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Quick first read of the day's news and notes is after the jump. Also see Mark Lacter's Wednesday morning headlines at LA Biz Observed and follow us on Twitter.
- The executive director of the state nursing board resigned as fallout continues from the L.A. Times/ProPublica investigation into board ineptness. LAT
- "One can only guess how many in Hollywood respect [Nikki] Finke versus how many fear and revile her," says James Rainey in a column that sidesteps the mystery of how much she got for selling Deadline Hollywood Daily. LAT
- Liane Randolph, former chair of the Fair Political Practices Commission, is now an attorney for the lobbying and legal firm hired by Gov. Schwarzenegger’s political committee, the California Dream Team. Capitol Weekly
- The City Ethics Commission fined a Valley political committee tied to state Sen. Alex Padilla, Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes and Councilman Tony Cardenas. LAT
- The City Council decided to wait until July 21 to talk about the public costs of the Michael Jackson memorial. DN
- Councilmen Richard Alarcon and Cardenas and union reps plan to propose a new billboard reduction policy this morning in Pacoima.
- Handicapping whether California will lose a congressional seat after the 2010 census. LAT
- Reporter Rebecca Kimitch of the San Gabriel Valley Tribune was on NPR talking about the Chu vs. Chu congressional race won by Democrat Judy Chu. NPR, SGV Tribune
- Supervisor Mike Antonovich wants the works of Richard Wagner removed from the Los Angeles Opera's Ring Festival L.A. planned for next year. L.A. Now
- Daily News blogger returns to the subject of his Van Nuys neighborhood moving into Sherman Oaks. Feel the Nuys
- Has Britney Spears become Jewish? Doubtful, despite the Star of David around her neck. Hollywood Jew, God Blog
- The City Council approved a 43-story tower for the downtown lot across the street from the Convention Center. LAist
- The Metropolitan Water District's board of directors agreed to fund millions of dollars in pending rebate applications for low-flow toilets and other conservation devices and approved another $19 million to pay for the program next year. Press-Enterprise
- Santa Monica officials will propose a new location for the western most operations yard of the Expos Line. SM Daily Press
- John Lippman resigned as senior VP of News and Operations of the Univision Station Group after 14 years. Hispanic Media Moves
- Tim Rutten reviews "The Beckham Experiment: How the World's Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America" by Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl: "You have to give soccer star David Beckham this: His contributions to the Los Angeles Galaxy on the pitch may be negligible, but he's always good for a headline in what so often seems like the Rodney Dangerfield of professional American sports." LAT
- Variety senior editor Pat Saperstein writes about her son joining the Marines. LAT Op-Ed
- Geneva Overholser, director of the School of Journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Communication, and Jane Hamsher, founder of Firedoglake.com, discuss the future of newspapers at the Hammer Museum on July 21. Info
- West Coast Jewish Theatre is producing three works at the Westside's Pico Playhouse. WCJT