At morning meetings, Monitor editors jostle to get their writers’ work into the Daily. A heavy news flow has brought lots of friendly elbowing.

Besides the breaking news on the Donald Trump verdict, today’s lineup includes a must-read report from the Black Sea on how Ukraine might be quietly reopening a sea-lane, and an election-eve take from Mexico on what’s behind the (surprisingly limited) political noise around migrants. 

Both reports – and the others – showcase our commitment to getting you the stories behind big stories. 

Finally, you can savor Peter Rainer’s film review. Of a director whose first animated movie, “Robot Dreams,” earns a rare five stars from Peter, he writes this: “He’s a voluptuary of the everyday.” Not bad for a Thursday.