• Channel 2's Christina McLarty says Tom Hanks excluded cameras so they had to kill a story on him signing last night at Village Books. McLarty blog
• The Times catches on to the South El Monte story and quotes mayor Blanca Figueroa saying her office is her "home away from home" but that she doesn't live there, despite allegations from a colleague she's been there eight months because her home lacks heat and air conditioning. LAT
• Senator Barbara Boxer held a news conference yesterday in Culver City to release her report detailing the recession's impact on California's counties and cities, but the only coverage I could find was a columnist's mention in Ukiah.
• The City Council approved $74 million in mid-year budget cuts. LAT, DN
• Because there is a well-established, and in some ways insular, political community in Sacramento, national public affairs firms have found it difficult to succeed in the state’s political PR business, says Anthony York. Capitol Weekly
• For the fourth year in a row, more people moved out of California than moved in. Los Angeles County grew slightly to 10.3 million residents. LAT, DN
• Bridge tolls in the Bay Area are likely to go to $5 soon. SF Chronicle
• Broad Foundation donates $25 million to stem cell research at UC San Francisco. LAT
• Eli Broad today attends his first MOCA board meeting in years, and he's not a fan of the LACMA merger proposal. Modern Art Notes, LAT
• Today is the first day of the new air service from Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes. LAT
• Sandra Tsing Loh's new play about school reform and mothers called The Burning Momologues debuted at the Coronet Theater. Witness LA

Plus: Mark Lacter on Century Plaza demolition plans and other morning headlines at LA Biz Observed.