He's the next mayor
I left LA for Chicago why?Color commentary all around on yesterday's LAPD brass shake-up, Schwarzenegger parks in the red, Sarah Palin and Latinos and Supervisor Ridley-Thomas dodges the media. Those and more after the jump.
Also see today's Mark Lacter morning headlines at LA Biz Observed, and follow Mark and Kevin on Twitter.
- LAPD chief Beck's shake-up elevates the Valley's Michel Moore, demotes Jim McDonnell and Sharon Papa, and installs new commanders in three of the four regional bureaus. LAT, DN, Witness LA, LA Daily, Our L.A.
- Right-wing pseudonymous cop Jack Dunphy complains that "Beck seems to have bought into the fiction that the LAPD was little more than a cesspool of corruption and backward thinking prior to being reformed under the magical ministrations of William Bratton." Pajamas Media
- Now it's Gov. Schwarzenegger spotted arrogantly parking his wheels in a red zone. TMZ
- Republican consultant Michael Murphy is joining Meg Whitman’s campaign for governor, two reliable sources told Calbuzz.
- A top adviser on Hispanic issues to John McCain’s presidential campaign said that a joint interview with McCain and Sarah Palin planned for Univision last fall had to be canceled because Palin was unprepared to discuss Latin America policy. Politico
- Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas has declined to release any records of communications between his office and longtime associate Cynthia McClain-Hill, who has been employed by corporations that do millions of dollars of business with the county and a rail project that Ridley-Thomas helps oversee. LAT
- How the potheads outwitted Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council. LA Weekly
- Columnist Hector Tobar discovers transit and says gleefully that Los Angeles is shrinking: "One day it will be possible to speed without the use of a car from Westwood to East L.A. for a squash blossom quesadilla fix at noon -- and still make it back to the Westside for a 2 p.m. meeting." LAT
- The city of Los Angeles should create a standalone department of gang prevention and intervention instead of relying on the mayor's office to oversee anti-gang programs, according to a report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Gang Violence and Youth Development. Villaraigosa's office replies: "The graduate students who wrote the report deserve an 'A' for effort, but..." LAT
- The National Parks Service has provided a $939,000 grant to keep open the seven state parks located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Zev Yaroslavsky website
- Pasadena-based KAZN (AM 1300) was the nation's first 24-hour Chinese language radio station and remains the dominant voice in the Chinese community in L.A. LAT
- Fox 11 reporter Phil Shuman writes a weekly column for the Sherman Oaks-Studio City News and this week says that former LAPD chief Bratton left L.A. for the money "and it was tough to blame him for that." Column PDF (Pg. 5)
- An email correspondent calls "moronic" this quote from Mayor Villaraigosa's press release on new FlyAway bus service to Orange County: "The FlyAway service removes hundreds of thousands of cars each day from our roads, helping fulfill my commitment to provide clean transportation alternative." Hundreds of thousands a day?
- An "intelligent design" advocacy group sued the California Science Center for canceling the showing of a film on the topic. Via release
- James Finkelstein had considered an acquisition of I Want Media before learning that The Hollywood Reporter and affiliated titles were for sale. The Wrap
- Carl Kasell, 75, will read his final newscast on NPR on December 30. Romenesko
- ABC will be relaunching the websites for its local stations. B&C
- Developer Doug Ring's death won't affect a project at Ventura Harbor. Ventura County Star
- Chris Weitz, director of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," guests with Elvis Mitchell on "The Treatment" Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. on KCRW.
- Author Joseph Wambaugh guests on "Airtalk" at 11:30 a.m. to talk with Larry Mantle about his newest, “Hollywood Moon.”