News

• LAist had a whirlwind of a week regarding the upholding of Prop 8, prompting various protests and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to call the state "fundamentally broken." Case in point, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed cutting all welfare and 80% of state parks from the budget after voters rejected a number of deficit solutions.
• SFist, as expected, also tried recovering from the shock of this week's Prop. 8 ruling.
• Phillyist dined out with young'uns.

Venice attracts a lot of people and has always had a number of vehicular homeless along its streets. More recently, thanks to the economy, the number of RVs, minivans and other vehicles housing people without a traditional home, have increased so much, that residents want to create overnight parking districts, effectively eliminating the problem... well, from their neighborhood, at least. KCET's SoCal Connected explored the issue last week in this above segment. more ›

Start off the morning with a nice casual two hour hike/walk starting at Malibu Bluffs Park and heading to the beach led by the California Native Plant Society who will teach you about wildflowers, native grasses and invading weeds. Begins at 10 a.m. more ›

When you read something you like on LAist, we love it when you hit the "like" button, and we love it even more if you put your two cents' worth in the comments. Getting a dialog going with our readers and making sure we're giving you content you can use are top priorities for us. And if you really like what you see, why not Tweet it or post it to your Facebook? Share the love! more ›

• A large fire at a North Hollywood whole sale shoe manufacture kept over 120 firefighters busy this afternoon. The blaze left one firefighter and civilian with non-life threatening injuries
• Speaking of fires, a parking garage in Culver City has fire extinguishers on the first floor. But what if you need one and you're on the fourth floor?
• Last night was the last for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show and the ratings were record breaking for him.

Cruzer Pizza in Los Feliz started offering vegan pizza yesterday with a new cheese that vegans are calling "revolutionary." Yes, it's vegan cheese, from Daiya Foods, that apparently melts and stretches like real cheese, says vegan blogger Quarrygirl. "It beats all other vegan cheeses, by far," she wrote in an e-mail to LAist. She also noted that it isn't available anywhere else on the West Coast. more ›

You've got the original Eastside--LA city neighborhoods east of the LA River including unincorporated East LA--and you've got the newish Eastside--Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Echo Park--battling it out for their title. Tomorrow in the LA Times a feature, which is already posted online, dives into the issue head on: more ›

Some people agree with DUI checkpoints and some hate them. Well instead of setting one up in the LAPD's Southwest Division tonight, they're doing a saturation patrol, meaning the area will be flooded with cops on the look out for drunk drivers. The division covers the the area just southwest of downtown including the USC campus (.pdf map). Compared to last year, the division has experienced a 32 percent increase in Driving Under the Influence related traffic collisions this year. The patrol will take place between 5 p.m. and 3 a.m. | UPDATE, 4:38 p.m.: LAPD will also saturate the Newton Division, which covers the south part of downtown and south of the 10 Freeway (Photo: Ross Reyes) more ›

That's the what the National Weather Service is predicting for mostly the Antelope and Cuyama Valleys with the possibility of them heading towards the Valley and Los Angeles basin by late this afternoon or later tonight. We like thunder so we hope it does end up heading our way. From the beaches to the Valley, temperatures are in the 60s today with cloudy skies overhead. As you head up into Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys, you're in the 70s and 80s, respectively. more ›

From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night, BuFest, a green indie music event, is happening over at Paramount Ranch, a National Park Unit in the Santa Monica Mountains. It's a beautiful park, especially at sunset, and now it can have a live soundtrack. More info here. more ›

Karma has a funny way of rearing its head at the most inopportune time. Thursday night, as 20,739 fans readied themselves to celebrate a great victory by Chivas USA over the Chicago Fire in a tough, physical match, karma intervened, putting the party on hold and handing the Fire a 3 - 2 victory. more ›

In the most dominating fashion, the Lakers dismantled the Denver Nuggets 119-92 in Denver in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals. They now head to their 30th NBA Finals and look to atone for their collapse in last year's finals against the Boston Celtics. more ›

Here's a 45-second video of a flying fish gliding across the water off the coast of Japan. It's no quarter-mile, as debated in the comments section of an LAist post about this weekend's Flying Fish Festival, but it's still pretty cool. more ›

A U.S. Bank branch at Woodman and Riverside in Sherman Oaks was robbed this afternoon at around 2 p.m. Now a perimeter has been set up as police look for two suspects who may be armed. "There are choppers everywhere," exclaimed Beth Oslander, a resident nearby who e-mailed LAist asking what was going on. A bomb squad was also called two the scene because of a suspicious package left at the bank by the two suspects, the LAPD says. Notre Dame High School and some other nearby buildings have been evacuated. more ›

Beginning Monday, mandatory water conservation in Los Angeles begins. That means things like a different rate structure (.pdf) and a stricter sprinkler ordinance (.pdf). Speaking to watering lawns, which consumes the most amount of water in households, homeowners don't necessarily have to sprinkle anything. Isla Earth, the daily podcast from the Catalina Island Conservancy explains some xeriscaping basics in an episode from 2007 that are still relevant today: more ›

An e-mail, probably from an anonymous staffer within the city's Information Technology Agency, says the city's most successful outreach tool to the public is set to be cut from the budget outright. If you don't use it, 3-1-1 is available 24 hours a day with live city operators ready to take various requests like graffiti and bulky item pickups and help you access any person within the city. It's goal is to centralize access to the city and could in fact save the city money when the three phased project is finished, if ever. more ›

After a jury found Phil Spector guilty of actress Lana Clarkson's murder, a judge today sentenced the music producer to 15 years to life for second-degree murder and four years for personal use of a gun. "Six years ago, Phil Spector was barely a blip on the American celebrity radar screen," explained the Associated Press of his past. "Although his music lived on, his name and face were only dimly recalled by rock music aficionados until a shooting at his Alhambra mansion propelled him to notoriety." A lottery was done for people who wanted to witness the sentence, noted the LA Weekly. "Deptartment 106 is packing out with media, D.A. types and lottery-drawn spectators," they said. more ›

LA's Department of Transportation is not known for its willingness to communicate with the public at large. It was only after a couple City Councilmember got aggressive this week with bikeways staff that yesterday, draft maps of the LA Bicycle Plan were released. You can download them here and then submit comments via an online form. They are not exactly thrilling maps to ogle over, but it's worth a look to check our your neighborhood and commuting routes. For example, in Sherman Oaks we noticed that a bike lane was deleted from Woodman Ave between Ventura and the 101 Freeway, even though maps published within the past few years show that one exists currently (it never did). A proposed bike lane for Fulton Ave. to Valley College has also disappeared. What's going on in your neighborhood? more ›

The great thing about California state parks is that many of them have so much beauty, history and significance, they could be a National Park. In fact, sometimes state parks work in combination with National Parks like in the Redwood Forest and locally within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (check out this map of all the proposed parks to be cut here). more ›

Voting may be the hallmark of our Democracy, but it should not be our pastime. It should be reserved for regular elections and the off-chance that there is a special and well deserved occasion. We Californians vote way too much for our own good. We are standing in our own way of progress and need to let our leaders do their jobs so we can lead fuller, richer, more productive lives. more ›

Former West Hollywood Councilman and Assemblyman Paul Koretz claimed victory for LA's 5th district seat late Tuesday night. Then an e-mail late yesterday afternoon came with some sobering news. more ›

In the final phase of a federal security transportation initiative, our borders are tightening even more beginning Monday. Those traveling by land or sea, will have to present a Passport or the newish Passport Cards when re-entering the states from Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Similar rules have already been in effect for air travel after September 11th prompted the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. What if you mess up and don't have either after a weekend of debauchery across neighboring international lines? We will not deny entry to noncompliant travelers," a spokeswoman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection told the Chicago Tribune. However, those travelers will probably be put into secondary inspection as officers verify their identity. more ›

LA Dodgers defeat Chicago Cubs 2-1. Who knew Randy Wolf would give the Dodgers such great performances? Wolf took to the Friendly Confines going seven-plus innings giving up one run on six hits and a walk with seven strike outs. The only run he gave up was the first batter of the eighth inning Bobby Scales hitting a pinch hit homer to stir the Wrigley crowd. Ramon Troncoso didn't make things easy practically refusing to throw a strike. In both the eighth and ninth innings the tying runs were in scoring position, but Troncoso managed to get out of the jam both times. Juan Pierre went 2-for-4 with a stolen base which is good for me since I signed him as a free agent on my fantasy team. more ›

• The National Organization for Marriage is saying that straight New Yorkers are becoming "oppressed" by possibly having to accept gay marriage as law. Say whaaa???
• Yvonne Jean Pampellonne, 30, of Liguna Niguel stole an identity, opened a line of credit and bought herself some new boobs. But when she failed to show for follow-up appointments, this raised a red flag. Doctors used the implant tracking numbers to find Pampellonne, and now she's facing the possibility of 3 years and 8 months in prison. It's pretty obvious the things that are important to her (as her myspace states), "Setting an example for my daughter. Showing her there are better things in life."
• Up now on the Recession chopping block - newspaper stands. Only the locations in the most populated areas have been surviving, with the rest having to turn into cigarette shops just to survive.

So we learned earlier today that fire officials do not want residents staying and defending their homes. So what about hiring a private fire fighting firm to ensure your home's safety from wildfires? more ›

More than 200 citizens died earlier this year while defending their homes from wildfires in Australia. That news made officials do a 180 from considering a stay and defend training program for Southern California. So they announced yesterday a "Ready, Set, Go" wildfire action plan for residents living in high risk fire areas--that is to create a defensible space around the home and go when evacuation orders are given. With a light year in rainfall, we could be experiencing more wildfires than ever this year. Stay safe and be prepared! more ›

All Brenda Lee (not that Brenda Lee) wanted to do was give President Obama a letter this morning at LAX. That ended up being a big fat nope.com from the Secret Service. Anyway, Obama was in town for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser, which prompted protests outside it at the Beverly Hilton. Among those who paid over $30,000 for a pair of dinner tickets included "Seth Rogen, Ron Howard, Kiefer Sutherland more ›

"At one time, prom may have been a big popularity contest where the best-looking guy or girl were crowned king and queen. Things have changed and it's no longer just about who has the most friends or who wears the coolest clothes," said Sergio Garcia, who beat out girls to be this year's prom queen, in his campaign to become prom queen, something he said was more of a stunt in the first place. "Sure, I'm not your typical prom queen candidate. There's more to me than meets the eye." At the prom, he'll be wearing a suit. more ›

Who wants to help bail out California, world's eighth-largest economy, by lending it money? Not bailed out banks. So like a kid asking his parents to co-sign his first apartment lease, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is asking the federal government to back the state on loans: more ›

Not a good day for use of force reports in Long Beach. In two separate incidents, Long Beach police used their guns injuring four suspects with one officer also being shot. In the first incident, Long Beach undercover detectives witnessed a drive by shooting in Compton and pursued the vehicle onto the 710 freeway. It ended in a shootout: three suspects hit and one officer. Later, an officer responding to a vandalism call led to the suspect being shot when he tried to grab the officer's baton. more ›

LA Lakers defeat Denver Nuggets 103-94. Lakers players not named Kobe Bryant or Pau Gasol made an appearance in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals. Most notably Lamar Odom became the beast everyone knew he could be scoring 19 points, grabbing 14 boards and blocking four shots. To open the fourth quarter Odom was everywhere defensively and offensively helping the Lakers go on a 11-0 run to start the fourth. Meanwhile when the Lakers looked a bit lethargic in the third quarter, Shannon Brown came into the game and made an emphatic dunk over Chris "Birdman" Anderson. The game was tight throughout being tied after the first, second and third quarters. But the Lakers were active on defense in the fourth quarter and summarily was able to pull out the game. By the way, Kobe Bryant scored only 22 points. more ›

The Chicago Fire arrived at LAX earlier this week ahead of their Thursday night match against Chivas USA and were greeted by several Mexican soccer fans hoping to get an autograph or picture of long time Club America icon and Fire standout Cuauhtemoc Blanco. Blanco is making what will likely be his only and final visit to L.A. as a member of the Fire this year, having stated earlier in the year that he would not be rejoining the team next year. His career with the Mexican National Team seems to have been given a second chance by new Head Coach Javier Aguirre and after Thursday's match, Blanco will join his compatriots as they prepare for their World Cup Qualifying match against El Salvador on June 6th. more ›

It's the highest reward ever set by the LA City Council--over a half million dollars--and today it was renewed. The long-standing mysterious "Grim Sleeper" serial killer has alluded police for over 20 years. It was only recently that police knew they were looking for the same man in a handful of cases. more ›

A fire that broke out this afternoon near Dodger Stadium in Elysian Park has grown to one acre, but is expected to be extinguished soon, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. At 2:41 p.m., a call from 1700 Stadium Way in the park reported the brush fire as near them. 38 firefighters responded to the fire in medium brush, which quickly grew from a half to full acre, as of 3:25 p.m. However, with virtually no winds, they expected a knock down soon. No one has been reported injured and no structures were threatened. UPDATE: As of 3:26, the fire was knocked down. more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's latest budget proposal suggest eliminating welfare. If that would happen, California would be the only state without such a program. "You would think they would legalize weed before this," quipped Shane Hirschman, a multimedia designer, on Twitter. more ›

One will address the war and the other, Prop 8. At 3:30 and until 5 p.m., activists from CODEPINK and ANSWER LA will protest troops in Afghanistan and war funding outside the Beverly HIlton, where President Obama is attending a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. Then at 6 p.m., the Courage Campaign is organizing one about Prop 8. "Let's take this opportunity, just one day after the CA Supreme Court makes its decision on Proposition 8, to show our President our support for his daring promise to our community and to highlight the growing movement towards FULL FEDERAL EQUALITY," their website says. more ›

We first met the roving band Killsonic last year on Valentine's Day roaming the streets of downtown during the monthly art walk. The quality of music and the random nature of how it all felt gave us a fantastic feeling. Then last night, at the tail end of the Prop 8 march in Hollywood was the band, rocking it out, once again. more ›

Although not officially announced by the County Registrar, Paul Koretz claimed victory last night in an e-mail blast: "The L.A. County Registrar of Voters has just posted an update on their website. Paul's lead in Council District 5 has jumped from 551 votes to 702 votes... Although we have been told that there are still approximately 100 ballots left to count, we can now safely claim victory." As for the reported incorrect ballots, the e-mail indicated there were only 50. The total posted was Koretz, 18,286 votes (50.98%), Vahedi 17,584 votes (49.02%). What does this mean for residents of CD5? When he was an Assemblymember, there were lots of community town halls. Lots (but will he have more than Tom LaBonge?). As for improving the area West Hollywood style like he did when he sat on that city's council? If he can do that, then, wow. more ›

Although it won't be for official presidential business. This afternoon, Barack Obama will arrive in Los Angeles for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Beverly Hills. There will be no public appearences and he will stay overnight. His presence is affecting private pilots, who are not being allowed to fly in or out of LAX, Hawthorne Municipal Airport, Santa Monica Airport, Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport from 1:05 p.m. today to 8 a.m. tomorrow. This will be his second trip to Los Angeles since he took office. The last time was while on official duty. more ›

Last night's large Day of Decision protest and march went peacefully through nearly six and half miles of West Hollywood and Los Angeles streets. There was lots of frustration, but also chants of encouragement, statements written in yellow chalk on the sidewalks and streets and people to meet. more ›

In an e-mail yesterday from Protect Marriage, the official Yes on Prop 8 group, they are not too worried concerned about the 18,000 gay couples whose were marriages untouched in the state Supreme Court's ruling. Why? Cause, apparently, a lot of gays will divorce, they say: "if California goes as Massachusetts did after legalizing gay marriage, a substantial portion of the still-recognized gay marriages will be dissolved by divorce within a few years." Jeeezzz. more ›

I still say the Lakers will defeat the Denver Nuggets in six games. But it's not this series that I'm finding all that compelling. Out in the east, we are witnessing an Orlando Magic team that is tearing apart the Cleveland Cavaliers. Aside from the Magic's 10-point victory in game three, all games have been close: one point margins in games one and two and a two point victory by the Magic in game four. more ›

The brush fire that began Sunday afternoon and burned around 450 acres in Joshua Tree National Park was fully contained yesterday morning, although some firefighters remained on the scene to check for hotspots. “Exotic grasses and weeds change the desert’s natural ecology and its normal fire frequency. Because of this, Joshua Tree National Park has a full suppression approach to wildfires," said Park Superintendent, Curt Sauer. "Given that no firefighter or park visitor was hurt in the process, that’s about as good of an outcome as we can expect.” The following areas remain closed to public use to allow for the remaining fire operations: the Lost Horse Mine Road and trailhead, the Oyster Bar parking area, and the Hall of Horrors parking area. All other park areas and facilities are open for normal visitor use. more ›

Since Californians overwhelmingly rejected his propositions last week in the special election, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger released his latest budget plan detailing $5.5 billion in cuts from a deficit estimated to be $24.3 billion by July 1 (that's higher than the $21.3 billion that was touted in the last few weeks). more ›

LA Dodgers defeat Colorado Rockies 7-1. What better way to come out of a hitting slump than to play against the worst team in the NL West? Casey Blake came through with the bases loaded in the fifth inning hitting his second double off of Rockies starter Aaron Cook clearing the bases giving the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. Although Dodgers starter Eric Milton gave one run back in the bottom of that frame, he pitched just well enough to get his first win since August 8, 2006 when he played for the Cincinnati Reds. Juan Pierre had just another normal outing for him, a 3-for-5 day scoring twice and driving two home. Orlando Hudson went 2-for-3 extending his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. The Dodgers will bring the brooms out and go for the sweep today. more ›

• A Costa Mesa man (possibly?) became the oldest American to scale Mount Everest. 67-year-old, Bill Burke stated he climbed because he, "wanted to be the oldest American who ever stood on top."
• Circuit City is back! At least their website is, but don't even think about returning anything you purchase.
• The president of the Los Angeles Police Commission, Anthony Pacheco, unexpectedly announced his resignation today. Pacheco is proud of the progress made during his service on the Commission, but now is returning full-time to his law firm, Proskauer Ros, to work on several "time-consuming assignments."

