ed Smithsonian ecologist John Parker discusses his work with white-tailed deer and invasive plant species By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 04 Oct 2010 14:06:59 +0000 The post Smithsonian ecologist John Parker discusses his work with white-tailed deer and invasive plant species appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Research News Science & Nature Video conservation biology invasive species Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
ed The three male cheetahs that left the National Zoo’s D.C. campus in 2009 returned in November and are now on exhibit By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:23:40 +0000 The three male cheetahs that left the Zoo's D.C. campus in 2009 returned in November and are now on exhibit. The five-and-a-half-year-old brothers―Draco, Granger, and Zabini, named after characters in the Harry Potter stories―have been living at the Zoo's Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Cheetah Science Facility in Front Royal, Virginia. The post The three male cheetahs that left the National Zoo’s D.C. campus in 2009 returned in November and are now on exhibit appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Science & Nature Video animal births conservation endangered species mammals Smithsonian's National Zoo
ed Device at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center examines how phytoplankton would react if the ozone layer vanished By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 07 Jan 2011 14:32:30 +0000 The post Device at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center examines how phytoplankton would react if the ozone layer vanished appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Earth Science Marine Science Science & Nature Video biodiversity climate change conservation biology Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
ed “How Soil Savvy are You?, is featured in the exhibition “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil,” from the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:56:06 +0000 The post “How Soil Savvy are You?, is featured in the exhibition “Dig It! The Secrets of Soil,” from the Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Science & Nature Video climate change conservation exhibitions geology
ed Many years of research are celebrated in the December 2010 birth of two cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:55:35 +0000 The post Many years of research are celebrated in the December 2010 birth of two cheetah cubs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Research News Science & Nature Video biodiversity conservation endangered species mammals Smithsonian's National Zoo veterinary medicine
ed After a bulldozer unearthed five statues in Ain Ghazal, Jordan in 1984, Smithsonian conservators carefully restore these otherworldy figures By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 17 Feb 2011 17:16:17 +0000 The post After a bulldozer unearthed five statues in Ain Ghazal, Jordan in 1984, Smithsonian conservators carefully restore these otherworldy figures appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Anthropology Art Video conservation materials science
ed Tropical Research Institute entomologist David Roubik talks about his life as a scientist based in Panama By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 20 Apr 2011 18:53:52 +0000 "I'm getting paid to do what I like doing," says entomologist David Roubik. He loved nature and being outdoors when he was a kid, and now he does fieldwork in the tropical forests of Panama. He loves to travel, and his research takes him around the world. Can his work, then, be called a job? The post Tropical Research Institute entomologist David Roubik talks about his life as a scientist based in Panama appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Meet Our People Video insects Tropical Research Institute
ed Long-term killer bee study in tropics yields unexpected discovery: invasive killer bees are good for the native bees By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 13 May 2011 13:09:12 +0000 As enjoyable as scientific work can be, says entomologist Dave Roubik, its greatest satisfactions are often long delayed. He gives the best example from his career: a seventeen-year study that finally helped to change our understanding of the notorious "killer bees." The post Long-term killer bee study in tropics yields unexpected discovery: invasive killer bees are good for the native bees appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Research News Science & Nature Video bees conservation biology insects Tropical Research Institute
ed Hand-rearing clouded leopard cubs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:49:56 +0000 Animal care staff at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, are hand-rearing the pair of clouded leopard cubs born on March 28, increasing the chances that the cubs will be more successful at breeding later in their life. The post Hand-rearing clouded leopard cubs at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Video
ed The artistry of Tlingit weaving is practiced by a dedicated few including artists Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws of Alaska By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:31:37 +0000 It takes a Tlingit artist up to 2,000 hours, or 83 days, to weave just one ceremonial robe. Not surprisingly, this art form is practiced by a dedicated few including Tlingit artists Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws of Alaska. In their presentation for the Smithsonian Spotlight series hosted by the Arctic Studies Center at the Anchorage Museum, Rofkar and Laws discuss the methods and cultural significance of robes, spruce root baskets and more. For more information, go to http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/alaska.htm The post The artistry of Tlingit weaving is practiced by a dedicated few including artists Teri Rofkar and Shelly Laws of Alaska appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Video National Museum of Natural History
