News

Arizona Diamondbacks defeat LA Dodgers 5-3 (10). Yeah the Dodgers lost the game. The newest Dodger as of 9:00 pm Ronnie Belliard made a great impression with the fans by hitting a solo homer in his first at-bat. Manny Ramirez and Matt Kemp hit back-to-back solo shots in the sixth inning. But the DBacks would come back to win it. more ›

• 25-year-old Travion T. Ford was found guilty of second degree murder today in the stabbing death of a USC film student last year.
• Want to lend a hand somehow to help those affected by the Station Fire? CurbedLA has a useful guide.
• The City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation won an Emmy for a frank PSA about the perils of not driving safely.

A motion from back when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was a City Councilmember became reality today when he announced LA Rx, a discount prescription drug program for not just city residents, but L.A. County ones, too. more ›

Former reigning beauty queen "Carrie Prejean has filed a lawsuit against Miss California USA officials who stripped her of her title, accusing them of libel and religious discrimination for her views on same-sex marriage," according to CNN. more ›

This afternoon there are several new areas in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains that are under mandatory evacuation orders due to the Station Fire. While authorities cannot force people to leave their homes in these areas, heeding orders is seriously urged; this afternoon 5 people who opted not to leave Gold Canyon under orders two days ago are now in a situation too dangerous to allow a helicopter rescue. more ›

LA County Fire released the biographies of the two fallen firefighters today. Fire Captain Tedmund D. “Ted” Hall, 47 and Fire Fighter Specialist Arnaldo “Arnie” Quinones, 34, died yesterday afternoon when their vehicle went over the side of a road, plunging 800 feet into a canyon near Camp 16, a Department of Corrections facility, in Palmdale. Especially saddening is that Quinones was expecting his first child in the next several weeks. Biographies are below: more ›

In less than a months time, rangers with the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area area have captured and placed a GPS collar on a second mountain lion. Found Saturday morning in a trap set by National Park Service scientists around Malibu Springs, the approximately 2-year-old lion became the 14th to wear a tracking collar around its neck. At the end of July, a female with a similar age was found and collared. P14 and P13, respectively, have blood samples being analyzed by researchers at UCLA to determine connections, if any, to other lions studied in mountains. more ›

5 people who did not heed mandatory evacuation orders to leave their homes in the Gold Canyon area in the path of the Station Fire are now "trapped in a canyon and it's too dangerous to rescue them," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has announced, according to cbs2.com. The four men and one woman called for help today, after having elected against orders to remain in the area. more ›

La Crescenta is an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County, though some parts are considered Glendale, and is often co-mingled in reference with neighboring communities like La Cañada-Flintridge and Montrose. The foothill community has risen to the collective local and national attention since last week when it became one of the initial areas immediately affected by the Station Fire. more ›

Two wildfires north of the Los Angeles region had prompted partial closures within National Park units over the weekend, but today one opened as the other continues to see dangers. The Gloria Fire has been after burning some 6,400 acres northeast of Soledad and near Pinnacles National Monument. Officials with the National Park Service closed portions of the monument on Friday and today announced the reopening. “Pinnacles has been working closely with Cal Fire and with the fire completely contained and all evacuations and road closures lifted, I am comfortable lifting the park’s temporary closures,” Superintendent Eric Brunnemann explained in a statement. more ›

As the the Station Fire grows, the latest official tally boosts acres burned to over 100,000 with 5 percent containment, according to KNX1070, which also reports that three people who ignored evacuations orders are trapped near Gold Creek. more ›

The Station Fire is not only threatening homes across the region and broadcast towers on Mount Wilson, but also the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power's two 500 KV transmission lines northeast of the Acton. "These high-voltage power lines are critical to maintaining a steady supply of power to the city, especially as demand for energy rises throughout the day," the department made in a statement noting that all in-basin power plants have been activated to generate energy. more ›

Evacuation orders still hold in La Cañada Flintridge for the following areas, per InciWeb:

all streets east of Ocean View Blvd. and north of Los Amigos St. In addition, all streets north of Jessen Drive and Palm Drive have been evacuated as well. There has been a mandatory evacuation of all streets located west of Briggs Ave. and east of Pennsylvania Ave., in between Harmony Pl. and the foothills. There has been a mandatory evacuation of all streets north of Rockdell St. between Briggs Av. And Pine Glenn Rd.

Although authorities were hoping to keep the Oak Glen III Fire in the San Bernardino Mountains to at least 600 acres before knocking it down, last night it flared up aggressively, burning 900 acres, according to the Fire Information Line at the San Bernardino National Forest. It remains at zero percent containment. The blaze, east of Yucaipa, began yesterday around 1:45 p.m. south of Oak Glen, prompting a mandatory evacuation of some 2,000 homes and structures in the the south and southeast areas of the unincorporated town. Oak Glen Road is closed between Casa Blanca Street in Yucaipa and Wildwood Canyon in Oak Glen. Evacuees can go to the Yucaipa Community Center. The Cottonwood Fire between Hemet and Idyllwild remains at 2,409 acres with 95 percent containment. Full containment is expected by tonight. more ›

The jagged rocks off the 14 Freeway in Agua Dulce are internationally known, thanks to Star Trek (the new one, too) and other movies. Currently, the Vasquez Rocks are inside the evacuation zone due to the Station Fire. Before that, LAist Photographer Tom Andrews visited yesterday afternoon as the fire approached from the South in the Angeles National Forest, taking some eerie desert-smoke shots. more ›

In a statement this morning about the deaths of two L.A. County Firefighters, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa also mentioned that the LAPD has evacuated 200 residents in the Riverwood and Apline communities of the northeast San Fernando Valley due to the Station Fire. Regarding the recent cutbacks in number of city fire personnel on duty over budgetary reasons, "Interim Chief Millage Peaks has suspended the department’s Modified Coverage Plan to insure every resource is available to fight this fire and protect those at risk," the Mayor said. “Currently, the Los Angeles Fire Department has four strike teams assigned to battling the fire, and has pre-deployed additional resources as a precautionary measure. The Fire Department has also joined the unified command battling the blaze.” more ›

The Station Fire made short work of the dense dry brush of the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains last night, almost doubling in size to at least 85,000 acres and growing. It is 19 miles long and 16 miles wide, according to a live KTLA broadcast, and still stands at only 5% contained. While communication towers and the Observatory atop Mount Wilson have not been burned, officials "said that area remains highly vulnerable," and firefighters remain actively working to keep the flames at bay from the historic building and vital broadcast equipment, reports the LA Times. more ›

These numbers are expected to change significantly by morning, but the Station Fire stands at 42,500 acres with 5 percent containment, according to officials. 2,575 personnel have responded, leaving four injured and two dead. 18 homes have been lost. more ›

Officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department released the names of the two firefighters who lost their lives in the Station Fire earlier today. Captain Tedmund “Ted” Hall, 47, and 35-year-old Firefighter Specialist Arnaldo ”Arnie” Quinones went over the edge of a mountainside road south of Acton as they were overrun by the fire while driving a vehicle. Hall, a 26-year veteran of the department, lived in San Bernardino and Quinones, of Palmdale, served for eight years. "This accident is tragic," said Captain Mike Bryant with difficulty at a press conference earlier today. "This is a very diffcult time for Los Angeles County Fire Department and the men and women that serve day in, day out." Funeral arrangements are pending and information relating to services will be made available in the near future. more ›

As the Station Fire consumes most resources and attention, here's a look at the three other major fires burning in the greater Los Angeles region. Morris Fire It began early Monday evening last week in the Angeles National Forest north of Asuza and Glendora, but has stayed out of harms way for the most part, save for a mandatory evacuation at Camp Williams. As of tonight, the conflagration is 95 percent contained after burning through 2,260 acres. Full containment is expected tomorrow by 6 p.m. more ›

Two Los Angeles County firefighters have been killed near Mount Gleason in the Angeles National Forest just south of Acton. Their vehicle went over the edge of the mountainside road amid intense fire activity around 2:30pm, according to LA County Deputy Fire Chief Mike Bryant at an 8:00 pm news conference. more ›

• Two residents who refused the evacuation order and tried to protect their home were seriously burned when the walls of flames surrounded them. They thought they could protect themselves by jumping in a jacuzzi...(!)
• One of the winning Mega Millions lottery tickets were sold in San Gabriel. The ticket is worth around $166 million! The other ticket was sold in New York.
• With fires raging, the triple digit temps didnt help matters at all.

As the Station Fire continues to burn through the dense, dry brush of the San Gabriel mountains and close to many foothills communities, the threat posed to Mount Wilson remains of utmost concern. "Firefighters have been pulled away from Mount Wilson, where critical broadcast towers for many television and radio stations are located [...] Fire officials expect the mountain to be overrun with fire by 7:00 p.m. Sunday, indicating a probable outage for local news outlets," reports KTLA. This would make the weekend's lack of fire-related live unscheduled news broadcasts a non issue, since all the major networks in Los Angeles broadcast from towers located atop Mount Wilson. The Observatory operates a live webcam, which has been obscured by smoke for the past few days as the Station Fire burned nearby. more ›

The Station Fire continues to hold the San Gabriel Mountains under siege as the northeastern flank of the 35,000+ acre blaze rages in the Acton area, continues to burn out of control with dangerous hotspots near homes in neighborhoods of La Crescenta, and could pose a threat to Mount Wilson (where 22 broacast stations have communication towers). The fire remains at around the 5% containment level. Here are some updates and information at this hour: more ›

The Dodgers acquired infielder Ronnie Belliard from the Washington Nationals for right handed minor league pitcher Luis Garcia and a player to be named later. The 34-year old Bronx, NY native has a .246 batting average with five homers and 22 RBI in 86 games. Belliard started slow but in the month of August has posted a .361 average with five doubles and three homers. So there you have it: this year's Julio Lugo. more ›

The Cottonwood Fire, which has burned just under 2,500 acres in the Hemet area, is now being reported as being 75% contained, and no structures have been damaged, according to abc7.com. The Morris Fire, which has consumed just under 2,200 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains above Azusa, is 95% contained and authorities revealed today that the cause of the blaze has been identified as arson, reports the Pasadena Star-News. Very late last night officials announced the Rancho Palos Verdes Fire was fully contained after burning through 235 acres, according to cbs2.com. more ›

Local television news, so quick to cut into programming for car chases, and often repetitive non-stop coverage of celebrity-involved incidents (i.e. the death of Michael Jackson) has been eerily quiet this weekend as the Station Fire--one of three current blazes raging in Southern California--has prompted the evacuation of more than 6,600 homes, threatens 12,000 structures, and has blazed through 35,000 acres and is growing with 5% containment. more ›

"The City of La Canada Flintridge advises that evacuation orders were lifted at noon for most of the evacuated area in the Station Fire area, including the area from Arroyo Seco on the east to Angeles Crest Highway, and then continuing west to Palm Drive. Evacuation orders are still in effect for the portion of La Canada Flintridge west of Palm Drive and north of Olive Lane," reports KTLA. The threat of the fire seems to have subsided from several portions of the area, although the fire has not grown smaller, but rather moved to the northwest, and is now burning within 3 miles of Acton. more ›

