In Today’s News: Endeavour, Berman-Sherman and Prop. 37

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Here are some of the stories that KCRW will be following throughout the day…

Crowds of onlookers cheered as the Space Shuttle Endeavour rolled out of LAX early this morning atop its 160-wheel carrier on its way to Exposition Park. The shuttle is currently idling at La Tijera and Sepulveda Boulevards. It’ll get moving again about 1:30 this afternoon. Multiple street closures are planned along the route before the shuttle reaches the California Science Center tomorrow night. Here’s the latest.

We have more insight into the Kelly Thomas killing today. Grand jury transcripts show that police force expert Joseph McNamara testified that former Fullerton Police officer Joe Wolfe bears much of the responsibility for worsening the confrontation that led to Thomas’ beating death last year. He said Wolfe delivered the first blow and used excessive force. Wolfe and two other former Fullerton cops are charged in Thomas’ death. The Orange County Register has more.

The Howard Berman-Brad Sherman Congressional race has often been called a slugfest. Until last night, that was just a metaphor. Okay, no punches were thrown. But the two veteran Democrats appeared to be close to fisticuffs after Sherman wrapped his arm around his rival during a testy exchange during a forum at Pierce College. Berman and Sherman were forced to go head to head because of redistricting. Politico has the story.

Not so long ago, Proposition 37 appeared to be riding high. No longer. A new poll finds support for the measure to require labels on foods with genetically modified ingredients has dropped more than 18 points in two weeks. It’s now backed by 48 percent of likely voters, according to the L.A. Times. Opponents have been hammering Prop. 37 with a television and radio ad barrage.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that a panel of federal judges has given state prison officials until January to figure out how they’ll reduce the state inmate population by 33,000 – to a maximum of 110,000.