Activists granted extension to save Hollywood sign

The iconic Hollywood sign overlooking Los Angeles has been saved from development after Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner stepped in with a 900,000-dollar donation, activists said Monday.The fate of the famous sign nestled in the hills above Hollywood had been shrouded in uncertainty after investors who own land surrounding the giant white letters indicated plans to sell the land to developers.

A conservation group warned Wednesday they have just three weeks to raise three million dollars to save the iconic Hollywood sign from being razed by investors who want to build luxury houses on the site."We feel good about where we are and we feel good about our chances to do this," said Tim Ahern of the Trust for Public Land.

Boeing Co has signed a deal allowing it to buy nearly 1,100 acres of land at the site of its 787 jet factory in South Carolina, a deal that gives it room to expand production.

Mercury General Chairman George Joseph is backing the 2012 Auto Insurance Discount Act, a proposed initiative that would give discounts to some motorists and likely raise rates for others.Los Angeles insurance executive George Joseph has raised the stakes in his years-long effort to change California's landmark automobile insurance law, Proposition 103, by putting millions of dollars into a ballot initiative that would give discounts to some motorists and likely raise rates for others.

Hollywood and Bollywood, the world's largest movie industries, have signed a pact that will boost cooperation for producing and distributing their films.The "historic declaration" signed Wednesday between the city of Los Angeles and the Indian film industry strengthens commercial ties and will move to increase the number of Indian productions that are filmed here, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) said in a statement.

New hedge fund managers – and small shops with less than $250 million in assets – have a tremendous advantage in navigating markets. Boutique shops can efficiently build and liquidate positions with much less slippage than their institutional competitors.

Arriving guests are greeted by about 300 protesters, including Occupy L.A. demonstrators and former Unite Here Local 11 workers laid off when the iconic hotel in West L.A.