ed How photography has transformed the study of spiders and their webs By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:32:22 +0000 Jonathan Coddington, Curator of Spiders at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History describes how photography has transformed the study of arachnids. The post How photography has transformed the study of spiders and their webs appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Video National Museum of Natural History spiders
ed How do we know if dinosaurs cared for their young? Smithsonian curator Matthew Carrano reveals the fossil evidence. By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:14:49 +0000 The post How do we know if dinosaurs cared for their young? Smithsonian curator Matthew Carrano reveals the fossil evidence. appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Dinosaurs & Fossils Science & Nature Video birds dinosaurs National Museum of Natural History reptiles
ed The Space Shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a 747 jet, is delivered to the Smithsonian on April 17, 2012 By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:22:57 +0000 The post The Space Shuttle Discovery, mounted atop a 747 jet, is delivered to the Smithsonian on April 17, 2012 appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Science & Nature Space Video National Air and Space Museum
ed Smithsonian anthropologist William Fitzhugh speaks about Edward Nelson’s 1877-1881 Western Alaskan Expedition By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:15:40 +0000 William Fitzhugh - Edward Nelson's 1877-1881 Western Alaskan Expedition The post Smithsonian anthropologist William Fitzhugh speaks about Edward Nelson’s 1877-1881 Western Alaskan Expedition appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Anthropology Science & Nature Video National Museum of Natural History
ed Museum Conservation Institute research scientist Ed Vicenzi discusses his work analyzing daguerreotypes By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 03 May 2012 00:43:39 +0000 The post Museum Conservation Institute research scientist Ed Vicenzi discusses his work analyzing daguerreotypes appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Science & Nature Video materials science Museum Conservation Institute
ed Conrad Labandiera, Smithsonian palentologist, studies fossils to learn how insects got along before flowering plants arrived By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:10:16 +0000 The post Conrad Labandiera, Smithsonian palentologist, studies fossils to learn how insects got along before flowering plants arrived appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Dinosaurs & Fossils Science & Nature Video fossils insects National Museum of Natural History prehistoric rocks & minerals
ed Short video featuring the fieldwork of Smithsonian scientists created in 2000, posted by the Smithsonian Archives By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 15 Jan 2013 13:00:24 +0000 The post Short video featuring the fieldwork of Smithsonian scientists created in 2000, posted by the Smithsonian Archives appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Anthropology Marine Science Science & Nature Video biodiversity conservation conservation biology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Archives Smithsonian's National Zoo Tropical Research Institute
ed Smithsonian Science Education Center / National Academies By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 Feb 2013 15:36:16 +0000 The Smithsonian Science Education Center (formerly NSRC) was formed by the Smithsonian Institution and the National Academies in 1985 with the mission to improve the learning and teaching of science in school districts in the United States and throughout the world. The post Smithsonian Science Education Center / National Academies appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Video science education
ed Samuel P. Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian, and his development of the ill-fated Aerodrome A By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:47:11 +0000 The post Samuel P. Langley, Secretary of the Smithsonian, and his development of the ill-fated Aerodrome A appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Video National Air and Space Museum
ed Video: A peek into the amazing world offered by Smithsonian Libraries By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 22 May 2013 16:36:42 +0000 The Smithsonian Libraries offer a vast amount of resources to the general public. This video gives you a peek into the amazing world of discovery […] The post Video: A peek into the amazing world offered by Smithsonian Libraries appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Video
ed Ecosystems on the Edge: Earthworm Invaders By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 02 Jul 2013 12:43:50 +0000 Most earthworms in U.S. soils aren’t native–and they are threatening America’s forests. Smithsonian ecologist Melissa McCormick explains how earthworms can be good for gardens and […] The post Ecosystems on the Edge: Earthworm Invaders appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Marine Science Research News Science & Nature Video biodiversity Chesapeake Bay conservation conservation biology endangered species invasive species Smithsonian Environmental Research Center worms
ed Blue crabs: Top predator in peril By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 03 Jul 2013 12:04:57 +0000 Marine biologist Tuck Hines and a local Chesapeake crabber narrate the fall of the blue crab, and what may be the start of a recovery. […] The post Blue crabs: Top predator in peril appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Marine Science Research News Science & Nature Video Chesapeake Bay climate change conservation biology
ed If a supernova vaporized our ozone layer, what would happen to life on Earth? By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 25 Jul 2013 19:22:43 +0000 If a supernova vaporized Earth’s ozone layer, what would happen to life in the ocean? Smithsonian biologist Pat Neale shows how UV rays could harm […] The post If a supernova vaporized our ozone layer, what would happen to life on Earth? appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Marine Science Research News Science & Nature Space Video astrophysics climate change conservation biology Smithsonian Environmental Research Center supernova
