and madness that led to his pop music breakout.

-- Films were once an escape from work. Now, they celebrate it. What gives?

CALIFORNIA

-- Porter Ranch-area residents call for additional safety measures.

-- George Skelton: Why veteran teachers aren’t surprised young people are shunning the profession.

-- The “Bay Boys” surfer gang cannot block access to an upscale beach, the Coastal Commission says.

-- Two tourists were struck by blow darts while walking on the Golden Gate Bridge.

NATION-WORLD

-- Unlike other migrants, Cubans pouring into Texas get a helping hand and full benefits.

-- In Afghanistan, 2015 was the worst year on record for civilian casualties.

-- Book review: In “A Mother’s Reckoning,” Sue Klebold tries to make sense of her son and Columbine.

-- Is the latest court ruling in Egypt a case of justice undone?

-- Why evangelicals are splintering and what it means for the GOP.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- In a tumultuous world, conductor-composer Esa-Pekka Salonen is focusing more on the present.

-- Long-buried photos at the Geffen Contemporary resurrect L.A. punk’s primal days.

-- Meet the creative force bringing “Star Wars” to Disney’s theme parks.

-- Of late it’s been Kanye vs. Kanye, and no one seems to be the winner.

BUSINESS

-- Food delivery start-ups raise plenty of funding but face lots of competition.

-- Are airlines making it too hard to file a complaint? A congresswoman says they are.

SPORTS

-- Kobe Bryant’s final NBA All-Star game turns into a love fest as the West rolls to a 196-173 victory.

-- The man behind the Dodgers’ Kiss Cam has a hunt-and-peck job.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- From Washington to W, 43 giant heads from the defunct Presidents Park stand in a Virginia field and make for some haunting photos. (Smithsonian)

-- Chef TiGeorges LaGuerre writes of his native Haiti and moving to Los Angeles in his new memoir. (KPCC)

-- Why do severed feet, still inside shoes, keep washing up in the Pacific Northwest. (Washington Post)

ONLY IN L.A.

Talk about eye candy: Two artists have transformed a 7,000-square-foot space into a “cake castle and candied urban block party” at a downtown L.A. gallery. It’s a decadent six-room maze that looks like a huge cake and has real candy dangling from the chandeliers. And, taking a page from Charlie and Willie Wonka, a hint of danger lurks within this sugary world of imagination. Take a look for yourself -- it’s calorie-free.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.