Evacuation centers have been opened in two more schools to shelter residents who are being asked to leave their homes in the Antelope Valley due to the Station Fire. In addition to the first evacuation center opened in the region at Highland High School in Palmdale, shelters are now accepting evacuees at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita and Verdugo Hills High School in Tujunga. The Glendale Unified School District announced early this morning they were canceling all classes on what would have been the first day of the school year; the GUSD is housing one evacuation center at Crescenta Valley High in La Crescenta. The La Cañada Unified School District, which is housing an evacuation center at La Cañada High, is expected to announce later today if they, too, will close tomorrow and postpone their first day of school. more ›

At around 10:40 a.m. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a press conference at Hansen Dam regarding the Station Fire, and other fires currently affecting the state. Just home to California following yesterday's funeral services for his wife's uncle, Sen. Edward Kennedy, Schwarzenegger spoke immediately of his wish to continue to work to ensure the safety of lives, property, and memories. more ›

One major concern when it comes to the Station Fire is its proximity to Mount Wilson, which is home to a renowned 105-year-old Observatory, as well as communication towers for many local television and radio outlets ("relay broadcasting"). Although there are no personnel currently allowed on Mt. Wilson, they are monitoring the fire as best they can via the news, and posting updates to their website. They also operate a live webcam from one of the towers, which you can look at here. This morning they noted: "Towercam images during the night showed Red Box area flaming dying down, which is good news, but current Towercam scenes are obscured by smoke." more ›

In just a few short hours since dawn, the Station Fire is now reportedly burning over 35,000 acres, and has spawned a new set of evacuations. Deputies are now ordering out residents of "Crown Valley, Soledad Canyon and Aliso Canyon as the fire [has] moved northwest along the Angeles Forest Highway," reports the Pasadena Star-News. more ›

David Beckham scored his first goal on the season to help secure the Honda SuperClásico for the Galaxy last night at the Home Depot Center. more ›

The Station Fire, which began on Thursday in the Angeles National Forest, made short work of tearing through the hilly acreage of the San Gabriel foothills that haven't burned in decades. Now estimated at over 20,000 acres in size, the fire is moving northward currently, and is expected to pose a threat to the community of Acton, according to an abc7 live newscast. more ›

Time Lapse Test: Station Fire from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo. more ›

With wildfires raging across the Southland right now, the Los Angeles County Health Officer is hoping to take a moment to remind people that it's important to have an emergency kit packed and ready to go. They've sent out a press release today detailing the suggested essentials you'll want to include so that if you are called up on to evacuate, like many residents in parts of northern Glendale and the Crescenta-Cañada Valley into Altadena are having to do due to the Station Fire. more ›

The following evacuation orders are currently in place in the Glendale-La Crescenta-La Cañada-Altadena areas due to the Station Fire, according to InciWeb:
• Mandatory evacuations in the City of Glendale north of Santa Carlotta St between Lowell and Pennsylvania. A new evacuation center is located at the Civic Auditorium at 1401 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale, CA 91208.
• Mandatory evacuations in Big Tujunga Canyon between County Camp #15 and the Ranger Station as well as Camp Colby which is located at 23828 Angeles Crest Highway.
• Mandatory evacuations include east of Ocean View Blvd, north to High Rim Rd and south to Fairhurst Drive.

The LA County Fire Department is reporting and responding to two cases of civilian injuries sustained in the Station Fire. "2 civilians w/ burn injuries @ Big Tujunga fire station. 3rd degree over 50% of their bodies," comes the brief notation on the injured parties via the LA Co. Fire Twitter feed. Structures were reported as burning in this one of three branches of the Station Fire, which began Thursday in the Angeles National Forest above La Cañada Flintridge. Many people with cabins or similar homes in the Big Tujunga area may have not known, wanted, or been able to evacuate expediently, leaving them in the area and subject to injury. more ›

The Station Fire continues to rage under the blazing sun and on tough terrain. Evacuations of Big Tujunga Canyon have been ordered for the "Western portion of the fire just north of Mt Luken" according to the CalFireNews Twitter feed. Currently the following areas are also under mandatory evacuation notice, per KNX1070:

Evening Canyon Dr., Bay Tree Rd., Briartree Dr., Summit Crest Dr., Bramblewood Rd., Alder Ridge Dr., Catherwood Drive., Greenridge Dr., Forest Green Dr. Ridge Court, and Starlight Crest Drive. more ›

Blogger Dave Bullock went on an impromptu photo shoot last night, first heading to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), then up the hills of La Cañada towards the Station Fire that continues to burn today with essentially no containment. He shared with us these images from the scene. The Station Fire is expected to remain burning through the week, as hundreds of firefighters work on rugged terrain that has not burned in decades.
more ›

Burning over challenging terrain that has not been scorched in decades, the Station Fire in La Cañada Flintridge grew wildly overnight, and has prompted a more extensive set of evacuations. The Pasadena Star-News reports:

More mandatory evacuations were ordered early Saturday morning for Gould Mesa Motorway, North Starlight Crest Drive, Ridge Court and Greenridge Drive, effective immediately, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Sometimes events in the sporting world happen in such a way that one has to wonder if someone scripted them. This year's final installment of the Honda SuperClásico between the Galaxy and Chivas USA seems to fit that bill quite well. more ›

The four major fires burning in the greater Los Angeles region were especially worrisome last night, but as of 10:30 p.m., things seem to be subsiding for the most part. Here are the updates for each of the blazes from fire information officers. more ›

Further up north, two fires are affecting some of the most beautiful parts of California. The Meadow Fire has been burning in Yosemite National Park since Wednesday and the Gloria Fire, burning since Thursday near Soledad, is threatening parts of Pinnacles National Monument. more ›

• Jurors have started deliberations in the USC stabbing murder trial. Self defense or murder?
• The days may be numbered for the "Bates Motel". The long since vacated motel nicknamed because of its closeness to Bates Street in Silver Lake has been a magnet for crime and homeless people who charge to use the sidewalk there.
• A man was killed by a Sheriff's deputy after being tasered. The deputy was checking to see if he had a ticket when the man apparently charged him and then was tasered three times.

Angeles National Forest officials are reporting this afternoon that the Station Fire is also crawling eastward from La Canada Flintridge towards north of Altadena in addition to its west- and northwardly directions. Areas such as Big Tujunga Canyon, Brown Canyon and Brown Mountain are affected. No evacuations of any kind have been ordered for Altadena, but authorities say it's a good idea to prepare and keep alert. more ›

Adam Goldstein, better known as DJ AM, was found dead in New York City today around 2 p.m. local time. Apparently, he hadn't been seen for days until friends contacted authorities who broke down the door to his apartment. "Sources said drug paraphernalia was found in the apartment and cops are looking into whether it was an overdose," said the New York Post. Less than a year ago, Goldstein survived a plane crash that killed four people, and critically injured him and Blink-182's Travis Barker. He was also known for his relationships with Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore. His final tweet was a "New York, New York" lyric from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five: "New york, new york. Big city of dreams, but everything in new york aint always what it seems." [Update: Ironically, MTV had ordered a show where AM would help families stage interventions on their drug-addicted loved ones.] more ›

LA Times' Bill Shaikin is reporting the Angels are close to acquiring Tampa Bay Rays left-handed starter Scott Kazmir. In return the Rays will be getting minor league left-hander Alex Torres and infielder Matt Sweeney. Marc Tompkin of the St. Petersburg Times is reporting that an announcement will be made after the Rays game tonight. Kazmir, a 25-year old two time All Star with a 8-7 record and a 5.92 ERA, is due $8 million next season, $12 million in 2011 and a club option of $13.5 million in 2012. more ›

Since this morning, not much has changed with the Station Fire in the Angeles National Forest north of La Canada Flintridge, according to U.S. Forest Service officials. The fire is burning in two different directions with smoke traveling northeast, which is one direction the blaze is taking. But most concerns are focused on the portion moving southwest towards homes, 873 of which that are evacuated last night. more ›

The fire that begun last night in Rancho Palos Verdes quickly prompted the exodus of thousands of people last night, but today firefighters got an upper hand containing the 230-acre blaze to 70 percent, as of noon, said Inspector Fredric Stowers of LA County Fire over the phone. Evacuation orders were lifted around 11:30 a.m., but residents will have to show their ID to gain entry into neighborhoods. However, some roads will be closed to everyone "as to not hamper the efforts of the firefighters," explained Stowers. He said three homes have been damaged in the Rolling Hills area with two outbuildings completely lost--a shed and a gazebo. more ›

Although it was all but official until now, today the Los Angeles County coroner's office "confirmed that it has ruled Michael Jackson's death to be a homicide, caused primarily by 'propofol intoxication,'" reports KNX1070 in a breaking news e-mail alert. The LAPD, the lead agency into the death, also announced this morning that separate investigations will occur into matters uncovered in the death investigation, but do not directly relate to the cause of Jackson's death. Those most likely are the various drugs, prescription included, found at his home and in his body. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement will be looking into those aspects. The LAPD's press release is below in full. more ›

A new study says that Los Angeles is the number one city for sensitive guys -- in where they (we?) can be found and where that sensitive side can best be showcased. Actually, we share the top position. The City of (Sensitive) Angels tied with San Francisco. With six additional Golden State cities filling out the study’s top fifteen, California kicked the less-sensitive butt’s of forty nine other states. Orange County (Anaheim/Santa Ana) came in at number eight. more ›

The start of ice hockey action in L.A. usually serves as reminder to Angelenos that although the weather might still be nice outside, summer is indeed over. This year, however, the L.A. Kings have something special in store for fans and they don't have to wait until fall to enjoy it. Action begins this evening when Live frontman Eddie Kowalczyk performs an acoustic set at Nokia Theatre to help kick-off L.A Kings Hockey Fest. The inaugural three day event at L.A. Live celebrates everything relating to Kings hockey and the sport itself. more ›

As four major fires burn in the greater Los Angeles region, officials from the LA County Health Department, who raised this week's heat advisory to a heat alert, want to make sure people stay safe. "We have two problems in Los Angeles County; each makes the other worse," Dr. Jonathan Fielding, county health officer, said in opening statements at a press conference this morning. "Summer has finally come." He said the heat exacerbates the fires which in turn worsens air quality. more ›

Four major fires have consumed around 4,600 acres across the greater Los Angeles region this past week. Here's the latest, as of 9:30 a.m., according to fire information officers for each of the blazes. Palos Verdes Fire The fire that began around 8 p.m. last night has only consumed 100 acres in a residential area prompting the evacuation of around 1,200 to 1,500 people. more ›

As the evening began to settle in, the Station Fire changed directions and began to head towards La Canada Flintridge. By 11 p.m., 500 homes were under orders to leave their homes, sending hundreds of residents to an evacuation center. The nighttime photos were taken around the same time from the 2 Freeway and surrounding side streets in the neighborhood as flames grew near homes. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa later today intends to nominate Battalion Chief Millage Peaks to head the Los Angeles Fire Department, according to sources close to the department speaking under the condition of anonymity. Peaks, a 33-year veteran of the department will replace Chief Barry Douglas, who will retire this weekend. Currently the Chief of Battalion 4 (LAX, Venice and other Pacific coast and inland neighborhoods), Peaks joined the department in 1976 and was promoted to be a captain in 1984. Eight years later, he became a Battalion Chief in South L.A. more ›

