News

Monday news and notes: 8.11.14

News, notes and observations from LA Observed and selected media sources. Sometimes daily, often in the morning.

Top of the news

This should force an immediate halt to the re-confirmation of Chief Charlie Beck for hearings, but won't: the LAPD under-counted at least 1,200 aggregated assaults, the LA Times found, casting doubt on the trend of historic-low crime rates. LAT

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for james-garcetti-on-phones.jpgFormer mayoral candidate and talk show host Kevin James is now a City Hall defender as president of the Board of Public Works, distressing some former backers. LAT

South LA school board candidates George McKenna and Alex Johnson on "News Conference," separately. NBC 4 | Plus: 5 differences between them. LA Weekly

Councilman Jose Huizar on Friday proposed a full-time coordinator or "czar" to oversee homeless programs in the city. LAT

City Hall softball game leaves some electeds hurting. Plus more. Rick Orlov's Tipoff/DN

Sacramento is debating whether to regular the removal of groundwater for the first time. LAT, Mercury News

Maureen Dowd is moving to the New York Times Magazine as a staff writer, while continuing to write her Sunday opinion column. Romenesko

ESPN suspended radio host and boxing analyst Max Kellerman, it seems, for saying on ESPN LA's "Mason & Ireland" that he had once slapped a girlfriend. NY Daily News

Southern California needs another all-sports radio station like the ozone layer needs another hole. But it's getting one in KFWB. Hoffarth/DN

Liev Schreiber will play former Boston Globe editor Marty Baron in a movie about the Globe’s clergy abuse probe. Deadline

Paul McCartney rocks sold out Dodger Stadium. DN

The Archway Studio and Theater is leaving the Arts District building that once housed Al's Bar in part because no one can find parking around there anymore. Downtown News


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 News stories on LA Observed:
Suspect with guns did not threaten LA Pride parade, police now say
Monday news and notes: Politics, media and more
News and notes: Politics, media and place
Monday notes: Politics, media and place
News and notes for a Tuesday
End of the week desk clearing
News and notes: 2015 into 2016
LA Unified closes all schools due to threat