Friday morning headlines

Lackluster market: Pretty slow so far - Dow is down a few points in early trading.

Ford reports another profit: The carmaker also expects to have more cash than debt by the end of 2011 - and report even stronger results next year. (NYT)

Wal-Mart uses ID tags: They'll be placed on clothes as a way of controlling inventory. But some worry about privacy. From the WSJ:

While the tags can be removed from clothing and packages, they can't be turned off, and they are trackable. Some privacy advocates hypothesize that unscrupulous marketers or criminals will be able to drive by consumers' homes and scan their garbage to discover what they have recently bought. They also worry that retailers will be able to scan customers who carry new types of personal ID cards as they walk through a store, without their knowledge.

Bell officials resign: Their huge salaries have been causing an uproar in the tiny city (city manager was making around $800,000). Now, attention is focused on four of the five council members who make close to $100,000 a year. (LAT)

How salaries got so high: It was a 2005 ballot measure no one paid attention to that allowed city officials to exempt themselves from state salary limits. Fewer than 400 ballots were cast - and council members and the city manager supported the measure. (LAT)

City National profit jumps: Socal's largest bank reported second-quarter profit of $41.3 million, up from $6.8 million a year earlier. Strong growth in deposits and improving credit quality were cited. (LAT)

Dodger Stadium no-shows: More tickets are going unused, which is why you often see empty stands despite high attendance numbers. From the LAT:

The Dodgers drew a record 3.6 million fans in 1982, one year after beating the New York Yankees for the World Series championship. The Dodgers have surpassed that mark in each of the last four years under the MLB definition of attendance. However, the court filing revealed the Dodgers' turnstile count last year was 3.11 million, the high in the McCourt era. The Dodgers exceeded that figure seven times from 1978-91, including four consecutive years from 1982-85, before the NL clubs started counting unused tickets in their attendance.

Univision scores: The Spanish-language network has had a good summer, regularly beating some of the major broadcast networks. Last week, Univision was tied with ABC as the number-two broadcast network among the 18-49 demographic. (The Wrap)

Pink's comes to LAX: The famous hot dog vendor opens a stand at the Tom Bradley International Terminal - and it's in front of the security area. (Daily Breeze)

Albuquerque Studios files for bankruptcy: DreamWorks is among the creditors owed money. The New Mexico studio claims debts of nearly $105 million. (AP)