Thursday Buzz, 7.27.06
Top News
Leads on missing women pour in
Sheriff's detectives get the help they hoped for, including a single email from an unidentified tipster giving 12 names. They think that at least 24 of the 54 women photographed by murderer William Bradford are alive. Times, AP, Breeze
Los Angeles a finalist for 2016 Olympics
San Francisco and Chicago also made the cut. The U.S. decides in March which city to nominate, then the IOC decides in 2009 which country gets the nod. Wake me up then. Times, Press Telegram
Abuse victims to see priest files
Superior Court Judge Haley J. Fromholz tentatively ruled that victims suing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles should have broad access to information about alleged sexual abuse by priests. It's a substantial win for the plaintiffs, the Daily Journal says (no link.)
Oh this is nice
When deposed Getty chief Barry Munitz was under investigation by the state Attorney General's office for possible financial impropriety, he took lunch with a friend: AG Bill Lockyer. The AG tells the Times' Ralph Frammolino and Jason Felch it was nothing.
Ralphs admits cheating
Yes, the markets did illegally rehire striking workers using fake names during the 2003-4 grocery strike. And yes, it will now pay $70 million in fines and restitution.
Amazon goes Hollywood
Amazon.com has optioned screen rights to Keith Donohue's bestseller "The Stolen Child" and is bent on becoming a Hollywood player, Variety's Michael Fleming reports.
AFTER THE JUMP: Why the City Council is turning on school takeover, MSN buys 'Arrested Development,' original Wonkette's new gig, a Breeze rumor and more in politics, media and around town
Politics
Term limits and the school compromise
Why are some critics on the City Council now talking nice about Mayor Villaraigosa's school takeover ambitions? David Zahniser in LA Weekly says it's all about private sessions with the mayor and the move to let the electeds stay around for a third term. He writes: "Two utterly unconnected policy initiatives — term limits and a change in the structure at L.A. Unified, both of which would transform governance in Los Angeles — are being serendipitously joined in the minds of some top policymakers." Good lede on Janice Hahn's flip-flop.
Affordable housing bond on the ballot
The City Council wants us to agree Nov. 7 to a $1 billion commitment and jump in property taxes. It will need a two-thirds vote to pass.
Where's Antonio today?
Mayor Villaraigosa is in Atlanta this morning to deliver the keynote address at the Urban League Convention, then scoots back to testify on behalf of his school compromise at 5:30 pm at Irving Middle School.
LaBonge for mayor?
The Los Angeles Independent covers a fundraiser at Lucy's El Adobe for Councilman Tom LaBonge, who was being talked up there as mayoral material should Antonio Villaraigosa move on. His wife's "life-threatening breast cancer" comes up in the story.
Media
Kazaa to pay out the wazoo
Under a lawsuit settlement disclosed this morning, the LAT says the online file-sharing site will add filterS to stop sharing of copyrighted music, film or software and pay $115 million to the recording industry.
MSN buys rights to 'Arrested Development'
First time a big-time TV series has been syndicated to the Internet. Now to see if anyone will watch.
P-T sports editor to retire
Jim McCormack has been at the Long Beach Press-Telegram since 1962, in charge of Sports since 1980. Doug Krikorian devotes a column to him.
Tribune rumor
Is the Tribune company talking to Copley about buying the Daily Breeze?
Ana Marie Cox to be a Time editor
This will surprise some people — and may tick some off. The former Wonkette blogger starts Monday as the Washington editor for Time.com, "coordinating TIME.com's political coverage as well as continuing to create features and essays for both the print and online editions."
New York Observed media hound
With Gabriel Sherman leaving for Conde Nast's Portfolio, Jossip says the paper's next media gossip will be real estate reporter/blogger Michael Calderone.
Noted
John Marder profiled
The New York Times looks at the downtown attorney who made a speciality of filing lawsuits against studios on behalf of writers who think their intellectual capital has been swiped. Or as the NYT puts it, Marder is the "latest in a long line of gadflies who contend that it’s their job to keep the studios honest."
Horowitz owns the farm
A judge ruled that, yes, Ralph Horowitz does control the land where he recently evicted tree-sitter Daryl Hannah and the South Los Angeles community gardens.
Orange crate art in SI
LA Observed contributor David Davis has a piece in Sports Illustrated on Pasadena artist Ben Sakoguchi. What he does.
What's happening today
'Dr. Roadmap' on 'Airtalk'
David Rizzo talks about his new book, Survive the Drive, with Larry Mantle on KPCC.
Around the LA Observed blogs
Native Intelligence: Introducing a new blog for contributors
LA Biz Observed: Morning news capsules galore, and more on John Marder
SoCal Sports Observed: Art imitates life
9:41 AM Thursday, July 27 2006 • Link
More by tag: All | Los Angeles | Morning Buzz
Email or share:
© 2003-2008   •  About LA Observed  •  Contact the editor
LA Biz Observed
4:49 PM Fri | Forget plastics, the real action these days is arranging going-out-of-business sales.
4:10 PM Fri | Louis Verdad was one of L.A.'s hottest designers, but he had little idea of how to run a business.
Native Intelligence
TJ Sullivan | Without referencing its recent layoff, the Ventura County Star's editor says the suburban LA paper is now "more streamlined and, in many ways, much more efficient."
Deanne Stillman | We stripped the Indians of their ponies, and now we're doing it to ourselves.
TJ Sullivan | When the sun looks like that, there's a big fire somewhere regardless of whether we see or smell smoke.
Bill Boyarsky
Lee Abrams, Tribune Company's chief innovation officer, doesn’t seem too impressed with the Los Angeles Times. That’s the feeling I got when he appeared at the Los Angeles Press Club.
Jenny Burman
Seven or fifteen minutes from now I can definitively say I didn't hear the sound of sirens.
Here in Malibu
Making our bed, lying in it.
Sponsors
Jewish Journal logo
California Wellness Foundation
Playa Vista ad
Premium Blogads

 
Books, Blogs & Events

Get RSS Feeds
of LA Observed
LA Observed publishes several Real Simple Syndication feeds for easy scanning of headlines. If you wish to subscribe to a feed, most popular RSS readers will do it for you. You can also enter the web address from the XML button below or click on a specific feed. For more help with RSS, try here or here.




Add to Google