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Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is heading back to China May 26-29 with a delegation from the Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports and the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. "During this trip, Mayor Villaraigosa and the delegation will hold meetings and events designed to boost tourism to Los Angeles and encourage companies to locate in LA, invest in our local companies, and increase imports and exports of goods and services through the Port of Los Angeles," says the release. Photo from 2011 trip
The LAPD has launched investigations into several complaints of excessive force and racial profiling against officers involved in a weekend confrontation with mostly black and Latino USC students in an incident captured on YouTube. NBC 4, ABC 7, Daily Trojan, LA Weekly, LAT
LAPD license plate scanners know what you did last summer; ACLU sues. LA Weekly, LAT, DN
The California Supreme Court gave local governments the power Monday to zone medical marijuana dispensaries out of existence, a decision that upholds bans in about 200 cities but does little to solve Los Angeles' years-long struggle to regulate hundreds of storefront pot outlets. LAT
The city's weekend gun buyback program took in more than 1,100 firearms, bringing to 11,151 the total number of weapons turned in during the eight years it has been operated under Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. DN, LA Weekly
Mayoral candidates Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel will take part in a debate on education to air live at 2 p.m. on KCRW, from the Peterson Automotive Museum.
Greuel and Garcetti stop hesitating and support parent trigger at 24th Street Elementary School. LA Weekly
Former candidates Kevin James and Jan Perry reportedly are getting a talk show tryout at 9 a.m. on KABC 790. Sausage Factory
City unions insist that scheduled pay raises should be honored. KPCC
The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association has agreed to fund and direct an annual $2 million marketing and public relations program for the zoo. DN
Author and former LA Times staffer Joe Mathews writes "I'm rooting for the Koch brothers to buy the L.A. Times," but he really only means it as a provocation to get more people thinking about the paper: "Simply by expressing interest in buying the Times, the billionaire brothers have made the paper a topic of conversation and community concern in a way that the paper's own content can't match. Just imagine if the Kochs actually bought it." LANG op-ed
According to those familiar with the recruiting process, Sharon Waxman says the leading candidates to run Al Jazeera America include former CNN president Jon Klein, former NBC News president Steve Capus and former CNN managing editor Mark Whitaker. The Wrap
Twitter is seeking a Head of News and Journalism — a person “responsible for devising and executing the strategies that make Twitter indispensable to newsrooms and journalists, as well as an essential part of the operations and strategy of news organizations and TV news networks.” Romenesko
LéaLA, the Spanish Book Fair of Los Angeles, runs for free May 17-19 at the Convention Center's West Hall. Info
LA Times Sacramento reporter Michael J. Mishak is jumping to the AP in Miami. Fishbowl LA
Reese Witherspoon has bought a third house in Brentwood Circle. Curbed
The LA Times claims that "these days," Spanish pronunciations of place names around the city are making a comeback. LAT
Emerson College says that Emmy Award-winning executive producer of "Friends" Kevin Bright will be the senior executive director and founding director for its new Los Angeles Center, under construction in Hollywood.
The Hollywood Bowl is adding a wine bar this summer. LA Mag
On Saturday at 8:30pm, Downtown Los Angeles’ Electric Dusk Drive-In movie theatre will screen "Alien." Website
