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A mosquito that can carry dengue and yellow fever has been found in Madera, prompting intense eradication efforts in the Central Valley and warnings from officials about how to keep the pest from spreading. "It could change the way we live in California, if we don't stop it," said Tim Phillips of the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District. LAT
If one thing has become clear in his first three months, Mayor Eric Garcetti is no Antonio Villaraigosa. Plus: Sebastian Ridley-Thomas, the son of county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, is having a high-powered political fundraiser on Nov. 4 for his Assembly race, featuring state Attorney General Kamala Harris and hosted by longtime consultant Bob Shrum. Rick Orlov's Tipoff/DN
California's mapping of earthquake faults has slowed to a crawl. LAT
Metro's 405 Freeway widening project is more than 15 months behind schedule largely due to faulty retaining walls that had to be torn down and rebuilt. DN
City Hall was unusually busy for a Saturday, hosting more than 150 immigrants looking to get reprieves from deportation. Mayor Garcetti's office opened up the council chambers and rotunda so volunteers could provide legal assistance to those eligible for the federal Deferred Action program. KPCC
Mercedes Marquez, general manager of the city housing department, said Friday she will step down at the end of the year to start her own consulting firm. Mayor Garcetti said he had hoped to keep her. KPCC
Linda Griego and Wendy Greuel, former candidates for Los Angeles mayor, had this advice for women attending a training session Saturday on running for political office: Raise plenty of money — you're going to need it. LAT
Jessica Levinson, who has taught election law and campaign finance courses at Loyola Law School, and formerly Director of Political Reform at the Center for Governmental Studies, was confirmed to the city ethics commission. She was appointed by Controller Ron Galperin.
The combined spending of candidates and non-candidate committees in the 2013 Los Angeles city elections (including LAUSD) exceeded $66 million, according to a report presented to the ethics commission.
John Meroney has a piece in Playboy on Tom Braden, editor of the Daily Blade-Tribune in Oceanside before he ran for lieutenant governor in 1966, wrote the best-seller "Eight Is Enough" then co-founded "Crossfire" on CNN and "sparred with Pat Buchanan nightly for almost a decade." The piece mostly focuses on Braden's work for the CIA.
Longtime NYT columnist David Pogue "is leaving to help launch a consumer-tech site at Yahoo," per an internal memo. Brian Stelter tweet
In a matter of months, Hollywood has seen the closest thing to a clean sweep of top studio marketing executives the likes of which hasn’t happened in recent memory. What's behind it? The Wrap
David Sedaris on the suicide of his youngest sister, Tiffany. The New Yorker
Sharon Waxman of The Wrap denies that one of her key financial backers, Starbucks' Howard Schultz, tried to sell his shares to Jay Penske, who owns the Nikki Finke site Deadline.com. "Ridiculous...For starters, Schultz owns no shares in TheWrap." The Wrap
CNN White House correspondent Dan Lothian, previously with NBC News in Los Angeles, is leaving the network, a CNN source confirms to TVNewser.
Ruben Guerrero, the husband of Montebello’s mayor, is expected to be charged Monday morning with selling methamphetamine near a school. LAT
Another large oarfish, this one about 14 feet, washed up dead in Oceanside. It's the second instance of the rarely studied deep-water fish in recent days. KPCC
Los Angeles is Goat-Stew City, U.S.A. NYT Magazine
Former pastor Cecil L. "Chip" Murray is troubled by what has happened to First African Methodist Episcopal Church since he left. LAT
Philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad received the William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership at the annual meeting of The Philanthropy Roundtable. They will donate the $250,000 prize to the High School for the Visual and Performing Arts on Grand Avenue.
Motown founder Berry Gordy and Grammy winner Smokey Robinson will be honored with The Grammy Museum's first-ever Architects of Sound Award.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti and manager Don Mattingly have an 11:30 a.m. media availability scheduled at Dodger Stadium. Could this be when they make Mattingly's new contract official?
Doc Rivers’ move to Clippers brings power and scrutiny. NYT
Ex-Laker Luke Walton debuted as an on-air analyst for Time Warner Cable SportsNet, but says he still wants to play and is staying in shape in case the call comes. ESPN LA
Tentative citywide @LAFD stats for 24 hrs of Fri Oct 18 = 1164 Incidents Dispatched + 575 Ambulance Transports. ^BH
— LAFD Conversation (@LAFDtalk) October 19, 2013
