Review & preview.

APRIL 1-7

Gas Update: The average gallon of self-serve regular in the Los Angeles area was $2.475 for the week ended April 4, up from $2.397 the previous week, according to the Energy Information Administration. L.A. gas prices are almost 30 cents higher per gallon than they were a year ago. The statewide average was $2.464 per gallon for the week ended April 4, up from $2.376 in the prior week, and nearly 34 cents higher than a year earlier.

Pension Delay: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will delay seeking voter approval to scrap California's public pensions until next year to rewrite the initiative following protests from police and firefighters who said the proposal would eliminate death benefits. The governor said that the measure to convert pensions into 401(k) private accounts needs to be rewritten to ensure that all spouses and relatives of firefighters and police killed in the line of duty don't lose their death benefits.

Hotel Snapping: California hotels remained popular with real estate investors for a second consecutive year in 2004, as both the number of hotels sold and dollars spent grew 20 percent or more. Investors spent nearly $2.2 billion in snapping up 320 hotels in the state last year, according to a survey by Costa Mesa consulting firm Atlas Hospitality Group. That compared with almost $1.8 billion spent on 267 hotels in 2003 and reflected increases of 23 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

Gibson Amphitheater: Gibson Guitar Corp. has established a partnership with Universal Studios and House of Blues Concerts to rename the Universal Amphitheater and extend its brand via theme parks and filmed entertainment. The Universal City concert venue will become known as the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal CityWalk in the first step in a 10-year deal between the guitar maker and the studio. Gibson is paying in the low seven figures annually.

Adjustable Rents: Soaring housing prices and a lack of new apartments could lead to a sizeable hike in asking rents by year-end, according to a study by the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. The study projects that occupancy levels will continue to improve at a steady pace with average rent increases ranging from 3.5 percent to 6 percent this year. The study found that the average rental rate for a two-bedroom apartment should rise to about $1,500 in Los Angeles County. According to the report, rents have increased 15 percent from 2001 to 2004, as the Los Angeles region's economy has continued to pick up steam and add new jobs.

Lien Ruling: The California Supreme Court ruled that hospitals can no longer recover additional costs from insured patients by placing liens on personal injury awards. Plaintiff attorneys hailed the unanimous decision as a victory for consumers. For California hospitals, it marked a financial setback, cutting off another source of potential income. The case centered on a 44-year-old state law allowing hospitals to sue and take other measures to collect debts from uninsured patients.

Investigation Update: Prosecutors waging a corruption probe into city contracting have called on Los Angeles World Airports to turn over travel records from Mayor James Hahn's 2002 trip to Asia, when the mayor struck deals with companies at the Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport, Copley News Service reported. Airport officials received a letter last week from the district attorney's Public Integrity Division asking for expense reports from Hahn and four current and former members of his administration.

Trading Places? Walt Disney Co. is considering moving ABC's venerable "Monday Night Football" telecast to ESPN and airing Sunday night games on ABC, The New York Times reported. Burbank-based Disney could pay as much as $1.45 billion to the NF/to make the move as it renews its existing pacts with the league through 2011.

APRIL 11-17

Tax Day: April 15 arrives this Friday so there is one week to gather up those stray W-4s and 1099s--or, there is always the option to just file for an extension. As usual, the Postal Service will have extra personnel on hand for last-minute filers.

Sports Beat: Tuesday (12th) is opening day at Dodger Stadium (expect the usual traffic mess) as the Boys in Blue take on the Giants. The series continues on Wednesday and then it's a weekend series against San Diego. The Angels are on the road. The Lakers are at home against Phoenix on Monday (11th), Sacramento on Friday (15th), and Dallas on Sunday (17th)--the last home game of the season. The Clippers are at home against Utah on Tuesday (12th), on the road against Phoenix on Friday (15th) and back against New Orleans on Saturday (16th). Chivas USA is at home against FC Dallas.

Lecture Circuit: The University of Judaism presents Tim Russert, Paul Bremer, Andrea Mitchell, George Tenet and Bob Woodward at the Universal Amphitheatre on Monday (11th). For information: 310-440-1246.

Economic Reports: Tuesday (12th): February international trade deficit. Wednesday (13th): March retail and food sales. Thursday (14th): February business inventories. Friday (15th): March import prices, industrial production and capacity utilization.

Anchor Away: Recently retired NBC newsman Tom Brokaw presents his views at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Monday (11th). For information: 213-972-7211.

Talking L.A.: Town Hall Los Angeles presents "Winning Skills: How My Business Experience Helped Me Win 'The Apprentice,'" featuring Kelly Perdew on Tuesday (12th) at the Standard Hotel. For information: 213-628-8141. Perdew will also speak at UCLA's Anderson School of Management on Wednesday (13th).

Dollar Deal: Score Los Angeles presents "Turning 99 Cents Into a Billion Dollars," featuring 99 Cents Only Stores CEO Dave Gold on Tuesday (12th) at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. For information: 818-346-3147.