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Courage on the witness stand
Jill Leovy's lede on the LAT Column One: "Debra Johnson was poor, skinny, asthmatic, addicted to crack cocaine and spent her days pushing a shopping cart. She had a record of petty, narcotic-related crimes. In short, she wasn't the type of person usually associated with heroism. But when Johnson was asked to risk her life for a civic duty, she did what most witnesses of gang homicides in South Los Angeles don't: She testified."
D-Day in Universal City
Mayor Villaraigosa goes to Bishop to sign the new Owens River agreement at 11 am, but at 3 pm he will be back at Universal City with Valley leaders to unveil a development plan for excess studio property that will include "transit-oriented growth" — the buzz phrase for more traffic on Cahuenga, Barham and Lankershim boulevards.
Reinventing Matteo's
A new owner tries to save the Westwood Boulevard hangout for older Hollywood and, how shall we say this, Sicilian types. Leslie Brenner's piece in the LAT mentions Sinatra a couple of times but never gets to the mob angle. Hey, maybe it was never true.
AFTER THE JUMP: Schwarzenegger rolls the dice, hear the fire chief on radio, Lloyd Braun leaves Yahoo!, Tommy Thompson is in town for lunch and a whole lot more.
Politics
Well, fishing is a gamble
At yesterday's Christmas tree lighting in Sacramento, Gov. Schwarzenegger offered compliments to the state's "Department of Fish and Gaming." Sic, as they say.
Fire chief visits Patt
Interim LAFD chief Douglas Barry is scheduled to chat with Patt Morrison on KPCC (89.3 FM) shortly after 2 pm. Author Joseph Wambaugh will also be on during the hour.
Media
Lloyd Braun exits Yahoo!
Restructuring leaves the head of the Santa Monica-based Yahoo Media Group without his boss or as much responsibility, so he declares victory and departs. LAT, Variety
Steve Lopez vs. Geoff Palmer
The Times columnist takes on the developer over his refusal to meet the requirements for low-income housing in his mock-Italian developments downtown.
Going back home
Chuck Bostwick, longtime Antelope Valley bureau editor for the Daily News, is returning to the Antelope Valley Press as managing editor. He was there before joining the DN in 1989.
Personal takes
The view from Hollywood
Matthew Perry's character on this week's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" talking about being an out-of-towner working in Hollywood: "I hate Los Angeles like everyone else."
Noted
Serrano v. Priest figure dies
John Serrano Jr. was the named plaintiff in a class-action suit filed in 1968 by the Western Center on Law and Poverty that led to California school districts being required to spend about the same per student. The ruling is credited by some with equalizing public education in the state and criticized by others for lowering quality at more affluent schools.
Today
Tommy Thompson at Town Hall Los Angeles
The former Secretary of Health and Human Services who recently formed an exploratory committee for the 2008 presidential campaign speaks at noon on the health care system.