L.A. transit official stepping down from HSR panel

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles transportation official Richard Katz, who also serves on the boards of the L.A. County MTA and the Metrolink commuter system, will leave the state panel overseeing development of California's $43-billion high-speed rail system on Dec. 1, the Los Angeles Times reports. The state attorney general is reviewing whether he and another board member's work on local agencies is a conflict of interest with their high-speed rail positions. For the full story, click here.