The Brief

Los Angeles might be a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures and communities, but for some, living in the United States can still be a challenge — especially if they don’t fit within someone else’s narrow definition of what it means to be an “American.”

Wrapping up 'Being American'

Last Thanksgiving, my colleague Leslie Berestein Rojas wanted to hear what Angelenos had to say about their experiences navigating their American identity. Since then, she’s edited several stories that define and illustrate the American experience. Those stories became our “Being American” series.

On Friday, the series ended with the fascinating story of Arnulfo Puentes, an Angeleno who started off as a hard-working shoeshine boy from Mexico and eventually became the president of A&A Aerospace, Inc.

I recently chatted with Leslie about her thoughts now that the "Being American" series has winded down:

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Aaricka: Why did you start this series? 

Leslie: So between 2020 and 2021 I edited a very similar series called “Race In L.A.,” in which members of our audience wrote personal essays about how their race and/or ethnicity shaped their lived experience here in L.A. One of the strongest themes I kept noticing was this question of “Americanness” — so many people talked about being viewed from the outside as never “American enough,” because of things like their perceived national origin, the color of their skin, their last names. And I felt there was another series to be done here, where we could redefine “Americanness” as it really is here in this city, a city of immigrants and migrants. “American” is not a race, or an ethnicity, or a birthplace. It’s something far bigger and more fluid. So we sent a callout to our audience, lots of people wrote in, and some wound up writing essays for us. And for the past year or so, I’ve been working with them to edit these great, deeply personal essays.

Aaricka: What were some perspectives people shared that we don’t usually hear? 

Leslie: First, the range of perspectives from the contributors has really been as diverse as L.A., everyone’s story is different. One perspective I loved including was migrants to L.A. have come from within our own borders. For example, a few weeks ago, contributor Mark Broyard wrote about how his family and a wave of other Creole families left New Orleans in the early 60s, leaving what was still a segregated South, and turned part of Jefferson Boulevard into the center of Creole L.A. Another contributor, Kylowna Moton, traced her family’s L.A. roots to the Great Migration long ago, when Black Americans left the South seeking safety and freedom, much in the way that refugees from other parts of the world do today.

I wish I could list them all here — each story is fascinating in its own way. They show us so many facets of what being and becoming American is through the eyes of folks who make L.A. what it is.

Aaricka: What is your biggest takeaway from this series?

Leslie: There are rich stories, expertise and perspectives that reaching out to our audience like this gives us a window to, and that we may not hear otherwise. Another takeaway from this series is that we have this wonderfully engaged audience that’s always ready and willing to think about the themes we put out there, whether it’s about our lived experiences with our race or ethnicity, or redefining Americanness in a city of immigrants. Angelenos have such a wealth of stories to share, and I’m so grateful to all our contributors in this series for sharing theirs.

Read all of the "Being American" essays here.

Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.

How To LA

We’re here to help curious Angelenos connect with others, discover the new, navigate the confusing, and even drive some change along the way.

Listen Now

More news

(After you stop hitting snooze)

• Not only will the California State University board of trustees announce a new chancellor on Wednesday, it will also consider increasing tuition. My colleague Adolfo Guzman-Lopez has the latest on what may come this week. 
• The latest Medi-Cal reform, CalAIM, is supposed to address costly issues like housing instability and food insecurity, but mental health providers believe it could force them to cut services. CalMatters’ Kristen Hwang has the latest. 
• Since the Middle Class Scholarship launched last year, it’s been helping students in higher-income families afford college. Some advocacy groups, however, believe the state should give more to lower-income students who may not qualify for some financial aid. 
• All six people aboard a small plane died after a crash in Riverside County on Saturday. While officials are still investigating, they said heavy fog might have been a reason for the crash. 
• In an effort to address the need for affordable housing amidst a homelessness crisis, Los Angeles city officials sought to make residential hotels low-cost. But Capital & Main and ProPublica recently discovered that landlords have been spiking the price of rooms for tourists. 
• California legislative staffers will wait at least a couple more years in order to obtain the right to form a union. CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff has more. 
• Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani is a skilled pitcher and hitter who got his start as a baseball prodigy in his hometown of Mizusawa, Japan. NPR’s Anthony Kuhn wrote about how others around saw his talent as a young child. 
• Bring your little ones to see The Lion King tonight for Movie Mondays at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Learn all about Central Avenue’s historic jazz scene at the Central Avenue: Open House at The Beehive. One for the Books host Traci Thomas talks all about food, culture and cookbooks with professional foodies Bricia Lopez, Javier Cabral and Keith Corbin for the latest show at the Crawford Family Forum on Thursday night. Check out these events and more in this week’s Best Things To Do list. 
  

