Economies

Big Labor Can't Elect a Mayor in L.A.

Wendy Greuel's labor allies, Brian D'Arcy and Maria Elena Durazo, share an outsized portion of the blame for her defeat in the L.A. mayor's race

Wendy Greuel Heads To Hollywood To Challenge Eric Garcetti's Turnaround Claim

Wendy Greuel attacked Eric Garcetti on his home turf today, challenging his jobs figures and blaming him for a recent spike in rapes, which she called the "dirty little secret" of Hollywood."It's one of the most dangerous places for women in the city, something Mr. Garcetti seems to be ignoring," Gr ... More >>

L.A. Gas Prices Rising; AAA Says Fill Up Now

After eight weeks of falling prices at the American pump, your cost for a gallon gas could be headed up. In fact AAA of Southern California warned on its Facebook page last night that prices would increase and that you should fill 'er up ASAP, like this morning. Really:

Is Anything 'Made in California' Anymore? Law Would Create Prideful Label

You know you swell up just a little bit when you read that "Designed by Apple in California" label on the back of your iPhone. Don't be too proud, though:

Gray Davis, David Fleming Defend "LA 20/20" to Criticism the Group is Light on High-Tech, Hollywood or Entrepreneurs

Is LA 20/20, the high-powered committee that includes former Gov. Gray Davis and was selected by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Mickey Kantor and multimillionaire Austin Beutner to find ways to bring economic health to L.A., a bit light on entrepreneurs and others who can create jobs? Jack Hump ... More >>

Mayoral Candidate Wendy Greuel Picks Up Critical Support From L.A. County Labor Federation

Update below, 5:15 p.m. Full rundown of Garcetti and Greuel's remarks behind closed doors at the Fed today. Greuel: "I'm gonna stand with labor, not stand up to labor." Controller Wendy Greuel got a major lift this morning, as the political committee of the L.A. County Federation of Labor voted ... More >>

Wendy Greuel Adds Another Public Sector Union, Picking Up Firefighters Endorsement

Update below: Eric Garcetti wins UTLA endorsement. L.A.'s public-sector employee unions continue to line up behind Wendy Greuel in the race for mayor.Greuel already has the backing of the L.A. Police Protective League and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 18, which repr ... More >>

Mayor's Race: L.A. County Federation Of Labor Can't Decide Between Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel

The L.A. County Federation of Labor, one of the biggest sources of power in L.A. elections, has decided not to endorse in the first round of the L.A. mayor's race, according to multiple sources.Eric Garcetti and Wendy Greuel are the two candidates with the strongest labor support. But neither could ... More >>

UCLA Anderson Forecast Predicts Massive Economic Okayness

You've been waiting since 2007 for the economy to really turn a corner and this (re) election has you excited that the go-go days of Bill Clinton are about to return to America. You bought a new car, took your girl to have a nice meal at Chez Douche, and you're pondering a purchase of some of that ... More >>

How Wall Street and Washington Conspired to Spike Gas Prices

By Pete Kotz On July 11, 2008, the price of oil rose to $147 per barrel, a record high. Gas stations engaged in hot pursuit as the price of a gallon rocketed past $4. All hell was about to break loose. The country's largest banks had already begun to implode through arrogance and ineptitude. Now t ... More >>

9/11 10-Year Anniversary Observed in Los Angeles

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Last year the LAPD was staffed at "full strength" as a precaution. This year Officer Cleon Joseph told us it wasn't clear what the department's plans were, though we'd expect much of the same. In the meantime the L.A. Fire ... More >>

The 5 Biggest Losers From Carmen Trutanich's D.A. Debacle (Other Than Trutanich)

The county updated its vote tally this afternoon, and it confirmed what we already knew: Carmen Trutanich crashed and burned on Tuesday night. With 59,000 extra ballots counted, Trutanich's margin of defeat is unchanged. He's still in third by 8,000 votes, and only 117,000 votes remain to be counted ... More >>

Los Angeles Makes Top 20 Most Competitive Cities in World, But Ranking Seems Low to Us

L.A. ranks high when it comes to such things as traffic, potholes and rich people. What about global competitiveness? You know, the "ability to attract capital, business, talent and tourists," as the latest "Economist Intelligence Unit" report puts it. Not bad. We come in 19th place among 120 world ... More >>

Antonio Villaraigosa's $30,000 a Day Trip to Asia: Another Empty Gesture as 13 Percent Jobless Rate Grips Los Angeles

KCETAntonio Villaraigosa with other people's money.​Thankfully, we have CitywatchLA explaining how Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spends bundles of cash on pointless gestures. His trip to Asia, which will have zero effect on the Los Angeles economy, is burning $30,000 a day. Villaraigosa says he' ... More >>

Joe Buscaino vs. Warren Furutani for L.A. City Council: Police Union's New 'Public Safety First' Yard Signs Could Sway Election

lapd.comNow on 6,500 lawns across L.A.​Like in national elections, it takes a democracy-numbing amount of time and money to win a political post in Los Angeles. Just ask Ron Kaye, LA Daily News editor turned City Hall watchdog. (If you ever feel like witnessing a city official burned at the ... More >>

Joe Buscaino Has Momentum In City Council Race, But Could Unions Give Warren Furutani A Chance?

