Only in L.A. would a pair of 47-story condo towers in Century City be rated by planners as good for traffic, and Universal City has the mayor's backing to build a new "village" with 2,900 residents, new office buildings, hotel and studios, and to revamp the tour, backlot and CityWalk. Local residents? Not so happy. DN, LAT

This year Los Angeles County has interred 1,687 cremated remains of the unclaimed and forgotten in a single plot adjacent to Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights. Over the years, the remains of 300,000 may have been put there. LAT

Before a bevy of mischievous Santas can make anarchy on trains leaving Union Station, they need to fuel up at Philippe's. Look for them around noon — unless it changes.

AFTER THE JUMP: Politics, media, the latest from Tennie Pierce and so much more.

The special in the 7th CD to replace Alex Padilla could be highly entertaining, maybe the 14th CD will provide some sparks, and the mayor could make the school board races competitive. Otherwise, look for a typically hum-drum Los Angeles local election. Here's the City Clerk's latest list of who's running and the main election page.

She argues the case that it's the retaliation, stupid on the LAT op-ed page. Meanwhile, black leaders fall into the KFI publicity stunt trap and send dog food to John & Ken.

By Judith Lewis of the LA Weekly: What has he done to deserve $10.5 million of Eli Broad’s money that could have gone to L.A. Unified schools?

Councilman Bill Rosendahl says he will unveil his Westside Transportation plan with "solutions to gridlock" at 4 pm at the northwest corner of Lincoln and Venice boulevards.

A new Northern California group called News Trust currently rates the Los Angeles Times the most trustworthy newspaper and says the same about Frontline (TV news), New Scientist (magazine) and the Union of Concerned Scientists (websites). Via Fishbowl LA

Sure looks that way.

She reviewed books for the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times and Christian Science Monitor over thirty years as a fulltime freelance critic. The LAT says she died Nov. 30 at Kaiser Medical Center in Los Angeles. Her husband, Martin Rubin, also is a book reviewer.

Cherie Currie, formerly of the Runaways, will co-host a tribute to the band's late drummer Saturday night at The Knitting Factory.

The Times' Calendar section follows LA Observed's Tuesday newsbreak about the ouster of Long Beach Museum of Art director Harold Nelson.

The Para Los Niños Family Learning Complex is dedicated at 10:30 am at 1617 E. 7th Street. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell is the keynote speaker.

The Valley Industry and Commerce Association will hear from new LAUSD Superintendent David L. Brewer III at lunch in Universal City.

I was on KPCC's Call Sheet yesterday, sitting in for Brad Pomerance. That means I also come up in a segment on Saturday's Off-Ramp hosted by John Rabe.