Morning Scoop: Invisible cities, water wise, rancher’s refusal

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're making our grocery lists for the Thanksgiving feasts ahead. A filling selection of California stories from today's paper to help satisfy your informational appetite:

Invisible cities: Alongside the 51 miles of the Los Angeles River is a world few who don't live there see. In the bushes, under bridges, people live in fear, especially after five residents were gunned down last year. Don't miss the incredible photos and audio slide show.

Water wise: In San Luis Obispo, residents know how to conserve water. The rest of the state will need to learn soon.

Locked files: L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas won't release records of any communications between his office and a longtime associate employed by the company building the Expo Line.

Small city: Hector Tobar roots for a future when our big city will feel small again, thanks to rails that let us zoom from east to west.

Rancher's refusal: A San Luis Obispo rancher gets a jail sentence after refusing to shut down a self-styled rehab camp for homeless addicts.

We'll bring you other news as we get it. Got news for us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

(After today, the Morning Scoop will be taking a break for the holidays. Back Monday.)

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Pondering pot limits, budget blues, bearing witness

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're hoping that the morning freeway traffic will start lightening up soon for Thanksgiving. Some California stories from today's Los Angeles Times to help speed you on your way:

Pondering pot limits: The L.A. City Council's scheduled to take up debate this week on how many medical marijuana dispensaries the city should allow.

Budget blues: Sacramento columnist George Skelton takes a look at the bleak budget landscape ahead.

Starting over: Choosing board members will be key to the success of a completely revamped Martin Luther King Jr. medical facility.

Bearing witness: A seminar focusing on Jewish history helps prepare Catholic educators to teach students about anti-Semitism.

Helping hand: Mental illness is a nearly taboo subject in many Asian communities. A Rosemead nonprofit offers support to those in need.

We'll bring you more news as we get it. Got news for us? An idea for a story? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Reopening MLK Hospital, barking about dog parks, bison birth control

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're staring at mounds of traditional Friday morning doughnuts. Some California stories from today's paper to boost your caloric intake:

Tighter drug-abuse rules: California is cracking down on health professionals who abuse drugs, subjecting them to frequent drug tests, monitoring them closely when they're in treatment and removing those who relapse. This comes after an investigation by The Times and the nonprofit newsroom ProPublica.

Hospital plans: The reopening of Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital came a step closer to fruition yesterday when University of California regents approved a partnership with L.A. County to run the facility.

A dog's life: Redondo Beach allows dogs into just one of its parks. Owners of some of the city's 3,600 licensed canines want that to change.

Pay cuts: California's elected officials face an 18% pay cut in December. A state panel ruled that the cut is legal.

Bison birth control: The island's feral bison are getting birth control to help make the herd size more manageable.

We'll bring you other news as we get it. Got news for us? A story idea? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: `Putrid pork,’ losing libraries, el churrero

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're beginning the turkey-and-stuffing countdown. Some California stories from today's paper to help you satisfy your informational appetites:

Hefty fee hikes: The University of California's Board of Regents is expected to approve major student fee increases today, which would raise costs for undergraduates by $2,500, or 32%, by next fall.

Losing libraries: Some California libraries are closing down, and many are cutting hours and staff as communities all over the state slash their budgets.

Gang intervention: A plan for a city-sponsored training academy for gang intervention workers hits a snag as philosophies and egos clash.

Churros here: Deciderio Mauricio Cantera sells churros at the San Ysidro border crossing. He's been hawking at the border for 41 years.

Putrid pork: That's what Sacramento columnist George Skelton calls a good chunk of the $11.1-billion water bond that voters will be asked to approve next year. He predicts that in these hard times, we won't stomach it.

Paradise Cove: A Malibu mobile home park that allowed sewage to spill into the ocean will have to pay only $54,500 of its original $1.65-million fine.

Station fire: A report by the L.A. County Fire Department sharply questions the U.S. Forest Service's aggressiveness in the Station fire.

We're following today's UC regents meeting at UCLA, where students have stormed a building to protest the proposed fee hikes. We're also watching to see if there's any West Coast fallout from an FAA computer problem in Atlanta that has affected flights across the country.

