July 29 - August 4, 2012
Friday, Aug. 3
It's essentially a new kind of space race, though the ultimate economic benefit to the area has yet to be determined.
Apparently there were smaller amounts in cans of Bumble Bee, Chicken of the Sea and Starkist, and a Superior Court judge ordered the three companies to pay $3.3 million in penalties.
The numbers for July were just all right, but they gave investors a reason to buy into a market that continues to trend higher.
A decade ago there were only a half-dozen or so companies. Today, the number is closer to 40, although no one knows exactly. That's part of the problem.
The fast food chain may have had record crowds the other day in support of Dan Cathay's views on same-sex marriage, but these Pew results show that the nation is moving in the other direction.
Economy still has a long way to go, big boost for Toyota in latest quarter, Space X and Boeing win NASA award, and L.A. County assessor probe expands.
Early reaction is that July was good but not great. Yes, 163,000 jobs were added to the rolls, stronger than the 100,000 consensus estimate and a world away from the revised 64,000 figure for June. But the unemployment rate inched up to 8.3 percent.
Thursday, Aug. 2
This is always an important moment on the economic calendar, but the data will be getting a lot more attention because of the November election. And seasonal adjustments could foul things up.
Business professors and marketing experts would grit their teeth at the exclusionary corporate culture. But this may be a case of a business that is successful in spite of itself.
Apparently there are concerns about a tropical depression that's brewing in the Atlantic and could impact the Florida crop. Just like "Trading Places."
Not only have the carriers cut back on routes, they're often using cramped planes (one lavatory, limited space overhead and under the seat). Have fun.
The superrmarket chain has opened four stations in Southern California, including one in the L.A. area. As with Costco and other big chains, prices are lower than average.
Europe still a question mark, retailers report decent July, San Bernardino files for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, and mortgage rates inch higher for the first time in months.
Wednesday, Aug. 1
No holidays, lousy sports, everything turns brown, grilled foods get tiresome - no doubt about it, this month is a basket case.
In coach no less. But should the third or fourth most powerful person in the world, the guy who determines the nation's economic policies, be crammed into a Washington-to-L.A. flight? I don't think so.
Tom Morris is the third of four police chiefs in that city, now in bankruptcy protection, who served less than three years and retires with an average of 92 percent of their final salaries. And it's not just Stockton.
Back in May, the Legislative Analyst's Office had projected that the state would pick up between $1.6 billion and $2.1 billion in tax revenue as company shareholders began cashing out. Never mind.
Officials from the central bank know that the economy is slowing down, and they know that some sort of intervention is in the cards. One of these days.
The state's $1.9 trillion economy would be ranked ninth largest in the world, ahead of Russia and behind Italy.
Moderate hiring by private businesses in July, NBC might break even on Olympics, campaign coffers of mayoral candidates keep filling up, and movie academy has a new president.
Tuesday, Jul. 31
Even with good weather and great medical facilities, L.A. ranked only 30th out of 100 metro areas in a Milken Institute report.
The billionaire investor has sold his stake in the movie studio, a year after he tried to merge Lions Gate with MGM. But he's exiting at a nice price.
If the deal goes through, the billionaire investor is expected to pay about $40 million for the Hollywood trade, the LAT is reporting.
L.A. home prices gaining ground, consumer confidence picks up more than expected, Duarte considers emergency sales tax, and Warner's $4-billion contribution to the L.A. economy.
Monday, Jul. 30
Here's a look at the updated curbside area at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. Among the new features will be pavilion canopies with skylights and better signage.
Putting up high rises and adding to the already-snarled traffic doesn't seem like the most sensible way of developing Hollywood.
That's the apparent compromise between Anschutz Entertainment Group and the Natural Resources Defense Council in a dispute over how to handle the added burdens of the proposed stadium.
That's my discouraging take on the last few years of massive deficits and deep budget cuts. You might not notice much of a change on the surface, but as I note in the August issue of Los Angeles magazine, the city is different and not in a good way.
Say what you will about weak consumer confidence, but somebody is buying these cars.
E3 returning to L.A., New York triples post-production tax credit, "Dark Knight" falls sharply in its second weekend, and L.A. Fire Department is hiring again.
© 2003-2015 • About LA Observed • Email the editor
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:
After 22 years of loyalty, Baylor is unceremoniously shown the door.
Before I lived in Echo Park, there was a tiny 1920s bungalow-cottage-standalone house on N. Occidental in Silver Lake. I...
