Elizabeth Taylor Dies at 79

1. Actress Elizabeth Taylor died this morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of congestive heart failure. She was 79. Taylor's children —Michael and Christopher Wilding; Liza Todd and Maria Burton—were with her at the hospital when she died, according to her publicist, Sally Morrison. Taylor also is survived by 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. TMZ.com reported that Taylor died at 1:28 a.m., and had been hospitalized there for the past couple of weeks.

2. Trace amounts of radioactive elements consistent with the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan have been detected by monitors in Anaheim and Riverside but at levels far below anything considered harmful. An Environmental Protection Agency official says Americans get radiation from rocks, bricks and the sun that is 100,000 times higher than that found in material from Japan.

 3. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is among the scheduled speakers at a downtown rally this afternoon to protest proposed federal budget cuts which organizers say would hurt city and county governments and small businesses.

4. The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose seven-tenths of a cent today to $3.98, the highest since Aug. 20, 2008, after being unchanged for three consecutive days. The average price is seven-tenths of a cent higher than a week ago, 40.2 cents above what it was one month ago and 88.5 cents greater than it was one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

5. Increasing clouds with rain developing by afternoon. Highs in the upper 50s. Tonight, showers in the evening with low temperatures in the 40s.

City News Service was used to compile this report.

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