The fire in Rancho Palos Verdes has burned more than 75 acres and has prompted the evacuation of up to 3,000 people, said officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A fire has not burned in the area since the 1950s. The blaze began around 8 p.m. and within an hour, had already consumed a couple homes. Officials do not know how much of the fire is contained, if any. more ›

Talk about timing, whether planned or not. An 11:30 p.m. e-mail from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's office says he will announce his nomination of a new fire chief tomorrow at 11 a.m. After 34 years--two and a half as Chief--Douglas Barry last Spring announced his retirement, taking affect on August 30th. "We have brought about a unity of purpose and have moved our Department to even higher levels of professionalism both operationally and in our work environment," he said his statement in May. "We have made great strides in strengthening our future leaders by giving them the tools they need to be successful." The nominated chief must be confirmed by city council before he or she can officially take command. more ›

Just to give you a general picture of what's happening right now, here's a map with general locations of the four major fires burning right now. more ›

As a fast moving fire moves through Rancho Palos Verdes, already burning at least two homes, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School has been set as the evacuation center, according to Vanessa Bezic, a journalist, on Twitter. The school is located at 21178 Silver Spur Road in Rolling Hills Estates. The fire began around 8 p.m. around Portuguese Bend and other areas, the LA Times reported. UPDATE, 11:06 p.m.: "Large animal evacs Ernie J. Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates," reports LATimesFires on Twitter. UPDATE, 11:28 p.m.: Evacuated streets are Portuguese Bend, Amber Sky Drive and Crest Road. more ›

Three new fires broke out tonight, all in separate areas of the greater Los Angeles region. The largest of the three is the Cottonwood Fire in the San Bernardino National Forest. Located between Hemet and Idyllwild, the 400-acre blaze that began at 5:13 p.m. is 5 percent contained, said Forest Service Fire Information Officer Norma Bailey. "Right now air support is down for the night, but hand crews and engines are on duty," she explained. A voluntary evacuation is in effect for the Bee Canyon area where about 12 homes are located. more ›

The 350-acre Station Fire shifted directions this evening back down the hill towards the Angeles Crest Fire Station and La Cañada Flintridge, according to Forest Service officials. "They're going to try to squash that as quickly as possible," said Rachel Mailo, a Fire Information Officer with the Angeles National Forest, over the phone. The LA Times notes that If it does reach the station, residential neighborhoods are about one mile further. more ›

• A girl kidnapped in 1991 has been found alive in Northern California and whoa, it looks like she had a baby with one of her alleged captors.
• Ha, ha, ha! A Kentucky Fried Chicken in Palms has been converted into a medical marijuana dispensary called... Kind for Cures
• The latest in the Michael Jackson investigation, via NPR: "The warrant unsealed Thursday showed that various drugs, including marijuana, the generic form of Valium and other sedatives were found in the singer's rented mansion. A detective also indicated that Jackson's body showed signs of injections."

Geologists are monitoring the cliffs behind Yosemite's beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel after tumbling boulders from the Royal Arches formation forced the evacuation of all 300 guests yesterday. Lucky for those guests, no one was hurt (a few cars were damaged) and the hotel reopened tomorrow after 4:00 p.m. The largest rock that fell is estimated to be 350 cubic meters. more ›

The Station Fire has burned some 300 acres in the Angeles National Forest. Here's some what it looks like from the foothill community of La Canada. This and the Morris Fire continue to worsen the air quality among the high temperatures around the Los Angeles region. more ›

The Station Fire, which began yesterday afternoon and is burning above La Canada-Flintridge in the Angeles National Forest, has grown to 300 acres and has been downgraded to 10 percent contained, the Forest Service reports as of 2:20 p.m. The number of firefighters reporting to the blaze has doubled to 410 since this morning and mandatory evacuation orders have been given to those at Camp Hi Hill and Clear Creek School. The fire is currently burning in a northerly direction. more ›

It only took four minutes for the LAPD to show up after The Green Truck's General Manager, Bobby Allen, pulled up to the curb on Wilshire for the lunch hour. The truck's health permit, although paid for, was not on display because the LA County Health Department was late in sending out bills and permits, explained Allen. But officers would not accept a note from the Health Department that should have excused the Green Truck from being cited and shut down. The truck can only open back up for business when they have proof they paid for the permit. more ›

ESPN's Shelley Smith reported that Matt Barkley has been named starting quarterback for the USC Trojans. Trojans head coach Pete Carroll confirmed the news on Twitter. Barkley, 2007 Gatorade national player of the year, graduated early from Mater Dei so he could participate in spring practice. With presumed heir to the job unior Aaron Corp out since August 11 with a cracked fibula, the chatter has been louder in recent weeks of Barkley to be the first true freshman starter during Carroll's tenure since 2001. While this confirms him to the starter in USC's opener against San Jose State, this by no mean gives Barkley job security past that game as is Carroll's modus operandi. more ›

For years, the city of Santa Clarita (my former employer) has made great strides in furthering non-motorized transit throughout the suburban valley chock full of six-lane roads with 45 or sometimes higher speed limits. The high speed limits combined with hills plus soccer moms or pedal-to-the-medal teens are not exactly attractive for street biking without some kind of safety net. A lot of the city is connected by 60-plus miles of off street trails, paseos (well-maintained HOA paths open to the public) and street bike lanes with more to come, pending funding. more ›

On September 19th, Reverend Jeff Carr, the City’s Director of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, will become Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's new Chief of Staff. Carr, who has been charged with the successful (or not?) anti-gang Summer Night Lights program, has been at the city for two years after years of service in the nonprofit sector. "Insiders say Carr will likely have a more demanding style than [current Chief of Staff Robin] Kramer, who is widely respected and well-liked among City Council members and has been considered a major influence in helping the mayor get his policy initiatives approved," notes Rick Orlov at the Daily News. "Kramer's departure and the ascension of Carr gives Villaraigosa an opportunity to reinvigorate his mayoral agenda - and his political future - now that he has decided against running for governor in 2010." Full info from Villaraigosa's office is below. more ›

Take the high heat and the smoke from the Morris Fire and it's just not going to be a fun next few days outdoors. “While people don’t need to be told it’s hot outside, they do need to be reminded how to take care of themselves, children, the elderly, and their pets when the weather gets hotter,” said LA County Health Officer Jonathan E. Fielding in a statement this morning. “When temperatures are high, prolonged sun exposure may cause dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke." more ›

If you happen to be in Sacramento tomorrow and Saturday, do the state a favor and give them some money in exchange for some official government crap. Back in July, Governor Schwarzenegger announced that they would be selling government stuff--cars, computers, other crap--to help offset the billion dollar deficit. Then someone on Twitter suggested that he sign some of the items to raise the value and he went, paraphrased, "OMG, such a g00d idea! Keep the ideas coming, Twitter pals!" more ›

Now that officials have been forced to raise fees at state parks in order to save some of them, a thrifty blogger at the Orange County Register's OC Deals blog makes a good observation. Looking into beachfront family campsites with hookups at Bolsa Chica State Beach, Doheny and San Clemente is running $60 to $65. "I recently bought a new tent and cot to go back to nature, and save money on vacations by camping, instead of staying in hotels. But the world’s gone topsy-turvy, folks. You can rent a room this week in the fancy Wyndham hotel in New Orleans for $58 a night, but you can’t camp in a state campground on the beach for that! Incredible." Still, we rather camp. more ›

Is this guy sly or what? As an international manhunt ensued, he got not one, but two women on each side of the border to help him out, sources tell the Los Angeles Times: Investigators said they are looking at whether one unidentified woman aided Ryan Jenkins when he was hiding in Washington state and a second woman helped him in British Columbia more ›

Despite what many people think, the police are not always against medical marijuana dispensaries. A legal institution is a legal institution and when said institution happens to have lots of drugs and money inside their business, it's a prime target for robbery. Not many details are out now, but LAPD tomorrow will be asking the press and public's help "to inform the public about medical marijuana dispensary robberies and suspects who are to be considered armed and dangerous," an advisory says. "Police are also asking for the public’s help to identify and locate the suspects." Apparently, some incidents have happened in the West Valley. more ›

With temperatures expected to rise to triple digits today, the Morris Fire north of Azusa has burned through three square miles of the Angeles National Forest and is now 45 percent contained, according to authorities this morning. The fire began Tuesday afternoon and quickly spread into dry brush of San Gabriel Canyon and sending smoke into the Los Angeles basin that may stick around until Sunday. more ›

LA Dodgers defeat Colorado Rockies 6-1. Andre Ethier hit two homers and James Loney hit a three-run tater to power the Dodgers over the Rockies. Ethier hit a homer in the first inning after Matt Kemp walked and hit a solo shot to lead off the fourth inning. After Manny Ramirez was hit by a pitch and Casey Blake walked Loney hit his shot in the same inning. At that point the Dodgers had only three hits, the three homers. While it's easy to get very excited about this power surge, keep in mind the Rockies were forced to start Josh Fogg who has been a reliever all season. This gives the Dodgers a three game lead over the Rockies again. more ›

• The Governator is getting testy... calling out the State Assembly as "gutless" to make the prison system cuts necessary to save the state more money.
• So the Governator's furlough plan might be coming back to haunt him... and the state. With state tax collectors forced to miss work, they cant do their job and might cost California over $1 billion in uncollected tax revenue. Sheesh...
• Congrats to former USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. He was named the Jet's starting QB today.

East of Sunset Trailer from Thrillhouse Productions on Vimeo. more ›

A second fire within the Angeles National Forest off the Angeles Crest Highway (2) ignited around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. It's located 5 miles north of the Jet Propulsion Lab and La Canada-Flintridge, according to KNX1070, which reports it to be around 20 acres in size. The fire is spreading rapidly within terrain full of heavy fuel, says the LA County Fire Department on Twitter. They tweet a fact, which may or may not have to do with the fire: "Interesting RT @earthquakesLA : 1.8 magnitude earthquake 0ccurred 6.21 mi NNE of La Crescenta, CA. Details: http://tinyurl.com/nuloct Map: http://tinyurl.com/nlqvjj." ABC7-TV has a livestream of the fire online. more ›

Baseball is often used as a metaphor for life. In so many ways, it is about the moments. Not just the moments on the field, but every moment from the time you enter the stadium gates until you leave. Some are content to gloss over these details, fixated on box scores and home runs and batters charging the pitcher’s mound. To leave it at that is to miss the more human side of the game, the side that makes you ignore the bloated player salaries and the excessive cost of beer and hot dogs at the stadium. There’s humanity in the tiniest moments. more ›

What's with all the helicopter commotion in West Hollywood? "A car matching the description of Jasmine Fiore's [white Mercedes] has been found in the Trader Joe's parking lot," said Steve Whitmore, spokesman for the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. The lead agency on the case, the Buena Park Police Department, told TMZ the car is indeed hers. Fiore's body was found stuffed into a suitcase left in a Buena Park dumpster on August 15th. The suspected killer, reality TV contestant Ryan Jenkins, committed suicide in a Canadian motel last weekend, but police believe Fiore's missing vehicle may hold clues about a possible second suspect. more ›

As the Morris Fire continues to burn in the San Gabriel Canyon of the Angeles National Forest, a spot fire that has developed on the eastside of the San Gabriel River has officials concerned. "It's becoming very active now," explained Robert Brady, a Fire Information Officer with the Forest Service. He said there's more dry fuel for the blaze on that side of the river. more ›

