Two area homes have been placed in the solar-powered spotlight this week -- a Santa Monica 1910 Craftsman that underwent a green transformation and a three-story Mount Washington house that connects to its natural landscape on at least two sides of every room. more ›

There's no nice way to put it: Things are pretty lousy in our state's economy. From state-issued payments not going out to people leaving in record numbers, it seems our sunny skies had some pretty depressing clouds hanging in them. Turns out our clouds do have a silver lining after all. With all the focus on state budget woes, it can very well lead to a positive outcome. "Economists say the state has long needed to fix that revenue roller-coaster ride and are hopeful that this crisis will force leaders to face the music," according to Reuters. In fact, immigration and births keep our state's population growing, and with our leading role in green technology and other industries, we are still creating jobs despite announcing job losses. The major changes that this much-needed re-assessment will create will lead to more long-range pay-offs for California. See? Look outside--it may have hailed last night, but today it's sunny. more ›

One of Hollywood’s Highest-Ranking Female Execs Gail Berman, the president of Paramount Pictures, has resigned. “This has been an extraordinary two years for Paramount, but after the DreamWorks purchase and the evolution of Nick movies and MTV films into our label structure, Gail’s job became too small for her. She’s a great talent," Brad Grey, chairman of Paramount. (New York Times) LA River Plan Businesses in the San Fernando Valley take a look at... more ›