
Despite falling from $286.04 to $222.41 since September, Tesla Motors, Inc. stock is still rated by 13 Wall Street analysts as a buy, and only one doubting Thomas rates the company “underperform.” But facing a collapse in gas prices that is undermining the advantage of electric cars, Tesla is promising big performance improvement to stem any customer defections.
by Chriss W. Street1 Jan 2015, 7:00 AM PST0

Mayor Eric Garcetti and Council members Mike Bonin, Curren Price, Gil Cedillo and Nury Martinez have relished the political limelight for proposing that City of Los Angeles mandate a minimum wage of $13.25 per hour by 2017 and $15.25 by 2019. But
by Chriss W. Street30 Dec 2014, 10:13 AM PST0

The Great California Train Robbery is moving into full gear after nine foreign bidders responded with “expressions of interest” in building a fleet of electric trains for a proposed high-speed rail system. Perhaps best for California politicians is that there
by Chriss W. Street30 Dec 2014, 9:59 AM PST0

In response to an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit and the filing of a Freedom of Information Act request, on Christmas Eve, the National Security Agency (NSA) released 12 years of “compliance error” reports that detail its agency’s failures to comply with U.S. law since the 2001 start of the War on Terror. Although the reports are heavily redacted, the sheer volume of supposed “errors” is stunning
by Chriss W. Street27 Dec 2014, 8:04 AM PST0

On Dec. 26, Tesla previewed its next generation of Sports Roadster that will feature up to a 50% improvement in charge range. Tesla claims that design refinements and a 31% increase in energy storage will allow the Roadster 3.0 to drive easily from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a single charge. Tesla has not set a release date or pricing at this time.
by Chriss W. Street27 Dec 2014, 4:00 AM PST0

Sony Pictures Entertainment’s The Interview debuted on Christmas Eve at number 1 on YouTube Movies, Google Play, and Microsoft’s Xbox Video. With horrible reviews, the movie would have been a financial dud if the Sony hack never happened. Sony will recover about half its investment by moving the first release of The Interview directly to Internet distribution. But the Google’s savvy move may revolutionize movie industry distribution and doom the theater chains that refused to screen the movie.
by Chriss W. Street26 Dec 2014, 7:34 AM PST0

With ISIS continuing to hold the upper hand in Syria and Iraq, it appears that the terrorist network is planning what military strategists call a pincer movement to attack the Israeli homeland from the north and south. Three Syrian rebel groups switched loyalties to gain ISIS support for attacks on the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, according to a report by the Fiscal Times. ISIS is now able to coordinate with Egyptian ISIS-aligned terror group Ansar Bait al-Maqdis in Sinai to simultaneously pressure Israel’s northern and southern borders.
by Chriss W. Street24 Dec 2014, 7:18 PM PST0

One Hundred years ago the Christmas Truce of 1914 was a spontaneous cease fire and day of Christian Brotherhood for both sides of the No Man’s Land along the Western Front. The event was kept secret by senior military officers and government censors as an embarrassing breakdown in military discipline.
by Chriss W. Street24 Dec 2014, 6:02 PM PST0

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to release its first drone use regulation for commercial drones weighing less than 55 pounds by December 31. The U.S. pioneered drones to the world as disposable machines of war. Unmanned aircraft now film movies, inspect remote portions of the electrical grid, and herd cattle.
by Chriss W. Street24 Dec 2014, 10:59 AM PST0

According to Vegas and online odds-makers, Los Angeles is heavily favored to be selected by the U.S. Olympic Organizing Committee to represent the U.S. bid for the for the 2024 Summer Olympics. The bottom line is that L.A. has the facilities, Hollywood, and weather that make for the secret sauce of profitability for international events.
by Chriss W. Street23 Dec 2014, 11:43 AM PST0

Apple Inc. has triumphed with a decidedly left wing political agenda. CEO Tim Cook’s 2012 election support got him a seat next to Michelle Obama for President Obama’s 2013 State of the Union address. After Apple dethroned Coca Cola to
by Chriss W. Street20 Dec 2014, 5:40 PM PST0

