Why I’ll Miss Our Flawed Mayor. This Sunday will be Antonio Villaraigosa’s last day as mayor of Los Angeles. Zócalo’s publisher and executive director Gregory Rodriguez bids the mayor farewell and tells us why he will miss the only politician who ever called him an asshole to his face—and the only politician whom he ever called an asshole to his face.
I Miss Being ‘The White Girl’. From sixth grade to 12th grade at primarily black and Latino schools, Josephine Fenster was the “White Girl.” In high school, everyone was aware of race, but no one was afraid of it, and joking about race made it less scary. But things changed in college, where people are diverse but much more on edge. She writes, “High school, for all our stereotyping and joking, was a lot more post-racial than college.
Drinks With … Neal Baer. ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’s veteran Neal Baer doesn’t think this is the golden age of TV. “Yes, there may be more violence and nudity,” Baer says, “but I don’t necessarily see more wrestling with tough issues.” Andrés Martinez shares a beer at the Cat & Fiddle Pub with Baer, producer and showrunner of CBS’ new show Under the Dome.
The Ocean Vs. California. Imagine a future when the runways at Oakland and San Francisco Airports remain partially underwater for weeks, even months, or when storm surges inundate freeways close to high tide level. That is the likely fate of our warmer world with its rising seas, writes Brian Fagan. But what should we do about it—if anything? Fagan outlines our best defenses for the attacking ocean.
USC’s Roberto Suro. Before moderating a conversation about L.A. after immigration reform, Tomás Rivera Policy Institute director Roberto Suro dished about bank robbery, mayonnaise, and the strangest job he’s ever had.
Next week …
Rob Eshman on L.A.’s first Jewish mayor (hint: it’s Eric Garcetti)…
Rolf Rauschenbach on the turmoil in Brazil…
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