Why Dead Malls Comfort Me. Most of usually try to steer clear of dead malls with empty storefronts, but not New America Foundation fellow Chris Leonard, who seeks out dead malls and takes comfort in their sadness and memories of the way things used to be. As a Midwesterner, he writes, “I can identify with a place that was once great, a place where you look up and realize that the great herd of humanity has moved on.”

Why California Keeps Repeating Junipero Serra’s Mistakes. Californians can remember Father Junipero Serra as they please—saint or colonizing sinner—but Serra should be a reminder that grand statewide administrative systems don’t work, especially if the rules are any more complicated than the In-N-Out Burger menu. Joe Mathews makes the case for why the dream of statewide systems should be allowed to die.

Histories That Go Above the 38th Parallel, Beneath the Pasties, and Behind the Bar. What’s the most popular pub name in the U.K, the life expectancy in North Korea, and the typical day in the life of a burlesque dancer? Find out in this week’s Six-Point Inspection.

Did Democracy Bankrupt Our Cities? For Californians, the bankruptcy of Detroit was not our first warning about the costs of limited and self-interested civic participation. We have our own examples of bankrupt cities, like Stockton, San Bernardino, and Vallejo. Executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership Pete Peterson tells us how these man-made disasters happened and how we might fend off more of them in the future.

Novelist Janet Fitch. Before participating in a panel on the legends and lore of the Santa Ana Winds, Janet Fitch, author of White Oleander and Paint It Black, reveals what she proselytizes for, why she’s good at keeping secrets, and how she likes to procrastinate.

Next week …

Fuzz Hogan on his NFL boycott …

Sandra “Mama” Romero on the history of Mama’s Hot Tamales in MacArthur Park …