Morning Buzz: Wednesday 5.16.07

The daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King had finished speaking at an American Heart Association event and was at her brother Dexter's home. She was 51. AP

Tamar Galatzan defeated Board of Education incumbent Jon Lauritzen with about 58% of the vote in District 3 in the Valley. Richard A. Vladovic received about 54% in District 7. The community college board runoff between Georgia Mercer and Roy Burns is too close to call, with Burns ahead by 88 votes. Only about 6% of eligible voters cast ballots, and of those, 57% did so by mail. 2:30 am report, LAT, DN

Twice, actually. The former chief of staff to then-councilman Alex Padilla prevailed in the 39th Assembly District special election last night. Then there is that sweet deal he's getting today from Councilman Richard Alarcon, who won in March after Fuentes quit the council race. LAT, DN

Cardinal Mahony says the cash is needed to pay settlements in the pedophile priest scandals, but a plaintiffs lawyer calls it unnecessary, Actually, he called it "laughable." LAT

Although further investigation of the MacArthur Park melee is needed, federal monitor Michael Cherkasky says "questions of command, control, strategy and tactics at the scene, as well as deviation from departmental policies and procedures relative to permissible uses of force, must be fully examined. Likewise, questions relative to the composition, training and readiness of the Metropolitan Division must be answered." LAT

Adriano DeSouza testified that after the gunshot that killed Lana Clarkson, Phil Spector emerged from his mansion holding a revolver in his bloody hand and said, "I think I killed somebody." Works for me, but cross-examination by the defense is still to come. LAT, AP

This time it's the fee that LAX imposed on low cost and international carriers last year. The ruling by a judge for the federal Department of Transportation blasted the budgeting process at Los Angeles World Airports. LAT, Breeze

Richard Budman resigned yesterday as publisher of The Signal in Santa Clarita, reportedly in a dispute with ownership over the future direction of the paper. This morning's paper lists an interim publisher. SCV Talk

LACMA named Charlotte Cotton, 36, formerly of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. LAT

Andrew Harmon, formerly of the Daily Journal, becomes West Coast Editor. He replaces Adam Tschorn, at the LAT's Image section.

By arts bloggers Tyler Green and Lee Rosenbaum.

To mark 30 years on KCRW, each of the show's hosts — Tom Schnabel, Chris Douridas and Nic Harcourt — will make music selections for a Labor Day special.

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