Top Divorce Lawyer’s Ties to Pellicano Are Probed
Divorce lawyer Dennis Wasser, who has represented some of Hollywood’s biggest names, has been notified by federal authorities that he is a “person of interest” in their ongoing probe of indicted private investigator Anthony Pellicano. A “person of interest” could face prosecution, the Los Angeles Times said. Lawyers for the noted Century City attorney said they do not believe he has committed any crimes or will face charges. There has, however, been widespread speculation about Wasser’s role in the Pellicano case since charges were brought two weeks ago against Terry N. Christensen, a prominent entertainment lawyer.
Burke Plans to Retire
L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke is coming to the end of a long political run, a 40-year stretch during which she has won 10 elections in the face of changing demographics and crises. Burke plans to step down from her seat on the board when her term ends in 2008, the Los Angeles Times reported. For Burke, 73, retirement will culminate one of Los Angeles’ most durable political careers, tested in the fast currents of the city’s racial politics. Burke pioneered African American political power even before Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley came to embody it with his election in 1973.
City Council OKs Landfill Accord
The Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved another five-year contract with Sunshine Canyon Landfill on Tuesday, but left open an 18-day window to negotiate a deal with its operator to divert some trash from the Granada Hills dump without paying extra. Despite the failure of last-ditch efforts to agree on a plan to gradually truck increasing amounts of the city’s household trash to remote dumps, Council President Eric Garcetti still held out hope to reach a compromise with Browning-Ferris Industries, which owns the landfill. Tentative approval of the contract comes after the council promised to wean the city off Sunshine Canyon over five years, the Daily News of Los Angeles reported.
Anschutz to Retire From Three Boards
Billionaire Philip Anschutz announced Tuesday that he was retiring from the boards of three companies in which he is the largest shareholder: Union Pacific Corp., Regal Entertainment Group and Qwest Communications International Inc. Anschutz , an influential developer in downtown L.A. and an increasingly active player in entertainment , is stepping aside at a time when the pressures on directors of public corporations have intensified after a wave of accounting scandals. Qwest, the telecom company Anschutz founded, was among the firms targeted in federal probes, though he was not implicated in any wrongdoing, the Los Angeles Times reported. The move “will allow Mr. Anschutz to devote more time and attention to his privately held investments,” a spokesman said.
Steady Growth Seen for Region
Southern California will eke out only a slight increase in economic growth in the next three to six months, according to an index to be released today. Cal State Fullerton said its Southern California index of leading economic indicators rose 0.02 percent in the fourth quarter of 2005 from the third quarter. That was the smallest increase since a 0.23 percent rise in the fourth quarter of 2001. The index climbed 0.31 percent in the third quarter of last year, the Los Angeles Times reported. The latest gain suggests only a slight increase in economic growth in the region, lagging behind growth for the nation as a whole, the index said.
Amgen Drug Fails to Aid Heart Recovery in Test
An Amgen Inc. drug that spurs the production of bone marrow cells didn’t help repair cardiac tissue damaged by heart attacks or hasten patient recovery, a study found. Researchers in Germany used Thousand Oaks-based Amgen’s Neupogen in a technique that in previous studies had improved the cardiac function of heart attack patients. The latest study compared patients who received the drug to those who didn’t. The previous studies didn’t compare treated patients to a control group of untreated subjects, Bloomberg News reported.
Harman Wants ‘Solid Answers’ on Ports
Rep. Jane Harman, D-El Segundo, introduced a resolution Tuesday to sidetrack the controversial takeover of some operations at several U.S. ports by a Middle Eastern company. Harman, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the pending deal by Dubai Ports World would affect more than 20 ports, not just the six identified in most news reports. The resolution officially rejects the Bush administration’s initial review of the deal. The Los Angeles-Long Beach complex would not be affected by the deal. But Harman’s office said the deal would cover P & O; operations at 15 ports, mostly in the Northeast and on the Gulf Coast.
Nearby Forest Acreage Named in Bush Proposal
Two parcels of national forest land in Azusa and San Dimas could be for sale under a Bush administration plan to sell public lands to help pay for rural schools and roads, the Pasadena Star-News reported. The two parcels, totaling 90 acres, are small compared to lands earmarked for sale in other Southern California forests, such as the San Bernardino National Forest, where about 380 acres are marked for sale. More than 300,000 acres nationwide are listed for potential sale under the controversial proposal, including about 80,000 acres in California. The two parcels were chosen because they are surrounded by private land and not contiguous with the rest of the Angeles National Forest.
C-17: Lobbyist Calls List a Good Development
Officially, the Pentagon has decided to end production of Boeing’s C-17 transport aircraft. Unofficially, it wants $1.6 billion to buy seven more of the planes. An Air Force wish list released to members of Congress this week ranks the purchase of seven new C-17 cargo planes as No. 1 among 16 items the Air Force most wants but has no money to buy, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported. While the Pentagon’s proposed budget eliminates the C-17 once the current contract for 180 planes runs out in 2008, local lawmakers have vowed to get Congress to replace funding for the planes.
KTLA Defends Its Ethics
Amid growing criticism, the executive producer of KTLA-TV’s “Morning News” defended the show’s decision last week to accept free accommodations in exchange for broadcasting its morning program from the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in Pasadena. Rich Goldner said that three of his four anchors were given free rooms the night before broadcasting live from the hotel, but said there was no breach of journalistic ethics. Goldner conceded the on-air personalities did not specifically mention that the rooms were provided free. The KTLA team stayed in deluxe guestrooms, which on a weeknight would cost $300 to $400.