Two top attorneys who argued Bush v. Gore on opposite sides have now joined forces to strike down Prop 8 in federal court, filing for a preliminary injunction against same-sex marriage ban until the case is resolved, which would immediately reinstate the right for all Californians to marry. Theodore B. Olson and David will officially announce their case tomorrow morning in downtown, according to the American Foundation for Equal Rights. more ›

One of the first protests of many in the Los Angeles area today took place at the East Los Angeles Recorder Office on Cesar Chavez Avenue. Around 100 people, who would have preferred to be celebrating, were prepared with Repeal Prop 8 in 2010 signs. They chanted in front of news cameras while a few couples waited in line to get marriage proposals, an exercise in purposeful futility. After being denied, the couples refused to leave saying they would wait until gay marriage is legal in California. Eventually, they left shortly after 3 p.m. more ›

After a year of restoring its wildlife and native habitat, Bull Creek, between Victory Boulevard and the LA River in the San Fernando Valley, re-opened to the public this morning. As with the LA River, the Army Corps of Engineers adjusted the creek for flood control purposes years ago leaving the ecosystem and habitat weakened. more ›

A collision between a Metro Blue Line train and a vehicle, possibly a pick up truck, left at least one person injured and transported to the hospital. At 1:25 p.m., the two collided near Washington and Main just south of downtown, but no train passengers were hurt. Two other people were in the vehicle, but their condition is unknown and the circumstances of the crash are under investigation. Last week, two pedestrians were killed when crossing the Blue Line tracks. If LAist is keeping tabs correctly, this is the 827th incident on the Blue Line since it opened in 1990. In the past, some LAist commenters believe this is purely an issue of survival of the fittest and others think Metro's safety standards are not up to par. more ›

Speaking from Sacramento today as he works with legislators on our failed state budget (they want to take money away from cities), gay marriage supporter and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villariagosa addressed today's Prop 8 ruling in a statement. more ›

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has always been a supporter of gay marriage, but his duty is to uphold today's ruling. However, he believes that someday gay couples will get the right to marry in California. Here's what he said in a statement today: "While I believe that one day either the people or courts will recognize gay marriage, as governor of California I will uphold the decision of the California Supreme Court. Regarding the 18,000 marriages that took place prior to Proposition 8's passage, the court made the right decision in keeping them intact. I also want to encourage all those responding to today's court decision to do so peacefully and lawfully.'' more ›

Stop8.org founder and contributor to LAist's sister site to the north, SFist, Matt Baume put together this nice video. To him, it's not all that bad... here's to continuing the positive conversation for ultimate change. more ›

After this morning's ruling that gay marriage will remain illegal in California, things outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco started to get a little out of hand. Locally, the LAPD announced logistics to the media about tonight's permitted protest in Hollywood. They advised reporters of media staging areas, the route and what to do if the march is declared as an unlawful assembly. more ›

A long awaited decision announced at 10 a.m. on Prop 8 and 18,000 already-married couples proved mostly a loss for the gay community. In a 6-1 vote, the California Supreme Court ruled that Prop 8 was indeed an amendment and therefore remains law, meaning gay marriage in the state is illegal. However, as expected by many, the 18,000 couples who married during the Rainbow Window last year will remain legally married (the full ruling is embedded below). more ›

Prop 8 is upheld? Protests. Prop 8 is defeated? Celebrations. No matter the outcome, today is the long-planned-for Day of Decision with events across the nation. Most are taking place this evening, but if you go, make sure to check the time for your preferred location: more ›

"I want to have an aggressive agenda and hit the ground running," said Carmen Trutanich, who will become LA City Attorney on July 1st, to the Daily News. He plans to name a transition team and develop an agenda for his first 100 days in office. Not only that, he's opening his doors to Controller-Elect Wendy Greuel for a department audit, something current City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and former Controller Laura Chick sparred about. "I spoke to (Controller-elect) Wendy Greuel about having her come in to give me a base line on what we need to do. I will follow her with my own auditors to confirm with another set of eyes on what needs to be done." more ›

As of 7 p.m. last night, the Lost Horse Fire in Joshua Tree National Park was 80% contained with full containment expected by 8 a.m. this morning. At 8:15 a.m., rangers at the Visitor Center could not confirm the current status of the blaze to LAist. more ›

At 10 a.m., the California Supreme Court will announce their decision on Prop 8, a ballot initiative that banned gay marriage last November. Two questions will be answered: will Prop 8 be upheld or struck down and if the former, what is the fate of the 18,000 couples already married in the "Rainbow Window," between at three outcomes more ›

On Sunday evening, Jessica Amen and Kyle Kushner lost just about everything when their two-story unit apartment in Brentwood went aflame. Over 100 Los Angeles firefighters fought the aggressive blaze for nearly an hour before extinguishing it, keeping it contained to only their unit. One resident and one firefighter sustained injuries, but nothing life threatening. more ›

John Silva was last seen jumping off a boat into the water to cool off yesterday afternoon. But soon after entering the water without a life jacket, the 42-year-old El Monte resident began to struggle to stay afloat, prompting a friend to dive in for an attempted rescue. However, Silver went underwater before he could be reached and is presume drowned after a two-hour searched, to be continued tomorrow, provided no results. more ›

• More information has been made public regarding the teenager murdered at a Compton fried chicken restaurant. Dannie Farber was a football player at Harbor City High, set to graduate next month.
• Has the LAPD achieved racial diversity?
• It's the even before the expected announcement regarding the legal fate of Prop 8, and many are praying for the outcome they favor.

Long Beach's Animal Care Services could not be more correct: "It’s a People Problem, Not a Wildlife Problem." As human development encroaches on wildlife habitat, coyotes and other animals become part of a neighborhood's fabric as they search for food and water. And easy to find trash and kitty cats keep those coyotes coming back. On Saturday, a cat was nabbed from the front yard of a Long Beach home. The owners, hearing their cat scream, went outside to find Bear--that's the feline's name--in a coyote's mouth. more ›

As it stands right now, former West Hollywood Councilman and Assemblyman Paul Koretz leads lawyer and community organizer David Vahedi by a close 551 votes. Provisional and vote-by-mail ballots still need to be counted, but some problems have surfaced, earlier examined by the LA Times and highlighted by a Vahedi camp e-mail this weekend: more ›

Young politicians have an awful lot of social networking and "new media" at their disposal to make reaching out to their potential constituents a lot faster and easier. Like many people in their 20s, Emanuel Pleitez, who recently challenged veteran politico Gil Cedillo for the 32nd Congressional District seat vacated by US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, made use of his personal Facebook profile to share news items and images with his "friends." more ›

Wesley Korir of Kenya won today's LA Marathon, beating the race's record from 2006. His 2:08:24 finishing time beat the previous record of 2:08:40 by 24 seconds, according to the LA Times. In the women's race, Tatiana Petrova of Russia won finishing at 2:25:29, also a record with the third-fastest time. more ›

A brush fire broke out in the Mount Olympus neighborhood off Laurel Canyon last night that left approximately 1-acre burned. The blaze began shortly after 7 p.m. on the 2100 block of Laurel Canyon Road the and was knocked down in less than an hour, reportedly leaving no people injured or structures damaged. more ›

In just the first two days of the Memorial Day long weekend, authorities made more than 420 arrests for "suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Los Angeles County," the Pasadena Star-News reports, up from the 387 arrests in the same time frame last year. The count began at 12:01 a.m. Friday and these figures represent arrests logged until midnight Saturday. Motorists may have noticed the upped presence of patrols and checkpoints, which is thanks to the "Avoid the 100" campaign; 100 county law enforcement agencies working together as a "task force target[ing] intoxicated drivers" are the ones you'll want to avoid. Better yet, avoid any problems and either be the or designate a sober driver. more ›

Last Thursday the California Department of Education released their 2008 rankings for schools and districts using the Academic Performance Index (API) test scores as their base criteria, as well as "how they perform compared to schools having similar demographics," according to the Daily News. more ›

A fire that began yesterday afternoon inside Joshua Tree National Park continues to burn today, but is expected to be knocked down by tonight. The blaze began around 4 p.m. near the Lost Horse Mine in the hills between the park’s Geology Tour Road and the Keys View Road. By 11 p.m., 150 acres had burned and had only been contained by 5%. As a precaution, 12 hikers near the Lost Horse Trail were airlifted to safety. They were never trapped, but the fire left them with a much longer, more dangerous route to leave the park, according to ranger Pam Tripp. Although the fire is burning through Joshua trees, pinyon pines, junipers and desert scrub vegetation, another concern is the endangered desert tortoise and historic Lost Horse Mind itself, which was discovered in 1893 and is currently the park's best preserved stamp miss used back then to process 9,000 pounds of gold ore. *UPDATE*: As of 10 a.m., the fire was 50% contained and expected to be at 100% by 8 a.m., Tuesday morning. more ›

An 18-year-old man was eating at the Louisiana Fried Chicken on Rosecrans Avenue in Compton shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday when he was shot and killed, cbs2 reports. The restaurant is part of a chain of fried chicken fast food joints, known locally not just for their eats, but their distinct "decor." more ›

Without a doubt, there will probably be more military fly overs today than this, but since we know the one in Santa Monica, here's your warning. Two Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters will fly over Santa Monica's Woodlawn Cemetery at 11:45 a.m. this morning. Then a C-17 Globemaster III will fly over Venice and Santa Monica beaches around 1 p.m. This is for an annual event at the cemetery. more ›

The LA Marathon has been happening since 7:20 this morning, but with miles to go and thousands of runners and spectators, the route is going to make getting around town a bit challenging for many today. So before you head out, double check the route map to see if you need to rethink your own route, or, if you want to help cheer people on, check out the Spectator's Guide to see where the bands, the cheerleaders, and the broadcasters will be gathered. more ›

A structure at a car wash in Hollywood collapsed on some cars awaiting washing. There was no one in the cars and no one was injured. | A Costa Mesa man got to the top of Mount Everest. But the hardest part, coming down, is still yet to come. | Some state education leaders explain how ridding the system of bureaucracy would help in this time of severe budget cuts. more ›

So it's the rubber match of the Dodgers (30-14) and the Angels (22-20). The Dodgers have started a new promotion with the Bleacher Beach section in the left field reserve seats. Now if I had been smart, I would have brought a USB cable to share pictures with you, but alas that will have to wait until later. more ›

NASA has decided to land Space Shuttle Atlantis here in Southern California this morning, after first scrapping plans to land in Florida yesterday in favor of landing here, and then opting to hold off the landing for one more day in hopes of more desirable weather back in Florida. But Atlantis is coming in for its landing here, at Edwards Air Force Base. "So Cal residents should anticipate twin sonic booms just prior to 8:39 PDT," the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey tells us. Let us know if you hear them, and where you are! And welcome home, Atlantis. more ›

Chivas USA and Kansas City Wizards traded second half goals en route to a 1 - 1 draw in Kansas City last night. The tie extends Chivas USA's undefeated streak to 6 games and more ›

The Dodgers dropped the series opener against the pesky Angels last night 3-1. The same issue from the New York Mets series reared its ugly head: the inability to hit with runners in scoring position. Last night the Dodgers were 1-for-14. While the Angels were almost as woeful going 2-for-17, that one extra hit was what netted the two runs in the eighth inning to take the lead. more ›

With an ailing economy in the era of prolific self-expression via a multitude of platforms, sometimes the best way to be heard is to grab some paper and a pen and put the message up on your own four wheels. This is what one San Fernando Valley resident seems to be fond of doing, as found byLAist Featured Photos pool contributor CookieDuster, who explains the sign-maker's most recent foray into their version of Twittering:

The neighbor is riled up enough again to post his first tailgate message since election day. A total lack of punctuation and a spelling mistake only adds to the charm. more ›

I don't get it. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals Pau Gasol got nine field goal attempts. In Game 2 he got eight. In these two games, Gasol has less attempts than he did in Game 7 of the Houston Rockets series. more ›

Late yesterday afternoon LA Observed's Kevin Roderick offered up some insight on the recent goings-on in local politics during his KCRW commentary. In addition to taking a look at this week's winners and losers--err, in the context of elections--Roderick took a look at what may or may not be the pop culture litmus test for potential electoral success. Yes, you guessed it: Twitter. more ›

Following yesterday's walkouts at Santee High School, where hundreds of students marched from their campus to the Downtown headquarters of the Los Angeles Unified District, Board President Monica Garcia has issued a statement. Her emphasis, however, is focused neither on the Board changing their minds about layoffs and budgetary decisions, nor on punishing the students, but rather on using their education as their best mode of protest. Says Garcia:

“I encourage our students to continue informing themselves and speaking out on cuts in California that affect their futures more than anyone else’s. more ›

Cancel that Sonic Boom heads-up warning for today: NASA has announced that they will not be landing the space shuttle Atlantis here in Southern California at Edwards Air Force Base. The local landing was decided upon when weather conditions in Florida were determined to be less favorable than here, but ultimately the shuttle won't be landing anywhere today, period. NASA is holding off the landing until tomorrow, and prefers Florida's Kennedy Space Center, but "there’s still a chance Atlantis will go to Edwards. If thunderstorms linger in Florida Sunday, the shuttle will likely be diverted to Southern California," which means we just might "hear the orbiter’s twin sonic boom shortly before the spacecraft lands," after all, explains the OC Register. more ›

For the first time in months, the main soccer field at the Home Depot Center will not see any action this weekend. A bit of a rarity and attributed to the fact that all three of L.A.'s professional soccer teams have taken their respective shows on the road. more ›

If you hear/feel a large BOOM Saturday, it (hopefully) won't be an earthquake but rather the Space Shuttle Atlantis landing. Rain in Florida has forced the shuttle to move it's landing from the Kennedy Space Center to Edwards AFB. | Sometimes, alcohol can make guys do really stupid things... | Twenty-five Southern California residents were charged with fraud for seeking Medi-Cal payments for clients who were actually dead. more ›

A car with an engine fire sparked a small brush fire off La Tuna Canyon in the Northeast Valley a quarter to 1 p.m. today. Flames spread towards the 210 Freeway, prompting multiple lanes to close and a SigAlert to be issued. But 35 firefighters quickly stomped out the blaze. They will now stay at the scene for cold trailing, where they check for smoldering, bury any tree trunks and generally make sure nothing flares back up again. The fire burned an area estimated to be a 200 square foot area in addition to the car at the side of the road, which we hear was a Mercedes SL500. Ouch. more ›

Like last Friday, a number of students from Santee and Lincoln High Schools protested budget cuts and teacher layoffs this morning. They marched to the LAUSD headquarters in downtown where Superintendent Ray Cortines spoke to them, according to Cuts Hurt Kids on Twitter. Last week, students and teachers protested ending with a around 40 educators in jail. more ›

An earlier post this week on catch basin screen covers generated a lot of interest and some questions from readers in the comment section. The City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation was watching, too. Michelle Vargas is a public information officer with the Department of Public Works and wanted to follow up with some information. We've parsed out her response below: more ›

The long awaited day will finally come. The Supreme Court will announce their decision on the validity of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Such rulings are generally made on Mondays and Thursdays, but due to the Memorial Day holiday, the ruling will come on Tuesday. Depending on the outcome, celebrations or protests are planned for Tuesday night and a large one next week Saturday in Fresno, of all places. The court's full announcement is below: more ›

