State’s Low Fuel Reserves Criticized
Meager stockpiles of California’s cleaner-burning gasoline helped drive pump prices to record heights in recent weeks and are setting the stage for more of the same this summer,.the Los Angeles Times reports. That point was underscored in a report by the Santa Monica-based Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which accused oil companies of squeezing on-hand inventories to boost profits at the expense of consumers across the West. Refiners in California recently have kept enough gasoline in storage to satisfy the state’s needs for 18 days, according to the consumer group’s analysis of Energy Department data. If fuel production faltered, it could take 11 to 40 days to bring in replacement supplies because no pipelines bring fuel from other refining centers, the report said. Elsewhere in the country, fuel stockpiles typically cover 30 to 35 days’ worth of demand, according to a study by Stillwater Associates, an Irvine consulting firm. In recent weeks, California retail gasoline prices have jumped beyond the increases seen elsewhere in the nation.
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She May Have Lost, But Kat’s Career Still Full of Life
America has spoken: Taylor Hicks is the new “American Idol,” but runner-up Katharine McPhee won’t be working the drive-thru anytime soon, the Los Angeles Daily News reports. The fifth season of “American Idol,” the world’s most closely watched karaoke-like contest, came to a close when the gray-haired Southern soul man squeaked past Sherman Oaks’ McPhee to snare the crown Wednesday in front of more than 30 million TV viewers. As winner, Hicks gets major record and management contracts and an enviably fast start in the music biz. But McPhee, whose background in acting and musical theater set her apart from the season’s competitors, will surely fare equally well. She is about to embark on a national tour with Hicks and the 10 finalists, has a single due soon and has probably been fielding offers for the past several months. Also, KFC has a contract on the table for the runner-up to get $10,000 to star in a commercial. McPhee says she wants to move into film work, a career she was pursuing when she auditioned for “Idol” in January.
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SAG Search for Top Post Is Narrowed
Steve Diamond, an associate law professor and an advisor to the AFL-CIO, has emerged as the leading candidate for the top staff position at the volatile Screen Actors Guild, the Los Angeles Times reports. A search committee led by SAG President Alan Rosenberg is expected to recommend to the union’s national board that Diamond be hired as executive director of the 120,000-member guild, a person familiar with the matter said Wednesday. The committee reached a consensus on Diamond in the last week, selecting him over two other finalists: state Sen. Kevin Murray (D-Culver City) and Laura Zucker, executive director of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, said the source, who asked not be identified while the process continued. The entire national board will vote on the recommendation as early as next week.
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2 Stores Take Saks’ Place at Avenue of the Peninsula
Shoppers sad to see the South Bay’s only Saks Fifth Avenue close may be consoled by the two stores that will replace it, the Daily Breeze reports. Women’s clothing retailers Ann Taylor Loft and Coldwater Creek are scheduled to open at The Avenue of the Peninsula mall this fall. The Saks at the Rolling Hills Estates shopping center closed May 13 after posting disappointing sales. That left the mall with 47,000 square feet of newly available retail space and one less anchor tenant. More than 35,000 square feet of remaining area is left to fill he former Saks location.
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