Traffic has been a bit heavier than usual for a Saturday in a few spots, especially near the immediate detours around the closed 405 freeway. But for the most part,...

That story yesterday out of the Los Cerritos Community News tying developer Rick Caruso's properties to the emerging probe around tax reductions by Assessor John Noguez drew a strong objection today from the fill-in assessor appointed by the Board of Supervisors. "Several erroneous conclusions based on nonexistent evidence," says a letter to the paper's publisher from Santos Kreimann.

UCLA researchers say in a study today that the benefits began as soon as the freeway closed, and extended for miles around. Since traffic fell everywhere in Southern California, the whole region felt an effect — for a couple of days.

In its final report, issued this morning, the Citizens’ Commission on Jail Violence put a lot of the blame on Sheriff Lee Baca and his number two, Paul Tanaka, and said the department needs to be reformed top to bottom and undergo a management shakeup. Civilian oversight is also needed.

Prospect Park publisher Colleen Dunn Bates created the site in 2006 as a companion to the book "Hometown Pasadena."

Garcetti gets Salma Hayek but few LA names, a bunch of other endorsements, what will be in the news today and more.

KPCC is taking the unusual step of having president Bill Davis stop in to "Airtalk" and chat with Larry Mantle about the recent programming changes, including the resignation of Madeleine Brand.

Staffers at the Auto Club Archives on South Figueroa had a little fun with a 1929 picture from their files — and remind people to avoid driving near the 405 this weekend.

Rick Caruso, the wealthy developer who's mulling a run for mayor as a self-financed candidate, received special treatment and substantial property tax reductions from the office of county Assessor John Noguez, then donated thousands to Noguez's political efforts, according to the Los Cerritos Newspaper Group.

Reynolds tweeted this morning that she was just informed that her "Good Day L.A." days were over. Steve Edwards' new co-host is Maria Sansone.

Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, who made the controversial film "Innocence of Muslims," was deemed a flight risk by a federal magistrate and ordered held without bail.

That $10 million art theft at the home of Santa Monica bond trader Jeffrey Gundlach has been solved — or at least he has gotten his artwork back and two men have been arrested. I guess rewards work when they are big enough.

Bloomberg News says that an agreement between Frank McCourt and Major League Baseball limits how much of the Dodgers' revenue from a new TV deal has to be shared with other teams.

The jury found Lomita chef David Viens guilty only of second-degree murder: willful and deliberate, but not premeditated. His sentence will be 15 years to life, says the Daily Brreeze.

Design flaws at Convention Center, ACLU alleges head injuries in jails, Occupy LA after a year, DA Steve Cooley to endorse in mayor's race, missing UCLA student's remains found, medical building falls off tax rolls and an LAT photographer explains his Endeavour shot in front of the Hollywood sign.

"Harper" starring Paul Newman aired tonight on Turner Classic Movies. Here's a screen grab circa-1966 of the Mulholland Drive bridge in Sepulveda Pass, spanning what was then called by everybody the San Diego Freeway.

Anything that advances the science of seismology is news in Southern California, or should be. This week's lead entries in the journal Nature qualify.

Ex-KPCC host Madeleine Brand, who left the station last week, tells Current.org that "outside offers just became too attractive” for her to remain at the station. She doesn't specify any offers, but says she will be staying in Los Angeles.

If things go right, there will be fewer media choppers hovering pointlessly above the ends of the closed 405 freeway during this weekend's traffic event. Or non-event, whatever.

A New York Post real estate editor and travel writer have written a very readable travel piece on the "new" Los Angeles that transcends enthusiasm. It's actually savvy about some of the shifting cultural currents here.

"When you meet with people in the legislature in Sacramento, the most striking thing is how stupid everybody is," says Bloomberg News' Josh Barro

The migrating birds adopted the unused chimney of the old Chester Williams Building at 5th and Broadway a few years ago. "If you think you’ve seen everything in downtown Los Angeles, you’ve never seen anything like this," says a watcher.

Before the Dodgers were sold, Jamie McCourt agreed to a divorce settlement with ex-husband Frank McCourt that gave her $131 million. Now that he has received considerably more than previously expected in the team's sale, she has sued and alleged Frank committed fraud by understating the team's value.

DWP rate hikes, LAPD to review an investigation, Herb Wesson's son and deputy arrested, future of Ontario Airport and Amtrak in SoCal studied, beach quality, San Fernando's battling council people and Reseda's 100th. Plus the passing of Andy Williams.

In a new biography, the relief pitcher who starred for the Dodgers early last decade says again that he used performance-enhancing drugs — and this time he alleges that so did most of his Los Angeles teammates.

By the time Metro decided to schedule the 405 freeway shutdown for this weekend, the Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles was already on the calendar for Sunday. So there will be closed streets and a lot of people in town.

In 2006, an LA Times and Paramount promotion for "Mission: Impossible III" went awry. They settled with the federal government for $75,000.

Live Talks Los Angeles is back for a new season of what sound like they will be provocative, entertaining or enlightening discussions mavened by Ted Habte-Gabr. Up this Thursday is author T.C. Boyle, talking about his new novel, "San Miguel."

Ad buyers have inquired about TV time in November, sources say, and Caruso also reportedly begged off a sizable commitment of money to pension reform citing large upcoming political expenses of his own. We'll see.

Former City Controller Laura Chick found herself in a feud with City Attorney Carmen Trutanich almost as soon as he took office in 2009 — with her endorsement, by the way. Now she's with Mike Feuer, and calling Trutanich a liar and a demagogue. There's a backstory.

It turns out this morning's evacuation of the Miracle Mile building that houses KNX, KFWB and other media outlets may have been caused by suspicious beeps in a promotional package sent by the Black Entertainment Network.

John Edward Smith freed, Sheriff Baca sure travels a lot, DWP salaries are sure high, Jon Bon Jovi, Jennifer Hudson and Stevie Wonder added to Obama concert, Schwarzenegger's symposium, poet cops and the Huffington Post debuts in Italy.

No, Carmageddon II is still coming this weekend. But the people behind Carmageddon had a ceremony out along the 405 freeway this morning to reopen the rebuilt Sunset Boulevard bridge.

For them it's about the quality of the content, the most precious commodity in the competition for readers' brains.

Emmy winners, Sunset Boulevard bridge opens over 405, pension politics, LAT urges a "lid" on pot dispensaries, Al Martinez appoints Eli Broad, Press Club signs up Jane Fonda and more.

The San Fernando Valley has been a major player in the Southern California aerospace legacy, dating from Amelia Earhart and Howard Hughes up through America's first moon rocket tests and the invention of the stealth warplane. The engines that blasted the space shuttle into the sky came, I think, from the Rocketdyne plant in Canoga Park. But no flyover.

Village Voice Media owners Michael Lacey and Jim Larkin announced Sunday night that they have agreed to sell the chain of 13 weeklies — a mix of papers they created and big established titles they acquired, including the LA Weekly and Village Voice — and will get out of alt journalism. The buyers are a new company formed by ex-editors and publishers of the New Times chain that Lacey and Larkin helped start in Phoenix in the 1970s.

The Los Angeles Times editorial page on Sunday endorsed Rep. Howard Berman in the big Democratic Party battle in the San Fernando Valley. "The Times supported Berman in the first round of voting, and we're sticking with him in the head to head" over Rep. Brad Sherman.

An eagle owl flying toward a camera at 1,000 frames a second.

The space shuttle Endeavour being placed on its transporter and rolled into its hangar at LAX. Photos and video.