Folks, I'm sad to announce that Mark Lacter — the creator of LA Biz Observed and the author of 10,000 posts since 2006 — has passed away. He suffered a stroke.

Father of Mike Gatto found murdered in Silver Lake. Ron Calderon claims FBI is getting back at him. Tutor-Saliba blames LAX workers for runway problems. Baca aide relieved of duty over pot shop. An argument that aqueduct coverage was wrong-headed. Museum of Neon Art groundbreaking in Glendale. Plus Los Lobos at 40 and more.

"When he lowered his antlers to me, I wanted to keep my vitals protected and my head down."

Early in the morning of February 25, 2008, I posted an item that I hoped not to ever post. "It is with profound regret and sorrow that Dutton's Brentwood Books must announce that it will be closing...."

Six members of the Los Angeles City Council spotted at Pike Place Market in Seattle.

From the outside, the Conejo Creek Condos look like anywhere else in the Ventura County suburban community. Inside is more chaotic. Immigrants from rural Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras who live packed into the units call the complex Las Casitas.

Ron Calderon. Anne Gust. A staff move at City Hall. PaidContent shuts down. Lalo Alcaraz gets a TV gig. "The Goldfinch" still number one. Too many jurors called in — way too many. The story of The Standells. And more.

The media correspondent for NPR calls Murdoch “the most influential and important media figure in the English-speaking world." We talk about Murdoch's motivations, the trial of his former executives in London and the LA Times.

Stelter, one of the most high-profile New York Times staffers, produced scoop after scoop on the media beat while this year publishing his first book, “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV." He began TVNewswer in college and got hired full-time at the NYT at graduation.

Photographer Julius Chiu doesn't work at the Los Angeles Times, but he managed to get in and take a series of photos at the paper's lone remaining printing plant, on Olympic Boulevard south of downtown.

Veterans Day short stack has lots of good stuff: Jerry Brown, Eric Garcetti, Phil Anschutz, Hillary Clinton, Michael Hastings and more. Plus ultra-Orthodox Israeli rockers do "Hotel California." And: Trade Yasiel Puig?