​Tuesday update: The L.A. County Federation of Labor endorsed Furutani on Monday night, sharpening the biz-vs-labor narrative. More below.Joe Buscaino came from nowhere to win the most votes in last week's primary in the 15th Council District. Since then, the San Pedro cop been racking up endorsem ... More >>

Flappers Comedy Club: How Did a New Standup Venue Take Off Despite Down Economy?

Barbara Holliday​"In a city that is mostly 'showcase' clubs, it's a nice change of pace to be able to do a full hour-long headline set in front of good, appreciative crowds." So says comedian and podcaster Jimmy Pardo. He was talking to us about Flappers, a nightclub that opened in September ... More >>

L.A. County Federation Of Labor To Require Democratic Politicians to Clean Toilets And Change Bedpans

​The L.A. County Federation of Labor can make or break a politician's career. The Fed's endorsement brings an army of precinct walkers and door knockers, which can turn the tide in a local race. But now that endorsement is becoming harder to get. Under new requirements rolled out at Fed headquarte ... More >>

California Environmental Protection Could be Watered Down Under Sneaky Law Awaiting Jerry Brown's Signature, Activists Say

Chris McCorkleDensity in downtown L.A.​Critics of over-development in L.A. are up in arms about a California law, which just needs the governor's signature to be finalized, that they argue would weaken the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and allow cities to use years- and decades-o ... More >>

Unemployment in Los Angeles Hits 12.4 Percent: Recovery or Great Recession?

'The Jerk'​We hope you're enjoying the economic recovery, what with the stock market taking a stage dive, a real estate Ice Age and yes, lots and lots of people out of work. Good thing 2008 is in the rear view, right? Wait, California just announced state unemployment has hit 12 percent. That ... More >>

Craig Huey Warns Of Obama's "Internet Kill Switch" At Congressional Town Hall

Craig Huey​Craig Huey, the Tea Party candidate for the 36th Congressional District, hosted a town hall last night in Torrance at which he touted his seven secrets for jump-starting the economy.They are -- spoiler alert -- a bunch of conservative talking points about cutting spending and repealing ... More >>

Marie Callender's Files Bankruptcy, Closes Stores End of the Line for Mediocre Restaurant Chains?

C. Soudry​ Last year Koo Koo Roo closed several of its California locations and filed bankruptcy, chalking it up to a bad economy. This year Islands restaurants are showing signs of decline, closing their Beverly Hills and Laguna Hills locations. In more recent restaurant chain news, Marie Cal ... More >>

Huge Subsidy for Stadium Architect

Villaraigosa quietly plans to hand Gensler $1 million meant for the poor

Richard Riordan Endorses Private Equity Baron Austin Beutner For Mayor

Ted SoquiRichard Riordan endorses Austin Beutner for mayor​Former Mayor Richard Riordan endorsed fellow rich guy Austin Beutner this morning in the 2013 mayor's race.Beutner limped into Pear Garden, a factory that makes Korean food in downtown L.A. According to his press staff, Beutner tore a liga ... More >>

If Arizona Legalized All Latino Immigrants (Fat Chance), State Would Collect $1.6 Billion More in Taxes, Says UCLA Report

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer: generally wrong about things​We know wackjob Arizona officials aren't really too into facts anymore, in their SB 1970 crusade to hunt down every last undocumented Latino and throw 'em all back to the drug lords down south, but UCLA professor Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda jus ... More >>

Councilwoman Janice Hahn Gets Labor Fed Endorsement In Congressional Race

Janice Hahn​As predicted, L.A. Councilwoman Janice Hahn picked up the endorsement today of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, a big boost for her congressional campaign.Hahn is running against Secretary of State Debra Bowen, anti-war activist Marcy Winograd, and three Republicans in the May 17 s ... More >>

Los Angeles Traffic Congestion is Number One in U.S. (Again): 405, 5, 10 Freeways Are National Contenders

We're number one.​This is about as surprising as another Charlie Sheen outburst. But here it is folks, the news: Yet another study ranks L.A.'s traffic congestion as the worst in the nation among major cities. Yeah, a traffic data company called INRIX released its fourth-annual National Tra ... More >>

Despite Job Growth, Latinos Are More Scared of Losing Their Jobs Than Other Workers

​The good news for Hispanic workers is that over the past two months there's been solid job growth in industries where Hispanics have a significant presence. But with the good, there's always a bit of the bad. Latinos are more worried about job security than any other workers.

Good News for Undocumented Workers: Legalization Leads to More Money

​Undocumented workers and those in favor of legalizing them received a dose of inspiring news when a pair of local economics professors announced the results of their recent study: Legalizing illegal immigrants will significantly increase undocumented workers' wages. But wait, that's not all.

Adding Machine: A Musical

Mexican Macro-economics

Do undocumented migrants steal jobs from American workers?

All in the Family

Izakaya's Korean Brethren