Newsletter: Today: ‘We Are Not as Divided as We Seem.’ Sanders Is With Her; Now What?
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
‘We Are Not as Divided as We Seem’
“I’m here to insist that we are not as divided as we seem,” President Obama said, while former President George W. Bush declared that empathy bridges Americans’ “deepest divisions.” At a memorial service for the fallen Dallas police officers, both appealed to the country’s sense of unity. But is the nation listening? For Obama especially, it was a complicated dynamic trying to appeal to activists and police who have criticized him.
Protests Over a South L.A. Killing
In the year after Redel Jones’ fatal shooting by LAPD officers, her name has been chanted at meetings and spread on Twitter as a hashtag. So as leaders in Dallas called for unity, demonstrators gathered in downtown L.A. to hear the Police Commission’s decision on whether officers were justified in shooting her. The ruling that officers were within policy touched off protests. Here’s a look at the scene and the facts of the case.
More About Justice and Race
-- It’s not just Dallas. The number of police officers killed in America has increased.
-- From Ferguson to Baton Rouge: Here are the stories of black men and women who died at the hands of police.
Sanders Is With Her. Now What?
After weeks of careful negotiations and some fancy footwork, Bernie Sanders finally endorsed Hillary Clinton. Will his avid supporters follow suit? Times Washington bureau chief David Lauter examines how the Democratic Party is positioning itself to take on Donald Trump and how disaffected Sanders voters’ decision in November could affect key swing states.
More From the Campaign Trail
-- Donald Trump declines an invitation to speak at the NAACP convention.
-- Trump says Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s remarks about him are a “disgrace” to the Supreme Court.
Drawing a Line in the Sea
Is it an island, a rock or a low-tide elevation? Those seemingly arcane distinctions were at the heart of the Philippines’ case against China over a vast expanse of the South China Sea. At stake: control over the land, water and all its abundant resources. But will an international tribunal’s ruling against Beijing yesterday stir up these already troubled waters or help lead to an eventual resolution? Either way, China plans to ignore the court.
Get High, Help the Homeless?
L.A. County has been struggling for a way to pay for housing and health services for the homeless. Officials have considered taxes on millionaires, properties and sales, all to no avail. Now, voters will get to decide in November on whether to impose a tax on marijuana businesses. The county would take 10% of the gross receipts of medical and recreational marijuana operations, assuming state voters approve the latter at the same time.
CALIFORNIA
-- The chancellor of UC Berkeley is under investigation for the alleged misuse of public funds and the personal use of a campus athletic trainer.
-- A fourth Chinese student has been sentenced to three years in prison in the “parachute kid” bullying case.
-- “Pokemon Go” ends abruptly for teen siblings in San Francisco after a robber snatches their smartphone.
-- A “fort” used by a Lunada Bay surfer gang will be demolished, Palos Verdes Estates leaders say.
NATION-WORLD
-- Britain’s incoming prime minister faces some tough questions. At least Larry, the Downing Street cat, gets to stay.
-- The FBI has ended its nearly 45-year investigation into the identity of skyjacker D.B. Cooper.
-- The nation’s oldest park ranger has returned to work after she was beaten and robbed in her home.
-- Turkey is providing medical treatment and aid to residents of the impoverished Gaza Strip.
-- It turns out the Apollo 11 computer code had references to the Black Power movement and quoted Shakespeare.
HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS
-- People hated the new “Ghostbusters” trailer. So how does the movie stack up?
-- TV critic Mary McNamara: In an era when TV ratings matter less, the Emmys matter more. The nominations are Thursday.
-- Conspiracy thriller “Mr. Robot” is back, and it looks and feels like nothing else on TV.
-- Folk-rock singer-songwriter Jenny Lewis has a new project that’s rowdy and fun.
-- Artist Jorge Gutierrez’s “Border Bang” is an ode to the pop culture of his Tijuana youth.
BUSINESS
-- A lawsuit alleges nepotism, waste and assault at Hyperloop One, including an incident involving a noose.
-- The turmoil at parent company Viacom is putting Paramount Pictures CEO Brad Grey in a tight spot.
SPORTS
-- Major League Baseball’s All-Star game is Big Papi’s happy place.
-- Manny Pacquiao tells promoter Bob Arum he’s willing to un-retire for a fall bout.
OPINION
-- A permit to pose as Batman? The L.A. City Council’s proposed rule would ruin Hollywood’s street scene.
-- America could elect its first female president. Why can’t we handle an all-female “Ghostbusters”?
WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING
-- China censors online calls for war against the U.S. or the Philippines after the South China Sea ruling. (Foreign Policy)
-- Jennifer Aniston: “The objectification and scrutiny we put women through is absurd and disturbing.” (Huffington Post)
-- Can an $8,000 men’s suit be copied? An author goes on an international quest. (The New Yorker)
ONLY IN L.A.
It was a real-life version of the children’s book “Make Way for Ducklings.” When drivers spotted a full-grown duck on the eastbound 134 Freeway, the California Highway Patrol went out to investigate. That’s when an officer spotted the mother duck’s babies trapped under a storm drain grate. See how the CHP got its ducklings in a row.
Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.
