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Rick Caruso leaves the Republican Party, Jim Newton goes to a Supes meeting, city reduces Occupy LA damage bill, Sacramento Bee fires its altering photographer, Miramonte Elementary closes for two days plus more.
* Link added and typos fixed
Rick Caruso switched his party affiliation from lifelong Republican to decline to state, which Rick Orlov takes as a sign that the developer "is increasingly serious about his potential run for mayor in an overwhelmingly Democratic city." Plus: Neither Tim Leiweke nor Ed Roski went to the Super Bowl, and recuperating Councilman Bernard Parks has been spotted with a beard and mustache. Tipoff/DN
Jim Newton column on the Board of Supervisors and public comment at meetings. LAT Op-ed
The three-person panel appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to oversee the closing down of the CRA has strong Downtown ties. Downtown News
The city has reduced its estimates of the cost of repairing Occupy LA damage at City Hall by a lot — down to $76,000. Downtown News
Why you're hearing about BuzzFeed, or soon will. NYT
The U-T San Diego newspaper, which was acquired by San Diego developer Doug Manchester and radio executive John Lynch for $110 million in December, is planning to launch a 24-hour news station. North County Times
The Sacramento Bee fired photographer Bryan Patrick over digitally altering photos. Jim Romenesko
One child at Miramonte Elementary School reported she may be a victim of both teachers accused last week of lewd conduct. Classes will be cancelled at the school Tuesday and Wednesday for two days of meetings. LAT, AP
Retired Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department commander Robert Olmsted, who publicly accused department brass last year of ignoring his warnings about jail abuse, is now at the center of an internal investigation that he says is a "witch hunt." LAT, Witness LA
Quite a Gustavo Dudamel show on Saturday night at the Shrine Auditorium, including his old orchestra from Venezuela, choirs from around Los Angeles, a cast of 1,017 and a lengthy standing ovation. Mark Swed review
Actress, heir and ex-patriate Angeleno Anna Getty may have renounced her U.S. citizenship for tax purposes from her new home in Tuscany. Politico
Archaeologists near San Gabriel Mission have found more than 20,000 items from the mission era in a trench that is being dug for train tracks. LAT
MyHistoricLA is a creative new web tool from the city planning department's Office of Historic Resources intended to spark more citywide conversation about places and neighborhoods that matter to Angelenos.
Actor Ben Gazzara died at age 81. LAT
Erotic filmmaker Zalman King died of cancer at home in Santa Monica at age 70. LAT
Beyond Baroque will re-name its bookstore as the "Scott Wannberg Bookstore and Poetry Lounge" at a ceremony on Sunday, February 19th. S.A. Griffin will host.