THURSDAY BRIEFING

US Airways bids to buy Delta

In a move that could create the world’s largest airline, US Airways announces it is making an unsolicited bid to buy Delta Air Lines, currently being reorganized in bankruptcy court.

The deal could potentially ignite a wave of consolidation among the nation’s largest and most troubled airlines.

Delta, currently the third-largest player, previously rebuffed a takeover bid by US Airways, now No. 6. So the suitor is appealing directly to Delta’s worried creditors. The combined fleet would contain more than 800 planes serving 350 cities on five continents. Page C1

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FAA blames trucks for flight delays

Trucks hauling dirt and cement past sensitive flight control equipment at LAX contributed to system failures that delayed hundreds of flights in the area last summer.

A Federal Aviation Administration probe found no common threads in the incidents but concluded that “runway construction can have an unintended but significant impact on critical systems.” Page B3

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Bush begins 5 days of Asian visits

President Bush begins a five-day visit to Asia today with anti-terrorism and economic security at the top of his agenda.

He’ll visit Singapore, the Vietnamese cities of Hanoi (for a Pacific Rim economic summit) and Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon), and Indonesia. It will be the second visit to Vietnam by a sitting U.S. president.

During a refueling stop in Moscow, Bush and his wife, Laura, lunched and conferred with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, discussing efforts to dissuade Iran from its nuclear program and Russia’s potential membership in the World Trade Organization. Page A5

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Alzheimer’s deaths up in L.A. County

New data from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health show that Alzheimer’s disease has become the eighth-most-common cause of death among county residents.

Part of the increase stems from better reporting and diagnosis, but health experts say that a profound demographic shift -- the expansion of the elderly population -- is a major contributor. Page B1

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4th-graders rank poorly in science

A new government report on the country’s largest school districts finds that they are doing a poor job of teaching science.

L.A. fourth-graders rank in the lowest grouping of student science scores, along with youngsters in Cleveland and Chicago. Local eighth-graders were second from the bottom, just above Atlanta’s, according to the Nation’s Report Card: Trial Urban District Assessment Science 2005. Page B4

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McCain moves on presidential bid

Arizona Sen. John McCain takes a big step today toward seeking the Republican nomination for president in 2008. He’ll establish an exploratory committee and give two major speeches outlining his views for his party’s future.

Other GOP leaders such as former N.Y. Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy G. Thompson are also jockeying for position. Page A19

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Cellcams expose crooks and cops

Americans are now walking around carrying 192 million cellphones, and about 20% of them are equipped with cameras.

Those cameras are being increasingly used to help crime investigations. But they can also be used to expose alleged police brutality. Page B1

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Lott makes a political comeback

The nation’s capital has seen more than a few political comebacks over the years. But even so, the quick revival of Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott is noteworthy.

Just four short years after his racially insensitive remarks drew widespread denunciations, including a presidential rebuke, Lott wins election as the Republicans’ No. 2 leader in the Senate’s next session.

Page A18

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CALENDAR WEEKEND

Eagle Rock takes wing

Eagle Rock’s development as a destination took longer than expected, but now it’s really rolling. It would be hard to find an L.A. neighborhood that has gentrified as quickly or dramatically as Eagle Rock has in the last couple of years. But even as shops, galleries and restaurants open, the scene is comfortable and more low-key than pretentious. Page E26

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Roller derby for a new millennium

Some ideas are too good, or too offbeat, to die. Witness the reappearance of roller derby in the post-ironic world, with not one but two L.A.-based women’s squads. As announcer Dick Lane used to say during 1960s T-Birds matches at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, “Whoa, Nellie!”

Keeping the flame alive are the Angel City Derby Girls and the L.A. Derby Dolls, and though the skating shares the bill with spectator parties and punk rock performances, the competitive fire still burns. Asked what drew her to the sport, one skater -- a cell biologist by trade -- says, “It was definitely the concept of going out there and kicking butt and having fun.” Page E14

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Hip-hop and more from Aloe Blacc

Aloe Blacc’s “Shine Through” is one of the year’s most ambitious hip-hop albums; it veers from commercial formulas to explore soul, folk and salsa. Credit that diversity to Blacc’s own history: born to Spanish-speaking Panamanian immigrants, he grew up in mostly white Laguna Hills and worked in the corporate world for a few years after attending USC. Page E6

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PS3 vs. Nintendo: console prizes

Even non-gamers know Sony’s PlayStation 3 goes on sale Friday. But Nintendo is releasing a new console Sunday, and after using both, reviewer Pete Metzger says Nintendo’s system might be the more significant.

