Morning Buzz

Morning Buzz: Friday 5.24.13

Top of the news

A bridge on Interstate 5 north of Seattle failed and dropped cars and people into the Skagit River. LAT

The northbound 405 freeway was mostly closed this morning after a crash near Montana Avenue involving a big rig that spilled diesel fuel on the freeway. Ramps at Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards are closed, along with the connector from the westbound Santa Monica Freeway to the northbound 405.

Politics and government

Some of the most powerful labor organizations in Los Angeles placed huge bets on mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel that went bust. But Tuesday's electoral setbacks do not immediately alter the basic political architecture at Los Angeles City Hall, where the majority of officeholders, including Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti, maintain strong ties to organized labor. LAT

Garcetti will come into office "without the level of trust among the City Hall power brokers that his opponent would have enjoyed. That means he could be in for a difficult first six months in office, as various City Hall players try to see how much they can push him around." LA Weekly

Greuel's defeat demonstrates that independent campaign committees have become toxic for candidates, argues former political consultant Jack McGrath. DN Op-ed

Villaraigosa, Garcetti pledge smooth transition in mayor's office. LAT

The City Council approved Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's final $7.7-billion budget, including a reserve to pay for a 5.5% raise for many city employees. LAT, DN, KPCC

The city of Bell may be on the bring of a new fiscal crisis. LAT

Media and books

Jeffrey Johnson, one of the Los Angeles Times publishers who lost his job in 2006 during the turbulence of the Tribune newsroom-cutting era, was named publisher of the San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate, All Things D

A few dozen activists opposed to a hypothetical sale of Tribune Company to the Koch brothers marched to the Beverly Hills home of Tribune chairman Bruce Karsh. Hollywood Reporter

Richard Kipling, the managing editor of the CHCF Center for Health Reporting based at USC Annenberg, will succeed David Westphal as editor-in-chief.

Reporter Bryan Schatz buys and assembles a "legal and totally untraceable AK-47" in the Los Angeles area. Mother Jones

LA Times reporter Nicole Santa Cruz tweeted she's now working on the LAT's Homicide Report blog "covering all things homicide. Tips? Ideas?"

The Orange County locations of "Arrested Development." OC Weekly

Los Angeles bureau chief Adam Nagourney reviews the Bel-Air Hotel for the New York Times Travel section.

A low-level judge in Iowa told a newspaper reporter he could not take notes during a trial because jurors might be influenced seeing what he chose to write down. What barn did this guy crawl out of? Romenesko


More news, notes and observations

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake in mountainous Plumas County last night was felt widely across interior Northern California and in Reno. Lots of "I felt it too!" activity on social media but no news. The aftershock flurry has included two at 4.0 or above. SCEDC

lapd-choppers-kpcc.jpgKPCC has done a three-part series about the LAPD's use helicopters, plus 13 facts about the LAPD's annoying choppers. KPCC, Curbed LA

Heal the Bay rated the water quality at 84 percent of Los Angeles County beaches as As or Bs. DN, KPCC

The French Garden will close today after 15 years in the Arts District. LA Weekly

Jerry's Deli on Beverly Boulevard has closed. Eater LA

The city of West Hollywood advised residents that coyote sightings are on the increase.

Santa Cruz Island foxes back from the brink of extinction. KPCC

Flynn Robinson, a flashy guard who was a member of the 1971-72 Lakers team that brought Los Angeles its first NBA title, died Thursday at Keck Hospital. He was 72. LAT

The Kings beat the Sharks 3-0 and now lead the Stanley Cup playoffs second-round series 3-2, with a possible clincher on Sunday in San Jose.


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