The Obama administration selected a Los Angeles group Monday to lead an effort aimed at making manufacturing companies more competitive globally by helping them consume less energy and produce less waste. The Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition in Los Angeles will receive $70 million from the federal government to establish the ninth of 15 “manufacturing hubs” that President Barack Obama wants set up across the country. The winning team of nearly 200 partners will at least match that amount. The private-public partnership will develop smart sensors to make all types of manufacturing more efficient, Obama said at a conference designed to...