Morning Buzz: Tuesday 2.24.09

• Is Kenneth Turan rebutting critics within the L.A. Times in his column praising the revamped Oscars show? Patrick Goldstein and Mary McNamara go unnamed by him, but readers reject the naysayers. Turan, feedback
• Rupert Murdoch's memo to News Corp. employees about the departure of COO Peter Chernin. Variety, LA Biz Observed
• Gov. Schwarzenegger called the six Republicans who voted for the state budget "great heroes" who put people before politics. Meanwhile, Republicans continue to pay the price for embracing Schwarzenegger as one of their own back in the 2003 recall despite all the evidence to the contrary. Bee, Chronicle, Politico
• Sheriff Lee Baca threatened to close the Men's Central Jail and perhaps a second detention facility as part of the ritual dance over proposals to cut his budget. LAT, AP
• Trees that obscured the freeway views of billboards have been mysteriously cut down in Sherman Oaks and the Westside. DN
• The Times made its endorsements in the community college district races, picking holdovers Kelly Candaele and Angela Reddock and challengers Jozef Essavi and Kurt S. Lowry. LAT editorial, DN roundup
• The Daily News endorsed David Vahedi in the 5th council district: "Vahedi stands out as a candidate well-versed in district issues and who has track record of representing community concerns." DN
• Signs were unveiled marking a section of Van Nuys as a historic residential district. DN
• IHOP is giving away pancakes this morning and Jack in the Box is giving out free tacos to customers with a coupon printed off the chain's website. DN wires
• Tens of thousands of railroad boxcars are sitting idle all over the country, often in communities where the people are kind of upset about it. WSJ
• If David Beckham indeed stays in Milan, he will have left only a modest imprint on the American soccer landscape. LAT
• Wil Wheaton: Why I love the Los Angeles Kings. LA Weekly
• Film and television commercial director Howard Zieff died of Parkinson's disease in Los Angeles at age 81. LAT

Mark Lacter's headlines | Native Intelligence