Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Tuesday 9.4.12

First day back from the three-day weekend...

Top of the news

Emails by Scott Schenter, a key figure in the investigation into property tax irregularities under Assessor John Noguez, say that he gave cash and perks worth thousands of dollars to two USC athletes while they were still in school. LAT

Politics and government

California Democratic Party Chair John Burton sort of apologized for comparing top Republican leaders to the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels. SF Chronicle

The Republican National Committee sent an email blast rebutting Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for saying on Fox News over the weekend that Obama policies had lifted two million Hispanics out of poverty.

Councilman Eric Garcetti is tweeting about his activities at the Democratic convention in Charlotte.

Kelly Candaele is posting reports all week from Charlotte for the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Almost two years after his grand jury indictment on eight felony counts of voter fraud and perjury, state Sen. Roderick Wright has yet to stand trial. LAT

Media and books

Janice Min, the editorial director at The Hollywood Reporter, will receive the NEJ Luminary Award for Career Achievement from the Los Angeles Press Club at ceremonies for the 5th Annual National Entertainment Journalism Awards, November 18 at the Millennium Biltmore.

A reality check on the future of alt weeklies from Michael Sigman, former publisher of LA Weekly and executive VP of Village Voice Media. Huffington Post

KCRW is switching the air times of "The World" (will now air at noon) and "To the Point" (to 1 p.m.) I have to think it's a response to KPCC shifting Larry Mantle's "Airtalk" to 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and scheduling "BBCNewshour" for 1- 2 p.m., with "The World" leaving the noon slot to air at 2-3 p.m.

Richard Rushfield, a former entertainment web editor at the LA Times, defends the column and Internet chops of Patrick Goldstein, who quit the Times recently (apparently over the career direction he was being asked to go.) Native Angeleno
By the way: I'm told Calendar's Geoff Boucher is officially on vacation and continues to discuss with editors his future role at the Times.

Author and former LA Times reporter Ralph Frammolino has joined strategic communications form G.F. Bunting as a senior executive based in Los Angeles, where he will "oversee client services and business development."

Columnist Sandy Banks' Northridge neighborhood gets freaked out by a coyote sighting. LAT

Author Claire Vaye Watkins' debut short-story collection "Battleborn" draws on her experience as the daughter of Manson family member Paul Watkins. LAT

The Dodgers announced contract renewals for the team broadcasters who are not Vin Scully or Jaime Jarrin, who already signed: Eric Collins, Steve Lyons, Rick Monday, Charley Steiner, Fernando Valenzuela and Pepe YƱiguez.


News and more

fire-above-azusa.jpgThe so-called Williams Fire in the mountains above Azusa is just 5 percent contained and may burn for a week. LAT

Trend story alert: Lately, Southern California "cities, school districts and even libraries have been outlawing chunks of what used to pass here for birthright at a startling clip." NYT

Inside the rapid Asianification of the San Gabriel Valley. Atlantic Cities, Curbed LA

Monday morning's 3:26 a.m. earthquake settled in as a magnitude 3.2 jolt centered 2 kilometers beneath Beverly Hills and Century City. SCEDC

Jonathan Alcorn photographed a seal lion a few miles up Ballona Creek on Sunday — and heading the wrong way. "LAPD, LAFD and Marine Animal Rescue are on the case," he posted. Latitude

The 26-year-old co-owner of a boutique in Hollywood has put out an album of music recorded in prison by Charles Manson. LAT

The Stanley Cup made a stop at the Torrance Police Department. Daily Breeze


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:
Thursday news and notes
A little bit of mid-week reading
A few links from a few different places
Let's talk about anything but the weather
A few links from here and there
A couple of links from a couple of places
A bit of news from a few places
Morning Buzz: Wednesday 4.16.14