Newsletter: Today: The White House: A Model of Chaos Theory or Simple Chaos?

Will new Chief of Staff John Kelly bring order to the White House, or is more chaos in the offing? 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

The White House: A Model of Chaos Theory or Simple Chaos?

After 10 days that shook the White House, has the dust settled yet? “No WH drama!” President Trump tweeted, then saw communications director Anthony Scaramucci escorted out the door. It was just 10 days and a tirade or two after Scaramucci had been named, and he hadn’t even started the job. (Too bad he deleted all those tweets.) John Kelly, the retired Marine general, is now on a mission to bring order to the West Wing. Will the commander-in-chief let him? After Day 1, Trump proclaimed it “A great day at the White House!” As for the Mooch? We’d like to say we hardly knew ye, but not having an accomplished cusser in the White House will make it safer for readers of this family newspaper.

More Politics

— Senior Republican lawmakers have pushed back against the White House to say they’re done with healthcare for now.

— After North Korea’s latest missile test, the U.S. Air Force is planning to test-launch an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

— Can’t tell the players without a scorecard? This graphic breaks down the most notable firings and resignations in the Trump administration.

Russia, If You’re Listening: Don’t Do It!

Not that long ago, American elections seemed impenetrable. Too many systems to hack, the experts said. But recent revelations about the attempts of Russian hackers to infiltrate election systems in 21 states during last year’s presidential race have changed the experts’ tune. Federal officials say they’re confident the 2016 vote count wasn’t disrupted, but they’re worried about the future. Look no further than Georgia.

Let the Games Not Begin for 11 Years

It won’t be official until September, but L.A. and the International Olympic Committee have a deal for the city to host the 2028 Summer Games. (So much for the idea of having the Olympics return for a 40th anniversary show.) In return, L.A. officials hope the extra wait will result in hundreds of millions in savings and additional revenues. But some wonder if they could have bargained for even more.

A Pioneer From the True West

As a playwright, Sam Shepard made theater seem cool and won the Pulitzer Prize. Times theater critic Charles McNulty calls him America’s best dramatist since Tennessee Williams. As an Oscar-nominated actor with the right stuff in “The Right Stuff,” he was a man of few words — yet “so reliably expressive,” film critic Justin Chang writes. And as a cowboy, Shepard roamed across the land and battled some demons. Why did Shepard, who died at age 73, like to mix it up? If he didn’t, he told The Times in 2011, “it would be like riding the same horse all the time.”

The Dodgers Get Their Man

The Dodgers were already the hottest team in baseball when they slid in at the last minute to get Texas Rangers pitching ace Yu Darvish on Monday, without having to give up any of their three top prospects. That has put Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke and others over the moon. Could it really end the Dodgers’ nearly three-decade World Series drought, or are they using up all their juju now?

MUST-WATCH VIDEO

— Louise Steinman, founder of the L.A. library’s Aloud program, invites writers and thinkers to ponder the city and the world.

— Actress Kathryn Hahn recalls the gig that taught her “no is very powerful.”

— The Rams ride in style during training camp at UC Irvine.

CALIFORNIA

— “Ask me about my pronouns!” A genderqueer hairstylist provides a safe space for LGBTQ youth in a mobile salon.

— Southern California Gas Co. says it’s resumed injections at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility, less than two days after an appeals court lifted a temporary ban on operations.

— An L.A. father who was detained by ICE after dropping off his daughter at school may be deported as early as next week.

— Scorching heat, muggy conditions and the possibility of thunderstorms will return to Southern California, making this week uncomfortable and sticky.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

— A new USC study says women remain strikingly underrepresented in film, both on- and off-screen. And when they show up, they are still portrayed in stereotypical ways.

— To prepare for his role as Ted Kaczynski in the miniseries “Manhunt: Unabomber,” Paul Bettany spent some time alone in a remote forest home: “It was a lovely, chic little cabin.”

— Spoiler alert: What you saw and what you may have missed on “Game of Thrones.”

— Goodbye, MTV Moonman trophy. Hello, “Moon Person.”

CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD

Novelist Nadine Gordimer said actress Jeanne Moreau was “an unlikely combination, both imperious and lovable.” What struck Times film critic Kenneth Turan the most was “her enormous curiosity, her formidable intelligence and her passion for knowledge.” Here’s an up-close look at Moreau, who died at age 89.

NATION-WORLD

— The White House commission on opioid addiction has recommended that President Trump declare a national emergency over an epidemic that kills dozens of Americans a day.

— Some of the nation’s most powerful oil and gas companies have joined the chorus of businesses opposing Republican lawmakers’ “bathroom bill” targeting transgender people.

— Joe Arpaio, the Arizona lawman who once proclaimed himself to be “America’s Toughest Sheriff,” was found guilty of criminal contempt.

— Another journalist has been gunned down in Mexico, the eighth killed this year.

— Two of Venezuela’s leading opposition figures were taken from their homes by state security agents Tuesday.

BUSINESS

— It’s not just for elections: HBO and “Game of Thrones” are the latest Hollywood victims of hackers.

— A Colorado partnership that is vying to be one of nation’s biggest ski operators has acquired Mammoth Mountain, Bear Mountain and Squaw Valley, among several other resorts.

SPORTS

— The company that has provided officials for the Adidas Uprising Summer Championships in Las Vegas is ending its relationship with Adidas because of an incident in which LaVar Ball successfully removed a female referee from a game.

— Steve Bartman, the Chicago Cubs fan who etched his name into notoriety by trying to catch a foul ball in 2003, will get a championship ring from the team.

OPINION

— Trump is still giving Putin the benefit of the doubt, and it’s weakening U.S. policy on Russia.

— When Trump axed the arms-for-rebels program in Syria, he wasn’t in thrall to Putin, he was just doing the right thing.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

— Remember Donald Trump Jr.’s statement that his meeting with a Russian lawyer was about adoptions? Sources say the president dictated it. (Washington Post)

— A Sam Shepard short story about a family vacation that takes a turn. (The New Yorker)

— The evolution of the word “populism.” (Aeon)

ONLY IN L.A.

For some, the Rand Corp. will always be associated with the military-industrial complex. So why does it have architectural drawings of the houses in “The Addams Family” and “Bewitched” hanging on the wall? They’re part of the Santa Monica think tank’s impressive art collection, loaned by software entrepreneur Peter Norton.

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.

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