Morning Buzz: Thursday 8.11.11

Peter Douglas, long-time executive director of the California Coastal Commission, said he intended to go on medical leave and will retire in November. KPCC, Capitol Weekly

How the bill to throw California's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the U.S. popular vote would benefit the state. George Skelton/LAT, "Which Way, L.A.?"/KCRW

Mayor Villaraigosa says the rioting tearing up London is not likely to happen here. "In communities of color and in economically depressed communities of the city we have worked hard to build relationships in those communities — there’s a lot more trust for our [police department] today than at any time in our history.” Politico

Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, on vacation in London, writes that the scenes remind her of 1992 Los Angeles. Prop Zero

The City Council voted 13 to 0 in favor of an urgency ordinance that keeps the CRA alive by moving redevelopment funds. LAT, DN

A state audit of campus construction at the Los Angeles Community College District has found $140 million in questionable spending, including at least $28 million sunk into projects that were later abandoned because of poor planning. The Times earlier had investigated the construction spending. LAT

Rep. Peter T. King, chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, sent a letter to the CIA and the Defense Department asking for an investigation into whether the White House gave director Kathryn Bigelow and Sony Pictures access to confidential information for a movie on Osama bin Laden. LAT

With Los Angeles still facing a long-term budget deficit, city officials spent a few hours Wednesday brainstorming new ways to bring in desperately needed cash. Plus gross receipts tax under review. DN, City Maven

Here's the first batch of members of the city's redistricting panel. City Maven

City officials dropped the 5-year-old plan to create a truck driving academy atop a portion of the closed Lopez Canyon Landfill. DN

The City Council voted again Wednesday on the AERG stadium proposal so that Councilman Tom LaBonge could add his name to the unanimous vote, now officially 13-0. City Maven

AEG's hiring of former NBA Digital head Bryan Perez to fill a newly created role as president of digital, ticketing and media "suggests that the Los Angeles company may be making progress on its plans to launch an online TV network and cable channel with Ryan Seacrest and Creative Artists Agency." Company Town

California Watch editor Mark Katches explains how California newspapers have joined forces to cover the high-speed rail project, which if it happens would be California's most expensive public-works project ever. California Watch

Actor James Franco says he'll make a documentary about the local porn industry. LA Weekly

The AOL Huffington Post Media Group announced the launch of HuffPost LatinoVoices, "a new online community for bicultural Hispanic Americans." Gabriel Lerner, formerly news editor of La Opinión, is senior news editor. Miguel Ferrer is managing editor.

L.A. Times business columnist Michael Hiltzik on Twitter: "TO all my followers: my twitter account has been hacked. DO NOT REPLY TO ANY DIRECT MESSAGE purporting to be from me."

The driver of the car in which the alleged attackers of Bryan Stow left Dodger Stadium in March won't be charged, and she has cooperated with detectives. LAT

MOCA announced that Art in the Streets, the controversial exhibit of graffiti and street art that ran at the Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo, drew 201,352 visitors and was its top show ever. Downtown News

"Los Angeles Plays Itself" is "an insider’s tour of the city that 'manufactures' movies,'" writes cinematographer John Bailey in a two-part consideration of the Thom Andersen film. American Society of Cinematographers

Dana Spiotta, author of "Stone Arabia," guests on "Bookworm" at 2:30 p.m. on KCRW.