Wednesday morning headlines

Stocks open higher: Strong earnings from Target and Staples provide more evidence that the economy isn't as bad as some folks think. Dow is up about 80 points.

Hotels filling up: June occupancy in L.A. County was 80.3 percent, up 2.3 percent from a year earlier - and a strong indicator of a busy summer. Room rates rose 4.6 percent, to $150.52. Data is from Colliers PKF (via OC Register)

Brown set to name jobs czar: Retired B of A executive Michael Rossi will be named to the new post today. Presumably, Rossi will be the governor's point person in assembling job initiatives. (LAT)

Stunning drop in Dodger attendance: The turnstile count this season is expected to be 2.2 million to 2.3 million, roughly 50 percent of capacity. In 1982, the count was 3.6 million. From the LAT:

All the unsold tickets -- and all the hot dogs, beers and T-shirts that go unsold when people do not use their tickets -- could create a "ripple effect," said David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute. With less money coming in this year, the Dodgers could have less money to spend next year, Carter said, making the team a harder sell to fans, advertisers and sponsors. "You lose free agents. You lose some of your own players. You don't sign anybody important," Carter said. "All of that contributes to a very detrimental business cycle."

Union battle at Kaiser: The National Union of Healthcare Workers alleges that Kaiser has been siding with the rival Service Employees International. Under federal labor law, employers aren't allowed to favor one union over another. From the WSJ:

Last October, a majority of 45,000 eligible Kaiser Permanente workers voted to remain members of the SEIU, rather than join the NUHW. But last week, the National Labor Relations Board, following an objection by the NUHW, called for a new election. An administrative law judge previously found that warnings the SEIU issued about likely benefits cuts if the NUHW won "tended to stoke unwarranted and coercive voter fears." The judge overruled objections by the NUHW that Kaiser Permanente interfered with the election or abetted the SEIU.

SpaceX rocket to dock with Space Station: NASA signed off on a November flight, months earlier than expected and a further sign of the transition to privately operated ventures in space. Closely held SpaceX is based in Hawthorne and founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk. From the Breeze:

SpaceX has a $1.6 billion NASA contract for at least 12 flights to the ISS. That could lead to more flights with a cumulative contract value of $3.1 billion. NASA is contracting with SpaceX and other private companies to resupply the ISS in the wake of the space shuttle's retirement. In addition to its Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX developed the Dragon space capsule that would carry the supplies into orbit. Dragon will also be able to carry astronauts into space and back to Earth, further filling the void left by the space shuttle.