Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Villaraigosa's fiscal health game, LAWA looking for PR help, Dukakis jumps into Sherman-Berman, the Union-Tribune rebrands in San Diego and an L.A. journalist writes about the death of his brother over the holidays. Plus it's caucus day in Iowa.
Today's the day Iowa Republicans don't choose any convention delegates, but get a lot of attention for their caucuses anyway. Politico
Mayor Villaraigosa has created a false sense of financial health for the city by "postponing at least $100 million in personnel costs until after he leaves office," David Zahniser reports to start the new year. Villaraigosa's former top deputy, Austin Beutner, likens it to Enron. LAT
At a press conference in Hollywood, there was an obvious disconnect between the mayor and residents. Jim Newton column/LAT op-ed
Los Angeles World Airports has a useful and decent-sized PR staff, headed now by former LAPD communications chief Mary Grady. But still, they have an RFP out for more help. Echoes of the DWP and Fleishman-Hillard?
Inviting all interested public relations, communications, and media firms to comment on a draft Request for Proposals to develop and coordinate a public relations campaign that highlights the construction and capital improvement projects underway at LAX, as well as LAX customer service improvements and initiatives.
Should the Valley have six fully contained City council districts? The Sherman Oaks homeowners group thinks so. Orlov column/DN
What to do about neighborhood council elections: delay or transfer? DN
Former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis will appear at a Valley fundraiser for Rep. Brad Sherman. PolitiCal
Sherry Bebitch Jeffe offers ten things Californians should watch for in 2012. Prop. Zero
Advocates of mandatory condoms in porn films made in Los Angeles plan to announce a bid for a county-wide ballot measure, at 10:30 a.m. in front of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky's office in Van Nuys.
The San Diego Union-Tribune is now U-T San Diego and the website, formerly known as SignOnSanDiego, is utsandiego.com. Romenesko
Also: Union-Tribune employees now have a dress code and longer hours.
Yahoo baseball columnist Tim Brown discusses, sadly, the death of a brother. Yahoo Sports
OC author-journo Scott Martelle on Facebook: "They were looking for a balding white guy with a ponytail and a 'creepy' smile in Hollywood, and they only found ONE?"
The producer and director of Bill Cunningham New York talk about the documentary on video with David Poland. DP/30.
The Wrap film critic Alonso Duralde was a victim of the carport arsonist. Fishbowl LA
Hollywood journalism refugee Hillary Louise Johnson has written and published "Shooting Stars," a Hollywood mystery satire on Amazon Kindle. Anne Thompson
Playboy magazine's local editorial offices have now moved from the Glassell Park area back to Beverly Hills, at 335 N. Maple Drive.
Los Angeles doctor Ken Murray's piece for Zocalo Public Square in November about how doctors sometimes choose to die continues to reverberate around the Web.
When some kids at Pomona College borrowed South Pasadena's Rose Parade float, back in the day. Orange Coast