May 1 - May 7, 2011
Friday, May. 6
The state has taken in $2.5 billion more in tax revenues so far this year than expected.
One price tag is $3 trillion over 15 years - and very little to show for it.
Christina Norman lasted less than six months after launching OWN, the cable channel co-owned by Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications.
Happy, just not delirious.
Eddy Hartenstein will remain publisher of Los Angeles Times Media Group.
Strong employment report, oil keeps falling, IRS investigating Kabbalah Centre, and Mel Gibson reduces asking price on his Malibu house.
Thursday, May. 5
No explanation for the new policy, other than a decision to adhere to federal laws.
Without a detailed accounting, his defense doesn't amount to much.
Some marketers have questioned the spots, though it's not unusual for companies to promote sentiment rather than specifics.
Crude futures fell more than $9 to settle at $99.72 a barrel. Should that level hold, gas prices are almost certain to drop.
The lack of any entourage, the Southwest commuter flights - this is not for show, it's just the way Brown operates.
Well, sort of. But the Spirit Airlines fare contains quite a few catches.
Well, let's put it this way: Sizzler and Jack in the Box are getting into the game.
She was routinely included on lists of the most powerful women in the entertainment industry.
Big jump in jobless claims, McCourt supposedly not cooperating, state deficit is shrinking, and feds consider relaxing airport security.
Wednesday, May. 4
All decisions about Medicare and taxes would be deferred until after the 2012 elections.
Meanwhile, owner Frank McCourt keeps hitting the airwaves in the hopes that he'll be able to convince fans that the team is not in a financial hole.
The City Attorney's office is asking a judge to force the company to clean up the 2,000 foreclosed properties it owns in L.A.
Here's another bit of so-called information that's been filtering out since Sunday's killing of Osama bin Laden: That the compound in Abbottabad is somehow valued at a million bucks. Now, I don't know much about Pakistan real estate, but doesn't that seem a little hard to believe? A reader writes into Dealbreaker: "I think I have a solution for the housing problem. All we need to do is hire the people who appraised Bin...
Talk about a cautionary tale for those who believe that a municipal bankruptcy filing is the best-and-only hope for cities.
Disappointing jobs report, hotel tax breaks questioned, killing redevelopment might be illegal, and improvements planned for IHOP.
Tuesday, May. 3
This could get dicey considering that Bud Selig apparently won't sign off on a $3-billion TV deal with Fox until an investigation into the Dodgers financial situation is complete.
It's a huge package - worth about $3 billion over 12 years.
The state's low usage rate is generally attributed to skittishness by undocumented immigrants.
Well you knew this was coming.
This week's biz chat with Steve Julian looks at whether Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig has an exit strategy in the Dodgers mess.
Much of the strength has come from sales of smaller, fuel efficient vehicles.
Quite a strong one, according to the consulting firm McKinsey, which places L.A. in sixth position worldwide in gross domestic product.
More job seekers than jobs, TV ownership falls, mixed bag on LAT circulation, and Boingo about to go public.
Monday, May. 2
PPR, which has some of the world's biggest labels, is buying the Costa Mesa-based company for $607.5 million.
Here are Obama, Biden, Clinton, Gates and others looking on in the Situation Room.
The weekly increase was about a nickel a gallon, with the prices of regular in the L.A. area at $4.293.
You're talking about trillions of dollars - only Hitler would would come close in terms of monetary cost (human cost is something else altogether).
Is there really a role for old-fashioned broadcast stations in a digital universe?
The annual gathering of world thinkers opens with the discouraging view of Pimco CEO Mohamed A. El-Erian.
Well, the Dow has given up most of its gains this morning - if that's any indication.
The league's relocation committee apparently had serious reservations about the move to Anaheim.
Bin Laden bounce on Wall Street, Chrysler posts profit, mediator called into grocery talks, and Anthem rate hike called unreasonable.
© 2003-2015 • About LA Observed • Email the editor
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.
More From Mark Lacter:
After 22 years of loyalty, Baylor is unceremoniously shown the door.
Before I lived in Echo Park, there was a tiny 1920s bungalow-cottage-standalone house on N. Occidental in Silver Lake. I...
