Villaraigosa accepts the NFL won't come to Coliseum

Time to forget the NFL dream and give a USC a long-term deal, the mayor says. LAT

Christopher Hawthorne on the Coliseum

The critic writes, "our sports facilities are full of history and architectural character but are also old and crumbling. That explains why the future of Dodger Stadium, still a terrific place to watch nine innings despite its advancing age, is the subject of perennial speculation. And it is one of the primary reasons the Coliseum and the Rose Bowl are back in the news this week, with USC threatening to abandon the first stadium to play its home football games in the second....The 1923 Coliseum -- designed in a muscular Neoclassical style by the talented, prolific John Parkinson -- is being entirely propped up by the financial and athletic success of USC football." LAT

USC gets big gift

Real estate developer Sonny Astani has donated $17 million to USC to advance the study of megacities. LAT

Parcel tax for transportation proposed

Councilman Tom LaBonge said Wednesday that he will call for a countywide parcel tax, designed to raise $1.7 billion, to help make long-term improvements to the region's transportation system. DN

Councilman Rosendahl speaks

Q-and-A in CityBeat.

NBC lot close to sale

Negotiations between NBC Universal and M. David Paul & Associates have reached the point that the Burbank City Council will vote on transfer of development rights at the 34-acre NBC complex on Alameda. No details of the deal have yet to be announced. LAT

Clearing the record on Bukowski

Linda Lee Bukowski writes to the LA Weekly to clear up what she calls misreporting on her ex-husband and his house on De Longpre. LA Weekly

This is kind of disturbing

In what may be a low point of mindless celebrity obsession, Gridskipper lists some L.A. houses of worship where you can see stars.

New food blog

Screenwriter Kelly Fremon launched Food Coma after the Writers Guild went out on strike, and while she awaits production to begin on her script, Ticket to Ride. The blog is endorsed by her aunt, Celeste Fremon.

Couple of media notes

Mark Lacter has items at LA Biz Observed on the departure of Variety publisher Charlie Koones and an FCC proposal to give the Tribune a two-year break on cross-ownership rules, thus allowing the Sam Zell acquisition to go through.

Walking tours of Van Nuys history

Richard Hilton will start leading them by early next year. DN