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Monday's usual meaty helping of news and observations, after the jump.
News
Tahoe fire destroys 180 structures
Authorities think as many as 225 homes may have suffered at least some damage in the fire sweeping through the forest near South Lake Tahoe. LAT
Harvey's night
TMZ.com managing editor Harvey Levin will hold down an hour of "Larry King Live" tonight on CNN, in advance of Paris Hilton's expected release from jail and interview with Larry. In a New York Times story this morning on TMZ's rising prominence, the most interesting candor comes from publicist Howard Bragman.
"Compared to many of the other outlets, they’re 1,000 percent better. If you have a good relationship with them, they’ll change an occasional word or swap an occasional picture, but that’s just for friends of the family,” he said. “And since it goes around the world in seconds, you can leak something to them without fingerprints and it looks like somebody else did it. I’ve certainly done that."
Bad news for the Hollywood Hills
Paris will be coming home, accompanied by more than enough paparazzi.
Payday for Los Angeles Confidential
Jason Binn's Niche Media will announce a merger this week with Greenspun Media Group — publisher of Vegas, Wynn and Venetian Style — and Ocean Drive Media Group, which publishes Ocean Drive and Ocean Drive Español. Binn is behind Gotham and Los Angeles Confidential magazines. From today's New York Times:
True, there is a touch of the vulgarian to Mr. Binn — his naked worship of the rich and famous makes Robin Leach seem demure — but he will stop at nothing to promote his magazines, which also include Boston Common, Aspen Peak, Capitol File and Hamptons. “I still love what I am doing and I’m looking forward to the opportunities for growth that the merger will bring,” Mr. Binn said.
In the fizzy world of Niche Media, the country is not at war, the champagne never runs out, and famous is as famous does. The magazines are less concerned with dour topics like income disparity than making sure you land on the right side of that divide.
Orlov column
Michelle Delgadillo's problems make City Hall aides nervous, and change is coming at top of the Police Protective League. DN
Michelle Delgadillo on camera
Missed it the first time around, but Channel 7's Miriam Hernandez caught up with Delgadillo on the street near her home last week. She admitted "I''m not a good driver. I don't think anyone would have that impression...I'm very embarrassed about it" and said being "disorganized" was at the root of her lack of insurance and failure to take care of tickets. "I made a mistake — a big one."Hollywood and Sheriff Baca
He received $90,000 in campaign contributions from Hollywood interests last year. DN
Clinton collects in gay community
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton picked up about $200,000 at a fundraiser targeting lesbian and gay donors Friday night at Roland Emmerich's home in Hollywood. Karen Ocamb blogs the scene at Bilerico.com and Ted Johnson kicks in at Variety's Wilshire & Washington.
Newspapers and reader comments
Daily Breeze grapples with how much is too much?
Grocery workers authorize strike
Could be a repeat of the 2003 lockout. LABO
LAX Terminal One flooded on Sunday
Sprinklers came on after a water pipe burst. You can imagine the mess, but it got back to normal fairly quickly. AP
Noted
Big day on 'Patt Morrison"
Rudy Giuliani and Tina Brown guest with Patt on KPCC at 2 pm.
¡Ask a Mexican! in NYT
L.A.-based staffer Mireya Navarro visits in Santa Ana with Gustavo Arellano and his parents. As she notes, before everyone picked up on the OC Weekly column, "it started as a joke." The book is on the L.A. Times bestseller list.
Mort Sahl tribute
"This outta be good, clean, liberal fun," blogs Variety's Cynthia Littleton. An 80th birthday celebration for political comic Mort Sahl is set for Thursday evening at the Wadsworth Theater. Littleton writes: "Word in comedy circles is that he's hit some hard times financially...There's no pension plan for pioneering, politically charged humorists who only did sporadic film and TV work, especially during the past few decades."
Rod Beck, pitcher was 38
The retired major league closer who attended Grant High in the Valley died at home in Arizona. LAT
