McCain and Clinton enjoy big California leads

The Times Poll finds 39% of likely Republican voters favor John McCain in next week's primary compared to 26% for Mitt Romney, while Giuliani and Huckabee get 13% and 11%, respectively. On the Democratic side, in polling before the South Carolina vote and the Kennedy endorsements of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton is ahead with 49% to Obama's 32%. But 3 in 10 Democrats, and 4 in 10 Republicans, said they might change their minds. LAT

McCain picking up in Hollywood

Sylvester Stallone's endorsement and Thursday night's fundraiser given by MGM chief Harry Sloan is making Giuliani supporters "understandably anxious." Variety

Debate disruption

Avoid Hollywood and Highland on Thursday night unless you are going to the Democratic debate at the Kodak Theatre. Hollywood Boulevard will be closed to let TV trucks park all day for the block in front of the complex. Attendees will start being let in at 2:30 pm. The format for this one will be seated candidates and moderators, including CNN's Wolf Blitzer and the LAT's Doyle McManus. The Republicans on Wednesday night will use Air Force One as a backdrop.

Tension over Durazo's endorsement

Maria Elena Durazo's backing of Obama has ruffled some feathers within her County Federation of Labor, which has not endorsed. Top of the Ticket

Villaraigosa proposes some budget cuts

The mayor would address the city's red ink by freezing hires, making workers take unpaid furloughs and selling vacated fire stations. A month ago, he and the City Council finished up a big bunch of employees raises. The city potentially faces its biggest budget shortfall in three decades. LAT, DN

And traffic, again

At 9:30, Mayor Villaraigosa and colleagues will re-state his traffic congestion strategies yet again in a photo op at the Wilshire bridge over the 110 Freeway in Downtown.

O'Shea transcript from 'Reliable Sources'

Ex-LAT editor Jim O'Shea got a couple of minutes at the end of Sunday's CNN show and said, "the real disagreement between David Hiller and I wasn't over just a simple budget. It was over more profound and, I think, more important issues involving the future of the "L.A. Times" and the future, really, of journalism." CNN

Brando death goes to coroner

The mother of Christian Brando requested an autopsy. LA Weekly

LACMA's new gallery of African art

When museums display African art and Modern art together, "they generally do so to illustrate how seeing Africa's arresting masks and fantastic figures helped Picasso and other Modern artists escape the constraints of Realism and move into Cubism, Surrealism and Dadaism."
But not at LACMA. LAT

Roundup of traffic websites

David Markland at Blogging.la pulls together some resources to use before you drive. Blogging.la