We'll bring you more news as we get it. Got news for us? A good story idea? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com. I'd love to hear from you.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Pet projects, huge deficit, medical marijuana showdown

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're trying hard not to let the sneezes and coughs take over. Some California stories from today's paper to arm you for the tasks ahead:

Billions short: California heads into the next fiscal year with a projected budget deficit of $21 billion, says the state's chief budget analyst.

Pot crackdown: The L.A. County district attorney says he doesn't care what the L.A. City Council decides, he's planning to crack down on dispensaries that sell medical marijuana.

Chief Beck: Charlie Beck was sworn in Tuesday as L.A.'s 56th police chief. Check out the photos.

Sweet deal: That $11-billion water bond we'll be asked to approve next year includes more than $1 billion for lawmakers' pet projects.

BMW break-ins: Thieves are making off with air bags and headlights from L.A.'s BMWs.

The L.A. City Council may vote today on a medical marijuana ordinance. We're watching for news from the UC Regents meeting at UCLA. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Got news for us? Stories you think we should be covering? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Death row perks, no-fishing zones, broken by war

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're celebrating the rare and beautiful feeling of zooming down the freeways. Some California stories from today's paper to help you rev up your brain:

Death row for life: On California's death row, the state's condemned have special privileges – and little chance of being executed. Some convicts want to go there.

No-fishing zones: A state panel approves landmark fishing restrictions for the Southern California coast, from Santa Barbara to Mexico.

Hurting at home: Steve Lopez says veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan need to get more help when they return home.

Marine's sad end: Trevor Neiman survived three tours in Iraq as a Marine, only to killed while installing cable TV service at a home in Victorville.

Missed shots: L.A. County health officials say few African Americans have come to their free H1N1 vaccine clinics, and they're worried.

Give them shelter: The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to override the mayor's veto and expand the city's controversial sanctuary policy.

Crenshaw line: Transportation officials recommend light rail for a proposed transit corridor from the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw area to just outside LAX.

We'll have more details this morning on a woman apparently raped on Halloween. Police are looking for the man who tortured her and threw acid on her face. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Today is Veterans Day -- and events are planned all over the region.

I'm always eager to hear story ideas and news tips. Got something for me? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Pot push-back, smoldering Mt. Wilson, to tag or not to tag

Good morning from the City Desk, where waking up is taking some time. Some California stories from today's paper to help you bring your Tuesday into focus:

Pot push-back: Hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries have opened up across the state this year, but communities are pushing back hard – voting for bans and emergency moratoriums.

Life after tagging: Hector Tobar talks to a former tagger in search of fame and money about other paths to fulfillment.

Smoldering Mt. Wilson: The Station fire officially is out, but it still appears to be smoldering on Mt. Wilson.

Saving the Heavens: After a long battle, an El Sereno spot once slated for development will be turned into a park.

Roski's stadium plan: Architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne takes a hard look at Ed Roski's plan for a stadium and entertainment complex in the city of Industry.

A vote's expected today on whether to enact new fishing restrictions for the Southern California coastline. We'll bring you that and other news as we get it.

Got news for us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Sayonara septics, rotten eggs, protecting what’s theirs

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're waiting patiently for the arrival of the doughnuts. Some nutritional California stories from today's paper to help you round out your day:

Children's deaths: A new California law was meant to expose children's deaths to public scrutiny – but even with it, much remains unanswered, a Times review finds.

Mysterious stink: What's behind that awful smell in Mission Viejo and Rancho Santa Margarita? Some say it's like rotten eggs, others like rancid meat or maybe decaying swamp sludge.

Protecting perks: State lawmakers quietly work to block a steep cut in their salaries and perks.

Sayonara septics: Hundreds attended the meeting, which lasted nearly 10 hours. Then came the vote to ban septic systems in Malibu.

Vanished VW: A bus reported stolen 35 years ago showed up again this week at the Port of Los Angeles.