Wait... one more thing

The Top Three Tea-Sipping Trends

Margot Robbie meets fans during a pink carpet event to promote her new film "Barbie" in Seoul on July 2.

(

Jung Yeon-Je

/

AFP via Getty Images

)

THREE — Banning Barbie? 

Everywhere I go, I see either Barbie or Oppenheimer advertisements (check out this fan-made ad). But if I asked you which of these movies would be banned in some Southeast Asian countries because of a sovereignty dispute, I’m sure you would say the movie about the atomic bomb, not the doll.

Turns out the Philippines might be the second Southeast Asian nation to push for a ban of the Barbie movie because of a scene with a map. Read Ashley Westerman’s NPR article for more details.

TWO — Could Threads Be The “Twitter Killer”? 

Mastodon. Blue Sky. Spill. Several apps have tried to snatch Twitter’s cultural throne since Elon Musk’s reign. Facebook’s parent company Meta threw their hat in the ring with Threads. The new social media app was off to a good start, gaining 30 million users in less than a day. But could it be the official “Twitter Killer”? NPR’s Emily Olson wrote about what it would take for a new app to take Twitter’s top spot.

ONE — A Long Heat Wave Is Here 

If you live in the desert, mountains or interior valleys, please take extra caution this week and weekend. According to the National Weather Service, there will be HOT conditions starting tomorrow in areas like the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and the Western San Gabriel Mountains. Please don’t leave children, older people or pets inside vehicles and stay hydrated. Here’s a tip on how to help people who are unhoused in these conditions.

Federal immigration agents detained at least two people late Friday outside Adventist White Memorial Hospital in Boyle Heights, where protesters had gathered after reports of immigration enforcement activity, according to rapid response groups. Protesters remained at the hospital into the early hours of Saturday, where immigration agents maintained a large presence.

It appears the incident began after people witnessed someone being detained and taken into the hospital, according to Raquel Roman, executive director of Proyecto Pastoral and member of the Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network.   That spurred a crowd of protesters to rally against ICE agents, who then detained two protesters who are U.S. citizens, Roman said.

ICE activity was also reported near Mariachi Plaza at 5:50 a.m. Saturday, according to witnesses, and outside the East LA Sheriff’s Station, where agents have been seen detaining people in the L.A. County-designated ICE-Free zone. 

Arrests captured on social video

Video posted on social media appears to show one person being detained outside the hospital. In the video, at least three officers in tactical vests are seen detaining someone at the intersection of Boyle and Pennsylvania Avenues around 11:30 p.m.

A group of about six more officers in tactical vests and masks can be seen walking around the area as another, whose vest says “Police ICE,” yells at the person recording to “back up” and “do not impede with the arrest.”

“You’re arresting U.S. citizens,” the person recording says. “18 USC 111, they’re interfering,” the officer replies, referring to Title 18, Section 111 of the U.S. Code: Assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees. 

In the video, a bystander who says the person being arrested is his brother can be seen speaking to the officer. 

“Your brother assaulted a federal agent. He’s being arrested for assaulting a federal agent; he’s coming with us,” the officer tells them. 

Boyle Heights Beat reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for more information about the incident but has not yet received a response.

LAPD response

The Los Angeles Police Department was first called to the scene at 11:59 p.m. to respond to a “large group causing a disturbance,” according to LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman. LAPD responded again at 2:24 a.m. as crowds continued to gather outside of the hospital. 

“Officers responded to maintain public safety and keep the peace. At no point did LAPD officers assist federal immigration authorities with enforcement activities or detain any individuals in connection with immigration enforcement,” Eisenman said. 

Video posted on social media by Izzy Ramirez shows a line of agents blocking the emergency loading dock around 2:30 a.m. as a crowd continues to shout at the agents and make noise.

“It was horrible for the local community. The ICE presence was a lot more than I’ve seen it visibly before,” said Roman. 

What the hospital said

Japhet De Oliveira, corporate communications executive at Adventist Health, shared the following statement:

“Federal agents brought a person in their custody to our emergency department, and we cared for that patient with dignity and privacy, as we do for every patient. When agents formed a line across our ambulance entrance, which we did not request nor authorize, we diverted ambulances to nearby hospitals for about two hours to ensure every patient received timely care. White Memorial does not participate in immigration enforcement. We know last night frightened our neighbors. No matter what happens outside our doors, everyone who comes inside is our patient, and our focus will only be on that patient, and it will not change.”

Doctors at Adventist White Memorial last year reported that ICE agents were violating the privacy rights of detained patients and prohibiting contact with patients’ family members. While the hospital released guidelines to protect patients and support staff,  doctors and advocates have said they fall short.

