Review & preview.

APRIL 5 - 11

Jeans Blues: Venerable Levi Strauss & Co., locking to expand its manufacturing operations overseas, will close six U.S. plants and lay off 3,300 workers. The cuts, which are part of a major restructuring by the firm that began in 1999, has been struggling for years against fierce competition and fickle fashion tastes. The San Francisco-based company said the closings will not reduce overall production.

'Nightline' Lives: Walt Disney Co. has given a vote of confidence to ABC's "Nightline" program and according to The New York Times, a deal has been struck for the show to remain in the 11:35 p.m. time slot for at least two more years. The deal would seem to appease the concerns by ABC News executives and "Nightline" host Ted Koppel that Disney was looking to replace the show with an entertainment program-underscored by the effort at recruiting David Letterman for that slot. Letterman decided to stay at CBS.

Global News: Global Crossing Ltd. said it lost $152 million in the first month after filing for bankruptcy protection and had $624 million in available cash at the end of February, according to a U.S. Bankruptcy Court report Mean while, Telecom Level 3 Communications Inc. may join the bidding for Global Crossing Ltd., according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Level 3 Chief Executive Jim Crowe said the company has enough cash to make the bid but he didn't offer the newspaper any specifics about timing. The deadline for Global Crossing bids is the end of June Separately, Global Crossing named three new board members to sit on a special committee to investigate allegations that the company inflated revenue numbers

Executive Pay: Hilton Hotels Corp cut President and Chief Executive Stephen Bollenbach's pay 29 percent last year, to $2.1 million, as the hotel giant failed to meet profit goals. Bollenbach was paid $1 million in salary, $900 COD in a bonus and $205,245 in other compensation, according to a filing Mean while, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Inc Chief Executive Alex Yemenidjian and Chief Operating Officer Chris McGurk agreed to extend their employment contracts until April 30, 2001 on "substantially" the same terms as their current agreements, according to a press release. Yemenidjian had a 2000 salary and bonus of about $4 million. while McGurk was paid $3.2 million.

Bush Visit: President Bush will help raise millions of dollars for Republican nominee Bill Simon on a two-day fund raising trip later this month. The trip will help Simon narrow an estimated $25 million fundraising gap with Democratic incumbent Gray Davis, according to Simon campaign manager Sal Russo. Almost 46 percent of Californians registered to vote in the March primary were Democrats, while 35 percent were Republicans.

Nutritional Sale: Herbalife International Inc. is being acquired by an private investment group in a deal valued at $685 million. The buyers are Whitney & Co. of Stamford, Conn. and Golden Gate Capital Inc. of San Francisco. L.A.-based Herbalife, which sells nutritional products through self-employed distributors, went through a rocky operational stretch following the 2000 death of founder Mark Hughes.

New CEO: Christopher Wing, the former chief executive of Pacificare, has been named president of Health Net of California. Cost-cutting efforts led Woodland Hills-based Health Net to a 21 percent increase in fourth quarter net income.

APRIL 15 - 21

Budget Time: City and county officials announce their budgets this week and despite an improving economy, the picture is expected to be grim. County chief administrative officer David Janssen releases the county budget Monday (15th) and officially presents it to the Board of supervisors on Tuesday. Look for steep cuts in the health department budget as that agency grapples with a $1 billion shortfall in the next four years LA Mayor James Hahn releases his first budget on Friday (19th); anxiety has run high at City Hall as the mayor's office has looked for ways to close a projected $250 million gap without breaking Hahn's pledge not to raise taxes. On Thursday (18th), Hahn will deliver his first State of the City address. Given the looming battle over secession that could literally tear the city apart this November, it's no surprise that Hahn is delivering the speech in the San Fernando Valley, at James Monroe High School in North Hills.

Spring Numbers: Second quarter reporting season is upon us, with Cathay Bancorp Inc., City National Corp., THQ Inc., Ixia, Newhall Land & Farming Co., Cheescake Factory, Mattel and On Assignment all set to report earnings during the course of the week. There's general concern on Wall Street that while the economic recovery seems to be building, corporate earnings aren't keeping up.

Budding Interest: The Figueroa Corridor Partnership, a business improvement district, teams with the Department of Recreation and Parks, California African American Museum, the Natural History Museum, California Science Center and the Coliseum Commission for the annual Blooming of the Roses Festival Thursday (18th).

Touring L.A.: Operation HOPE Inc. and the L.A. office of the U.S. Small Business Administration will hold a bankers bus tour on Wednesday (17th) through portions of Los Angeles hardest hit by the 1992 riots. The major financial institutions are still being criticized for not altering their lending policies to entrepreneurs wanting to start businesses in inner-city communities. Similar bus tours were held in the months following the civil unrest.

Data Watch: Any hints about an increase in inflation could be revealed on Tuesday (16th) when the Commerce Department releases March's consumer price index.

Nervous Time: The Lakers conclude the regular season on Wednesday (17th) at Staples Center against those pesky Sacramento Kings. After that comes the playoffs, with L.A.'s first round opponent still up in the air. The Clippers close out their season on Tuesday (16th) against the Memphis Grizzlies.