Mid-week news and notes

Selected items from the media, our in box and other LA Observed sources. Posted occasionally — often in the morning.

Dennis Sheehan, U2’s longtime tour manager, was found dead at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood. "We've lost a family member," Bono says on the band's website. U2 is here to play at the Forum. CBS LA, U2

Labor leaders, who were among the strongest supporters of the citywide minimum wage increase approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council, are advocating last-minute changes to the law that could create an exemption for companies with unionized workforces. LAT, Sausage Factory

As expected, the City Council City has been advised to put the onus for repair of sidewalks on property owners, starting with commercial properties but also including homeowners. LAT, DN

An audit by Controller Ron Galperin found that millions in overtime pay at the city Department of Transportation: The average employee who paints stripes on roads and installs street signs made $48,100 in overtime, and one manager drew $155,319, effectively tripling his salary. LAT, DN

The Supreme Court is taking up a redistricting case that could force congressional districts in California to be redrawn again and threaten Latino political success. LAT

The Metropolitan Water District has agreed to spend an additional $350 million to help homeowners and businesses replace grass in the drought. LAT

Nice feature on LA's veteran courtroom artist Mona Shafer Edwards. LAT

B.B. King's death is being investigated in Las Vegas as a possible homicide, just in case. NBC News

Police commission president Steven Soboroff's collection of typewriters gets a blurb in the New York Times Arts section. NYT

Media coverage of the Santa Barbara oil spill "is noteworthy as an illustration of how news is gathered and disseminated in a digital world of niche operations and fragmented audiences," says Jerry Roberts. "Much of the most crucial information did not originate with huge and well-financed national outlets; rather it made its way up the news food chain, from small but energetic and highly motivated local enterprises." Calbuzz

The San Diego Union-Tribune laid off 30% of its staff, only eight of them in editorial jobs, and will move printing of the paper to the LA Times plant in Los Angeles. LAT, U-T San Diego

ReCode, the news website led by the veteran journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, is being acquired by Vox Media, "a deal that reflects the turmoil among digital organizations focused on covering the tech industry." NYT

The annual revision of the AP Stylebook, released today, contains more than 300 new or revised entries. Poynter

"America Tonight" on Al Jazeera America airs an investigation tonight of the Orange County District Attorney's office and its alleged involvement in a secret jailhouse informant operation.

Doubts about that study of gay canvassers by a UCLA postdoc rattle the field. NYT

Zócalo is launching a week-long series on water issues in Detroit, where tens of thousands of residents have had their water shut off – not for drought but because of non-payment. Some 25,000 more people are expected to lose water in June.

"The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins (fiction) and "The Wright Brothers" by David McCullough (nonfiction) are this week's bestsellers in Southern California independent bookstores. More bestsellers

BuzzFeed announced a new project, “BuzzFeed Open Lab For Journalism Technology and the Arts,” in development for the last six months and based in San Francisco. BuzzFeed

Media blogger Jim Romenesko is taking a few weeks off "to attack my growing to-do list." He's only tweeting.

Randy Harvey, the former LA Times sports editor, has been named sports editor of the Houston Chronicle. Story

A Giants beat writer leaves a game early for the first time in his life. San Jose Mercury

With too little water coming down the rivers to hold back the sea, an emergency physical barrier is being built to hold back saltwater intrusion into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Capital Public Radio

A green bike lane has appeared on the portion of Westwood Boulevard within UCLA, but not in Westwood Village. Streetsblog

Could the closing of Van Nuys landmark Solley’s signal death of the deli? DN

Yahoo's Tim Brown did a nice piece on the emotion of the Jose Uribe trade by the Dodgers. Good line: "He runs like he's carrying a basket of laundry…" Yahoo

Just saw @kcrw launching concert series in Old Pasadena. Weird bc @KPCC is holding health care panel discussion on SaMo Pier! (TOH Haefele)

— Off-Ramp (@KPCCofframp) May 27, 2015

On this day in 1937, an engineering marvel that still dazzles officially opened. Photo shows it during construction. pic.twitter.com/PlHF9Nfft1

— USGS (@USGS) May 27, 2015