Morning Buzz: Friday 5.1.09

At least seven May Day marches are scheduled today around L.A., including four in Downtown. LAT, DN
Only 14 percent of registered voters approve of the California Legislature's performance, the lowest mark in the Field Poll's 27-year history of tracking the job performance rating. Gov. Schwarzenegger also hit a new personal low. Bee, SF Chronicle
What is Plan B for if, and increasingly it looks like when, the state budget measures fail on the May 19 ballot? Dan Walters/Bee
Judge Kim Wardlaw of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is being mentioned as a possible Obama appointee to succeed David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court. LAT
While most news outlets "strive mightily to strike the right balance" on swine flu coverage, "others seem to have a congenital inability to tell this story with precision or proportion." James Rainey/LAT
UC Irvine law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky writes that "as someone who has taught legal ethics for more than 25 years and who is very familiar with the role of the city attorney under the City Charter," candidate Carmen Trutanich has no legal basis for hiding the names of his former clients. LAT Op-Ed
The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor is kicking in $335,309 against Trutanich, who is reaping the benefit of at least $252,000 on his behalf by the Police Protective League. LAT, WWLA/KCRW
Plus: Latest CD5 debate. LAT, DN
Invitations went out this week to a May 27 "Evening With President Obama" at the Beverly Hilton, the president's first major fundraiser since taking office. Tix are $2,500 each, or $30,400 per VIP couple. Cause Celebre/LAT
Chicago Tribune's editor says it was a mistake to let subscribers see outlines and early versions of stories before they were published, especially without the knowledge of reporters. AP, ChiTrib
Backpacker, Esquire, Wired and the New Yorker each won three Ellies at the National Magazine Awards banquet last night. Saveur picked up one. Romenesko roundup
Once dubbed the ‘next darling of the literary world,’ Alan Rifkin couldn’t find anyone to publish his debut novel. So he released it online— for free. District Weekly
Ted Ziegenbusch, host of the weekend "Lovesongs" show on KOST/103.5 FM, was laid off by the station for a second time. Gary Lycan/Register
NBC Universal program executive Nora O'Brien, 44, died after collapsing while on location in Berkeley with the cast and crew of "Parenthood." LAT

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