January 3 - January 9, 2010

Friday, Jan. 8
Pete Carroll is close to a deal to leave USC and become head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, according to the LAT.
Have L.A. home prices really fallen that much? Really depends on where you happen to be.
The big question economists are wrestling with is where the new business will be coming from - and how long it will last.
"Tough times still lie ahead," says Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as he announces $8.5 billion in spending cuts.
Never mind about the unemployment rate - what inquiring minds really want to know is why and/or how superstar bond...
Economists weighing in on the so-so employment report are not sounding all that concerned that the economy lost 85,000 jobs in December.
Look for the governor to propose deep cuts to public transit, healthcare and social services.
Weather may explain weak jobs report, NBC late-night decision expected soon, and Fox pulls kids quiz show because of cheating.
The nation's economy is still in that choppy stage in between contraction and expansion.
Thursday, Jan. 7
Not really, but at least December revenues were 5.7 percent above the state budget estimates.
Nothing like a parody to affirm one's place in the media establishment. The folks at Comedy.com take a few well-aimed shots.
TMZ is reporting that after the Winter Olympics next month, Jay will take back his old 11:30 spot.
Marijuana, sexual devices, porn magazines, X-rated DVDs - are we talking about staid L.A. money management firm?
The paper will shut down the OC printing facility, a cost-cutting effort that had been rumored for months. Plus, other stuff.
We're going through a stage when it's easy to say greed is not good - few of us are in a position to be greedy even if we wanted to be.
Believe it or not, there was significant improvement in lost luggage, consumer complaints and flight cancellations
Last-minute shoppers save Christmas, big boost from BCS game, L.A. rents down sharply, and low-wage earnings are robbed.
Wednesday, Jan. 6
Last year U.S. sales fell almost 13 percent, though it would have been worse without Taylor Swift and Susan Boyle.
The former KB Home CEO, charged with 20 counts of fraud and making false statements, is accusing prosecutors of manipulating witnesses.
He proposed changes to the state's budget, pension and tax systems, as well as a greater share of federal funding for California.
Academy honchos, desperate for better TV ratings, have been dying to see a top-grosser pick up the top prize.
This time it's from Pamm Fair, chairwoman of FilmLA, the nonprofit group that works with filmmakers shooting in the L.A. area.
Governor pushing jobs, L.A. officials propose pension cuts, court closures hurt economy, and Disney store on Broadway.
Tuesday, Jan. 5
A Federal Reserve official says home ownership is a terrible investment - and not just because prices have fallen so sharply.
The brain works (or doesn't work) in mysterious ways. Note how many people don't bother reading the consent form before signing.
A small Santa Barbara company alleges that the Chinese illegally copied portions of its filtering code to block access to Internet sites.
December sales rose 33 percent from a year earlier, while full year sales dropped 15 percent.
I had been leaning on the faulty premise that business sites can look gray and boring because, well, they're just business sites.
Workers are singing the blues, L.A. is hard place to find work, bankruptcies took off in 2009, and "Avatar" has global appeal.
Monday, Jan. 4
The much-awaited multimedia tablet device will be announced later this month and shipped out starting in March, says the WSJ.
The aerospace giant is looking for a location somewhere in the Washington, D.C. area. Plans to move by next year.
Columnist Paul Krugman warns that all the bullish talk could lead the U.S. back to 1937, when the economy went south.
Stocks taking off on first trading day, late-year flurry of car sales, Mattel teams up with WWE, and movie theaters over DVDs.
Sunday, Jan. 3
All of which creates an unsettling disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street, though that gap should narrow in 2010.
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