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Chief Bratton's long honeymoon with the City Council appears to be over, there were two more murders on South Robertson while the mayor was in the neighborhood, and we now know what happened to Channel 7 reporter Karen Carlson. Also: Marianne Pearl catches a break when Angelina Jolie agrees to portray her on screen. Click the Buzz for details.
Late yesterday: An exclusive report on Santa Barbara News-Press reporters confronting the publisher with a list of demands and the news that they are now Teamsters.
Jail fights resume
More than 1,600 inmates engaged in brawls between blacks and Latinos across the Los Angeles County jail system. (LAT, DN)
More killing on lower Robertson
While Mayor Villaraigosa was nearby at a vigil for sixteen-year-old murder victim Ana Interiano, two Latino men were shot and killed near Hamilton High in an apparent gang incident. A Times story talks about Robertson Boulevard below Pico-Robertson as a border between a high crime area to the east and low-crime Beverlywood and Cheviot Hills to the west.
Fallout from Bratton's hit on Gates and Zine
Five City Council members — led by Bernard Parks and Dennis Zine — wrote a letter questioning Chief Bratton's ability to lead the LAPD. It was an apparent response to Bratton saying that Parks and Zine don't know what they are talking about for claiming that hiring standards are lower today. Mayor Villaraigosa stepped in to try to smooth over the rift. (LAT, DN)
Overcharging at Building and Safety
A second audit by Controller Laura Chick found that the Department of Building and Safety has been collecting too much in fees from homeowners and builders and uses "tricks and games" with its finances. Fees charged for plan checks and construction permits have taken in much more than the cost of providing the services, Chick says. (LAT, DN)
We're all Time Warner now
Federal regulators approved the sale of Adelphia to Time Warner and Comcast in a deal that involves a swap of customers that will end up with 98% of Los Angeles cable TV hostages (oops, I mean customers) being served by Time Warner. If you don't like it, you can always move.
Thought it was hot yesterday?
Temperatures in the hot parts could reach 110 over the weekend.
At odds with the mayor
The main recommendations of the commission formed by Alex Padilla and Jose Huizar to propose LAUSD reforms call for steps that differ from the plan put forth by Mayor Villaraigosa. (LAT, DN)
Changing the rules
The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce and League of Women Voters of Los Angeles went public with their plans to push for a ballot measure that would ease the term limits for City Council members by four years. (LAT, DN)
Karen Carlson mystery solved
Well now we know that reporter Karen Carlson was fired from Channel 7 in May after her newsroom blowup with the boss. On the Record will report today that Carlson has filed a lawsuit against ABC and News Director Cheryl Fair, claiming breach of contract, wrongful termination in violation of public policy, intentional infliction of emotional distress and assault and battery.
When was the last Tribune good news?
Not yesterday. The company reported a 62% profit drop in the second quarter and what the Times calls "accelerating circulation declines." But CEO Dennis FitzSimons did sound more conciliatory than usual toward the Chandler family. Won't help the Times, though: more cuts are likely. (LAT)
Teresa Strasser gets higher profile
She's more aurally visible on the Adam (He's No Howard Stern) Carolla show, says Tabloid Baby.com.
Bernie Weinraub turns playwright
Nikki Finke has the details.
Missed a Daily News blog
Greg Hernandez's Out in Hollywood focuses on the entertainment world through a lesbian and gay lens.
She'll always have this, at least
Marianne Pearl is going to be played by Angelina Jolie in a movie about her and her husband, slain Los Angeles-raised journalist Daniel Pearl.
Getting buzzed in the Valley
Travels West begins a blog survey of the best coffeehouses over the hill. First up: Priscilla's on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake-adjacent Burbank.
Could it really be illegal to photograph L.A. buildings?
I assume not, but this keeps happening. Remember the tourist who was accosted by security for taking photos on Bunker Hill? Edward Fuentes emails that it happened to him too:
I met that guard! Last May I had the same experience while taking a photo of the Bunker Hill steps with a Kodak Easy Share C340. I was one foot from the curb near the pedestrian crossing that leads to the Public Library. A guard in his mid 20s told me that I wasn't allowed to take photos of any public buildings and that I was on U.S. Bank Tower's private property. I asked him if he ever heard of the photographers rights that anyone can find online. He said, "There's no rights here." Then I asked if that is any public building? He said "Yes, every public building is protected by Homeland Security and it's illegal to take photos."
Salmon: This is it
Longtime Angels outfielder Tim Salmon reiterates that this is his final season.
Beefcake Babylon
Drkrm. Gallery on San Fernando Road marks Bastille Day with the opening of an exhibition of movie posters and memorabilia subtitled "The Iconography of Sword and Sandal Epics from DeMille to Fellini."
Tonight on 'California Connected'
Sturgeon and abalone poachers, and Central Casting as the Ellis Island for new Hollywood arrivals. KCET, 8:30 pm.
Gang violence on NBC 4 News Conference
Laurel Erickson hosts a show on the spate of local shootings Sunday at 9 am. Guests includes relatives of the teenage girl killed near Hamilton High School, Arturo Ybarra of the Watts Century Latino Organization, Mukhlis Robertson of Unity Two and Steve Barr of Green Dot Charter Schools.
