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Nice LAT obituary today on the entrepreneur who painted the giant Felix Chevrolet sign downtown and who also came up with the KFC bucket and the Winchell's Donut and Denny's signs. He's in the Morning Buzz lineup, along with today's visit of Mexican president Vicente Fox, media notes and a whole bunch more.
♦ Iraq charges: A military investigation has found that "Marines from Camp Pendleton wantonly killed unarmed Iraqi civilians, including women and children, and then tried to cover up the slayings in the insurgent stronghold of Haditha," the LAT reports.
♦ Paparazzi agency raid: The FBI served a search warrant on the home and office of Jill Ishkanian, who left as West Coast editor of US Weekly to start Sunset Photo and News. Her spokesman says Ishkanian is cooperating in the probe into whether someone tried to crack the magazine's computer system to see what stories were being worked on.
♦ 'Grendel' delayed: Saturday night's Music Center debut of the opera "Grendel" was cancelled due to computer-related troubles. They will try again June 8.
♦ El Presidente: Mayor Villaraigosa and Mrs. Villaraigosa will greet President and Mrs. Fox of Mexico at LAX at 12:30, then Fox and el alcalde will meet privately and mug for the cameras at the Getty at 5:45 pm.
♦ Hollywood voodoo math: The Wall Street Journal looks at where studio box office numbers come from, says they "depend on a mix of real-time reports and guesswork shaped by any number of cultural factors," then pronounces them fairly accurate.
♦ Blind optimism: An email correspondent observed that Channel 4's news last night at 11 still claimed to be "The Southland's No. 1 late news." CBS 2 may disagree.
♦ New way: Controller Laura Chick wants the city to modernize the way it negotiates labor contracts.
♦ Convicted: Leaders of the Animal Defense League-Los Angeles were found guilty of targeted trespassing.
♦ Media note: Reporter Chris Coates is leaving the Downtown News for the more suburban pastures of the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.
♦ Jazz note: Southern California Public Radio may be more involved in the future of jazz station KKJZ than first thought. Station GM Sean Heitkemper told the Grunion Gazette in Long Beach that SCPR quietly approached Cal State Long Beach "several months ago" with an offer.
♦ KCRW hiring: They're looking to fill a producer slot on Warren Olney's shows, "To the Point" and "Which Way L.A.?"
♦ FilmWeek segment: LA Weekly film editor Scott Foundas reports from Cannes on "Airtalk with Larry Mantle," 11 am on KPCC.
♦ Sunday NewsConference: Rep. Darrell Issa and Washington Post correspondent Juliet Eilperin, author of Fight Club Politics: How partisanship is poisoning the House of Representatives, guest on NBC-4 at 9 am Sunday, hosted this week by Laurel Erickson.
♦ New mag: You-Tú is a new Los Angeles-based bilingual national title for the Latino lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
♦ L.A. obituary: Wayne E. Heath, the sign painter behind the Felix Chevrolet sign, the KFC bucket and other bold strokes on the commercial cityscape.
♦ Playoffs: Mighty Ducks stay alive, 6-3.