Today: What Congress Knew About Clawbacks From Soldiers in War. Here's the Story of That Bear on California's Flag.

Oct. 25, 2016 5 AM PT

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

What Congress Knew About Clawbacks From Soldiers in War

Congress members are trying to stop the Pentagon from demanding that thousands of California National Guard soldiers repay enlistment bonuses they received after going to war a decade ago. But a senior National Guard official says it told the state’s members of Congress two years ago about the issue. The elected officials’ outrage, echoed by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, is coming after The Times reported on the practice this weekend. And it now appears to be even more widespread than before.

A Beloved Bus Driver With a Checkered Safety Record

Teodulo Elias Vides owned and drove the tour bus involved in a crash that killed him and 12 of his passengers. In Koreatown, former customers remembered him as friendly and kind. Records show that he had been sued at least twice for negligence after collisions with vehicles, one of which resulted in three deaths. His company received at least six “unsatisfactory” ratings from the California Highway Patrol. And Vides had been cited in several counties for traffic violations.

The Two-Week Stretch and … Live From Trump Tower

Two weeks from now, election day will be here and the results are … well, we’ll keep you in suspense on that. Clinton and Trump are both scheduled to campaign in the key battleground state of Florida today. Meanwhile, amid speculation that Trump will launch a media network after the election, his campaign started a nightly online show from Trump Tower, to bypass the mainstream media.

More Politics

-- A report ties a campaign donation from a Hillary Clinton ally to an FBI official’s spouse.

-- Trump noted his latest accuser is a porn star: “Oh, I’m sure she’s never been grabbed before.”

-- “Nasty women” has become the new “deplorables,” an insult turned into a rallying cry.

Here’s the Story of That Bear on California’s Flag — and T-Shirts

Its origins date back to an uprising by American settlers against the authorities in what was then part of Mexico. The flag that flew over Sonoma as part of the Bear Flag Revolt of 1846 included a crude drawing of a grizzly and a red star made of women’s underthings. But before it would become California’s state flag, a war with Mexico and a taxidermied bear owned by William Randolph Hearst would intervene. Correspondent Peter King recounts the flag’s history and chats with the surfer dudes who would turn it into a fashion icon.

A Starchitect’s Sunset Strip Plan Gets Pushback

Developers turned to Frank Gehry for a project to remake the Sunset Strip at Crescent Heights Boulevard: two residential towers, terraced gardens and a shopping center with the architect’s trademark style. But residents nearby are worried the development is just too big, and Councilman David Ryu is calling for major size reductions. It’s just the latest round of the push and pull over how Los Angeles should grow.

YOUR ELECTION GUIDE

-- Californians weighing how to vote on the gun controls in Proposition 63 may find themselves experiencing déjà vu.

-- The skinny on Proposition 54, which aims to increase government transparency.

-- What to make of all of California’s 17 propositions on the ballot.

-- Endorsements by The Times’ editorial board.

CALIFORNIA

-- Officials say a mysterious fire at a Temecula adult-care facility in which five bodies were found appears to have followed a quadruple murder and a suicide.

-- Allies of the late Tom Hayden are paying tribute to his dogged pursuit of liberal causes.

-- Southern California got some much-needed rain, and a stronger storm is due later this week.

-- Downtown L.A.’s long-delayed federal courthouse has opened, and our architecture critic says it’s an unusually polished work of civic architecture.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Have fans of “The Walking Dead” seen enough misery?

-- Playwright Karen Zacarías sends up and politically examines telenovelas in the theatrical roller-coaster “Destiny of Desire.”

-- The wonderfully weird “Branchini Madonna” painting is at the heart of an engrossing art show at the Getty.

-- It’s not even November, but our awards columnist Glenn Whipp has some early Oscar predictions.

-- Pete Burns, the singer behind the dark new wave band Dead or Alive, has died at age 57.

NATION-WORLD

-- Several dozen people were killed and over 100 injured when three armed militants attacked a police training center in Pakistan.

-- Premiums will go up sharply next year under President Obama’s healthcare law, and many consumers will be down to just one insurer.

-- Clashes, arrests and fears: The pipeline protest in North Dakota reaches a boiling point.

-- Adnan Syed, the “Serial” podcast subject whose murder conviction was overturned this summer, is asking a judge to let him out of jail as he awaits a new trial.

-- Cheng Zhangong’s father was beaten to death by his high school classmates during the Cultural Revolution. The school called it a suicide. Now, he wants to set the record straight.

-- Cigarette smoking can be blamed for at least 167,133 cancer deaths in the U.S. in a single year, according to a new report.

BUSINESS

-- AT&T and Time Warner could just be the start of a wave of media mergers.

-- Tesla has plunged in Consumer Reports’ rankings.

-- Want Halloween decorations, beach equipment or camping gear, but don’t have the space to store it all? An L.A. start-up wants to be the Uber of that.

SPORTS

-- The Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians meet for Game 1 of the World Series today. Do you know Cubs starter Jon Lester’s biggest weakness?

-- The Lakers made their final roster cuts but kept forwards Metta World Peace and Thomas Robinson.

OPINION

-- Meet the write-in candidate for president who has a very long shot if he can win in Utah.

-- History isn’t a “useless” major. It teaches critical thinking, and America could use a lot more of that.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Airlines have been trying to one-up each other with wacky safety videos, but some passengers want it to stop. (Wall Street Journal)

-- It’s a good time to be an Airbnb landlord and a bad time to be a goat in Chicago, thanks to Cubs fever. (Chicago Tribune)

-- Remembering Thom Jones, the janitor-turned-author who died last week. (Literary Hub)

ONLY IN CALIFORNIA

Like father, like son: The Ontario Reign, the L.A. Kings’ minor-league affiliate, made some hockey history over the weekend when 46-year-old Dusty Imoo and his son, Jonah, suddenly became a father-son goaltending duo due to a shortage of players. Jonah was in net and lost in overtime, while his dad rode the pine.

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