Morning Buzz: Thursday 6.3.10

Lakers-Celtics at 6 p.m., Beck makes a wager, labor's political machine, Brown puts up some cash, Nate Silver and 538.com move to the New York Times, and more.

The Celtics and Lakers meet at Staples Center to begin their NBA Finals series at 6 p.m.
Noted:Local ESPN columnist J.A. Adande picks the Celtics to win and tweets, "Laker fans need to chill. I pick Boston and u act like I dumped toxic waste in Santa Monica bay."
And:LAPD Chief Charlie Beck made a bet with his Boston counterpart: if the Lakers lose, Beck will work a patrol shift in Boston wearing his LAPD uniform. LAT
An alliance of the L.A. County Federation of Labor and the city's Latino leaders now routinely decides who will represent voters in elective offices across the region, an almost unbeatable get-out-the-vote machine in low-turnout primaries, says Gene Maddaus. The newest anointed one is Ricardo Lara. LA Weekly
When House Democrats killed a big aid package to states, it left a $2 billion hole in the California state budget. LAT
Jerry Brown put $3,000 of his own money into his governor campaign. Carla Marinucci
Nate Silver and his FiveThirtyEight politics blog will be hosted at the New York Times website and he will write for the paper. NYT
A majority of Californians say they support the new federal health care law but view it as just the first step, says the Field Poll. Bee
Should Molly's Charbroiler on Vine Street in Hollywood be saved? Curbed LA
The county assessor reduced the property values, and thus the taxes, on 405,000 Los Angeles County homeowners. DN
Four LAPD officers involved in a fracas with bike riders in Hollywood weere removed from field duty pending an internal investigation. LAT
On his last day before retirement, LAPD Sgt. Patrick Shannon will patrol with his daughter Samantha. CBS 2
Councilmembers Jan Perry and José Huizar and New America Senior Scholar Mark Paul guest on today's Off the Presses with Huffman, Headington & Jones at 10 a.m. on L.A. Talk Radio. OTP
LAT columnist Meghan Daum's book party, for "Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House." Curbed LA
Mark Frauenfelder of Make magazine and Boing Boing is featured on the cover of Brand X for his newest book, "Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World" Brand X