Silent plea: They arrived as clerical temps at a Koreatown rehab center for the deaf. But when money dried up, they stayed on as volunteers fighting for the center's future.

The L.A. City Council is expected to vote today on a ban on declawing cats. The governor is going to sign the water agreement. We'll bring you those stories and others as soon as we get them.

Got news for us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Boxing Boxer, roots up, billion-dollar bond

Good morning from the City Desk, where the morning fog is not just in our heads today. Some California stories from today's paper to help you clear a path through the mist:

Big bucks: California lawmakers have passed a major water deal -- but its $11.1-billion bond depends on us.

Government worked: So says Sacramento columnist George Skelton about the water deal, which he calls "the most comprehensive California water legislation in half a century."

Trickle up: LAPD Chief William J. Bratton concentrated on the LAPD's top tiers to make change. Charlie Beck says he'll emphasize the rank and file because "the only way that real change is made is from the bottom up."

Pushed out: An audit found that Sharon Harper, L.A. County's second-highest-ranking employee, improperly helped her son-in-law get an "overcompensated" job. Now Harper has lost her own job.

Teamster resigns: A top West Coast Teamsters official has stepped down as allegations swirl that he harassed a former secretary, offering to be her "sugar daddy."

Boxing Boxer: Carly Fiorina came out swinging at Barbara Boxer when she announced she would run as a GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Missed chances: A state report catalogs the missed opportunities of parole officers, saying they could have discovered Jaycee Dugard long ago.

Police say DNA evidence has given them a suspect in the 1997 slayings of a North Hollywood mother and son. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Got news to tell us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Hollyweed and Vine, Bratton’s blessing, cakes and company

Good morning from the City Desk, where it's chillier inside than outside. Some California stories from today's Los Angeles Times to help you rev up your conversational motors:

Bratton's blessing: Outgoing LAPD Chief William J. Bratton was lobbying for Charlie Beck to succeed him. For a while, that may have put the odds against Beck.

Record settlement: Los Angeles Clippers owner and real estate mogul Donald T. Sterling and his wife, Rochelle, have agreed to pay a record $2.7 million in a settlement over allegations that they discriminated against Latinos, African Americans and families with children at their many Los Angeles-area apartment buildings. If approved, it will be the largest settlement the U.S. Justice Department has ever obtained in a case involving apartment rentals.

Hollyweed and Vine: Steve Lopez takes a whirlwind tour of Los Angeles medical marijuana dispensaries.

Mixed verdicts: Former Dominguez High basketball coach Russell Otis was convicted Tuesday of misdemeanor child molesting, but the jury acquitted him on two other charges and deadlocked on a third.

Cakes and company: A Pomona couple have become very close to firefighters at a nearby fire station, and it all started with a cake.

Big spender: The primary's still seven months away, but Meg Whitman already has spent $19 million in her bid to become California's next governor.

The state Legislature finally has passed a comprehensive bill to overhaul the water system. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Got news for us? Let me know at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Charlie Beck, for the birds, love and the law

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're looking out at the building over which Charlie Beck likely will rule. Some California stories from today's paper, starting with the news that L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has just named Beck as his choice to be the next LAPD chief:

Nurses in need: Healthcare workers are among those at greatest risk for the

H1N1 flu – but in California, they're struggling to get the vaccine too.

For the birds: Tom and Jo Heindel's relationship has always been for the birds. They went bird watching on their first date and they're still at it, working together on a definitive guide for Inyo County.

Brown's babies: Jerry Brown founded two charter schools when he was mayor of Oakland. Since becoming state attorney general, he's raised nearly $10 million for them – from sources including major corporations and five L.A.-area card clubs.

Love and the law: Hector Tobar tells the story of a former conservative radio talk-show host who fell in love with a Mexican woman. Then they were separated by immigration laws.

Cyclist case: A 60-year-old doctor accused of deliberately injuring cyclists in Brentwood faces up to 10 years in prison after being convicted Monday of mayhem, assault with a deadly weapon and other serious criminal charges.

Sierra training: A beautiful spot in the Eastern Sierra helps Marines train for the mountainous, windy terrain of Afghanistan.

