Morning Buzz: Friday 10.3.08

Another possible perfect storm of traffic Saturday with USC playing at the Coliseum at 5 pm, the Dodgers taking the field at 7 pm, UCLA at the Rose Bowl at 7:15 pm and Neil Diamond at Staples Center at 8 pm. Worse, it may rain. LAT
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's school partnership is seeking exemptions from 86 state education laws, outraging employee unions. DN
Six weeks before Robert Aguallo Jr. retired as general manager of Los Angeles' largest city pension agency, he staged an elaborate send-off for himself at the California Club, with attendees paying $1,000 or more each — with some money going toward a scholarship fund in Aguallo's name. LAT
Councilmen Jose Huizar and Jack Weiss will call for a March ballot measure to hire an independent monitor to oversee the Los Angeles Fire Department. DN wires
Pavement along the new Orange Line in the Valley will be repaired after the MTA reached a $1.5 million settlement with its contractor. DN
Speaker Nancy Pelosi's PAC pays thousands of dollars to her husband's firm. AP
The Planning Report takes an online look at the infrastructure bond measures on the Nov. 4 ballot. TPR
One of five defendants admitted accidentally setting the Malibu fire that burned 53 homes last year. LAT
"Left, Right & Center" will air live from the new Broad Stage in Santa Monica on Nov. 9 from 5 to 7 pm, with the usual lineup of Arianna Huffington, Matt Miller, Robert Scheer and Tony Blankley in person. Tickets to meet the hosts and hear the show went on sale today. KCRW
People are wondering what's up with the website TellZell.com, which has posted twice since Sept. 9 and nothing since Sept. 19.
TreePeople opened a new four-acre Center for Community Forestry at Coldwater Canyon Park. LAT, DN