LA Observed archive
for May 2016

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Mitra Kalita leaving LA Times for CNN

mitrakalita-cnn.jpg The managing editor for digital strategy lasted just over a year.

Very unusual full page ad in LA Times

bruce-trudy-letter-recrop.jpg It appears as a mea culpa from a lawyer husband divulging personal health details about his wife.

When Van Nuys was a name downtown too

barclay-garyleonard.jpg Before it was a boulevard and a suburban community, Van Nuys was a name from LA's past that people should know.

Memorial Day media notes: Moves, paywalls, Trump and more

boom-cover-spring2016.jpg Plus a media wedding, the memorial service for Steve Julian and "survivor's mentality" at the LA Times.

AltaSea at the Port of LA plans unveiled

Gensler-AltaSea-1.jpg Another phase in the remake of San Pedro's waterfront had the wraps taken off.

Patrick Soon-Shiong buys into Tribune Publishing

Patrick_Soon-Shiong_wikipedia.jpg He becomes the second largest shareholder, vice chairman of the board, and Michael Ferro's defense against a takeover by Gannett.

Hawaiian history pays a visit to LACMA

lacma-dancers1.jpg The museum's newest exhibition explores featherwork items from the era in Hawaii that predates the cultural carnage that followed the Christian missionaries.

Expo Line to Santa Monica opened Friday at noon

bus-service-expo-line.jpg Train service returns to the beach city for the first time since 1953, though the old Red Cars were dead long before that.

Stahl House in legal fight over documentary

stahl-house-crop-view.jpg The iconic Hollywood Hills residence designed by Pierre Koenig is also known as Case Study Home #22.

Tribune Publishing sending its IT jobs to India

jean-merls desk.jpg About 200 staffers would be laid off, a report says.

Drew Tewksbury named LA Weekly managing editor

Drew-tewksbury-2016.jpg The managing editor of KCET Artbound writes for Los Angeles Magazine, did segments for KPCC's New Music Today feature and was a producer for NPR's "News and Notes" back in the day.

The richest man in Los Angeles is still...

LA-Cover-20160516.jpg The Los Angeles Business Journal's annual exercise of estimating net worth has again tabbed Patrick Soon-Shiong as number one. Here are the top 10.

Space shuttle fuel tank arrives at Marina del Rey

fuel-tank-land-gl.jpg Early-rising onlookers and photographer Gary Leonard observed ET-94 as it came around the breakwater this morning and was offloaded.

Yes, the NYT has a story about Liberté Chan's dress

liberte-chan-in-sweater.jpg The outrage that isn't about the scandal that wasn't crosses over from the web.

LA Times squeezed out of hosting its own awards shindig

latimes-sign-sideview.jpg Wednesday's staff party is cancelled because the Times could not, or did not, secure the room in its own building.

Report: Sasha Frere-Jones left LA Times under a cloud

Sasha-Frere-Jones.jpg The Wrap says that newsroom gossip is true about a strip club expense account, a free trip and more.

Gannett increases its offer for Tribune*

latimes-bldg-from-corner.jpg The offer is now $15 a share plus assumption of debt, for a total value of $864 million.
nikkifinke-320-dh.jpg Clearing the desk of media moves, observations and other items.

Bay Area news outlets to swarm homeless coverage together

homeless-tent-fashion-distr.jpg The Chronicle, KQED and 28 other media outlets will do stories the same day to push for a solution.

CBS This Morning follows Jonathan Gold around (video)

jgold-cbs-grab-walking.jpg Correspondent Lee Cowan went out on rounds along Pico Boulevard with Gold for a piece pegged to the documentary, "City of Gold."

Was KTLA weather babe really told to cover up?

liberte-chan-sweater-ktla-g.jpg Liberte Chan says it was her co-anchor's joke when she was handed a cardigan sweater to wear over her sparkly black dress.

Face painting in the DTLA piñata district

face-painting-cookie.jpg Sunday afternoon on East Olympic Boulevard.

Trump fundraising push to begin in LA

trump-naked-gore.jpg $1 billion effort with the Republican National Committee kicks off here May 25.

SI: The finest baseball announcer that ever lived

si-cover-vin-scully-crop.jpg This is the piece you want to read as the games tick away in our time with Vin Scully.

Register names the top editor and more media notes

hrclinton-newsconf.jpg Clinton appears on News Conference, former LA Times lawyer Karlene Goller joins CalMatters, and more.

Tribune Publishing slides toward parody

michael-ferro-yt.jpg Ferro's secret plan to monetize his new toy includes LA Times bureaus in Lagos, Moscow and Mumbai. But nothing for LA or California.

Still just Burbank Airport to many of us

united-airport-opens-1930.jpg Bob Hope has been a dumb name for an airport for 12 years. So they are going with Hollywood Burbank (again.)
grim-sleeper-lonnie-franklin.jpg A 2008 LA Weekly piece by Christine Pelisek named the serial killer responsible for murdering perhaps dozens of South Los Angeles women.
ernest-wilson-2013-usc.jpg Ernest Wilson will return to the faculty at USC Annenberg. Martin Smith leaving Orange Coast. Donna Wares leaving the Register. And more.

Yamashiro closure plan leaves weddings in disarray

yamashiro-inner-garden.jpg The old owner is still fighting eviction by the Chinese buyer of the Hollywood hillside landmark.

California observed: 40 million and counting

405-looking-north.jpg The state's population is officially nudging 40 million and Los Angeles has gone over four million.

Sheriff's chief of staff resigns over racist email jokes

sheriff-car-lao.jpg Tom Angel forwarded derogatory jokes and as criticism built, McDonnell couldn't save him.

Steve Lopez channels Trump on California

donald-trump-tux.jpg We have a very beautiful state here. Absolutely beautiful.

Variety hires last LA Times Europe correspondent

henry-chu-variety-grafic.jpg Henry Chu is the trade's new European Bureau Chief. He took the LAT buyout last fall.
Clinton fundraises in LA
kermit-la-brea-closer.jpg Jim Henson Studios on La Brea became a presidential campaign stop on Thursday.
Brown declares disaster area
porter-ranch-sign.jpgThe natural gas leak above Porter Ranch now qualifies for various government actions. Story
Wet coyote
wet-coyote-vdt.jpgSpotted between the storms at Here in Malibu.
Performing arts with cheer
guys-dolls-kevin-parry.jpgDonna Perlmutter closes out 2015 with productions downtown and on the Westside.
Junkyard down
upick-firetruck-560.jpgAfter 53 years, Sun Valley's Aadlen Brothers and U-Pick Parts cleans out. Photos