Newsletter: Today: Will Trump Build Bridges or Get Him to Pay for the Wall? Secret Lovers and a Novel Detailing the ‘Perfect Crime.’

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

Will Trump Build Bridges or Get Him to Pay for the Wall?

Donald Trump is meeting with the president of Mexico today (surprise!), just hours before he will give a big speech on immigration. Should the line “Remember to actually vote” be included? An analysis of the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times Daybreak tracking poll reveals that there is a bloc of disaffected voters large enough to potentially swing the election Trump’s way. Getting them to turn out, though, could be the hard part.

More Politics

-- About 30 Hillary Clinton emails that may be related to the Benghazi attack were recovered during the FBI’s recently closed investigation, according to the State Department.

-- Can Trump win over black voters? Ask Barry Goldwater.

Secret Lovers and a Novel Detailing the ‘Perfect Crime’

Jill Easter self-published a novel about “a patient woman with a formidable intelligence” who was consumed with revenge. Irvine police found it in her master bedroom. The book would prove to be a fascinating read for detectives as they investigated whether Jill and her husband, Kent, had planted drugs in a PTA mom’s car — and as legal wrangling over the couple’s phone records dragged on. It turns out, writing novels wasn’t the only thing Jill had going on the side. Read Chapter 3 of Christopher Goffard’s gripping six-part series, “Framed.”

The End of Islamic State’s Chief Agitator

Islamic State is losing territory in its heartland straddling Syria and Iraq. Now it appears to have lost perhaps the most visible architect of its war against the West. The terrorist group announced the death of Abu Muhammad Adnani, who not only was involved in operational strategy but also articulated a message that lone wolves and Islamic State’s most lethally trained operatives listened to.

An Unlikely Voice for Zimbabwe’s Masses

It started with a four-minute video: “This flag. This beautiful flag. They tell me that the green is for the vegetation and for the crops. I don’t see any crops in my country,” Baptist pastor Evan Mawarire says to the camera as he holds the flag of Zimbabwe. With that, a protest movement against 92-year-old President Robert Mugabe’s rule was born — and Mawarire was forced to flee.

Chris Brown Fought the Law. Guess Who Won.

An hours-long standoff. An Instagram rant. The hum of news choppers. A strange scene unfolded at Chris Brown’s home in Tarzana after a woman accused him of pointing a gun at her. As police stood outside, waiting for a search warrant to enter, Brown took his case to social media, railing against authorities and saying he was being unfairly portrayed as a villain. Later, police took him into custody.

CALIFORNIA

-- Authorities found the remains of five people after a suspicious fire at an adult-care facility for the developmentally disabled in Temecula.

-- California may soon end the statute of limitations for prosecuting rape and other felony sex crimes.

-- L.A. will spend more than $200 million to settle a federal lawsuit alleging that the city failed to provide enough apartments for people with disabilities.

-- Hey, whatever happened to …? Steve Lopez catches up with three people he’s profiled over the years.

NATION-WORLD

-- The Obama administration is urging lawmakers to approve $1 billion for opioid treatment.

-- At least 78 homicides and more than 400 people shot: This month has been Chicago’s most violent in 20 years.

-- Texas’ attorney general has sued a county that tried to ban guns from its courthouse.

-- Israel and the United Nations traded harsh words over the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

-- Is the man who ruled Uzbekistan with an iron fist for 25 years dead or dying?

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- The mind-boggling calculus of what constitutes a No. 1 album today.

-- Some thoughts on grieving those we did not know but loved, such as Gene Wilder, Prince, David Bowie, Harper Lee and so many more.

-- The summer of our discontent: When movie franchise overload killed originality.

-- Read, watch or both? Here are eight movies based on books coming in September.

-- Not a misprint: Ryan Lochte and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry are joining “Dancing With the Stars.”

BUSINESS

-- The European Union has ordered Ireland to send Apple a bill for up to $14.5 billion in back taxes, plus interest.

-- Hawaiian Gardens has a lot riding on a $90-million overhaul of its casino.

-- A Northern California strawberry grower has been fined $2.4 million for labor violations.

SPORTS

-- Authorities say suspended USC linebacker Osa Masina is under investigation in a sexual assault.

-- Rams quarterback Jared Goff could get his first NFL start, even if it’s only a preseason game.

OPINION

-- Is it time to tune out the presidential race until the debates?

-- Understanding the Nate Parker scandal.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The challenges of religious studies in the time of trigger warnings and safe spaces. (The Atlantic)

-- Meet the “Poison Squad,” a group of tuxedoed men who ate toxic foodstuffs in the name of science before the advent of the FDA. (Atlas Obscura)

-- “I should have killed you”: Read a 1934 letter from Clyde Barrow to an imprisoned ex-member of his gang. (Smithsonian Magazine)

ONLY IN L.A.

You remember Tebowing? Tim Tebow’s career as an NFL quarterback is over, but he’s taking a leap of faith into the world of professional baseball. Tebow went to the campus of USC to showcase his skills on the diamond. Can he throw a baseball as well as a football? Judge for yourself.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.