Maher Hathout of the Muslim Public Affairs Council has been "less than moderate" about Israel and the Mideast in speeches given within his community, David A. Lehrer and Joe R. Hicks write in an LAT op-ed piece today. On the same, Daniel Sokatch of the Progressive Jewish Alliance defends the county Human Relations Commission's plan to give Hathout an award.

At Soto Street and Olympic Boulevard on the Eastside.

Carlos Alberto de Oliveira, described as a 43-year-old "professional jujitsu fighter from Brazil," is the guy dressed in military garb and dark glasses who tried to open the cabin exit door of Tuesday's United Airlines flight 890 from LAX to Washington, D.C. He was subdued by passengers and an air marshal and the flight landed normally.

AFTER THE JUMP: The reform scam at City Hall, John Miller is heard from, licenses for illegals, going green in the weeklies and another bad review for Scriptland — plus a lot more.

Zahniser rants against misuse of "reform" at City Hall.

Superintendent Percy Clark will depart Nov. 15 via paid administrative leave.

John Miller, the former TV newsman who was Chief Bratton's head of counterterrorism at the LAPD (despite some unfortunate firearms issues), pens a New York Times op-ed defending the FBI's work since 9/11. Did I mention that Miller is now an assistant director of the bureau?

Mayor Villaraigosa will join Senator Gil Cedillo and LAPD chief Bratton to urge the governor sign SB 1162, which would allow some undocumented residents to apply for drivers licenses.

Clear Channel Outdoor and CBS Outdoor will each take down 49 billboards around the city in exchange for lower fees and the right to "modernize" 420 of the more than 3,000 billboards that are out there.

Both LA Weekly and CityBeat have environmental themes to this week's features, the former about home and yard and the latter about fashion.

On Point is edited in Los Angeles by Matthew Heller, for Courthouse News Service.

The Hot Blog's David Poland writes of the Times' new column: "Why is the Los Angeles Times starting a gossip column about scripts? What is the news value in this? What is the morality of this?"

Engine 57 is the busiest LAFD company. A list at the department blog shows the top 20.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $1.3 million to help improve algebra teaching in LAUSD.

Rev. James Lawson will lead "non-violence training" for workers and others hoping to shut down Century Boulevard during the civil disobedience scheduled for Sept. 28. Angelica Lutheran Church, 5:30 pm.

LA Biz Observed: Nissan sells its South Bay property
Native Intelligence: How Lonely Girl15 resembles William Gibson's latest
Chicken Corner: More geese at Echo Park lake
Here in Malibu: An Inconvenient Truth outdoors
The Valley Observed: The Valley Film Festival is on