Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Friday 12.20.13

Curated news, notes and observations most weekdays from LA Observed.

Holiday season short stack

Councilman Jose Huizar was the subject of a 2005 criminal investigation over an accusation by a Pasadena massage therapist that he groped her during a massage at Burke Williams. No prosecution ensued. LAT

What happened to $2.7 million in the Central Basin Water District's trust fund? KPCC

Water Wars: The Future of Southern California's Water? KCRW/WWLA

Drivers and homeowners are the enemy of progress in Los Angeles, architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne suggests: "A group of Angelenos who have benefited from remarkable policy largesse (hello, Prop. 13!) and are used to setting the political agenda — and who helped create the urban conditions many of the rest of us are anxious to fix." LAT

A judge tossed out a lawsuit against the Police Protective League by Brian Mulligan, the former Hollywood executive who alleges LAPD officers took him to a motel and beat him. Police say Mulligan was on a bath salts bender. LAT, DN

LA Times critic David Ulin's best books of 2013, as a slide show. Jacket Copy

Michiko Kakutani's ten favorite books of 2013 includes "Johnny Cash: The Life" by Robert Hilburn. NYT

Mark Zuckerberg this month is donating nearly $1 billion worth of Facebook stock to a Silicon Valley charity. LAT

Judy Muller started this week as a contributing correspondent for Al Jazeera America.

Doualy-Xaykaothao.jpgDoualy Xaykaothao, the former NPR and KPCC reporter, has joined KERA public radio in North Texas as a senior reporter. KERA

Huell Howser, the KCET personality who died in January, was the most searched-for person on the NBC4 website during 2013. NBC4

KDOC confirms that it won't resurrect last year's infamous "First Night 2013 with Jamie Kennedy," called "one of the most spectacular meltdowns in local TV history." Franklin Avenue


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