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Romney comes back for Whitman, Kaus and Ann Coulter together, editorializing against Beutner and a new Knott's history book. Plus more, after the jump.
- Mitt Romney will attend four Meg Whitman fundraisers this week, and Condoleezza Rice, Jeb Bush and John McCain also will be helping out. Anthony York
- Democratic candidate Mickey Kaus was spotted sitting with Ann Coulter at last week's David Remnick appearance for Writers Bloc. Patt Morrison
- Glendale school board member Nayiri Nahabedian dropped plans to run in the regular June 6 primary for the 43rd Assembly district, where she previously lost a bid in the recent special election. News-Press
- The interim appointment of Austin Beutner to head the country's largest utility "raises serious questions about his qualifications. It ought to make every Angeleno concerned," says a Daily News editorial.
Plus: Mayor Villaraigosa "must be stopped before he harms us all," says Ron Kaye. - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is proposing fare hikes for the first time in two years to offset a $204-million budget gap. LAT
- Politico makes a bunch of hires and moves some staffers around to new assignments. Romenesko Memos
- Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and ten employees of the Department of Water and Power bought spots in "Who's Who in Black Los Angeles" with public funds, Steve Lopez says. LAT
- Beverly Hills formally dropped out of contention for the Eli Broad museum, if they were even still in contention. LA Daily
- The state Department of Fish and Game says there will be no change in the black bear hunting rules after all. LAT
- Channel 2 health reporter Lisa Sigell and the station logo appear in advertorials aired after the CBS Evening News and paid for apparently by City of Hope Medical Center, says James Rainey: "the line between editorial and advertising had been obscured again." LAT
- A federal judge dismissed a wrongful-death suit filed eight years ago by the family of rapper Notorious B.I.G. against the city of Los Angeles charging that officials covered up police involvement in the rapper's 1997 murder. LAT
- Celebrity fan Alyssa Milano talks about the Dodgers, the McCourts and dating pitchers. ESPN
- Vince Beiser has a big, reported piece in Wired on the lessons learned by relief efforts after the Haiti earthquake. It's called Organizing Armageddon. Wired
- Bob Baker has not been able to take the stage with his marionettes since September due to a stroke. Downtown News
- The film program at LACMA is again in doubt of continuing, say the activists who activated to save the program last time: "We cannot imagine that the museum would again cancel the program--unless it wishes to see a perfect storm of Paris 1968 and the Watts Riots ominously roll across Wilshire Boulevard!" Save Film at LACMA
- J. Eric Lynxwiler and Christopher Merritt, co-authors of “Knott's Preserved: From Boysenberry to Theme Park, The History of Knott's Berry Farm" from Angel City Press, guest with Larry Mantle on "Airtalk" at 10:40 a.m.
- When Patt Morrison asked TV show chef Paula deen for vegetarian suggestions, she replied with a pork dish and "you can certainly find smoked turkey wings from the grocery store.'' Commenter quips: "I think Paula believes a vegetarian is someone who has a side dish of meatloaf." KPCC blog