Yesterday, we told you why the LAPD announces DUI Checkpoints along with where one would be located in the Valley tonight. Now Central Traffic Division is announcing that they will hold one at Washington Boulevard and Lovelace Avenue from 7:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. "in response to an increase in DUI related traffic accidents" in the area. more ›

The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is warning travelers this weekend that , which is within its boundaries, is experiencing an unpleasant odor and dead carp washed up on the beaches. There are no known human heath risks associated with the suspected cause of the carp deaths, but visitors are advised not to handle the dead fish. The cause is unknown, but biologists are performing tests with results due back next week. Nearby Lake Mead seems to be fine (except the lower water levels). more ›

Late yesterday afternoon, a San Diego bound American Eagle backing out of the gate bumped into another Embraer that was empty sitting at its respective gate. The 40 passengers and 3 crew were not injured, but both planes sustained minor damage. American Airlines booked passengers on other flights to San Diego as the National Transportation Safety Board began to investigate. more ›

After the death of a man crossing the Metro Blue Line tracks yesterday afternoon, a 49-year-old woman was left in critical condition when she was hit and trapped beneath the train shortly before 8 p.m. near Flower and Venice in downtown. Yesterday's incidents increase the train line's statistics to 93 deaths and 826 accidents, according to transit advocate Damien Goodmon who today is calling for Congressional investigation and hearing. "It is the deadliest light rail train in the nation," a news release from his Citizens' Campaign to Fix the Expo Rail Line group said. On Wednesday, a woman was killed by a Metro bus downtown when she was hit near City Hall more ›

Denver Nuggets defeat LA Lakers 106-103. Just as the Denver led by double digits in Game 1 and gave the Lakers the victory, the Lakers did the same in Game 2. Down the stretch the Lakers could not snag defensive rebounds giving the Nuggets second chance opportunities. Meanwhile the Nuggets played the Lakers very well defensively by clogging the lanes and forcing the Lakers to take contested jumpers. The Lakers came out on fire taking the ball to the rim and opening a 14 point lead, however on defense they did allow the Nuggets to penetrate. The Lakers started to play sloppy in the end of the second quarter allowing the Nuggets to go on a 14-2 to close the half with a one point deficit. The game would remain close throughout as the teams went back and forth trading punches. While the referees blew some calls, none of that should detract from the fact that the Lakers gave up a 14 point lead. But what's good for the goose is good for the ganders. The series now shifts to Denver on Saturday for Game 3. more ›

Denver gets the Lakers at home on Monday night, we get their WWE spillover. Scheduling conflicts always arise during the playoffs, but it's cool, Denver, you could've kept the WWE show, we would have gladly hosted the game... Redondo residents have been getting ripped off at the pump, and not from gas prices. | Since October, over 1,000 victims have been "skimmed" by using their ATM card at an Arco gas station on PCH. Police are getting closer to the suspects who have stolen $200,000 in just the last two weeks from victims' accounts. more ›

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a northbound Blue Line train at about 2:30 p.m. in South Los Angeles. The man, estimated to be approximately 50 years old, was crossing at a marked crosswalk, but it is unknown if he was doing so legally, according to the LA Fire Department, who gathered the information from witnesses. The 47-year-old train operator was shaken and asked paramedics to evaluate her condition, but she declined treatment and transportation. A Sheriff's investigation is underway. This is the second Metro related death within a day's time. Last night, a woman was killed near City Hall when a bus hit her. more ›

A training mission north of Edwards Air Force base has left one plane downed and the two crew members in unknown condition. The T-38 Talon went down nine miles north of the base around 1:15 p.m. In March, an F-22a fighter jet crashed killing the test pilot and in December, an F/A-18 crashed into a San Diego neighborhood, killing four members of a family. more ›

At least that's what U.S. Atty. Thomas P. O'Brien said this morning at a news conference about this today's large sweep that indicted around 150 members of the Varrio Hawaiian Gardens gang (only some were actually arrested). The operation was part of a racketeering indictment, 476 “overt acts” in all, that includes crimes ranging from drug dealing and murder. more ›

Here's LA Weekly Editor stoner Jill Stewart on last week's SoCal Connected sticking it to the Los Angeles City Council. She's has some good points, especially in light of the news coming out this week about California's post-election budget crisis, which has prompted proposals to strip legislators pay and to drop services and spending to 1999 levels. And, oh, we probably won't be getting any help from the feds. Unfortunately, all that happens at the state level in the budget trickles down to the city's budget, too. more ›

If you want good quotes, you go to LAPD Chief Bratton. He's always been one to be candid (remember his celebrity gossp/analysis?) Well yesterday, he joined Patt Morrision for her show on KPCC and when asked about LA Weekly's April 30th story refuting the LAPD's touted crime statistics, he dismissed it calling the report "voodoo journalism" said writer Patrick Range McDonald and cohorts must have "smoking a little weed when they wrote the article." That didn't sit well with Tina Dupuy at FishbowlLA: more ›

A few weeks ago, the Bird Sanctuary Trail finally opened back up after the 2007 Griffith Park fire left it unusable to the public. It's a relatively short hike, but one that offers great views and connects to a wider system of trails. more ›

On Friday night from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., the LAPD is holding a sobriety checkpoint in Canoga Park at Reseda Boulevard & Sherman Way. Over the past year, the area has experienced over 50 crashes involving drunk drivers along with 346 hit and runs. That's why they are doing this, but, as many LAist readers have asked in the past, why do they announce it to the public? One reason is they have to by law, but according to Lt. John Romero, "a certain amount of prevention occurs just by a warning the public." What do you think? Should DUI checkpoints still be announced? more ›

A Tuesday night CBS 2 News report that featured LAist (they described as "a Web site where people vent about issues like parking tickets," and pronounced us as LA-List, hehe) exposed the hundreds of thousands of tickets that drivers have fought and won. In total, over a two and a half year period, they found that more than 124,000 tickets were overturned. more ›

When José Maldonado exited his parked car Monday afternoon, knife in hand and a t-shirt partially cover his face, to try to kidnap an juvenile girl walking home, he probably didn't expect her to fight back. He also probably didn't realize her father was down the street running towards them. So he stopped and drove away before anything serious happened. more ›

When all the ballots were counted from precincts early Wednesday morning, just hundreds votes separated the two candidates for Council District 5, now held by Jack Weiss, who lost a bid for City Attorney during the same election. Former West Hollywood Councimember and former Assembly Paul Koretz leads lawyer and community organizer David Vahedi by 335 votes. Around 3,000 ballots, a mix of mail-in and provisionals, remain to be counted and the LA County Recorder-Registrar predicts announcing the results as early as Friday. However, about 112 mail-in ballots may have been erroneous. Some allegedly did not include the council race and one reviewed by the LA Times seemed to be assembled incorrectly with contradictory information on the front cover and inside. more ›

After some of them spent two nights in a Red Cross shelter, the 18 residents of an earthquake damaged apartment building in Long Beach will return home today. more ›

For the second time this year, a bus making a turn has fatally struck a pedestrian crossing the street. It was about 7:25 p.m. at Temple and Spring when the woman, believed to be in her 30s, crossed the street correctly on a green light, but seemingly at an angle, a Metro spokesperson told the LA Times. Earlier this year, a DASH bus making a turn killed a woman at 5th and Flower near Central Library. more ›

LA Dodgers defeat New York Mets 2-1. Neither the Mets nor the Dodgers did anything offensively, but Russell Martin did just enough to drive in the winning run in the eighth inning. The Mets went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position while the Dodgers went 1-for-9, that one on Russell Martin's single in the bottom of the eighth that scored Orlando Hudson from second base. Livan Hernandez pitched seven innings giving up only one run in the first inning for the Mets. Jeff Weaver pitched five innings giving up one run on four hits and two walks. Ronald Belisario came in to pitch in the top of the eighth and gave up two walks and a David Wright fly ball to center field that advanced the runners to second and third. Brent Leach came in and induced two weak grounders that kept the runners from scoring. With the Dodgers scoring in the bottom of that frame it gave him the win. Jonathan Broxton came in and got his 11th save out of 13 chances. The Dodgers have the day off Thursday. more ›

Speaking of LA County's terrible water quality ranking that was announced today, have you seen these along Los Angeles' curbs? These catch basin screen covers prevent litter larger than ¾ of an inch from entering the storm drain system that brings water to the ocean via the LA River and Ballona Creek. Over the past year, they started appearing in the Valley, but they were first installed in other areas that generated the highest amount of trash. more ›

A special Silver Lake Neighborhood Council meeting scheduled for tomorrow night will focus on the controversial Sunset Junction Festival. A board member from the non profit festival's producer, the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance, will make a presentation addressing changes for this year's fete, set for the weekend of August 22nd. Among other nitty gritty detail that community members have concerns about, they will discuss parking problems and the wristband/handstamp policy that in the past has sometimes left employees at local businesses paying to get into the festival to access their jobs. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at Micheltorena School Auditorium and the council hopes the public will join them. The meeting's full agenda is embedded below: more ›

The city of Burbank is ready to make their energy a whole lot greener, the Leader is reporting. There, "construction crews are set to break ground on a $14.9-million Burbank Water and Power project as part of what officials called an aggressive plan to serve as a model of sustainability." more ›

After hearing about the unfortunate death of a mountain lion on the 5 Freeway this morning, we found another puma photo via the National Park Service. This time, it's good news. She, named P6, was tagged awhile ago by the Service, but her radio collar stopped working two years ago. more ›

If you live in an apartment and you don't appreciate your neighbors' cigarette smoke drifting in from common areas into your area, is there anything you can do besides close your window? Or move? In Long Beach, landlords and tenants interested in finding out their options plan to meet this afternoon for the "Smoke Free Apartments Community Forum" hosted by the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, explains the Press-Telegram. more ›

Driving on the 5 freeway this morning in the Newhall Pass between Los Angeles and the Santa Clarita Valley, a Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority ranger spotted a dead mountain lion on the center divider near Calgrove Blvd. Presumably, it was hit trying to cross the freeway. more ›

LA County still has worst water quality in state and includes several sites on the top 10 "beach bummer" (i.e., worst beaches in the state) list in this year's Heal the Bay Beach Report Card. This comes as neighboring Orange and Ventura counties earn high grades for good water quality. more ›

Consider this scenario: your opening day starter starts only one game then goes on the disabled list; your slugger will be suspended for 50 games; your rookie starter who showed promise has no idea where to find the strike zone; two of your bullpen pitchers are on the disabled list; you can't etch the names of your fourth and fifth starters. more ›

It always felt like an obvious thing to do, but now we know the potential. According to state's Flex Your Power program, "if you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort. And here’s the best part: most ceiling fans use less electricity than a light bulb. Remember to turn fans off when you leave the room, since they work by creating a breeze to cool people, not rooms." This tip comes from a list of seven easy tips, including a favorite of ours that a lot of people seem to forget about: "Closing the blinds or curtains on south or west-facing walls can cut down on solar heat gain during the day." more ›

The California Department of Public Health announced today that thirteen hospitals have been fined $25,000 per violation "after a determination that the facilities’ noncompliance with licensing requirements has caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury or death to patients." Of the thirteen statewide, nine of those are within the Los Angeles region, ten if you count San Diego in the mix. Is one of them yours? Check below for the list of SoCal hospitals and what they did. These fines stem from incidents in 2007 and 2008: more ›

On Monday night, the well-known cyclist and activist, who goes by Roadblock, was thrown from his bike after a driver rear-ended him going 45 miles per hour. The accident occurred on N. Glendale just before Park and the driver was said be in a dark gray sedan, plate number 6GYC11. more ›

Oh, the terrible Newport-Inglewood, you've yet to forsake us. Yesterday's mild 4.1 earthquake caused 18 people to be displaced at the Locust Avenue apartments in Long Beach. more ›

Since the recession and a new ordinance began, business for a family selling food out of a taco truck in Palos Verdes Estates is down by half. It started last summer, as LA County tried to unsuccessfully enforce a similar, but more relaxed, ordinance that was struck down as unconstitutional. In an article about trying to curb taco trucks nationwide, the LA Times explains: "No longer could loncheras set up for hours at parks or construction sites. Instead, they could stop only at sites where a bathroom was available to patrons, and stay just half an hour, barely enough time to set up and prepare a meal or two before having to break down and drive away again. In addition, all employees had to get background checks." The guys over at Carne Asada is Not a Crime caught wind of an ordinance proposed at neighboring Rancho Palos Verdes earlier this year and spoke to the attorney who represented taco vendors in the LA County case. No word if any action will be or was taken. more ›

The LAPD didn't get hit as hard as other departments in the City Council approved city budget, but the current plan does slow down hiring new officers. Now the Los Angeles Police Protective League has submitted their ideas to save the city money in order to get back on track of getting more officers on the streets. There are 16 in all, but some are not very specific to the department like installing wind and solar energy on government buildings. However, there are a few ideas that seem to have potential: more ›

With 100% of precincts reporting, preliminary results for yesterday's special election are here. It's preliminary because an unknown number of provisional and vote-by-mail ballots still need to be counted. Here's a round up of what happened: more ›

LA Lakers defeat Denver Nuggets 105-103. ESPN is awful. Their announcing teams are unlistenable and their analysts are even worse. Magic Johnson said the Lakers bench played horribly in the first half. Um, the Lakers bench outscored the Nuggets bench 20-2. In fact it was the Lakers bench that helped the Lakers overcome that 13 point deficit. True the Lakers didn't play that well. They came out shooting cold and had lapses on defense. But it's the playoffs and they played well enough to put the dagger in the hearts of the Nuggets. Kobe Bryant scored 40 points while Derek Fisher scored 13 including the three pointer at the end of the first half to give the Lakers a one-point lead. more ›

With all but two precincts reporting, only 316 votes separated candidates Paul Kortez and David Vahedi for the 5th district of Los Angeles, which covers the Hollywood Hills, Westside and Sherman Oaks/Encino. Koretz, a former West Hollywood councilman and state politician, led with 50.51% of the vote, over a point ahead of Vahedi, a community organizer and lawyer, according to the LA County Recorder-Registrar/County Clerk. The race is too close to call because provisional and some vote-by-mail ballots will still need to be counted. UPDATE: 335 votes separate the two with 100% of precincts reporting. Koretz still leads, but because these are preliminary results and the race is so close, the official outcome will probably come in the near future. more ›

Come July 1st, there will be some new blood in city hall. After a nasty race, Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich tonight won the race for City Attorney, announced the LA Times in a breaking news alert. He faced current 5th District Councilman Jack Weiss. As of midnight, Trutanich had over 55% of the vote with 76% of precincts reporting, according to the LA County Recorder-Registrar/County Clerk. Trutanich had the endorsement of Sheriff Lee Baca, but not LAPD's Chief William Bratton, who he will closely work with on the job. more ›

Other than Prop 1F, all the budget ballot props have failed, according to the Sacramento Bee: "With about a quarter of the state's precincts in as of 9:30 p.m., the Secretary of State's Office reported none of Propositions 1A through 1E were garnering more than 41 percent of the vote. Only Proposition F, which would freeze the salaries of state elected officials in bad budget years, was winning - and it was winning big." Contests for LA City Attorney and the 5th District are still up for grabs. As of 10:30 p.m., Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich is up 3 points over Jack Weiss for City Attorney with 22% of the precincts reporting. In the 5th District, Paul Koretz leads David Vahedi by 5 points. Only 10% of the precincts reporting in that race. more ›

Los Angeles has welcomed the Kogi Korean BBQ truck with open arms. The OC needs to make sure Kogi is official... | NBCLA wants to wish you a Happy 10th Anniversary of standing in line for Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Yes, it was 10-years ago when you waited 42-days outside of Mann's Chinese, only to run back to your mom's basement and promptly seek solace after the film. more ›

An ordinance in the high desert city of Lancaster went into full effect on March 1st, but today Lancaster officials are reminding residents not to water their lawns between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. “The summer heat is already beaten down upon us," said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris about today's reminder. "It is imperative that we each do our part to conserve water this summer. We must sustain this precious resource in our Valley." Recently, the Antelope Valley has been regularly experiencing temperatures in the high 80s and 90s, which is nothing compared to normal temps during the height of summer. The ordinance, which was adopted last year, stays in effect until October 31st. more ›

For the second time this week, an earthquake has struck an area 10 miles southwest of downtown near unincorporated Lennox. The 4.1 shaker struck at 3:49 p.m. this afternoon, followed by a 2.5 aftershock at 3:51 p.m. On Sunday evening, a 4.7 rattler shook up in the same area and earlier this month, a 4.4 struck in the Santa Monica Mountains. The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting no immediate damage, but per policy, they must enter into "Earthquake Emergency Mode" and "actively survey" the city by ground and air to make sure. UPDATE: Officials at Caltech are saying this was an aftershock from Sunday's 4.7 quake. more ›

