Forecasters

WASHINGTON -- The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday lowered its forecast for global economic growth this year from projections made three months ago, and warned policymakers that they could not relax their efforts as risks to the recovery remain. The organization projected the worldwide economy would grow at a 3.3% annual rate this year, down from a January forecast of 3.5%. The projection for 2014 also was trimmed, with growth now forecast at a 4% rate compared with a 4.1% forecast in January.

An avalanche sloughing off a Utah mountainside killed a state Department of Transportation avalanche forecaster while he was surveying snow levels near a popular winter recreation area, authorities reported. A co-worker last heard from 34-year-old Craig Patterson about  1:30 p.m. on Thursday. When the Park City man didn't come home from work, his family began to worry, said Justin Hoyal, a lieutenant with the Unified Police of Greater Salt Lake. Authorities got the call about 7:30 p.m., just before dark, Hoyal said.

WASHINGTON -- The World Trade Organization on Wednesday lowered its forecast for global trade growth in 2013, saying economic improvement in the U.S. would not be enough to offset Europe's struggles. The dimmer outlook for trade this year follows a historically poor 2012. Global trade expanded just 2% last year, down from 5.2% in 2011. Excluding years in which worldwide trade contracted, last year was the smallest annual increase since 1981, the WTO said. Growth will improve this year, but not as much as forecast last fall, the WTO said.

Jimmy Fallon has been crowned the next king of late-night television, but the empire he will inherit has seen better days. "Late Night" host Fallon, who will succeed Jay Leno in "The Tonight Show" chair in 2014, is charged with trying to reenergize a franchise that has lost much of its luster as viewers flock to cable television and the Internet for entertainment. Once an appearance on "The Tonight Show" could turn an unknown into a star overnight. Now a video on YouTube can do that.

The California bullet train project has reasonable ridership and revenue forecasts, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office, but it could be doing a better job at producing cost estimates. The report, which was leaked Thursday to the news media, appears to run counter to widespread criticism of the state rail authority's ridership revenue estimates and is likely to provide a dose of good news to the controversial project. But at the same time, the 90-page report renews concerns about future funding for the $68.4-billion venture.

Easter Sunday could be on the wet side for Southern California as a low-pressure system moves through the region. The chance of rain is 30% to 50% for Sunday. Morning church services could be affected, but the rain could also hold off until the afternoon, said Kathy Hoxsie, a National Weather Service meteorologist. The rain is not expected to be heavy, but umbrellas might still be needed to protect Easter hats. High temperatures will be in the low to upper 60s, with lows in the mid-50s.

Meteorologists take heed. The punishment for inaccurately predicting the weather in Ohio is now death, at least according to one prosecutor. Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser was apparently so enraged by this year's lengthy winter that he issued an indictment against Punxsutawney Phil, the famous groundhog who just a few months ago dared to predict an early spring. The tongue-in cheek indictment, which was posted online by the Washington Post, said Phil “purposely, and with prior calculation and design, caused the people to believe that Spring would come early.” The crimes at issue, he said, were “MISREPRESENTATION OF EARLY SPRING, an Unclassified Felony, and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.” Gmoser does appear to have the facts on his side.

HOUSTON - Another Carnival cruise ship has faltered, the third in a week for the troubled fleet that drew national attention last month when the Carnival Triumph broke down in the Gulf of Mexico, stranding more than 4,200 passengers who had to be towed back to shore. Carnival Corp., the nation's largest cruise company, announced Friday that the Carnival Legend was unable to sail at optimal speed off the coast of Honduras, bringing an early end to the seven-day Caribbean cruise for 2,500 passengers and 930 crew members who set sail from Florida last Sunday.

Jerry Lockenour couldn't predict what lay ahead for him 25 years ago when he stashed the Los Angeles Times' Magazine on a cabinet shelf. The April 3, 1988, magazine's cover illustration showed bubble-shaped cars traveling in "electro lanes" on a double-decked, high-rise-lined 1st Street in downtown's Civic Center area. The cover's headline was "L.A. 2013: Techno-Comforts and Urban Stresses - Fast Forward to One Day in the Life of a Future Family. " Inside was a lengthy essay that described a day in the life of a fictional Granada Hills family in April 2013.

The U.S. economy is ready to stage an earnest comeback this year - led by housing starts and auto sales - and California stands to grab a large proportion of the gains, UCLA economists said Wednesday. Although employment growth slowed at the end of last year, the employment picture this year is expected to brighten, helping the U.S. and California shake off their economic doldrums, according to the quarterly UCLA Anderson Forecast. Join us for a live video chat at 1:30 p.m. on the state of the California economy.