October 10 - October 16, 2010
Friday, Oct. 15
Probation officials are recommending that the former KB Home CEO receive five years' probation and eight months of home confinement.
At 740-746 S. Broadway, they range from $6.45 to $12.05 per square foot per month, crazy high by downtown standards.
The former Countrywide Financial CEO has agreed to pay $67.5 million in penalties to settle the civil fraud suit against him.
Beware of cops if you drive any of these cars: Mercedes-Benz SL Class convertible, Toyota Camry-Solara Coupe, and Scion TC.
It ranks 158 out of the 200 largest metro areas surveyed by the Milken Institute, down from 139 last year.
He's now up six points over Whitman in the latest Rasmussen poll, 50-44 percent.
Bernanke signals more Fed action, no inflation adjustment for Social Security, Howard Hughes complex gets facelift, and MGM creditors want more time.
Thursday, Oct. 14
With the civil fraud trial of former Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo and two other former executives scheduled to begin on...
Volume slowed a bit compared with August, but both the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach reported big jumps in import activity from a year earlier.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey is now giving the various parties, including Tribune Co. itself, a little more time to file reorganization plans.
The investors who got suckered into those toxic mortgage-backed securities might now be able to challenge the process by which their bonds were prepared and sold.
The world just keeps getting goofier - beginning January 1, 2011, McDonald locations in Hong Kong will conduct wedding ceremonies.
The average 13- to 17-year-old sends and receives 3,339 texts a month, or more than 100 per day.
There's plenty of fault to go around: Borrowers knowingly went well beyond their means in purchasing a home and lenders were ill-prepared for the inevitable fallout.
CA foreclosures increase, big changes at Occidental, trial balloon on Yahoo sale, and United to offer service from LAX to Shanghai.
Wednesday, Oct. 13
As for the renewed push to modify these mortgages, the reality is that many struggling homeowners are beyond modification.
When the first miner came to the surface, CNN drew 4 million viewers, Fox News had 3.5 million, and MSNBC 1.1 million.
Depends on how you do the measuring. The sale of 11 office properties will mean $1.2 billion for the general fund, but the long-term consequences are murkier.
But I thought L.A. Live was going to turn everything around for downtown. Guess not.
Federal agents say that an Armenian-American organized crime ring based in L.A. and NY bilked health-care programs for tens of millions of dollars.
Must be quite a scene at the rescue area where the wives and mistresses of some of the trapped miners have been getting to know one another.
Apple stock tops $300, state money woes over paying jobless benefits, food trucks to be graded, and an NFL stadium on convention center property?
Tuesday, Oct. 12
Hard to say. At times she seems to be pushing for aggressive reforms - but only if it doesn't involve her key supporters.
An average gallon of regular in the L.A. area is now running $3.10, a jump of 8 cents from last week.
Miguel Santana, the L.A.'s city administrative officer, is proposing a 401(k)-style pension option that would be cheaper than the current defined benefit plan.
FilmL.A, the group that monitors and coordinates on-location shooting, reports that third-quarter feature film activity fell 6.6 percent from a year earlier.
The media giant will file its reorganization plan on Friday after reaching a settlement with a group of squabbling unsecured creditors and major senior lenders.
At least there are signs of stability - third-quarter vacancy rate was 17.8 percent, down from 18.2 percent in the previous three months.
My business chat with KPCC's Steve Julian looks at the not-so-wonderful California budget deal, and L.A.'s financial crisis.
The proposed Westside subway extension doesn't quite have the same ring, but it's a lot more accurate.
More Wall Street bonuses, Republican House is looking like a lock, California might join foreclosure probe, and Pasadena approves Rose Bowl renovation.
Monday, Oct. 11
A consortium of investment firms are purchasing 24 state office buildings, including two in downtown L.A., for $2.3 billion.
The animation studio best known for producing "The Simpsons" is being acquired by an investment group in an all-cash deal.
Good news is that receipts for September were 15.3 percent above estimates last May. Bad news is that the state has to start paying out $8.3-billion in payments owed.
One of the fellows who won the Nobel Prize for economics can't get confirmed to the Federal Reserve because a senator doesn't believe he's qualified for the job.
Economists now expect GDP to rise by 2.6 percent this year, compared with a forecast of 3.2 percent in May.
After 56 years, city officials have decided that they're not only all right, but can benefit the economy.
Fed expected to act, council members propose pension cuts, station swapping for PBS, and no major near-misses at LAX.
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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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