Writer Dominick Dunne died today at his home in New York, according to the LA Times. The bestselling author of crime-meets-celeb scandal tomes like Another City Not My Own (based on his involvement in the OJ Simpson trial), film producer, and Vanity Fair contributor was 83, and had been battling bladder cancer. Born to an affluent East Coast family, Dunne moved to Los Angeles in the late 50s and worked extensively in television. His writing career took on new proportions following the 1983 murder of his daughter, Dominique. Dunne's only surviving child, son Griffin, is an actor, and his sister-in-law is iconic Californian writer Joan Didion. more ›

It's currently against the law to make a home of your car in Long Beach, but a proposal due to be discussed come September 1st at the City Council meeting would create "a new law that would allow "economic refugees" to legally sleep" in their vehicles, according to the Press-Telegram. more ›

Officials announced this morning to take heed of the smoke pouring into the Los Angeles basin from the Morris Fire in the Angeles National Forest, but the LA Times finds that it could be sticking around throughout the hot weekend. While a lack of wind is helping firefighters battle the blaze in San Gabriel Canyon north of Azusa, it is also hindering it from blowing away. more ›

To the shock of the film community last month, LACMA announced that come October, the beloved weekend film series would discontinue due to budget constraints. That prompted some advocacy and strong words from many, including director Martin Scorsese. "It comes as no surprise to me that the public is rallying," he wrote in an open letter printed in the LA Times. "People from all over the world are speaking out, because they see this action - correctly, I think - as a serious rebuke to film within the context of the art world." more ›

Officials with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tell NBC4 that the illegal use of sprinkers at his city-owned mansion, The Getty House in Windsor Square, was probably due to "a program malfunction" and now has been fixed. They thanked NBC4 for pointing out the problem and has the Department of Parks and Recreation "double-checking the sprinkler system to make sure it's working right." The good news is that the city has reduced water and energy consumption in record breaking numbers. Despite the illegal sprinkler goof, the announcements help him with his goal of making Los Angeles "the greenest big city in America.” more ›

Looks like Fall Out Boy's Infinity on High has come to at least a temporary stall as one of the band members "is behind bars this morning," according to On the Red Carpet. Patrick Stump, the band's composer, vocalist, and guitarist was stopped last night while he was driving, and determined the 25-year-old "had a previous warrant out for his arrest in Beverly Hills [...] for being an unlicensed driver." more ›

A handful of workers affected by the recent decrease in lunch options on the Miracle Mile have begun a petition to stop restaurants from calling city officials and police on "designer trucks" who park in the area. "We, the undersigned request that the brick and mortar restaurants in the area known as Miracle Mile cease and desist from any attempt to impede or hinder any mobile food preparation units or food trucks from operating in the area," the petition reads. more ›

Prosecutors revealed today that they will seek the death penalty for Pedro Espinoza, the 18th Street "gang member accused of murdering a local high school football player," reports KTLA. Espinoza is charged with the March 2008 murder of Jamiel Shaw, a 17-year-old Los Angeles High School student who was known for his football talent. The accused, it was revealed, has been residing in the US illegally, and "had just been released from jail on a firearms charge the day before Shaw was killed." Espinoza's immigration status was part of the fuel re-stoking the fire about Special Order 40. more ›

Signage on buildings and along thoroughfares has evolved, as has the move to prohibit them in recent months. But the origin of the roof sign in Los Angeles reflects one aspect of our rich local history that runs the risk of being elbowed out by the more bully-like presence of neon-lit ads that now top buildings all over the city. more ›

For the second month in a row, Los Angeles as a whole--residents, businesses, government--have reduced water usage to record breaking levels, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced today. Major strides in energy savings have also been made this year. more ›

It began yesterday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. in San Gabriel Canyon and began spreading quickly in the hills north of Azusa. The Morris Fire has now burned over 750 acres with only 10% containment, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department shortly before 8 a.m. on Twitter. "Steep terrain is making access very difficult," they said. more ›

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a smoke advisory warning residents in areas near the Morris Fire to take caution when exerting energy or if they have respiratory problems. Outdoor activities should be avoided and the elderly and children should especially stay inside, unless it's too hot. Affected areas include portions of the San Gabriel Mountains, the west San Bernardino Mountains, the east San Gabriel Valley, portions of the South San Gabriel Valley, portions of the Pomona/Walnut Valley, the northwest San Bernardino Valley, the southwest San Bernardino Valley, the central san Bernardino Valley and the East San Bernardino Valley. UPDATE: Officials with LA County Public Health say take caution anywhere you see or smell smoke. “It is difficult to tell where ash or soot from a wildfire will go, or how winds will affect the level of dust particles in the air, so we ask all individuals to be aware of their immediate environment and how it might affect their health,” said Health Officer Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding. more ›

For many years, Craby Joe's was known as a divey destination for cheap drinks and somewhat shady dealings. It also held a warm place in many Angeleno hearts, particularly because it was a favorite of local literary icon Charles Bukowski. The bar closed in 2007, but recently plans surfaced involving turning the spot into a more "top-shelf" bar. "Charles Lew, a lawyer and restaurateur, envisioned a new upscale bar in its place called the Haven Lounge. It would have high, wood-beam ceilings and a 200-year-old piece of stained-glass from a church in Germany," explains the LA Times. more ›

Among the many mourners for Senator Edward Kennedy, who died last night at the age of 77 following a battle with brain cancer, includes members of his extended family like his niece, Maria Shriver, and her husband, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. California's first family issued a statement late last night, noting that they are "immensely saddened" by the loss of Maria's "Uncle Teddy," and that Kennedy "was the rock of our family," according to cbs2.com. more ›

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education voted 6-1 yesterday to approve a controversial plan put forth by Board VP Yolie Flores Aguilar called the "School Choice" plan which will allow private organizations and companies to submit bids for operational control of several schools in the district, including as-yet unopened campuses as well as troubled schools. more ›

Although he tells the denizens of Los Angeles to cut down on their water use or face fines and higher bills, Mayor Villaraigosa's city-owned mansion has had its lawn watered during illegal hours several times, NBC's Joel Grover found in a month long investigation. more ›

Colorado Rockies defeat LA Dodgers 5-4 (10). On June 3, the Rockies trailed the Dodgers by 15 1/2 games. With their victory over the Dodgers Tuesday night that deficit has shrunk to two games. The Dodgers led off the first inning with Andre Ethier doubling in Matt Kemp taking a 1-0 lead. Casey Blake would extend the lead to two with a solo shot in the fourth. But the Rockies would come back in home half of the fourth when with Todd Helton on second Brad Hawpe hit a homer to center field. They would add a run in the seventh and eighth inning for a 4-2 lead going into the top of the ninth. With closer Huston Street unavailable to pitch for the Rockies, manager Jim Tracy instead went with Rafael Betancourt, Joe Beimel and Matt Daley in the ninth inning resulting the Dodgers tying the game 4-4. Thanks to a James Loney throwing error in the bottom of the 10th the Rockies loaded the bases on James McDonald. Troy Tulowitski would bloop a single to bring in the winning run. more ›

The wildfire that began this afternoon in the Angeles National Forest has grown to 275 acres with only 10 percent of it contained by 9:40 p.m. The blaze began shortly before 4:30 p.m. north of Azusa near the Morris Dam in San Gabriel Canyon. A cause is not known yet, but police detained at least one man, reported ABC7-TV. more ›

A car crash in South LA has left one person in critical condition and three others in minor condition, including two Los Angeles Police Department officers. Around 9:45 p.m. at Western and 39th Street in the King Estates neighborhood (just south of Jefferson Park), at least three cars were involved in the accident, according to the L.A. Fire Department. The conditions of the crash are not immediately known but KTLA-TV reports that the police cruiser and a SUV crashed head on. Firefighters had to free the SUV driver with jaws of life. UPDATE: ABC7-TV reports that four vehicles were involved. Two vehicles crashed into a fire hydrant and another spun out. more ›

• They finally voted: "The Los Angeles Board of Education has voted to adopt a resolution that could turn a third of the schools in the nation's second-largest school district over to private operators."
• Momentum is building for high speed rail between L.A. and San Francisco.
• Speaking of other forms of transit, the Bicycle Film Festival begins tomorrow!

Authorities with the Angeles National Forest were already dealing with a small and controllable fire this afternoon when a worse one broke out in San Gabriel Canyon north of Azusa shortly before 4:30 p.m. It has burned at least 50 acres, according to a 5:05 p.m. Twitter update from officials. Fueled by winds and hot temperatures, the fire is moving fast and has prompted campground evacuations, the LA Times alerted in a breaking news e-mail. A red flag warning was scheduled to go into effect tomorrow at 6 a.m. more ›

Since the torrential rains of 2005, the Mount Wilson Toll Road leading up to Henninger Flats and Mount Wilson has been closed. The popular, yet historic, trail has been a favorite for outdoors enthusiasts. The fire road leads into the hills above Pasadena and offers sweeping views across the San Gabriel Valley and beyond towards downtown and Catalina Island. After nearly four years, it officially opened last Friday to hikers and mountain bikers. more ›

Just in case you were wondering where your local bicycle patrol officer was... Some LAPD bicycle units were sent down to Mexico City to train local officers in bicycle crowd control and patrolling techniques, according to the Associated Press. It's part of a four-day course with the California Department of Justice. Let's hope they are leaving out this technique seen in the video below (scroll to 35 seconds): more ›

That's just not cool. Congress may have just passed a law allowing guns into national parks that takes effect in February, but hunting animals before and after the law is not legal and is just plain bastardly. Over the past several years, multiple trophy-sized deer have been poached within Yosemite National Park boundaries. As authorities began to investigate, officials "uncovered a complex, concerted effort by these individuals to illegally hunt within the park and kill trophy size bucks," according to a statement from the park. more ›

After entering into a plea agreement with prosecutors last June that guaranteed no jail time, singer Chris Brown today was sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days of community service by an L.A. County Superior Court Judge, the LA Times reports. He will also have to take a year-long domestic violence class and stay 50 yards away from pop singer Rihanna, who he attacked and threatened last February, for the next five years. Brown will be under the direct supervision of the Richmond, Virginia's chief of police. If convicted, he would have been sentenced to jail for a maximum of five years. In July, he publicly apologized on YouTube for what he did. more ›

With less than a week left, there have been 18 gang-related homicides this month in South LA. That's already six more than July meaning close to 40 deaths in two months for one region of the city. That said, the LAPD and other agencies announced an effort today to flatten that trend. "Every spike in crime is a clue for preventative measures," said Deputy Chief Kirk Albanese, Commanding Officer, Operations-South Bureau. more ›

We knew it was coming and today it became official. Google Maps has added real-time traffic data for major streets on Google Maps. "[It] will now show you live traffic conditions on arterial roads in selected cities. Just zoom-in on the city you're interested in, and click the 'Traffic' button in the upper-right corner of the map. As you zoom in closer to an area of interest, we'll color the arterial roads, in addition to the highways, to show current traffic conditions," explained Google LatLong, the company's official maps blog. "Just as with the highways, the colors correspond to the speed of traffic (relative to the speed limit of the road): green is free sailing, yellow is medium congestion, red is heavy congestion, and red/black is stop-and-go traffic." And yes, it works on the iPhone. more ›