What's next

Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, who represents Boyle Heights, said she was “deeply troubled” by the reports overnight and demanded answers from hospital leadership. She said:

The Boyle Heights Immigrant Rights Network said it plans to lead a protest against ICE outside White Memorial at 2 p.m. Saturday.

This is a developing story and will be updated. 

The post ICE detains two U.S. citizens protesting outside White Memorial Hospital, rapid response groups say appeared first on LA Local.

A California appeals court has found that “ER” and “The Pitt” have enough similarity that a lawsuit brought by the widow and estate of “ER” creator Michael Crichton alleging “The Pitt” is an unauthorized reboot can move forward.

A three-judge panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled unanimously on Wednesday that the trial court judge was correct to reject a motion to throw out the case from “The Pitt” production company Warner Bros. Television, which also produced “ER.” But the judges dismissed Noah Wyle — the star of both shows and a producer on “The Pitt” — as a defendant along with two other producers who worked on both series.

The lawsuit is a clash between the makers of multiple Emmy-winning TV series that were each among the most important and acclaimed shows of their eras.

Crichton, the author of “Jurassic Park” and many other novels that became hit movies and TV shows, wrote the pilot script for “ER,” the NBC show about a Chicago emergency room that redefined the medical drama genre and drew tens of millions of weekly viewers in its run from 1994 to 2009.

The lawsuit brought by Sherri Crichton was filed two years ago, before a single episode of “The Pitt” had aired. The HBO Max series that shows a real-time day in the life of a Pittsburgh emergency department has since become perhaps the most lauded series in television, winning two Emmys for best drama for its first two seasons and two best actor Emmys for Wyle.

Along with more technical legal issues, the judges had to decide whether the shows had at least the minimal similarity that would give the lawsuit enough merit to move forward. Their decision applies only to this early legal challenge and they did not rule on whether the plaintiffs had proved the “The Pitt” is derivative of “ER.”

The court agreed with the plaintiff that “both shows provide commentaries on the healthcare system; they focus specifically on the emergency room and the difficult conditions under which the medical staff operates. Both shows take place, with little exception, in the emergency room, as opposed to other medical shows which track patients as they move out of the emergency room, or indeed never enter it.”

The opinion also said that both feature “very fast pacing, and reactions to multiple overlapping crises. The fast-paced dialogue is (to a layperson) frequently incomprehensible shorthand and jargon, lending an air of immediacy and accuracy.”

Warner Bros. Television said in a statement that “WBTV continues to maintain that ‘The Pitt’ is an entirely original series and that the claims against it are without merit. Nothing in the Court of Appeal’s decision establishes otherwise, and WBTV looks forward to defending its position as the case proceeds.”

The defendants argued in legal filings that the shows have “generic similarities” that would exist in “any dramatic story” that features “overworked doctors and staff.”

The panel also unanimously dismissed as defendants Wyle, John Wells, who created “The Pitt” and worked on “ER,” and R. Scott Gemmill, a “Pitt” executive producer who also worked on both shows. The judges found there was no evidence the three men knew the provisions of the Crichton contract that the lawsuit alleges they interfered with.

Sherri Crichton’s lawsuit alleges “The Pitt” is a rebranded version of an unauthorized “ER” reboot that she had rejected.

Her husband had secured a coveted “frozen rights” provision in his contract for the series, prohibiting Warner Bros. from proceeding with any sequels, remakes, spinoffs or other productions derived from “ER” without Crichton’s consent, or his estate’s consent after his death from cancer in 2008.

After the production company could not reach an agreement with Sherri Crichton over a proposed “ER” reboot, the TV studio proceeded to develop and produce a series based on the same premise without permission, the lawsuit alleges.

People may have been getting high off cannabis earlier than previously thought — at least 2,800 years ago, a new study suggests.

Archaeologists who led a dig at a monumental tomb in Siberia said they turned up evidence of the earliest known use of cannabis for psychoactive purposes.

The findings point to cannabis consumption at least 300 years earlier than previously known use in neighboring China.

Ancient drug use has long intrigued scholars. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote about inhabitants of Central Asia smoking cannabis around 440 B.C., and recent archaeologists have found the seeds in tombs across its highlands.

The team from Germany, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland said analysis of hair in the royal tomb where cannabis seeds turned up sheds new light on the plant’s role in ancient societies.

“It’s extremely rare that we have both preserved plant parts and human soft tissue with the active compounds in it in the same context,” said co-author Gino Caspari, an archaeologist at the University of Bern.

