Newsletter: Today’s Headlines: Deadly reality; Clinton deja vu?

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

TOP STORIES

Deadly reality

Here's the reality: Our analysis finds that a third of fatalities on film or video sets in the last five years happened during reality shoots. A helicopter collision that killed 10 this week on a French TV production in Argentina is the deadliest yet. Investigators worry that a frenzy for thrills is undermining safety.

Old Clinton or new Clinton?

Hillary Rodham Clinton hasn't yet declared for the presidency, but her remarks Tuesday on her emailing habits as secretary of State could be considered her first big campaign appearance. She needed to counter not only howls from Republicans, but also worry from backers about what, if anything, she had learned from past Clinton scandals. Reviews so far are mixed.

Homes as hotels

Airbnb says 82% of its 4,500 L.A. hosts live in the homes they list for use by tourists and other visitors (4% or more of homes are listed in parts of Venice). There's a troubling side, though: A study finds that more than 7,000 homes have been taken off the market in metro Los Angeles for use as short-term rentals. It seems that is more profitable than long-term leases. It also worsens a severe shortage of affordable housing. 

Still shook up

As earthquake experts say the risk is rising that the "big one" is due to hit California, it's worth a look at Japan's northern coast four years after a 9.0 quake and tsunami wreaked havoc. Roads, hospitals, schools and ports are mostly rebuilt, but 220,000 people are still classified as displaced. Consider the plight of the fishing town of Ogatsu, and what could happen here.

CALIFORNIA

-- A flap over the American flag at UC Irvine puts the campus in an uncomfortable national spotlight.

-- Activists' disruption of a business-sponsored tour of L.A.'s skid row was legal, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rules.

-- An initial report by federal investigators backs Harrison Ford's story: Engine failure forced him to crash-land on a Venice golf course.

-- A 1992 Chevy Astro is his office. A 1995 GMC Safari is his home. Steve Lopez finds another hard-working character on the margins of L.A. life. 

NATION-WORLD

--  Strident party politics that has thwarted President Obama's domestic agenda has now invaded his foreign policy, especially on Iran. 

-- A federal judge in Texas throws another complication into President Obama's effort to shield immigrants here illegally from deportation.

-- Release of videos showing fraternity members singing a racist chant shocked the University of Oklahoma, but not some blacks who are students there. 

-- Relatives of three London schoolgirls who flew off to join the Islamic State tell Parliament they're still baffled about why.

BUSINESS

-- A proposed deal collapses in Prime Healthcare's bid to buy six struggling Catholic hospitals, including two in L.A. County.

-- In hopes of a box-office boost for "Cinderella," it'll be paired with a "Frozen Fever" short in theaters.

-- President Obama calls for more rights for struggling student borrowers.

-- O.C. Register owners out: Aaron Kushner and Eric Spitz resign from executive duties.

SPORTS

-- Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling adds his wife and two doctors to his lawsuit against the NBA.

 L.A. Marathon's "Legacy Runners" ready for another run at the finish line.

-- Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker retires.

ENTERTAINMENT

-- An interview with Madonna about her new album, "Rebel Heart." Also, a review. 

-- Frei Otto, the late German architect best known for his tent-like structures for the Munich Olympics, is awarded the 2015 Pritzker Prize, the highest honor in architecture. 

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

-- A compelling video tour of the destruction in Gaza, hip-hop-style.

-- White men are overdosing on heroin at a record rate.

-- "Leashing the Black Dog," an absorbing piece about a struggle with depression.

-- A strangely intriguing photo gallery of some women in the life of North Korea's Kim Jong Un.

ONLY IN L.A.

It often seemed more cabaret than courtroom, but it ended for Marvin Gaye's children with sentiments of "How Sweet it Is." A jury awarded them $7.4 million after deciding that singer-songwriters Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke borrowed too heavily from Gaye's chart-topper "Got to Give It Up" in their song "Blurred Lines." Might it put a damper on creative expression?

Please send comments and ideas to Davan Maharaj.