ed Naked sea angel! (Pteropod larva) By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:10:37 +0000 This shell-less gastropod was found during the Marine Larvae course at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute’s Bocas del Toro Research Station. It was so unusual […] The post Naked sea angel! (Pteropod larva) appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Marine Science Research News Science & Nature Video biodiversity Tropical Research Institute
ed A sickness called panda love By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 16 Jun 2014 13:39:39 +0000 A sickness called panda love: TED talk by National Zoo’s Bill McShea The post A sickness called panda love appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Science & Nature Video biodiversity climate change conservation conservation biology endangered species giant panda Smithsonian's National Zoo veterinary medicine
ed Raising red pandas by hand at the National Zoo By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 19:08:30 +0000 When two red panda babies are born in critical condition at Smithsonian’s National Zoo, caretakers make the crucial decision to raise them by hand. The post Raising red pandas by hand at the National Zoo appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Science & Nature Video conservation biology Smithsonian's National Zoo
ed Red Panda Cubs Born at Conservation Biology Institute By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 24 Jun 2015 19:02:14 +0000 Seven red panda cubs were born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute! The cubs were born to mothers Nutmeg, Regan and Leo Mei. Keepers are […] The post Red Panda Cubs Born at Conservation Biology Institute appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Science & Nature Video conservation endangered species mammals Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Smithsonian's National Zoo veterinary medicine
ed Five Critically endangered Cuban crocodiles hatched at National Zoo By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 13 Aug 2015 13:34:36 +0000 Five critically endangered Cuban crocodiles hatched at the National Zoo’s Reptile Discovery Center between July 29 and Aug. 7. The eggs were laid by Dorothy, […] The post Five Critically endangered Cuban crocodiles hatched at National Zoo appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Research News Science & Nature Video biodiversity conservation conservation biology crocodiles endangered species extinction new acquisitions reptiles Smithsonian's National Zoo
ed Slave Ship Artifacts Recovered By insider.si.edu Published On :: Thu, 29 Oct 2015 12:26:21 +0000 In an excerpt from “60 Minutes” on Sunday, Nov. 1 2016, Scott Pelley follows National Museum of African American History and Culture director Lonnie Burch […] The post Slave Ship Artifacts Recovered appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article History & Culture Research News Video National Museum of African American History and Culture
ed Training a CLouded Leopard for Cheek Swabs By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 04 Nov 2015 16:05:25 +0000 Watch a keeper train the Zoo’s clouded leopard, Tai, for voluntary cheek swabs. The DNA from these cheek swabs is used to map the genealogy […] The post Training a CLouded Leopard for Cheek Swabs appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Science & Nature Video biodiversity conservation conservation biology endangered species Smithsonian's National Zoo
ed Rare squid “T. danae” captured in new video By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 09 Dec 2015 18:29:54 +0000 No divers were in danger when two large squid (species Taningia danae) began acting aggressively toward a robot submersible operated deep in the Pacific from NOAA’s […] The post Rare squid “T. danae” captured in new video appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Marine Science Q & A Research News Science & Nature Video conservation conservation biology endangered species National Museum of Natural History squid
ed Elastic – Opening Credits: True Detective By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 05 Aug 2016 15:11:27 +0000 Elastic has created some of the most intriguing title sequences in recent television history. Directed by Patrick Clair (Australian b. 1982), the opening credits for […] The post Elastic – Opening Credits: True Detective appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Art History & Culture Video Cooper Hewitt
ed Animated Music Video: “Ich A Mazeldicker Yid” by The Brothers Nazaroff By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 29 Aug 2016 16:04:14 +0000 Last October Smithsonian Folkways released “The Brothers Nazaroff: The Happy Prince,” a boisterous, high-energy tribute to cult Yiddish troubadour Nathan “Prince” Nazaroff, who recorded the […] The post Animated Music Video: “Ich A Mazeldicker Yid” by The Brothers Nazaroff appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Art History & Culture Video music
ed An Active Environment With Smithsonian Educator: Amy Homma By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 25 Oct 2016 16:51:45 +0000 Meet Amy Homma, the Director of Digital Learning at Art Lab+. Learn how Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has created a dynamic program to […] The post An Active Environment With Smithsonian Educator: Amy Homma appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Art History & Culture Meet Our People Video Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
ed Giant wind tunnel sped aircraft innovation By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 15 Nov 2016 15:21:10 +0000 National Air and Space Museum Curator John Anderson describes major flight innovations made possible by the Full Scale Tunnel, built in 1931 at the National […] The post Giant wind tunnel sped aircraft innovation appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article History & Culture Research News Science & Nature Space Video National Air and Space Museum