It’s not clear whether the cannabis was consumed through inhalation or ingestion, he said.

The dig took place starting in 2017 at a large burial mound at the Tunnug 1 site in the Uyuk Valley of southern Siberia, home to one of the earliest monumental tombs showing material culture of the Scythians — ancient nomads who migrated from Central Asia to southern Russia and Ukraine.

The team, deployed “essentially out in the middle of nowhere,” lived in tents for months and faced a spring-to-autumn season that variously featured swamps, snowstorms, frosts and swarms of mosquitoes. Herds of horses ran freely across the grassy steppe.

Larger artifacts on the site include weapons in the burials, horse gear and animal-style motifs. But the team “struck gold” as it also found tiny black spots that turned out to be cannabis seeds along with preserved human hair, Caspari said.

“It’s only so often as an archaeologist that you do get to drug test a person that’s been dead for almost 3,000 years,” he said.

Radiocarbon dating on some of the more than 1,000 seeds helped establish the time of origin, and “they are not there by accident” but deposited within the tomb, suggesting that the plant material had significance in the community, he said.

Results were published Thursday in the journal Science.

Not all independent experts were convinced.

The hair analysis “is scientifically weak” and there’s not enough evidence to tell whether cannabis was used, wrote Volker Auwaerter, head of the forensic toxicology section at the University Medical Center in Freiburg, Germany, in an email.

“For a central part of the study, the article falls far short of what would have been possible,” Auwaerter said. “This matters because the hair data carry the abstract’s main claims (cannabis consumption and use for its psychoactive properties).”

Today, scholars don’t consider ancient accounts trustworthy without corroborating evidence. Because the cannabis plant has other uses — seeds are pressed for oil and fibers used for cloth — their presence alone doesn’t confirm drug use.

Auwaerter, who was not part of the study, said the data didn’t distinguish consumption from external exposure — in other words, the hair could have picked up traces of weed simply by being buried together with it. He said a lab test involving forensic toxicology expertise would have been advisable and easy to arrange.

But Elisa Guerra Doce of the University of Valladolid in Spain, who has written about use of consciousness-altering substances in European prehistory, said toxicological hair analysis was not new in archaeology and has been used to identify consumption of psychoactive substances. She was not involved in the study.

In an email, she credited the authors for showing, through their methodology, that “cannabis was not merely deposited as a funerary offering but was actually consumed by individuals associated with the burial rite.”

Micki Boden wanted a wedding cake that checked off a couple of big boxes — personalized and tasty. Instead of a traditional tiered cake, the San Fernando Valley native went with a favorite from her school days.

“My favorite cake of all time is the coffee cake that I ate through my entire K-12 education going to LAUSD public school,” Boden said.

Boden attended elementary school in Studio City and middle school in Sherman Oaks before graduating from a Reseda high school.

Boden and her husband, Matt Stollman, met in 2016 while working on the reality television show Big Brother and eventually started dating. The two got engaged in 2025.

With the groom’s family traveling from the East Coast for their wedding in October, the couple wanted to provide a uniquely L.A. experience.

Micki Boden and Matt Stollman cut into their LAUSD coffee cake wedding cake.

(

Micki Boden

)

“We wanted something that was gonna be fun, that was gonna be memorable for people,” Boden said.

They held their wedding at the Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys, surrounded by San Fernando Valley memorabilia, and got a California favorite — an In-N-Out truck — to serve guests.

The search for a cake that fit 

But when it came to the wedding cake, the couple struggled to find something suitable. Neither Boden nor Stollman liked frosting, and traditional wedding cakes didn’t excite them.

“We explored the more traditional tiered cake setup, and it just wasn’t meshing well,” Boden said.

Boden kept returning to the coffee cake she ate throughout her years in public school. Los Angeles Unified School District had published its official recipe online, but she wasn’t confident she could bake it herself. So she reached out to the district to ask for help.

The Stollman's wedding cake, decorated by the chef at Mulholland Middle School in Lake Balboa, sits in a pastry box.

(

Micki Boden

)

How LAUSD made it happen 

Thomas Cohen, a public relations representative at the district, and Manish Singh, the director of food services, arranged for a chef at Mulholland Middle School in Lake Balboa to prepare the wedding cake. The chef also shaped part of the cake into a heart just for the couple.

Singh said the district doesn’t take cake orders from the public — but made this exception.

“We were doing it just to make one of our Angelenos, an ex-LAUSD student, make her special day even more special,” Singh said.

For the bride, it was the icing on her big day.

“I think it’s all just part of being an L.A. student,” she said. “The fact that we have these amazing memories from childhood, I think it’s just so meaningful for a lot of people.”