By 1:15 p.m., a voting precinct in a garage on Stern Avenue in Sherman Oaks just received their 60th vote. That's 60, or 4.28%, out of roughly 1400, a number provided by the LA County Recorder-Registrar's Office pertaining to the average amount of registered voters per precinct. Countywide, a sampling of turnout was a bit higher at 8.76% as of 2 p.m., according to the Recorder-Registrar's Twitter feed. Polls are open to 8 p.m. and if you need more info on today's election, check out our earlier post. more ›

Work to restore truck arresters to their original function after a deadly crash last month began today, announced Caltrans. On April 1st, a truck barreled down Angeles Crest Highway (SR-2) through a red light in La Canada Flintridge, crashing into several cars, injuring 12 and leaving a father and daughter dead. "This project will restore the truck arresters to their original function and enhance safety on SR-2," the state agency said in a news release. "The arresters, located in the median, are designed to enable vehicles experiencing braking problems on the highway’s 7 percent grade to slow and stop." Prior to the April crash, the community had been advocating for safety improvements after a similar incident last year that destroyed seven cars and injured one person. The project should be completed in June; crews will work weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. One lane in each direction of the four-lane highway will be closed during construction. more ›

A state senate bill that would allow gay couples to enter into a domestic partnership is making its way through the Nevada legislature. After passing through the Senate, the state's Assembly followed suit, but only after some amendments, last Friday. It now goes back to the Senate for approval, but even if passed, Gov. Jim Gibbons has already said he would use his vetoing power. Meanwhile, back in California, the state Supreme Court still deliberates over Prop 8 as the decision deadline approaches. Rulings are are only announced on Thursdays and Mondays with a advance notice the day preceding. Last Friday, an erroneous rumor began on Twitter saying a decision had been made. more ›

The City Coucnil not only saved cuts proposed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to special funds--that's where bicycle funding sits and was threatened to be completely eliminated--but they also directed LADOT not to propose cuts to the the bikeways department before consulting them. And a lot of the attention drawn to this subject was due to cyclists who showed up to yesterday's hearing and spoke during public comment. "Yesterday proves one thing that bike activists have long known but the City Council and other city leaders are still learning," noted Damien Newton at StreetsblogLA. "L.A.'s diverse bike community is an active and fast mobilizng constituency that is growing to loud to ignore or push aside any longer. After all, this is the second time this month that a group of cyclists has descended on the City Council and walked away with resolutions passed by the Council based on their testimony." more ›

The counties of San Bernardino and San Diego tried to fight Prop 215, but were denied an appeal hearing yesterday by the US Supreme Court. They tried to challenge state law, specifically ID cards to protect users from police, saying federal law prohibits use of marijuana. That didn't fly, especially in light of the Obama administration's new stance on state rights in regards to medical marijuana, and the appeal went on deaf ears. "No longer will local officials be able to hide behind federal law and resist upholding California's medical marijuana law," said Joe Elford, lawyer for Americans for Safe Access, to the San Francisco Chronicle. more ›

And that approval came at a price. Last night's budget compromise included 800 more employee layoffs--400 were approved earlier this month--26 furlough days for many city employees, no new left turn signals or sidewalk repairs, reduced hours at city libraries and swimming pools and a slower plan to hire 1,000 new officers, albeit probably not by the end of the year as desired by Mayor Villaraigosa and Chief Bratton. Interestingly enough, the plan to lease parking meters and parking garages like Chicago did not make the cut, or at least until the council gets a more detailed study on the proposal. Mayor Villaraigosa has two weeks to review the budget. more ›

Little Armenia business owners are making headway in creating a stronger neighborhood brand. Coming soon are signs on the 101 Freeway near the Sunset Blvd. exits identifying where the neighborhood's location, the Little Armenia Chamber of Commerce announced in an e-mail last night. more ›

A suspect who shot and killed Dolla was also arrested yesterday at Los Angeles International Airport. Up-and-coming rap artist Roderick Anthony Burton II--stage name, Dolla--died Monday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after being shot near an entrance of the Beverly Center yesterday afternoon. The around-3-p.m. shooting prompted the closure of the area as police searched for possibly two suspects, but to no avail. more ›

That had to be one of the most frustrating Lakers playoff series in recent memory. The undermanned Houston Rockets team sans Tracy McGrady, Dikembe Mutombo and as of game three Yao Ming had no business being in that series. That should have been at worst a five-game series. But the Lakers sometime lackadaisical play kept the Rockets in the series making superstars out of Luis Scola, Shane Battier and Aaron Brooks. more ›

Hello, Election Day! Today, Californians decide the fate of the state's budget, or at least the direction of around $5 billion of it. And in Los Angeles, our new City Attorney will be chosen along with a new Councilman for the tony 5th District. Here are a few tips, just in case you need: more ›

LA Dodgers defeat NY Mets 3-2 (11). Like Vin Scully said during the bottom of the 11th, the Mets played like the 1962 team known for their ineptitude in every facet of the game. In the top of the 11th with Ryan Church on first and two outs, Angel Pagan hit a ball to right center. Church came storming home and Pagan settled in on third to score the go-ahead run. But both third baseman Mark Loretta and manager Joe Torre noticed Church never touched third base. Loretta tagged third base to get Church out for the final out of the inning with the game still tied at two. After Loretta walked to open up the bottom of the 11th, Xavier Paul hit a fly ball to left center for a sure out except Pagan got in the way of Carlos Beltran. Ball drops, runners on second and third with no out. The Mets intentionally walked Juan Pierre and brought in Beltran to be the fifth infielder. After Furcal flied out to short left, Orlando Hudson hit a grounder sharply to first base. A sure double play ball was over thrown to home, Loretta scored. The Dodgers won on a walk off error, the fifth error given up by the Mets. Yeesh. more ›

Fear not! Or, rather, if you're alarmist, fear! A new case of H1N1, aka Swine Flu, has been logged in LA County. | There was a gruesome discovery early this morning at a Riverside elementary school. | Authorities revealed today that a man committed suicide by hanging Saturday inside the LA County Arboretum. more ›

Today, the Santa Monica Police Department announced the city's new crime mapping tool. It's a great start, but it's a bit clunky when compared to LAPD's crime map. Data, stored for the last 90 days, can be searched by type of crime in relation to an address, intersection, landmark or within the city's boundaries. Only sex-related crimes are not included. more ›

After years of bickering--okay, lawsuits--with the Bush administration about more stringent fuel standards, California and other states are finally getting their way. Tomorrow, a California delegation will join President Obama for his announcement that the federal government plans to set fuel efficiency standards for vehicles at 35.5 mpg by 2016, according to the AP who spoke to anonymous sources. And the Wall Street Journal says "in a perverse way, that answers Detroit’s prayers: U.S. automakers have long argued against California’s go-it-alone stance and in favor of a single national fuel-economy standard." While the specifics are officially under wraps, politicians have already begun sending out press releases announcing their travel plans to the Capitol. Two local politicians, Asm. Paul Krekorian and Sen. Fran Pavley, will join Gov. Schwarzenegger and Att. Gen. Jerry Brown tomorrow at the announcement. more ›

A shooting that occurred around 3:10 p.m. at the La Cienega Boulevard entrance of the Beverly Center has left one man dead. He was transported to Cedars-Sinai where he died. Two suspects, one of them who may be a female, are on the loose. more ›

Galaxy midfielder Eddie Lewis scored late in the game to salvage a 1 - 1 tie for the Galaxy on Sunday afternoon against the Columbus Crew at the Home Depot Center. Lewis' opportunity came as a result of another strong performance by Galaxy 'keeper Donovan Ricketts. Ricketts made multiple quality saves throughout the game that kept the visitors at bay and the blue-and-gold within striking distance. more ›

Today marks the start of more vigilant enforcement of the state's "Click it or Ticket" campagin, which focuses on motorists breaking the law and endangering their safety by driving with their seatbelt unfastened. Although our state is one of the top in the nation for belt-wearing, about one million Californians neglect to spend the two seconds it takes to "click" their belt in place. "Tickets for seat belt violations went up on Jan. 1 to $132 for adults and $435 for children under age 16," explains the Daily News. Local law enforcement officers intend to get serious about the law during the next few weeks: "If stopped and found to be in violation, law enforcement will issue citations without warning. Additionally, children age 12 and under are required to ride properly restrained in the back seat and those under age 6 or 60 pounds must be in proper child safety or booster seats." more ›

Well, election day is tomorrow and if you haven't already voted by mail and are otherwise understudied for tomorrow, there are plenty places to help catch you up on tomorrow's election. Here are some of our recommendations: more ›

Enforceable times at parking meters are still confusing residents as LADOT makes it way through the city updating extended times at signs and meters. The problem? Here's an example: a sign on West 3rd Street says "2 Hour Parking 8am to 6pm Except Sunday” but corresponding meters say Mon-Sat 8am-8pm and Sunday 11am-8pm, notes Tasha Nita Adams at her blog Blackburn & Sweetzer. This is an issue LAist looked at back in January and we thought all signs would be updated by now... apparently not. "It would be inappropriate [to ticket] without the new signs," the department spokesman Bruce Gilman explained back then. more ›

If you've got 11 minutes this lunch hour, this investigative report on city hall politics and marijuana dispensaries is excellent. "Almost every city has gotten its act together and put regulations in place for marijuana dispensaries except Los Angeles," said Paul Lerner, a Melrose area neighborhood activist who voted for Prop 215, but doesn't like the proliferation of dispensaries on every street corner. more ›

Every American teenager knows Prom night begins with more virgins than it ends. Arcadia High’s prom took place Saturday, and if its students had gotten jiggy for the first time, it wouldn’t have been because of sexually-suggestive music from the likes of Lil’ Wayne, P. Diddy or Pitbull. more ›

The LA County Bicycle Coalition sent out an "urgent alert" Saturday afternoon that was pretty shocking: LADOT THREATENS TO CUT THE ENTIRE BIKEWAYS DEPARTMENT!! BIKE PROJECTS WOULD BE CUT!! Los Angeles is facing a perilous budget crisis. All city departments are being asked to submit plans on how they will cut spending, and LADOT have proposed to eliminate the entire Bikeways staff. Not just lay off some people, but cut it altogether. more ›

Plans to build a $1 billion power plant in Carson--touted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as the "cleanest and greenest" in the nation when it was announced in 2006--have just recently been "quietly abandoned," the Contra Costa Times reports, citing "inhospitable" ecological conditions at the proposed site, and "resistance from local environmentalists." more ›

On Friday, UCLA announced a settlement with the student who was tasered over and over and over again back in November 2006. It was captured on video and YouTubed in what we still think is one of the most disgusting police videos ever (embedded below if you care to watch). more ›

If you've been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting to grab up the best 747 area code number (747-666-6666?), today is the first day to grab one. The San Fernando Valley has been in overlay mode--that means you have to first dial 1 when calling within the 818 area code--since last month. Starting today, new phone line activations can be in the new 747 area code or still within the 818 one until it's fully exhausted. more ›

Last Friday, protests against the LAUSD began before the school day began. Hundreds of teachers called in sick to work, and many participated, with students and their parents, in gatherings on campuses and outside LAUSD headquarters, despite orders not to. Wearing black to symbolize mourning for the loss of funds and jobs, the protests continued through the day, blocking traffic, shutting down streets, and resulting in the arrest of a handful, including UTLA President AJ Duffy. more ›

Last August, a young man sleeping inside Downtown's 7th/Metro Station was roused by an MTA security guard; during the incident the guard delivered a kick to the patron's head, which was not only not part of his job description, but also captured on surveillance cameras inside the station. The footage convinced a jury to find the guard guilty of using excessive force. Cases such as this one happen more frequently than perhaps reported, and today's LA Times offers a look at the the 11 investigations launched in the past two years by the L.A. County's Sheriff's Department into allegations of abuse. more ›

LA Times photographer Jay L. Clendenin shows us why it's important to "drop, cover and hold," as earthquake experts tell us. Yes, this photo (see it, and others, in large here) shows a shard of glass on a chair at a Starbucks at Hawthorne and Artesia boulevards. Another photo shows broken glass from a North Long Beach storefront on the sidewalk. more ›

Now, hasn't it just been too quiet in Southern California? Were you not just asking about when the next earthquake was going to hit? We have our answer. A 4.7 (originally estimated by sensors as 5.0) struck at 8:39 p.m., 10 miles SSW of Downtown L.A. in Lennox, a suburb just feet from Inglewood. We are getting reports that people have felt the quake from Santa Monica to Glendale. How was your Sunday evening shake? UPDATE: It was followed by two microquakes--3.1 and 1.6--at 8:45 p.m. and 9:46 p.m., respectively. Also, a 2.5 struck at 8:44 p.m. in El Segundo. The Los Angeles Fire Department reported no immediate damage or injuries, but recommended you review disaster preparedness info. UPDATE 2: The LA Times has a photo of broken glass at a Starbucks--one person was reportedly sent to the hospital. more ›

The Governator spent some time visiting churches as the special elections draw near. Maybe he thinks his propositions don't have a prayer of passing. | LAStreetsBlog thought that they were safe from any more of the Governator's transportation cuts... they were wrong. | The mother of a 2 year-old girl was put behind bars for felony child endangerment when it was discovered that the girl she put a missing child report out on was found on the side of the road 9 hours earlier. more ›

Apparently, not everyone loves a Happy Ending. In what could have been an upbeat tale sprung from Hollywood, a popular watering hole and eatery had their hopes up for a new life on Culver Boulevard in Playa del Rey...only to find out that they are not welcome there, according to the Daily Breeze. more ›

Chivas USA survived a relentless D.C. United attack last night to hang on for a 2 - 2 tie at the Home Depot Center. more ›

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You (hopefully) heard it here first: The Fresh & Easy Hollywood store will begin to stock beer and wine starting Monday. more ›

On Tuesday May 12th, the Environmental Media Association, along with Yes to Carrots launched their new partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District to sponsor educational gardening in several of their schools. At an event held in the new garden at Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood, many of the EMA's celeb board members were on hand to lend a hand and to share their interest in organic gardening and its role in both education and the Los Angeles community. more ›

Arcadia High School doesn't want to mess around when it comes to, well, songs that reference all kinds of messing around. Songs that are in heavy rotation right now on the radio and on the iPods of many high schoolers include ones that "glorify prostitution, casual sex, and inspire some major bumping and grinding on the dance floor," explains MomLogic. more ›

D.C. United visits Chivas USA at the Home Depot Center tonight in a duel of conference leaders. United will be a tough test for the league leading Chivas USA squad who boasts a 7 - 1 - 1 record almost a third of the way into the season. more ›

You can now call him Dr. Governator. Arnold Schwarzenegger received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from USC. UCLA fans insert joke here... | In an effort to avoid another tragedy like what happened in Chatsworth, Metrolink board of directors approved the use of cameras in their train engines. more ›

On Wednesday as a car chase came to the end in a residential neighborhood, suspected driver and known gang member Richard Rodriguez gave up by laying down on the ground and fanning his arm away from his body. The first officer to arrive kicked Rodriguez in the head (watch the video here), prompting the latest hit in viral police violence videos. The police union representing the El Monte officer is calling it a distraction blow (remember the LAPD's distraction punch video?). The the union's attorney said this, via the LA Times: “Unfortunately these things never look good on video. Sometimes officers have to use force when dealing with bad guys. The officer initially came upon the suspect alone. The suspect hadn’t been searched and was a parolee and a gang member. The individual officer saw some movement. He feared the parolee might have a weapon or be about to get up. So the officer did what is known as a distraction blow. It wasn’t designed to hurt the man, just distract him." What do you think? Was that a legit distraction kick or not? more ›

Speaking from South LA today, Vice President Joe Biden announced that affordable-housing development Esperanza Community Housing Corporation will receive $875,000 for the removal of toxic paint from 225 homes. more ›

As they always do with major fires in Southern California, NASA released a photo showing the burn scared mountains from the Jesusita Fire from May 10. The photo "shows the northern part of the burned area, which stretches from the outskirts of Santa Barbara (hidden beneath clouds) into Los Padres National Forest," says NASA. "Many valleys throughout the burned area appear to have been spared; green vegetation lines them like the veins in a leaf." more ›

Verizon Wireless Amp. more ›

Among the arrested LAUSD teachers just a few minutes ago, United Teachers of Los Angeles union leader AJ Duffy has been arrested, according to KNX1070. more ›

A little update to the LAUSD teacher protests happening downtown. Now some police, clad in riot gear, are taking action, apparently separating perambulatory teachers from sitting ones. Police have warned the media and others to "back off" and gave teachers two minutes to disperse or be arrested, according to UTLA's Twitter. more ›