The PS3 delivers what it promises, Metzger writes: raw power and even more music and video storage than before. But Nintendo’s Wii takes a different approach, he says. It makes it easier to play games, even for those with limited computer skills -- at half the price of a fully loaded PS3. Page E4

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HOME

Bring the outdoors to holiday tables

Holiday decor no longer means just snowmen and turkeys. Knock yourself out -- light a few red and black candles, find a sinuous branch to accent the table, hang some antlers on the wall (not Rudolph’s, of course). Forget strict formality and bring the simple elegance of the outdoors into your home.

“These days, there are no rules,” says a local designer. So mix old and new, use Japanese pieces with Scandinavian, and let the carved lion lie down with the leg of lamb too. Page F1

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Setting sail in Los Feliz

Television writer-producer Mark B. Perry jokes that he’s afflicted with OLOCD -- Ocean Liner Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. So he’s decorated his 1938 Streamline Moderne house with artifacts from classic ships, turned the bedrooms into vintage staterooms and arranged a bank of windows into what he calls his “observation lounge.”

His love of ocean liners drew him to the house in the first place. “It already felt like a ship,” he says. “My things have just added to it.” Page F3

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He’s 50, but he could pass for 47

Let’s all wish Chris Erskine a happy 50th birthday. Everyone else is, including AARP.

Is the Man of the House downbeat about reaching this minor milestone? Hardly.

“I’m 50, and a pleasant befuddlement is setting in, almost a Champagne buzz,” he writes. “The other day, I went looking for the car and discovered I was sitting in it. I later answered the phone at home and announced my name, the way you do at work. Hey, I’m 50. Expect strange things.” Page F5

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SPORTS

USC looks back while starting over

New season, new arena, new momentum after a surprisingly strong season -- it should be a time of optimism for the USC men’s basketball team.

And though some of that optimism will no doubt be present at tonight’s opener against South Carolina, there’ll also be an air of sorrow after the off-season death of guard Ryan Francis. “We’re going to come out with a heavy heart,” one player says.

Though the effect pales in comparison with life and death, the absence of Francis -- and the academically ineligible Gabe Pruitt -- will be felt in basketball terms too. But the Trojans do have depth at other positions, a great scorer in Nick Young, and Coach Tim Floyd, who led them to a 17-13 record in his first season at USC. Page D1

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BUSINESS

Blockbuster seals exclusive deal

Blockbuster one-ups rival Netflix by acquiring exclusive rights to rent movies produced by the Weinstein Co., run by former Miramax Films executives Harvey and Bob Weinstein.

The four-year deal, which begins in January, is the first of its kind in the rental business. It might also lead to similar deals as movie rental companies battle for market share. “Then consumers may actually have to think about where they shop -- if you see half the film products at Netflix and half at Blockbusters,” an analyst says.

Blockbuster hopes the Weinsteins have the kind of success they achieved at Miramax. Their films at the studio included “The English Patient,” “Shakespeare in Love” and the “Scary Movie” and “Scream” franchises.

The Weinstein Co.’s next big release is “Bobby,” about the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. Page C1

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LATIMES.COM

A yenta with magnetism

The blog School Me: Adventures in Education features a reader letter to the blog’s resident magnet school yenta, Sandra Tsing Loh.

The reader writes: “Is there one place where I can access a list of all LAUSD high school magnet programs and their descriptions? Trying to negotiate the LAUSD system to find alternative programs has been like trying to hack my way through a jungle with a fork.”

The yenta commiserates with the reader, writing: “ ‘WHY isn’t the LAUSD magnet system more parent-friendly?’ Answer ... they DON’T HAVE TO.”

Read the exchange, learn where to get the information, and share your magnet experiences at latimes.com/schoolme

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The sounds of practice

Lakers blogger Brian Kamenetzky reports on the scene from a Lakers practice session. Leading topics: rebounding, the competition in the league and Kobe’s knee. Listen to audio clips of Phil Jackson and Bryant from the practice session floor.

latimes.com/lakersblog