L.A.’s Finest Lobster Is Up for Grabs

The Crustacean-Shaped 4th City Council District—and the Cultural Treasures in Its Claws—Get an Election for a New Representative Next Week

A bag of popcorn just might be the best metaphor to describe the race to represent the 4th District on the Los Angeles City Council. There are many candidates, 14 in all, popping up to represent an area that stretches (roughly) from the San Fernando Valley to Hollywood, but none of them are particularly well-known beyond the confines of campaign mailers, slate cards, and sample ballots.

Their relative obscurity is striking because the district itself isn’t popcorn—it’s lobster, in more ways than one. It is the district full of riches that …

California’s Three Greatest Mountains

They’re Not the Most Beautiful or Well-Known. But Their Panoramic Views Can Help the State Define Itself.

It’s a hot and angry September, and your boss or your spouse has just told you to take a hike. But where?

Hiking usually means mountains, and California has more than …

Eleven Nations, Most Under God

Colin Woodard Maps the Real America

The Seal of the United States promises one nation formed from many–e pluribus unum. But journalist Colin Woodard says the reality is different: America is 11 distinct nations.

“We never really …

It’s Tough Finding Something New to Fight About

Have Our Culture Wars Ever Really Changed?

 

Ever since the founding of the United States, Americans have disagreed about what direction the country should take. While the immediate questions have changed, many of the deeper ones have …

Running for President of 11 Nations

America Has Never Been United, And That Makes Running For the White House That Much Harder

Campaigning for president in a continent-spanning nation of more than 300 million people is a daunting task, but it’s made all the more difficult by the profound differences between our …