Starting tomorrow, the region will be within a high pressure system resulting in some hot weather that will even have the beach areas suffering somewhat. Then tomorrow expect mid 80s at the beaches and temperatures into the 90s more inland. Some parts of the San Fernando Valley could reach in the low 100s. Thursday could see even hotter temperatures followed by a just slightly cooler weekend, but not by much. As for today: expected highs are in the upper 70s at the beaches, upper 80s inland and into the 90s in the Valleys. more ›

Last June, Governor Schwarzenegger sought federal disaster aid as California entered its third drought summer in three years. 43% of the state is listed in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor's results last week. Still, the Obama Administration denied Schwarzenegger's request, which would have given money for food banks, unemployment and other services in Fresno County, according to the Associated Press. Now Schwarzenegger is asking Obama to reconsider his petition. The last time federal money was given to California for a drought was in 1977. more ›

As this year's lower murder rate closes in on last year's and after an especially bloody weekend (and deadly July that left around 30 dead), Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William Bratton will release a plan today that is supposed to put the damper on an increase in gang violence in central and South L.A. more ›

In promotion of his latest album, Jack White is opening a temporary record store on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles tomorrow through Friday. Third Man Records and Novelties, which last popped up in New York City (and has a permanent space in Nashville), will feature all things Jack White from the White Stripes, Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, which just released the album, Horehound. more ›

Although the sought-after suspect, Ryan Jenkins, was found dead Sunday evening in a British Columbia motel room, authorities are still searching for Jasmine Fiore's car and the possibility of a second suspect in the case. Her white Mercedes sedan is still missing and may hold the key to clueing police in if there is a second suspect. “The Mercedes is still missing. It is the biggest piece of the puzzle. We hope it will contain evidence that will help us determine what happened,” said Sgt. William Kohanek to the LA Times. “Did someone else drive it away?" Fiore's body was found stuffed in a suitcase on August 15th. The day before Jenkins was at a hotel in Del Mar. When he checked into the Canadian motel while on the run last week, there was a woman accompanying him who is now a "person of interest." more ›

A Metro station. Councilman Garcetti's office. The gateway to Thai Town. New development. The Hollywood & Highland ownership, The CIM Group's involvement (they were just given a princely loan from The City for another project too.) The Hollywood Boulevard and Western Ave intersection had a lot of puzzle pieces in place for it to be called a neighborhood on the rise. Not only has the rise ceased, but it's in an obvious tailspin. More on The Battle for Hollywood & Western over at Curbed. more ›

• You've heard, no doubt, that Cash for Clunkers ends tonight. So is Cash for Refrigerators next?
• The price to rest eternally atop Marilyn Monroe is up to $4 million in an eBay auction ending tonight.
• An electrical fire in a North Hollywood home brought to light the fact that the tenant was growing pot on the property. It's likely the excess load on the electricity for the plant-growing equipment caused the blaze.

The weekend left five dead in separate shootings, but one in particular caught the attention of civil rights leaders in the Hyde Park neighborhood of South LA. 17 year-old Brandon Jamal Perry was shot in the face after an occupant stepped out of a vehicle with a rifle and began shooting at him and others standing in front of a house late Saturday night. Three others were injured, but Perry died at the hospital. more ›

The news about the cause of Michael Jackson's death has prompted the LAPD to once again remind the public and media about parking at the Hayvenhurst Estate, which was Jackson's childhood home and current one for family members. The LAPD has been trying to "to strike a balance between the needs of the area residents and the needs of the media to cover the events," they said today in a news release. more ›

Tonight is the second of two community meetings Sunset Strip Music Festival organizers are outreaching the immediate surrounding community about the first ever street closure of the Sunset Strip for a day long music festival. On Saturday, September 12 for 24 hours starting at 7 a.m., the famous drag will be shut down from Doheny to San Vicente. The first meeting bought out less than a dozen people, who were "amazingly positive," according to Nic Adler, owner of The Roxy and one of the festival organizers. He said no access to homes will be completely cut off, but most questions were geared to those basic type of logistics. more ›

Park[ing] Day LA returns for its third year, when on September 18th metered parking spaces all over the city will be taken over by temporary on-the-fly green spaces where anyone is invited to sit down, relax, play, grab a bite, or chill out. With the aim of promoting the value--and in turn, the lack of--safe, accessible, and plentiful green spaces in Los Angeles, the event is an opportunity to break with convention and bring communities together. more ›

Many local brides opt to have their weddings at any number of beautiful venues in the Los Angeles area, giving their special occasion a special setting. An oft-selected location is the Hotel Bel-Air because of its oasis-like setting and long history as a place to escape for celebrities since it began serving guests in 1946. more ›

The July search warrant affidavit that officials used to raid the Houston offices of Michael Jackson's personal doctor was unsealed today, offering up what has been speculated for weeks: "lethal levels" of anesthetic propofol killed the pop star. more ›

Despite some Mid-Wilshire restaurants facing a financial loss when "designer food trucks" appear nearby during lunch, Baja Fresh, who neighbors the suffering businesses, tells the LA Times they have no complaints: "Patricio Palacios, manager of Baja Fresh in the 5700 block of Wilshire, said he had no complaints because his business was thriving despite the presence of mobile food vendors. 'If you come here now, you will see there's no free table,' Palacios said." That seems to be what commenters on LAist were saying last week. "It's modern-day 'survival of the fittest,'" noted Jessie. And reader msmerymac put it bluntly: "It's a TACO TRUCK. And you're whining that your food can't possibly compare? With a full kitchen and varied menu at your disposal?" more ›

The Huffington Post points out a course being offered at Eagle Rock's (and Pres. Obama alma mater) Occidental College that takes academia to perhaps a new low--or a new high in lows. It's Critical Theory and Social Justice (CTSJ) 180: Stupidity. The catalog description:

Stupidity is neither ignorance nor organicity, but rather, a corollary of knowing and an element of normalcy, the double of intelligence rather than its opposite. It is an artifact of our nature as finite beings and one of the most powerful determinants of human destiny. Stupidity is always the name of the Other, and it is the sign of the feminine. This course in Critical Psychology follows the work of Friedrich Nietzsche, Gilles Deleuze, and most recently, Avital Ronell, in a philosophical examination of those operations and technologies that we conduct in order to render ourselves uncomprehending. Stupidity, which has been evicted from the philosophical premises and dumbed down by psychometric psychology, has returned in the postmodern discourse against Nation, Self, and Truth and makes itself felt in political life ranging from the presidency to Beevis and Butthead. This course examines stupidity.

A section of the Pacific Coast Highway was closed this morning after part of a tree fell on a bus around 8 a.m. in the area of Chautaqua Boulevard. The tree fell onto some power lines and a Metro Route 534 bus, knocking out electrical service to about 1,200 customers, according to Kim Hughes of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. No injuries were reported. Eastbound PCH remained closed between Las Tunas beach and Temescal Canyon Road while crews worked to clear the scene. more ›

Many teachers, union leaders, students, and parents are crying foul as the LAUSD Board of Education is slated to vote tomorrow on the controversial School Choice proposal, which will allow non-profits, companies, and other interested parties to apply for control of troubled schools in the troubled district. The plan was authored and spearheaded by Board VP Yolie Flores Aguilar, and is being touted as a vital component of "reform" by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. more ›

Although California Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown hasn't officially declared his gubernatorial intentions, he's winning against candidate and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, according to two polls reported by the San Francisco Chronicle: "On the statewide level, a poll taken last week of 600 likely Democratic voters by the Sacramento firm Moore Methods showed Brown in the lead for the 2010 primary, 49 percent to 20 percent. A second poll by David Binder of 423 likely Democratic voters in San Francisco - where Newsom has enjoyed years of record-high approval ratings - has him trailing even at home." Newsom has been working especially hard holding a good number of town halls across the state. No matter, this looks like it could be a good primary if Brown enters the race, which seems likely. more ›

Los Angeles started the weekend without any killings on Friday. Then came Saturday and Sunday which left five dead, four within a 12-hour period. It first started on Saturday morning around 6 a.m. when 35-year-old Ching Tseng was walking on the 3300 block of West 6th Street, a couple blocks from Wilshire and Vermont. He was approached by a male Hispanic, approximately 25 years of age, who demanded Tseng’s money and vehicle, then shot Tseng and fled to a waiting car with three additional suspects, two males and one female, says the LAPD. Tseng later died at the hospital. more ›

A controversial new proposal by City Attorney Carmen Trutanich would give law enforcement the okay to arrest taggers without actually seeing them tag--just the act of "hanging out" together on the street would be enough to haul them in. But those objecting include the ACLU, who call the idea "unquestionably unconstitutional," according to the LA Times. Police, too, aren't sold on the idea, and many other critics wonder if putting more youth into the criminal system--particularly without an actual crime--will do more long-term damage than good, particularly because there aren't enough programs in place to help these kids better their lives. more ›

Earlier this month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared National Farmers Market Week, during which Americans were urged to try to put a visit to an area market into their routine in order to support local farmers and hopefully enrich their diets with fresh, locally sourced, healthy produce. On the heels of those eating and consumer focused efforts, Vilsack shifted his focus one step back in the chain and declared August 23-29 National Community Garden Week. more ›

After a manhunt lasting several days and crossing the border into his native Canada, investment banker turned VH1 reality television contestant Ryan Alexander Jenkins appears to have committed suicide, according to KTLA. "Officials believe [he] took his own life in the hotel room in Hope, British Columbia where his body was found." Jenkins had been charged this week in Orange County with the murder of his wife and former model Jasmine Fiore, whose finger- and toothless body was discovered crammed in a suitcase abandoned in a Buena Park dumpster last weekend. Jenkins, who filed the missing person report for Fiore, has been on the run since before Fiore was identified by the serial numbers on her breast implants, and escaped to Canada on Wednesday. A warrant for his arrest was issued last week. more ›

• We're all for keeping LA looking good. But a proposal by the LA City Attorney to bust taggers just for hanging out together? Hmmm...
• Looks like Lindsay Lohan's house was broken into. Among the things taken were jewelery, bags, shoes... and a safe ripped out the wall?
• Some laptops that were meant as a "Back-To-School" surprise for some Van Nuys school kids were stolen... Ugh.

