Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
John Edward Smith was freed from jail after 19 years once his 1995 conviction was set aside due to perjured testimony. LAT
Sheriff Lee Baca's travel record shows that he took a total of 18 trips between January and July, including to Doha, Las Vegas and twice to Washington. LA Weekly
Revelations of brutality by LA sheriff's deputies and cover-ups inside the jails have exposed significant shortcomings in the department's civilian watchdog system, which was created to prevent such misconduct. LAT
After years of steady support for the death penalty, California voters are now divided over whether to repeal capital punishment through Prop. 34 on the Nov. 6 ballot, a new poll has found. Bee
Jon Bon Jovi, Jennifer Hudson and Stevie Wonder will perform at a fundraiser for President Obama on Oct. 7 at Los Angeles' Nokia Theater, added to a bill that includes Earth, Wind & Fire and Katy Perry. Wilshire & Washington
Salaries at the Department of Water and Power are "significantly" higher than those paid by other public and private utilities, according to an analysis prepared for city leaders. LAT
Former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger received a standing ovation as he stepped onto the stage in an auditorium on campus for the start of a daylong symposium — the inaugural session of the augustly named USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. LAT
Mike Feuer and Carmen Trutanich agreed to hold "as many debates as possible" during the 2013 city attorney campaign. Sausage Factory
City controller candidate Cary Brazeman urged the City Council to delay voting on pension reform: "The fact is there has been virtually no public debate about the new pension plan, which will affect the entire next generation of City employees." Blog
Don't skate or bike on the closed 405 freeway this weekend, the CHP warns. The Informer
Arianna Huffington is in Italy to announce the launch of L'Huffington Post, "bringing HuffPost's signature mix of news, blogging, community, and social engagement to Italy." HuffPost
Steve Oney has an interview with novelist Lee Child in the October issue of Playboy.
The LAT's Hector Tobar appeared Monday on a French radio program, "L'Humeur Vagabonde," speaking Spanish translated simultaneously into French, about his books.
The LA Times won Online News Association award for breaking coverage of Occupy LA. Other winners include California Watch, Storify, the New York Times and ProPublica. List of winners
Quartz is a new business news site from Atlantic Media. Letter from the editor | Reviewed by Nieman Journalism Lab
The ten best reviews of "The Master" online so far. Critic Wire
Poetry by police officers and other law enforcement agents. DN
Saturday is free day at several Los Angeles museums with a pass downloaded from the Smithsonian.
Josephine Jimenez, regarded unofficially as the first Latina and second female high school principal in Los Angeles Unified, died at age 100. She spent three decades at Hamilton High. LAT
