Newsletter: Today: Trump’s ‘Yuge’ Union Fight. Dog of Valor.

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

Minimum Wage, Maximum Leave

A week after Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to increase California’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022, he took the next step: approving a big increase in family-leave benefits that will take effect in 2018. Read on to see how it could affect you.

Trump’s Yuge Union Fight

Donald Trump’s campaign has touted him as a champion for the working class, and his book “The America We Deserve” says “unions are about the only political force reminding us to remember the American working family.” That’s why workers at his Las Vegas hotel are wondering why managers there bitterly fought a move to unionize. Take a closer look at a labor situation about which Trump has had little to say publicly.

These Beetles Would Eat Norwegian Wood

The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue: the polyphagous shot hole borer. It’s the beetle that is attacking and killing trees throughout Southern California, and no one knows how to stop it. So when the trees at UC Irvine started to succumb, scientists turned the campus into a giant research lab. Here’s how they’re trying to study and defeat the bugs.

An App a Day Keeps the Doctor Away?

How fast is your heartbeat? Are you getting enough sun? Are you depressed? There’s an app to answer all of these questions and more. By one estimate, there are more than 165,000 involving health and wellness available for download. Though some experts see the rise of medical apps as a net positive, they also raise issues about how reliable they are. Here’s how the FDA and researchers are trying to keep up with the pace of innovation.

Chinese Spread the Wealth in the U.S.

A new study shows Chinese investment in U.S. businesses continues to grow. No surprise that California remains a top draw, but the findings by the nonprofit National Committee on U.S.-China Relations and research firm Rhodium Group show that the money is increasingly being spread throughout the States. Read on to see why agriculture could be the next area of interest.

Pipe Dreams

The pipe organ is known as the king of instruments. And in Southern California, it’s still good to be king, even if it’s not all that fashionable. Did you know a church in Westlake has the planet’s third-largest pipe organ? Or that San Diego is trying to reclaim its record for the largest of all outdoor pipe organs? Music critic Mark Swed introduces us to a world of sonic grandeur.

CALIFORNIA

-- L.A. County’s $28-billion budget proposal aims to address homelessness and improve jails.

-- Uncovering information about police misconduct might soon get easier in California.

-- Ted Cruz rallies his supporters in Orange County and says Trump is ranting because he’s been losing.

-- A charter school is awarded $7.1 million in its case against LAUSD.

NATION-WORLD

-- A U.S. Navy officer is charged with espionage and providing secret information to China and Taiwan.

-- China’s first transgender employment discrimination case heads to court.

-- A German comedian may be prosecuted for his obscene poem about Turkey’s president.

-- John Kerry’s comments in Afghanistan spur anger and claims of U.S. interference.

-- NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has recovered from emergency mode, but what triggered it?

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- With the new TV series “Hunters,” Syfy dives into geopolitical waters.

-- New Hollywood player STX Entertainment hopes to grab the spotlight.

-- Expect extra-big art installations at this year’s Coachella festival.

-- No charges for “dog whisperer” Cesar Millan after an animal cruelty investigation.

-- Settlement talks between Sumner Redstone and an ex-girlfriend have hit a roadblock.

-- Ban the Bible? The top 10 banned or challenged books of 2015.

BUSINESS

-- Critics say warnings of summer blackouts are a scare tactic to keep Aliso Canyon open.

-- Tesla issues a safety recall for its Model X: Back seats could fold forward in a sudden stop.

SPORTS

-- Vin Scully gets an avenue of his own in Chavez Ravine.

-- A hero, a villain or a legend? What Kobe Bryant meant to readers.

OPINION

-- A Utah abortion bill is reckless meddling into women’s health.

-- Jonah Goldberg: Ted Cruz isn’t Donald Trump, so he’s good enough.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- A remote northern Ontario First Nation is dealing with a rash of suicide attempts. (Toronto Star)

-- Tracking down the documents that tie Syria’s government to war crimes. (The New Yorker)

-- Why the “world’s most famous violin” hasn’t been heard in our lifetime. (Literary Hub)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Lucca is no ordinary German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix. She led more than 400 patrols in Afghanistan and Iraq and is credited with at least 40 finds of insurgents, explosives and ammunition. Though there were no human casualties during her patrols, she lost her front left leg when an IED exploded. Now, she’s become the first U.S. military dog to receive Britain’s highest award for valor by a military animal. Read on for more about Lucca’s career and the Marine who cares for her.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.