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SACRAMENTO - An administrator at California's parks department who authorized illegal vacation buyouts for employees has agreed to pay a $7,000 fine imposed by the state's ethics watchdog agency. The Fair Political Practices Commission announced the action against Manuel Thomas Lopez, 45, in a case that helped lead to a broader financial scandal that cost top parks officials their jobs. Lopez was deputy director of the department's Administrative Services Division. In a scheme he authorized, employees cashed in more than $285,000 worth of accrued vacation time.

Almost 21 million residential customers of Southern California Gas Co. will see their monthly bills increase by about 5%, or $1.94, now that state utility regulators have approved a four-year plan to guarantee revenue collected by the nation's largest natural gas distribution network. The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday granted the unit of San Diego-based Sempra Energy a rate increase totaling $1.95 billion for 2012 through 2015. The amount is $84.83 million more than current revenue but $154 million less than the company asked for at the start of a lengthy legal proceeding, the commission said.

The $3-billion merger of Occidental Petroleum and the MidCon Corp. will be allowed to proceed under a consent agreement approved Friday, the Federal Trade Commission announced.

SACRAMENTO - An administrator at California's parks department who authorized illegal vacation buyouts for employees has agreed to pay a $7,000 fine imposed by the state's ethics watchdog agency. The Fair Political Practices Commission announced the action against Manuel Thomas Lopez, 45, in a case that helped lead to a broader financial scandal that cost top parks officials their jobs. Lopez was deputy director of the department's Administrative Services Division. In a scheme he authorized, employees cashed in more than $285,000 worth of accrued vacation time.

The Transportation Department gave final approval today for Texas Air Corp. to purchase Eastern Airlines, a $676-million acquisition that would create the largest airline in the country.

Mission, one of the nation's largest writers of workers' compensation insurance until it suffered losses by entering into such high-risk areas as liability coverage for asbestos removal and day-care centers, was ordered liquidated by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Ricardo Torres. Policyholders eventually will be notified on how to proceed in making claims, which will be paid by the California Insurance Guarantee Assn.

Hybritech Inc. received federal approval Wednesday for a cancer-testing product that will thrust the firm into a $25-million-per-year diagnostic market now controlled by Abbott Laboratories, which Hybritech accused last week of unfair competitive practices. Hybritech's Tandem-R CEA diagnostic kit measures CEA, or carcinoembryonic antigen, which is typically found in patients with cancer of the colon, rectum, breast or lung.

MCI WorldCom Inc., the No. 2 U.S. long-distance telephone company, won federal regulatory approval for its planned purchase of SkyTel Communications Inc., the No. 2 paging company, for $1.75 billion in stock and assumed debt. The Federal Communications Commission ruled the transaction is in the public interest. No oppositions to the merger were filed, an agency spokeswoman said. Shareholders of SkyTel are to vote on the acquisition Sept. 29. On Nasdaq, MCI WorldCom shares fell $3.

The Mississippi Legislature today overwhelmingly approved a bill aimed at doing away with a century-old county purchasing system the FBI found was rife with corruption. The House passed the bill 111 to 7 and the Senate 50 to 0. It now goes to Gov. Ray Mabus, who had hailed the measure as "a tremendous victory against corruption and for effective government."

The $1.1-billion acquisition of Lorimar Telepictures Corp. by Warner Communication Inc. was approved today by boards of both entertainment companies. In a joint statement, both companies said a definitive agreement has been signed by the boards. The transaction, which calls for each share of Lorimar common stock to be exchanged for .415 of a share of Warner common stock, awaits approval of a majority of Lorimar shareholders and regulatory clearances. Lorimar, based in Culver City, Calif.

WASHINGTON - After a contentious debate, the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday narrowly approved former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be secretary of Defense, moving the fight over President Obama's controversial Cabinet choice to the full Senate. Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska, won the 26-member panel's endorsement with only Democratic votes. All 11 Republicans present voted against his nomination; one GOP senator was absent. The full Senate will begin considering Hagel's nomination Wednesday, with a final vote possible by week's end. Several GOP senators have threatened to delay the vote, but the White House appears confident it has enough votes to prevail.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa - Malian government forces Thursday reportedly pressed to keep Al Qaeda-linked militants out of the village of Banamba as rebels struck fear into nearby Diabaly. The European Union, meanwhile, authorized sending a noncombat training mission to the West African nation. Malian officials sent about 100 soldiers to Banamba, 90 miles north of the capital, Bamako, after sightings of suspected Islamist militants in the area, according to news reports. Al Qaeda militias have already infiltrated Diabaly, in effect using the population as a human shield, moving around in small groups to avoid being targeted in airstrikes by France, taking over homes and preventing residents from leaving, the reports said.

SEATTLE - A military judge has ruled that defense examiners can utilize hypnosis to help Army Sgt. John Russell penetrate the haze of amnesia he says prevents him from remembering the day he allegedly killed five fellow service members at a mental health clinic in Iraq. Monday's ruling is a boost for the defense, which hopes to show that Russell should not face the death penalty because he was suffering from a mental breakdown brought on by longstanding depression, mental illness and Army psychiatrists who allegedly taunted him instead of treating him. Judge David L. Conn also authorized the defense to hire an expert to conduct tests for signs of physical brain damage, but ruled that defense lawyers hadn't shown they need additional experts to analyze whether there were deficiencies in the psychiatric care that Russell received at the hands of Army doctors.

Large tax breaks approved by Assessor John Noguez for downtown business owners who contributed to a little-known campaign fund will be investigated immediately, according to acting assessor Santos Kreimann. When Noguez ran for office in 2010, more than $100,000 poured into a City Council fund he controlled in Huntington Park, where he was a councilman. Most of that money came from downtown business owners with seemingly little interest in the small, working-class city. Only one check, for $250, came from a Huntington Park resident during the election year, records show.

Consumer columnist David Lazarus has been hearing complaints from CVS customers that their prescriptions are being filled without their permission. Lazarus and Business Editor Marla Dickerson will discuss his stories on the topic in a live video chat at 3 p.m. today. They would like to know if this has happened to you. To participate in the conversation, leave your comments below. LIVE VIDEO DISCUSSION: Join us at 3 p.m. today Lazarus reported last week about confidential emails from a CVS supervisor in New Jersey instructing pharmacists there to refill prescriptions and submit claims to insurers without people's approval.

WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke said "grave concern" about the nation's high unemployment rate led the central bank to launch another round of stimulus, and that the aggressive open-ended program underscores a commitment to the economic recovery. "We've seen not enough jobs growth to bring down the unemployment rate, and what we need to see is more progress," Bernanke said. The Fed would continue with its stimulus "until we do," he said. "We're just trying to get the economy moving in the right direction, so we don't stagnate at high levels of unemployment," Bernanke said Thursday at his quarterly news conference, which followed the Fed's announcement of its new stimulus effort.

The plan calls for Ashland to repurchase more than 10 million common shares, apparently as part of a strategy to thwart future takeover attempts. The board also authorized the creation of an employee stock ownership plan containing up to 5.3 million shares, or 18% of Ashland's current outstanding stock. Under a buy-back plan, Ashland said it was paying $134.1 million, or $51 a share, to the Belzberg family of Canada for the 2.6 million shares that they held.

Los Angeles County supervisors unanimously approved a tax increase Tuesday that would give their Fire Department an extra $1.5 million in annual revenue. The 2% increase will raise the fire protection district taxes for a single-family home by about $1 to $62.26 each year. The special service tax is an essential funding component for the department, according to a letter fire officials sent to the board. The department has a $940-million total budget and serves about 4 million residents in the unincorporated parts of the county and various contract cities.