Highlights from the past week of News & Chatter and the rest of LA Observed:

1. Times publisher lays out the future, invites Dean Baquet out of it. National buzz ensues, plus questions about new editor James O'Shea.
2. After secret overtures from LAT editors, Broad and Burkle submit a bid to buy Tribune — without details. Geffen makes known his plans.
3. The war between Chicago and L.A. goes national and is far from over. There's war of another sort going on too.
4. Hiller doesn't cotton to the term Latino.
5. Sharon Stone makes an impression in Beverly Hills, leave it at that.
6. Reality sets in for Griffith Observatory visitors.
7. Ah, the sweet smell of Los Angeles in November.
8. Wendy Werris's love letter to literary L.A.
9. Even the Daily Breeze's building is for sale.
10. Mourning the end of Malibu's Dume Room, everything a hole-in-the-wall bar should be — "loud and crowded and unpredictable."
11. Anita Busch decides to sue Mike Ovitz.
12. The California Sports Hall of Fame is a good idea, even if the selections raise some questions.

Also noted: LA Biz Observed's Mark Lacter gave his weekly Business Update on KPCC (it airs every Tuesday morning.) I was interviewed about the Times situation by Karen Grigsby Bates on NPR's Day to Day, Warren Olney on KCRW's Which Way, L.A.? and Andrew Murr on Newsweek's website.

Plus: Morning Buzz for the entire week, Media People and last week's Editor's Dozen.