Morning Buzz: Thursday 6.16.11

Sexting and Mike Molina, Villaraigosa on 'Meet the Press,' Hefner's runaway bride, Jim O'Shea's book, Huffington makes Rita Wilson an editor and accusations against Shaq. Plus more, all inside.

Also: LA Biz Observed headlines

Top stories

The state Legislature passed a balanced budget of sorts in order to meet its deadline to get paid. Backlash and fallout are beginning. Rough & Tumble roundup

Rep. Anthony Weiner says he will resign today. LA Observed


Politics and politicos

Turns out that an allegation of sexting on a city-owned phone was behind the departure of Michael Molina from his post at Los Angeles World Airports. CBS 2, LA Weekly, LA Observed

Mayor Villaraigosa is scheduled to be on "Meet the Press" this Sunday at 8 a.m. DN

Councilwoman Janice Hahn and anti-Hahn activist Ladd Ehrlinger were on "Airtalk" yesterday talking about his video linking her to gang members. KPCC audio

Jay Beeber, a San Fernando Valley resident and sometime TV writer and producer, gets credit for raising the issue of red-light cameras in L.A. socking motorists with $450 fines for rolling right turns. LA Weekly

Bills have been introduced in the House and the state Assembly to bar cities from restricting circumcision. Jewish Journal

City Councilman Paul Krekorian on Wednesday proposed a series of reforms to update the city's management of neighborhood councils. DN

The City Council threw its support behind an effort to give Los Angeles Dodgers fans a chance to own the ball club. DN wires


Media and media people

Hugh Hefner, dumped by fiancee Crystal Harris days before their scheduled Saturday wedding at the Playboy mansion, said he is affixing "Runaway Bride" stickers over her picture on the cover of Playboy's issue coming out on Friday. Reuters

Ex-Los Angeles Times editor James O'Shea blasts Tribune executives and the current Chicago Tribune editor in his new book "The Deal from Hell: How Moguls and Wall Street Plundered Great American Newspapers." Crain's

About half of adults (47 percent) report using Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter and other networks, up from 26 percent in 2008. The average age of a social network user has increased, from 33 in 2008 to 38 in 2010. "Over half of all adult SNS users are now over the age of 35. Some 56 percent of SNS users now are female," Pew reports. Pew Internet and American Life Project, Romenesko

CBS Interactive has named Marc DeBevoise, who most recently oversaw digital strategy, distribution and content at Starz, to run its entertainment websites. THR

Arianna Huffington named actress Rita Wilson as Editor-at-Large of “Huff/Post 40,” a site launching in August that will cover the boomer generation. Wilson will "oversee the vision and direction of the new site, including hiring its editor and team. She will also assign features, videos, and more." Via release

Today on KPCC's "Airtalk," Larry Mantle will be talking about the upset among organic food activists over a "Marketplace" story that pooh-poohed organic groceries — on a show the activists say has enjoyed strong sponsorship from Monsanto.

Former L.A. journalist Emmanuelle Richard, who is French born, was naturalized as a United States citizen this week in Washington, D.C.


More

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in 2009 investigated allegations that Shaquille O'Neal was connected to a beating, robbery and kidnapping by gang members of a man claiming to have a sex tape of the basketball star. Detectives found phone records showing a "flurry of calls" between the alleged ringleader of the assault and O'Neal's business partner around the time of the February 2008 incident, though O'Neal and the partner deny any involvement. LAT

A judge has issued a $35,000 bench warrant for a Cal State Northridge math professor charged with urinating on a colleague's office door. LAT

The owner of The Last Bookstore says he signed a three-year lease with a rent deal for the 10,000-square-foot ground floor space in the Spring Arts Tower at 5th and Spring streets. LAT

The Los Angeles Sports Council hosts a day-long event in Downtown billed as a Sports Venues Summit on Fan Behavior.

Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945 - 1980, the collaboration of dozens of local institutions and artists, opens officially on Oct. 1. Website

Here's one website's take on the "ten best dishes" in L.A. restaurants. Marpop


More by Kevin Roderick:
Ralph Lawler of the Clippers and the age of Aquarius
Riding the Expo Line to USC 'just magical'
Last bastion of free parking? Loyola Marymount to charge students
Matt Kemp, Dodgers and Kings start big weekend the right way
LA Times writers revisit their '92 riots observations
Recent Media stories on LA Observed:
LA Weekly's executive editor in '92 details riot coverage
Los Angeles more worldly since '92, LA Times 'more insular'
More recommended media coverage of the riots
Shelby Coffey, LA Times editor then, on the night the riots erupted
When LA Weekly (did) cover the riots *

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