Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
Jerry Brown's pardons, DWP's high pay, renaming City Hall East, LAT's Korea reporter headed for Las Vegas, a new book and more.
Gov. Jerry Brown pardoned 21 people in his first year in office and rejected parole for 71 first- and second-degree murderers who had been recommended for release by the parole board. LAT, Bee
DWP workers earned an average of $96,805 annually in 2010, higher than other city workers because of the influence of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Bloomberg
The Los Angeles City Council renamed City Hall East for Jim Hahn, the former mayor and current Superior Court judge. DN, City Maven
FBI agents probing allegations of bribe-taking at the city Building and Safety department have obtained records and questioned individuals about a Koreatown building inspector who retired nearly a year ago. LAT
The City Council voted to restore the City Hall Park with less grass and more native plants, in a compromise between previously suggested alternatives. LAT, City Maven
Los Angeles Unified's budget deficit has swelled to $557 million, and the district faces layoffs of up to 7,500 employees and cuts to some of its most successful programs without a revenue trifecta to bring in cash. DN
The city departments of Planning and Transportation announced a series of “Think Lab” workshops inviting Angelenos to envision a new way of moving around the city and using its streets for mobility and beyond.
Imagining the shapes of the newly proposed City Council districts as animals. LA Weekly
A Patch insider tells Jim Romenesko that "the AOL-owned hyperlocal news sites plan to cut staff and freelance budgets and start producing 'easy, quick-hitting, cookie-cutter copy.' Romenesko
John Glionna, chief of the LA Times' Seoul bureau in South Korea, will be relocating to Las Vegas to cover the western United States. Should be there by May, he says.
Bridget Johnson, formerly managing editor of the American Enterprise Institute website and online editor for The Hill, has joined PJ Media as Washington editor and columnist.
Jodi Kantor of the New York Times talks about her book, "The Obamas," on "Airtalk with Larry Mantle" at 11:40 a.m. on KPCC.
This week on KCET's "SoCal Connected," correspondent Brian Rooney takes to the streets with some of the LAPD's 422 reserve officers.
KCET also announced that "L.A. Tonight with Roy Firestone" returns in March with a special week-long series of half-hour interviews with Andre Agassi, Burt Bacharach, Chris Botti and Steve Tyrell. Show Tracker
Nearly a month after the Pasadena police department switched to a digitally encrypted radio signal, city leaders have no plans to allow local media live access to police chatter. Star-News
As rumored up north, The Bay Citizen and the Center for Investigative Reporting in Berkeley have signed a formal letter of intent to merge within 30 days. Jim Romenesko
One of two girls who accused a Miramonte Elementary School teacher of fondling her has recanted her story, according to law enforcement sources. LAT
Plus: A female former aide's affectionate letter to a student is being investigated. LAT
Commerce City Councilman Robert Fierro pleaded guilty to conspiracy and admitted trying to influence a federal investigation into his campaign's financial dealings. LAT
Plans for the redevelopment of Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance will be unveiled later this month. Daily Breeze
Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. have sold "Empty Mansions: The True Saga of the Copper King W.A. Clark, the Reclusive Heiress Huguette, and Their American Family of Wealth, Scandal and Mystery," to Ballantine Bantam Dell. Summary: "The history of the family, gathering a unique collection of Clark family photographs, letters and memoirs, and sharing many conversations with Huguette Clark about her life and family, with a rare private tour of Bellosguardo, her mysterious $100 million oceanfront estate in Santa Barbara." Publishers Lunch