Tuesday morning headlines

SAG negotiator gone?: Executive director Doug Allen is about to be forced out by the guild's moderate wing. Well, maybe. The LAT reports that Allen supporters are trying to filibuster the process, though the union's national board does seem to be moving away from a strike.

Even though the moderates hold a slight majority on the board, they were unable to put the measure to a vote because of a series of what critics described as parliamentary maneuvers orchestrated by Allen's backers. Board members aligned with the leadership spoke for several hours discussing arcane rules of procedure and chastised dissidents for being disloyal to their union. SAG President Alan Rosenberg blasted some of the union's critics, according to people familiar with the meeting. Critics said the apparent filibuster was aimed at "running out the clock" to block a vote before the meeting ends this afternoon in the hopes of keeping Allen in his job and allowing the union to proceed with its strike referendum.

Madoff plea-bargaining? His attorney is "engaging in discussions concerning a possible disposition of this case," according to a court order, which means he might be looking to plead guilty in exchange for some sort of leniency. Meantime, Madoff gets to remain in his penthouse apartment - a federal judge denied a government request to put the guy behind bars. (NYT)

Stimulus not enough: Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke says the fiscal package being considered must be accompanied by other efforts to get the financial system back to normal. That includes the government purchase of bad assets and providing asset guarantees. (NYT)

Gas prices shoot up: That's despite oil being traded at under $40 a barrel. In L.A., the average price of self-serve regular is $1.96 a gallon, up around 12 cents from last week. From the LAT:

It was all the more galling to drivers and to consumer advocates because of the back story. California refineries have been increasing production of cheaper grades of gasoline that do not meet California's strict emission standards and could be sold out of state, according to weekly statistics tracked by the California Energy Commission. The refineries were also producing less California-grade gasoline.

More CEOs being fired: Seagate, Tyson Foods, Borders Group, Orbitz Worldwide, Bebe Stores - the numbers are piling up in recent days. Not surprisingly, turnover increases in bad times. From the WSJ:

The turmoil extends to senior executives below the CEO. New chief executives often replace top lieutenants to create their own team. With the recession, "this is the most volatile environment I've seen in 30 years," observes Peter D. Crist, head of Crist|Kolder Associates, a search firm in Hinsdale, Ill. Harry Pearce, chairman of Nortel Networks Corp. and a retired vice chairman of GM, also expects more CEO departures. "There's just enormous pressure" to replace CEOs amid the tough economic climate, Mr. Pearce said.

New Century co-founder dies: Edward Gotschall, 53, helped build the Irvine-based lender into one the largest subprime lenders in the nation. Then, of course, the whole thing fell apart. Gotschall died while watching a football game last week. (OC Register)

Globes' ratings take dip: The three-hour award show still won most of the evening, but it generated the smallest audience in 13 years. Ratings for awards shows have drifted downward over the years. (Variety)

KPCC business chat: I'm being preempted this morning by the Hillary Clinton confirmation hearings.