Tuesday morning headlines

Stocks keep wavering: Lots of cautious trading so far this week. Dow is down a few points in early trading.

Small Biz optimism edges higher: The National Federation of Independent Business Index gained a bit in October, but it's still in recession territory. (press release)

Bankruptcies per-capita: L.A. County had 7.11 filings per 1,000 population from Oct. 1, 2009 through Sept. 30, 2010. OC was at 6.12, Riverside County 10.98, and San Bernardino County 9.06. (OC Register)

New rules for cargo: No more large toner and ink cartridges on passenger flights, and air cargo shipments from Yemen to the U.S. will continue to be banned. From the NYT:

The new measures, which were put in place as of Monday, are intended to prevent a repeat of a cargo plot last month. In that plot, printer cartridges packed with explosives were sent from Yemen via express-mail companies, with the intent of blowing up planes headed to the United States. Security officials remain concerned that larger toner and ink cartridges present a hazard, because explosives could be hidden inside.

Plastic bag people lobby hard: South Carolina-based Hilex Poly shelled out more than $1 million last summer to derail state legislation that would ban plastic bags. The bill was voted down in the last night of the session. (Sacramento Bee)

Relief for Qantas passengers?: The airline is leasing planes in order to clear the backlog of Australian-bound passengers who have been stuck in L.A. since late last week. But Qantas doesn't expect to operate its A380 fleet for at least another few days. (Australian Broadcasting)

Sunset Media Tower on the block: One of the largest office buildings in Hollywood - and headquarters for Nielsen Media Research - could fetch upwards of $80 million. (THR)

World energy demand will increase: So says the International Energy Agency in its annual forecast, which sees the price of oil reaching $113 a barrel by 2035 (it's now about $87). From the NYT:

Even though renewable energy sources are set to increase in importance, oil, coal and natural gas would remain the main sources in 2035, according to the intergovernmental agency, which is based in Paris and advises industrialized countries. "It is hard to overstate the growing importance of China in global energy markets," the I.E.A. added in its annual report. "The country's growing need to import fossil fuels to meet its rising domestic demand will have an increasingly large impact on international markets."

Gas prices stable: An average gallon in the L.A. area is $3.137, about where it was last week, according to the government's survey.

New pollution rules: Refineries and industrial plants in the L.A. area will have to slash the amount of soot that can be emitted. But it may not be enough to meet federal health standards. From the LAT:

Airborne soot, in minute particles of 2.5 micrometers or less in size, is responsible for an estimated 9,000 deaths of Californians each year. Stationary sources such as refineries and cement plants, and mobile sources, such as trucks, tractors and forklifts, are to blame. [Air Quality Management District] governs stationary sources, but has little control over mobile sources such as trucks and construction equipment, governed by the state air board.

New operator for movie chain: The former Magic Johnson Theaters at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza will be taken over by Dallas-based Rave Motion Pictures. (LAT)

Coda CEO steps down: Kevin Czinger, who has been the electric car company's public face for the past two years, will be replaced on an interim basis by co-chairman Steven "Mac" Heller. (Business Journal)