Mad in Malibu: A plan to ban new septic systems and require existing ones to shut down has many Malibu residents angry about high costs.

We'll be at the official announcement by the mayor. We'll bring you other news as we get it. Got news for us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Photo: Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Deputy LAPD Chief Charlie Beck chat at Getty House one hour before press conference, where the Mayor will announce his choice of Beck to head the LAPD. Credit: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

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Morning Scoop: Expensive election day, Poizner’s pitch, battle scars

Good morning from the City Desk, where Monday seems to have arrived too swiftly. Some California stories from today's Los Angeles Times to zoom the start of the workweek along:

Battle scars: Peter Sinclair returned from Iraq, broken in mind and body. Reentry proved too difficult.

Profit from nonprofit: Edward and Marcia Dawson made $7 million over the last five years – running a nonprofit sustained by taxpayer dollars.

Supply side: Sacramento columnist George Skelton takes a look at Steve Poizner's pitch to be the next governor, which starts with lower taxes.

Parkland present: The Irvine Co.'s plan to donate 20,000 acres of open space to Orange County has some unlikely opponents – environmentalists. Among their worries: how it will be maintained.

Bonds and taxes: Many cities and school districts across Southern California will be asking voters Tuesday to agree to open their wallets.

We'll bring you more news as we get it. See anything you think we should be covering? Send me a note at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Life after Bratton, the Glass House, Palo Alto’s pain

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're celebrating Friday with coffeecake and caffeine. Some California stories from today's Los Angeles Times to help zoom you through the workday:

Broken hearts: A Palo Alto High School tries to recover after four students kill themselves at a nearby railroad crossing.

Big bucks: A Texas developer raises eyebrows with big spending on the Santa Barbara elections.

Large footsteps: In some ways, L.A.'s mayor has it easy choosing a new police chief. Crime is down. Still, replacing William J. Bratton remains a politically risky venture.

Time, not cash: Trying to slash payroll costs in a terrible budget year, L.A.'s mayor and city council support a plan to cut police overtime by 83%. How will it be done? By making officers take more time off.

The Glass House: Speaking of police, they're slowly bidding their farewells to Parker Center, and, believe it or not, it makes some misty-eyed.

We're trying to get you more answers in yesterday's synagogue shootings. We're tracking the rescue effort in the San Diego military crash. We're also watching for movement on L.A.'s budget in the city council. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Got news for us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: The men who would be LAPD chief, Steve Lopez’s aching back

Good morning from the City Desk, where the morning shivers are serving as a fine wake-up call. Some California stories from today's paper to give you that warm glow you need:

Three's a crowd: Who are the three insiders vying to become the next LAPD chief? A look at the candidates and the hoops they'll be jumping through in the next few days.

His aching back: Steve Lopez visits a doctor in search of medical marijuana.

Parent power: L.A. Unified is giving parents the power to initiate major reform at their kids' schools.

Pitted against fire pits: Complaints about rowdy partying and messes prompt Newport Beach to consider removing fire pits from its sands.

Flu frenzy: L.A. County's free flu vaccine clinics have been overwhelmed by demand. Now they're running short on supplies because they didn't want to turn people away.

We're keeping our eyes peeled on movement in the race to be LAPD chief. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Got news for us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

 

Morning Scoop: Bling ring, loan rage, a family secret revealed

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're getting ready for sweater weather. Some California stories to warm you up for the day ahead:

Looting Lohan: Authorities believe that a group of teenage girls didn't just dream of having the baubles of their favorite young celebrities, they took them.

Sign right here: Hector Tobar learns a family secret – that his Guatemalan grandmother was illiterate.

Fighting foreclosure: A La Cañada Flintridge couple was arrested for allegedly beating and torturing a pair of loan modification agents they didn't think were helping them save their home.

Three finalists: The Police Commission is expected to name its three candidates for chief today. As for his pick, the outgoing chief is coy.

Senior station: Some worry about what will happen to Los Angeles' oldest working fire station if firefighters vacate for roomier, more modern digs.

