Good morning -- here's what's happening 6.12.08

It took about, oh, a minute for the whispers and snickers of "gender bias" to get started about Sandra Hutchens (she's in the photo at left) beating out Santa Ana Police Chief Paul Walters  for the job of the sheriff in the O.C.

Alex Kozinski -- he's the chief judge of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals -- suspended the obscenity trial of a Hollywood director selling hard-core porn films (let's call it what it is) after it turned out the  judge himself had posted some pretty hard-core photos on his personal website.

A sales tax to reduce gridlock? It's in the works.

How can we wean our stubborn state officials off deficit spending? George Skelton knows.

Would you believe it can cost over $1 million just to get into one of the upscale retirement complexes where rich seniors are living out their days? Add in monthly fees of up to $5,500 and the term "golden years" gets a whole new meaning. (Wonder what the kids think.)

Speaking of the very rich, here's another way they're different from you and me: Though the economy's in the toilet and prices for everything are rising, they're still building massive mansions to call home sweet home.

And yet, the very rich are exactly like you and me when the big paydays stop coming. (Unless there's a rich mommy or daddy to help out.) You can't live the Cristal lifestyle on a Red Bull budget, as some celebs who have fallen on hard times are quite publicly learning.

Yikes -- the Dodgers have scored only one or fewer (which means zero) runs in 10 of the last 19 games. And they lost to the Padres last night.

For the Lakers right now, all things are possible. Our sports guys have some advice for the Lakers, some thoughts about the Celtics, and some more about those rumors of rigging here and here.

--Veronique de Turenne

Photos:  Los Angeles Times