Morning Buzz: Tuesday 3.18.08

Director Anthony Minghella dies after surgery

The Oscar winner, who directed "The English Patient," "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Cold Mountain," died this morning in a London hospital of complications from recent cancer surgery — or a brain hemorrhage after routine surgery on his neck, depending on who's talking. He was 54. AP, Variety

LAPD's report on SWAT

News story today on report calling for changes in the unit seems to follow disclosure of the report's existence in a weekend Opinion piece by Robert C. J. Parry. LAT

Chemerinsky backs Chick on powers

Legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky, who was chair of the Elected Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission that rewrote the city's charter in 1997, said in a letter to City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo that Controller Laura Chick's office does have the power to do performance audits of programs in the mayor's office. It's a bone contention in Chick's fight with Councilman Tony Cardenas over control of gang programs. Daily Journal (subscribers only)

Grand Avenue plan has the money to get started

Construction could begin next month after Istithmar, a fund controlled by the royal family of Dubai, put in $100 million. LAT

DWP rate hike in council March 25

Two City Council committees that heard testimony opted not to take a position. DN

UCLA hospital bans cell phones and laptops

A patient in the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital posted group photos of other patients on a social networking website. Last week, the UCLA health system took steps to fire at least 13 people for trying to look at Britney spears' medical records. LAT

Ex-Gardena councilman pleads not guilty

Oscar Medrano says he didn't do 12 counts of lewd and lascivious acts on a young relative and his lawyer argued that the charges are the result of a "young person he cared for who did not get her way." Breeze

Mark Cuban has more thoughts on blogs

Writes the Mavericks owner on his blog: "To try to maximize online traffic and resultant revenue, newspapers turned to blogging. Saul Hansell of the NYTimes commented that blogs are used uniquely and thoughtfully by NYTimes reporters to communicate new information and create discussion. That's great. It's a way for the paper to drive readers to their website, keep them as readers and hopefully add more readers. It's using whatever content management system they use to give more value to readers. Wonderful. Unfortunately for them, they are now in the same old grind that they are in with the newspaper business. Their articles, I mean blogs, vs everyone elses' blogs."

Final tally on Feb. 5 primary

Secretary of State Debra Bowen says 55.7% of registered California voters either cast ballots by mail or at polls, the highest percentage for a primary since 1980. The total of 9 million voters was the most ever for a California primary, and 42% sent in their ballots by mail. LAT

L.A. Drama Critics Circle awards

Center Theatre Group’s production of "13" and "In Arabia We'd All Be Kings" each received four awards. LAT

More bacon-wrapped hot dogs

Roundup of all the bad stuff that L.A. likes to eat. Gridskipper

Feature on Mother Cabrini

The first Catholic saint to work in the United States had missions in Los Angeles and Burbank. DN