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Free rides for local politicians, Hollywood and Barbara Boxer, Villaraigosa's carbon surcharge and the New Yorker looks at Hollywood publicists. Plus more, after the jump.
- Nobody filed to run against Supervisors Gloria Molina or Zey Yaroslavaky or Sheriff Lee Baca. KPCC
- In a story listing the Hollywood money behind Sen. Barbara Boxer's reelection, the first person quoted says,“I don’t believe it tells us anything new about Boxer or her politics." The roundup also includes British model Kate Moss as a "Hollywood" donor. The Hill
- Steve Lopez takes aim at the use of county and city helicopters to provide an aerial information tour to the staff of Rep. Laura Richardson. LAT
- KNBC reporter Conan Nolan will moderate an Orange County debate tonight between Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner. DN
- Mayor Villaraigosa today will propose a monthly carbon surcharge for Department of Water and Power customers to help the city switch from coal to renewable energy, a move the Daily News has already editorialized against. DN story/editorial
- Pot dispensary operators and customers are gathering signatures to try to block Los Angeles' new medical marijuana ordinance. LAT
- Bud Ovrom talks about being the new head of the city Department of Building and Safety, admits he has no background in engineering and construction safety. Downtown News
- Federal investigators are looking at several possible cases of brutality and other issues in the troubled Burbank Police Department. LAT
- The homeless man whose body was found beside Foothill Boulevard with his dog after the Marek fire burned into Sylmar is still unidentified 18 months later. LAT
- After commissioning that USC study on what local TV news covers, the Civic Alliance is thinking of challenging some station license renewals to get more coverage of government and issues. Orlov/DN
- KCAL's innovative three-hour block of news in prime time began 20 years ago with Jerry Dunphy as the anchor. LAT
- Two days before the Oscars, the annual Publicists Awards luncheon was held at the Hyatt Regency in Century City to celebrate Hollywood’s press agents. The New Yorker
- Churches along the new Los Angeles Marathon route are making alternate plans for next Sunday's race. LAT
- Los Angeles County's Natural History Museum is calling on volunteers to help conduct a survey of backyard lizards. LAT