For the record - June 17, 2012

African businesswomen: An article in the June 13 Business section about African women touring L.A. to learn about how to expand their businesses mischaracterized U.S. Ambassador at Large Melanne Verveer’s comment about the “missing middle” as referring to a lack of a middle class in African nations. She was referring to medium-size or growing businesses when she said, “This ‘missing middle’ is where genuine growth and job creation and opportunities for societies really lie.”

Verizon plans: An article in the June 13 Business section about Verizon’s new cellular plans misstated what smartphone subscribers would pay if they use more data than their monthly allotment. Under the plans that take effect June 28, that cost will be $15 per additional gigabyte, not $45. Verizon customers who buy data plans for simpler, basic phones will pay $15 for each 300 megabytes above their monthly allotment, or closer to $45 per gigabyte.

California pensions: An article in the June 7 LATExtra section about voters in San Diego and San Jose approving cuts in pension costs said that San Diego labor groups that opposed the ballot initiative were backed by the state’s Public Employees Retirement Board. The correct name is the Public Employment Relations Board.

Battleship Iowa: An article in the June 10 California section about the battleship Iowa’s docking at its permanent berth at the San Pedro waterfront said the Iowa was the biggest U.S. battleship ever built. It is among the largest. The story also said the Iowa carried President Franklin Roosevelt to a November 1943 meeting with Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Chiang Kai-shek in Tehran. Chiang was not part of the Tehran Conference.

William Friedkin: In the June 15 Calendar section, an article about director William Friedkin said that his new film, “Killer Joe,” was given an NC-17 rating for its overall tone. The specific reason for the rating from the Motion Picture Assn. of America was for “graphic and disturbing content involving violence and sexuality, and a scene of brutality.”

John Edwards: An article in the June 14 Section A about the dismissal of charges against former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said that Edwards lives with his two youngest children. He lives with his two youngest children by Elizabeth Edwards; his youngest child is the daughter of Rielle Hunter.

Soccer: An article in the June 13 Sports section about the World Cup qualifying game between Mexico and El Salvador misspelled the last name of Mexico’s Jesus Zavala as Azala.

Fracking: A column in the June 10 Business section that called on the oil and natural gas industry to release more information about fracking misidentified the federal Safe Drinking Water Act as the Clean Drinking Water Act.