♦ The Times' powerful package on conservator scams was three years in the making: among other things, a prime example of the kind of investigative work blogs can't do (and most American newspapers don't do.) The LAT website includes an already-busy comments queue. Today's part two is on the failures of probate courts to protect the elderly.

Today's front pages

New York Times See/Read Washington Post See/Read LA Times See/Read Daily News See/Read Daily Breeze See/Read Press-Telegram See/Read Register See/Read Star-News Read Variety Read Hwd Reporter Read La Opinión Read

♦ Yahoo vs. Hollywood culture in the LAT.

♦ Southern California is number one on the smog hit parade again.

♦ An emailer says there was a reunion of Hahn folks Thursday night at Ma'Kai in Santa Monica. Spotted in addition to the deposed mayor were former aides Troy Edwards (hmmmm), Doane Liu, Shannon Murphy, Yusef Robb, Sahar Moridani, Elizabeth Kaltman, Jeff Millman, Jordan Markwith and Michele Fleenor, and from the media Erin Park of the Daily Journal.

♦ Mayor Villaraigosa has dinner and drinks tonight with members of the Society of Professional Journalists L.A. chapter—those who want to pony up forty bucks, anyway.

♦ "Peace and media activists from across Los Angeles" plan to picket the Times at noon Tuesday in support of Robert Scheer.

♦ "Potentially dangerous fire weather conditions" across Southern California Tuesday through Thursday.

♦ Steve Wasserman, the former LAT book editor turned agent, has two reviews in The Atlantic and The Elegant Variation prints them. Cuba is the topic.

♦ Weekday circulation at the Daily News fell 5.1% to 169,379; at the Pasadena Star-News 10.5% to 31,036; and at the Long Beach Press-Telegram 1.2% to 95,816. The L.A. Business Journal also reports that the L.A. Alternative Press went on hiatus this month to prepare for its December re-launch as a citywide weekly.

♦ VLife puts Heath Ledger on the cover of the December issue—I think it's the first non-female cover since the mag went newsstand. Inside, Evan Wright does Hollywood and war films, a topic also tackled in Sunday's NYT Magazine.

♦ Bob Baker posted a bunch of responses to his manifesto for print reporters.

♦ Shane Black dialogues with blogger Chris Faile.

♦ Valley activist Gordon Murley is getting used to his role as a planning commissioner. (LAT)

♦ The Downtown News runs an editorial praising the LAT's Skid Row columns by Steve Lopez.

♦ Correction of the day, from the LAT (and the same gist in the NYT): "An obituary for management guru Peter F. Drucker in Saturday's Section A reported incorrect information on his survivors. The article said Drucker's son, Vincent Drucker, lived in San Rafael, Calif. He lives in Dallas. The article also said daughter Cecily Drucker lived in San Francisco. She lives in Mill Valley, Calif. The name of another daughter, Kathleen Spivack of Watertown, Mass., was omitted from the list of survivors. Also, daughter Joan Winstein was identified as Joan Weinstein. Audrey Drucker was incorrectly identified as one of Drucker's daughters." [The NYT said the misinfo came from Claremont Graduate University.]