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!

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.

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?

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.

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.

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!)

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.

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

The CNN evening show’s format — all panel convo on all topics in the news, all the time — is exhausting. But it also reflects the familiar broadcast news crutch of “Hey, let’s talk about the news.” It used to be confirmed largely to news/talk radio (my gig in 2002) and even then was vacuous.

MTV, ostensibly still titled “Music Television,” is showing… Titanic. I know I’m a GenX guy from the launch of the network and that music faded a long time ago, but come on.

Sunday multitasking.

I spent the morning reading final CA voting data (once an election reporter…) Hard to ignore how truly anomalous 2020’s high turnout (~81%) was… with 2024 looking more like historic norms of 70%-75% of registered voters casting a ballot. (And presidential elections are typically more popular.)

Can’t help but wonder, while wishing a speedy recovery to the former speaker, how long it might’ve taken most Americans in her situation to have received similar care.

What’s a Budget Bill Jr.? What does “sweeping” have to do with the #CABudget? Find out in @calbudgetcenter.bsky.social's "Glossary of State Budget Terms"! We've added 20+ new terms as part of our fall 2024 update. If you've got ideas for more, let me know! #CALeg calbudgetcenter.org/resources/gl...

Always on the 🎄 of this relocated North Carolinian.

43 years later, I discover that Kim Carnes sang of making a “pro blush” in “Bette Davis Eyes”… and not a “probe lunch.” (I have no idea what I thought a probe lunch was… or what it consisted of!)

Not exactly Dewey Defeats Truman, but the Kings lost tonight…

It’s hard to read how the Los Angeles Times’ super wealthy owner intends to remake his editorial board by focusing on what he seems to think is “honest” opinion writing. For starters, and to share something previously not discussed: I sought and was preliminarily chosen to join the board in 2021…

EIGHT OVERTIMES. Wow.

I had the good fortune to spend four years in San Luis Obispo County as an anchor at KSBY-TV (1997-2001). I left because the pay was linked to market size, not the actual cost of living here. But I keep coming back, celebrating friends and always wondering what would have happened if I had stayed…

My daughter and I always beachcomb for sand dollars in Pismo…

This story knocked the wind out of me and i hope esquire paid this man. www.esquire.com/news-politic...

Thanks.

Trouble seeing this Monarch Butterfly? You’re not alone. Docents at the historic Monarch destination in Pismo Beach say no more than 550 butterflies have shown up this season, one-fifth the typical number for this time of year.

It’s good to be back in Pismo Beach…

As my Pop likes to say, “Not just no, but hell no.” Thanks anyway, Elon.

If the Eagles’ “Brotherly Shove” is so successful— good for maybe 2-3 yards — why wouldn’t they use it more often? It’s often more successful than the maddening screen pass. 🏈

What this article suggests (if you can get past the maddening CNN pop-ups) is that the press should have done more to debunk the campaign narrative that egg prices were linked to failed economic policy — ‘cuz something else sure seems to be going on here.

It sure looks like close to 2 million fewer votes in California for the major party candidates, combined, than four years ago. And yes, almost all of that deficit seems to be for the Democrat, a Californian. I can’t imagine a better task for the state’s political press corps than examining why.

“Alice’s Restaurant” was a formative anthem for those of us who were kids of the 70’s. And yet, only now do I know the story behind her moment of fame. (NYT obituaries feature some of the best stories in journalism, written for the ages.)

David is a pro’s pro and offers great insight in this final column for where we’ve been and (maybe) where we’re headed. It was a privilege to have been his colleague.