ed Smithsonian starts program to help people restore storm-damaged heirlooms By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 12 Dec 2016 14:25:35 +0000 A team from the Smithsonian is starting a pilot program to aid people in restoring their damaged family heirlooms. Click photo to learn more…. The post Smithsonian starts program to help people restore storm-damaged heirlooms appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Art History & Culture Science & Nature Video conservation
ed Reagan and Gorbachev’s Relationship Warmed Cold War Tensions By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 01 May 2017 15:17:44 +0000 The post Reagan and Gorbachev’s Relationship Warmed Cold War Tensions appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article History & Culture Video National Air and Space Museum
ed Sidedoor Season Two By insider.si.edu Published On :: Tue, 20 Jun 2017 21:05:57 +0000 More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian’s vaults, but where public view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, archaeologists, zookeepers […] The post Sidedoor Season Two appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals History & Culture Meet Our People Science & Nature Space Video
ed Meet the Smithsonian’s new maned wolf pups By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 07 Jul 2017 13:59:20 +0000 Scientists in the US are helping to preserve this near-threatened species native to South America. The post Meet the Smithsonian’s new maned wolf pups appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Research News Science & Nature Video Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Smithsonian's National Zoo
ed The dollhouses of death that changed forensic science By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 01 Nov 2017 18:35:33 +0000 Frances Glessner Lee created dollhouses with dead dolls. Her creations are now on exhibit at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The post The dollhouses of death that changed forensic science appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Art History & Culture Science & Nature Video Renwick Gallery Smithsonian American Art Museum
ed Kids’ video: “Red Bird” – Dan Zanes & Friends By insider.si.edu Published On :: Sun, 10 Dec 2017 14:52:33 +0000 “Red Bird” from Dan Zanes and Friends’ album ‘Lead Belly, Baby’ featuring Ashley Phillips and Shareef Swindell, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. To learn more click here: […] The post Kids’ video: “Red Bird” – Dan Zanes & Friends appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article History & Culture Video
ed Endangered Guam rail chick hatches By insider.si.edu Published On :: Wed, 31 Jan 2018 12:54:05 +0000 A Guam rail chick hatched at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Jan. 16, 2018. The chick hatched in an incubator and will be hand-raised by […] The post Endangered Guam rail chick hatches appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Science & Nature Video birds conservation biology endangered species Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute Smithsonian's National Zoo
ed Rare Guam kingfisher hatched By insider.si.edu Published On :: Fri, 01 Jun 2018 13:20:01 +0000 A female Guam kingfisher, a brightly colored bird and one of the most endangered bird species on the planet, hatched at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology […] The post Rare Guam kingfisher hatched appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Animals Research News Science & Nature Video Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
ed Armenian Wedding Ceremony By insider.si.edu Published On :: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 12:38:13 +0000 At the 2018 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Armenian participants Mariam Hovhannisyan and Stepan Toroyan—who were recently married—recreated a traditional ceremony on the National Mall, with contributions […] The post Armenian Wedding Ceremony appeared first on Smithsonian Insider. Full Article Art History & Culture Video Smithsonian Folklife Festival
ed El Segundo company named fastest-growing in the U.S. By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 12:03:28 -0700 Business Update with Mark LacterWhen you look at fast growing private companies in the U.S., you need look no further than a small city next to Los Angeles International Airport. Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, tell us about the company that's based in El Segundo. Mark Lacter: It's called Fuhu, Steve - that might ring a bell with some parents because Fuhu is the maker of the Nabi. The Nabi is an Android tablet for kids, and it's a very cool device that mimics a lot of the capabilities of regular tablet, including the ability to play games and get onto the Web (with controls that parents are able to set up). Last year, they sold 1.2 million Nabis, and that helped push the El Segundo company to the very top of Inc. magazine's list of fastest-growing businesses. That's number one on a list of 5,000 companies, with a three-year growth rate of 42,148 percent. Or, to put it another way, company revenue was $279,000 in 2009; it was almost $118 million in 2012. Now, by the standards of an Apple or a Samsung, those are still not huge numbers - Julian: - and maybe that explains why there's been relatively little media coverage of this company. Lacter: It might also explain why local tech companies in general get short shrift. Many of them are quite successful, but they're often on the small side, and they're also privately held as opposed to publicly-traded on a stock exchange. That's one big difference from Silicon Valley, which has so many huge public corporations: Apple, Intel, HP. L.A. County has only six Fortune 500 companies, and not a single one devoted solely to technology. In Silicon Valley, there are 22 in the Fortune 500. Julian: And yet, the L.A. economy has more than held its