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It's the 8-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and while the memorial at Ground Zero remains mired in money woes and petty (are there any other kind?) politics, simple and stunning commemorations are taking place throughout the nation. Here's Pepperdine University in Malibu, where more than 3,000 flags have turned the front lawn into a kind of prayer.
Speaking of petty politics, the legislative session ends today and the lawmakers of our broke and battered state still can't manage to bestir themselves to get anything done in Sacramento. LAT
The Station fire burns on and on, with 77 percent containment and an $82 million price tag. LA Now
Want to put our fire into perspective? Check out Matthew Fleischer's blog, with a map that makes you wonder whether the whole damned world is on fire. LA Flaneur
The one-year anniversary of the tragic Metrolink crash will be marked with a tree planting ceremony. LA Now
Michael Rosenthal, founder and publisher of the Santa Monica Mirror, who had been battling kidney cancer, has died. The Mirror, The Argonaut
Bomb-sniffing dogs were called in when a bomb threat emptied the Woodland Hills offices of the L.A. Daily News yesterday. LADN
Coldwater Canyon, closed since a massive water main burst, could re-open tomorrow. LAist
The payouts over stolen eggs and embryos at UC Irvine's fertility clinic top $27 million. OC Reg
The arson investigation of the Station Fire now has 10 detectives and a reward of $150,000. AP via Daily Breeze
Mark Whicker, who outraged readers with a column in the OC Reg that made comic hay of Jaycee Dugard's 18-year kidnapping ordeal, defends himself. Fishbowl LA
What happened when Lance Armstrong sent out a tweet inviting local cyclists for a ride in Griffith Park? A few hundred guys (and some women) in tight spandex shorts joined him for a few laps. LAT
Check in with Mark Lacter at LA Biz Observed for updates throughout the day. And you can follow him on Twitter. Also moi, TJ Sullivan, David Rensin and, as always, Kevin.