June 17 - June 23, 2012
Friday, Jun. 22
Basically no, at least for construction of the first two Wilshire Boulevard on-and-off ramps. The question is how bad traffic would have to get before city and county officials begin looking at alternatives for the rest of the project?
They're spending more of it at work and less of it watching television, according to the Labor Department's American Time Use Survey for 2011. They're also sleeping more.
The best thing to remember about what could happen in Europe - and what effect it would have on the U.S. - is that nobody knows anything. Still, it is worth noting that some states appear more vulnerable than others.
The findings from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office run counter to two earlier studies. The report also questions the amount of economic activity that the program generates.
California budget cuts into welfare, child care, home care, and Medi-Cal, Tesla delivers five-seat sedan, today's pot hearing before City Council is apparently postponed, and affair leads to demotion at plane leasing company.
Thursday, Jun. 21
In addition to deep cuts in California's welfare program, next year's budget would shift 880,000 children from the Healthy Families program to the lower-cost Medi-Cal system. Healthy Families supporters were outraged by the switch.
Dow loses 250 points. While nothing horrible happened, the news was generally not good - or put another way, the news fits into the prevailing narrative about sluggish world growth and how the European mess might make things worse.
The financial advice magazine owned by Dow Jones publication will live on in digital form. Barron's is also believed to be making cuts.
Sometimes they're called "setups," and the idea is to list a house or condo for a crazy-high asking price as a way of getting brokers and potential buyers over to similar homes at far lower prices.
They're bound to show up in any recovery, but the contrasts this time out are especially prevalent - perhaps because consumer attitudes are bouncing all over the place.
Nice - from billionaire to billionaire. The deal involves 88,000 acres of land, plus two resorts, two golf courses, a stable and various residential and commercial buildings.
Little change on jobs front, another record low for mortgage rates, Gov. Brown and Democratic lawmakers are nearing a compromise on welfare cuts, and Supreme Court rules narrowly on curse words (nothing today on the health care or immigration rulings).
Wednesday, Jun. 20
It's mainly about the telematics that operate entertainment and communications systems in the middle of your dash. The MyFord and MyLincoln systems were unintuitive and complex, according to the J.D. Power & Associates' Initial Quality study.
Grammar in the workplace is bad and getting worse, especially among younger employees. There is no easy fix, according to the experts.
Some semblance of sanity remains at City Hall. On an 11-1 vote, the council approved the airport's contract to provide wireless access.
The glass is half full. No, it's half empty. Both UCLA's Anderson Forecast and Beacon Economics are offering subdued assessments of the state and local economies. They're certainly not terrible, but they're not wonderful either.
Well, there's a little more to it, but for a quick primer on the last two centuries you could do a lot worse than this graph.
The governor tells Marc Cooper that he's just not going there - too much opposition, even if taxes are only raised on commercial property. "Go organize your friends and put it on the ballot," Brown says. "I don't see it happening."
Noting a slowdown in employment, the central bank plans to buy about $267 billion in longer-term Treasury securities over the next six months. It's an incremental expansion of the so-called Operation Twist, which didn't do all that much good the first time around.
Financial markets waiting for Fed announcement, UCLA expects pick up in housing market next year, billionaire investor Peter Thiel opens new venture fund, and Capital One receives the most credit card complaints.
Tuesday, Jun. 19
This flyer from the Service Employees International lays into the mayor for his proposal to change pension benefits for city workers. Thing is, the plan should be the least of the union's problems.
The new zoning guidelines will make it easier to put up taller buildings around subway stations and retail pockets. Homeowners in the Hollywood Hills aren't happy.
Officials from Murdock's L.A.-based Castle & Cooke have told Gov. Neil Abercrombie that the company is talking to a buyer about the sale of his holdings in Lanai - often called the "Pineapple Island" because of its many plantations.
The deal involves 34 stores in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. It's with the same franchise operator that handles Pinkberry and Cheesecake Factory stores overseas.
Not that the buxom entrepreneur (and possible billionaire) is full of herself or anything, but she likens the position to that of a senatorial chief of staff.
Asian Americans are nation's fastest-growing racial group, big opening weekend for California Adventure, City National Bank gets fancy digs on Park Avenue, and family squabble over Carroll Shelby's remains.
Monday, Jun. 18
Standard and Poors, Moody's and Fitch's rating services all gave the city their highest ratings for the notes used to provide enough cash flow for the $7.2 billion budget. But all three issued warnings about L.A. financial outlook.
The latest competition to Apple's iPad is called Surface. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who did the unveiling in Hollywood this afternoon, says it's part of a new family of devices.
A City Council committee voted 2-1 to stick with a two-year, $633,333 contract, despite the objections of a single councilman who wants the deal killed in favor of a full bidding process.
Who knows what role money ultimately played in the sad life of Rodney King, but the sketchy accounts suggest a guy who had trouble making it, and given his lifelong struggles with substance abuse, holding on to it.
Some of the same European and Asian wealth that's been buying up London real estate at crazy-high prices appears to be focusing on Southern California.
Greeks begin coalition process, how new immigration policy will affect economy, Greene & Greene building is up for sale, and average L.A. gas prices fall below $4 a gallon.
Sunday, Jun. 17
Financial markets can breath a bit easier - voters appear to have rejected the country's left-wing Syriza party, whose leader, Alexis Tsipras, had been pushing to reject a bailout deal with the European Union.
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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.
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