The passing of Lou Cannon is truly the end of an era of political journalism.

The masterful Reagan biographer was so gracious to me in my 1998 coverage of the CA gubernatorial race, and provided analysis for TV pieces I did on the Dem primary.

A pro’s pro. I remain grateful.

If an elected official is praised by a columnist and the two of them happen to be pretty good personal friends, might not that friendship color the columnist’s viewpoint?

The celebrity is the indefatigable CA legislative historian, not a journo has-been!

Houston International Airport

On the road to the Final Four…

Survive and advance. 😈 🏀

The Duke Blue Devils outlasted the Arizona Wildcats 100-93 to seal a berth in the Elite Eight 💪

⚪️ Cooper Flagg | 30 PTS | 6 REB | 7 AST
🔵 Caleb Love | 35 PTS | 4 REB | 1 AST

It’s frustrating to see good reporters, some who are former colleagues, file stories that have more color (descriptive details, lyrical prose) than context. Context is the most consistently overlooked ingredient in modern daily journalism.

Morro Bay remains one of my favorite places, years after I was lucky enough to work down on this part of the coast for KSBY-TV…

Out of office…

I hate to tell them, but…

News reporting swings back and forth between access and exclusivity. Few (no) reporters will turn down a meaningful “get”… and none should quietly acquiesce to a ban on an outlet’s access.

The business is competitive, yes, but only as long as rights are respected.

A good newsroom will explain this week in detail how the companies that pay US auto workers rely heavily on parts from MEX & CAN, painting a clear picture of North American alliances.

A lazy newsroom will focus on the threat to “your Super Bowl guacamole,” severely underplaying the issues at hand.

Nothing is better than beating Carolina at Cameron. NOTHING. 😈🏀

Please, editors: No more columns from writers who have only an opinion, and no actual expertise in a subject. The era of “Here’s my take” feels like it’s long since passed.

a man is playing a guitar and singing into a microphone while another man is holding a drum stick . Alt: SNL: More Cowbell!

Maybe I should be posting about politics or government stuff, but instead I’m passing along a huge endorsement of the “SNL 50: Beyond Saturday Night” series on Peacock. Ep. 2 is a wonderful look at the sketch of the century!

Context.
Context.
Context.
Context.

I’ll be surprised if anyone had “Mt. McKinley” on their bingo card today. Or have I missed some groundswell in my departure from daily political news?

altadenarotary.org

Too little of the social and traditional media coverage so far has taken a breath before casting blame. We’d be better off with more discussion along the lines of this take from NPR.

You’ve got your work cut out for you…

Interesting point and, to me, another good reason to focus on more traditional budget-year revenues and expenses when discussing the out-years, no?

These leftover funds are a big deal… but they don’t feel reliable enough to fully count on when framing a narrative about 2-3 year budget health.

I definitely think there’s a “trend” story here (hello, press corps). But also fascinating to me is that it feels like a bit of a “miscellaneous” entry in the ledger. For example, DOF says FY24-25 began with $35.8B carried over from prior year. But what were the original sources of that cash?

Couldn’t help myself, had to pore over these with some coffee.

I’m sort of fascinated by the evolution of the “Prior Year Balance” and its importance in making the numbers work. What do you think is a good layperson way to think about the source(s) of that money?

Inconvenient truths about the fires burning in Los Angeles from two fire experts For years, renowned fire experts Jack Cohen and Stephen Pyne have tried to shift the conversation on fire prevention strategies. This week’s destruction, they say, could have been minimized.

A thoughtful look that suggests we are long overdue for taking “wild” out of our concept of deadly fires, how the lessons of the Great Chicago Fire have been forgotten.

Kings crushed the Celtics. Can’t believe I’m typing that.
(And without Fox!)

Why hydrants ran dry as firefighters battled California's deadly fires Firefighters in Pacific Palisades and Altadena have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and dry hydrants, revealing limitations in local water systems designed to supply neighborhoods.

Easily the most comprehensive story I’ve seen on why the LA fire zones had so many water supply issues this week for firefighters. Lots of urban planning, tech, and govt funding issues to resolve.

Happy New Year, all. It’s champagne and war tonight with my 16 year old.

Aaron Brown, CNN Anchor During the Sept. 11 Attacks, Dies at 76 He was still in training when he was rushed into live coverage of the collapse of the World Trade Center, and his broadcast became one of the enduring records of the day.

The passing of Aaron Brown, the last of the golden era television journalists, is a reminder of how far the medium and the audience has changed.

The passing of President Carter should give us a moment to reflect on the nature of public service, far beyond terms in elected office.

A reflection, too, of a kind of politics we left behind a long time ago.

NBA referee Bill Kennedy is the GOAT when it comes to telling the crowd how a coach’s challenge panned out. 🏀 #GoKings