Newsletter: Today: More Than One Way to Count a Vote

Hello. I'm Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. The Supreme Court is hearing a case that could have a major impact on elections across the country, and the 2016 presidential race is presenting an interesting challenge for some Republicans with resumes similar to a former senator from Illinois named Barack Obama. Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

Make That One Voter, One Vote

The "one person, one vote" principle is simple: Count all of the people in each of the states, divide them into election districts of roughly equal size, then allocate seats in state legislatures and the U.S. House accordingly. But now the Supreme Court has signed up for some new math, saying it will hear arguments that the system should be changed to count only citizens who are eligible to vote. In California, Texas and Florida, with their large populations of noncitizens, changing the formula for drawing districts could dilute the power of a fast-growing Latino electorate. What happens next will depend on nine voters, the ones who sit on the high court.

Dusting Off Their Resumes

Barack Obama showed it could be done. But "first-term U.S. senator" may not be the strongest calling card for Republicans Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio as they vie to make the same rare leap to the White House. This time around, voters are telling pollsters that they value experience and the get-things-done chops that go with it. So what to do? Paul is playing up his medical training, Cruz his pugnacious (i.e., non-Obama-esque) personality and Rubio his work as a legislator in Florida. The goal: Succeed an incumbent without reminding anyone of his resume. 

Keep Ripping Out That Grass 

It was so popular, they more than tripled the budget. The Metropolitan Water District has voted to increase its funding of rebates for grass replacement and other water-saving activities. The $350 million approved Tuesday favors residential water customers over golf courses and other commercial applicants. Check whether you qualify for a rebate here.

It’s Time for Dodger Baseball

Sure, Charter Communications balked at paying Time Warner Cable $4.90 a month per subscriber just to carry Dodgers games. But then Charter decided to buy the whole company -- in a $55-billion deal. Now, hoping to build goodwill with customers and regulators, Charter’s chief executive says it’ll soon begin providing those Dodgers telecasts to the 300,000 households it serves in the region at no extra charge. The move effectively ends a 14-month TV shutout and could lead to a thaw in the resistance of other operators.

Down Home California

You leave the freeway, then the highway, then the county road. Finally, at the end of a dirt lane, you arrive at Deep End Ranch. There, in David Bunn’s living room, the banjos are strumming and the toes are tapping. In an era when music shows can feel relentlessly commercial, these intimate concerts in the Santa Clara River Valley feel more like a family gathering. Take a ride with our culture columnist Carolina Miranda to Deep End, where performers from all over the country come to play music of the American South for grateful, unplugged audiences. 

CALIFORNIA

-- A former LAPD officer, who is wanted on suspicion of murder, has been arrested in Mexico.

-- An audit finds a "staggering" amount of overtime pay in the L.A. Department of Transportation.

-- A city report suggests shifting financial responsibility for sidewalk repairs to property owners.

-- Steve Lopez introduces us to Doreetha Daniels, who is graduating from college next week. She's 99. 

NATION-WORLD

-- The Iraqi military has launched an offensive to dislodge Islamic State militants from Ramadi, the country's official media report.

-- Nuclear negotiations are bogging down as Iran is reluctant to commit to key provisions.

-- The Times interviews a member of the Parliament of Greece, which is debating whether to exit the euro.

-- Federal monitors will begin overseeing police in Cleveland.

-- At least 16 people are dead in Texas and Oklahoma amid a flurry of storms. Thousands have been displaced.

BUSINESS

-- PennySaver may not even be able to honor the final paychecks given to employees laid off over the weekend.

-- Olympus, the maker of medical scopes linked to a deadly superbug outbreak, is bracing for an expensive settlement regarding the marketing of some of its products.

SPORTS

--Nine members of world soccer's governing body and five corporate executives have been indicted on charges they corrupted world soccer, following a three-year FBI investigation.

-- TV deals aside, the damage has been done to the relationship between the Dodgers and their fans, Bill Plaschke writes.

-- Helene Elliott asks whether Ducks goaltender Frederik Anderson can bounce back in Game 6 against the Blackhawks.

-- The latest scores and stats.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Frank Gehry, the architect who brought us Disney Concert Hall and the Guggenheim in Bilbao, has designed a far less showy building for Facebook. Christopher Hawthorne explores its significance.

-- Sony is defending itself against accusations of cultural insensitivity in the movie "Aloha." 

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- SkyMall, like some inflatable phoenix whose wings double as beer koozies, is rising from the ashes.

-- Who is the young entrepreneur behind Venice-based Snapchat? A rare interview.

-- Belatedly, an appreciation of ABBA's essential, influential melancholy.

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

For $200, you can start the process of creating a ballot initiative in the Golden State. That has led to some odd proposals and at least one truly reprehensible one. The fee has been set at $200 for 72 years, but the Legislature has now voted to raise it to $8,000. Might make you think twice about what you want to spend your money on.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.