Morning Buzz: Monday 12.1.08

There was a big turnout Sunday outside Chabad House in Westwood for a memorial to Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his wife, Rivkah, who were killed in the Mumbai attacks. LAT, God Blog, Fox 11
Pastor John J. Hunter of First AME Church apologized from the pulpit Sunday after the Times reported that he had used church credit cards for $122,000 in personal expenses and had failed to pay federal taxes for several years. LAT
It was like old times in L.A. when the space shuttle Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base and rattled Southern California with a matched set of sonic booms at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday. AP, LAT
The generation of big bucks local TV news anchors is fading away. "Basically, you replace someone who knows City Hall with someone who can�t find it,� says John Beard, formerly of Fox 11. NYT
Today's Daily Journal reports on three lawsuits filed by environmentalists and community groups over the county's approval of expanded oil drilling in Baldwin Hills.
The Getty marks the AIDS commemoration "Day Without Art" today by placing a shroud over the Cycladic sculpture "Harp Player" at the Getty Villa on Pacific Coast Highway.
Mark Ridley-Thomas takes the oath as a new county Supervisor at noon, with CNN's Brad Pomerantz as the master of ceremonies. Ridley-Thomas's transition advisers include Sheila Kuehl, Maria Elena Durazo and others. Sausage Factory
Four CAA clients, including Adrien Brody and Anthony Hopkins, jumped to other agencies. Variety
Investigative author-blogger Mark Ebner pores over the evidence and concludes "there is little doubt that [attorney Keith] Fink blackmailed American Apparel." Hollywood, Interrupted
The Downtown News sounds a skeptical note (the L.A. Business Journal less so) about the economic prospects for L.A. Live as it gets ready to open a bunch of new venues, including the Grammy Museum. DTN, LABJ
Gregory Rodriguez columnizes on behalf of the HMS Bounty, Starbucks and other "third places" that tie the city together, in the wake of fresh news that France is giving up its cafes and bars. LAT Op-Ed
Journo Mark Cooper, fresh off a seven-hour drive back from a successful Tune Out the World holiday in Las Vegas, is off for ten days in Taiwan at a bloggers/reporters conference. Cooper blog
Harry Gamboa Jr. has a piece in the new issue of Palabra, the journal of Chicano and Latino literary art. La Bloga
Artist Ernesto de la Loza is repairing the damage done by taggers to his mural "Resurrection of the Green Planet� at Cesar Chavez Ave. and Breed Street. L.A. Eastside
Just when you thought the Hollywood Christmas parade had finally faded away, it came back. LAT
Dodgers co-owner Jamie McCourt will talk some more about her controversial comments about the Dodgers, their charities and the economy on "Patt Morrison," KPCC at 2:30 p.m.
Bill Drake, the radio exec who created the hugely popular "Boss Radio" rock format on KHJ/930 AM in Los Angeles in the 1960s, died Saturday of cancer at age 71. He later created K-EARTH and "The History of Rock and Roll" radio specials, which he narrated. Gary Lycan in the OC Register
Added: An appreciation from Ken Levine. Huffington Post
Also:A website with newspaper radio logs from the 1930s to the 60s for several cities, including Los Angeles.