After Pultizer Prize winning food writer Jonathan Gold caused a flame war between the two cities this week, LA Weekly has now highlighted noteworthy comments made on LAist and SFist. Among those noted is Orange County native and SFist Editor Brock Keeling sneaking over to LAist and writing "pst, your burritos are secretly much, much better." more ›

LAUSD teachers planned a walk out today over budget cuts forcing massive teacher layoffs, then a judge said no, the teachers okay, we won't walk out, we'll protest before school begins and now some teachers haven't stopped protesting. more ›

The California Department of Public Health today announced a quarter-million dollar fine given to Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Hospital after "the hospital compromised the privacy of a patient when 21 employees and two physicians improperly accessed records." That patient was "Octomom" Nadya Suleman This is the first time a penalty has been assessed under new patient privacy laws went into effect last year when it was signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. "Medical privacy is a fundamental right and a critical component of quality medical care in California,” said Dr. Mark Horton, director of CDPH, in a news release. “We are very concerned with violations of patient confidentiality and their potential harm to the residents of California.” more ›

Say what? Via the LA Times: "No trace of the medicine HCG was found in Manny Ramirez's system at the time of his drug test, three sources with specific knowledge of the results have told The Times. It was a prescription for that drug, which is a non-steroid but banned by Major League Baseball, that led to the outfielder's 50-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy." Discuss. more ›

Studio Oaks Park, named that way because it stretches between the two Los Angeles city neighborhoods, will start to become a reality next week when construction crews enter Phase 1 of the project. more ›

After destroying 80 homes, burning through 8,733 acres and injuring 29 firefighters, the Jesusita Fire that began 10 days ago is close to being fully contained. The last mandatory evacuation orders for about 100 residents were lifted after what the Santa Barbara Independent is calling the the city's "most threatening natural disaster ever." more ›

A driver who crashed on Ventura Blvd. early this morning was shot while driving on the 101 Freeway. At about 2:45 a.m., the driver was shot at the Hayvenhurst Avenue exit of 101 in Encino. The driver then made his way Ventura where he crashed into a light pole. Witnesses came to his aid discovering his several bullet wounds and called the police. He was taken to the hospital in unknown condition and police are uncertain of the motive so far. more ›

Houston Rockets defeat LA Lakers 95-80. You've got to be fucking kidding me. Let's take a look at the box score. The Lakers attempted 23 threes in this loss. In game five the Lakers attempted 13. While the Lakers were trailing by 15 in the second quarter it was very frustrating to see them settle for jump shots rather than take it to the hole. In the third quarter they responded well and cut the deficit to two, but then their defense fell apart. They made Luis Scola look like James Worthy while Pau Gasol looked like a big stiff. So let's review. No Tracy McGrady. No Yao Ming. No wins against the Lakers in the regular season. And now we're going to a game seven? more ›

• Arcadia High's prom is being edited. The school's Women's Health and Issues Club has gotten 20 songs banned from being played at prom because they are degrading to women - referring to them as "'bitches' and 'hos.'" Only 20 songs? Looks like the Electric Slide will finally get its 3-hour solo.
• Green LA Girl is challenging you to a week-long-eco-challenge. Can you go a week without a car?
• Speaking of going without a car, did you celebrate Bike to Work Day, today?
• Tijuana and Hollywood might as well be cousins-first-removed. Don't believe it? Stop by Farmlab tomorrow at noon to hear Jim Heimann guide you through Tijuana's link to Tinseltown.
• Sad story in Encino this morning. A fiery car crash left two dead at Burbank Boulevard near Balboa Boulevard. The cause of the crash is unknown.
• SoCal's Modern Hiker is covering an interesting story out of Utah. Long story short, President Clinton protected some land from motorized traffic (ATV's), Bush lifted the ban and people went hog wild off-roadin', now Obama wants to put the protection back on the land. The ATV riders are none too happy about this...
• There was a crazy robbery today in Lake Forest when shotgun carrying robbers stole thousands of dollars of goods and about 70 iPhones from an AT&T store. Nobody was hurt, and the getaway car was found abandoned a short time later. One would expect to see the sale of iPhones on craigslist to spike, no?
• Full Street Closure Announcement - "Up" Premiere Date/Time: From Friday, May 15, 2009 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 17, 2009 12:00 a.m. Details: All eastbound lanes of Hollywood Blvd., between Highland Ave. and Orange Dr., will be closed from 10 a.m. on May 15 to 3 a.m. on May 16. All lanes of Hollywood Blvd., between Highland Ave. and Orange Dr., will be closed from 3 a.m. on May 16 to 12 a.m. on May 17.
• Want to Win tix to the Theatre@Boston Court's Vampire Show in Pasadena? Head on over here and let us know where you'd eat before or after the play!

The LAPD, summoned to the chambers by City Council this week, is standing by their report about that the bicyclist ran into a hummer, not the opposite in an incident a few weeks ago. However, according to StreetsblogLA, things are not adding up: "If you believe the LAPD, [the cyclist] 'ran into the side of the hummer' then you have to believe that [the cyclist], who was wearing light colored clothing and had a rear light on his bike, backed into the side of the hummer with such force as to throw him forward.  His bike is destroyed from the rear, his injuries were consistent with being thrown forward; so the laws of physics, laws which the LAPD has no jurisdiction, don't back him sideswiping the H3." If that's true, this could get really interesting fast. more ›

Apparently, an East Hollywood woman had a crew come out last year Fourth of July to remove a city curb for a big private driveway. Alyssa Romano, resident and fourplex building owner on the 1100 block N. Westmoreland Avenue, did not obtain a permit for her illegal driveway. Curbed LA reports: more ›

Desperate times call for desperate measures. As mentioned yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed selling the LA Coliseum, Cal Expo, the Cow Palace in San Francisco and the state prison at San Quentin to help fill the budget gap that could be vary $6 billion, depending on the outcome of next week's election. Because of those differing numbers and the possible ballot outcomes, today he proposed two plans: more ›

Okay, random. LAist reader Jon Zack was walking on the beach yesterday when he saw this 5 foot plaster-made snowman between the walking path and the water. "He looked happy, but a little melty," he joked. more ›

LA has a diverse cast of characters. Whether it's the characters with stirring stories or interesting occupations or the people who are just simply characters, this town has them all. In an effort to get to know some of those characters a little better, we've created "Seven Questions with..." If you have a suggestion for a future Seven Questions subject send us an email. more ›

Under the guidance of Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic and his staff, the 2009 version of Chivas USA is off to its best start in franchise history. It heads into the 9th week of MLS action atop the overall league standings with a 7 - 1 - 1 record and 8 point lead over the next best team, D.C. United. more ›

Planning for the weekend, the weather is looking to be pretty sweet. Basically, today through Sunday, the weather will be in the 70s on the beaches, low 80s inland and a little hotter in the hills and Valley, according to the National Weather Service. Oh yes, for the win. The skies will remain clear and sunny until Sunday night and Monday morning, when patchy clouds and fog will roll on in before it once again... clears. more ›

And now for a totally different perspective, chock full of good points, on this silly drama from John Stewart a couple nights ago. Oh, and then there's Keith Olbermann who is calling all of this a WTF?!? moment: more ›

It was in 1915 when fourteen sculptures of lions and elephants graced the now-gone Selig Zoo in Lincoln Park. Movie producer William Selig had commissioned Carlo Romanelli, a sixth-generation sculptor from Florence, Italy, to create the life-sized concrete statutes that adorned the Mission Revival style entrance gates at the zoo. more ›

It was back in 1992 when the Mulholland Scenic Parkway Specific Plan went into effect, setting course for the city of Los Angeles to preserve the historic 1924 drive through a set of land use regulations and improvements. Among those was the Core Trail, some 22 miles in length, roughly from near the Hollywood Bowl to Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Approaching 20 years since it became law, some are wondering why nothing has been done. more ›

The Obama Administration certainly likes Los Angeles a lot more than the Bush one. President Barack Obama has already done a Los Angeles visit, now it's his counterpart's turn. Vice President Joe Biden will be in town tomorrow to highlight the progress of the Recovery Act, according to the White House today. He'll be touring the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation in South LA with Mayor Villaraigosa, Rep. Xavier Becerra and Ron Simms of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Then he and others will discuss with the press how stimulus funds are supporting HUD's "programs to eliminate dangerous lead-based paint from low-income homes and protect young children from lead poisoning." more ›

After a long car chase yesterday afternoon that whipped through freeways and city streets of the San Gabriel Valley, the car careened into a car and the driver split into a neighborhood, but soon gave up once he realized there was no where to go. That's where this video from NBC Los Angeles comes in: the first El Monte police officer to reach the suspect, who is already on the ground with his hands spread, kicks him in the head. Now the ACLU is seeking a suspension for that officer. more ›

Los Angeles is in heavy need for watchdog websites like this. Now, thanks to MapLight Los Angeles, you can easily search campaign contributions to Los Angeles city politicians by date, industry and more. The information has always been available via the City Ethics Commission website, but MapLight parses out the data to be more easy-to-use and accessible. For example, City Attorney candidate has taken $8,500 from the Outdoor advertising services industry--you know, billboards and supergraphics--while Carmen Trutanich has taken $1,500. “Special interests would not be spending millions to fund politicians' election campaigns unless they wanted something in return,” said Daniel Newman, MAPLight.org’s executive director, in a media release. “MAPLight.org Los Angeles shines a much-needed light on the river of money that flows through the second largest city’s government so citizens can make informed decisions at the polls, and hold elected officials accountable when in office.” more ›

It's frowned upon for police chiefs to endorse candidates during campaigns. But so far, Chief William Bratton has endorsed candidates appearing on next Tuesday's ballot, including City Attorney hopeful Jack Weiss. “If Weiss gets in, he is going to owe Bratton,” warned former Chief Daryl Gates in an LA Weekly story by Daniel Heimpel today. That would be a "real problem since one of the city attorney’s purported jobs is to rout out corrupt cops, including police brass," the Weekly notes. more ›

Now here's not a fun way to start your second term in office. The June cover of Los Angeles Magazine will hit homes and newsstands with a cover story, actually an open letter, perhaps to put Mayor Villaraigosa back on track to serve Los Angeles and not his political career when his new term begins on July 1st. more ›

LA Dodgres defeat Philadelphia Phillies 9-2. Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness wrote a post in the morning about James Loney not hitting a homer. On cue, Loney hit his first homer of the season, an Earl Weaver, against Phillies starter Jamie Moyer in the fourth inning that helped the Dodgers break the game open in a five run inning. While it wasn't a steal of home, Matt Kemp scored on a Randy Wolf bunt - not quite a squeeze play but just as effective. Meanwhile the pitching held things together thanks to Wolf's strong six innings giving up an earned run on a Jimmy Rollins solo shot in the second inning. The bullpen didn't completely implode which is all any Dodger fan can hope for. more ›

This just in... It's expensive to live in LA. Ok, tell us something we DON'T know! | How about news of a group of UCLA researchers suggesting that meditation might boost your brain power | Speaking of mind power... the Governator must be losing a little of his to suggest that the LA Coliseum should be sold to raise cash for the state. Say WHAT?!?! more ›

We are all lucky enough to live in a region rich in arts, especially theatre. And Pasadena has one of the strongest presences around with its Playhouse District, which includes the Boston Court Performing Arts Center (follow them on Twitter) where a new world premiere play, Courting Vampires, opened this earlier this month. more ›

Parents, take heed. If your kid tags, sticker slaps or otherwise destroys property by defacing it, you may be stuck with the bill. The Los Angeles City Council preliminarily approved a new graffiti ordinance today, but will have to approve it once more next week because not enough members were present at today's meeting. If a minor is found guilty, the parents could be liable up to $25,000. Get nerdy below and read the full blown ordinance below: more ›

"City of LA's Bureau of Street Services successfully cleared vehicles from the streets of Atwater Village by 6:00am, but haven't started much work here 2 hours later," the neighborhood blogger noted today in this Flickr photo. Another photo shows a car ticketed for street sweeping restriction: "City of LA is leaving $58 parking tickets on cars that had to move off closed streets in Atwater Village and had noplace to park but on other streets restricted for sweeping." more ›

Bell Cab introduced the city's first hybrid taxis in Los Angeles today in what politicians hope is the just the first of many in the city's fleet of 2,303. Controller-Elect and current Transportation Committee Chair, Councilmember Wendy Greuel requested the city to create a green taxi plan and today challenged other cab companies to follow suit. "Taxi's in Los Angeles might be different colors on the outside, but my goal is for them all to be green on the inside," she said. more ›

Former Miss USA and New York and more recently California's pageant director Shanna Moakler today resigned citing the recent Miss California controversy. "I cannot with a clear conscious move forward supporting and promoting the Miss Universe Organization when I no longer believe in it, or the contracts I signed committing myself as a youth," she said in a statement. "I want to be a role model for young woman with high hopes of pageantry, but now feel it more important to be a role model for my children. I am sorry and hope I have not let any young supporters down." more ›

Who knew? The University of California has a television station (UCTV) that began airing in Los Angeles earlier this month for Time Warner Cable subscribers (it was already available on the Dish Network on channel 9412). "The goal is for this local channel to become a home for content produced by Los Angeles' higher education institutions -- both public and private -- as well as from local arts and cultural organizations," a press release states. Making that point, it's about 1 p.m. and a program filmed at UC Santa Barbara called Getting Wize: Making Sense of Web 2.0 is just beginning. They also have logged over 3,200 of their shows on YouTube and stream the channel live on the internet. If your curious, the channel numbers by neighborhood are listed below: more ›

Tomorrow afternoon, the Los Angeles Conservancy will honor nine projects and one individual representative of the best achievements in preservation of last year. In its 28th year, the list offers a variety of undertakings, from the successful bid to recognize our sprawling and magnificent Griffith Park as a Historic Cultural Monument to the refurbishing of longstanding meccas of culture like the Mark Taper Forum, the revitalization of the eatery behind some much-loved sandwiches, and the re-purposing of a onetime giant of industry as a place to call home. [Full list after the jump.] more ›

Last night, NPR's Hidden Kitchens mavens, the Kitchen Sisters, brought in a full house at the California Endowment for a talk exploring the way a desire to better our lives can bring people together and inspire tremendous change, as part of an evening called "Who Glues Your Community Together through Food?" more ›

Star Trek made a killing this weekend for obvious reasons: it was really, really good and it didn't matter if you were a Trekkie or not. And the fact that it wasn't 100% green screen and computer generated graphics was one of the redeeming factors. “So much incredible stuff happens in Star Trek that I wanted to keep it feeling as real as possible,” Director J.J. Abrams said in production notes provided by Paramount Pictures, via Wired Magazine's Underwire. “I didn’t want to have it all be green screens and CG.” more ›

With the economy in the dumps, two Fullerton college students have joined forces to save a buck or ten when it comes to beer. David Echanique (Cal State Fullerton) and Brandon McKenney (Orange Coast Community College) last week announced ThriftyBeer.com, a website where you input your city or neighborhood and it outputs the top ten locations that have cheap beer (with a Google Map, too). In Hollywood, for example, you can 30 Bud Lights for $16.99 at CVS. In Van Nuys, it's a dollar cheaper at Smart & Final. Originally, they thought of doing it just for Fullerton. “I saw the bigger picture,” Echanique told the OC Register. “We should do all of Southern California." However, they now hope to expand listings into Northern California and Arizona by summer’s end. Give it a whirl and see if it's truly the cheapest around your neighborhood (and let us know by commenting below) more ›

Foreclosed homes feelings oft beget strong feelings and emotions for owners, but this Riverside man took it way too far. Says the LA Times: "A U.S. Bank representative was checking the house Tuesday in the 1400 block of Orange Street when he discovered several explosives outside the structure. Officers from the Riverside Police Department arrived about 2:45 p.m. and confirmed the explosives were made to look like pipe bombs, officials said in a statement." Daniel Gherman, 42, was booked on several counts. more ›

One of the six endangered California Condors released at Pinnacles National Monument in 2003 has died at the Los Angeles Zoo. After the bird was found shot, it was brought to Los Angeles to be treated, but died Monday due to complications from lead poisoning after the bird ingested lead ammunition from hunters (oddly enough, the gunshots and ingestion were not related). On the brighter side of things. Two condors (313 and 303 if you really want to be specific) have mated and are watching over their egg right now just outside the National Monument on a privately owned ranch. This is the first condor nest near the monument in 70s years, according to the National Park Service. more ›

Well, you know how it goes. The world's oldest profession will never cease, even if Craigslist, in an agreement with most U.S. state attorney generals, nixes their "erotic services" category in favor of a monitored "adult" one. This comes amid controversy surrounding the Craigslist Killer incident on the East Coast when a medical student from Boston was charged with killing a masseuse he met off the site. But, as ZDNet Government Richard Koman notes, this move does little to stop violence: "the AGs seem more concerned with protecting morals than lives." more ›

The Jesusita Fire that began last week Tuesday is expected to be contained within another seven days as winds continue to whip through the area's canyons. As of today, the fire is 80% contained. more ›

LA Lakers defeat Houston Rockets 118-78. The start of the game was very touch and go. The Rockets were setting good screens and moving the ball crisply. The was tied 18-18 at the 5:20 mark in the first quarter when the Lakers dropped the hammer. They took advantage of every Houston turnover making this game a complete laugher in the second quarter with the Lakers leading by 25 points at the half. The question would remain whether the Lakers had the killer instinct, and they answered it by going up by 40 points by the end of the third quarter. more ›

• Looking at next week's special election, Governor Schwarzenegger's Department of Finance says the state budget deficit will be $15.4 billion if Props 1A through 1E pass, $21.3 billion if they fail.
• A nice new bar opens in downtown this week. Welcome BottleRock to the South Park neighborhood (they have another location in Culver City).
• 2008 High School Dropout Rate announced today: 34.9% in LA County, 11.5% in Orange County.
• Bad news. Mayor Villaraigosa has said city employee layoffs are unavoidable and is calling for 1,000 to be cut. In Long Beach, city employees are being asked to forgo raises.
• The latest numbers from the LAPD are out for crimes in 2009. 99 homicides, 6362 cars reported stolen and 10310 car break-ins.
• The federal protections over the delta smelt up in Northern California is one of the reasons we are having water troubles down here. Now things might change.
• The first community garden for Highland Park opened last weekend.
• Trouble for the West Hollywood based Ticketmaster: "Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. said first-quarter earnings fell 78 percent as ticket sales slowed and a ticketing agreement with merger partner Live Nation ended." Ouch.