The Dodgers couldn’t counter Cubs starter Ryan Dempster and his quirky delivery losing 3-1. “He kept us off balance,” center fielder Matt Kemp said of Dempster’s performance. “Dempster was good all game,” manager Joe Torre said. “He’s been good against us. He knows how to pitch. His pitch count was good in the late innings.” more ›

A brush fire that broke out this afternoon in Bell Canyon [map] is located within Ventura County, but is being tended to by Los Angeles City Fire Department due to its inaccessibility from and proximity to Ventura County Fire stations. As of now, and according to an LAFD email alert, the fire "has burned 8 acres; still no homes threatened; no injuries reported." more ›

Silvia Mardini was last seen on Friday. Then on Saturday, she sent text messages to her family indicating that she was in danger, the Los Angeles Police Department announced today in hopes that the public could help locate her. Mardini was seen Friday running errand around 6 p.m. driving her silver 2003 Ford Focus, 4-door, license number 5DQM267. She's described as white, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, 5 ft. 5 in. tall and weighs about 120 lbs. more ›

It’s amazing what a home stand with the Cubs can do for a team’s psyche. While the Dodgers clubhouse had been loose during this week, when I came to the stadium it was borderline jubilant on a Sunday morning. more ›

Chivas USA Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic was all smiles at last night's post-game press conference and for good reason. Midfielder Sacha Kljestan put in his best game of the year, scoring two goals on the night and leading Chivas USA to a 2 - 0 victory over the visiting Toronto FC. When asked about Kljestan's performance, Preki stated "I think it (is) a good sign. I thought he had a really good game. I thought he worked hard defensively too and we hope he just keep going." more ›

For the second straight game, the Los Angeles Dodgers (74-50) need but only two runs to defeat the Chicago Cubs (61-60) -- the league rival they made quick work of in last season’s Division Series. more ›

• LA Co. Sheriff's are looking at a possible homicide after finding a body today in an alley in Willowbrook.
• Three people were wounded last night during a shooting that occurred inside an Industry strip club.
• Vicki Cruse, a stunt pilot from Santa Paula, died today in a crash during a British aerobatics show.

Starting late last year, the Downtown "destination" LA Live began to host all sorts of events, including a Grand Opening celebration, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony starring Britney Spears and the Mayor, a big screen broadcast of Obama's inaguration, and the openings of specific "on campus" spots like the Conga Room and the ESPN Zone. Touting itself firmly as LA's answer to Times Square (a promo video shown to some invited bloggers last year at the Ritz Carlton sales office declared as such), the LA Live-ers asserted that the development joining Staples Center, the Nokia Theatres, Club Nokia, and the Convention Center would be both a destination and a pit stop for locals and tourists alike. more ›

Local ecoblogger GreenLAGirl reports that Sierra magazine has published their annual list of the 10 colleges in the country that rank as the greenest, and our UCLA makes the cut at a respectable #9. However, at 60%, the campus' recycling rate is actually lower than the City of Los Angeles overall, who can boast we have "the highest recycling rate out of the 10 largest U.S. cities," at 65%. more ›

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs lather up the sunscreen for a not-too-common Saturday-day game, in their third contest in a series of four. A win would give the Dodgers their third in a row, and perhaps the momentum which Dodgers manager Joe Torre seeks. more ›

Reports yesterday out of Toronto indicating that murder suspect Ryan Alexander Jenkins was arrested after arriving to the Canadian city by air turned out to be a miscue after authorities determined the had the wrong man. The search continues across the border for the reality show contestant who is believed to have killed his wife, model and Playboy rep Jasmine Fiore, then left her mutilated body in a suitcase in Buena Park dumpster before reporting her missing and fleeing. more ›

A little over a month ago, Chivas USA traded forward Atiba Harris to FC Dallas for midfielder/defender Marcelo Saragosa in a move that left many speculating what plans the red-and-whites might have in mind as they prepared for their playoff run. Some fans and analysts speculated that the team was making room for a big name signing, while others were puzzled at the move, given the team had been struggling on the offensive side. Lingering questions were answered over the last few days and the rest of MLS better take notice. more ›

For the second time this week, Randy Wolf’s (8-6) hot bat and even hotter arm, propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers (73-50) to a victory over a league rival. more ›

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Today and tomorrow, ThinkCure!, the Dodgers’ official charity hosts its second annual Radiotelewebethon. ThinkCure! aims to bring Southern Californians together to work towards curing cancer. Their efforts are in conjunction with City of Hope and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. more ›

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives (D-CA) has been a strong supporter of the Public Option as a critical piece of President Obama's health care reform proposal. For more information on the public option, check out this video and chart. This past week, many politicians are weakening their stances on the public option as a result of pressure from special interests. But Speaker Pelosi marked a line in the sand at an event this week. Check out this video of some of her remarks. more ›

A straw poll posted within a Daily News story today is asking readers if they would use the "subway to the sea" of not. So far, with only around 200 votes as of this writing, it's a split vote. Earlier today, the poll indicated losing results for subway ridership. Posting to his Facebook page, former LA Times transportation reporter Steve Hymon notes that "if most of those readers are from the Valley (perhaps a dubious presumption), it's impressive that 48% would ride." more ›

That's a pretty terrifying video and LAPD detectives have released it because they need the public's help in identifying the three suspects involved. The video is from August 13th at around 2:35 a.m. when the truck was parked near Avalon Boulevard and Gage Avenue in South LA. more ›

The popular lunch truck row in Mid-Wilshire has the scores of office workers in the area thrilled. Echoing the sentiments of Michael Schneider who calls the area a "vast wasteland of lunchtime eateries," the lack of diverse choices has workers bored or worse yet, some places just seem like horrid choices to them. But since the food truck craze has hit Los Angeles, the lunch time options have changed. more ›

It's rare that we hear thunder out here, so it could be a nice change as long as lightening strikes do not start fires. The National Weather Service is reporting the possibility of thunderstorms in Southern California beginning this afternoon: "The threat of thunderstorm activity will begin this afternoon across the mountains and Antelope Valley. As upper level disturbances rotate across the region, the threat of showers and thunderstorms will spread to the entire region by tonight, continuing through Sunday." If it does rain in Los Angeles, it will likely happen on Saturday. The Service says dry lightning strikes are possible, which is prompting some fire concerns. We should also could be experiencing some extreme highs and lows along with increased humidity. more ›

To once again bring attention to the massive budget cuts of state parks, the California State Parks Foundation has declared the next two weekends to be those of advocacy. "The Save Our State Parks (SOS) Campaign is holding 'I ♥ State Parks' weekends of action from now through Labor Day to unite state parks supporters," the nonprofit announced. "Events will take place in many state parks throughout California and online. The 'I ♥ State Parks' weekends of action provide an opportunity for park advocates to come together, express support for California’s 279 state park system, and voice strong opposition to park closures." Over 100 parks could close next month. Two events are being held locally next week. One is the FYFest we spoke about yesterday and another will take place at the Baldwin Hills Overlook. You can also host your own event at a state park. more ›

Really. President Obama's healthcare reform proposal ranks highly among least understood policy proposals in current politics. What follows is a concise and easy to understand explanation of the popular but often muddled "public option" that is contained in national legislation and that forms the centerpiece of President Obama's proposal. This one is great for cocktail parties and local bars, because it's so easy to explain. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's goal of 10,000 officers on the force is nearing reality, reports the Daily News. Although the LAPD's website states there are 10,004 sworn officers, officials are not celebrating yet. That's because veteran officers are retiring at a rate of 40 a month. With only 10% of applicants making the cut (and then they're off to six months of training), building the department is a slower process. more ›

Around 6:30 a.m., a North Hills Walgreens on the 15300 block of Nordhoff was involved in an armed robbery. The suspects fled--there could be up to four of them--and police caught up with at least one of them, who began an hour long standoff as he refused to come down from a warehouse roof in Van Nuys. more ›

Ouch. No wonder it's tough to find a job in Los Angeles. July's unemployment numbers for the state are not looking too good. 11.9% is, once again, a record high, according to the LA Times. A few months back in may it was a record breaking 11.5% and then 11.6% in June. California lost 35,800 jobs last month (and 760,000 over the last year), which is more than any other state. That ties us with Oregon at fourth for highest unemployment rate in the country. We're doing just a little better than Michigan, Rhode Island and Nevada. more ›

The offensive slump the Dodgers found themselves in seemed to be alleviated with one crack of the bat in their 7-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs. With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning and the bases loaded with one out, catcher Russell Martin took the first pitch he saw from Cubs reliever Angel Guzman and drove it over the left centerfield wall for his second career grand slam. “It felt good,” Martin said after the game. “Not many words needed this day. It felt good sitting on the ball, and really just trying to get at least one run in. I got four in, so it feels good.” more ›

At the beginning of the season I made the proclamation that the Dodger offense would be a juggernaut this season. Of all the concerns with the team it would be the pitching. While the pitching has been a concern, this stretch of games over the last month has seen the offense go stale. more ›

• There's always the popular and monthly Downtown Art Walk (2nd Thursday of the month) and tonight is the first Downtown Fashion Walk. Enjoy!
• The Nom Nom Truck, a Vietnamese Taco Truck, has finally hit the Westside and Eater LA has a little reader report from the sidelines.
• LA Weekly digs into the sex scandal allegedly involving Andrew Adelman, who oversees the L.A.'s Department of Building and Safety.

An 8-inch cast iron pipe began leaking water into the streets of Hollywood and West Hollywood this afternoon, prompting street damage and minimal closures. At 3:37 p.m., LADWP was notified of the leak and immediately began work to shut down the water and repair the pipe at 1042 North Vista in Los Angeles, just south of Santa Monica Blvd. Some customers may have their service shut off and at least one building's subterranean garage is affected, according to LADWP officials. Water was seen running surrounding streets such as Willoughby and Martel, according to LAist Lifestyle Editor Julie Wolfson who drove through the area. The cause of the leak is currently not known. more ›

How many times have you placed something you don't need anymore on the sidewalk hoping it will disappear someday soon? A fridge? A bed? A mattress? A desk? If you didn't call 3-1-1 to request a free bukly item pickup, that's illegal dumping, which can be punishable with high fines or some jail time. The Department of Public Works reported today that in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year (that is, April - June of this year), 15 arrests were made, 172 administrative hearings conducted and 1,503 administrative citations were issued to Multi-Family Bulky Item illegal dumping violators. Most of the arrests were made in South LA, where the LA Times continued to investigate a massive illegal dumping problem. The department also has two online forms, one for reporting the location of illegal dumping and another to tip off investigators if you might know a suspect (there could be a $1000 reward). You can also call 3-1-1 to report illegal dumping. more ›

Some people are a bit suspicious of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's last two vacations. The first, a trip to Africa, was right after his inauguration. The second was to Iceland, ending earlier this month. No matter who you are, you deserve a vacation, right? "Since the mayor is mayor 24-7, he does not accrue vacation or sick time," said spokesman Matt Szabo in an e-mail to LAist. "He has the discretion to take time away from the city as necessary." more ›

The current timetable has the first subway trains hitting the Westwood/UCLA area by 2036. Buy then, we might all be in flying cars, jet packs or just working from home instead of commuting. Frustrated with the timeline for a project that in theory could take five years if funded upfront, Villaraigosa called for the Westside Extension to be completed by the time he was 66, or 10 years from now, reports the LA Times. "I’m 56 now,” he said. “We are here today to make sure that it gets built before I am 66.” He wants local government agencies to put their aside and work together to get it expedited. He's been a staunch supporter of the Subway to the Sea concept, but that language has since been dropped. Still, he's fighting very hard to hit Westwood/UCLA in much speedier timeline than proposed. more ›

A Killer Music Festival: On Saturday, September 5th, FYF Fest will host a Save Our State Pars festival at Los Angeles State Historic Park in Chinatown. For $20 that will will go towards helping keep state parks open in California, audiences can see over 20 bands including the Black Lips, No Age, Mika Miko, Crystal Antlers, Peanut Butter Wolf, Avi Buffalo and many more. Check out the full line up here. Meet the Politician: State Senator Fran Pavley, Committee Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee, will be hosting an informational meeting on the budget of state parks and mitigating closures. It's on Friday, August 28th from 9 to 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. Pavley represents portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. more ›

