In Today’s News: Stories that matter

Here are some of the stories we’ll be following today in the KCRW newsroom:

Last-minute preparations are being made for Space Shuttle Endeavour’s slow-speed journey from LAX to its new home in Exposition Park. The L.A. Times reports that city crews have laid down more than 2,500 steel plates along the route to protect gas lines, sewers and other infrastructure located below ground.

The California Supreme Court has ruled that priests from the L.A. Archdiocese who’ve been accused of sexual abuse have no right to keep their personnel files private. Church officials say they’ll release the files in a matter of months. Victims’ attorneys say they documents will show a history of church of leaders ignoring reports of abuse.

Work has stopped on the massive 405 Freeway construction project following the death of a construction worker this morning. Police say the worker died when he was pinned under a three-thousand pound concrete beam.

An undercover LAPD officer was shot in the leg this morning as he tailed a car during an investigation. The injury is described as a graze wound. It happened in L.A.’s Westlake district. Police held 20 people as witnesses, but the shooter got away.

The pain at the pump is starting to ease. Gasoline prices in the state have dropped for the second straight today, but not by much. Today’s average for a gallon of unleaded is $4.66 a gallon. Meanwhile, State Senator mark Leno wants a legislative hearing on California refineries. This after Chevron said that part of its Northern California plant will stay closed until next year.