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Curated news, notes and observations most weekdays from LA Observed.
Lou Reed, an "outsider whose dark, lyrical vision helped shape rock ’n’ roll, died Sunday of liver cancer at home on Long Island. He was 71. NYT, Rolling Stone, Legs McNeil at Daily Beast
The city of LA's highest paid employee is not who you think it is. LA Weekly
Mayor Eric Garcetti is in Washington to lobby for public transportation and Los Angeles River funding (and do other things.) KPCC
Wendy Greuel got a gig a consultant to the stalled children's museum project in the Valley. DN
City Council members Tom LaBonge and Mitch Englander are calling for the city to explore bond measures to help property owners strengthen potentially dangerous buildings that could collapse in a major earthquake. LAT
Former Speaker Willie Brown said he has never voted for a voter initiative. George Skelton/LAT
Trend of 'celebrity professors' at USC like Antonio Villaraigosa worries some. KPCC
L.A. County audit finds failures in oversight of drug rehab clinics. Center for Investigative Reporting
Prostitution in the Northeast Valley, the 405 widening project as a jobs program and more. Rick Orlov's Tipoff/DN
A revisit to the LAX-vicinity neighborhood of Manchester Square. LAT
City officials unveiled operational details of the sweeping new ordinance aimed at regulating valet parking companies. DN
Ontario criticizes Garcetti for lack of attention to ONT airport. Daily Bulletin
Traffic fears guide Bergamot Station development debate. SMDP
History makes a strong case for the California Delta water plan. Tim Rutten/DN
The boss explains the newsroom culture of Politico in a memo. Romenesko
What if Gawker tried to out an anchor at Fox News and no one cared? David Carr/NYT
Univision to launch an English-language news channel with ABC called Fusion. WSJ
Amanda Fortini on Mariel Hemingway and her incredibly asshole boyfriend, getting by pretty well in the hills of Malibu. NYT Magazine
Deborah Turbeville, "who almost single-handedly turned fashion photography from a clean, well-lighted thing into something dark, brooding and suffused with sensual strangeness," died of lung cancer last week in Manhattan. She was 81. NYT
Nicole Sperling is moving from the LA Times film coverage pod back to Entertainment Weekly, per Facebook.
An LAPD officer assigned to the Valley Traffic Division was hospitalized after he was struck by a car on Forest Lawn Drive just after midnight as he headed home on his motorcycle. DN
USC students not enamored of recent security measures. LAT
Video of the 710 freeway truck inferno. LA Weekly
Predicting Quakes Still Shaky, But Being Prepared Is Crucial. NPR
Someone has been shooting sea lions in Malibu. NBC4
The 23 Grandest Amtrak Train Stations in America, leading with Union Station in LA. Skift
Higher room rates projected for Southern California hotels. Press-Telegram
A State-by-State Map of the Penalties for Texting While Driving. Gizmodo
Marcia Wallace, the comic actress who made a name on TV's "Bob Newhart Show" and "The Simpsons," died at age 70. NYT
Finke Sink on Brink of Big Stink. @LAObserved has Link. http://t.co/Nu2uShpjVr
— Ed Fuentes (@viewfromaloft) October 25, 2013
