SPORTS
May 16, 2013 | By Mike DiGiovanna
It's early, but it's not that early. The Angels began the second quarter of the season with another ugly loss Thursday night, committing two errors plus a crucial mental mistake, throwing a wild pitch that scored a run and issuing a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk to a .185 hitter who had not drawn a free pass all season. The 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox dropped the Angels to 15-26, their worst 41-game start since 1976, and 12 games behind Texas in the American League West. There is still time for the Angels to make up ground, but the task ahead is daunting.
SPORTS
May 16, 2013 | Helene Elliott
The 18,000-plus fans who crammed into Staples Center didn't want to leave, lingering to digest what they had seen and savor an improbable moment. Who could blame them for trying to prolong a moment so stunning that it was at least the equal of the many feats the Kings pulled off last spring in winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 45 years? The Kings won a game they seemed bound to lose Thursday, rallying for two goals in the last two minutes for a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks to take a solid 2-0 series lead.
SPORTS
May 15, 2013 | By Mike DiGiovanna
The good news for the Angels is that with Monday's off day, they can skip the fifth spot in the rotation, which, until Wednesday night, was held by Barry Enright, who opened the season at triple A and appears headed back there soon. The bad news is they couldn't skip it Wednesday night. Enright got his second start in place of the sidelined Tommy Hanson and provided the fuel for a seven-run third inning that Kansas City rode to a 9-5 victory in Angel Stadium. Billy Butler hit a two-run single and Lorenzo Cain had a three-run double to key the Royals third inning, as the Angels fell to 15-25 and 11 games behind Texas in the American League West, their largest deficit after 40 games since they were 12 games back at this stage of the 2001 season.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2013 | By David G. Savage, Los Angeles Times
WASHINGTON - Monsanto Co. and other companies that patent seeds may prohibit farmers from growing a second crop from their genetically modified seeds, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously. The closely watched decision was a clear victory for agribusiness giants and their biotechnological innovations, which have increased crop yields. But it was a setback for the many disgruntled farmers who have complained about the high cost of these miracle seeds. By a 9-0 vote, the justices decided the patent for a specialized seed outlives the first planting.
BUSINESS
May 14, 2013 | David Lazarus
It's long been a basic tenet of the business world: You give us more business, we'll reward your loyalty with better deals. That's how cable companies operate with their service packages. That's how phone companies work. And until now, that's pretty much how banks played things as well. Want to avoid checking-account fees? Maintain a higher balance or, better yet, take out a home loan. As of this month, however, about 2 million erstwhile Bank of America mortgage customers are scrambling to figure out their status after the bank sold servicing rights to their accounts to a company called Nationstar Mortgage.
WORLD
May 14, 2013 | By Chris Kraul and Mery Mogollon, Los Angeles Times
CARACAS, Venezuela - The sale of Globovision, Venezuela's last major television station critical of the government, raised concern Tuesday that no mass media platform may remain on which to challenge the Chavista administration of President Nicolas Maduro. The sale of the station for an undisclosed price by an ownership group led by Guillermo Zuloaga, now self-exiled in Miami, was completed Monday night, according to a statement the broadcaster posted on its website. Zuloaga had said mounting government fines and political harassment had left him with no choice but to sell.