Barack Obama tried to sound presidential in his remarks regarding the United States normalizing relations with Cuba. But the real impact to most Americans will be a whole new wave of outsourcing of U.S. jobs to another communist “worker’s paradise.”
by Chriss W. Street20 Dec 2014, 8:58 AM PST0

The wild ride for American Apparel founder and CEO and 27% shareholder, Dov Charney, came to an end with his termination by the public company’s Board of Directors for “cause.” Charney was suspended on June 18 due to alleged work-related
by Chriss W. Street18 Dec 2014, 2:53 PM PST0

With the Federal Reserve beginning a two-day meeting to consider raising interest rates and strengthening the U.S. dollar, all hell broke out in financial markets as emerging-market stocks plummeted to a ten-month lows, the Russian ruble gyrated by 36% before
by Chriss W. Street16 Dec 2014, 6:45 PM PST0

New Yorker Magazine declares “The Winner of the Spending-Bill Vote: Jamie Dimon” after last week’s personal lobbying of Congress by the JPMorgan Chase CEO helped push through a $1.1 trillion spending bill that also eliminated restrictions on banks using taxpayer
by Chriss W. Street16 Dec 2014, 12:03 PM PST0

Reports that eBay may lay off three thousand employees in preparation for its spin-off of PayPal should come as no surprise. For the last two years, the hot tech stock market eBay’s has gone went sideways. Despite its PayPal subsidiary
by Chriss W. Street15 Dec 2014, 12:40 PM PST0

Tesla was riding high in March when it raised $1.6 billion in a convertible bond sale to help fund its $5 billion Gigafactory designed to produce batteries for 500,000 electric cars per year. But with oil prices cut in half this
by Chriss W. Street15 Dec 2014, 4:08 AM PST0

Fridays’ 300 point plunge (-1.62%) for the Dow Jones stock index capped off a -3.52% weekly slump for U.S. stocks; the worst decline since May 2012. The week before, traders were celebrating a “Santa Clause Rally“ that took U.S Standard
by Chriss W. Street14 Dec 2014, 2:45 PM PST0

Conservative think tank Americans for Prosperity (AFP), co-founded by principals of Koch Industries, sued in federal court to prevent ultra-liberal California Attorney General Kamala Harris from using her office to disclose the names and addresses of their 90,000 donors. Harris
by Chriss W. Street13 Dec 2014, 8:46 AM PST0

Reverend Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow PUSH road show flew into Silicon Valley this week to chastise top tech corporations for being overly white and Asian males. Jackson, who was hosted by Intel Corporation at their Santa Clara campus, lectured
by Chriss W. Street11 Dec 2014, 1:46 PM PST0

Politicians share many of the same skills as magicians. They both use psychological misdirection by making big gestures to distract and fixate spectators, while quietly performing their tricks. A good example of this is the House and Senate agreeing to
by Chriss W. Street10 Dec 2014, 6:55 AM PST0

After losing a 21-to-26 squeaker to the Green Bay Packers, Coach Bill Belichick demanded his New England Patriots make the ultimate sacrifice and fly directly from Wisconsin to California for a week of practice in preparation for Sunday night’s game
by Chriss W. Street9 Dec 2014, 1:17 PM PST0

After it was learned the U.S. Federal Reserve has dumped 6% of its humongous bond portfolio in the last 90 days and The Wall Street Journal reported the Fed for the first time since December 2008 may stop assuring investors
by Chriss W. Street9 Dec 2014, 1:02 PM PST0

Despite a plethora of naysayers who doubt the U.S. economy is really gaining steam, the Federal Reserve is positioning its own investments for higher inflation and rising interest rates. As I predicted in August, once the Fed’s balance sheet peaked at just
by Chriss W. Street9 Dec 2014, 6:55 AM PST0

The inmates at San Quentin are often highly intelligent–and usually sociopathic. Due to its racial and gang related violence, the residents refer to California’s oldest prison as “The Arena.” But aided by 4,000 volunteers, many prisoners try to improve themselves
by Chriss W. Street9 Dec 2014, 6:09 AM PST0