As we enter into a worsening fire season and summer recreational time, the Angeles National Forest today announced that the fire danger level will be raised from moderate to high this Sunday. It's the third highest danger level out of six, therefore there are no new campfire restrictions, but extra precaution is needed. The most Western portions of the San Bernardino Mountains within the National Forest, bordering Los Angeles neighborhoods, burned twice last year in the Marek and Sayre wildfires. more ›

It's definitely become a media theme this past week. A bear sighting in Camarillo, one in Duarte, one in La Verne and one in San Dimas where one was seen this morning, KTLA reports (they have a video). A 200-pound North American Black Bear--the only kind of bear in California--was seen near residences and a condominium abut a wildlife area, likely because it was trash day. Police and wardens from the Department of Fish & Game observed the bear as it wandered back into its habitat in the San Bernardino Mountains. Nearby in Glendora, a bear was reported to be taking a dip in a swimming pool, but it is unknown if it was the same bear. more ›

Bad news for residents of the Hollywood Entertainment Distirct. Whole Foods today told Racked LA that the storefront "planned for the southeast corner of Selma and Vine is on hold until the market takes a better turn." That location is near the mixed apartment complex and the currently under construction W Hotel. more ›

LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold takes on burritos of the north and south in a question from a local reader about her Berkeley loving Burrito friend who is visiting. Says Gold: Bay Area residents tend to have peculiar ideas about burritos, which they regard as monstrous things wrapped in tinfoil, and filled with what would seem to be the contents of an entire margarita-mill dinner, including grilled meat, rice, beans... more ›

Newton also points something funny and interesting out: Eng's press photo page contains three pictures, two of which display him in automobiles. more ›

Plans for a one-day teacher walk out and protest planned for Friday had the kibosh put on them today by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge. Unionized teachers wanted to protest anticipated layoffs and large class sizes and LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines doesn't want to disrupt school environs, especially in light of state and advance placement testing. more ›

While we await Cirque du Soleil's arrival to Hollywood & Highland, the group is heading to Santa Monica and Orange County beginning in October. First on the Santa Monica pier, where it's been 10 years since the group brought its Grand Chapiteau (big top), and then to the Orange County Great Park in Irvine in January. “Cirque du Soleil brings a global distinction to the Great Park," said City of Irvine Mayor and Great Park Director Sukhee Kang. "As we unveil each new component of this great metropolitan park, we feel that we are moving closer and closer to our vision as an unforgettable destination for visitors from all over the world. We look forward to our continued partnership with the Cirque.” Tickets go on sale via their website on June 15 for Cirque Club members and the general public the day after. more ›

Last week, a team of National Park Service botanist were surveying for sensitive and endagnered species near Sandstone Peak, the tallest point in the Santa Monica Mountains, when they came upon something out of place. It was whisker brush (Leptosiphon ciliatus), which is typically found at higher elevations in the Sierras, not in Southern California, even around 3,000 feet elevation. more ›

The city council has once before stepped into world affairs by denouncing the War on Iraq. Tomorrow, Councilman Bill Rosendahl will ask his fellow politicians to support a resolution to "condemn the Iraqi government for failing to stop, and call on the United States government and the mainstream, media to draw attention to, the systematic and brutal torture and murder of gay men in Iraq," according to a news brief sent out today. “This an outrage,” said Rosendahl, who is the only gay councilmember. “The annihilation of our people, ordered by religious decree in a nation where our troops have sacrificed their lives to restore religious freedom, is appalling. The Iraqi government must stop it, and the United States government must exert its leadership and pressure the Iraqi government to do so in a loud and unequivocal voice... The media has a moral obligation to draw attention to this torture and genocide. It is unconscionable to sit by silently.” The resolution is embedded below: more ›

How silly. Here on this cul de sac in Sherman Oaks sat glass for nearly four weeks as street sweepers went by every Thursday. You can even see the vehicle's damp tire tracks going around the debris in the above photo. more ›

If you're live, work or play in Anaheim, take heed! Tonight has two big events happening in the area. First is National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoff game (Ducks vs. Detroit) at the Honda Center. Mix that in with the Anaheim/LA/Whatever vs. Boston game at Angel Stadium. The killer? Both begin at 7:00 p.m. so officials at both are warning of heavy traffic on the surrounding streets, freeways and freeway exits between 5 and 8:00 p.m. more ›

Amid her anti gay marriage stance and contract breaches, Miss California Carrie Prejean gets to keep her tiara. That after a big press conference in New York City this morning with Donald Trump, who runs the Miss Universe pageant. "He said that she had given an honest answer to a tough question, and that there’s nothing wrong with the [semi-nude] pictures of her," the New York Times reported. “'We’re very proud of her,” he said, calling her strong, tough, smart and very beautiful." more ›

A few years ago, a Palos Verdes Peninsula High alumnae was less than enthused about showing up to her 10-year reunion. Luckily, the comedic side of her thought up a little prank in which she would send a doppelgänger from Jumbo's Clown Room to play the role of the former drama geek, Andrea Wachner. It was all caught on film for a 40-minute documentary and now she's gaining some national attention, appearing on Good Morning America, Inside Edition and CNN, among others, says the Daily Breeze. The 6-minute teaser (you can watch it below), is doing pretty well on YouTube and now Wachner is getting asked about books, reality TV and making a feature length film. more ›

Following up on more reports about the Mother's Day Weekend Gun Buyback program, in which people traded in their guns--no questions asked--for $100 Visa or Ralphs Grocery gift cards. Apparently, even people who brought guns early Saturday found that police divisions were already out of cards, so they went home, gun in hand. However, after the 1,300 gift cards, worth $130,200, were given away, 500 people still turned in their guns anyway. Nearly 1,7000 guns were collected, which will be returned to their legal owners if stolen or destroyed. To see a breakdown of what kind of guns and where they were turned in, see the document here. more ›

Bill Plaschke is mad and Kurt Streeter is wondering where the outrage is. While there are some people who are hurt and betrayed by Manny Ramirez testing positive for hCG, are any of us really that surprised? more ›

• The late-night blaze in Elysian Park that took firefighters an hour to put out Saturday is now being investigated as an act of arson.
• TreeHugger explains why California farmers are cutting down trees during this period of drought.
• Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education has named CSUN 5th in nation and 1st in the state for awarding bachelor's degrees to Hispanic students. Go Matadors!
• Streetsblog is compiling questions the media neglected to ask in relation to last Friday's groundbreaking ceremonies for the widening of the 405 to make room for Carpool lanes through the Sepulveda Pass.
• True or False? "Recently released records document Barack Obama received college financial aid in the U.S. 'as a foreign student from Indonesia'" when he attended LA's Occidental College.
• The OC Register looks at how the $125.6 million in federal stimulus funds will be portioned out among school districts in Orange County.
• Wherever he is performing his Naval Reserve duties, we just hope Council President Eric Garcetti can use Twitter.
• Scoop this! LA.com names their picks for the 10 Best Spots for Ice Cream

After heavy opposition from the Teamsters and the Automobile Club (AAA), Assemblyman Paul Krekorian's AB 766, otherwise known as the "safe streets bill," failed to advance out of the transportation committee's today. That doesn't mean it failed--it just didn't get seconded--but it will either fade away until forgotten or the more likely outcome, until it's tweaked to incorporate opponent's comments and concerns. more ›

The tragic March 2008 murder of 17-year-old high school football standout Jamiel Shaw made national headlines, and led to a movement to get legislation on the books that would grant "Los Angeles police officers the right to arrest undocumented gang members before they commit crimes," according to cbs2. But "Jamiel's Law" and its supporters "did not obtain enough signatures to place the measure on the May city election ballot." more ›

Whoa! A luggage container was "drawn" into an engine of a Japan Airlines jet as it pushed from its gate at LAX at approximately 1:30 p.m. The plane was immediately grounded and the 245 passengers safely departed back into the terminal as authorities investigated what-at-the-time was an unknown object. The type of luggage container involved was not immediately identified, but an example of one type is shown here. more ›

Among the nearly 1,700 guns turned in at this weekend's gun buyback program was an old looking thompson submachine gun, finds Jason Kandel over at the Daily News' Mean Streets blog. It was "made famous, or infamous, in one of a score of movies about mobsters terrorizing American streets during Prohibition," he says. Also among guns was a grenade launcher turned in at the Valley's Topanga Station. See a general list of what kind of guns and where they were exchanged here. *UPDATE: LAist readers seem to agree, the gun is not a Thompson. See the discussion below: more ›

Gary Allen Lintz, a 44-year-old Glenadale man who was arrested in connection with a handful of arson fires at Griffith Park last year, was sentenced to 16 years in prison today. He pleaded no contest to one of the fires and admitted causing "great bodily injury to a firefighter" in his August 16th conflagration. In exchange for his plea, the judge dismissed charges for starting fires on July 27, Aug. 4 and Aug. 23. Lintz, who was already on parole for arson, has remained in jail since last August. He was caught on August 23rd when trying to flee the park with a group of bicyclists. He was singled out because he was the only one in the group not wearing racing attire. more ›

The folks over at Forbes are taking their cues these days from the late rap icon Tupac Shakur as they explain why they selected Los Angeles as their top pick of America's Most Overpriced Cities. But it's not the cost of pimping your gas-guzzling ride, decking yourself out in bling for a red carpet event, or bathing in champagne that makes life here so expensive. It's actually, well, just plain ol' life here that's overpriced, with our "bloated housing prices, lofty living costs and unemployment rates among the highest in the nation." more ›

As expected, the Miss California USA pageant held a press conference today to announce the fate of Carrie Prejean's crown after four-year-old semi-nude photos--a breach of contract--surfaced on the internet. But instead of a simple yes or no, they said that runner-up Tami Farrell would act as the de facto Miss California at appearances because "every time they reach out to [Prejean], they are confronted by an army of her handlers and haven’t been able to talk with her," reported the LA Times. Additionally, Donald Trump, who owns the Miss USA pageant and is the only one who can made the decision, will announce tomorrow. Prejean gained her celebrity status after opining against gay marriage, which probably led to the release of her semi-nude photos. more ›

It's been nearly a week since the Jesusita Fire began in Santa Barbara and now officials are saying that, oddly enough, it may have been caused by someone clearing brush, something used to help prevent fire damage on homes. A total of 8,733 acres have burned, leaving 77 homes destroyed and 22 damaged, according to the County of Santa Barbara. Additionally, 60 outbuildings have been destroyed and 69 outbuildings were damaged. As of this morning, 70% of the fire has been contained, but expected winds on Tuesday could cause the fire to flare up. more ›

Where It's At is a new mapping site (run by AOL it seems, and sponsored quite visibly by Visa) that plots points of Pop Culture interest. They take user-suggested locales and plot them, complete with descriptions, images, and relevant links. You can look at maps that show just particular areas, like Los Angeles, or the most plentiful one to date, "Movie Magic." more ›

1696 guns were brought to LAPD stations around the city in exchange for VISA or Ralph's Grocery Store gift cards this past weekend in the mother's day gun exchange program. Handguns, shotguns and rifles received a $100 cards while higher caliber assault weapons such AK-47s, Uzis or AR-15s (40 of these were turned in) earned people $200 cards. The division with the most guns turned in was Devonshire, which patrols the Northwest Valley. Further west at the Topanga Division, the only grenade launcher attached to a rifle was brought in for exchange. Okay, so what's up, West Valley? Anyway, to see what was brought back to your local station, check the document below: more ›

The Miss California USA pageant plans to reveal this afternoon if they will allow Carrie Prejean to keep her crown after allegations the 21-year-old San Diegan "violated her contract by making public appearances with groups opposed to same-sex marriage," according to cbs2. The blonde beauty also came under fire for remarks made as part of the Miss USA pageant regarding her beliefs about same-sex marriage, which incurred the post-pageant wrath of judge Perez Hilton. Prejean's crown was further tarnished when nude photos of her as a teenager became public. more ›

Since 1991, California's teen birth rate has dropped by 48 percent, according to the California Department of Public Health today: "From 1997 to 2007, birth rates decreased among both younger and older teens. The birth rate among 18 and 19-year-olds dropped from 85.5 per 1,000 in 1997 to 64.3 in 2007. The birth rate among teens ages 15-17 decreased from 33.8 per 1,000 in 1997 to 19.9 in 2007." All told, 53,393 babies were born to teen mothers, aged 15 to 19, in 2007, which is the most recent data available from the state. That still seems like a lot, but a downward trend is a good thing. more ›

It's that time of year again. When politicians tout the importance of cycling for five business days through a series of events. That began this morning with a downtown press conference encouraging Angelenos to give bicycling a try, or at least one day this week. Then comes tomorrow with the annual blessing of the bicycles (sort of likethe blessing of the animals). more ›

Signaling a cry for new blood in city politics, both major newspapers in town have endorsed David T. Vahedi for Council District 5 and Carmen "Nuch" Trutanich for City Attorney. Both face career track politicians, Paul Koretz and Jack Weiss, respectively, on next week's ballot. more ›

This week, the Environmental Media Association's Young Hollywood Board is putting on the gloves and digging deep in support of organic gardening in Los Angeles-area schools. Celebs on the Board, including Nicole Richie, Lance Bass, Rosario Dawson, members of Maroon 5, Amy Smart, Matthew Rhys, Emily VanCamp and Emmanuelle Chriqui, will each adopt an area school, help with the planting, and check in with their gardens during the school year, explains People. more ›

This morning's Daily News raises an important question in the era of social networking: "What do you do if you're a local official on a political mission to Washington, D.C., but find there's no media there to cover your activities?" The answer, of course, is to use services like Twitter and YouTube to pass along short pieces of information a la minute to your followers and constituents. more ›

Last week we had a few bear sightings, but this one was the cutest. A CBS/KCAL viewer sent in a video of a mother and her three cubs strolling through a Duarte neighborhood, something they apparently do everyday without alarming officials. When the state's Department of Fish & Game told us this could be "the year of the bear," they weren't kidding! more ›

Starting today it's going to cost you more to snail mail your letters, cards, postcards and bills, KTLA.com reminds mailers. Today "the price of a first-class stamp will increase two cents to 44-cents. Forever stamps can still be used without an additional 2-cent stamp, regardless of when they were purchased." Other changes include a bump of postcard stamps from "1 cent to 28 cents, the first ounce of a large envelope will increase 5 cents to 88 cents and the first ounce of a parcel will increase 5 cents to $1.22." The rate increases are meant to help the Post Office cope with rising operational costs, and "are in line with the amount of inflation," according to Postmaster General John Potter. more ›

The folks at Cuts Hurt Kids have set up this interactive map to show where parents, teachers, students, and community members are working in protest of Los Angeles Unified School District budget cuts, including teacher layoffs. The map plots points of action, locations, as well as links to stories, images, and videos related to LAUSD's budgetary woes and how the cuts will affect the community at large. Have something to add to the map? Let Cuts Hurt Kids know. more ›

Midfielder Paulo Nagamura scored his third goal of the season as Chivas USA defeated Real Salt Lake at the Home Depot Center last night. more ›

• A brush fire moved through 20 acres in Topanga Canyon but did not damage any homes, and was put out just over an hour after it was first reported.
• Today's "gun buyback" event, which saw the City trading gift cards for surrendered firearms, was so popular the City ran out of loot to give out.
• Comedian Mort Sahl, 81, who was reported missing from his Claremont home by his wife was found by detectives this afternoon.
• KFC vows to make up for the Oprah-backed free chicken coupon debacle this week.
• The LA River cleanup today yielded some very interesting finds.
• Get ready, it's coming: A carpool lane on the 405 through the Sepulveda pass!
• Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes in the OC.