own without those large corporations. Lacter: Matter of fact, the accounting firm PriceWaterhouse studied more than two dozen cities around the world to determine where it was easiest to do business (that's based on factors like access to labor), and what they found - somewhat surprisingly - was that L.A. ranked ahead of both San Francisco and Tokyo. And, you can see evidence of that with the increase in venture capital money coming into all parts of L.A. Now, it's important to keep an eye on all these up-and-coming companies because these businesses are helping generate higher-wage jobs. And, for an area with a still-high unemployment rate - still over 10 percent in some places -- that's a big deal. Julian: Speaking of companies, does anyone want to buy the L.A. Times? Lacter: The answer is yes - most recently, the controlling owner of the Dodgers, Mark Walter, said he was interested in both the Times and the Chicago Tribune (though there's no way to know whether there are actual discussions taking place). You also have several local groups, including one that involves billionaire Eli Broad, that have been interested to one degree or another. But what was thought would be a fairly straightforward auction process has turned enormously complicated. It's now to the point where the Tribune board has decided spin off the papers into a separate business, and that process will take until next year to complete and could preclude any sales for quite some time after that. Julian: So, it's Limbo-land for the Times for who knows how long. Lacter: Steve, it's not that Tribune really wants to keep the newspapers. But, selling them off presents huge tax implications. Also, there are assets that the potential buyers thought would be part of the package - assets that include real estate - that Tribune wants to hold onto. So, what's left to sell are just the newspapers themselves, and frankly, they're among the least valuable properties. Julian: Now, last week came word that the billionaire Koch brothers, who were believed to be interested in the Tribune properties, decided not to pursue a deal... Lacter: ...that's right, they don't consider the Times or the other dailies to be economically viable. You might recall a bit of an outcry over the prospect of having the Kochs, who are staunch conservatives, becoming the owners of these papers. So, they're out of the picture. But for the L.A. Times, it's really the worst of all worlds: no new owner and no vision for recasting the paper, at least in the near term. Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
ed Mixed results for Hollywood at the summer box office By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 03 Sep 2013 12:09:23 -0700 Business Update with Mark LacterNow that we have a deal between Time Warner Cable and CBS, we can turn our Hollywood focus back on the movie industry. Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, would you agree it's been an up and down summer at the box office? Mark Lacter: It's been a flaky summer for Hollywood, Steve. On the plus side, ticket revenue was up more than 10 percent, and attendance increased around six-and-a-half percent compared with last year (this covers the first week of May through Labor Day weekend). The problem is that the studios and their investors spent huge amounts of money to make a lot of these movies, and they had to compete in a very crowded market - 23 big-budget films came out this summer, which is way higher than normal, and some of them never had a chance. Julian: Some examples? Lacter: Probably the biggest clunker was "The Lone Ranger," which could end up losing close to $200 million for Disney. Another big disappointment was "White House Down," which was distributed by Sony and brought in only $140 million, which for a big-budget action film is really bad. Even a film like "Pacific Rim," which did well at the box office, might still end up in the red because the production and marketing costs were so high. Julian: And summer, of course, is the time when studios want to bring out these monster releases - Lacter: - right, what they call "tent poles" - and in that category, the biggest winner was Disney's "Iron Man," which took in $1.2 billion. Also having a great summer was "Monsters University" from Pixar, with $700 million. You also had "Despicable Me 2" and "Fast and Furious 6," which might not be our cup of tea (speak for yourself, it takes me back to my police car days!), but did very well for Universal. Eight of the top 12 films this summer were sequels - and yet, sequels were no guarantee of success (a number of them really struggled). And, some non-blockbuster films found considerable success: "Now You See Me" from Lionsgate only cost $75 million to make. Julian: So, in some ways, Hollywood was its usual unpredictable self. Lacter: That's right - and don't expect any big changes in strategy when it comes to big-budget films. The prospect of having huge success with one of these blockbusters is just too great, but perhaps more important is the fact that many of these films are financed by multiple groups of investors, and so the risk is spread around. It's not like the old days when a studio bankrolled the whole thing. Julian: Though, sounds like it's bad news for the city of Los Angeles: the "Man of Steel" sequel is going to be shot in Michigan? Lacter: Mayor Garcetti has actually declared a state of emergency because the city keeps losing business to other states that offer big tax incentives to films - what's known as runaway production. The truth is that business has been lost over the years, but L.A. is hardly in any danger of losing its spot as the center of entertainment. And, you can see that with the L.A. County Board of Supervisors signing off on Disney's plan for a TV and movie production facility near Santa Clarita that will add more than a half-million square feet of studio space. Julian: And, Universal's expanding, too. Lacter: Earlier this year, Universal was given the approval to build more production facilities, and Paramount is planning an expansion, as well. Now, these are all very ambitious projects - not the sort of investments that would be made if these studios were looking elsewhere to make movies and TV shows. And, of course, they mean jobs - actually, employment levels in the entertainment industry have remained fairly steady going back the last decade. Julian: Are there states that are pulling back their incentives? Lacter: Yes, the state of North Carolina, which has been especially aggressive in using tax incentives to draw in movies and television going back to the 80s, is phasing out the giveaways because legislators have decided that the economic benefits aren't worth the tax revenues being lost. And, other states with tax incentive programs are pulling back as well - they're finding that the payback is very difficult to measure. Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
