Thursday morning headlines

Oil falls below $50: Crude has now lost about two-thirds of its value since July's record above $147. On the NY Mercantile Exchange, it's crept back up to a little over $50 a barrel. (CNBC)

Slip in ridership: As expected, the plunge in gas prices has gotten folks back onto the freeways. MTA reports a 1.5 percent drop in October ridership on buses and trains from the July peak. The October numbers are still up from a year earlier. Metrolink saw much the same pattern. Boy, summer seems so long ago. From the LAT:

"Now that gas prices are down, it's better to drive -- I hate to say it," said Pauline Buchanan, who started taking mass transit from Hollywood to work in Koreatown last spring as gas prices climbed. Buchanan wasn't too fond of the change. She said the buses were always crowded, the drivers were rude, and the trip took longer. Last month, when gas prices began to drop, she started driving again.

IATSE cuts deal: The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees reached a tentative three-year pact with the studios and networks after nine negotiating sessions. No details were released, though employer contributions to the pension and health funds are believed to have been a sticking point. (Variety)

SAG talks resume: The Screen Actors Guild has its first face to face with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers in four months. The session is being orchestrated by federal mediator Juan Carlos Gonzalez who recently entered the long-running fray. There's still chatter about the guild asking its members for a strike authorization vote. From AP:

Scott Witlin, an entertainment lawyer who has represented television networks in the past, said an awards show boycott or a strike could divide the union. In September elections, an upstart group broke the majority of a combative leadership faction known as Membership First. "I think that they would be in very dangerous territory if they tried to take on the Golden Globes," Witlin said. "Aside from that they would run a big risk of ripping their union further apart."

Workers pay more for health care: The average annual deductible for an individual tops $1,000, a 17 percent jump from last year. Employers blame the boost on overall increases in health care - and those costs might really take off next year. From the LAT:

"What this says is that the employers are desperate," said Len Nichols, an economist who heads the health policy program at the New America Foundation, a nonpartisan Washington think tank. "They are doing everything they can to reduce premium growth this year. But it's not thinking 10 years down the road." There is mounting evidence that people are skipping checkups, tests and other medical care to cut their own expenses. Physicians and hospitals are reporting a drop in patient visits and revenue and a rise in late payments and unpaid bills.

Southwest to NYC: The discount carrier has avoided big-league airports, especially in and around NY. But it now wants to start operations at LaGuardia, which presumably would allow an L.A. passenger to fly coast-to-coast on peanuts and pretzels (not to mention 63 stops along the way). Southwest is buying assets from bankrupt ATA Airlines, which had 14 flight slots at LaGuardia. (Newsday)

Help for IndyMac borrowers: The FDIC-run bank will offer walk-in counseling sessions over the next two Saturdays. One problem: IndyMac loans typically didn't require proof of income so many borrowers may now fear coming forward. (LAT)