January 6 - January 12, 2008

Saturday, Jan. 12
Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis got a phone call in early December from Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo, who said...
Friday, Jan. 11
They'll begin formal contract talks with the studios and networks tomorrow. But they won't be starting from scratch - members...
BW media writer Jon Fine offers some advice for the new press baron - stuff like cutting more deals with...
This is the time of year we start hearing about profits per partner at local law firms. It's the very...
Or so says Henry Blodget writing in Silicon Valley Insider - and quite at odds with the Pollyanna forecast of...
Countrywide followups: There will be lots of hand-wringing on this one, much of it centered on the wisdom of Bank...
Depends on which newspaper you're reading - or which compensation expert you're using. The NYT expert pegs the exit package...
The $4 billion all-stock deal announced this morning puts an end to the daily soap opera starring the nation's largest...
Thursday, Jan. 10
Yeah, I know - it's impossible. But former MGM vice chairman Chris McGurk thinks he's on to something. Really. He's...
Talk about a deal that's hard to turn down. You might recall that Bank of America came to Countrywide's rescue...
An agreement could be announced today, according to the indie's co-founder Harvey Weinstein, who was interviewed by the NYT. Apparently,...
The WSJ reports that the bank is in advanced talks to acquire the struggling Calabasas-based mortgage lender. Two sources are...
It's time for tech writers to sum up the annual craziness at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Tech...
Break out those anti-depressants. It’s a glum news day. Deep cuts in state budget: That includes closing 48 state parks,...
Wednesday, Jan. 9
Pretty low, it seems. Today's close was $5.12, down 6.4 percent from yesterday's awful showing. At one point it was...
It's a tentative agreement that will give union employees in the news division a 3.5 percent wage increase and a...
With the networks about to launch their mid-season, strike-impaired schedules, Michael Learmonth at Silicon Alley Insider handicaps the winners and...
The annual United Van Lines tally of who is moving where finds that L.A. had more outbound traffic in 2007...
Countrywide's shaky December: The mortgage lender said its delinquency rate continued to climb last month - 7.2 percent of unpaid...
Tuesday, Jan. 8
There's not much information, but THR has a short story reporting that Axium International, which is Hollywood's top payroll services...
We refer to Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo, who over the years has managed to say the darndest things. In early...
Again. The Dow lost another 238 points, in part because of the concerns about Countrywide (see below), but more broadly,...
Hillary Clinton will be losing many of her fair weather show biz supporters, who appear ready to join the Barack...
The stock is getting whacked this morning - at last check down 17.5 percent, to $6.30 (it had been as...
The L.A.-based defense contractor, which normally sticks to the air and sea, now wants a chance to build as many...
KB takes big hit: The L.A.-based homebuilder reported a $772.7 million fourth-quarter loss, compared with a $50 million loss a...
Monday, Jan. 7
After hovering just below $100 a barrel last week, oil futures are coming down, closing today at $95.09. The sell-off...
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association will forgo the fancy-schmancy awards ceremony and instead hold what sounds like a press conference...
The online traders were right on the money last week in Iowa, and for tomorrow's New Hampshire primary they've given...
As in L.A., no one has reliable numbers, but Crain's NY Business estimates that thousands of the area's 78,000 production...
Don't try telling that to anyone waiting in a cab line during this week's Consumer Electronics Show. But with 30,000...
More bad housing numbers: December home sales in L.A. County plunged 66 percent from a year earlier and the median...
© 2003-2015   •  About LA Observed  •  Email the editor
LA Observed blogs
News & Chatter
LA Biz Observed
The funeral for Mark Lacter will be held Sunday, Nov. 24 at 12 noon at Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 W. Centinela Avenue, Los Angeles 90045. Reception to follow.
More From Mark Lacter:
Native Intelligence
Business Guides for Companies – Effective business articles that will improve your business.
SoCal Sports Observed
After 22 years of loyalty, Baylor is unceremoniously shown the door.
Bill Boyarsky
Echo Park blog
Jenny Burman
Before I lived in Echo Park, there was a tiny 1920s bungalow-cottage-standalone house on N. Occidental in Silver Lake. I...
Malibu blog
Here in Malibu
I don't know why it's taking me so long to choose the new platform for this blog. Well, that's not...
We get email