Newsletter: Today: Protests All Around. Roofers’ Busy Days.

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

Social Media Upend University Top Brass in the Show Me State

The football team wouldn't play. Professors wouldn't teach. A graduate student wouldn't eat. And then there were the tweets. Now, the University of Missouri's system president and chancellor are stepping down after students had accused the administration of not acting decisively over a series of disturbing racist incidents on campus. Read how social media is fueling a new wave of student activism.

Obama Gets a No on Immigration

Will it go to the Supreme Court? A three-judge appeals panel ruled 2-1 that President Obama has "no statutory authority" to let about 5 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally stay temporarily without being deported. Though it's a victory for the 26 states that sued over Obama's executive action, immigrant legal advocates say it was expected -- and they're hoping the nation's highest court will take it on.   

Change of Plans for Shamu and Friends

The Shamu show at SeaWorld San Diego was part of many a Southern California childhood, but that was then and this is now. SeaWorld has announced it will replace its circus-like act with more of a nature show in 2017. Though the company's CEO said it was not in response to activists, the move comes amid pressure from animal-rights proponents and falling attendance after the 2013 documentary "Blackfish." Does the change go far enough?

How the Charter School 'War' Is Being Waged

The battle over charter schools in Los Angeles is heating up. This week, the Board of Education will consider two proposals aimed at limiting the growth and independence of charters. Both are supported by the L.A. teachers union, which has become the most vocal opponent of a $490-million plan by the Broad Foundation to more than double the number of charter schools. Here's why officially joining the opposition would pose risks for school board members and the district. 

Will San Bernardino Rise Again?

San Bernardino is the poorest city of its size in California. It's in its fourth year of bankruptcy and third decade of a meth epidemic. But as you'll see in this mini-documentary (and in this story), not everyone has given up hope in the place they call "Berdoo."

CALIFORNIA 

-- After historic flooding, Death Valley gears up for a difficult recovery.

-- The Metropolitan Water District is considering buying 20,000 acres of farm islands. 

-- UC's president wants to boost the enrollment of undergraduates from California by 10,000 by the 2018-19 school year.

-- The U.S. Navy launched a second test missile off the Southern California coast.

NATION-WORLD

-- Five things to watch for at tonight's Republican debate.

-- The Supreme Court gives police using deadly force in chases more immunity.

-- After Myanmar's election, Aung San Suu Kyi appears headed for her next big challenge.

-- President Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu put aside their differences during a White House meeting.

-- Pear-shaped versus apple trumps body mass index as a measure of risk. 

BUSINESS  

-- Homeowners are overwhelming the roofing industry in the rush to fix their roofs ahead of El Niño.

-- Does Volkswagen's "goodwill" payment clause prevent owners from suing?

-- Michael Hiltzik: Happy birthday? The one day when companies think they can creepily invade your privacy.

SPORTS

-- In her own words: UFC fighter Ronda Rousey breaks down her victories on video. 

-- A World Anti-Doping Agency report details years of cheating by Russian track and field athletes.

-- Could Kentucky win it all? A preview of the college basketball season.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- Why "Late Night's" Seth Meyers has "nothing but sympathy" for debate moderators.

-- Talk-show host Donny Deutsch is ready to make fun of himself in the new sitcom "Donny!" 

-- Oscar Watch: It's glad-handing season in Hollywood.  

-- Video: The cast and crew of "Trumbo" talk about Edward G. Robinson, Dalton Trumbo and more.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Dorms for grown-ups: A solution for lonely millennials? (The Atlantic)

-- The mother of all questions: Why don't you have kids? (Harper's Magazine)

-- Intrigue at the Corn Palace in South Dakota. (Atlas Obscura)

ONLY IN L.A.

The music mogul known as Moby is opening an organic, "effortless vegan" restaurant in Silver Lake this month, but he'd like you to hold the stereotypes, please. "If someone wants to wear Birkenstocks, they should, but this is not the old cliched, joyless veganism," he said. That means meatballs (meatless, of course) and polenta, or a trio of stuffed pasta shells inspired by his mom's cooking. As for the music: It won't be his album "Play" on an endless loop.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.