Leland Wong's trial begins

Prosecutors told jurors that the former airport and water and power commissioner took $100,000 from Evergreen Group, a Taiwan shipping firm that wanted to renegotiate its lease at the Port of Los Angeles during the Hahn Administration. Wong, 51, is also charged with conflicts of interest, perjury, tax evasion and embezzlement from his former employer, Kaiser Permanente. His lawyer called Wong a victim who played by the rules. LAT, DN

Measuring Hollywood agents' clout

Calendar's John Horn selected 25 of the summer's highest-profile films and analyzed which talent agencies represent the key creative talent. LAT

20th Century Fox says film history not in danger

Studio plans to donate its research library of reference books and periodicals, not its collection of photos and movie items, Fox says. Deadline Hollywood Daily

County panel finds new structure lacking

Report for the Board of Supervisors by the Citizen's Economy Efficiency Commission finds that th switch to a more powerful county executive officer hasn't helped an dhas made decision-making more complicated. LAT

Schwarzenegger campaign chief takes over for McCain

Senior strategist Steve Schmidt will be in charge of day-to-day operations for the John McCain presidential campaign and campaign manager Rick Davis will shift to a lesser role. LAT

Help for Alan Mendelson

Friends and family are seeking a kidney donor for the former Channel 9 business reporter and columnist.

LAX bomb scare

Some terminals and part of the traffic loop were closed yesterday after a man carrying a bag walked up to police officers and said he was a terrorist with a bomb. He wasn't. LAT

Temescal Gateway Park and Chabad

The City Project posted a blog item urging the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to not renew a private lease for Chabad of Pacific Palisades and to support public access at the park. City Project Blog

Times researcher gets reporting job

Swati Pandey, a researcher and assistant articles editor for the L.A. Times editorial pages for about two years, was hired on the Business staff as a reporter covering entertainment. LAT

Ken Reich on LAT bias

Leslie Dutton's Full Disclosure Network is releasing on the Web a 2002 interview with retired L.A. Times reporter Ken Reich about "bias in the Times coverage of the Israeli—Palestinian conflict." FDN

Judge Warren Ferguson was 97

Ferguson, who died June 25, was one of the liberal judges on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, appointed in 1979 by President Carter. LAT