August 7 - August 13, 2011

Friday, Aug. 12
Could be an early indicator of sluggish retail ordering for the holiday shopping season.
After all the crazy moves, the Dow managed to lose just 1,5 percent.
Really? Well, maybe we're confusing cheap with good.
That would be Patrick Schwarzenegger, Arnold's son.
How about this guy replacing Tim Geithner at Treasury?...
Several reasonable reforms have been suggested, but the unions are not thrilled.
Consumers kept spending in July, L.A. gas prices tumble, USC might block pro football at Coliseum, and council considers privatizing zoo.
Thursday, Aug. 11
Too bad that other financial misdeeds can't be tied up so neatly.
This might have been the most unenthusiastic 421-point gain in the history of Wall Street.
The same thing that happens with most economic boycotts: not much.
The Texas governor and soon-to-be presidential candidate has been quite successful in the state.
Anyone looking to escape this week's maddening stock market might check out a wacky $50 million lawsuit.
Good news on jobs, drop in California foreclosures, City Council saves redevelopment money, and Unami Burgers in expansion mode.
Wednesday, Aug. 10
Wall Street shows very little interest in the phone-hacking uproar.
Michael Lewis explains how the European debt crisis can be traced to Germany's anal obsession.
The market bloodbath, interrupted briefly on Tuesday, resumed throughout the session.
Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons say the new plan would increase their contributions to the health care fund.
Sean Harrigan, who was president of a city pension board, wants to be reimbursed for his legal bills in connection with an SEC investigation.
Brian Moynihan is not afraid to acknowledge that buying Countrywide Financial was a dumb idea.
There's nothing like recapitalizing a loan to put a whole new perspective on things.
Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross neatly sums up what's really happening.
Quelle horreur in France, stock drop hits state budget hard, slowly improving jobs picture in Socal, and layoffs at THQ.
So much for yesterday's rally - another stomach-churning session is under way....
Tuesday, Aug. 9
All the usual suspects have been bandied about for months, but only two or three would seem to really be in the running.
Good luck trying to figure out why.
Vote is 12-0. But several steps remain before construction can begin.
An idea that makes next to no sense.
Unless those numbers turn around, the state will be forced to implement another round of cuts.
So far they've been limited, at least as far as downgrades on local government issues.
Federal Reserve policymakers downgraded its view of the U.S. economy.
Upgrading the convention center won't necessarily make L.A. a top-tier convention city.
Funny stuff. Did you know that the Isle of Man has a triple-A rating?
Waiting for Fed announcement, City Council to vote on stadium deal, lower gas prices, and Tribune Co. is working on its own tablet.
Monday, Aug. 8
The city has been effectively taken over by a small group of special interests.
He's worried about what Friday's S&P downgrade means for the overall health of the U.S. economy.
An even uglier day than last Thursday.
Dow down over 600 points....
Same old blah-blah. This guy really doesn't get it.
Yep, that's the same AIG that came close to bankruptcy in 2008 before being bailed out by the government. The insurance giant is expected to seek $10 billion, claiming that Bank of America - and its Merrill Lynch and Countrywide Financial units - misrepresented the quality of the mortgages that were packaged up as securities and sold to investors. From the NYT: The private actions stand in stark contrast to the few credit crisis cases...
Not surprisingly, they're all things financial.
Stocks keep falling, Brown speaks up for Schwarzenegger, poor immigrants in L.A. on the decline, and big drop in Dodger attendance.
One of those fasten-your-seat-belts days - the Dow opened down more than 200 points, and now it's running in the 160-180 range. *7:32: Losses are accelerating - Down down 336 *8:11: Dow is down 260. *9:05: Down 304 *9:55: Down 308 *10:45: Down 407...
Sunday, Aug. 7
At last check, the major indexes were down 1 percent to 2 percent.
The early going is almost certain to be volatile, but after that who knows?
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