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Curated news, notes and observations most weekdays from LA Observed.
The federal government began to reopen after the Republican holdouts gave in and Congress agreed to fund the government and raise the ceiling on the debt limit. NYT, LAT
President Obama this morning:
Because Democrats and responsible Republicans came together, the first government shutdown in 17 years is now over. The first default in more than 200 years will not happen. These twin threats to our economy have now been lifted.
Newark mayor Cory Booker, a Democrat, was elected to the Senate seat from New Jersey that became vacant when Frank Lautenberg died in June. NYT
Mayor Eric Garcetti is facing a tangle of unforeseen political and legal challenges as he grapples with what action the city should take to identify and reinforce hundreds of old concrete buildings that may be at risk of collapse in a major earthquake. LAT
The city is suing four major contractors that built the $250-million south runway at Los Angeles International Airport, alleging that widespread construction flaws are causing the runway to wear out prematurely. They are R & L Brosamer, HNTB Corp., CH2M Hill Inc. and a joint venture involving Tutor-Saliba Corp. and O & G Industries Inc. LAT
The Airport Commission approved $230 million in new construction contracts. LA Airspace
Two weeks after demanding details on how two nonprofits run by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and its biggest union spent more than $40 million, the agency's commissioners changed tack Wednesday and agreed to let the groups audit themselves. LAT, DN
Garcetti Loses A Round in Cage Match with DWP Union Boss. LA Weekly
A recent survey of 501 registered LA voters by the Pat Brown Institute at California State Los Angeles shows that by a wide margin (63 to 25 percent) most believe that city government responds more to special interests than to “people like me.” More than two thirds of voters report that they are very or somewhat interested in local politics and government. PBI
City Council President Herb Wesson introduced a motion to create the Los Angeles Municipal Elections Reform Commission, with members appointed by him and Mayor Eric Garcetti. DN, KPCC
Councilman Mike Bonin questions LAFD plan to fill vacancies. DN
The full Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has decided not to reconsider its opinion on New York Times investigative reporter James Risen, and he plans to go to the Supreme Court. NYT
Writer and lawyer Ronan Farrow is joining MSNBC where he will host a new Monday-Friday program for the network. TV Newser
Regarding the T.J. Simers lawsuit and allegation that he was told to go easy on Frank McCourt and Arte Moreno, ex-Times writer Agustin Gurza adds his own allegation: "Just weeks before I got laid off, i was also called in and told to lay off a famous record producer who had complained about my coverage (via lawyers and PR people) and who, coincidentally, told others he wanted me fired. An editor pointed a finger in my face and ordered me to back off." Facebook
Dave Morgan, former sports editor at Yahoo and formerly a senior sports editor at the LAT, was named president of USA Today Sports Media Group. Sports Business Daily
Emma Gallegos was promoted to editor-in-chief of LAist. Former editor Lindsay William-Ross has moved to Canada.
Colin Marshall sits down in the Los Angeles Central Library’s Maguire Gardens with Nathan Masters, the writer for L.A. as Subject, KCET and Los Angeles Magazine. Notebook on Cities and Culture
"The Circle" by Dave Eggers is this week's bestseller in hardcover fiction at Southern California independent bookstores. "David and Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell is number one in nonfiction. "Dear Life" by Alice Munro and "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed lead in the paperback categories. SCIBA
Local author Ed Humes' newest book is "A Man and His Mountain: The Everyman Who Created Kendall-Jackson and Became America's Greatest Wine Entrepreneur."
To prove how sorry she is, Rielle Hunter is writing a second memoir of her affair with John Edwards, "In Hindsight, What Really Happened." Daily Beast
Press-Telegram columnist Tim Grobaty slams the paper's competitors in a piece about the intern leaving: "One thing that the other newspapers, blogs and miscellaneous media in and around Long Beach always neglect to mention in their coverage of this city is how much more talent we have on our staff than they do." P-T
AOL Patch Patch will staff each of its websites only in 14 designated market areas “with the highest traffic and revenue,” including in Los Angeles. Poynter
StoryCorps will park its trailer at the California African American Museum in Exposition Park for three weeks starting Oct. 23, in partnership with KPCC.
Dicarlo Bennett, 28, who worked for LAX ground service provider Servisair, is expected to be charged today in connection with four prank dry ice bombs placed at the airport. LAT, LA Weekly
Linda Ronstadt was nominated to join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, pending a vote by people in the music industry. Nirvana, Peter Gabriel, LL Cool J, N.W.A., Yeds and the Zombies are among others nominated. Rolling Stone
The Getty released its second batch of 5,400 high-resolution images from the Getty Research Institute through its Open Content Program, more than doubling the number available to the public for use without fees or restriction. The Getty Iris
Spike Jonze, Why Are There No Brown People in Your Future Los Angeles? IndieWire
Wilshire Boulevard is no place for cyclists. Opinion LA
“Breaking Bad” creator and executive producer Vince Gilligan will be interviewed at the Central Library for the Writer's Cut program of the Library Foundation of Los Angeles on Friday.
Live Talks Los Angeles announced a new partnership with JDate, the online Jewish community. LTLA
Karen Brodkin, Executive Vice President, Business and Legal Affairs, FOX Sports Media Group, was elected chair of the board of the LA Sports Council. She succeeds Alan Rothenberg.
The Dodgers stayed alive with a 6-4 win over the Cardinals, featuring four solo home runs by LA. Game 6 is in St. Louis on Friday night.
Ed Lauter, a longtime character actor most recently Peppy's butler in "The Artist," died Wednesday Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles of mesothelioma. He was 74. LAT
That's more like it. Uribe, He ribe, we all ribe. @Dodgers
— Marc Brown (@ABC7Marc) October 16, 2013
