Politics and governing

LA mayor Eric Garcetti has a narrative problem. The two stories he is telling about Los Angeles don't line up. Winning an Olympic bid could provide the deus ex machina the city needs in the absence of a heroic storyline.

It’s not easy to figure out Mayor Eric Garcetti’s grand plan for Los Angeles, or even if he has one. His state of the city speech Thursday didn’t help. "It starts with modern technology,” the mayor said, and then sort of left us hanging.

In his first State of the City speech, Garcetti doesn't make much news but lists some early accomplishments and some plans.

Before Mayor Eric Garcetti could give his first state of the city address this afternoon, the LA 2020 Commission appointed by Council President Herb Wesson stole his thunder a bit by announcing yesterday the civic group's ideas to improve LA. But that's OK, because everybody sounds underwhelmed.

Broad tells Los Angeles Magazine the city needs "better political leadership and better citizen and corporate leadership than it’s had." He also confirms he is still trying to buy the LA Times.

County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas' Twitter account posted this pic of the boss grabbing a pic of his own after a meeting with young Jewish leaders in the Crenshaw district.

Breitbart CA will be about "stories worth telling about the successes of the conservative movement in California and the failures of the left-wing establishment." Plus more.

Douglas Emhoff went to USC law school, Harris to UC's Hastings College of Law. Both are 49 and have not divulged a date.

David Letterman announces he will step down in 2015 and quips he always knew "when this show stops being fun, I will retire 10 years later."

President Barack Obama today nominated U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. to be a judge on the U.S. District Court

Mayor Eric Garcetti rode on a Chatsworth trail ride with other electeds this weekend — it's kind of a tradition for LA City Hall politicians. Photos inside.

Los Angeles Magazine is posting the full video this week of a breakfast session with Mayor Eric Garcetti held last week at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. He chats in the free-flowing interview with editor Mary Melton.

Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, the county's high-profile director of public health, this morning announced his retirement from the post. Fielding says in a statement that he will go back to his position at UCLA, where his name is on the Fielding School of Public Health.

The San Francisco area lawmaker, a Democrat running for Secretary of State, is due in federal court for arraignment right about now. Yee was arrested this morning along with a shadowy San Francisco figure known as "Shrimp Boy" during raids by the FBI and others.

The morning's news includes an obituary of Ron Smith, the mostly Republican political candidate who ran big campaigns in Los Angeles, San Francisco and statewide.

Warren Olney gets the party started at tonight's SPJ event. Next week it's the Press Club.

An April 5 fundraiser for Board of Supervisors candidate Sheila Kuehl is billed as "A Night at the Movies with Zelda" — and the contribution levels are right out of her old show, "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis."

Take My Picture Gary Leonard runs on Thursdays at LA Observed. Gary Leonard archive....

Los Angeles Magazine continues its series of "Big Shots" interviews by Giselle Fernandez with Rep. Xavier Becerra, who says the lack of immigration reform in Congress is frustrating but is not due to racism.