Newsletter: Today: Who Pays for the Right to Die?

I'm Davan Maharaj, editor of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today.

TOP STORIES

Caught in the Balance

A battle is brewing in the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska. Should loggers be allowed to cut old-growth timber and should hunters have a clear shot at wolves that make their dens there? Conservationists argue that the Alexander Archipelago wolf on Prince of Wales Island is at risk of extinction. Residents want to maintain their traditional way of life. In the middle are federal regulators trying to balance ecosystems and economies. 

Runaway Drivers

Car chases are a staple of local television news. And they don’t all end peacefully with a runaway driver pulled over and handcuffed by police. Perhaps because of its sprawling system of freeways and wide-open highways, California often leads the nation in pursuit-related fatalities after high-speed chases. A Los Angeles Times analysis of statewide data shows that LAPD pursuits injure bystanders at more than twice the rate of police chases in the rest of the state. Read the story behind the numbers.

Cost Control

After much debate, the California Legislature passed a right-to-die bill, and Gov. Jerry Brown signed it into law this month. The ethical discussions have only just begun, however. Next on the table: Who should pay for life-ending medical care, particularly for patients in government-run health plans? If patients are denied expensive cancer-fighting drugs, will they be pressured into choosing cheaper drugs that would end their lives? Some look to Oregon for answers.

Too Hot to Handle

California has been ravaged by fast-moving wildfires this year, no doubt about it. Against that backdrop Gov. Brown warns that climate change is causing fires to become more unpredictable and spread faster. But scientists who study global warming urge caution about asserting that these wildfires are linked to climate change. The governor may be on a mission, but the conversation continues.

What’s Real and What’s the Show?

Larry Hernandez sings narcocorridos, colorful ballads about the drug trade south of the border. He’s the star of NBC Universo’s top-rated reality show “Larrymania,” taking center stage with his day-to-day family interactions on the program aimed at a youthful, bilingual audience. And now he’s accused of kidnapping and assault after a concert last month in South Carolina. Fans and Latino media are riveted to the real-life drama.

Joined at the Wrist

A blind sprinter, guided by a sighted partner and connected by a shoestring tether, running at world-class speed. It’s not a fantasy. It’s the Paralympic Games. David Brown, who lost his sight as a child, and his shadow Jerome Avery, who keeps him in his lane, are running toward the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. How the dreams of two men converge, in today’s Great Read. 

OUR MUST-READS FROM THE WEEKEND

-- For those left in Syria, life among the ruins takes on a ghostly air.

-- “El Chapo” is wounded but not caught as Mexico's military roars into terrified villages.

-- Paul Ryan vs. House Freedom Caucus: Who will blink first in speaker's race?

-- Ted Cruz is wooing voters who favored rival Rand Paul's father, and it may be working.

-- New technology is keeping the air we breathe under an unprecedented level of scrutiny.

-- In the drought-parched Central Valley, the wait for water begins.

-- Is UC spending too little on teaching and too much on administration?

CALIFORNIA

-- This is what it's like to run for local office -- from 2,296 miles away.

-- Gov. Brown is still struggling for GOP support on funding for road repairs.

-- Thousands turn out for fifth-anniversary celebration of CicLAvia.

-- The last Love Ride heads into the sunset.

NATION-WORLD

-- On streets of Tehran, skepticism mixes with cautious optimism over nuclear deal.

-- One killed, nine wounded in bus station shooting as violence continues in Israel.

-- An Army captain will receive the Medal of Honor for taking down a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.

-- As hearings for accused Sept. 11 plotters resume, neither side seems in a hurry to get to trial.

-- On White House science day, President Obama displays his geek-in-chief side.

BUSINESS 

-- Drought takes a toll on “agritourism” farms that once thrived on Halloween crowds.

-- CalPERS is set to divest from thermal-coal companies.

-- Ride-hailing services are gaining traction with business travelers.

SPORTS

-- There was losing all around in college football this weekend.

-- NFL writer Sam Farmer explains how football's scoring system was determined.

-- Chris Erskine thanks the Dodgers for everything, except that TV fiasco.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- “Hollywood Home Movies: Disneyland” is an E-ticket to the park's past (with photo gallery).

-- Janet Jackson still rules over the “Rhythm Nation” on her “Unbreakable” tour.

-- Echoes of a master fill a tribute to jazz bassist Charlie Haden at CalArts.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- Destination Mozambique. Some refugees are headed to southern Africa, Al Jazeera reports.

-- Tit-for-tat violence between Israelis and Palestinians is the “new normal,” according to the National of Abu Dhabi.

-- One man loses faith in police and government after infiltrating drug cartels (Vice). 

ONLY IN L.A.