Welcome to California Inc., the weekly newsletter of the L.A. Times Business Section.
I'm Business columnist David Lazarus, and here's a rundown of upcoming stories this week and the highlights of last week.
Looking Ahead
Consumer spending: August retail sales will be released by the Commerce Department on Tuesday. Analysts keep a close eye on merchant activity for clues on how freely consumers are spending and whether they’ll remain inclined to keep shopping. Many business leaders were cheered to see July’s spending rise 0.6%.
Interest rates: One of the most anticipated meetings of Federal Reserve policymakers occurs this Wednesday and Thursday.