Raise your hand if you've been a long time KCRW member who keeps on forgetting to use their Fringe Benefits card? Yeah, that's us, too. We keep on imagining the money that could have been saved--from airport parking to a plethora of restaurants and yoga studios--all over the region. After launching three iPhone apps earlier this summer, KCRW this week announced a free GPS-enabled Fringe Benefits app that lets you know where discounts are in relation to your current location. The application does, however, require you to be upgraded to 3.0 software. And speaking of discounts and good deals... did you read this week's Recession Obsession on breakfast sandwiches? more ›

There are "multiple grass fires" off the 170 Freeway near Oxnard in North Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. A call at 1:19 p.m prompted firefighters to arrive on the southbound side of the freeway to find several spot fires, about a half acre in size when combined. "They're trying to the contain the fire quickly," spokesman Diana Igawa said. Traffic has slowed somewhat, but not come to a total stop, according to SigAlert, which reports the far right lane being closed. There is no major brush concern in the area. more ›

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Ryan Jenkins, the missing husband of Jasmine Fiore. He was reportedly last seen in Bellingham, Washington and is thought to have walked over the border into Canada. TMZ says police obtained a "Ramey Warrant," which they explain to be "an arrest warrant that allows police to bypass the D.A. and go directly to the judge... In order to get a Ramey Warrant, police must prove there is probable cause to believe the suspect committed a felony. In this case we're told a judge decided there was probable cause to believe Jenkins was involved in the murder of his wife, Jasmine Fiore." The warrant will bring in the help from Canadian authorities. more ›

Apparently, the state's budget cuts has claimed UCLA's Arts Library, according to a petition that's getting some steam online. In fact, it was a tipster who works at the Museum of Modern Art who let LAist know. From the petition, which can be signed here: UCLA Library Management, behind closed doors and without consultation with the UCLA community has decided to close its Arts Library, potentially as soon as January 2010. more ›

For the past few months now, a handful--sometimes six--mobile foods trucks like Kogi BBQ have lined Mid-Wilshire attracting lunch goers who desired for much more than the nearby permanent restaurants. Mike at Franklin Avenue opined on the issue over a year ago: more ›

Los Angeles ranked 47 out of 50 in the Job Market Competition index, according to Indeed.com via the LA Times. That translates to one job posting for eight unemployed people per night. It's a little worse in 48th ranked Riverside where one job is posted for every nine people per night. Unemployment in California keeps breaking records. In June, it reached 11.5% while nationally it hit 9.5%. more ›

Either way, it's feeling like the Los Angeles Department of Transportation is heading back to the days of General Manager Gloria Jeff when employee morale was low and the traffic engineers with real skills were caught up in a bureaucracy that dictated they serve cars, not people. Current General Manager Rita Robinson ran a tight and responsible ship at the Bureau of Sanitation before being appointed to LADOT, so why can't she control her own bikeways and district offices? more ›

It is now believed that Jasmine Fiore's husband has left the country for his own, Canada, possibly by foot, reports TMZ. The LA Times confirms that the manhunt has moved to Washington and the Canadian border where Ryan Jenkins owns and operates a company in Calgery. Apparently, Jenkins' SUV and boat were abandoned near the border, prompting a wide search of the area that turned up no results. more ›

• A Compton pastor has been accused of embezzling $800,000 in church money. After an 11 month investigation by sheriff's, the Baptist minister was arrested for using the money to buy personal luxuries like a swimming pool and car.
• See, sights like an escaped 11-foot Burmese python would send a normal person running in the opposite direction. Animal Control... you guys rock.
• The step-father of the 6-year-old boy found beaten to death has been arrested. A multi-agency fugitive squad found him in a West Las Vegas neighborhood.

Over the past few months, Metro has been drilling for soil samples throughout the Westside so below ground conditions could be analyzed as plans for the subway route and construction can be made. The Metro Board still has not voted on whether or not to move forward with a subway, but this information is part of the environmental research that must be done before such a decision can be made. Over 70 locations were drilled. more ›

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com is reporting that the Dodgers have signed former Texas Rangers starter Vicente Padilla to a minor league contract. Padilla will get a minor league start with the Albuquerque Isotopes and could be brought to pitch next Thursday. Padilla's last start was on August 5 with the Rangers who released him this week. Padilla is 8-6 this season with a 4.92 ERA. Known for being a troublesome character in the clubhouse during his tenure with the Rangers, Padilla was diagnosed earlier this season with swine flu. Torre said a couple of weeks ago he has managed difficult personalities in the past. We'll see how this goes. more ›

Meet Tyre. He was found this morning wandering the streets of South LA. Around 8:15 a.m., officers were called to 91st Street and Stanford Avenue in the Green Meadows neighborhood regarding a found child. When officers spoke to him, he was only able to give his first name and did not know where he lived. He's about 4 years old and is wearing a sweet blue Spiderman shirt, green pants and black shoes. He was also carrying a bag of clothes. We really hope he wasn't abandoned. Officers drove around the surrounding area with Tyre in an attempt to locate the child’s family, but no such luck. Anyone with information that could assist detectives with this case is asked to call Detective Anna Rivera at (213) 972-7853 or (213)972-7813. Calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247). UPDATE: At 5:21 p.m., the LAPD announced that "Tyre has been reunited with his mother. The case is being handled by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Service (DCFS)." more ›

The next big date in all things Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, will be January 11th, 2010. In this morning's hearing about the case, backers of Prop 8 desired a 2010 summer date, but proponents of striking the ban down wanted it much earlier. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker denied three gay rights group the ability to join the lawsuit, as well as a anti-gay marriage group's request, too. However, he did allow the City of San Francisco to join, but only to assess the impacts to local governments, explained the Associated Press. Expert witnesses will be designated by October 2nd with discovery concluding on November 30th. The pretrial conference will be on December 16th followed by the designation of rebuttal expert witnesses on December 31st, said the Mercury News. more ›

...however, this clip from The Donald's appearance on last night's Letterman may give you insight into how Trump and Letterman feel about the issue of same-sex marriage. In discussing the beauty pageants run by the Trump empire, the name Carrie Prejean--the ousted Miss California USA who took heat for her response to Perez Hilton's question about marriage--inevitably came up (1:15 in the clip). Explains Defamer of the awkward moment:

Trump offered his admirable but weak defense of her for being a dolt, prompting Letterman to jump in with an "anybody who wants to get married ought to be able to get married" comment. The studio audience then went nuts while Trump sat silent, all alone in the world for a few seconds with only a banana-yellow tie and a big, garish head as his friends.

After eight and a half years of nine-to-five work and three Spiderman franchises, Ian Shive had enough. Like most us, we all wish we could just grab a camera and travel to earn a living. But like most of us, we don't. Shive is the exception. more ›

It's just after 10 a.m. and case against the unconstitutionality of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, is being heard for the second time in a federal district court in San Francisco. Before the first hearing in July, Judge Vaughn R. Walker said "given that serious questions are raised in these proceedings ... the court is inclined to proceed directly and expeditiously to the merits of plaintiffs' claims. ... The just, speedy and inexpensive determination of these issues would appear to call for proceeding promptly to trial.” more ›

An apparent burglary in the Northeast Valley neighborhood of Sunlund last night left one man dead and another person in the hospital. Police are searching for up to 10 suspects who may be involved in the incident, according to a spokesman over the phone. Details on that end are still sketchy, but the incident took place around 10 p.m. on the 9700 block of Sunland Boulevard. Apparently, the burglary was taking place when the resident walked into the home, according to the LA Times. He was pistol whipped and tied up. When another resident, who also happened to be the man's employee, tried to help him, he was shot dead. more ›

It began with the remains of a woman found stuffed into a suitcase left in a Buena Park dumpster on Saturday. Two days later, authorities made the connection between the corpse and the case of a missing model who had moved here recently from Las Vegas, Jasmine Fiore, a former stripper and current Playboy representative. more ›

Again with Craigslist? A woman in Sherman Oaks--living just across the street from the Galleria--was robbed last night when two men responded to her masseuse ad on Craigslist. A gun was pointed at her head, she was tied up and robbed before they left. She was able to free herself and call the police around 8:30 p.m. Earlier this month, police were looking for a few people who would place car ads on the website for extremely low prices. When the buyer would come with cash, as requested, they would be robbed. Two of the suspects have been arrested. more ›

The Dodgers got a little contribution from everyone in their 7-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. Seven players scored the seven runs with seven players driving in those runs. Everyone in the starting lineup got a hit with rightfielder Andre Ethier and second baseman Orlando Hudson going 3-for-4 with a run each and an RBI each. Billingsley pitched six strong innings giving up only two earned runs on three hits in his first start since tweaking his right hamstring on August 7. “It felt great to get back out there,” Billingsley said. “We played really well as a team.” more ›

When July ended the Dodgers had an eight game lead in the NL West. In August they have gone 6-10 with their lead shrinking to 4 ½ games. With the slump you would expect the clubhouse to be filled with tension. Not so with the 2009 version of this Dodger team. While the team was stretching out on the field before batting practice, Manny Ramirez was laughing like an eight-year old kid at the Batting Stance Guy. more ›

• Taxi Drivers held a protest today by circling around city hall in their vehicles. "Franchise Slavery" read one sign.
• Today was the last day of the free medical clinic in Inglewood. With the masses pouring in, hoping not to be turned away because of overcrowding, it good example why the U.S. needs for a lot more affordable healthcare.. a lot!
• Michael Jackson will be buried in Glendale on August 29th, which is his birthday and will probably be some new holiday.

