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Big heat coming, big salaries in Bell, the 1988 press conference and reward on the Grim Sleeper, a bureau chief leaves, plus Meg Whitman, Jerry Brown, Ronald George, Bill Bratton, Joe Berlinger, Rachelle Spector and more.
- The National Weather Service issued an extreme-heat warning for valley and mountain areas of Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties, from this morning through at least Saturday afternoon. AP
- Meg Whitman is said to be preparing another unprecedented personal investment in her political future: a $30 million-plus donation to the state Republican party. SF Chronicle
- If this really is a tough year for career politicians, one might think Jerry Brown’s effort to become governor again would be toast. WSJ
- Chief Justice Ronald George's retirement announcement was no surprise. Fox & Hounds
- City Hall politicians rely on a major loophole in the city's campaign finance law to create committees that can raise donations much larger than they could accept for their own elections, according to a report by the Center for Governmental Studies. LAT
- Bell, one of the poorest cities in Los Angeles County, pays its top officials some of the highest salaries in the nation, including $787,637 for the city manager and $457,000 for the police chief — about 50% more than LAPD chief Charlie Beck. LAT
- Betty Pleasant recalls a 1988 press conference led by Supervisor Kenneth Hahn to offer a reward for information about a serial killer at large in South L.A., long before the Grim Sleeper name was coined. Soulvine
- Four members of the Los Angeles Police Protective League are in Tucson for the annual Airborne Law Enforcement Association conference, paid for by the union due to the city's boycott of Arizona. KVOA
- Former police chief Wiliam Bratton spoke in Washington Wednesday on domestic terrorism to a Muslim group at the Center for American Progress. KPCC
- New green sod was rolled out on the formerly dead lawn outside the LAPD's new headquarters. Blogdowntown
- Brett S. Messing, First Deputy Mayor Austin Beutner's right-hand man, engaged in an illegal short-selling stock scheme six times in 2006 and 2007 and was ordered to pay nearly $2 million in penalties, according to Ron Kaye.
Plus:Kaye's fledgling political organization launches its City Council candidate campaigns with a weekend fundraiser. Ron Kaye - Gabriel Kahn, Los Angeles bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal, is said to be leaving for a job at USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Gary Scott
- Univision Interactive Media's coverage of the 2010 World Cup got 34.7 million visits. Hispanic Media Moves
- "Crude" director Joe Berlinger talks about his battle with Chevron over video outtakes. THR, Esq.
- A record audience for Discovery of 8.5 million watched the recent episode of "Deadliest Catch" where captain Phil Harris died. LAT
- Rachelle Spector has a new video out and claims her music career is going fine with husband Phil in prison. Gawker
- A sampling of extra-virgin olive oils sold in L.A. stores found that most actually did not qualify for the label. LAT
- Edwards Steak House in El Monte is closing after 64 years. SGV Tribune
- The William Andrews Clark Memorial Library in Jefferson Park is a charming hideaway for lovers of rare books. LAT