Last look at Van Nuys location
WNET and the influence of David Koch
Stocks stay on the plus side: Market is set to post its biggest quarterly advance in more than a decade. Dow is up about 50 points.
NFL stadium deal may be in jeopardy: See post below.
Consumer sentiment improves: Yes, that's despite higher pump prices. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's Index rose to 76.2, the highest since February 2011, and above forecasts. (Reuters)
Gas update: L.A. area prices fell another half-penny from Thursday. An average gallon of regular is at $4.353, slightly below what it was a month ago, according to the Auto Club.
Apple supplier promises changes: Chinese manufacturing giant Foxconn pledged to sharply curtail working hours and increase wages. The move follows a wide-reaching audit workplace violations. From the NYT:
"There's this lingering sense among workers that they're in a dangerous place," Auret van Heerden, president and chief executive of the Fair Labor Association, said in an interview. But Foxconn has "reached a tipping point," he added. "They have publicly promised to make changes in a manner that they will have to deliver on it." Apple, which recently joined the Fair Labor Association, had asked the group to investigate plants manufacturing iPhones, iPads and other devices. In past months, a growing outcry over conditions at such factories has drawn protests and petitions, and several labor rights organizations started independently scrutinizing Apple's suppliers.
Villaraigosa wants retirement age raised: And the mayor says he might seek a ballot measure if the City Council doesn't go along. From the LAT:
Labor leaders said their members already had agreed to pension reforms and other concessions over the last three years, saving the city $800 million. They argued that Villaraigosa has done too little to find other revenue sources, such as collecting hundreds of millions of dollars owed to the city. "I think it's just a real failure of leadership," said Cheryl Parisi, chairwoman for the Coalition of L.A. City Unions. "How many more services is the mayor going to cut instead of trying to manage the city proactively?"
Jump in Dodger ticket sales: Opening Day is sold out, of course, but there's been an increase in season-ticket sales as well. Prices were reduced in December. (ESPN)
THQ layoffs: The Agoura Hills-based videogame publisher is scaling back its plans for the online version of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game. A total of 118 employees will be let go. (LAT)