If you’re looking for Israel-Iran war takes and news, you won’t find them here but you will find them all over The Free Press. As a warning, I’m on vacation for the next two weeks. My replacement is Will Rahn, chosen because he’ll be terrible at this and therefore poses no danger to my position. As usual, please “be nice” to Will in the comments (defend my honor with the strength of a thousand men).
In housekeeping: Joe Nocera is headed to Boca Raton next week to watch his kid play tennis, and we figured—why not throw a Free Press happy hour between matches? If you’re in South Florida, come join us on June 24 at 6:30 p.m. for drinks and Free Presser company (tickets here). Not in Florida? Sit tight—subscriber meetups are coming to your town this summer!
→ Chaos in Los Angeles: As the Trump administration escalates efforts to deport Latin American migrants, Los Angeles residents took to the streets—some to protest, others to loot, and many to document themselves in chic all-black antifa outfits for Instagram. Bulletproof vests, combat boots? Check. Gas masks? Of course. “That f–ed my hair up,” said my favorite socialist celeb, Hasan Piker, as a flash-bang went off behind him. “Oh, just tasted a little tear gas,” another young heartbreaker said to a reporter before turning directly to the camera. “Tasted like fascism.” Who needs the red carpet when you can strut down the Pacific Coast Highway dodging pepper balls and the National Guard? The protests may have been cathartic but, as propaganda, they were not the most effective. One could imagine better ways to express anger about Trump’s immigration policies than people cruising around burning cars and waving giant Mexican flags. Fun, I’m sure, in the moment. But as propaganda, I have some notes. You can watch a woman wander through her empty, decimated downtown Los Angeles shop after looters ransacked it, or this guy ask why they ravaged this guy’s store. “I’m not a big guy. I’m not a big fish.”