Follow LA Observed on Twitter here
While the NBA considers the Clippers sold, Donald Sterling sues in federal court.
LA Observed archive
for May 2014
If you don't find what you want here, check another month or search below.
While the NBA considers the Clippers sold, Donald Sterling sues in federal court.
After being lobbied by Mayor Eric Garcetti and river activists, the Army Corps of Engineers said it would recommend an ambitious $1 billion makeover of 11 miles of the Los Angeles River upstream from downtown. "The greatest thing to happen to the river since it was paved over,” say advocates.
Former Microsoft executive Steve Ballmer may get to the buy the team or may not. But he apparently wants the Clips, at an insane price.
The surf club organized a sunset paddle out last night off Isla Vista. Thousands were on the beach or in the water, the student newspaper says.
Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and at least some of their kids were at the premiere of the new Disney film "Maleficient" tonight at Hollywood's El Capitan theatre. A Ukranian man who has harassed other celebrities was arrested.
Auletta sums up Jill Abramson vs the NYT. Maya Angelou dies. Garcetti endorses Duran for Yaroslavsky seat. The mayor also nominated a shipping exec to run the harbor department. Plus more.
Shelly Sterling is apparently trying to speed through a Clippers sale this week. But Donald Sterling filed papers calling the NBA case against him a sham based on words said in a private conversation with a lover.
A.O. Scott in the New York Times says Adam Sandler's "Blended" is so bad it will make your child stupid. The LA Times calls it a "fun...enjoyable romp."
Deep collections of photos showing the faded Wednesday night car culture tradition don't really exist. These photos by Ricard McCloskey are fun to look at.
UC Santa Barbara has cancelled Tuesday classes for a “Day of Mourning and Reflection," and will hold a memorial service on campus at 4 p.m. All six of the victims of Elliot Rodger who died were students.
The northbound carpool lane that was the nominal reason for work on the 405 opened Friday morning. Time to look at what five years of work and $1.1 billion bought.
Plans to evict Pepy's Galley to make way for a supper club has inspired a Facebook group with 4,000 members and a petition site with 1,200 signatures. A bunch of those are probably LAPD motorcycle cops.
Garcetti, Yaroslavsky and others witnessed the signing of papers this morning in Washington. "As public transit milestones go, they don’t get much bigger than this," Yaroslavsky blogged.
All media today: Sulzberger speaks to Vanity Fair. Another digital defection from NYT. Atlantic Cities rebrands. Moves at the LAT, LANG and KCRW. Plus more
The senior producer of a new arts and entertainment program will be Oscar Garza, former daily Calendar editor at the LA Times. Rounding out the team is an import from KCRW.
Fired New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson gave her speech this morning to the graduating class at Wake Forest, streamed live online by at least two networks, and covered by a lot of news media.
Mural by Alfredo Diaz Flores at Louise Avenue and Vanowen Street depicted Mission San Juan Capistrano. I don't know how long it has been gone, but it was there last time I looked.
On Saturday afternoon I came upon dozens of brown pelicans diving frantically into the shallow water on the edge of the Marina del Rey entrance channel, obviously enjoying some kind of unseen fish bonanza.
The Cheviot Drive home where Ray Bradbury lived and wrote for 50 years has been listed for sale at $1.495 million. It's open on Sunday.
After last night's elimination of the Ducks from the NHL playoffs, the Kings players stayed on the ice to tap their sticks in salute of 43-year-old Teemu Selanne, who played his last game.
Wildfires. Garcetti accepts the NAACP award. LA Times endorses Duran in Supes race. Beck wants to stay as chief. And Sulzberger explains Jill Abramson firing. Plus more.
The basketball portion of the Clippers season ended tonight at Staples Center. Now we can all think about Donald Sterling 24/7.
I missed this the other night. Yasiel Puig, looking more relaxed these days, brought his mother to Dodger Stadium for his bobblehead night. She threw out the first pitch —...
Francine Prose's new novel is "Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932." Tickets are from Live Talks LA for Thursday night in Santa Monica.
Folks in Pasadena don't really want their director of public health bashing gays, Catholics, Muslims and evolution. But in the state of Georgia? No problem!
The Kings and Ducks will meet to settle it on Friday evening in Anaheim. That's two big playoff games in LA in the past week where TV screens failed at the end. Not just Time Warner Cable either.
Dean Baquet, the former editor in chief of the Los Angeles Times who left during the worst of the Tribune Company manhandling of the LAT, today was named executive editor of the New York Times. Jill Abramson is out. No explanation.
Rihanna and Steven Soboroff, the president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, are certainly making the most out of their recent encounter at the Clippers playoff game. The broken phone is paying off for the LAPD Foundation.
Molotov Cocktail attack on units occupied by black residents of Boyle Heights projects is a bigger story for La Opinión than the English language media.
Old LA Observed friend Steve Greenberg contributes cartoons to the Jewish Journal and connected with this Donald Sterling gem. Previously on LA Observed: Steve Greenberg's LA Sketchbook...
Oregon's roaming gray wolf was observed by a remote camera in the south Cascades. Another camera spotted a female the next day -- uncollared and previously unknown to trackers.
The restaurant at Wilshire and Doheny has met a need through the years: open late, big menu, long counter and a few dishes to come back for. It also has an LA Observed connection.
