Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Curated news, notes and observations most weekdays from LA Observed.
The Los Angeles City Council joined a growing list of cities that treat e-cigarettes just the same as regular cigarettes, voting to ban their use in parks, restaurants and most workplaces. LAT, DN, KPCC, LA Weekly
The City Council also voted Tuesday to grant a $59 million tax subsidy for developer Westfield Group’s The Village at Westfield Topanga, despite a recent downsizing of the planned Woodland Hills mall. DN
This year the LAPD is going to "concentrate greater than ever on traffic,” police chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday. KPCC
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a measure that would ban the sale of plastic water bottles at events held on city property. Chronicle, CBS SF
Patt Morrison chats with Toni Atkins, the next Speaker of the state Assembly. LAT Op-ed
Those gold coins found in the Sierra foothills have no connection to a 1901 heist of coins from the San Francisco Mint, experts say. SF Gate
Carl Kasell, the former voice of "Morning Edition" on NPR and the current announcer for "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!," is retiring. NPR
Ken Layne has launched Greenfriar.com, a website for "active environmentalists...people who actually enjoy being outside and doing things and are not just hunched over their computers reading about climate change." Based in the Bay Area. Capital NY
Can Culver City's Hayden Tract be more than an architectural curiosity? Curbed LA
Each Wednesday, 40 or 50 cyclists meet up shortly after 9 p.m. at a vacant lot near the Denny's at Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in Koreatown to get stoned and go for a fast-paced ride through Los Angeles. LA Weekly
The Annenberg Space for Photography announced its next exhibition, "Country: Portraits of an American Sound," images of the pioneers, poets and icons of country music. Opens May 31.
Dodgers fans are starting to get upset as they discover they can't watch games on their pay TV service — and wait until the rest find out the Dodgers won't be on free TV anymore at all. Plaschke/LAT
