Newsletter: Can you hear the whistles blowing?

Here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:

TOP STORIES

Can You Hear the Whistles Blowing?

Lawyers say a second whistleblower has come forward in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump, and more may be in the offing, raising the possibility of damaging new disclosures as people in proximity to the president begin to provide evidence.

Trump and his allies have tried to cast his appeals to foreign governments to investigate Joe Biden and his son as part of a wide-ranging anti-corruption drive, though the president, when asked last week, could not name another such investigation. On Twitter, Trump continues to lash out, accusing a number of lawmakers of treason or calling for their impeachment.

More Politics

— In his first interview with a Western news outlet, Andriy Yermak, a top advisor to Ukraine’s president, said ill-informed accounts peddled by members of Trump’s inner circle threatened to poison U.S.-Ukrainian relations this year and gave Trump a cover for suspending military aid.

— So, what did Joe Biden actually do in Ukraine? Here are the facts.

— Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky saw protesters demonstrate against his plan to resolve the country’s conflict with Russian-backed militias.

More Twists in the War Against Islamic State

The White House says Turkey will soon invade northern Syria, casting uncertainty on the fate of the Kurdish fighters allied with the U.S. in a campaign against Islamic State. Even before this announcement, the fight against the militant group has proved a difficult puzzle, as this report from a village on the front lines shows.

First Monday in October

“Dreamers.” LGBTQ rights. Religion. Abortion. These are some of the major issues the Supreme Court will consider as it opens a new term today. With five conservatives and four liberals, ideological rifts are sure to follow. The wild card again may be Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

The Harsher Reality of Life on the Streets

Mental illness, substance abuse and physical disabilities are much more pervasive in Los Angeles County’s homeless population than officials have previously reported. That’s according to a Times analysis of more than 4,000 questionnaires taken as part of this year’s count of homeless people. The L.A. Homeless Services Authority narrowly interpreted the data to produce much lower numbers.

(Los Angeles Times)

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OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

— Killings in Mexico are on the rise, and the vast majority of guns were smuggled from the United States.

— Columnist Robin Abcarian: “I’ve written a lot on domestic violence. This time it’s personal. My friend was killed by her husband.”

— Business used to be booming for vape shops in L.A., but their future now is cloudy.

— The 20 best Asian American films of the last 20 years.

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CALIFORNIA

— Vaping bans are supposed to help fight nicotine addiction, but some worry they could do more harm than good.

— The city of Del Mar is gearing up for a tussle with the California Coastal Commission over the best way to adapt to rising sea levels, an issue with statewide implications.

— Five people, including the owner, were injured Saturday night at an Oktoberfest celebration at Old World Village in Huntington Beach when three electrical transformers exploded. A manager says it could have been much worse.

— Moderate Santa Ana winds are expected to start late Wednesday evening in L.A. and Ventura counties. They’re expected to bring hot, dry conditions to the region and increase the risk for fast-moving wildfires.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

— Box-office estimates show “Joker” had the best October opening for a film. But what to make of its ending? Director Todd Phillips explains.

— Ginger Baker, esteemed as one of the most virtuosic drummers ever through his innovative work with English rock bands Cream and the short-lived Blind Faith, has died at 80.

— The true story behind the film “Judy” as told by Rosalyn Wilder, who once worked with Judy Garland.

— Making the case for a queer Batwoman: now more than ever.

NATION-WORLD

— Police say two men opened fire inside a bar in Kansas City, Kan., early Sunday, killing four people and wounding five others in a shooting believed to have stemmed from an earlier dispute.

— Shouting “Wearing mask is not a crime,” tens of thousands of protesters in Hong Kong marched against a ban on mask wearing.

— On this Greek island, goats outnumber human inhabitants 15-fold, and they are munching stretches of it into a moonscape.

BUSINESS

— The trial of a Huawei executive has exposed cracks in the tough-to-win extradition case.

— If long-term care insurance costs too much, you have a choice to make.

SPORTS

— The Dodgers used a seven-run outburst in the sixth inning to defeat the Washington Nationals 10-4. The Dodgers have a chance to close out the National League Division Series tonight.

Subscribe to our Dodgers Dugout newsletter for in-depth coverage.

— Can the UCLA football season get worse? Columnist Helene Elliott thinks it’s very likely.

OPINION

— Trump is getting pounded in Washington. But in Sacramento, columnist George Skelton writes, he’s receiving nifty gifts.

— It was a terrible idea to build a new freeway in Los Angeles County. Now it’s on hold for good.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has a new campaign ad: “The way that impeachment stops is a Senate majority with me as majority leader.” (Courier Journal)

— Beyond the death toll, the war in Yemen is threatening cultural treasures, including ancient skyscrapers. (The Guardian)

— An oral history of how Lilith Fair came to be and what it meant to a generation. (Vanity Fair)

ONLY IN L.A.

Rip Taylor may have started off as “the crying comedian,” but by the time he made it big on TV game shows, he was known for raining confetti upon himself and the audience. Taylor, who died over the weekend at 84, was apparently so proud of his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that he’d regularly schedule trips to buff and clean it.

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