Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Wednesday 1.16.13

Politics and government

More than four years after California voters approved a bullet train, the biggest project in state history, sealed envelopes containing the actual cost for the first leg of the high-speed rail line will finally be hand-delivered to state offices this week. San Jose Mercury

Revenge is being served up cold to Rep. Brad Sherman since he beat fellow California Democrat Howard Berman. Politico, Roll Call

Facing overwhelming opposition to a proposed parcel fee to clean up storm water pollution, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors deferred a vote to place it on the ballot. LAT, DN

Video from Monday night's debate of the four principal city attorney candidates at Temple Israel of Hollywood, with Jim Newton of the LA Times moderating. It was the first forum to include all four candidates and the first since Mike Feuer returned from his injury. LAT opinion, LAT

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will hold a media availability to discuss gun violence on the south lawn steps of City Hall at 2:30 p.m.

Councilman Paul Krekorian wants the city to explore the feasibility of banning the possession of ammunition for high-capacity gun magazines, the first step toward instituting stricter city gun and ammunition laws. LAT, KPCC

The City Council abandoned plans Tuesday for placing a $3-billion street repair bond measure on the May 21 ballot, opting instead to consider it in a future election year. LAT, DN

The candidates for mayor debate tonight at the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, 7:15 p.m. at Notre Dame High School.

The Daily News followed up with its own story on the new independent expenditure committee for Wendy Greuel to be run by Ace Smith and Sean Clegg. DN

rastbound-10-truck-lao.jpgUnlicensed drivers in California — the vast majority of whom are illegal immigrants — are nearly three times as likely to cause a fatal crash as licensed drivers, according to a study by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The report suggests that merely meeting the modest requirements necessary to get a license — passing a written exam and driving test — could improve road safety and help reduce the several thousand fatalities that occur in the state each year. LAT

Chalk up another failure in the city's effort to find someone to take over the 1863 Pico House, once the grandest hotel in town. Downtown News


Media and media people

New CEO for Prometheus Digital Media, the Hollywood Reporter's renamed parent company: former Yahoo executive Ross Levinsohn, who also recently joined the board of Tribune Company. Dottie Mattison leaves as CEO after just seven months. The Wrap, THR

Director Kathryn Bigelow defends "Zero Dark Thirty" in a first-person piece for the Los Angeles Times. LAT

This is the year that LA journalist Sara Scribner breaks up with Facebook. Salon

Bay Area journalist Jessica Lum, 25, a UCLA alum, former Daily Bruin photographer and briefly a reporter at KPCC, died of a rare cancer. SF Gate, her website

Paul Chavez, a former AP and LA Times reporter and Patch editor, has launched Venice Dispatch and is looking for funding on Kickstarter.


More

Some neighbors aren't too thrilled by USC's new security gates and late-night restrictions. LAT

A whole lot more people might actually call Warner Center home someday soon. The area's new specific plan calls for it to be transformed into a more "cosmopolitan" neighborhood, emphasizing the live/work balance. Curbed LA

Dunkin’ Donuts officially announced this morning that the company is looking for franchisees for Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Ventura and Orange counties, with restaurants expected to begin to open in 2015. AP

Southwestern Law School has scored District Attorney Jackie Lacey to speak at commencement on May 12 at the Shrine Auditorium. She will also receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during the ceremony.

Roger Broggie Jr., a Disney Imagineer, began working for Walt Disney as a boy tending his backyard train in Holmby Hills. Broggie died at age 73. LAT


More by Kevin Roderick:
'In on merit' at USC
Read the memo: LA Times hires again
Read the memo: LA Times losing big on search traffic
Google taking over LA's deadest shopping mall
Gustavo Arellano, many others join LA Times staff
Recent Morning Buzz stories on LA Observed:
Thursday news and notes
A little bit of mid-week reading
A few links from a few different places
Let's talk about anything but the weather
A few links from here and there
A couple of links from a couple of places
A bit of news from a few places
Morning Buzz: Wednesday 4.16.14