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The coroner ruled accidental the death of Elisa Lam, the Canadian tourist whose body was found in the water tank at the Hotel Cecil, and said her bipolar disorder was a significant condition. No drugs were found in her system. LAT
Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti is in Las Vegas to make remarks at a U.S. Conference of Mayors session and a meeting of Teamsters union delegates.
Deputy Mayor for Education Joan Sullivan is moving to CEO of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. LA School Report
The White House said Twitter's legal director for products, Nicole Wong, is joining the Obama administration as the deputy U.S. chief technology officer. Her duties will cover the Internet, technology and privacy. AP
City officials in Port Hueneme have issued a state of emergency because a two-mile stretch of beach is eroding, pushing the waves closer every day to nearby homes. NBC 4, Ventura County Star
Howard Kurtz, the longtime host of CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” is jumping to Fox News to host a weekend media program and write for FoxNews.com. "Kurtz will anchor a version of what is now called Fox News Watch, which focuses on the media, with a new format during the weekends. Additionally, he will serve as an on-air analyst for a variety of programs throughout the week, while also writing a regular column on FoxNews.com, commenting on social media news, industry trends and breakthroughs, in addition to looking at how media are used in politics." Release
Jim Romenesko asks: How will Kurtz handle Fox News' enemies list that bars disliked reporters and sources from the network?
The LAPD says there appears to be no foul play in the traffic death of journalist Michael Hastings, and the FBI says it was not investigating him in any way. But he was speeding way above the limit. LAT, LA Weekly
The Oregonian newspaper announced Thursday that it will reduce home delivery to three days a week — Wednesday, Friday and Sunday — and will lay off staff. Poynter
Freedom Communications Inc., owner of the Orange County Register, has launched a new venture that focuses on selling corporate sponsorships for naming or presentation rights to companies and organizations. Clients include the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Anaheim Ducks. Register
The Tribune Company seems likely to have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes that it would never have owed had it and Sam Zell not tried to be so clever. NYT
KCRW is joining with America Abroad for an international town hall on Iran at noon at NPR West in Culver City. Madeleine Brand will host here and BBC Persian Service anchorwoman Pooneh Ghodoosi will be in London.
WBEZ, a public radio station in Chicago, is cutting back on costs and switching to more listener-generated content. Chicago Reader
A small portion of the somewhat notorious Journolist email list archive has been hacked and posted online. Gawker
The use of pesticides and other farming practices are causing a dramatic decline in the population of what was once one of California's most populous bird species: the tricolored blackbird. Sacramento Bee
The City of the Future: Can Los Angeles Reinvent Itself All Over Again? Pacific Standard
The LA Marathon named Tracey Russell, executive director of the Atlanta Track Club, as the new chief executive officer.