ed The impact of the partial federal government shutdown on Los Angeles By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 12:26:25 -0700 Business Update with Mark LacterThe partial federal government shutdown is one week old, but economists are still saying that its impact in Southern California and elsewhere will be limited. Susanne Whatley: Business analyst Mark Lacter, why is that? Mark Lacter: If you look back on the history of these things, Susanne, you see that the disputes are resolved before too much damage gets done. As for Southern California, I notice that KPCC's Alice Walton was asking around over the weekend about the shutdown, and most folks gave it a shrug. The regional economy is just too diversified - and not especially tied to federal employment. You have about 46,000 federal workers employed in L.A. County in one capacity or another - that's out of a workforce of nearly 5 million. And, now it appears as if the federal employees who have been furloughed are going to receive their back wages whenever the shutdown finally ends. Whatley: That still might make things dicey when it comes time to pay the monthly mortgage... Lacter: ...but at least money will be available before most folks run into serious liquidity issues. That's what the shutdown really comes down to - inconvenience rather than dislocation. And, you see this with the various government services affected: the E-Verify website is down - that lets business owners know whether the people they're wanting to hire can work legally in the U.S., which obviously is important. The Small Business Administration has stopped processing loan applications, and the Federal Housing Administration is reporting delays in its loan processing, which could mean a home buyer might not complete his or her paperwork all that quickly. Whatley: But, what if this were to go on for months? Lacter: Well, then it would create problems, but nobody really thinks that's going to happen. The real issue, not just nationally and regionally - but globally - is the refusal by Congress to raise the debt ceiling. The deadline is a week from Thursday, and - of course - there's been all sorts of debate about what this would mean for the economy. Whatley: All right, so what would this mean for the economy? Lacter: Well, no one knows exactly. But, then again, no one knows exactly what would happen if you fell out of a airplane without a parachute. I just wouldn't want to test it out. And, of course, let's keep in mind that these are manufactured crises - not reflective of anything that's going on with the real economy. It's certainly not reflective of anything that's going on in L.A., which saw a big jump in payroll jobs for 2012 - actually it was the sharpest increase since 2005, and nearly double the national rate (that's despite an unemployment rate that remains very high in certain parts of Los Angeles). Whatley: What about some of the big locally based companies? Lacter: Well, if your company is publicly traded, there's a good chance your shares took a dip these past few days. Going back to September 18, the Dow has lost almost 700 points, which - percentage-wise - is not very much, but it is reflective of how uneasy Wall Street has become. Public companies based in the L.A. area are taking it on the chin - Disney, Amgen, Mattel, DirecTV - their stock prices are all down going back to the middle of September. Whatley: Even so, hasn't this been a good year for the stock market? Lacter: It has - those local companies are up anywhere from 13 percent 30 percent year to date, and the Dow is up 14 percent year to date. Of course, the stock price of a company doesn't always match the amount of money it makes, and this year, even before worries about the debt ceiling, the numbers haven't been as good as they should be at this stage of a recovery. And, that's why there's particular concern about next week. You do have to wonder whether a default could have ripple effects involving trade, consumer spending, the dollar - who knows what? Now, it's still a pretty good bet that saner heads will prevail, although there are no guarantees - and again, if worse came to worse, do you really want to be jumping out of that plane? Guess we'll find out. Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
ed Lacter: Covered California website doing better than federal one By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 12:15:37 -0700 Business Update with Mark LacterThe state's online registration for Covered California has been up for a couple of weeks, and reaction has been mixed. Steve Julian: Business analyst, Mark Lacter, what's your take on how well Californians are getting into the Affordable Care Act? Mark Lacter: It's hard to get a good read, Steve, because it's hard to measure the success of what is really a new marketplace. If you're basing it on the number of unique visitors coming to the Covered California website, well, then the program clearly has attracted lots of interest - they had almost a million visitors during the first week of eligibility. But, maybe a better measure would be the number of people whose applications actually have been received by the insurance companies that are going to handle the claims. If that's your measuring stick, then the numbers have been far smaller so far. Now, it's worth pointing out that California - and particularly