Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Tuesday 7.17.12

Politics and government

The first ad for Gov. Jerry Brown/s tax measure Proposition 30 does not use the word "taxes." SF Chronicle

Ex-Governor Gray Davis said that centrist politicians "are toast today." Sacramento Bee

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer filed for divorce Friday from Nadia Lockyer, the former Alameda County supervisor whose affair with a methamphetamine addict and her own substance abuse problems became public. Capitol Alert

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said after an initial review of last week's Art Walk skirmish between officers and protesters that he believes the department "overall responded appropriately," but he will examine if opportunities to avoid a clash were missed. LAT

Assessor's office employees and John Noguez campaign contributors have begun testifying before a grand jury as part of a wide-ranging criminal investigation into allegations that Noguez and his staff gave tax breaks to political supporters. LAT

State regulators ordered Expo Line officials to replace a flawed piece of track at Washington and Flower that could trigger a derailment and also fix an automated safety system that has not worked properly since the line opened in April. LAT

A "celebration of life" for Willis Edwards will be held Saturday, July 21 at 2:30 p.m. at First AME Church.

Release of the final environmental impact report for the Cadiz groundwater mining project in the Mojave Desert raises questions of political incest here and in Washington, says Emily Green. Chance of Rain


Media and media people

Three questions for Los Angeles author Rubén Martínez regarding his new book, "Desert America: Boom and Bust in the New Old West," to be published in August. La Bloga

Former Dodgers general manager Dan Evans has become a contributor to the Baseball Prospectus website, "writing, tweeting, participating in chats and appearing on podcasts." BP

Cindy Chang is leaving the New Orleans Times-Picayune to cover immigration and ethnic affairs at the Los Angeles Times.

Patrick Lee, a regional editor for Patch in Northeast LA, will join KPCC as managing editor, digital. Fishbowl LA

The LA Galaxy has hired Adam Serrano to blog for the team in the way that Rich Hammond does for the Kings. LA Kings Insider

Malcolm Gladwell's next concept book will be "David and Goliath," "an exploration of what happens when underdogs confront the powerful...[that] looks at revolutionaries and dictators, the privileged and the poor, and misfits and straight arrows in an effort to figure out who really has the advantage in any kind of contest." Sold to Little, Brown, for publication in 2013, says Publishers Lunch.


More

The long-reaching effects on Los Angeles and the Olympics of the city's Measure N in 1978, which said the city could not spend public money on the Olympic Games that it did not get reimbursed for. One result has been LA84 Foundation, a major player in local athletics and sports. Laws That Shaped LA at KCET

Rehearsals have begun at the Mark Taper Forum for the Tony Award-winning “Red” by John Logan, featuring Jonathan Groff and Alfred Molina. The show opens August 12.


Planning ahead

The Grammy Museum will debut on July 26 a new exhibition of photos by Herman Leonard.

Tongue and Groove's gathering on July 29 at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood will include author and USC professor Dana Johnson and the oetry editor of Cultural Weekly, Wendy Rainey. Info

Cal State Fullerton will host a specialized reporting institute for working journalists in September on "Covering Social Protest Movements in an Age of Social Media." Robert Scheer, Tom Hayden and other journalists will speak. Expenses covered for selected applicants. Apply


More by Kevin Roderick:
'In on merit' at USC
Read the memo: LA Times hires again
Read the memo: LA Times losing big on search traffic
Google taking over LA's deadest shopping mall
Gustavo Arellano, many others join LA Times staff
Recent Morning Buzz stories on LA Observed:
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A little bit of mid-week reading
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Let's talk about anything but the weather
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Morning Buzz: Wednesday 4.16.14