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KB Home CEO Bruce Karatz axed
Backdated his stock options to increase his take, an internal investigation found. They're calling it retirement, but he leaves immediately and forfeits $13 million in gains. WSJ, LAT, AP
On the Tribune sale beat
Maurice (Hank) Greenberg, former chairman of AIG, believes newspapers are undervalued and has expressed interest, the NYT reports. He bought SunAmerica from Eli Broad so there is speculation they might act together. The WSJ, meanwhile, says that in addition to Gannett, media firms possibly interested include Hearst, MediaNews Group Inc. and News Corp. Separately, several Chicago interests have inquired about the Cubs.
LAPD warrior culture in the news — again
"They're looking at the video and saying, `What's your question?' We're looking at it, and (Cardenas) has 250 pounds of cops on him, the guy can't breathe and they're punching him in the face," civil right attorney Connie Rice says. DN More on the latest LAPD beating controversy after the jump.
AFTER THE JUMP: Today's politics notes (including a new Daily News blog), media notes (an ex-LA Weekly editor's new domain name) and some weekend catch-up...
Politics
Daily News politics blog
They are calling it Elections 2006, but it looks to have an intended life beyond November. Sure started up quietly.
Monday columns
Orlov: Jan Perry's move to secede from L.A. County, Brewer gets sworn in today, Villaraigosa the favorite in 2010 and the mayor's staff had a hard time viewing that YouTube video of LAPD officers thumping a suspect.
Hymon: Hollywood development and Garcetti, Alarcon and the 7th district, City Council pew cushions.
Election post-mortem at USC Unruh
Wednesday evening, Nov. 15, in the Taper Hall Auditorium. Two panels (info):
STATE ELECTION & INITIATIVES PANEL: Mark Barabak – Los Angeles Times (Moderator); Andrew Acosta – Acosta Salazar LLC; Sherry Bebitch Jeffe – USC School of Policy, Planning and Development; Steve Schmidt – Schwarzenegger Campaign; Rob Stutzman – DC Navigators; Karen Hanretty – Republican Media and Political Strategist; and Cathy Calfo – Angelides Campaign.
NATIONAL POLITICS & CANDIDATES PANEL: Dan Schnur – Republican Media and Political Strategist (Co-moderator); Darry Sragow – Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal, LLP (Co-moderator); Jon Fleischman – Publisher of the Flash Report; Joe Mathews – Los Angeles Times; Conan Nolan – KNBC; Roger Salazar – Acosta Salazar, LLC; Karen Skelton – Dewey Square.
Santa Clarita vs. CEMEX
Residents and city officials opposed to the big mine project on Soledad Canyon Road are staging a media event this morning at the Universal City park and ride lot.
Media
Their man in Albania
Daily News reporter Jason Kandel was recruited by the State Department to help train Albanian journalists on how to cover organized crime. Kandel's work on the Russian-Armenian mob in Glendale got their attention.
You missed LASniper.com
Departed LA Weekly news editor Alan Mittelstaedt has registered the domain LAsniper.com, the name of his short-lived column.
Comedy by focus group
Variety's Gabriel Snyder had a piece in Sunday's New York Times Magazine Movie issue, which really was a comedy issue. His story looks at the technology of getting audiences to laugh.
LAT's Weinstein honored
Metro reporter Henry Weinstein received the $25,000 John Chancellor Award for Excellence, said to recognize a body of work marked by "courage, integrity, curiosity and intelligence," from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
LAT catches up on Colen obituary
Bruce Colen, restaurant reviewer for Los Angeles magazine from 1974 to 1995, died last week at age 81. Today's obit.
Police beat
LAPD beating
The officers who arrested suspected gang member William Cardenas said in their report they struck him just twice, leaving out at least four other strikes that seem to be visible in a video on YouTube. KFI's Eric Leonard reports that one of the officers, Alexander Schlegel, has been accused of using excessive force a couple of times before. He was not charged in those incidents.
Noted
Many, many Jews in town
The General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities is at the Convention Center. For the occasion, the Jewish Journal has published its largest issue ever. There's a piece on the split among Orthodox Jews between Hancock Park and Pico-Robertson, and Teresa Strasser ponders which is the better city for dating: L.A. or New York?
From the weekend