We hope to have news for you soon on the decisions surrounding the selection of a new LAPD chief. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Got news to share? Send me a note at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Dirty dancing, swap meet crackdown, soldiers’ support systems

Good morning from the City Desk, where Monday seems to have arrived awfully quickly. Some California stories from today's paper to ease you into the new workweek:

No bumping, no grinding: More and more high schools are cracking down on sexual moves on the dance floor. Some now ask students (and their parents) to sign contracts promising, among other things, that they'll keep both their feet on the ground.

Fear-driven focus: Sacramento columnist George Skelton says legislators are trying to reform the way they do business – partly out of fear that if they don't, we will.

Illegal spouses: Just at the time when they most need family support, many who have served in Iraq fear it will be snatched away from them. Lawmakers are looking to help those in the military whose spouses are illegal immigrants and face deportation.

Spreading swap meet: A makeshift market at Echo Park has grown during hard times. Now city officials say they'll crack down.

Anti-tower power: Palos Verdes Estates can bar ugly cell towers from its boundaries, according to an appeals court ruling this month. Urban planners call it a major victory against urban blight in the name of progress.

A father pays homage: After his son's death in Iraq, Bill Krissoff closed his orthopedic practice in Northern California to enlist in the Navy medical corps. It took doing, because he was 60 at the time. Still, he recently returned from deployment in Iraq and says he's willing to go to Afghanistan.

We'll bring you other news as we get it. Got news to report? Send me a note at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Transplant chain, Night Stalker, subway plans

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're waiting for our traditional Friday morning doughnuts to arrive. A sampler of California stories from today's paper to speed you on your way to Saturday:

Kidney by kidney: Surgeons at UCLA Medical Center have orchestrated a rare chain of nine kidney transplants. It's been built mostly on trust.

Standing up for a principle: Sure, he doesn't like all TMZ does. Still, Jim Rainey calls founder Harvey Levin his 1st Amendment hero.

Night Stalker: DNA has linked Richard Ramirez, the serial killer known as the "Night Stalker," to the 1984 slaying of a 9-year-old girl in San Francisco.

Victory for Villaraigosa: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board included a Westside subway and a rail connection through downtown in its top priorities for federal funding.

Swine flu setbacks: Swine flu is surging in California, but the vaccine remains scarce.

We'll bring you more news as we get it.

Got a news tip? Let me know at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Bully tactic, tax-free dogs, Sacramento’s water world

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're looking forward to today's farmers market and hoping that the stone fruit season isn't quite over. Some California stories from the daily paper to whet your appetite for the work ahead:

Powerhouse scuffle: The fight between Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich and AEG, the owner of Staples Center, appears to be far from over. AEG's president has accused Trutanich of using a "bully tactic" to get the company to cough up millions for city services provided for the Michael Jackson memorial.

Water, water everywhere: Sacramento columnist George Skelton says the pieces are in place for a major state water deal that could be "the most comprehensive California water legislation in half a century." But it could all still fall apart.

Overcrowding impasse: A panel of federal judges has rejected the Schwarzenegger administration's plan to ease prison overcrowding – threatening to impose its own solutions.

Hot diggity dog: A Carpinteria hot dog vendor is celebrating his victory in winning disabled veterans such as himself exemption from various taxes. Today, at his Surf Dog stand by the ocean, he's handing out free hot dogs and star-spangled cake to celebrate.

Rocky Point: A state task force will submit its proposal today on fishing restrictions off Palos Verdes Peninsula. Some people want stricter marine habitat protections. Others want to preserve fishing rights.

School's out for furloughs: On the campus of Cal State Fullerton, students are finding creative ways to spend a three-day faculty furlough.

We're watching for details about Rocky Point and looking for signs from the interviews for a new LAPD chief. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

Got news to report? Send it my way at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Life after Bratton, rumps on Spring Street, parking-lot power

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're celebrating reaching the workweek's halfway point. A sampler of California stories from today's paper to help propel you over the hump:

Life after Bratton: The Los Angeles Police Commission begins interviewing candidates for the next police chief. Sources say insiders have the edge.

