Curated news, notes and observations most weekdays from LA Observed.
Mickey Kantor says the L.A. 2020 Commission is expected to make a report in two weeks to prompt discussion of an expected $242 million City Hall budget deficit. "We're deeply concerned about the fiscal situation in L.A." LA Weekly
The state FPPC is asking state Sen. Kevin de León for more information about a $25,000 contribution the Legislature's Latino Caucus made to a nonprofit group run by former Assemblyman Tom Calderon. Bee, LAT
How long will the Garcetti honeymoon last? CityWatch
Metro hopes to stop public urination near an Orange Line bus station in Woodland Hills. LAT
The Los Angeles County Public Works Department announced it will close public access to parts of the Angeles National Forest Saturday due to forecasted snow and icy road conditions. KPCC
The LAX FlyAway buses are expected to expand to Vine Street in Hollywood, Santa Monica, the Orange Line and in Torrance starting next year. Streetsblog
Rhythm Planet host Tom Schnabel will host the 10 o'clock hour of Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW today to celebrate the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela.
Nikki Finke’s Unbelievable Nelson Mandela Tweet Inspires Hilarious #FinkeObits Hashtag. Mediaite
Frying Pan News re-launched as Capital & Main, with a focus on labor, politics and economic issues in California. Former LA Times investigative reporter Gary Cohn and former LA Weekly editor Steven Mikulan lead the editorial side. Publisher Danny Feingold is communications director at the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. Capital & Main
A study from the Library of Congress reveals for the first time how many feature films produced by U.S. studios during the silent film era still exist, what condition they’re in and where they are located. To no one’s surprise, the news is bleak. Variety
Lynell George and Marisela Norte take a walk in LA and consider the big picture. Native to the Place
Downtown artist, photographer and blogger Ed Fuentes has been awarded a Creative Capital Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant to blog about the murals and street art in Las Vegas. Artswriters.org
Sheriff's deputies arrested a man in connection with theft of the roof from the wreckage of the Porsche in which actor Paul Walker died. LAT, LA Weekly
LAPD chief Beck asked for public help in catching the killer of a seven-year-old boy who was sitting in his mother's car on South Corning Street near Mid-City. LAT
Chief Beck did a media op with four brothers who are all LAPD officers. ABC 7
Truth & Consequence: The Inmate, The Beating, and the Deputies Who Lied About It. Witness LA
Jon Carpenter, a 47-year-old quadriplegic who has filed nearly 1,000 lawsuits in L.A. County alone alleging Americans With Disabilities Act violations, is a convicted child molester from Utah who was set free after serving less than two days of a one- to- 15-year sentence. LA Weekly
Cultural historian and blogger Allon Schoener praises the Calder show at LACMA. The Cosmopolitan Observer
Memo to Bratton: Elaine's closed. But there are plenty of Duane Reades! #welcomehome
— paul schwartzman (@paulschwartzman) December 5, 2013