BUSINESS
April 22, 2014 | By Charles Fleming
The nation's largest motorcycle company has reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter results for 2014. Harley-Davidson Inc., which trades on the New York Stock Exchange as HOG, on Tuesday reported net income of $265.9 million against revenue of $1.73 billion, up from a 2013 first-quarter report of net income of $224.1 million against revenue of $1.57 billion. Among its strongest sellers? The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Special and its new Breakout were the No. 1 and No. 2 top selling motorcycles in America for 2013, the company said.
SPORTS
April 19, 2014 | By Steve Dilbeck
Maybe the numbers seem slightly arbitrary, but that doesn't mean they aren't impressive. Zach Greinke is on some kind of roll and has been now for 16 regular season starts. He went six strong innings Friday night, holding the Diamondbacks to a Miguel Montero solo home run and two other hits. In each of those 16 consecutive starts he has pitched at least five innings without giving up more than two runs. That's the longest such streak since 1914, or as far back as the Dodgers can check.
ENTERTAINMENT
April 19, 2014 | By Susan King, Los Angeles Times
Award-winning producer-writer-director George Schlatter is a kind of P.T. Barnum of the small screen. An innovative showman, the 81-year-old Schlatter turned the comedy genre on its head with the hip, groundbreaking series "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" (1968-73) and helped usher in the reality show format with "Real People" (1979-84) But that's not all, folks. He also created the "American Comedy Awards," produced countless TV specials, including "A Party for Richard Pryor" and "Sinatra: 80 Years My Way," and earned more than a few honors for his work, including Emmys and Golden Globes.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 16, 2014 | By Chris Megerian
SACRAMENTO - Raising the stakes in his campaign to strengthen California's finances, Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday called a special session of the state Legislature for next week to consider a new plan to save money and pay off state debt, an election-year pitch that he must make to lawmakers without the benefit of a Democratic supermajority. Brown's proposal is aimed at cushioning the state against recessions and calming its turbulent fiscal waters. It would require Sacramento to capture spikes in revenue and either save the money to prevent budget cuts during a downturn or pay off debt and cover long-term liabilities such as public pensions.
CALIFORNIA | LOCAL
April 16, 2014 | By Chris Megerian
SACRAMENTO -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday called a legislative special session to prod lawmakers to approve his proposal for creating a new reserve fund, which the governor says will insulate the state from the economic turbulence it's suffered in the past. The special session is scheduled to begin on April 24. California has had a rainy day fund since 2004, but it's mostly been left empty amid the state's budget crises and there are weak rules for funding the account. Brown wants a new plan that would require the state to save some tax revenue from capital gains.
SCIENCE
April 14, 2014 | By Amina Khan
Fruit flies seem to have a preternatural ability to evade annoyed swatters. Now, laser-wielding scientists have discovered the secret of these winged escape artists: They execute speedy hairpin turns by banking in the same way that fighter jets do. The aerial skills of Drosophila hydei , described this month in the journal Science, could provide insight into the complex neural circuitry that makes such impressive maneuvers possible - and perhaps...