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Brown looks good in Field Poll, LAPD hiring, lunch with Warren Christopher, HuffPost hires again, James Beard nominees, more media notes and a new book on Roy Campanella.
Gov. Jerry Brown's job performance is winning the approval of California voters by more than a 2-to-1 ratio, while the state Legislature continues to receive low marks, according to a Field Poll released today. Chronicle, Bee, Dan Walters
Brown said Monday that he was determined to allow California voters to vote on his budget plan -- even if he failed to garner Republican support for his special election. LAT
Joe Mathews: So what are Brown's options? Prop Zero
The City Council's budget and finance committee recommended Monday suspending police hiring until July as a way to reduce a $46.8 million deficit and save money in the future. DN, City Maven
The mayor's "12-to-2" was supposed to release development projects in Los Angeles from the grip of an insular, out-of-touch bureaucracy at City Hall, to reduce project sign-offs from twelve city divisions to just two. His idea quickly went nowhere. D.J.Waldie
Because of redistricting, Larry Kaplan writes, It is quite possible, if not probable, that voters in the 36th congressional district will choose a successor to Jane Harman "who may not represent them six months later, or to vote in a district that won’t include their residences once the new maps take effect at year end." CityWatch
Residents opposed to that 85,000-square-foot mega-mansion in Benedict Canyon plan an 11 a.m. media event at the corner of Tower Lane, Tower Road and Tower Grove Drive.
Columnist Jim Newton writes that "for the past dozen or so years, I had lunch every few months with Warren M. Christopher, Los Angeles' most enduring and consequential civic counselor....He would choose a top-notch restaurant — Lucques was a particular favorite." LAT op-ed
Former Chicago Tribune war reporter Kim Barker, now a ProPublica reporter, talks about how hard it can be for foreign correspondents to come home and cover city news again. Chicago Reader
The Huffington Post added six more editorial staffers: Reason’s Radley Balko as Criminal Justice Reporter; Rebecca Carroll as Culture Editor of Black Voices; The New York Times’ Maura Egan as Deputy Entertainment, Culture and Lifestyle Editor; GOOD’s Amanda Millner-Fairbanks as Education Reporter; and The Miami Herald’s Jaweed Kaleem as Religion Reporter. Christopher Spurlock joins The Huffington Post Media Group as Infographic Design Editor. Via release
KTLA's Lu Parker has won The Humane Society of the United States’ 25th Anniversary Genesis Award in the category of “News Feature,” for Puppy Mills Exclusive Investigation; Dogfighting Investigation; and Hatchery Hell, her publicist announced via release.
Canadian-born journalist Dominic Patten has left the staff of The Wrap after a year, saying "Sharon [Waxman] and I differed upon my role at The Wrap, so I decided it was time for me to leave.” Fishbowl LA
Channels 2 and 9 reporter Suzanne Marques photo-blogged about her recent trip to New York City. LA Woman
In Orange County, former LAT journalist William Lobdell has given up his column in the Daily Pilot to help the city of Costa Mesa to "better communications with its residents, employees and the media." D-P
James Beard Foundation award nominations are out, and as usual it's a very long list, including in the journalism categories Patric Kuh of Los Angeles magazine for the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review award and Jonathan Gold of LA Weekly
for best feature story: “99 Things to Eat in L.A. Before You Die.” JBF Awards
Only a few weeks after Romenesko busted Britain’s Daily Mail for plagiarizing the New York Times, it looks like the English tabloid is up to it again. The SF Weekly caught the Daily Mail lifting whole quotes, facts and characters from their recent cover story on illegal immigration. Fishbowl LA
Sugerman Communications Group is moving out of Westwood Village proper to 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 2020.
The DA's office decided not to charge Mel Gibson's ex-girlfriend with extortion over the objections of the lead investigator, who concluded that a demand by her attorneys for $20 million in exchange for damaging recordings and photos merited prosecution, according to a document reviewed by The Times. LAT
Loyola Marymount University officials issued a warning to students and faculty last week that they had received an anonymous e-mail reporting a "threat of violence" against the campus. Daily Breeze
"CAMPY: The Two Lives of Roy Campanella," is a new book by Neil Lanctot about the late Dodger great. The author guests on "Airtalk" with Larry Mantle at 11:40 a.m. on KPCC.