Morning Buzz: Wednesday 6.22.11

LAX food concessions awarded, county CEO's challenge, Rizzo lists his home, Crenshaw High snags Kareem for graduation and more politics and media notes.

Top of the news

That LAX food concessions imbroglio has ended, with Host — the company shut out of the bidding last year — now winning a lucrative contract and SSP, which won last year, now out of the running. Host, represented by lobbyist and Carmen Trutanich fundraiser John Ek, got back in after Trutanich ruled the previous outcome invalid. LAT, Breeze


Politics and politicos

Plenty of coverage and reaction to Controller John Chiang's ruling that state lawmakers still forfeit their pay because the budget they passed (and which Gov. Brown vetoed) was not balanced. Bee, AP, Calbuzz, Capitol Notes

Assemblyman Mike Gatto was on "Which Way, L.A.?" last night venting about lawmakers not getting paid due to the Chiang ruling, and he will reprise the angle with Patt Morrison at 1:40 p.m. on KPCC. KCRW

Mayor Villaraigosa guests on KPCC's "Airtalk" (with guest host David Lazarus) at 10:20 a.m. to talk about his post with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and his statement that withdrawing troops from Afghanistan could benefit cities.

As Los Angeles County's chief executive officer, William Fujioka is "facing new foes and perhaps the biggest challenge of his 34-year career" including being "kneecapped" by the Board of Supervisors. LAT

The City Council didn't have the votes to extend the city's red light camera program. (In the NBC story, Councilman Tom LaBonge says "I don't tweet, I don't e-mail, but I believe in technology," but someone has tweeted in his name.) NBC 4, LAT, DN, City Maven

Former Bell city administrator Robert Rizzo has put his Orange County home on the market. LAT


Media and media people

Author and former New York Times (and LAT) reporter David Cay Johnston has joined Reuters to write a twice-weekly column on tax, provide TV commentaries and write on other business subjects.

Tom Hanks and Ira Glass are among the supporters of a Pulitzer bid for The Onion. Off-Ramp blog

Fishbowl LA editor Tina Dupuy was on MSNBC's show with Cenk Uygur. FBLA

Author Reyna Grande has sold to Atria a new book, "The Distance Between Us," on her childhood in Mexico and life after crossing into the U.S. at nine. Publishers Lunch

Mary Ann Meek, an executive news editor at the L.A. Times, will move to the Metro desk as a deputy metro editor. Via memo.

The Lakers named Bill Macdonald as television play-by-play announcer and John Ireland as radio play- by-play announcer, replacing Joel Meyers and Spero Dedes. Wires


More

Good catch for today's graduation speaker for Crenshaw High School: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It's at USC's Galen Center at 1 p.m.

Before distance running entered the mainstream culture, before marathons and road races attracted thousands of runners, before Nike and Reebok, there was a distance running subculture in Southern California. Zocalo

What's on the nighttime menu at 16 L.A. restaurants. 99 Cent Chef

A 100-year-old wood-frame former farmhouse on East Magnolia Boulevard has been given historic-landmark status by the city of Burbank. Burbank Leader


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 Morning Buzz stories on LA Observed:
Morning Buzz: Friday 4.27.12
Morning Buzz: Thursday 4.26.12
Morning Buzz: Wednesday 4.25.12
Morning Buzz: Tuesday 4.24.12
Morning Buzz: Monday 4.23.12

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