Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Friday 4.26.13

Politics and Campaign 2013

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a $500,000 production grant to the filmmakers of the documentary, "Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race." "Now, we get to complete the film," said filmmakers Alison Sotomayor and Lyn Goldfarb.

city-hall-from-lat.jpgA to-do list for the next mayor from a sample of civic leaders. The Planning Report

Team Greuel hailed a new Survey USA poll for KABC that has her ahead by three points in the mayoral race. When previous robo polls for Channel 7 found Garcetti ahead, Greuel's people trashed the methodology: "Everyone knows that robo call polls are inaccurate," said consultant John Shallman. New tune: "We’ve had concerns about the Survey USA poll in the past, but there are a few reasons we believe these results are more accurate," the Greuel campaign says in an email to supporters and reporters. The numbers this time do include a more realistic balance of white and Latino voters, but also a huge overshot in the forecast of likely voters. LA Weekly, KPCC
Previously: Garcetti up by ten.

Team Garcetti complained to TV stations that Greuel ads did not qualify for discounted air time because they did not comply with rules requiring the appearance of a candidate's voice or image. LAT

Greuel's use of her City Hall email account questioned. DN

Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will be in LA the week of May 8. I would expect to see her show up in the mayoral campaign for Greuel as Bill Clinton did last week.

Former state lawmaker Sheila Kuehl formally announced she is running for county Supervisor, with Parke Skelton running her campaign. DN, LAT

The Times endorsed Monica Ratliff in the race for school board district six. LAT editorial

The California Assembly passed a bill on Thursday that would make the state the first in the nation to allow non-citizens who are in the country legally to serve on jury duty. AP

The LAPD resumed giving out the locations of drunk driving checkpoints, after a week hiatus. LA Weekly

The LAFD chief will go ahead with his plans to reassign some firefighters to ambulances over the objections of the union. DN

LA County residents won't have to pay the $3 "maintenance fee" on those freeway toll lane transponders at least for while. LAT

Malibu City Councilman Skylar Peak has been sentenced to two years of probation and 30 days of community service after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor count of reckless driving related to a Christmas Day accident. LAT


Media, media people and books

The cute humblebrag "nerd prom" used by some journos who tweet about going to the White House Correspondents Association dinner, which is this weekend in DC, "is not accurate on either count" and completely misses the point. The Atlantic Wire

Looks like Mayor Villaraigosa is going. KPCC

A federal judge rejected a woman's claim that Los Angeles County prosecutor and political blogger Patrick Frey defamed her as she tried to pin the blame for the wiretapping of a congresswoman on conservative activist James O'Keefe. Courthouse News

NPR media reporter David Folkenflik's book, "Murdoch's World: The Last of the Old Media Empires," is coming from Public Affairs Books in October.


More news, observations and reading

A national task force that investigates arsons at worship facilities has joined the investigation of an overnight fire at Bethesda Temple Apostolic Church on Crenshaw Boulevard. NBC

Brookfield Office Properties, a New York firm, will control five of the 10 highest skyscrapers in Los Angeles after taking over the downtown firm of MPG Office Trust, which was formed by Robert F. Maguire in the 1960s. "Brookfield buying the rest of MPG's portfolio is like putting together Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. It's that impactful," said John Cushman, the Los Angeles-based chairman of real estate brokerage Cushman & Wakefield. "They will totally control the high end of the market." LAT

Federal officials say a fishing boat that washed ashore in Crescent City is the first debris to reach the state that's been confirmed as having come from the Japanese tsunami. AP

What happens when you die on the Internet? Google introduces a new service to plan your digital afterlife. Pacific Standard, Google blog

Elon Musk "thinks his Westside commute is LA's top problem." LA Weekly

Leo Branton Jr., the civl rights and entertainment attorney who helped singer Nat King Cole integrate Hancock Park and defended 60s radical Angela Davis, died at age 91. LAT

Sal Castro was remembered as an inspiring teacher. LAT

The Clippers lost in Memphis and now lead their first-round NBA playoff serieds 2-1. The Lakers got some new bad injury news: Steve Blake is out of tonight's game and Steve Nash and Jodie Meeks are doubtful.


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
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Morning Buzz: Wednesday 4.16.14