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Charles McPhee, the self-proclaimed "Dream Doctor" who decoded dreams on his nationally syndicated radio show until Lou Gehrig's disease forced him off the air in 2006, has died. He was 49. McPhee died May 8 at his Woodland Hills home of the neurodegenerative disease also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, his family said. Through his radio show, McPhee "made dream interpretation more present in pop culture," said Cynthia Richmond, a behavioral therapist and dream counselor.

Ashley Dunn, a veteran reporter and editor at the Los Angeles Times, has been named California editor, supervising the newsroom's largest group of journalists. He succeeds David Lauter, who is becoming chief of Tribune Co.'s Washington bureau, which provides news coverage for The Times, Chicago Tribune and other Tribune news organizations. Lauter replaces Kerry Luft, who is returning to the Chicago Tribune as a senior editor. Dunn, who will guide state and local coverage, has spent more than 20 years at The Times, including positions in the Metro, Business and Science sections.

Many artists and historians look on the painter Paul Gauguin as one of the founders of modern art. His work in the 19th century brimmed with innovation. He tried to paint with his mind rather than his eyes. He colored grass red and figures of Christ yellow. He played with perspective. His obsession with primitive peoples engaged and influenced Picasso. Yet, as Gauguin specialist Belinda Thomson points out, the innovations that excited everyone 100 years ago "are not necessarily those that have the strongest appeal" in the 21st century.

Thompson Hotels' Donovan House in Washington, D.C., has a lot going for it this spring -- its downtown location at Thomas Circle, for one, and a room sale in February and March that starts at $109 a night. The deal: I found this deal on Travelzoo 's Top 20 list  so availability may be limited. Donovan House room sale rates start at $109 a night on weekends in February, $119 for weekends in March and $159 Mondays-Thursdays through Feb. 24. The deal comes with free Wi-Fi too. It's easy to find this rate on the hotel's website; if you're calling, you need to request the code "PROM7.

At least for a time, Los Angeles and Orange counties were not the kings of traffic congestion. A new study shows that motorists in the greater Los Angeles area in 2009 experienced fewer delays from traffic congestion than other parts of the country ? a change in reputation that could be short-lived as the region recovers from the worst recession since World War II. Released Thursday, the latest annual Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute states that Chicago and Washington, D.C., surpassed the Los Angeles area in the amount of time that individual motorists were stuck in traffic during peak travel periods.

President Obama commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday by leading his administration in performing a day of service in honor of the assassinated civil-rights leader. Obama, wife Michelle and their daughters visited Stuart-Hobson Middle School in Washington, where the president and first lady helped paint fruit characters in the school cafeteria to encourage better eating habits. Nutrition and fighting childhood obesity are top causes for Michelle Obama, who celebrated her 47th birthday on Monday.

The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., will mark its 90th year with free admission Saturday and Sunday -- and more than one birthday cake. The free weekend also marks the reopening of the original part of the museum --  the home of founder Duncan Phillips -- which has been closed for repairs since being damaged by a fire in September. The museum plans “90 Years of New” events throughout the year. Some highlights: Renoir's " Luncheon of the Boating Party ," one of the best-known paintings in the collection, will move to its original location in the first gallery that was opened to the public in 1921.

First Lady Michelle Obama lent her considerable star power to Sen. Barbara Boxer on Tuesday, telling hundreds of supporters in the Mid-Wilshire area that the three-term senator was a critical advocate for the middle class and the Democratic agenda in Washington, D.C. Obama described Boxer as passionately supportive of members of the U.S. military and their families, as well as small businesses. "As you all know, when it comes to being a champion for California's families, there is no one who fights harder, there is no one who cares more deeply than our friend Barbara Boxer," Obama told more than 1,000 people at the Wilshire Ebell Theater.

Carla Cohen Co-owner of iconic D.C. bookstore Carla Cohen, 74, a community activist who co-owned a Washington, D.C., bookstore that became a city institution and a key stop for writers ranging from Bill Clinton to J.K. Rowling, died Monday of cancer, the Politics and Prose bookstore announced on its website. A former city planner, congressional aide and federal housing official, Cohen founded the store in 1984 and ran it with co-owner Barbara Meade. During an era when thousands of independent stores closed, Politics and Prose expanded from a crowded storefront to a two-story location with more than 10,000 square feet.

The Obama administration announced Wednesday that as part of an effort to stabilize housing markets it will send a $3-billion lifeline to jobless homeowners struggling to make mortgage payments. Tapping into resources from the $700-billion Wall Street bailout, the Treasury Department will add $2 billion to its Hardest Hit Fund, assisting the 17 states that have unemployment rates higher than the national average, along with Washington, D.C. California will receive $476 million, the most of any state.