Newsletter: Today: Two Sides of Trump Nation. A Road Less Traveled.

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

Two Sides of Trump Nation

In Laredo, Texas, Patti Magnon knows she’s in the minority as a Donald Trump supporter who grew up in Mexico. But she’s also not alone. Meanwhile, in the timber town of Cave Junction, Ore., Keven Jones has struggled after the lumber mill went under. He too supports the New York billionaire, but is a bit more philosophical: “Trump is like choosing the least-bad STD, you know what I mean?” They’re featured in the latest installments of our continuing look at Trump Nation.

Cruz’s Last Stand?

Indiana will go to the polls on Tuesday in what’s shaping up to be a turning point in the Republican race. It’s being billed as Ted Cruz’s last chance to block Trump’s momentum, and the first time in a generation that so much attention has been paid to the Hoosier State. So what do voters think of the commotion? “It’s what Iowans experience all the time,” said one. Read on to see the varied approaches the candidates took in Indiana after this weekend’s GOP convention in California.

Emails That Were No Joke

The emails mocked Muslims, blacks, Latinos, women and others. They were sent from Tom Angel’s Burbank police work account in 2012 and 2013. Now, Angel has resigned as chief of staff for L.A. County Sheriff Jim McDonnell. And after initially saying he had no immediate plans to discipline Angel, McDonnell will use the incident as a “learning opportunity” for the department. Was the response appropriate? Read on for reaction from community leaders and to read the emails.

California’s Road Less Traveled

Before there was the Golden State Freeway or Highway 99, there was the Ridge Route -- a winding highway that connected Northern and Southern California and once had gas stations, diners, nightclubs and hotels that drew gangsters and Hollywood stars. For Harrison Scott, its historic preservation has been a passion project. But is this the end of the road?

Lord Ganesh Is One Skype Away

It seems as if you can get anything online these days. For busy and devoted Hindus, that includes religious services known as pujas, part of a burgeoning e-worship sector in India. “People want to keep traditions alive but no one has time to keep up, especially if you are far away from home,” says one site operator.

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- The government wants your fingerprint to unlock your phone. Should that be allowed?

-- Why most of the freight engines that Metrolink is leasing to improve safety are sitting idle.

-- A parallel Chinese-language Internet helps immigrants navigate life in America.

-- Latino activists vow more Trump protests as tensions heighten.

-- Steve Lopez: President Trump and California is a beautiful union. Believe me.

-- A 113-year-old Japanese American newspaper in L.A. must get 10,000 subscribers by year’s end or else close its doors.

-- Luke Walton says the Lakers’ coaching job was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

-- Bill Maher outlasts others in an industry that eats its young.

CALIFORNIA

-- Donald Trump acts as a unifying force for May Day marchers in downtown L.A.

-- Rising confidence in the state’s economy is a challenge for GOP presidential candidates.

-- The state won’t celebrate John Wayne Day; one lawmaker calls the actor’s views on race “disturbing.”

-- George Skelton: When it comes to paying taxes, California is Bernie Sanders’ kind of state.

NATION-WORLD

-- China has a bold gambit to cement trade with Europe ... along the ancient Silk Road.

-- As Russian planes bombard Syrian rebels, the debate over anti-aircraft missiles returns.

-- President Obama drops the mic at his last White House Correspondents’ Dinner as president; Al Sharpton says Larry Wilmore’s calling Obama the N-word was in bad taste.

-- A weeping “miracle” icon is drawing thousands of pilgrims to an Illinois church.

-- Malia Obama will take a gap year, then attend Harvard in 2017.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- The Stagecoach festival in Indio has a cross-country-music appeal.

-- Can Stephen Colbert get his “Late Night” groove back?

-- Will Ferrell is no longer attached to a Ronald Reagan film after a backlash.

-- The “Hamilton” effect: The hit re-shapes Broadway’s Tony season.

-- For artist Betye Saar, there’s no dwelling on the past; at 90, she has too much future to think about.

-- Fox’s “Houdini & Doyle”: The game is afoot in turn-of-the-last-century London.

-- Album review: Contradictions abound on Drake’s bitter but sensual “Views.”

BUSINESS

-- Junk bond king Michael Milken looms large in the L.A. finance industry.

-- How Chobani’s CEO ensures that employees will share in the company’s success.

SPORTS

-- Dominguez High freshman multi-sport standout Sean Harlston stays true to his Compton school.

-- Ben Bolch: Doc Rivers shouldn’t even think about breaking up the Clippers’ core.

OPINION

-- Why has there been an exodus of black residents from West Coast liberal hubs?

-- Don’t judge me for my Jesus memes.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- A startup in Florida quietly looks to lead the way in virtual reality. (Wired)

-- Look sharp: the messages behind the style of African American dandyism. (PrimeMind)

-- More cheese, please? The U.S. has its largest stockpile of cheese since 1984. (Bloomberg)

ONLY IN L.A.

Nicolas Berggruen was once known as the homeless billionaire, staying in hotels as he jetted around the globe. But with his 2-month-old babies -- a brother and sister born from one egg donor and two surrogates -- he’s put down stakes in West Hollywood. Nearby, he wants to build the headquarters for his think tank, the Berggruen Institute. Read on to see why he’s picked the eastern Santa Monica Mountains for “a secular monastery.”

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.