Today: To Live and Build Big Buildings in L.A.

Here are some story lines I don't want you to miss today. Orson Welles called Los Angeles "a bright and guilty place." No wonder developer money and L.A. politics have long gone hand in hand. Though some lawmakers insist the donations don't influence whether big projects get approved, a new group of City Hall hopefuls is trying to make hay by saying they won't accept developers' cash -- and they're pointing in part to an L.A. Times investigation over questionable donations connected to one project. Speaking of the fight over development … L.A. is experiencing its biggest building boom since the Roaring '20s and is reshaping its public transit system.