Which Way, L.A.?

Symbolism, Politics and Managing the City of LA

Antonio Villaraigosa is already an international celebrity and symbol of Latino leadership even before he takes office as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles on Friday. According to today-s LA Times, he will also have to "personify the city" if he's to be successful. But that's not all. More than 4 million people are looking for services, from police protection to the filling of pot holes. As manager of America's second largest city, Villaraigosa will have to manage 46,000 employees in a variety of departments, including the Port, Airport and the Department of Water and Power. Last week, Councilman Villaraigosa said that when he takes office "people are going to be surprised." We talk to one of his top aides and others about his options in a time of rising demands and diminishing resources. Making News: Supreme Court Rules File-Swapping Services Can Be Sued In a unanimous ruling today, the US Supreme Court issued a decision in what the LA Times calls "the most important copyright decision of the Internet era." The court decided that web companies like Grokster and StreamCast can be sued for -peer-to-peer- sharing of music and movies. Jeff Howe of Wired magazine says today's ruling will likely diminish copyright infringement but will not due away such file sharing.