Tolerance

Occupy L.A. raised consciousness about something else besides income disparity: landscaping. After the two-month encampment turned the lawn around City Hall into a sprawl of dirt, the debate now is whether to replant it with grass or take the opportunity of this topographical upheaval to do something more environmentally sound. Using drought-tolerant native plantings would give the city a chance to create a high-profile, less-thirsty panorama on the 1.7 acres surrounding City Hall, and would set an example for city residents whom it has urged to replace water-guzzling lawns with indigenous flora.

Iran's threat to close a vital international waterway if stricter sanctions are imposed on Iranian oil exports is more than just bellicose and provocative. It is also a test of U.S. will and commitment in the Persian Gulf at a time when our role in the region is changing. The world has grown used to chest-thumping by Tehran, and there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the exercises conducted by Iranian armed forces last week to demonstrate their ability to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Eight percent of women of child-bearing age in this country have mercury levels in their blood that could cause lower IQ in their children. That fact alone justifies the tough but achievable regulations issued this week by the Obama administration to control mercury pollution from coal-fired plants. Industry complaints shouldn't convince anyone otherwise. Despite the cries of outrage from conservative Republicans, the regulations are neither job-killers nor the result of Democratic regulatory overreach.

A delightfully useful and versatile term has been floating around a lot lately: "hot mess. " Usually it refers to a person, often (but not always) a woman, whose behavior is exceedingly self-destructive but who remains exceedingly compelling nonetheless. (Type "hot mess" into Google and names such as Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Charlie Sheen make a strong showing.) On the surface, hot mess is derogatory, not to mention a nifty way of shaming and objectifying someone at the same time.

As deadly clashes intensified Monday between thousands of protesters and riot police, Egypt's interim government offered to resign in an attempt to calm three consecutive days of unrest that have shaken the country ahead of next week's parliamentary elections. It was unclear whether the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces would accept the Cabinet's offer to step aside, which would severely undermine the military's legitimacy. It was unlikely that resignations would appease protesters whose main target of derision has been the ruling generals and their refusal to hand power over to a new democracy.

Jon Burt lives in Torrance, but his real home is eight miles away. Early each morning, he loads himself on his seven-speed black bicycle for the hourlong ride. His destination: Hermosa Beach, a town made iconic by the legends of surfing. Burt is a huddle of clothes, hunched over the handlebars, white plastic bags hanging as sentries. "Stuff for the beach," he says of the contents. PHOTOS: Turkey Jon He is wrapped in layer upon layer of warmth topped by a flannel jacket, ripped in places.

This was not how media titan Rupert Murdoch envisioned the final chapters of his storied career. With his family-controlled company engulfed in a phone hacking scandal in Britain, Murdoch's legacy has been sullied and his plan of handing over the reins of News Corp. to his children is in jeopardy. Murdoch's son James, who just six months ago was seen as the heir apparent to succeed his father as chief executive, could be pressured to resign from senior management. Statements he made to the British Parliament in July about his knowledge of the extent of the eavesdropping have been called into question.

The callers to the radio program were voicing their support for the Matazetas, the Zeta killers. Better they fight among themselves. Let them kill each other. Anything to rid us of the thugs who long ago took control of our city and are slaughtering our people. It is a sign of the desperation and deep outrage over surging drug-war violence that a shadowy group of vigilante killers is not only tolerated but welcomed by many here in Mexico's third-most populous state. Full coverage: The drug war in Mexico Yet it also comes with a disturbing question: Just who is behind the killings of Zetas — another drug gang?

In the decade since school districts instituted "zero tolerance" discipline policies, administrators have increasingly suspended minority students, predominantly for nonviolent offenses, according to a report released Wednesday. The National Education Policy Center found that suspensions across the country are increasing for offenses such as dress code and cellphone violations. Researchers expressed concerns that the overuse of suspensions could lead to dropouts and even incarceration.

Much of the nation's attention Sunday was riveted on New York City and other sites of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist incidents. But nearly 3,000 miles away, many Los Angeles residents held their own heartfelt commemorations. Those the attacks had touched closely included a woman who lost her nephew, a man who was one degree removed from numerous victims, a college student whose cousins went off to war in the aftermath and a man who narrowly escaped when the World Trade Center towers collapsed.