Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Sheriff Baca's unusual investigative help for a political donor, Dems beat Tea Party in the Valley, poll numbers, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and more.
- Sheriff Lee Baca directed detectives to launch a criminal investigation outside his agency's jurisdiction on behalf of Ezat Delijani,a well-connected supporter who has given the sheriff political contributions and expensive gifts. LAT
- Times/USC Poll over the weekend of likely voters: Brown widens lead to 52-39, Boxer leads too, Props. 19 and 23 losing, Prop. 25 winning. Poll
- Meg Whitman's strong opposition to AB 32 when she was trying to seem more conservative in the primary has come back to hurt her, says Calbuzz.
- Brown and Boxer need big turnouts in L.A. County to win, says Rick Orlov, with the ballot-by-mail numbers suggesting a large turnout. DN/Tipoffs
- Poll respondents who are likely to vote also expressed positive sentiment toward immigrants, with 48% saying they are a benefit to the state and not a burden, with 59% saying that an illegal immigrant who had lived and worked in the United States for at least two years should be allowed to remain. LAT
- A Sunday rally in the Valley of Democrats drew a crowd of about 200, while a Saturday Tea Party rally got only about two dozen. DN/DN
- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa went on the campaign trail this weekend in Colorado. DN/Sausage Factory
- Rounding up the evidence in the squabble between the county and the Times over how many child deaths actually occur under on the county's watch. Witness LA
- Homeowner activist Cary Brazeman's campaign against the pending overhaul of the city's zoning codes is the lead story in this week's Los Angeles Business Journal.
- Visiting with the class known as perennial candidates to see what makes them do it. DN
- Bell's ousted City Manager Robert Rizzo lost his Hollywood Park horse owner's license after failing to show up for a hearing on conduct detrimental to horse racing. AP
- Funeral services will be held today for state Sen. Jenny Oropeza. Daily Breeze
- Even on the sunniest day, City Hall is one of the scariest places in Los Angeles, says Downtown editor Jon Regardie in a Halloween spoof. DTN
- The Songwriters Hall of Fame has finally found a permanent home in Los Angeles, writes Michael Sigman. Huffington Post
- PBS is beta-launching Monday a new website at PBS.org to offer local content from member stations alongside national content. Hollywood Reporter
- AOL is losing more key writers and editors, including the head of AOL News. Reuters
- The Galaxy ended the season with a victory and the league's best record. Breeze