Today: Will They Stand With Bernie? Route 66’s Ugly Past.

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

How Many Other Candidates Stand With Bernie?

Bernie Sanders may be facing an uphill fight in winning the Democratic presidential nomination over Hillary Clinton, but he’s inspiring others to tap into his progressive spirit. How deep is the movement? A key test could come today, as Oregon holds its primary. Analysts will be keeping an eye on how candidates aligned with Sanders’ politics perform across the state.

The Ugly Past of America’s ‘Mother Road’

Route 66 inspired a song, a TV show and the movie “Cars.” It was immortalized in the novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” But for African Americans it could be a treacherous route if they ended up in the wrong town. That’s why Victor H. Green began publishing the Negro Motorist’s Green Book in 1936, to help African Americans avoid “embarrassing moments” along the nation’s highways. Read on to see how that guide is helping lay the groundwork for the rehabilitation and protection of historic structures in Los Angeles and watch a video of one motorist’s experience in the 1960s.

‘This Is How You Beat an Inmate’

Just a week ago, two L.A. County sheriff’s deputies were sentenced to federal prison for lying on reports they wrote about violently subduing a handcuffed jail inmate. Now, two more deputies – including one responsible for training new recruits -- have been found guilty of beating a mentally ill inmate and falsifying reports to cover up the attack. As a prosecutor put it, the 2010 beating was in part a lesson to a new hire: “This is how you beat an inmate. This is how things are done at Twin Towers.”

The Compromise on Contraception

What to do when there’s a divisive issue facing the evenly split U.S. Supreme Court? In the battle between the Catholic Church and the Obama administration over free birth control, the answer was to avoid the major legal questions and announce a compromise between the parties. For now, women working for religious organizations should be able to receive free contraception via the Affordable Care Act. Here’s why it could end up back before the justices.

India’s Mud-Wrestling Warriors

Two hundred almonds, seven to 10 eggs, a pound of mutton, several bananas, some green vegetables, a half-pound of clarified butter, and four liters of milk, often freshly squeezed from a nearby cow. Nandu Abdar’s diet isn’t for lightweights, nor is his sport: kushti, a style of mud-clay wrestling that dates to the 16th century. The Indian government may prefer mat wrestling in hopes of getting Olympic glory, but the kushti ways endure. Get a closer look at them here in words and pictures.

CALIFORNIA

-- The L.A. Unified School District has reached an $88-million settlement in sex misconduct cases at two campuses.

-- “I have other stuff to do.” Why some California politicians are skipping the Republican National Convention.

-- For the first time, some Orange County voters might have to choose between two Democrats for Congress.

-- Only 60 vaquita porpoises are left in the Gulf of California, and gill-net fishing is to blame, experts say.

NATION-WORLD

-- Hillary Clinton keeps losing. So how come she’s winning?

-- How much do the Saudis own in U.S. Treasuries? After four decades, it’s no longer a secret.

-- The Philippines’ president-elect vows to restore the death penalty and offer Cabinet posts to rebels.

-- Some Russian debt collectors are resorting to threats and violence as the country’s economy worsens.

-- Exercising drives down risk for 13 cancers, research shows.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Case closed: Saying goodbye to “Castle,” which signs off after eight seasons.

-- Can $400 million in promotion help make an “Angry Birds” movie a hit?

-- Vanessa Redgrave and director James Ivory look back on “Howards End.”

-- Video: Actress Gillian Jacobs talks about her show “Love,” writing for Lenny and more.

-- At USC and Disney Hall, finding the body and soul of the cello.

BUSINESS

-- Warren Buffett’s company bought 9.8 million Apple shares.

-- Banks may sue the federal government for the right to deny customers the right to sue.

-- Gannett’s bid for Tribune Publishing, owner of The Times, has jumped to $15 a share.

SPORTS

-- Angels put up two big innings, beat Dodgers, 8-7.

-- Los Angeles Angels’ pursuit of Tim Lincecum has a familiar ring to it.

-- The Lakers have a lot riding on today’s NBA draft lottery, but GM Mitch Kupchak doesn’t want to talk about it.

OPINION

-- Our bodies make vitamin D. So why do Americans spend billions on supplements?

-- “I use pain medication, but I’m not an addict.”

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- How three U.S. citizens were recruited by Islamic State. (NBC News)

-- Golf courses are closing around the country, and country club members are left holding the bag. (Bloomberg)

-- Can a team ban fans from wearing in the opposing team’s jersey? They’re doing it in Tampa Bay. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

ONLY IN L.A.

There’s been much ado about a little black dress. Or more precisely, about a gray sweater that was handed to KTLA weather woman Liberté Chan on Saturday morning’s telecast, after the station apparently received complaints about her attire. Was #sweatergate an example of workplace sexism, an inside joke, or both? Read on to see what Chan and the station had to say.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.