L.A. County - have a higher percentage of households without insurance than other parts of the nation, and so you'd expect there to be lots of interest. Julian: So the question, then, is how many folks turn into actual policyholders paying actual premiums each month. Lacter: The truth is nobody knows, which is why state officials want to sign up as many people as possible in the early going when the program is getting so much attention. This is especially true for younger and healthier people who are needed to help offset the cost of caring for older and sicker people. Julian: And, that's also why any computer glitch can be such a headache... Lacter: That's right. Covered California did run into problems in the early going, but everybody agrees that things are going much better than the federal website, which is the default site used by folks in states that don't have their own program to oversee the health care laws. That federal site has been an utter disaster. So, by comparison, California is ahead of the game. Julian: It's a work in progress, even here. Lacter: Very much so. The California website still doesn't have a way for enrollees to find out which doctors and hospitals are included in each health plan. And, that's a big deal because insurance companies are limiting the options available as a way of keeping premiums low. So, it's possible that the doctor you had been using for your individual insurance plan will not be on the list of doctors that can be used for one of the cheaper plans. Of course, for someone who doesn't have any health coverage, none of that is likely to matter. Julian: And then, there's the continued threat of a U.S. default... Lacter: You know, Steve, this is like watching the beginning of a bad traffic accident in slow motion - and we're all pretty helpless to do anything about it. And, so are the financial markets, which are moving back and forth not based on what's going on with the economy or with any industry, but on the latest press conference out of Washington. One thing we do know is that if the nation does go into quote-unquote default - and we're not even sure what that might mean - but if Wall Street and somehow declares this a major crisis, it's going to be bad. Julian: Who gets hit? Lacter: It'll impact anyone who has a retirement account, any business wanting to borrow money, and potentially it's going to impact the budgeting of the state. You know, one of the things we were reminded of during the Great Recession was how reliant California has been on higher-income individuals who make a lot of their money through the stock market and other investments. So, when those folks do well - as they have been over the last year - the state coffers will do well. And when they don't, as was the case in 2008 and 2009, the state takes a huge hit because there's not enough tax dollars coming in. Gov. Brown and others have tried to lessen the reliance on those top tiers - so far without success. Julian: And the state's budget situation is so much better than it was a year or two ago. Lacter: That's the real pity. And, even if the House and Senate reach a temporary agreement on the debt ceiling, it's just a matter of weeks or months before another deadline crops up - and more uncertainty for the financial markets. I guess Chick Hearn would have called this nervous time. Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
ed Chicken contamination at Foster Farms sheds light on food regulation By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 12:22:27 -0700 Business Update with Mark LacterThe contamination of Foster Farms chickens has provided insight into food regulation. Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, had we been paying attention before this happened? Mark Lacter: You know, Steve, we often have an out of sight, out of mind attitude when it comes to food safety, and - as we're seeing with this episode - the government has a way of enabling that attitude. What stands out, first of all, is that people started getting sick from salmonella-contaminated chicken back in March, and yet, it wasn't until the past few weeks that news stories began appearing about the seriousness of the problems. Julian: At last check, more than 400 people have been infected, with most of them in California... Lacter: Right, and Foster Farms, which is based in Merced County, controls two-thirds of the poultry market along the West Coast. No fatalities so far, but many of the people who became sick had to be hospitalized - and that leads to still more concerns that the salmonella strains were resistant to antibiotics. Now, why it took this long for consumers to be made aware that there was a problem tells you something about the way the federal government regulates poultry plants. It was only last Friday, after the company had seen a 25 percent drop in sales, when the president of Foster Farms decided to go public. He said he was embarrassed by the outbreak, and promised to change the company's processing facilities so that salmonella can be better identified. Julian: Where was the US government in this? Lacter: Apparently, the Department of Agriculture only requires testing for levels of salmonella at the time of slaughter - not later on, after the poultry is cut into parts. Foster Farms now says it will do retesting at that later stage. What's also interesting is that Foster Farms was not asked to recall any of its products because the chicken is considered safe as long as it's handled properly and then cooked to the right temperature, which is at least 165 degrees. That's why some supermarkets have kept carrying the brand. Julian: Can the government even order a recall? Lacter: Not in a case like this - and that's because of a court case in the 1990s involving a Texas meat producer that federal inspectors were ready to shut down due to a salmonella outbreak involving ground beef. The company sued the government, arguing that salmonella is naturally occurring, and therefore, not an adulterant subject to government regulation. And the courts agreed. Foster Farms has been using much the same argument. Julian: Why isn't there more public outrage