Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Curated news, notes and observations most weekdays from LA Observed.
Gov. Brown vows to start debate over teacher pensions. AP
Rep. George Miller, the Democrat from Contra Costa County who has been in office 40 years, says he won't seek reelection. Miller
Mayor Garcetti will release crime stats for 2013 at 10 a.m. at the Police Adminstration Building.
Many of the complaints and suggestions contained in the LA 2020 report were previously in a report released in 1988 by the 150-member Los Angeles 2000 Committee. Rick Orlov/DN
Doug McIntyre says the LA 2020 report was true in its bleakness about the state and future of LA but didn't put enough blame on illegal immigrants: "Perhaps the Most Obnoxious Column I've ever written, which is saying a lot," he says on Facebook. DN column
They gave out the Golden Globes again last night. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler hosted. Some women wore dresses and shoes. Many live tweets were sent. "12 Years a Slave" won a best picture award. Full list
Mary McNamara: The Golden Globes are still decided by 85 people of no particular knowledge or repute, but "there is no denying that lately the Golden Globes has become the gold standard of awards shows." LAT
Esquire's Scott Raab talks to Steve McQueen, director of "12 Years a Slave." Esquire
Meghan McCain will co-host with Jacob Soboroff the late-night talk show TakePart Live on start-up television network Pivot. Previous co-host Cara Santa Maria will do something else. Politico, Variety
How Huff Po stole a story from Women and Hollywood. IndieWire
"Smogtown" by Bill Kelly and Chip Jacobs is being printed in Mandarin by Penguin/Overlook this year. They were on China's CCTV comparing China's and LA's air pollution. Link
LA archivist pleads for cop shows like 'Mob City' to use just the facts. KPCC
Dick Enberg will receive the Radio and Television News Association's Broadcast Legend Award at the Golden Mikes dinner on Jan. 25 in Universal City.
An LAPD officer on a motorcycle was injured after he was struck by a car in Van Nuys. ABC 7
Actor David Cassidy has been arrested for driving while intoxicated, for the second time in six months. Huffington Post
Former Bell official Robert Rizzo is due in court Monday to plead guilty to federal tax charges. LAT
The cost of L.A. County Sheriff's Department legal settlements rose in 2013 to $43 million. LAT
Now Neiman Marcus says hackers stole its credit card data. NPR
Gary K. Michelson, a retired orthopaedic spinal surgeon, donated $50 million to the University of Southern California to fund the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. USC, LAT, AP
How London Plans to Eliminate the Search for a Parking Spot. Quartz
Homeowners who live near the Hollywood sign are livid over Glendora ophthalmologist Kenneth York's plan to build a two-story, 8,000-square-foot mansion, a 1,300-square-foot guest house, a pool, a tennis court and "wine caves" next to the sprawling vineyard he planted years ago above their homes. LAT
Ellen DeGeneres bought the Brody house in Holmby Hills for $40 Million. Curbed
The Warner Bros studio ranch in Burbank turned 80 years old last week.
Coyotes killed two gazelle and steenbok recently at the Los Angeles Zoo, says the USDA. Facebook
The City of Santa Monica has an upward battle in its attempt to take control of Santa Monica Airport, with attorneys for the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, and U.S. Department of Justice arguing the city's lawsuit filed in October 2013 was filed too late. SM Mirror
Popeye’s Legacy Lives On: Santa Monica’s most famous mariner turns 85. Argonaut
The LA Times follows up with a story on the pending closure of the Culver City Ice Arena rink. LAT
Never thought I'd get paid to hang out in a subway station looking for people in their underwear. #NoPantsMetroRideLA
— Claudia Peschiutta (@ReporterClaudia) January 12, 2014