Consumer confidence is way up, Ken Lewis will likely stay on as Bank of America CEO, kickback scheme widens, and flights to Mexico cut back.

The state of Florida has charged the former Countrywide CEO with engaging in deceptive and unfair trade practices - and he may have to go to court.

Diehards got all hot and bothered when Nielsen found a huge attrition rate after only a month. So Nielsen reran the numbers and guess what happened?

A Washington, D.C. attorney who was about to lose his job apparently shot himself in the head with a .38-caliber handgun. An email bounceback hints at his fate.

The 1.1 percent increase last year was about the same growth rate as in 2007. The worsening economy is clearly at play.

Unraveling the Chrysler mess, judge blocks part of ports program, Virgin comes to OC, and Disney joining Hulu.

Talks with a small group of creditors broke off last night. The automaker will keep operating and a restrucutring plan in the works for some weeks will move forward.

He stays on as Bank of America CEO, but shareholders narrowly voted to split the chairman and CEO posts.

As usual, the top of the list is pretty thin - only three L.A. County companies (Disney, Northrop and Occidental Petroleum) made the top 100.

I realize we're being bombarded with "First 100 Days" overviews and underviews and overlays. But there is at least one Obama piece really worth checking out.

GDP numbers good for Wall Street, cruise lines stop docking in Mexico, the demise of all-news KFWB, and Socal still leads the nation in pollution.

The 6.1 percent first-quarter decline was worse than expected (4.7 percent had been the consensus). Also, it was the third straight quarter of contraction.

Source Interlink, the publisher of Motor Trend, Hot Rod and several dozen other titles, is seeking bankruptcy protection.

Under a preliminary agreement, banks and other unsecured creditors would excuse about $7 billion in debt in exchange for $2 billion in cash.

Bratz maker in receivership, L.A. home prices keep falling, local commuting time is down, and some William Morris and Endeavor agents start to scurry.

Plenty of stories were written about the looming disaster. It's just that nobody paid attention. People believed what they wanted to believe.

William Morris and Endeavor are now one - a new entity called WME Entertainment that is certain to shake up the talent agency business.

That's for the six-month period ended March 31, a 6.5 percent decline from the like period a year earlier. It's also down from a peak of 1.2 million in 1991.

Lots of scrubbing at LAX, no more Pontiac, Countrywide or Portfolio, and next phase for Newhall Land.

A couple of news organizations are reporting that the William Morris/Endeavor deal, in the works for months, finally will be announced early this week.