Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
We filter, you decide. Come on inside for a neat and orderly start on the day's news and observations.
Starters
Security tight in Long Beach
Verdicts in the Halloween racial attack are expected this afternoon, with tensions already running high. Ten black juveniles are accused of beating three white women. Press-Telegram
NYT does Hollywood
The community, not the industry. Bureau chief Jennifer Steinhauer gives props to Jackie Goldberg for starting the Hollywood renaissance. NYT
Politics
School board candidates begin reporting donations
No surprise, David Tokofsky has the most money. Of course, he's not running. LAT
Raise bus fares
That's the LAT's editorial position.
Mayor's back
He's scheduled to brief the media on his Washington trip at 1 pm in the mayoral suite.
Media
OC Weekly's Will Swaim explains his exit
The paper's founding editor, who resigned yesterday, tells the LAT it was about Village Voice Media's new overseers: "I just couldn't do the job anymore. There were philosophical differences on how to run the paper. They run a very complicated organization and want to have standardization across all 18 markets. I don't argue whether it's dumb or wrong. It's just not my way."
No 'Departed' credit for Grey
Paramount Pictures Chairman Brad Grey lost his appeal to the Academy for a producer credit on best-picture nominee The Departed." He had previously been denied the credit by the Producers Guild of America. LAT
Is Capitol Records in danger?
EMI canned the president of Capitol Records and will merge the label with Virgin Records America, making no promises about the future of the iconic tower in Hollywood. LAT, Variety, Hollywood Reporter
Chandlers have another move up their sleeves
They could engineer a proxy fight to win additional seats on the Tribune Company board, says the Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Innovation at LAT
Russ Stanton, who this week got the newly created job of Innovation Editor at the L.A. Times, guests on "Airtalk with Larry Mantle" on KPCC during the 10 am hour.
Books and authors
Mark Sarvas profiled
The editor of The Elegant Variation literary blog gets the up close and personal treatment by columnist Tom Teicholz in the Jewish Journal.
Noted
Drew finally joins the Red Sox
It only took seven weeks to get the deal finished, but ex-Dodger J.D. Drew now has a contract to play for Boston. LAT Also: the Dodgers' home schedule opens April 9 versus Colorado.
Horrible story of the day
A Lancaster man died when his wheelchair motor caught fire and he couldn't escape the flames. He was "fully engulfed" when firefighters arrived. AP