over this? Lacter: Well, again, we go back to out of sight, out of mind. Slaughterhouses are not exactly fun places, and they're usually not well covered by the news media until something bad happens, like the Foster Farms situation. Julian: Chino comes to mind - a story we covered. Lacter: That's when an animal rights group used a hidden camera to record inhumane treatment of cattle at a meat processing plant. That company was forced into bankruptcy. Another reason coverage is spotty is because it's not always easy to trace someone's illness to a contaminated piece of meat or chicken. And, that leads to lots of misinformation. The broader issue is figuring out a way to monitor these facilities without the process becoming cost prohibitive. The Agriculture Department has been pushing a pilot program that would allow plants to speed up processing lines, and replace government inspectors with employees from the poultry companies themselves. Julian: The idea being? Lacter: The idea being to establish safeguards that can prevent problems before they get out of hand. But, this is pretty controversial stuff, and advocacy groups representing poultry workers say that processing lines need to be slowed down, not speeded up. So, you have this ongoing back and forth involving industry, government, consumer groups, and labor organizations. And unfortunately, most of us tend to move on after one of these outbreaks gets cleared up. Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article
ed How airlines at LAX handled the airport shooting last week By feeds.scpr.org Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 12:47:33 -0800 Business Update with Mark LacterPolice say TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez was shot and killed last Friday at the base of the escalators of LAX Terminal 3, and not at the checkpoint gates. Paul Ciancia is accused of killing Hernandez and wounding several others. Ciancia remains hospitalized in critical condition. Steve Julian: Business analyst Mark Lacter, how did the airlines respond to shooting and its aftermath? Mark Lacter: Generally pretty well, Steve, considering that the airport was effectively closed for several hours on Friday, and most of Terminal 3 was out of commission until Saturday afternoon. You know, there's always this precarious balance in operating airlines and airports, even in the best of circumstances. Just so many flights coming in and going out, and so many thousands people using the facility at any given time - and it really doesn't take much to upset the balance. So, when you have something horrific take place and you see all those travelers stranded outside the terminals, the ripple effects are enormous - not just at LAX but all over the country. Julian: More than a thousand flights were either canceled or delayed on Friday. Lacter: And, there was a further complication because the airlines flying out of Terminal 3 are not the legacy carriers like United, American, and Delta that have all kinds of resources, but smaller operations with less flexibility. It's not like there's an empty aircraft just sitting in a hangar waiting to take passengers wherever they want to go. Actually, the airlines have gotten better at arranging re-bookings when there's a snowstorm or some other emergency that gives them advance warning. But obviously, there was no advance warning last Friday, so the carriers needed to improvise in handling passengers whose flights were cancelled. Julian: What did they do? Lacter: One step was waiving the fees normally charged to re-book flights (and that's gotten to be a pretty penny). Another was waiving the difference in the price of the original ticket and the re-booked ticket. But, the policies varied according to the airline, and we heard about travelers not receiving hotel or food vouchers, or having to buy a brand new ticket on another airline if they wanted to avoid the wait - and that can be expensive. Which raises another issue: planes tend to be completely full these days because airlines have been cutting back on the number of flights. And that can be a problem if you're taking a route that doesn't have too many flights in the first place. So, it gets really complicated. Julian: Why do you think we haven't we heard more horror stories from passengers? Lacter: Well, look at the cities that the airlines in Terminal 3 fly to - New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas. They're all served by several other carriers. L.A. to New York, in particular, is one of the busiest routes in the world, which means that it's also one of the most competitive. So, even if your flight was cancelled, there's a good chance you'd be able to find space by Saturday (which is normally a slower day for air travel). This is a big reason, in general, why people like LAX. Julian: Why don't other local airports handle more of the load? Lacter: You might remember a few years ago local officials were promoting something called "regionalization" - the idea was that as LAX maxed out on the number of passengers it was allowed to handle each year, then other airports would make up the difference - places like Ontario, Bob Hope in Burbank, and John Wayne in Orange County. Julian: Right, and they talked about easing traffic congestion by spreading around the flights. Lacter: Well, regionalization never happened because, first of all, passenger levels at L.A. International didn't come close to maxing out. But, more importantly, because the airlines decided that using LAX was more efficient for everything from handling baggage to arranging international connections. So, through the first nine months of the year, passenger traffic at LAX is up 4.2 percent from a year earlier, while at Ontario traffic was down 9.3 percent. And, we've seen that John Wayne, Bob Hope, and Long Beach are all struggling. Of course, the challenge at a busy place like LAX is making it as safe as possible, and that will no doubt become a priority in the weeks ahead. Mark Lacter writes for Los Angeles Magazine and pens the business blog at LA Observed.com. This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org. Full Article