October 7 - October 13, 2012
Friday, Oct. 12
They're a pretty effective way of assessing the race. As of Friday afternoon, an amalgam of those markets gave President Obama a 64.1 per chance of being reelected - down sharply from just a couple of weeks ago.
The governor only needs a simple majority, but support for Proposition 30, which would increase the state sales tax and the personal income tax for the wealthy, is only polling in the low- to mid-50s - and that was before a new barrage of opposition ads.
It's not everyday that government number-crunchers get into a public snit, but this is one of those days.
Paula Abdul, Elizabeth Barkley, and the chef Nobu Matsuhisa are among the big names. Even so, more than half the condos are still for sale.
Sales on the lower end are falling, while sales at the mid- and upper-ends are increasing. That, plus low inventory, have been pushing up prices.
Little overnight change in L.A. gas prices, big jump in U.S. consumer sentiment, TV viewership is down for the first two weeks of the fall season, and former mayor Richard Riordan outlines pension proposal.
Thursday, Oct. 11
Positive numbers on weekly unemployment claims turned out a lot less positive than first believed. It's another example of why economic data cannot be interpreted in real time, despite the push for instant reactions.
Another myth shattered - the average fare of $365.23 in 2011 (including fees) compares with the average of $611.76 in 1980. If you break it down by cost per mile, the difference is even greater.
No offense, but it's really not. Nor is there any basis for the argument that raising taxes on upper-income individuals would somehow damage small business owners.
Normally, this isn't the spot for store openings, but the City Target location at 7th and Figueroa is an exception. It's the anchor of a refashioned retail complex.
Only a small drop in L.A. gas prices, big drop in jobless claims (but there's a problem with the numbers), Variety paywall is coming down, and PC sales are taking a tumble.
Wednesday, Oct. 10
The City Council rejected a $246 million offer by the city of Ontario to take over the facility, but it did direct L.A. budget chief Miguel Santana to explore alternatives.
The loss is attributed to the prospects of a weak quarter for corporate earnings - as well as less-than-glowing outlooks for 2013.
Here it is Wednesday and an average gallon of regular has fallen a whopping half a penny, to $4.701. You call that relief? Well, yes.
If only Obama had used some of this material he might not be in his current fix. Plus, a fabulous FDR clip that pretty much says it all.
Gas prices stay in place, Chinese companies investing big time in California, Space X capsule hooks up with International Space Station, and jeans maker True Religion puts itself on the block.
Tuesday, Oct. 9
An August fire at the Richmond facility has put the squeeze on California oil production - and is responsible, at least in part, for last week's price blowup.
The former GE legend notified the magazine that he'd rather write elsewhere after idiotically suggesting that the Obama campaign had somehow cooked the unemployment books.
The same-day movement, while intriguing, is not inevitable: Or do you forget the online grocers in the 1990s that struggled with making deliveries?
That's quite a bit higher than initial estimates of between $6 billion and $8 billion and will likely limit the field of potential candidates. It also suggests that AEG owner Philip Anschutz is not about to hold a fire sale of the company.
Gas price run-up is about over, slow recovery expected in the IE, Katzenberg tightens control of DreamWorks Animation, and Boeing sells aircraft manufacturing site in Long Beach.
After months of negotiations, Penske Media Corp. (aka Nikki Finke's boss) finally cut a deal for the struggling Hollywood trade. Purchase price is $25 million.
Monday, Oct. 8
Not a pretty picture, though L.A.-area prices should start coming down noticeably later this week.
More than 18,000 people voted in the annual survey - and despite L.A.'s reputation as a backwater restaurant town, lots of folks are going out.
Gas run-up appears to be peaking out, Feinstein calls for investigation into last week's price spike, Space X's unmanned craft heading to the Space Station, and Black Friday is often not a great day for deals.
Sunday, Oct. 7
The governor is directing the California Air Resources Board to allow refineries to make an earlier-than-scheduled switch to winter-blend gasoline. The move should result in greater amounts of gasoline being refined, leading to lower pump prices.
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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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