Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Friday 1.7.11

Grim Sleeper photos lead to new cases, Villaraigosa's secret stadium memo, and the return of Doug Frantz plus other politics, media and books notes.

Top of the news

Release of those photos taken from the home of Grim Sleeper suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. has led to four new missing persons cases, police say. Some 53 women have been identified from the photos. LAT

Politics

The L.A. school board is expected to appoint top deputy John Deasy as the next LAUSD superintendent on Tuesday. LAT, DN

The re-emergence of the Bay Area was enhanced this week as Jerry Brown and other politicians from the region, such as Attorney General Kamala Harris and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, assumed office, says Dan Walters. Sacto Bee

Gavin Newsom’s decision to delay his swearing in as lieutenant governor for one week means that Abel Maldonado is still lieutenant governor and would become governor if something happened to Jerry Brown. Capitol Weekly

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wouldn't say if he agreed with the decision to partially commute the manslaughter sentence of Esteban Nunez. The mayor previously provided a reference letter for Nunez. LAT

As long as nearly two years ago, Villaraigosa and his staff conspired with AEG's Tim Leiweke and Casey Wasserman and others to conceal plans to build an NFL Stadium in Downtown, Ron Kaye says based on a memo he obtained.

Catching up: Jim Newton's column on the overlapping work of Supervisor Don Knabe and his son, lobbyist Matt Knabe. "Don Knabe could recuse himself from matters involving his son, but he doesn't. Matt Knabe could represent only clients with business outside the county, but he instead chooses to lobby his father's colleagues and subordinates." LAT op-ed

A looming state deficit in Texas shows the folly of the modern conservative theory of budgeting, argues Paul Krugman: "If the theory can’t make it there, it can’t make it anywhere." NYT op-ed

Hanging out with the candidates for the 12th city council district. DN

David Mark, an editor at Politico, will talk about the latest changes in the Obama Administration and preview the debate over healthcare on "The Madeleine Brand Show" on KPCC.

Media & media people

James Nash, formerly a reporter with the L.A. Daily News and the L.A. Business Journal, is joining Bloomberg News as a Capitol reporter in Sacramento. For the past five years he was a statehouse reporter in Ohio for The Columbus Dispatch.

Charles McNulty, chief theater critic for the Los Angeles Times, is the winner of the 2009-10 George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism, administered by Cornell University's Department of English. Via release

Sofia Coppola guests at 11:30 a.m. during the Film Week segment of "Airtalk" on KPCC.

Books

Remember Doug Frantz? He was the Los Angeles Times managing editor under Dean Baquet who left in 2007 after Baquet resigned and after getting in a dispute with reporter Mark Arax over the handling of Armenian and Turkish issues. The Times today reviews his new book, "Fallout: The True Story of the CIA's Secret War on Nuclear Trafficking," with his wife Catherine Collins.

"California After Arnold” by Democrats Steve Cummings and Patrick Reddy is "an insightful look at where we’ve been and where we might be headed...This is not a breezy read. But it’s packed with keen observations and research." Calbuzz

Poet Marisela Norte has been unemployed since being laid off by MOCA, but not necessarily unhappy. LAT/Hector Tobar

More

Michael Jackson was dead before he was wheeled into the UCLA emergency room, an attending doctor testified in the case of Dr. Conrad Murray. AP

USC journalists at Neon Tommy began a nine-part series on LAUSD teacers who are making a difference. Neon Tommy

A 30-day moratorium stopping the L.A. County Department of Public Works from demolishing part of the Arcadia Woodlands to make way for 250,000 cubic yards of sediment from nearby Santa Anita Reservoir expires tonight. L.A. Creek Freak

Some history of The El Torito Grill chain, which began in Encino. OC Weekly

Rival groups hope to revive Manhattan Beach Open volleyball competition after the bankruptcy of pro tour. LABJ

Planning ahead

Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, will address Town Hall Los Angeles on Jan. 20 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.

The Drucker Business Forum announced its first speakers of 2011, leading with Deepak Chopra in conversation with Lisa Napoli on Jan. 21 at Zipper Hall.

Lakers star Derek Fisher will receive the 2010 Sportsman of the Year award during the sixth annual LA Sports Awards, to be held on Thursday, February 24 at the Beverly
Hilton Hotel. Via release


More by Kevin Roderick:
Gustavo Arellano, many others join LA Times staff
Power out Monday across Malibu
Put Jamal Khashoggi Square outside the Saudi consulate on Sawtelle
Here's who the LA Times has newly hired*
LA Observed Notes: Clippers hire big-time writer, unfunny Emmys, editor memo at the Times and more
Recent Morning Buzz stories on LA Observed:
Thursday news and notes
A little bit of mid-week reading
A few links from a few different places
Let's talk about anything but the weather
A few links from here and there
A couple of links from a couple of places
A bit of news from a few places
Morning Buzz: Wednesday 4.16.14


 

LA Observed on Twitter