Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Friday 10.25.13

Including some catch-up from Thursday's light day of posting.

Politics and government

President Obama will return to Los Angeles on Nov. 25 for a series of fundraisers, reports Ted Johnson at Variety. Obama will appear at an event for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, with the home of Haim Saban being eyed as the venue. Obama may also appear the next morning to raise money for the Democratic National Committee. Variety

Los Angeles schools Supt. John Deasy, who has led the nation's second-largest school system since 2011, has told some top district officials that he could be leaving in coming months. Deasy declined to discuss his intentions Thursday evening, saying that he has not submitted a letter of resignation and that he would have more to say after his job evaluation Tuesday. LAT, DN

Mayor Garcetti will hold a press conference at Raleigh Studios at 9 a.m. to sign an ordinance that waives city fees for filming TV pilots in Los Angeles. He's going to Washington next week to attend events and lobby for LA River funds. DN

The city of Los Angeles sent a request Thursday formally asking a UC Berkeley engineering professor for a list of local concrete buildings that could be at risk of collapsing in a major earthquake. That must be embarrassing. Shouldn't it be the other way around? LAT, KPCC

There will be overnight closures of the 405 freeway in Sepulveda Pass for concrete pouring this weekend.


Media and books

Nikki Finke says that Jay Penske has harassed her with letters and phone calls, fired two of her staff with another planned, and made people in violation of state and federal laws. “I’m grateful to him for all the money he’s paid me,” Nikki Finke says of Jay Penske. “I’m grateful for all his help in building out Deadline Hollywood. But now too much has happened between us. And it’s time for us to say good-bye.” BuzzFeed, Defamer, LA Observed

I have no plans to take any staff with me at this point. I do have an offer that is a $5.5 million offer for nikkifinke.com, and I have several other offers as well. I haven't negotiated any yet, as I've been waiting until things are finished [with PMC]. They all came in unsolicited and would like me to start after the new year. I'm excited for and entitled to my vacation through the first week of January. I've been forced to work seven days a week with no vacation and I'm excited to be own boss again.


I think Deadline is very bland and boring, and doesn't tell the truth about Hollywood anymore. I've been inundated with administrative duties, and for the past two years I've been begging for more staff, more resources, help for myself in running the site, and he hasn't done it. And in the meantime he's bought a competitor and lavished resources on them.


lucy-noland-ftv.jpgLucy Noland reportedly is out as 6 p.m. news anchor on NBC 4. FTV Live

The LA Times moved Calendar section editor Rich Nordwind to film editor. Julie Makinen, the current film editor, is moving to Beijing as a China correspondent.

Vivian Schiller, the chief digital officer for NBC News, will leave and join Twitter in January as head of news and journalism partnerships. NYT

Richard L. Berke, a longtime political correspondent and senior editor at The New York Times, was appointed executive editor of Politico. NYT

Damian Mazzota was named GM of impreMedia West, overseeing La Opiñion and other newspapers.

A. Scott Berg talks with Patt Morrison about Woodrow Wilson. LAT Op-ed


Courts and cops

LA County Sheriffs hassle photographer, trample Constitution, get lauded by bosses. Reason


More news, notes and observations

Thomas Rosenbaum, an expert in condensed matter physics, will become the new president of the California Institute of Technology. Rosenbaum, 58, is provost at the University of Chicago. LAT

A black bear that went on a romp through northwest Pasadena on Thursday, coming perilously close to the 210 Freeway, evaded capture, apparently wandering back up the mountainside. LAT

People fishing from local piers have recently brought in (and released) a young salmon shark and a butterfly ray. SoCal Wild

The former Marina del Rey headquarters of automotive legend Carroll Shelby was sold along with two office buildings for $10.7 million. LAT


Tweet of the day


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