U.S. factory work is returning, but the industry has changed

GRIFFIN, Ga. — Giant machines are tearing down the old bleachery, another reminder to Chuck Smith that this old mill town doesn't...

Read More..

Pro sports leagues aim to put workers' comp out of play

One would think that we've learned from bitter experience not to trust a word uttered by our major professional sports leagues.Yet here they are trying to put another howler over on us. This is their assertion that retired pro athletes — many of them from outside the state — are ripping off California's workers' compensation system for hundreds of...

Read More..

Airports big and small may feel effects of federal budget feud

Get ready for longer lines at Los Angeles International Airport, slower delivery of packages and the possible shutdown of small...

Read More..

Island Air is Ellison's latest buy

How do you follow the purchase of an island in Hawaii?If you're Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison, you buy an airline so...

Read More..

Deficit hawks' 'generational theft' argument is a sham

Here's a phrase you can expect to be hearing a lot in the national debate over fiscal policy, as we move past the "sequester," which is today's crisis du jour, and toward the budget cliff/government shutdown deadline looming at the end of March:"Generational theft."The core idea the term expresses is that we're spending so much more on our seniors...

Read More..

Bill would bar some athletes from California workers' comp claims

SACRAMENTO — Players for professional sports teams based outside of California would be barred from filing compensation claims...

Read More..

Herbalife is global giant with business model in question

Stock spotlight is a new weekly feature that will profile a notable, public company.The company: Herbalife Ltd.Headquarters:...

Read More..

Jason Bateman gives Ernest Borgnine's estate a new identity

Markus Canter and Cristie St. James, who share the title luxury properties director at Prudential in Beverly Hills, like Jason Bateman's real estate sense. The actor got privacy, potential and a knoll location for $3 million. ...

Read More..

Hiltzik: Herbalife's academic team

Herbalife International says it's all about helping people "pursue healthy, active lives." UCLA's Geffen School of Medicine likes to think of itself as being in the forefront of medical research and modern healthcare.But the curious relationship between these two supposed champions of healthful living should turn your stomach.Herbalife is the Los...

Read More..

Foreign tourists' spending in U.S. rises to new record

The U.S. continues to be a hot destination for big-spending tourists, setting a new record of $168.1 billion in foreign visitor...

Read More..

Tesla results renew worries about its long-term viability

Tesla Motors Inc. reported another good-not-great quarter, renewing concerns about its ability to quickly churn out enough electric...

Read More..

More cellphone users switch to prepaid plans

Philip Hsiang and his wife, Mary Ann, used to pay almost $1,000 a year for a pair of cellphones under a family plan contract.But...

Read More..

Audit of Fed's gold finds it's safe, more pure than expected

NEW YORK — Turns out the Federal Reserve's gold is secure and a bit more pure than previously thought — or so the government...

Read More..

A secret agent reveals her secrets of success

The prospect of a business book written by a former CIA officer fills one with dread at the inevitable 007 anecdotes and labored...

Read More..

G-20 seeks to allay fear of currency war

WASHINGTON — Top finance officials of the world's 20 largest economies sought Saturday to allay fear of a currency war, pledging...

Read More..

Taking aim at the gun industry

We've all heard the saw about California being hostile to industry. Here's an industry that indisputably has grounds for complaint: the gun industry.Finally, the Legislature is getting something right.According to many experts, California's firearms regulations are the toughest in the nation. (New York's recently enacted rules may be tougher, but...

Read More..

Carl Icahn buys nearly 13% stake in Herbalife as battle heats up

NEW YORK — It's no longer just a war of words.Corporate raider Carl Icahn has thrown $214 million behind Herbalife Ltd., the...

Read More..