Today: Primary Concerns. In Compton, a Most Violent Year.

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

Primary Concerns

How important is winning the California primary one week from today? Bernie Sanders has been campaigning nonstop through the state, and with at least one public poll showing the race is now a tie, Hillary Clinton will be coming back early to campaign. Meanwhile, Donald Trump keeps popping up as all-purpose boogeyman in races, such as for the state Assembly, with which he has no connection.

In Compton, a Most Violent Year

Fifteen people have been killed in Compton so far this year. That’s triple the number of killings for the same period in 2015. Though the city of roughly 100,000 has had a violent past -- more than a decade ago, 70 people were killed in just one year – authorities are worried the current surge is undoing the progress made in recent years. That includes federal help to fight crime. Read on to see what’s behind the killings and how they might be stopped.

The Medicine That Was Headed for Prince

We still don’t know the cause of Prince’s death more than a month ago, but authorities are trying to determine if prescription drugs played a role. That investigation has put a spotlight on a medication called buprenorphine. A drug-addiction consultant headed to Prince’s home was carrying a small amount of it, according to the consultant’s attorney. While some praise the drug as one of the most effective treatments for opioid addiction, others warn that it can cause dependency.

Feel the Berg: The Politics of Oscar

Steven Spielberg. Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Laura Dern. In this year’s elections for the Oscars’ board of governors, these three candidates and many more are trying to woo disaffected voters who are angry about not being heard. (Sound familiar?) There’s a flood of contenders this time around. Some, like composer William Goldstein, are upset about the film academy enacting big changes to its membership. One wonders: Is anyone vowing to make the academy great again?

Silk Roadblocks

China has a vision of forging a modern Silk Road, from the western Chinese hinterlands through Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe — mirroring the route once traveled by Marco Polo. That plan starts in Pakistan. So China is handing out $46 billion in investments to improve its neighbor’s infrastructure. But that also means families are being uprooted to make way, and judges are putting the brakes on some projects.

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- Sen. Edward J. Markey is calling for investigation of Purdue Pharma after a Times story on OxyContin.

-- The handsome undercover cop smiles. Is he entrapping gay men or cleaning up a park?

-- Trump weirdness in Fresno: Latinos who love him, and police who charm the protesters.

-- The case of a fired hospital worker points to a trail of stolen drugs and thousands of patients at risk.

-- L.A. Fire Department inspectors accuse supervisors of cutting corners and ignoring fire hazards.

-- The Philippines has 1.8 million abandoned children. Here’s what keeps many from adoption.

-- Summer TV: A new “Roots,” Cameron Crowe’s “Roadies” and a guide to all the shows you’ll want to watch this season.

-- Discover our desert national parks and rediscover yourself. You can start with Joshua Tree.

CALIFORNIA

-- Hundreds gather for a Memorial Day ceremony at Los Angeles National Cemetery, home to “80,000 stories of bravery.”

-- Graffiti is scrubbed from veterans memorial in Venice, but more restoration work remains.

-- “She’s alive, and I know it,” the sister of kidnapped Pearl Pinson says, as authorities suspend their search.

-- Santa Catalina Island will vote on allowing marijuana dispensaries.

NATION-WORLD

-- President Obama, marking Memorial Day, calls on Americans to remember “those from whom we asked everything.”

-- Chicago will release police videos and reports from 100 incidents in a bid to gain public trust.

-- Animal rights activists held a vigil for the gorilla killed at the Cincinnati Zoo.

-- Extra wide, pink parking spots for women in China spark an online debate about sexism.

-- Health experts question a federal study linking cellphones to brain tumors.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- This terminally ill comedian is standing up to his cancer in an HBO special.

-- “X-Men” director Bryan Singer reveals how he built the “Apocalypse.”

-- This year’s Venice Architecture Biennale shines a spotlight not just on the architects but also the people who use, buy, rent, build and clean the buildings.

-- Fox’s Megyn Kelly could test the value of star power in a changing TV news market.

-- Small world: Disney characters are spotted at a rival Chinese theme park.

BUSINESS

-- A federal case could take Google’s payday lending crackdown one step further.

-- Viacom board members vow to fight an attempt to remove them.

-- Why hasn’t TSA PreCheck reduced airport wait times?

-- Auto review: The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan.

SPORTS

-- Stephen Curry wins a battle of the superstars, leading the Golden State Warriors to the NBA Finals.

-- Mexican soccer star Alan Pulido was rescued several hours after being abducted, authorities said.

OPINION

-- Reforming the police disciplinary system should be done in public view, not in backroom negotiations.

-- A professor writes that Russia’s got a point: The U.S. broke a NATO promise.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- In China, they aren’t quite sure what to think of Trump. (South China Morning Post)

-- Kim Jong Un’s aunt will do your dry-cleaning in New York. (Washington Post)

-- A newly translated story by Alexander Pushkin. (Literary Hub)

ONLY IN L.A.

Giant batch freezers. Liquid nitrogen. Bicycles. L.A. is home to a lot of ways to make ice cream. With our newly updated guide to where to get ice cream and gelato, you can compare and contrast the methods – all in the name of research, of course. If you have ever wondered what cinnamon-date-tahini ice cream or chocolate-jalapeño gelato tastes like, here’s the stuff.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.