The Jesusita Fire, which broke out Monday in the hilly terrain of Santa Barbara County, has ravaged over 8,700 acres, is approximately 30 per cent contained and appears to be calm and under control as of this afternoon. "Officials estimate that a total of 80 homes have been damaged or destroyed so far," reports the Santa Barbara Independent, who have been closely monitoring the blaze and its impact on the community. more ›

La Palma's Chelsea Krueger is getting ready for her Quinceanera, and like any young lady gearing up to party with her friends and family, she's looking forward to her dream day of gathering to celebrate with her friends and family. more ›

Real Salt Lake visits the Home Depot Center tonight to take on Chivas USA for the first time this season. Last time the clubs met, Real was riding a late season surge and eliminated Chivas USA from the 2008 playoffs. Now, the roles are reversed and there is a bit of a score to settle between the 2005 MLS classmates. more ›

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Miss California Carrie Prejean, 21, has been quite the hot topic lately. She was practically an unknown until she said this about gay marriage: "I think in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that's how I was raised." more ›

One of the losses in the Griffith Park fire, which began two years to the date, was the bird sanctuary trail off Vermont Blvd., north of the Greek Theatre. Today, after thousands of volunteers--most notably the Pacific Asian Volunteer Association who adopted the project--the trail once again opened to the public. Of course, Griffith Park's loudest cheerleader, Councilman Tom LaBonge, was there to tell everyone about it and take a hike with them. The short loop trail has some nicely shaded portions and crosses a small stream. more ›

Following up on yesterday's Orange Line Clean-up post, here's a video showing how dirty just one small spot was. Even that black trash bag was found back there. Ick! more ›

Into the hills of Sherman Oaks where expensive homes sit and windy roads lay are many a cul-de-sac. One of those areas off Beverly Glen leads a few Angelenos in the know about a little-known hiking trail in a practically ignored city park called Deervale (it's not even listed on the city's website). more ›

By 7 p.m. last night, the line to get into West Hollywood's Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art was around the block. It was a strong showing for a exciting display of art by Banksy, Shepard Fairey and more. The show located in the back gallery, called Get Rich Quick, featured rare originals and prints. A couple artists on the bill, such as Space Invader, had pieces that didn't make it via mail yet, but the jovial crowd did not seem to mind--plenty of folks were happy to see friends and snap camera phone photos of Banksy's prints. more ›

Who knew distant relatives to the boar could be so cute? Last week Friday, three Chacoan peccaries were born at the zoo and are currently on exhibit. more ›

As the fire neared the city last night, firefighters last night took a stand. "The fire was threatening the city directly," Santa Barbara's Acting Fire Chief Andy DiMizio said via the LA Times. "Last night, all hell broke loose." more ›

The Labor Department this morning announced April's unemployment numbers, showing that another 539,000 jobs were lost, upping unemployment nationwide to 8.9%--that's the highest its been since 1983. However, some are drinking the glass half full saying the numbers are better than the anticipated 600,000 lost jobs. Last month, unemployment was at 8.5%. Statewide, April numbers still have not been announced, but last month California's rate broke a record at 11.2%. more ›

• You can run, but you can't hide from swine flu. The piggy virus is supposedly able to survive for a few days on dollar bills. Conspiracy theory or fact?
• A big shout out goes to Tustin today for scoring #21 on Forbes list of places to live well. Congrats!
• That incentive plan that gives $10k for first time home buyers in California may be coming to a hault sooner than later. The credits have been given out so much already, our lovely state may call it quits early.
• City Ballet of Los Angeles is looking to grow in these tough times. They are hoping to trade their Downtown LA location near LA Live in for a location on Broadway.
• More than the fire in Santa Barbara... smaller brush fires have broken out today in Yucaipa, Santa Clarita and Los Angeles.
• Burglars go into a house, see the Cops and start to run. One pulls out a fake pistol and the Police fire at him, hitting him a few times. That's the correct procedure, right?
• The Mexican Mafia is alive but a little less effective in Compton. Fifteen men allegedly linked to the Mexican Mafia were charged Wednesday with drug and immigration offenses.
• It didn't take Anaheim jurors long to convict a man of 6 counts of molesting minors. Gerardo Garcia, 41, now faces a potential 90-year to life term for molesting 3 girls who were daughters of friends. If we heard correctly, other prisoners don't take too kindly to child molesters in jail... Should be a long 90 years......

According to Lee Joseph, publicist for La Luz de Jesus art gallery in the back of Wacko on Sunset, two paintings were stolen from the gallery today. The works by Lauren Gardiner are worth $1750 total and were already sold to patrons. more ›

Tomorrow marks the second anniversary of the Griffith Park fire, which burned through 817 of the park's 4,210 acres in two days. So Councilman Tom LaBonge and other city officials dedicated the 750,000-gallon water Travel Town Tank that will be used to help fight fires in the park and irrigate areas in the Western portion of the park. "It's a tragedy when fires roar, as we see today in Santa Barbara," said LaBonge this morning. “This tank will help us protect Griffith Park long into the future.” more ›

All over the Valley (and soon spreading into Hollywood, Westwood and beyond), speed limits are increasing and not because there is a need for better traffic flow. "Because of state law, when local government wants to use radar enforcement, they have to use up- to-date traffic surveys to justify the posted speed limit," Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, who this year introduced a bill to change the law to help protect cyclists and pedestrians, explained at a press conference this afternoon. more ›

Today EarthCam launches its new live streaming video webcams using up-to-date video compression technology to provide videos with with H.264 flash quality. more ›

Laker's guard Derek Fisher has been suspended by the NBA for Friday's game 3 against the Houston Rockets at Houston. He bodychecked Rockets forward Luis Scola in the waning minutes of the third quarter that was a ruled a flagrant-two foul resulting in an ejection. Kobe Bryant's elbow to Ron Artest in the fourth quarter was upgraded to a flagrant-one foul and will not result in any suspension. more ›

So Manny Ramirez got a 50 game suspension for violating the Joint Drug Agreement still hasn't sunk in. Ramirez will not appeal the suspension and will be eligible to come back on July 3, the start of a weekend series at the San Diego Padres. He will lose in excess of $7 million in salary due to the suspension. more ›

It's 97 in Woodland Hills. Drive 12 miles over the Santa Monica Mountains to Malibu and you'll be in the low 70s. Head a little further south to the Southbay and welcome to the high 60s. Now take the 10 freeway to Downtown and you'll split the difference at 85 degrees. What's your pick? more ›

"I will not send lard through the mail," Bart Simpson once wrote on the blackboard as an after school punishment. That's okay, the United States Post Office has forgiven him. Today, the Simpson family was honored as the first television show featured in a stamp set while still airing on primetime. In fact, this is their 20th year, making the show the longest-running comedy in TV history. That's an impressive feat. And consider this: out of the the 50,000 suggestions the Service receives each year, only about 20 actually become stamps. Good job Matt Groening and crew! And now let's reminisce when LA had a few true Kwik-E-Marts... more ›

In less than two weeks, we all go back to the polls again--some of us for the 3rd time this year--for the May 19th special election. The bulk of the ballot will include six budget based propositions that Governor Schwarzenegger hopes you pass. more ›

After LAist exposed the Orange Line's bike path as a mini skid row (and followed up on by the Daily News), the city finally got down to work this past weekend when police from the Van Nuys Division, volunteers and those filling community service by court order all met to clean the path between Hazeltine and Van Nuys Boulevard. more ›

Too bad Manny is suspended. Blogdowntown reports that despite a moratorium on supergraphics, new "Mannywood" advertisements have appeared on the sides of buildings on Flower and Figueroa in the past two weeks. Funny thing is, the billboard moratorium was just extended yesterday until June 24th. (Photo: Eric Richardson) more ›

At least we received our state income tax return last week... "The state is facing an unprecedented cash crisis and could run out of money within weeks, says the Legislature's chief budget analyst," according to an LA Times breaking news alert. "Lawmakers and the governor must act to stop the financial hemorrhaging, the analyst says in a new report, or state coffers could run dry by the end of next month." more ›

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons." more ›

Everyone's jaw is dropping here in Los Angeles (holy shit!) while Cubs fans are screaming "suck it, Dodgers!" Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez has tested positive for performance-enhancing drug and will be suspended for 50 games, according to the Los Angeles Times. His first game back will be July 3rd--in the meantime, outfielder Xavier Paul will apparently be promoted to Manny's position. The official announcement by Major League Baseball is expected later today. more ›

At least 20 homes have been lost and three Ventura County firefighters were injured yesterday in the Jesusita Fire that began Monday afternoon in the hills of Santa Barbara. The same kind of weather is expected today--"30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 65 mph"--but fire crews were able to start building a fire line during lulls in the wind yesterday and this morning. Red flag weather conditions are currently in effect. more ›

It looked to be like another great cool day on the Westside yesterday. Around noon, temperatures were in the low 70s. Then came the late afternoon when temperatures were all of the sudden hovering around 93 degrees, which was a record for UCLA, beating 89 degrees in 1990. What the heck happened? The National Weather Service says it was all in the the crazy wind we've been getting, forcing hotter temperatures as the day progressed. Basically, as wind from the north came over the mountains into the LA Basin to sea level, the air heated up in what is called "compressional heating," explained the Service. As for today and Friday, temperatures in the 90s will be found in the valleys and inland areas. more ›

LA Lakers defeat Houston Rockets 111-98. For a while there I was expecting a penalty box to be set up. Derek Fisher was thrown out of the game for a flagrant two on a hard body check to Luis Scola. Ron Artest was thrown out of the game after yelling at the refs for calling a foul on him against Kobe Bryant in the fourth. Bryant got a technical for jawing to Shane Battier saying, "You still can't guard me." Von Wafer was thrown out of the game by his head coach Rick Adelman before the fourth quarter started. Even Jack Nicholson got in on the action giving the refs a lovely gesture. All that said, the Lakers finally looked like they understood that these playoff games are the road to their NBA championship. Bryant led all scorers with 40 points while Pau Gasol was strong with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Yao Ming was in foul trouble getting only 12 points in 26 minutes played for the Rockets. While game one was physical who knew it would be a prelude to this game? This has officially become a series, and it will be a great one to watch. And I'll issue a mea culpa now: I have underestimated the Rockets. Meanwhile it remains to be seen if Fisher gets suspended for his hit. more ›

Harvey Milk Day, a baby California condor, Compton, Santa Monica and more... more ›

Some homes are burning down this afternoon in the Jesusita Fire, which broke out yesterday afternoon, according to TV news stations with helicopter coverage (however, it should be noted that the officials have confirmed no burned structures as of yet). Initially reported at 420 total acres burned, officials lowered the number after overestimating the size due to smoke cover. It currently has burned 200 acres with thousands of people evacuated, says to the Associated Press. more ›

In game one the Lakers tried to be physical but ended up being pretenders. The Rockets despite being the ones battered and bloodied got the first knock out. Shane Battier’s bloodied face and Yao Ming’s bumped knee wouldn’t detract the Rockets into getting away from their game plan. They just stuck with it while the Lakers just took shots in hopes of getting something to stick. more ›

For the second time today, a North American Black Bear entered an area residential neighborhood. This time one was found in a La Verne, probably in search of water and food, before officials tranquilized and transported it to an undisclosed location in the San Gabriel Mountains. Earlier today, a 300-pound bear was found and captured in a Camarillo apartment complex. more ›

At today's city council session, members vented to a Harbor Department official as they quizzed him on a new $205,000 position. At the heart of the issue, Councilmember Janice Hahn wanted to know why in this economy, when yesterday the group approved a potential 400 employee layoffs, why the Harbor--at Mayor Villaraigosa's insistence--is asking for a new highly paid position. more ›

The City Council may have learned their lesson by forcing LA Marathon organizers to a Monday holiday rather than the traditional Sunday. Today a council committee voted to hold the 2010 marathon on a Sunday in March. This year, it will be held on Memorial Day, which has not been good participation or the health of runners who choose to run on the traditionally hot day. It will next go to the full council for approval. more ›

Talk about a difference in temperature. That's nearly 30 degrees for areas about 30 miles apart. But as predicted earlier this week, the National Weather Service says today would get hotter... well, at least for the inland areas. Other temperatures in the area include 95 in Woodland Hills, 78 in downtown LA, 71 in Long Beach, 72 in Santa Monica and 90 in Granada Hills. So basically, the Valley got screwed today. more ›

A shooting on the 900 block of North Doheny Drive this morning at 9:05 a.m. left one man dead and a 50-year-old woman in critical condition. The circumstances surrounding the incident are not yet known, according to a Los Angeles County Sheriff's representative over the phone. UPDATE: This incident apparently was an attempted murder-suicide. more ›

In a closed-session meeting yesterday, the LAUSD Board of Education voted unanimously to file suit against the teachers' union, UTLA, charging that their planned May 15th "work stoppage" is "unfair labor practice," reports abc7. more ›

Just a quick update from this morning. After the Maine legislature approved gay marriage, Governor John Baldacci, who was thought to be undecided on the issue, signed the bill into law. "I have read many of the notes and letters sent to my office, and I have weighed my decision carefully," he said in a statement. "I did not come to this decision lightly or in haste." Meanwhile, the California Supreme Court this morning posted their notice for a ruling tomorrow, but it is not Prop 8, therefore, the wait continues. more ›

Today the state of Maine Legislature gave their approval of gay marriage. Although there were enough votes to pass the measure, there were not enough to override the "undecided" Gov. John Baldacci, who has 10 days to take action on the bill, if he chooses to veto. However, if he signs it into law, Maine would join Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut and Vermont. more ›

The wildfire blazing in the hills of Santa Barabra continued to burn through the night, and is now closing in on homes. The Jesusita fire has now grown to 420 acres, and is forcing approximately 1,200 residents to evacuate from 2,000 threatened homes. A Red Cross shelter has been set up at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta. Arrangements have been made to accommodate animals as well. more ›

Another day, another pedestrian accident? A 60-year-old man was killed last night around 6 p.m. in Van Nuys when he was hit by a vehicle involved in a car crash. "A car was making a left from Sepulveda onto Lanark Street when it collided with an on-coming vehicle," explained the LA Times via the LAPD. "That car careened off the road and struck the pedestrian." Then this morning, two 12-year-old boys in North Hollywood were struck by a car and air lifted to children's hospital with moderate injuries. The conditions surrounding the incident near the 5 Freeway and Laurel Canyon were not immediately known. more ›

LA Dodgers defeat Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1. Manny did the hat dance in left field. Folklorico dancers did their thing between innings. On this Cinco de Mayo, the Dodgers etched their names in the history books tying the 1911 Detroit Tigers for consecutive home wins to start the season at 12-0. Ole Droopy Jeff Weaver on his second tour with the Dodgers pitched a good game giving up only one run on five hits in five innings pitched. The Dodgers were gifted all three of their runs in the first inning thanks to two DBack errors. While DBacks starter Max Scherzer pitched a good game, yet again his offense gave him no run support allowing him to fall to 0-3 with a very respectable 3.38 ERA. The Dodgers now look to continue their home dominance with a two game series against the awful pitching of the Washington Nationals. more ›

UCLA just got hit yesterday with $31,000 in fines for 3 safety violations in a lab mishap that left one woman dead.... more ›

Last month, Customs and Border Protection were waiting when Song Dong of Garden Grove returned to Los Angeles from Vietnam. During inspection, they initially noticed bird feathers and droppings on his socks and upon a further look, "14 live birds attached to two flat pieces of clothe that were wrapped around his calves," according to the United States Attorneys Office. more ›

As we head towards Summer, these brush fires here and there are becoming more and more frequent. Today's conflagration, named the Jesusita Fire after a nearby trail in the San Roque Canyon, broke out early this afternoon. Gunshots is on the list of possible causes, according to the Santa Barbara Independent, who is following the fire closely. more ›

