Newsletter: Today: Deport 11 Million? He’ll Get Back to You. In the End, the Olympic Spirit Prevails.

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

TOP STORIES

Deport 11 Million? He’ll Get Back to You

One of the decisive campaign issues is immigration, with Donald Trump having called for the deportation of 11 million people in the U.S. illegally and Hillary Clinton proposing a pathway to legal status for some. Now, top aides are suggesting Trump may be reconsidering his stance. He is “wrestling” with how to remove those in the country illegally, Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions said. Trump’s new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, said his plan for a “deportation force” was “to be determined.” Look to Thursday, when the nominee is expected to speak about immigration.

More Politics

-- The USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times national tracking poll shows Trump gaining ground against Clinton.

-- Clinton has been ordered to answer written questions over a private email server in a civil lawsuit.

-- Trump won’t release his tax returns while under IRS audit, Conway says.

In the End, the Olympic Spirit Prevails

Pollution, crime, corruption, Zika: All of these and more were supposed to make the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro a disaster. Though there were problems — and Brazil’s political and economic challenges haven’t disappeared — just as they usually are, the athletes’ accomplishments were the story: Simone Biles, Usain Bolt, Katie Ledecky, Michael Phelps … the list goes on and on.

Fireworks explode during the Rio 2016 closing ceremony.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

More Olympics

-- Kevin Durant leads the U.S. to a runaway victory over Serbia for men’s basketball gold.

-- Quiet moments of character, the loudest cheer and the Lochte scandal: Times staff writers give their memories of the Games.

-- Rio in pictures: Times photographers document the action.

-- Behind the scenes, consultants work to push their bid to bring the Games to Los Angeles.

How Mexico Helps Some U.S. Workers

Here’s another issue for the politicians to ponder: Mexico’s manufacturing boom hasn’t been an unmitigated disaster for American workers. As it turns out, U.S. manufacturing production is rising too, up more than 30% since 2009, according to federal statistics. Some of that is because Mexico needs to consume a chunk of U.S. goods to make its own — a dramatically different supply chain than in China. Here’s how some U.S. workers benefit while others don’t.

The $2-Billion Nuclear Kitty Litter Accident

Two years ago, a drum of nuclear waste that had been packaged at the Los Alamos National Laboratory blew up at an underground dump in New Mexico. The reason: The kitty litter used to blot up liquid was organic, rather than mineral. Now, thousands of tons of radioactive waste are backed up around the country, as the dump struggles to reopen. A Times analysis shows the incident’s long-term cost could top $2 billion, making it among the most expensive nuclear accidents in U.S. history.

The Pillaging of a Nigerian Breadbasket

Military forces have driven Boko Haram terrorists out of major towns in northeastern Nigeria, but the rural areas there are another matter. With farmers, fishers and herders coming under attack, the region’s markets stand empty, its fertile soil goes unplanted, and lakes teem with fish that no one dare catch. Now, 50,000 children will die of starvation if they don’t get food soon, and nearly 250,000 more are severely malnourished, according to UNICEF. More from a dire situation in Nigeria.

Cap and Trade and Wait

California’s cap-and-trade program, in which businesses purchase permits to pollute, has generated billions of dollars in revenue for the state. But for two years, Gov. Jerry Brown and top lawmakers haven’t been able to agree on how to spend it. One way or the other, it must be used for projects that reduce greenhouse gases. Here’s why more than $1 billion is sitting unused.

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- Amid Milwaukee unrest, a conservative black sheriff clashes with the city’s liberal white police chief.

-- How a casino tycoon is trying to combat an exploding pro-Palestinian movement on campuses.

-- A woman was wrongfully arrested and jailed as a fraud suspect. The reason? Her name.

-- Friends mourn the “Mother Teresa of the homeless,” who lived in a Westlake alley for 30 years.

-- The IEX stock exchange opens. Its goal: Rein in high-frequency traders.

-- Shari Redstone ushers in a new era for Viacom.

-- The Huntington Library sets out to decode thousands of Civil War telegrams hidden for a century, with some help from crowdsourcing.

-- Evan Kleiman on the geometry of pie: Because round may be boring, but we love it anyway.

CALIFORNIA

-- Half a dozen wildfires rage up and down the state, destroying hundreds of homes.

-- A student who fathered a teacher’s baby received a $6-million abuse settlement from Redlands schools.

-- As enrollment declines, L.A. public schools borrow a tactic from the charters: marketing.

-- Steve Lopez: Hoping not to be priced out of a vacation in Hermosa Beach.

NATION-WORLD

-- In a flooded Louisiana neighborhood, residents ride home through alligator-infested waters.

-- Turkey’s president says a wedding attacker who killed dozens was an Islamic State bomber as young as 12.

-- The Afghan city of Kunduz, briefly captured by the Taliban last year, is in danger again.

-- The singer who added “all lives matter” to the Canadian national anthem finds himself on the sidelines.

-- How to track poverty from space.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Coldplay goes big — well, bigger — at the Rose Bowl.

-- Terry McMillan is as charming as the characters in her new book, “I Almost Forgot About You.”

-- The “Ben-Hur” remake is one of the biggest flops of the summer.

-- Fans rush to a West Hollywood pop-up shop for Frank Ocean’s new album.

-- A rare performance of Stockhausen’s “Carré” revives the genius of the ‘60s.

-- Lou Pearlman, disgraced Backstreet Boys and ’NSync impresario, has died at age 62.

BUSINESS

-- Beyond Uber, Volvo and Ford: Other automakers’ plans for self-driving vehicles.

-- Multimillion-dollar race cars zoom into the auction record books at Pebble Beach, while the Concours d’LeMons celebrates the best of the worst.

-- Pfizer announced a $14 billion deal to buy Medivation, paying about $81.50 per Medivation share.

SPORTS

-- UCLA edges out USC in the Associated Press’ top 25 rankings for college football.

-- Olympian Shaun White’s new clothing line reflects a grown-up version of the athlete’s aesthetic.

OPINION

-- How many legal immigrants are we deporting?

-- Why this time will be different for marijuana legalization.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Inside Trump’s convoluted finances and debts. (New York Times)

-- She was a model mother taking care of her gravely ill daughter. Except her daughter wasn’t ill. (Buzzfeed)

-- How a breathtaking Grand Canyon photo came to be. (National Geographic)

ONLY IN L.A.

As a photographer for the Associated Press in L.A., Nick Ut has documented fires, earthquakes, courtroom trials, celebrities and countless other scenes of daily life in Southern California. But he’ll always be remembered for a photo he took in his native Vietnam of the 9-year-old “napalm girl” in 1972. Now, the Pulitzer winner has announced his plans to retire. Not that his family entirely believes it. Take a look back at a remarkable career.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.