Malibu toll: 53 homes

County fire chief says this blaze could easily have taken 250 homes, but he credits firefighters. LAT, Here in Malibu

Villaraigosa no longer frontrunner for governor in 2010

"His political capital is a lot like the California housing market. It has taken a hit lately," Claremont McKenna professor Jack Pitney told the Times. The Democrats' own California Majority Report blog recently dropped Villaraigosa behind Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom and John Garamendi. As the LAT's Duke Helfand sees it, "The collapse of Villaraigosa's effort to gain substantial control of Los Angeles public schools, followed by revelations of an extramarital affair, have opened the door to others....Beyond those setbacks and self-inflicted wounds, Villaraigosa faces timing problems that could severely complicate any attempt to become California's first Latino governor in more than a century." LAT

NYT focuses on Nikki Finke

Pegged to strikers providing her exclusively with produced videos of Hollywood stars supporting the Writers Guild strike, the New York Times' Brian Stelter says "Ms. Finke’s Web site has become a critical forum for Hollywood news and gossip, known for analyzing (in sometimes insulting terms) the behind-the-scenes maneuvering of moguls. But it has been the screenwriters’ strike that may have finally solidified her position as a Hollywood power broker." She had posted 142 items on the strike by the paper's deadline, and denies charges that she's a mouthpiece for the guild. Says Paramount's Brad Grey, "Like it or not, everyone in Hollywood reads her. You must respect her reach."

This, by the way, is the day when the writers and producers resume talking. LAT

NYT also does Santa Monica Airport

The weekend papers were chock full off Los Angeles stories (see also this item about Michael Krikorian's personal piece from the downtown county jail), including a national journal on the fight over airplane noise at Santa Monica.

Part way to one-way on Olympic and Pico

It's not Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky'a floated idea to make the key east-west thoroughfares streets one way, but Mayor Villaraigosa today will unveil a plan to ban rush-hour parking and re-time the lights to favor drivers going in the right direction. LAT

Ben Stein mourns Morton's

The West Hollywood hangout doesn't close until Dec. 22, but Stein — who used to call his column for E! "Monday Night at Morton's" — is already sorry to see it go. He acknowledges he is pals with Peter Morton and was an investor in a couple of Hard Rock Cafes.

Don’t get me wrong. There are other power places in Hollywood. My own favorite is Mr Chow in Beverly Hills, which is a superstar place and home to the most powerful agent in the biz right now, Ari Emanuel. Its food is nonpareil.

At its peak, however, Morton’s was the ultimate. In 1994, it moved across the street, and it was better than ever, with more space between tables, more light and, best of all, it was open for lunch. In fact, it was at lunch there that I saw and fell hopelessly in love with Britney Spears. (She ignored me.)

But times change. I have no idea where the beautiful people went, but fewer of them were going to Morton’s.

Our man in Damascus

Journalist (Slate, New Republic, et al) and native-born Angeleno Eric Umansky, who was once on the Beverly Hills High enviro beat, blogs these days about living in Syria with his fiancee.

Minor 'Sex and the City' spoiler

In the reunion movie now being shot in New York, Kim Cattrall's character Samantha has relocated from NYC to Los Angeles.

Media marriage vows

From the NYT weddings pages comes word that Rahdi Taylor, associate director of the documentary film program at the Sundance Institute, and David Maynard, project manager at Editors’ World, were married this weekend at Cafe Pinot. The groom's father was the late Oakland Tribune publisher Robert C. Maynard. NYT

News of LA Observed's contributors

Erika Schickel favorably reviewed Steve Martin's new memoir in Sunday's L.A. Times Book Review. Later in the week, Denise Hamilton will review John Leake's new book, Entering Hades: The Double Life of a Serial Killer, in the LAT's Calendar section.