Disappearing fines: The Cal-OSHA Appeals Board frequently reduces and dismisses Cal-OSHA penalties against companies, even in cases in which workers have died or been seriously injured.

Murder charges: A San Bernardino man has been charged with five counts of murder for allegedly setting the 2003 Old fire that destroyed nearly 1,000 houses.

Sculpture or cow splat? Steve Lopez takes a look at the new cast-bronze statues outside the new LAPD headquarters. Chief Bratton, it turns out, is not a fan.

Pot law fast track: The L.A. City Council now wants to move fast on a strict ordinance overseeing medical marijuana dispensaries after a judge declared the city's moratorium on new dispensaries unlawful.

Flu fears: Some local hospitals are restricting visitors and banning children out of concern about the spread of the H1N1 flu.

Powerhouse parking lots: Palmdale is letting shopping centers and business parks install wind turbines in their parking lots to save on electricity.

We're keeping an eye on the LAPD interviews. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

See news or have a tip to share? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Pot for sale, a roof over her head, one right and so many wrongs

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're still not sure whether it's shorts or sweater weather. Some California stories from today's paper to get your work day off to a well-informed start:

Buds for sale: L.A.'s ban on new medical pot dispensaries is on hold for now after a judge issued an injunction banning enforcement against one such dispensary. The news came on the day the federal government said it would not pursue those obeying state marijuana laws.

From bad to worse: She wanted protection after being the victim of a crime and reporting it. Before her family got that protection, her mother was shot to death. Part II of a series about the awful consequences of trying to do the right thing.

Close quarters: Family, business, city business – they're all intertwined in the City of Industry.

Reading is fundamental: Hector Tobar on why literacy is a necessary part of community.

Park the car: Bessie Mae Berger, 97, no longer has to live in her 1973 Chevy Suburban. She and her sons now have temporary housing, thanks to a nonprofit organization.

Bark and growl: The decision to ban dogs from Surf City Nights is a bone of contention in pup-friendly Huntington Beach.

We'll bring you other news as we get it. Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com if you see news happening or have a story idea for us.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Doilies and tea, traffic snarls, agribusiness anger

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're hoping gray skies won't scare off our Thursday farmers market. Warm up your morning with some California stories in today's Los Angeles Times:

Frightening news: Four of the patients who received radiation overdoses at Cedars-Sinai in 2006 say they first learned about the mistakes from news reports. They say the hospital called them to ask questions but never informed them about the CT scan error.

Agribusiness anger: Michael Pollan's appearance at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo tonight so riled some local alumni in farming and ranching that at least one of them threatened to reconsider his donations to the school.

Doilies and tea: Sacramento columnist George Skelton takes a look at the recent frank talk on governing by Jerry Brown and Ron George.

Four years later: Metrolink has spent $30 million to settle most of the lawsuits from the 2005 Glendale train crash.

Marriage ban trial: A judge on Wednesday refused to dismiss a constitution challenge to Proposition 8, saying a trial was necessary to resolve legal and factual disputes about the same-sex marriage ban.

Traffic snarls: L.A.'s budget crisis could spell headaches at ballgames and concerts as the city stops providing free traffic officers to help keep cars moving at such spots as the Hollywood Bowl, the Greek Theatre and Dodger Stadium.

Don't park here: Santa Monica is about to try a bold experiment: raising the rates of its best downtown parking spots in hopes that people will stop parking in them.

If you see people suddenly drop to the ground at 10:15 this morning, it's probably the Great California Shakeout drill. We'll bring you more news as we get it.

See anything out there you think we should be writing about? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Larger than life; trust in machines; bears love minivans

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're glad the wet hills are so far holding firm. A sampler of California stories from today's paper to give you something to talk about over lunch:

He is in all senses larger than life. Billi Gordon, who weighed 701 pounds last month, has seen his world narrow as he's grown heavier. Now he's trying to break free.

Steve Lopez has decided who gets his World Series tickets.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has a top-notch reputation. So why did no one there notice CT scans blasting way too much radiation? Could it be that there aren't adequate safety checks? Or is that people just trust machines too much?

