Newsletter: Today: Will Paris Be the City of ‘Leave’?

President Trump says he’ll announce today whether the U.S. will remain in the Paris climate accord. I’m Davan Maharaj, editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times. Here are some story lines I don’t want you to miss.

TOP STORIES

Will Paris Be the City of ‘Leave’?

President Trump loves cliffhangers, and the five-act drama over whether he will pull the United States out of the Paris accord on climate change is following a politically messy script. He’s been poised to side with the “leave” camp of EPA chief Scott Pruitt and strategist Stephen Bannon, which means the U.S. would join Syria and Nicaragua as the only countries refusing to sign up. But the “stay” camp of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Ivanka Trump and big oil and gas companies — the very businesses the president claims would benefit from a pullout — has made its case. It’s possible there could be a compromise somewhere in the middle too. As Trump tweeted, tune in today at 3 p.m. Eastern, noon Pacific, for the thrilling conclusion — on the fate of the environment and America’s foreign policy leadership — live from the Rose Garden.

More From Washington

-- Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has cleared former FBI Director James Comey to testify before a congressional committee about his contacts with President Trump, according to an associate close to Comey.

-- The House Intelligence Committee issued seven subpoenas, including to Michael Flynn and Trump’s personal lawyer, as it ramped up its Russia-related investigations.

-- All jokes aside, Trump’s “covfefe” tweet raised more serious questions for which the White House gave no answers.

-- Meanwhile … Hillary Clinton said she “was the victim of a very broad assumption I was going to win.” And Joe Biden said of her: “I never thought she was a great candidate.”

China’s Clean-Energy Rules Have a Dirty Side

Regardless of what the U.S. does on the Paris accord, the European Union and China have signaled they will persist in the fight against climate change. The Middle Kingdom is the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter but is emerging as a global leader in renewable energy at home. The country will host a summit on clean energy, with California Gov. Jerry Brown in attendance. But China’s deals with other countries tell a different story: It’s the world’s largest exporter of coal-related financing and equipment and is involved with coal projects in Pakistan, India, Indonesia and beyond.

At Least There’s Still a Line to Cross

Kathy Griffin and photographer Tyler Shields intended to provoke when they created the shot of the comedian raising the fake, severed “head” of President Trump. What they didn’t appear to anticipate was how many people across the political spectrum would express their revulsion, even after Griffin apologized and CNN fired her. As Times arts and entertainment editor Mary McNamara writes, after Trump himself crossed so many lines of civil conduct, “at least we know there’s still a line.”

L.A.’s Homeless Crisis Gets Worse (Before It Gets Better?)

It’s hard to get a handle on the scope of L.A. County’s homeless crisis, but a new report contains some shocking numbers: a 23% increase over last year to nearly 58,000, despite increasing efforts to place people in housing. The figures will become the baseline for a multibillion-dollar homeless program funded by two new taxes approved by voters. Here’s a closer look at how the numbers break down and what’s driving them.

A Mystery at the Bottom of the Sea Off Long Beach

On the night of July 11, 1994, the fishing boat Tammy set out from San Pedro harbor. The next morning, the 40-foot vessel was gone and the bodies of two of its four Vietnamese crew members were discovered. The others were never found. Twenty-three years later, researchers think the long-lost boat might rest on the ocean floor near the Port of Long Beach. But to solve the mystery and give the family members of the fishermen closure, they need a key photo.

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

-- Watch some of TV’s top comedy stars crack each other up.

-- Some moviegoers got a little freaked out using the Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headset with an “Alien: Covenant in Utero” clip.

-- Your basic guide to earthquakes.

CALIFORNIA

-- An assault by an LAPD officer led to a criminal conviction, and now a $500,000 settlement.

-- Rep. Lou Correa’s immigration town hall in Orange County turned chaotic and led to three arrests.

-- The woman who alleged last year that she had sex with more than a dozen Oakland police officers has settled a claim against the city for approximately $1 million.

-- Columnist George Skelton writes that Republicans are mad about the gas tax. Their answer? Scapegoating a freshman lawmaker for his vote.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

-- Times film critic Justin Chang says “Wonder Woman” is a superhero movie that “feels like an enveloping, honest-to-God entertainment rather than a raging cinematic migraine.”

-- NBC has high hopes for Megyn Kelly, but she’ll have to compete with “60 Minutes.”

-- CBS News’ shakeup involving Scott Pelley wasn’t pretty, but does it matter to the viewers at home?

-- This singing tween ventriloquist from “America’s Got Talent” could be the cure for what ails you.

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

She was born Norma Jeane Mortenson on this date in 1926. Her death at age 36 is one of Hollywood’s most compelling mysteries. Last year, a script with Marilyn Monroe’s notes on how to act sexy sold for $25,000.

NATION-WORLD

-- Two decades after Republicans in the state of Washington rolled back a healthcare law, the ill-fated experiment offers a cautionary tale to lawmakers at the national level.

-- The head of the Southern Poverty Law Center says, “There’s a virus in our country. It’s a virus called ‘hate.’ ”

-- The politician with the most at stake in a Mexican governor’s race isn’t even running.

-- How a five-sentence letter helped fuel the opioid addiction crisis.

BUSINESS

-- A Supreme Court ruling on printer cartridges changes what it means to buy almost anything.

-- A report says up to a quarter of U.S. shopping malls may close in the next five years.

SPORTS

-- After his Brentwood estate was vandalized with a slur, LeBron James says racism is still “part of America.”

-- Is Jerry West headed for the Clippers?

OPINION

-- Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Ro Khanna make the case for restraint in American foreign policy.

-- The Cavaliers and the Warriors are today’s Celtics and Lakers. No one else in the NBA matters.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- The Trump administration is moving toward handing back two diplomatic compounds to Russia. President Obama had ejected Russian officials from them as punishment for Moscow’s election interference. (Washington Post)

-- Trump and Roger Stone are no longer in contact, huh? Hmmm. (The New Yorker)

-- A high school student explains what it’s like to compete in a spelling bee while millions watch. (Sacramento Bee)

ONLY IN L.A.

William Close has built more than 100 instruments in his Malibu home. His biggest creation: the Earth Harp, which holds the Guinness World Record for being the longest stringed instrument. Though he’s played the harp with 1,000-foot strings all over the world, Close is little known here. Now he’s stringing it to a downtown L.A. skyscraper, where this weekend he’ll show his pluck.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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