Oof. Not only did The Onion pull their print editions out of our fair city today, so did the free and cheap drink mavens at MyOpenBar.com. In an e-mail sent out this afternoon, they announced a slow down in operations: "Looking for free booze? Oh. Yeah. About that... We had to fire the entire staff after squandering most of the Myopenbar fortune on Cadillacs and Courvosier. Call it an 'MC Hammer,' call it a damn shame, but don't call it a comeback, baby, 'cause we out of this game. Come on, you all knew the party wasn’t gonna last forever." Their New York City portal will stick around for now and they will send occasional Los Angeles blasts when they "hear about something special." more ›

It looks like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken the debate over marijuana to whole a new level, the Sacramento Bee reports: The governor was asked about a recent Field Poll [.pdf] showing that 56 percent of registered voters support legalizing and taxing marijuana to raise revenues for cash-strapped California. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, has proposed legislation that would legalize the drug for recreational use, rather than just medical purposes. more ›

The state reports 69 cases of swine flu, including six from LA County, but it appears they are not importing data from Long Beach, which runs its own citywide health department. The oceanside city reports five cases, totaling 74 cases for California by LAist's count. more ›

After lending aid to a man who claimed to have just been attacked by gang members, she was sexually assaulted and carjacked by the man she was helping. It began Sunday night in Burbank when an 18-year-old woman was approached by the suspect who said he needed to get out of the area after just being "jumped" by four gangmembers. more ›

It's only a minor loss in the ever-growing billboard problem in Los Angeles. A judge placed an injunction on the city prohibiting them from taking action against SkyTag's 18 unpermitted supergraphics saying they had proof they were up before the December moratorium. While Los Angeles has its problems, New Yorkers are taking illegal billboards into their own hands. Check out the photo to the right, it's just one of many from the recent "Public Ad Campaign." more ›

Before a recent trip to Tokyo, the LA Times published Steve Lopez's column entitled "L.A. could learn some lessons from Tokyo". In his piece he praises Tokyo for its clean taxis, beautiful parks, and bike commuters. more ›

The Los Angeles (and San Francisco) editions of The Onion have hit the newsracks for the last time today, according to a source at Gawker. "An Onion staffer whispers to us that the humor publication has already laid off editorial and sales staff for its Los Angeles and San Francisco print editions, which will, said the staffer, cease publication," reports the blog. However, their local online sites--The Decider--will reportedly stay afloat. UPDATE: President and CEO Steve Hannah sent out this memo to staffers and readers confirming the rumor: more ›

The famous track is in bankruptcy and going on the auction block next September. So just in case you're interested in buying it, you should know developer Rick Caruso of The Grove and Americana fame, is rumored to wanting it for himself. Considering he already has stake in the track's north parking lot--a $500 million, 820,000-square foot "The Shops at Santa Anita" currently in the Environmental Review process--it would make sense, but you never know. more ›

Another comic great has left us. Dom Deluise, 75, reportedly died last night at a Los Angeles area hospital. "One of the truly funniest comics, EVER!!! "His brand of humor will be greatly missed," an LAist reader wrote in an e-mail this morning. "I'm actually a thin, serious person, but I play fat and funny, but only for the movies," DeLuise once joked about himself. His death follows last week's loss of Vegas performer Danny Gans. more ›

Not owning your own property can be a bitch. And such is life when leasing from the government, one who will now be using some of the land for a transportation corridor. The Orange Line busway extension from the Warner Center up Canoga Avenue to the Chatsworth Train Station is slated to break ground this June. That means the businesses that have been leasing right-of-way property from Metro--some have for 50 years--will be booted or have their lease properties be chopped up into small ones. more ›

The same day USC student Adriana Bachan died near campus in a hit-and-run, a 56-year-old man also died in a similar incident across town. Agapito Gaspar Nicolas was hit by an alleged silver Volkswagen Jetta while in a marked crosswalk on Figueroa Street at Avenue 51 in Highland Park. He later died in the hospital more ›

Houston Rockets defeat LA Lakers 100-92. Well that didn't go as planned did it? The Lakers were outplayed by the Rockets from tip off and never seemed to wake up. With Houston getting battered with Shane Battier getting stitches on his forehead thanks to Sasha Vujacic in the first quarter and Yao Ming going down after bumping knees with Kobe Bryant in the fourth, they kept with their game plan making the Lakers uncomfortable. The Lakers helped out taking awful shots going 2-for-18 from three-point land. Lamar Odom played pretty well but never seemed to have the ball scoring nine points with five rebounds. Kobe Bryant scored 32 points on 14-for-31 shooting. I wasn't counting on this one being the game the Lakers lost when I predicted the Lakers to win by five. Hopefully there will be no repeat of this game. more ›

Tonight just before 7pm the fire detector in the kitchen of Susan Feniger's popular new restaurant, "Street" malfunctioned. It detected a nonexistent grease fire and the sprinkler system sprayed a hot chemical down on the kitchen from behind the chefs, coating much of the food and sending everyone running out of the kitchen. Not only is the food a loss, but there are strict rules about this kind of thing both from the Health Department and Fire Department. more ›

• Fugitive film director Roman Polanski has made it clear to the LA courts he's got no plans to leave France and to appear at a hearing.
• Police are still trying to determine the identity of a deceased homeless man, whose body was discovered on Glendale Boulevard Saturday morning.
• Woodlawn Cemetery is considering allowing non-Santa Monicans (SaMoians? Santa Monicanians?) to be buried there in order to combat financial difficulties.
• Drivers using the 22 in Garden Grove this morning encountered another driver who should have stayed home and hit the snooze button instead of getting behind the wheel.
• New parents in Newport Beach welcomed one heck of a big baby this weekend.
• Arcadia's Westfield Santa Anita mall is preparing to celebrate their new outdoor promenade section, with festivities planned for Thursday.
• Tourists and theme park enthusiasts are scaling back, and so are the theme parks themselves. Here's a roundup of new attractions opened or opening this year in SoCal.
• Going, going, gone: Hollywood Wax Museum auctioned off some of their celeb figures.

Los Angeles' central rail transit hub is a modest 70 years old; a baby compared to many train depots in other major cities. Union Station was designed by John B. and Donald D. Parkinson, and "opened in 1939, with a dedication ceremony featuring both the mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California, amidst three days of pageants, parades and other celebrations," according to our very own LAistory entry on the "last of the great train stations built in this country." more ›

Ask a motorcop why they write tickets to cars disobeying signs and pedestrians walking against the man's hand and you'll hear a lot of them say it's a sign of "arrogance." When justified like that, they have no problem writing hundreds of tickets. Last Friday, StreetsblogLA blogger Damien Newton observed a sting at Western and Wilshire: "I counted two pedestrians who didn't make it across before the red. One of whom was an elderly woman who started as soon as she got the white person and who received no help from the LAPD officers busy writing tickets," he observed. more ›

$20.3 million of stimulus money from the federal government will go towards Hire LA, the city's program to place 16- to 24-year-olds in summer and permanent full time jobs around the city. “Hire LA will create over 16,000 jobs for Los Angeles youth and set them on-course toward a steady paycheck and a better life,” Mayor Villaraigosa said in a statement. “Today, Los Angeles becomes the first city in the nation to create jobs for young people using federal stimulus dollars dedicated towards youth employment.” In all, 7,388 positions will come from stimulus money. The remaining 8,500 positions will be funded through the annual programs from the city, school and community college district and private sector. more ›

As predicted by health officials last week, Swine Flu would undoubtedly hit Los Angeles County. That news came Saturday night shortly before the 11 p.m. news hour--it was a total of three then--and today the number was upped to 11 across the county. Five of those cases are in Long Beach. more ›

Local biologist Dan Cooper has been looking for the horned lizard in Griffith Park for the better part of three years now. There was a time when spotting them was a usual occurrence--these days, not so much. "Ask anyone over 40 who grew up here, and they'll tell you about catching 'horny toads' in the wash near their house," he explained. "My dad would catch them in North Hollywood along what would become the 170 freeway." more ›

Just what we all need: One more social networking site to sign up for, one more profile to make, quirky picture of ourselves to upload, badge to import to our blog. Except Irvine-based Greenwala is a social networking site that gives something important back to the world with each new member. more ›

Break into this Mar Vista man's car and you just might get shot. When three men were burglarizing his car early Sunday morning, he didn't call police, he stuff a pistol in his pants and confronted them. That led to a fight and one of the hamburglars getting shot in the cheek. The 23-year-old is now in the hospital in stable condition and the resident was released after the LAPD deemed the shooting as self defense, according to the Daily Breeze. more ›

The National Weather Service is predicting a great five-day outlook if you live near the coast: upper 60s and 70s all week long (and weekend, too!). For those inland, it will be in the 70s until Wednesday things move north on the thermometer into the lower 80s until the weekend when the 70s make a return. However, the Valley never gets it so sweet: save for Wednesday and Thursday when temperatures in some ares will reach the 90s, highs will be in the 70s and 80s through Sunday. It will also be mostly sunny after the marine layer clears up in the mornings. more ›

Today is the deadline to register for the May 19th California special and consolidated election. You'll want to register if you qualify (US Citizen at least 18 years old, not on parole for felony conviction, residing in Los Angeles County), and/or if you've moved since the last time you voted. more ›

Folks who reside in the northern portion of Los Angeles County in the Santa Clarita Valley sometimes suffer a similar "Identity Crisis" to those who have trouble determining just what official City of Los Angeles Neighborhood they live in. A recent article in the Signal, the SCV paper, references to the commonality of residents who face "uncertainty about city-county boundaries." more ›

Bar Camp LA 7 has taken over the offices of OTX Research in Culver City and by all accounts is the biggest and best Bar Camp LA ever. more ›

It's official: There are three confirmed reported cases of Swine Flu, aka H1N1, in Los Angeles County. The word comes from the County health department, who made the announcement last night. One case is a female student at Cal State Long Beach, whose status as "Swine Flu Sufferer" has been in question for several days now, and "the other confirmed cases are in residents of central and southeast Los Angeles," according to the Daily Breeze. more ›

Galaxy forward Landon Donovan converted a penalty kick in the first half to give the blue-and-gold a 1 - 0 advantage over the visiting New York Red Bulls at the Home Depot Center on a night on which Galaxy midfielder Chris Klein celebrated his 300th career game. more ›

Last week Hollywood lost the legendary Bea Arthur, when the funny lady of television and Broadway passed away at 86. The fab foursome of Arthur's hit series The Golden Girls is often compared with the totally different kind of fab foursome seen on Sex and the City, this TV Land video shows the late, great Arthur (along with television's other golden ladies Katherine Helmond, Charlotte Rae, and Sally Struthers) lampooning the HBO series, and reminding us she'll always have the last laugh. more ›

• A homeless man was found beaten to death in Echo Park today. He appears to have been struck in the head with a blunt object.
• Fears of Swine Flu spreading have led to Ventura County Sheriff's halting visits for prison inmates.
• Residents of the Oakridge Mobile Home Park in Sylmar, displaced since last fall's Sayre Fire, were allowed into their homes for the first time in months.
• The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel has filed suit against the City charging they were unlawfully denied their request to place a large billboard on the side of the building.
• Funnyman Robert Schimmel, known most for his frequent guest gigs on the Howard Stern show, was arrested today at his Calabasas home on suspicion of assaulting his wife.
• Two local food bloggers have proposed a code of ethics for their fellow foodie scribes.
• An LA Times investigation finds it is a very long and difficult process to fire a tenured LAUSD teacher.
• Fan of the gritty, new, ripped-from-the-headlines cop drama Southland on NBC? If so, good news: The network has ordered 13 more episodes.

The Galaxy return to action at the Home Depot Center tonight after a 2 game road trip in which they tied San Jose and Colorado. The results leave the team winless on the season and tied for last in the Western Conference standings after five games. more ›

Around 500 people gathered in Echo Park yesterday for the "May First Day of Action in Support of Workers Rights" march that ended in downtown. It was one of at least seven marches in Los Angeles that either started and/or ended as one big rally around in the civic center area. more ›

That was a nice shaker. At 6:11 p.m., a 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck in the Santa Monica Mountains, south of Westlake Village and northwest from Malibu. The Los Angeles Fire Department is in "Earthquake Mode as a preventive measure." They have no reports of damage yet. UPDATE: As of 7:05 p.m., the fire department has stepped down from "Earthquake Mode." However, there is now one reported minor injury that occured when an elderly woman, scared from the quake, ran from her apartment and fell. If you remember from last Fall's Great ShakeOut, earthquake experts recommended you "drop, cover and hold on." more ›

The Edge, U2's guitarist otherwise known as David Evans, has bought some prime property in the unincorporated Malibu area and neighbors are not amused. more ›

They planned on opening fire during an assembly on some future date, but before any of that could happen, police caught on and arrested them. Two students, aged 15 and 16, had stolen handguns that they brought to campus at least three times, including yesterday. "We believe, they felt like it could not be accomplished ... because of the safety in place everyday at this school," Principal Claudia Karnoski said. The suspected students quickly admitted to police their plans, but said they had no intended targets or date planned. more ›

Today, Santa Monica was honored with a Bronze level distinction from the League of American Bicyclists. Some cyclists may disagree considering heavy and unfair policing by the city, but in terms of infrastructure, Santa Monica has close to 16 miles of bike lanes, 19 miles of bike routes and a 3 mile beach bike path. They also estimate they parked 20,000 bikes with in 2008 their bicycle valet program and bicycling "plays a key role in the City’s Land Use and Circulation Element Strategy Framework," the city says. More bicycle paring is coming to downtown Santa Monica and they will have events on May 14th, which is Bike to Work Day. They join Long Beach, Claremont and Santa Clarita in recognition. more ›

Who knew? May Day is much more than immigration. In addition to being Buy Indie Day, it's about guerilla gardening, too. Specifically, it's International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day. more ›

The 52-year-old Vegas performer--the man with many voices--died early this morning from causes not immediately known. The self described "musical impressionist" has been a Vegas mainstay since 1996 and last year earned his 11th consecutive Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year award. His usually sold out show just moved to Steve Wynn's Encore from the Mirage in February. "One of the most unique human beings and entertainers in the world has been taken from us in an unexpected moment," Wynn said in a statement. more ›

We've grown large, but our rate of growth has slowed down. Compared to last year, the state's growth plateaued at 1.1%, but in counties like Riverside and San Bernardino--those two saw growth drop to a whole point or more. Los Angeles added 43,000 new residents (our total now is 4,065,585) while the state grew by 409,000 total. Still some cities saw a greater growth rate than average: Palmdale grew bw 3.5% and Pasadena by 2% giving them populations of 151,348 an 150,185, respectively. more ›

Dodger Talk host Josh Suchon mentioned this in passing after last night's Dodger game on AM 790 KABC, and the folks at Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness posted this morning, but it looks very evident that Dodger beat writer and Inside the Dodgers blogger Tony Jackson has been laid off from The Daily News. Emails to Jackson's Daily News account have bounced back, and the last post in his blog is about Scott Elbert being optioned back to AA Chatanooga. Update: Kevin Roderick at LA Observed posts about it including an excerpt from Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts. more ›

We have a really fast moving front coming through that may bring some very light rain after midnight tonight (70% chance). Before that, today is expected to me mostly cloudy with highs in the mid 60s to low 70s. Tomorrow will be cloudy with a 50% chance of rain in the morning. The rest of the day should remain partly cloudy with highs once again in the mid 60s to low 70s. The same temperatures go for Sunday (and likely through next week, too), which is likely to be mostly clear, according to the National Weather Service. more ›

Although the turnout is expected to me much smaller than in 2005 and 2006, today's marches will bring tens of thousands of people together over the causes they believe in. "Most of the groups agree on the same policy measures -- legalize illegal immigrants, stop work-site and residential raids, and end the separation of families through deportations," the LA Times reported. more ›

Just in case you really want a lot information, pre-recorded or with a live operator, the state's Department of Public Heath now has the official Swine Flu Hotline at (888) 865-0564. The line is manned from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Today, two Irvine residents await test results for their sicknesses, which are listed as "probable" swine flu cases. Both were in Mexico and the teen has already recovered. more ›

LA Dodgers defeat San Diego Padres 8-5. James McDonald is a young pitcher, and it has shown so far this season. In this game he got into trouble in the first inning but was able to get out unscathed. But the second inning was a different story altogether when he couldn't find the strike zone. He walked four giving up three runs and was pulled after two outs in the second inning for 2006 World Series Champion Jeff Weaver. I was half expecting to see Jim Tracy in the dug out there for a second. But Weaver pitched four scoreless innings after being called up earlier in the day from AAA Albuquerque. Meanwhile the Dodger offense did what it does coming through for the win. The Dodgers are now 7-0 at home to start the season for the first time since 1947 when they went 9-0 at Ebbets Field. more ›