Anna Nicole Smith's hazy last days were the subject of hearing testimony Tuesday as a judge determines whether there is evidence enough to try two doctors and her boyfriend for conspiring to illegally give her prescription meds.

Yosemite's black bears are partial to the minivan.

Furlough orders can be costly, especially at round-the-clock institutions such as prisons, where guards are reporting for duty on furlough days and being paid in IOUs that will need to be redeemed down the road.

Counting for the census is especially hard this year, thanks to the number of people displaced by foreclosures and a large influx of immigrants.

We're watching the foothill neighborhoods for any signs of muddy trouble. We'll bring you other news as we get it.

-- Nita Lelyveld

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Morning Scoop: Governor relents, water deal progress, upwardly mobile tuitions

A gray good morning from the City Desk, where we're waiting for the first raindrops to fall. Some California stories from today's paper to get your work week started right:

It was only a threat. The governor started signing bills Sunday without a water deal. He had said he might veto them all if a deal wasn't reached. As for that water deal, legislators say they're edging closer.

What if money didn't matter? Sacramento columnist George Skelton takes a look at Tom Campbell, a GOP candidate for governor who has lots of experience but not the deep coffers of his rivals.

They'll make good money one day and their professors have big salaries. That's the argument behind a UC proposal to charge undergraduates in business and engineering more tuition than their classmates.

We're keeping an eye on the weather and any problems on charred hillsides. We'll bring you other news as we get it. Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com if you see something you think we should be covering.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Pot sales, lab horror, the riddle of the Rembrandts

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're ready to greet the approaching weekend. To speed you on your way, a sampler of California stories from today's paper:

UCLA reels from a campus attack. The suspect is in custody, but police still haven't described a motive.

Is it legal to sell pot over the counter? According to L.A. County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley, it is not – even at medical marijuana dispensaries. He says now is the time to take action.

Her family urged her to retire. But a grandmother of eight didn't want to let the customers of her check-cashing business down. On Wednesday, she was shot to death there.

Media law experts and journalism groups express outrage. They say sheriff's deputies had no right to get the phone records of TMZ founder Harvey Levin.

State pension funds struggle, but not some state employees. Quite a few receive hefty state pension checks along with their regular salaries.

Were Rembrandts stolen or is the heist itself a con? A reported Pebble Beach art theft is raising question after question.

We'll continue to chase details of the attack at UCLA, and we'll bring you other news as we get it. Got news to tell us? Drop me a line at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.

Morning Scoop: Jackie and Mack. 'Jaws' in the lineup? Defending a veto threat.

Good morning from the City Desk, where we're looking forward to eating lunch outside at the farmers market in front of City Hall. Some California stories from today's paper to get your day started right:

Treasurers may be tempted by the money given to Los Angeles' neighborhood councils. Four now face felony charges, accused of misusing taxpayers' money -- and questions have been raised about others.

Jackie Robinson was more famous. But Mack Robinson spent more time in Pasadena. The city's civic leaders have been debating whether to name a new multimillion-dollar park after both or just one of them.

A UC Irvine doctor wants to teach his students about poverty -- at home. So he's been taking them to the squalid Thermal trailer park known as Duroville, to bring free healthcare to its many impoverished farmworkers.

Mitrice Richardson has been missing for three weeks, but the detectives who are searching for the 24-year-old are convinced she's still alive.

An L.A. County sheriff's deputy suspected of leaking details about Mel Gibson's drunk driving arrest won't face criminal charges.

Sacramento Columnist George Skelton defends the governor's threat to veto hundreds of bills if there's no water deal. The issue, Skelton says, is important enough to warrant it.

A longtime surfer's photos of a white shark off Sunset Beach have created quite a buzz this week.

What was once Culver City's Fox Hills Mall has been redone and spiffed up and opens today as Westfield Culver City.

We'll bring you other news as we get it. Have news to share? Feel free to send me a note at nita.lelyveld@latimes.com.

-- Nita Lelyveld

Leave us your comments here or follow @latimescitydesk on Twitter.