August 5 - August 11, 2012
Saturday, Aug. 11
Romney is not much for bold moves, so this morning's choice would suggest that he's looking to reset his campaign. We have several views on the selection.
Friday, Aug. 10
You remember those center aisles - canned veggies, ketchup, laundry detergent, soup, coffee. All the boring stuff. These days, most of the action is on the perimeters.
He has zero chance of taking California in November and much of the Republican base considers the state one step from Satan, so why not? Problem is, he doesn't know what he's talking about.
They had issued a flex alert through the weekend, but now it's only in effect today, which should be the peak of the heat wave.
State and federal investigators are looking for Southern California garment factories that don't pay minimum wage or overtime and that don't register their businesses.
Average L.A. gas prices hit $4, economists worry about Washington logjam, health care not being covered by California cities, and putting the squeeze on scalpers.
Thursday, Aug. 9
Another signal that the housing market is turning around: The increase in quarterly sales was the highest since the July-September period in 2007.
Which means there's no way of knowing whether L.A. is receiving all the revenues it's owed from the Parking Occupancy Tax. It probably isn't.
Demand won't break any records, but they're advising everyone to reduce energy use, especially between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
TCW, which is short for Trust Company of the West, manages about $130 billion in investments. For non-money people, TCW is best known for alleging that its former super-star bond trader Jeffrey Gundlach had stolen trade secrets to set up his own firm.
Local gas prices start climbing, Obama losing Wall Street support, rents in the L.A. area increased in June, and Eli Broad suspends payments to MOCA.
Wednesday, Aug. 8
When raising taxes is out of the question, government officials can resort to unusual ways of raising money. These bonds are structured so that the district can avoid any debt service until 2033, with the biggest amounts due in 2046 and 2051.
NASA has been one of the most successful R&D labs over the years, a point that Washington lawmakers would do well to notice when they prepare the space agency budget.
On average, we're talking about an extra $32.76 for all of next year, according to a back-of-the-envelope calculation. That's $2.73 a month.
In the weeks following the team's $2.15 billion sale, the former owner was offering advice to the new owners, something that never would have happened during the Frank McCourt administration.
Changing of the guard: Digital movie rentals increased 5 percent during the first half of 2012, while DVDs and Blue-ray discs fell 17 percent.
Gas prices about to shoot up, higher home prices signal market turnaround, L.A. supervisors approve sales tax vote, and celebrity magazines get hammered.
Tuesday, Aug. 7
"We still need the development of some events that are going to scare the hell out of people," says the CEO of L.A.-based Oaktree Capital.
It might not be what you'd expect. Everybody spends about the same proportional amount on housing, clothing, and eating out. Where the rich spend more - actually a lot more - is on education and retirement.
Could be a big boost, in fact, the result of a fire at Chevron's 110-year-old Richmond refinery. No estimate on how long it will be before the facility resumes normal operations, but oil markets are already factoring in a substantial price increase.
It's what economists call "default bias," which basically means that when people are given an option that is easier to select, for whatever reason, they'll choose that option.
Steady job growth forecast for California, DreamWorks plans theme park in China, L.A. residents bummed about helicopter noise, and Padres sold to group that includes the O'Malley family.
Monday, Aug. 6
L.A. could save money and attract more business, says City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana. But labor officials oppose the idea.
The Poway Unified School District has cut a sweet or a lousy deal, depending on your point of view. Sweet if you're on the school board - lousy if you're a local resident.
The six-screen complex will replace the Avco on Wilshire Boulevard and should provide a little boost to an area that has seen numerous theater closures.
Especially a NY cop - not a great move. Also not too bright: Acting like a jackass while a 17-year-old is filming the entire moment.
Still more than four months before its release, Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" already has gotten more attention than most films - even though no one really knows what it's about.
Nashville is number one, followed by NY and then L.A. Ranking is based on concentration of musicians and number of music and recording businesses.
State legislature returns to work with a big agenda, U.S. markets are popping a year after S&P downgrade, OC Register to focus on print subscribers, and "Dark Knight" still on top after three weeks.
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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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