Newsletter: Today: Obama and ‘Genocide.’ Vaccines and Autism.

Hello. I'm Davan Maharaj, the editor of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines you shouldn't miss today.

TOP STORIES

"T" Trumps "G"

"T" is for Turkey. "G" is for genocide, which most people agree is what was going on when Ottoman Turks slaughtered Armenians in World War I. President Obama won't use the word when he marks the 100th anniversary to avoid angering Turkey, a NATO ally. Instead, he's angering Armenian Americans, including many in greater L.A., who say he's breaking a promise.  

Mission Accomplished?

As suddenly as it started it a month ago, U.S. ally Saudi Arabia ended Operation Decisive Storm, its air war against Shiite rebels in neighboring Yemen. What it accomplished is unclear. The rebels, backed by Iran, still control wide areas. The bombing, which killed a lot of civilians, was horrible PR for the Saudis. They say operations now will shift "to the political process."

Risking Horror to Escape It

About 18,000 migrants have risked the journey from Africa across the Mediterranean to Europe so far this year, paying huge sums to armed smugglers with rickety ships and worse reputations. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, have drowned. More try every day. Why? The risks seem small compared with horrors they face back home. Read what survivors are saying.

Science Tries Again

It seems no amount of science will persuade a strident minority that childhood vaccines don't cause autism. Autism specialists are trying again with a compelling study of 100,000 kids that sought mightily to find a link but couldn't. There's lots of evidence, though, that non-vaccinated kids put the larger population at risk. Even so, protests have stalled a California bill to sharply limit vaccine exemptions.

Lucha Libre

Welcome to Lucha Underground, a Boyle Heights wrestling outfit where the line between fan and fighter is crossed as easily as the ring ropes. The company hopes to revive interest in the “lucha libre” style of wrestling, a staple of Mexican culture that has struggled to gain prominence in the U.S. It also wants to inspire cultural pride among Boyle Height’s Mexican Americans, placing its Aztec Temple, where its luchadores take flight, in a warehouse district just off the L.A. River.

CALIFORNIA

-- San Bernardino County OKs a $650,000 settlement with a man seen on video being beaten by deputies after a chase.

-- A forum at UCLA lays out challenges facing Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and others who favor a ballot measure to legalize marijuana.

-- L.A. Councilman Mitchell Englander will run for an open seat on the county Board of Supervisors next year.

-- A video shows a federal officer grabbing a woman's cellphone in South Gate and throwing it to the ground.

-- A bill in the Legislature would end use of the term "redskins" by school sports teams.

NATION-WORLD

-- Federal nutrition rules championed by First Lady Michelle Obama aren't going down well with many in charge of school lunches.

-- The Supreme Court limits police use of drug-sniffing dogs during traffic stops.

-- The head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, who clashed with Obama on marijuana policy, will leave in May.

-- Ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi gets a 20-year-sentence in connection with a deadly protest that happened on his watch.

BUSINESS

-- The ghost of NAFTA haunts President Obama's proposed Pacific Rim trade pact.

-- Britain charges a former futures trader over his role in the 2010 market "flash crash."

-- "Furious 7" is on track to become the top-grossing film in China's history.

SPORTS

-- Carson's City Council approves a proposal for an NFL stadium that could be used by the Chargers and Raiders.

-- The NFL releases its regular-season schedule.

-- Commentary: An ode to Tim Tebow, before he fails again.

-- The latest scores and stats.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Dick and Jerry Van Dyke reunite today in the ABC sitcom “The Middle,” in which they play — you guessed it — squabbling siblings.

-- Movie Sneaks: The "Impossible" risks taken by high-flying Tom Cruise.

-- Motley Crue sets its final L.A. date, for real this time.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Racially divided communities, voting patterns and new research on perceptions of threat.

-- The 12 best cities for live music.

-- How riding a bike can get you into trouble with Tampa police -- especially if you're black.

-- The secret apartment in the Eiffel Tower.

Passings: Betty Willis, 91, creator of the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. Steve Byrnes, 56, longtime NASCAR broadcaster.

ONLY IN L.A.

New York has SoHo and Dumbo. San Francisco has Soma. L.A. has WeHo, NoHo and DTLA -- and soon, perhaps, SOLA, a hip-sounding acronym that might brush up the image of South Los Angeles. It takes more than a name, but read why backers think this could widen the distance from the area's past as South Central, synonymous with gangs, murder, drugs and despair.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.