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Budget, prisons, Villaraigosa's newest deputy, Garcettis at the White House, KNBC's new channel, the worst actor and actress and an exciting new Dodger. Plus more notes.
LA Biz Observed: Wednesday morning headlines
A federal grand jury indicted 51 people allegedly associated with the Latino Azusa 13 gang for terrorizing blacks in that city since 1992. LAT, SGV Tribune, KPCC News
California's budget talks in Sacramento are stalled over whether to extend taxes until the public can vote on them in November. Rough & Tumble roundup
Just how to reduce the prison population by 10,000 by November, as ordered by a federal court, has the state stumped. LAT. Chronicle, Bee, Dan Walters, KPCC News
Prepare to be disappointed when the draft reapportionment maps are released on Friday, says John Myers. Capitol Notes, Which Way, L.A.?
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa promoted one of his advisers, Borja Leon, to be his deputy mayor for transportation. LAT, City Maven, DN wires
A four-hour hearing held in downtown Los Angeles by the state's Division of Occupational Safety and Health looked into whether porn actors should wear condoms and be required to take other safety steps. DN, KPCC News
Huma Abedin, the wife of Rep. Anthony Weiner who is deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is an unflappable "high-powered professional with exotic beauty and a closet full of Prada suits and heels....She began as an intern, rose through the ranks as an aide to the then-first lady when Bill Clinton was in the White House, worked for Hillary Clinton in the Senate and then again served as an aide during Clinton’s presidential campaign." WashPost
Gavin Newsom and his wife are moving out of San Francisco to Marin County. Chronicle
City Council president Garcetti took a break from his Naval Reserve duties to attend last night's White House state dinner for German chancellor Angela Merkel, with his wife Amy Wakeland. City Maven
Jill Abramson, the new editor-designate of the New York Times, uses an iPad but has not yet set up a Twitter account. The Guardian, NY Observer, WWD, Romenesko
KNBC's new on-the-cheap 24-hour news and feature station called California Nonstop isn't working out, says James Rainey. It's what happens when "the massive bandwidth and opportunity of the multi-channel universe collides with the broader media's attendant realities: fragmented ad spending, reduced revenue and smaller news staffs." LAT
A study of the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes since 1985 finds the worst-rated actor to be Chuck Norris and the actress with the lowest score to be Jennifer Love Hewitt. Patrick Goldstein
The Columbia Journalism Review is looking for an editor-in-chief who :provides the editorial vision and voice, supervises a professional editorial staff of nine plus a large team of freelancers, and manages an editorial budget of more than $1M annually to make CJR a must-read for journalists, media professionals, and all thought leaders concerned with the role (and survival) of a free press in civil society." Romenesko
David Kipen discusses the pending closure of Village Books and other bookstore news at 9:40 on KPCC's "Madeleine Brand Show."
For a state agency that aims to define the term "visionary," the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has always displayed a curious lack of vision about its own responsibilities, writes Michael Hiltzik. LAT
Summers are going to keep getting hotter, says Stanford researchers. California Watch
After an outcry from surfers and others about keeping beach bathrooms closed until 11 a.m., Los Angeles County will open some as as early as 5 a.m. and the others will open by 9 a.m. LAT, DN
Dodger Stadium's drop in fans and rise in police presence makes the New York Times. NYT
Rookie Dee Gordon started at shortstop for the Dodgers and collected hits in his first three major league at-bats, while his dad — former pitcher Tom Gordon — watched in the stands. ESPN LA, Dodger Thoughts