Trib trial begins

Testimony began yesterday in the U.S. Tax Court case between the Tribune Co. and the IRS, which wants $915 million in back taxes and interest. It's a problem Tribune inherited when it bought Times Mirror in 2000, and the first witness was another problem that Chicago inherited in the deal: former L.A. Times publisher Kathryn Downing. Before she became publisher, Downing was involved in the sale of two Times Mirror units that generated the tax bill. She testified Monday that she didn't know very much about the creative scheme cooked up (the IRS contends improperly) to avoid the taxes. Coverage in the Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Previously: More LAT blues