Morning Buzz: Monday 1.3.11

Jerry Brown takes the oath today and said Sunday at a reunion of Brownies from the last time around that he won't take any major actions on his first day back as governor. After the inaugural address, he said, "I'm going to go to the office, make a few appointments." Sacto Bee Incoming Gov. Jerry Brown may or may not have named former Democratic Assemblyman John Laird to be secretary of natural resources, to the chagrin of business interests. Sacto Bee

Arnold Schwarzenegger looked back on his seven years in an interview with Evan Halper of the Times. LAT

Rep. Diane Watson looks back on 35 years in politics. LAT

Former City Controller Laura Chick has sold her L.A. home and is moving to the Bay Area to be closer to her daughter. Plus: Looking ahead to this election year. Orlov/DN

The race in the 14th Council District between Jose Huizar and challenger Rudy Martinez "will be brutal, sort of like when Clubber Lang and the Italian Stallion whale on each other in Rocky III." Downtown News

The Chatsworth Neighborhood Council says all candidates for the open 12th district City Council seat will be at the board meeting on Wednesday night.

The LAFD imposed new cuts in fire staffing starting Sunday, part of its effort to slash expenses in a bad budget year. LAT

Captain Jaime Moore is the new LAFD Public Information Officer, replacing Capt. Stephen J. Ruda. LAFD

Activist Ron Kaye singled out City Council member Dennis Zine as the leading "symbol of the daily corruption of the city's political processes and its policies."

With its new non-PBS status kicking in, KCET was dropped to lower spots on the Charter Communications and Cox Cable channel tiers. KCET also spiked its "Infinitely More" tagline. Variety

More talk of moving the Oscars up on the calendar, all the way to January. NYT

Actress Lindsay Lohan is scheduled to be released from the Betty Ford rehab center in Palm Springs sometime today. AP

NBC correspondent Josh Mankiewicz made GOP consultant Roger Stone's best dressed list for 2010 — and Democrat Willie Brown got Stone's lifetime achievement award.

Doug Harvey, the arts writer dropped last month by the LA Weekly, announced that he will begin writing for The Nation.

Jim Svejda of KUSC is "the Dr. Demento of classical music," says Los Angeles Magazine.

Los Angeles magazine named Lazy Ox Canteen its best new restaurant of 2010. Can't find a link, sorry.

The New York Times reviews the Ritz-Carlton at L.A. Live and calls the Brentwood Country Mart a "beloved western Los Angeles retail village" that is "enjoying a modern-day revival."

At a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, the prosecution plans to detail its case against Dr. Conrad Murray in the death of Michael Jackson. LAT