Take away the big two from the U.S. map of languages spoken at home and the national portrait becomes really interesting.
The Clippers were really, really close to going up 3 games to 2 in their NBA playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This close.
KPCC has been looking for awhile for the right person to host a new arts and entertainment program aimed at making the station a player in Hollywood and cultural coverage. They found their man at the LA Times.
405 carpool lane to open next week. City Hall's 3-1-1 line doesn't work very well. Voices of the drought. Plus more.
Donald Sterling uses his time on Anderson Cooper to slam Magic Johnson as a promiscuous person who has never done anything for the black community. And more.
Mayor Eric Garcetti's staff has posted another set of Facebook photos showing him as a regular guy. This time he's riding a bike to work in Koreatown
Richard Fausset is leaving Mexico City to return to Atlanta, this time as a New York Times national correspondent. Plus another opening at the NYT.
Heat wave arrives. Beverly Hills Hotel hires a familiar image fixer. Plus politics notes and more.
Sterling talks with Anderson Cooper in interview to air tonight on CNN. He asks forgiveness from the NBA — if his words offended, that is. "If I said anything wrong, I'm sorry."
Andrés Martinez writes about the discomfort of being raised in Mexico by an American gringa, and about the last time he spoke with her.
I guess nobody at the Daily Mail recognizes Steven Soboroff, the president of the Los Angeles Police Commission — dismissed as a "jolly older gentleman" and a "pensioner" in a Fail story on Rihanna attending a Clippers game while dressed.
Red and yellow books arranged on shelves. The Last Bookstore, Downtown Los Angeles.
New mountain lion photos from the naturalists who monitor the population in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The images were taken near Malibu Creek State Park when the cubs were 11 months old.
Allen was killed by a runaway truck on the same Beverly Hills street where officer Nick Lee also was killed by a truck. The city has ordered a halt to truck activity and put in radar to catch speeders.
Jarl Mohn takes over in July. A well known LA art collector and venture capitalist, he was previously GM of MTV Networks and founder of the E! Channel, as well as chair of CNET. NPR memo inside.
She was a member of the Communist Party, a participant in the militant Black Panthers, and was prosecuted (and acquitted) for murder and conspiracy for a courthouse shootout. At 70, Davis is back as a regent's lecturer after a long career at UC Santa Cruz.
Bruce Springsteen played for the president and Conan O'Brien quipped about the traffic impacts of Obama's fundraising drop-ins in LA. Inside: The president's local day.
Ken Dilanian will cover intelligence for the Associated Press bureau.
News, notes and observations from LA Observed and selected media. Sometimes daily, often in the morning.
The guy with no shirt on who asked out reporter Courtney Friel while both were live on the KTLA air last week is a new Inland Empire celebrity. Meet the ex-Marine behind the skin.
The LA Times has taken the state's January maps of the earthquake faults that pass under Hollywood and added an interesting visual.
The last chef of the year from Los Angeles was Wolfgang Puck back in 1998.
Occasional news, notes and observations from LA Observed, often in the morning.
President Obama will fly into LAX on Wednesday and attend the USC Shoah Foundation’s 20th anniversary dinner in Century City, as well as Democratic campaign fundraisers.
LATImes.com is finally getting the design makeover it has needed for years — see how Eddy Hartenstein flacks it. Plus the LA Register (remember it?) will now deliver to homes.
Suddenly the Los Angeles Kings are up 2-0, winning twice in Anaheim over a Ducks team that was supposed to better than this. And the Clippers dominated the Thunder.
Curated news, notes and observations from LA Observed.
Al posted this message on Facebook over the weekend.
The Donald Sterling story was featured on "Face the Nation" and in the opening segment of "Saturday Night Live," plus Barbara Walters interviewed V. Stiviano.
Credit for the headline to the High Country News, which notes that "with each passing day it seems more certain: 2014 is going to be an El Niño year, and probably a big one."
The U-2 was developed and built at Burbank Airport and played a major role in the Cold War. CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers, shot down over the USSR in 1960 and swapped for a KGB spy, later died flying the KNBC news chopper.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announced this morning's death of six-year veteran Roberto Sanchez, 32, of the Harbor station. He is the third officer to die while driving in recent weeks.
Great line (from 1959) about one benefit of his unusual name: "It’s kept me out of westerns. I can’t imagine a Hopalong Zimbalist.”
Howard Sunkin opens a new firm with City Hall lobbyist John Ek. Read the email inside.
Here's as sure a sign as any about the extent of the California snowfall drought.
Selective catching up after staying away from the LA news for a little while. Don Sterling fallout, politics, media, more.
The Kings clinching win last night was stirring enough to the fan base that a lot of them were on the Imperial Highway side of LAX when the Kings got back from San Jose this morning.
KTLA's Courtney Friel was covering the afternoon's brush fire in the Inland Empire foothills on Wednesday when a shirtless man carrying a dog asked her for a date.
Clinton fundraises in LA
Jim Henson Studios on La Brea became a presidential campaign stop on Thursday.
Brown declares disaster area
The natural gas leak above Porter Ranch now qualifies for various government actions. Story
Performing arts with cheer
Donna Perlmutter closes out 2015 with productions downtown and on the Westside.
