Friday morning headlines

Stocks around the line: Another meandering day - so far. Dow is up a few points.

Consumer confidence picks up: December numbers are the highest since January 2008, and higher than expectations. (Reuters)

Don't touch my entitlements!: Americans want Congress to bring down the federal deficit, but not at the expense of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, according to a Bloomberg poll. Actually, they oppose cuts in most other domestic programs and defense.

Mortgage rates keep rising: They're at a six-month high, with lenders offering an average 4.61 percent to well-qualified buyers. This could be another thorn for housing. (LAT)

Occidental doing deals: The L.A.-based energy company is selling its Argentine wells to China's largest refiner and acquiring oil and natural-gas fields in Texas and North Dakota. It's Oxy's largest acquisition in four years. (Bloomberg)

Gas prices back to 2008 levels: An average gallon of regular in the L.A. area shot up by about a dime, to $3.237, according to the Auto Club. Oil prices have been increasing in recent weeks.

Chevron seeks lease extension: The oil giant wants tankers docked off El Segundo to continue pumping crude into its nearby refinery for another 30 years, but environments are trying to block it. From the LAT:

Environmental groups also want some of the tanker traffic to be rerouted from off El Segundo, where oil is pumped through underwater pipelines to a refinery on shore, to the Port of Los Angeles to lower the risk of a significant spill in Santa Monica Bay. An average of 28 vessels a month dock at the terminal, which can accommodate two ships at a time. "If a spill were to happen on a large scale, it would be catastrophic to our sensitive marine resources and thriving coastal economy," said Sarah Sikich, coastal resources director for the Santa Monica environmental group Heal the Bay.

Mercury cuts auto insurance: Many policyholders will see their rates reduced by at least 10 percent, beginning next week. From the LAT:

The Mercury rate cut is the latest in a series of price reductions by insurers in the highly competitive California market. Last week, the state's two biggest auto insurers, State Farm Mutual and the Auto Club of Southern California, unveiled new "pay-as-you-drive" policies that would allow some motorists to cut premiums significantly if they reduce the number of miles driven each year. More companies are expected to offer the pay-as-you-drive policies in coming months, said officials at the California Department of Insurance.

Forum vs. Staples?: The owners of Madison Square Garden are nearing a deal to purchase the former Lakers home for between $20 million and $25 million, and then refurbish the storied arena. From the LAT:

For nearly 30 years before the splashy $375-million Staples Center opened downtown and took the Lakers, Kings and most concerts away from Inglewood, the Forum was the arena of choice for hundreds of musicians and countless thousands of rock 'n' roll fans who lined up regularly for performances by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith, the Police, Guns N' Roses and Nirvana. Concerts and other public events, however, have been few and relatively far between since the building was purchased by Faith Central, although Green Day and Metallica have played there since the beginning of 2009.

Video games perk up: A strong showing on Black Friday helped boost sales 8 percent in November. Credit, in part, Activision Blizzard's "Call of Duty: Black Ops." (Reuters)

Little change in population: California and L.A. County grew at less than 1 percent in the past year. Blame the economy by and large. (Daily News)

Palin book lagging: Publisher HarperCollins hasn't order a second printing, a sign of sluggish sales. One theory: Palin is getting overexposed. (Washington Post)