Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Wednesday 3.24.10

City Council asserts itself on the DWP rates, California's algebra experiment not working, The Standard pays for pouring pool chemicals down the drain, plus Meg Whitman, Jerry Brown, Lee Baca, Walter Karabian, Midge Costanza and more.

  • The L.A. City Council, on a 15-0 vote, took jurisdiction and will debate the proposed DWP rate hikes, despite Mayor Villaraigosa's warning that blocking the hikes could prevent the agency from sending money to general fund and lead to insolvency. LAT, DN
  • Meg Whitman on Tuesday backed away from a promise to release 25 years of personal tax returns, suggesting that she might release only a "summary statement." San Jose Mercury
  • Candidate Jerry Brown will be on "Dr. Phil" on Wednesday, on the same episode as Kelly Osbourne. LAT
  • California is the only state that encourages an Algebra I requirement for all eighth graders, but the policy is leading to more failures and discourages students from qualifying for entry to college. Educatedguess.org
  • The Board of Supervisors ordered a review of the troubled Probation Department, including its $700-million budget, internal affairs investigations and schools. LAT
  • Sheriff Lee Baca kept up his criticism of the Republican congressman who implied that he supported radical Muslims, telling a group here yesterday that when you attack the Council on American-Islamic Relations "you attack virtually every Muslim in America." LAT
  • Operators of the downtown Standard Hotel agreed to plead guilty to negligent discharge of pollutants and pay more than $370,000 in that 2009 incident where an employee dumped pool chemicals down a rooftop drain. LAT
  • A pretrial hearing is scheduled at the East Los Angeles courthouse for former Assemblyman Walter Karabian, charged with a misdemeanor count of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly hitting a parking lot attendant with his car before a USC football game at the Coliseum.
  • At 1 p.m., Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas will announce plans for another free clinic for people without health insurance, to be held April 25-May 3 at the Sports Arena.
  • Dodgers boss Frank McCourt took his image rehab campaign to the Valley Industry and Commerce Assn. LAT, DN
    Plus: Jamie McCourt's latest divorce court filing makes an infidelity allegation. LAT
  • Christian Shostle, a TMZ producer and camera operator from 200-2009, says he was fired for complaining about his co-workers' drug use and drinking after he returned from a medical leave for depression. THR
  • The blog FineArtsLA.com named Josh Morrison as the new editor in chief.
  • Retired Air Force test pilot Robert White, a legend among the Edwards Air Force Base pilots with "The Right Stuff" in the 1950s and '60s, died at age 85. LAT
  • Midge Costanza, former aide to President Jimmy Carter, died in San Diego at age 77. LAT

More by Kevin Roderick:
Standing up to Harvey Weinstein
The Media
LA Times gets a top editor with nothing but questions
LA Observed Notes: Harvey Weinstein stripped bare
LA Observed Notes: Photos of the homeless, photos that found homes
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Thursday news and notes
A little bit of mid-week reading
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Morning Buzz: Wednesday 4.16.14


 

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