It was 30 years ago when Vance Corum and others founded the first locally established certified farmers market in the region. From its Gardena home, the trend exploded and today we find a plethora of options seven days a week. To that end, early next month there will be a celebration at the Little Tokyo/Arts District Farmers Market with a salsa contest, a chef demonstration and a contest sponsored by GOOD Magazine and others that has entrants redesigning the modern day farmer's market (you have up until September 1st to enter). more ›

The body of a woman stuffed into a suitcase found over the weekend was connected to the woman the LAPD Missing Persons unit was searching for today. Police asked the public's help late last night in the search for 28-year-old Jasmine Fiore, a model who had recently moved from Las Vegas to the Fairfax District in Los Angeles to start up a personal training business. She was last seen Friday around 8:30 p.m. at her home on the 800 block of Edinburgh Avenue. On Saturday morning, a homeless person sifting through a trash container in the city of Buena Park on the 7400 block of Franklin Street found a woman described as in her twenties, but police had not identified her until today. more ›

As noted earlier today, one of the seven murals made of flowers advertising the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle was unveiled today along the 101 Freeway near downtown. This truly isn't an advertisement, at least not in the legal sense for Federal regulators who are not allowing the floralscapes to be commercial in nature. Instead, the new marketing concept (their words) uses "abstract images of the new Prius" that captures the essence of its marketing campaign--“Harmony Between Man, Nature and Machine"--developed by Saatchi & Saatchi. more ›

LAPD Chief Bratton is stepping down at the end of October, paving way for another to take his role at the famous department. As noted last week by the Personnel Department to City Councilmembers, the Police Commission will be hosting public meetings for input on the qualities of the next chief. “Public input is critical in this process,” said Police Commission President John Mack in a statement. “The next Chief of Police will serve all of the diverse communities of Los Angeles, and it is extremely important that we hear from those communities and know what is important to them.” Four meetings will be held in the Valley, South LA and Westside and near the Eastside. Meeting dates and times are listed below. more ›

Taking the sports world and yet another NFL franchise hostage for the second consecutive offseason, The Quarterback Who Shall Not Be Named has officially become the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings signing a one-year deal worth between $10 to $12 million. A day after the Fox Sport's Jay Glazer reported the rumors, it has come true one day later. Former Vikings wide receiver and current ESPN NFL analyst Cris Carter also reports that TQBWSNBN will also start in the Viking's preseason game on Friday against the Kansas City Chiefs. more ›

The marijuana farm suspected of being the cause of the 90,000-acre La Brea fire in Santa Barbara County is reported to have at least 30,000 plants. "Also found were stacks of propane tanks, melted irrigation tubing, empty canisters of fertilizer, mounds of trash, a torched cooking stove and a semiautomatic rifle," reported the LA Times. "The growers diverted a nearby stream and planted the garden on the side of a mountain." 225,058 plants have already been found this year by officials in the county. More locally, marijuana plantations were found in the Santa Monica Mountains last month. more ›

Shortly before 11:30, the Los Angeles Fire Department received a call of a brush fire in the hills of the San Gabriel Mountains seen from Foothill Boulevard. It is estimated to be 2-3 acres in size on the ridgeline. Temperatures in the San Fernando Valley are cool today, but winds are blowing in a southeast direction at a speed of nine, according to LAFD Spokesman Erik Scott. "It's too early to tell how much of a problem it's going to be," he said. UPDATE: As of 12:13 p.m., the fire had grown to around 5 to 7 acres. UPDATE #2: Firefighters called a knockdown around 1:15 p.m. 10 acres were burned with no structures damaged or injuries sustained. more ›

State test score results released this morning showed 10 schools monitored by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's education reform panel, along with the charter-converted Locke Senior High School, earned an average grade when compared to the rest of the LAUSD. more ›

Since June, Google has been playing with the idea of tourism itineraries within Google Maps. Basically, the service "helps you identify points of interest and plan multi-day trips to most major cities. You just specify the location of your hotel and the length of your trip and City Tours will map out an itinerary for you," explains Google. Still, it's a major work-in-progress. A search for "Hollywood, CA" doesn't show any local sights, but pushes you downtown. That may not be a bad thing because letting people know about more unknown places like The Grier Musser Museum might be a good idea. The first-day itinerary also tells us to check out the FIDM Museum Shop, The Musuem of Neon Art and MOCA. It also tells us to walk 141 minutes from Hollywood to downtown. Whoa, better get started... more ›

Firas Alkhateeb, the 20-year-old Chicgaoan, didn't intend his Obama Joker face as a political statement to be seen around the world. Actually, it wasn't him who put the word "socialism" below it and then plastered posters in Los Angeles. "It really doesn't make any sense to me at all," he told the LA Times in an interview. "To accuse [Obama] of being a socialist is really ... immature. First of all, who said being a socialist is evil?" Alkhateeb had uploaded his Obama remix of a TIME Magazine cover on January 18th. By April, someone had taken it, deleted the magazine references and made the socialism poster found in L.A. By Friday, the original work uploaded to Flickr had around 20,000 views and was taken down by the company because of copy-right infringements. more ›

It used to be $7, then it was $10 and as of yesterday, parking at Malibu Creek State Park is $12. The same price adjustment can be found at Malibu Lagoon and Leo Carillo thanks to nearly $39 million in state budget cuts that are forcing state park officials to look at every avenue for revenue. Some parks are expected to close, though many could be saved through partnerships with communities and businesses. more ›

A car crash into a Bank of America building around 8:20 a.m. has left at least one person injured and traffic snarled along the Wilshire and La Brea corridors. "It's a mess, avoid the intersection for the next hour or so, said a KNX1070 broadcaster. Records with the L.A. Fire Department do not indicate a car into the building yet, but show a possible auto vs. pedestrian incident. A fire hydrant has also been sheared, shooting water into the air. more ›

Later this morning, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Caltrans and Toyota will unveil what they call a first-of-a-kind "Harmony Floralscape." From what we can tell, it's a garden of 20,000 flowers that make up a living mural of sorts, and in this case, a creative and eco-friendly supergraphic advertising Toyota's 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid vehicle. Creative, eh? more ›

The LAPD and family of Jasmine Fiore are asking the public's help in finding her since she last disappeared last week. Fiore, who has modeled in the past--a cursory internet search indicates experience with Playboy, Lingerie Bowl, Hawaiian Tropic and as a promotional model--was last seen Friday around 8 p.m. at her residence on the 800 block of Edinburgh Avenue close to Fairfax and Melrose. A recent transplant from Las Vegas, he vehicle is a white, 2007 Mercedes CL S550 with black rims, tinted windows, and paper plates that read, “Platinum Motors.” The 28-year-old is described as white with brown hair (she used to be blonde), blue eyes, 5'7" and around 120 pounds. more ›

LA Angels defeat Baltimore Orioles 8-5. The Angels used the long ball to beat the Orioles in the final game of their four-game series. Vladimir Guerrero with homers in the sixth inning with one on and in the seventh inning with two on notched his 38th multi-homer game in his career. Maicer Izturis also homered in the sixth inning to help give starting pitcher Ervin Santana the victory. Santana went six innings giving up three runs on seven hits with a walk and five strikeouts. While Darren Oliver pitched two innings of perfect ball, Jose Arredondo came in the ninth inning with an 8-3 lead and gave up a homer to Melvin Mora after walking Matt Wieters with one out. After getting Ty Wigginton to fly out, Arredondo gave up a triple to pinch hitter Nolan Reimold. Manager Mike Scioscia having seen enough brought in closer Brian Fuentes to get the final out and the save. The Angels take three of four games in the series and now go to Cleveland. more ›

The Dodgers dropped their fourth straight game at home 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals. At 70-49 they have gone 23-23 at home since going 13-0 to begin the season. Knuckleballer Charlie Haeger got his first start for the Dodgers and his first overall start since 2006. He went seven innings giving up three runs on five hits while hitting one batter. To open up the fourth inning Haeger gave up a solo homer slugger Albert Pujols. After getting Matt Holliday to pop up in the seventh inning, Haeger hit Ryan Ludwick with a 72 mph knuckleball then gave up a homer to Rick Ankiel that he took to right field. more ›

The 27-year old knuckleballer Charlie Haeger will be making his first appearance with the Dodgers this season after being a non-roster invitee to spring training. Haeger’s only start came on May 10, 2006 pitching for the Chicago White Sox against the Angels, his first appearance in the Majors. He was clocked for six runs, five earned, in 4 1/3 innings pitched. more ›

• The LA Weekly recently re-ran a five-year-old movie review, written for them by a girl who was 12 at the time. The writer? Lily Burk, the 17-year-old who was murdered last month in Downtown.
• Some teenagers in Long Beach have started a record label and are hoping the internet will help them network their way to profits.
• Time for cost-cutting in the OC. Most of the courts in the County will be closed on Wednesday.

LA Creek Freek blogger Joe Linton leads us to a nice river vision in Studio City called the L.A. River Natural Park, which would go between Whitsett Avenue and Coldwater Canyon. Described as "a forward-thinking concept design for the last remaining unprotected open space along 22 miles of the L.A. River in the San Fernando Valley," the project could include walking and bicycle paths, a native habitat, a play area and tennis courts, which already exist as part of the former recreational space, now threatened by condo development. more ›

The man accused of making a false bomb threat the White House and later leading police and Secret Service agents on a chase that ended in a standoff that last over eight hours, was charged today in court. Joseph Moshe, 56, of Westchester racked up two counts--making a false bomb threat and criminal threats against a 911 operator--pleaded not guilty today in court. If convicted on both charges, Moshe could end up with four years in prison. His next court date is September 16th. more ›

In a direct and to-the-point opinion in the Daily News yesterday, Councilman Greig Smith further shamed the firefighters' union for a mailer sent out last week depicting the Chatsworth metrolink crash, which left 25 dead and 135 injured, juxtaposed with information about budget cuts to the LAFD. Smith, who represents Chatsworth and is the incoming chairman for the city's Public Safety Committee, lambasted union president Pat McOsker in his writing: more ›

Nearly a year after allegedly shooting two men, leaving one dead in the San Fernando Valley last year, Andrew Lee Thomas Jr. (pictured to the right) was caught on a Metrolink train in the Santa Clarita Valley last Friday afternoon during "a routine train fare compliance check" by LA County Sheriff's. One of the officers recognized Thomas, 21, from an LAPD wanted bulletin. Thomas was questioned and gave a fake name, but when officers pulled out a mobile finger print verification device, he was idenfitied and arrested. Last year on August 23rd, Kyree Rasheen McCray, 28, was shot and killed at Reseda Park during a youth football game. A second victim was wounded. more ›

Forget "Cash for Clunkers"--a 56-year-old man skipped the middlemen and gave his cash to commuters yesterday afternoon when he "tossed money from his car on Interstate 210 in the Los Angeles suburb of Glendora shortly before noon Sunday," according to Yahoo! News. more ›

It's a 140-character, bullet point list, soundbite world we live in, and while many of us turn to 89.9 KCRW for long sets of good music or informative programming, they're now offering up a way to get "a bite-sized glimpse into some of their favorite things." Personalities and behind-the-sceners at the Santa Monica College-based NPR station are sharing a list a week of 5 Things. Already in the archive are DJ Dan Wilcox's 5 Best Places to Expose Your Kids to Music, DJ Tom Schnabel's 5 Bands that Defined surf culture in LA, and DJ Jason Bentley's Top 5 Condiments (Sriracha, FTW!). And now that the station's Summer Pledge Drive is done, look for more forthcoming 5-ers from your favorites. more ›

A suspicious package called in this morning around 11:30 a.m. has the bomb squad currently on the scene at The Bonaventure hotel in downtown. There have been no street closures around the hotel, which is on Figueroa between 4th and 5th, at this time, according to the LAPD. It should emphasized that this is not a bomb scare or threat. Rather, a package left unattended was found to be suspicious. UPDATE, 3:10 p.m.: The bomb squad still at the location, but there are no street closures or evacuations. "It's still an investigation at this point," Officer Sara Faden said. UPDATE, 5:50 p.m.: As of 5:25 p.m., no explosives or bombs were found. Situation is over. more ›

An option for Metro's Regional Connector in downtown won't be officially chosen until sometime next year (probably summer or fall), but Little Tokyo community members are severely concerned over one of the proposals that would bring some major changes to the neighborhood. The regional connector would connect the Blue, Gold and Expo lines into a more seamless system. Trains would travel from Culver City to East LA and from Long Beach to Pasadena making Metro's rail system more efficient. Currently, the Blue Line and future Expo Line end at the 7th Metro Station and the Gold Line circumvents the eastside of downtown through Little Tokyo. more ›

The LADWP took notice of last week's "Comment of the Week" about breaking city water conservation rules in order to sustainably grow your own veggies. They say it's doable, so take listen up, says spokesman Brooks Baker in an e-mail: more ›

Last week, the nation's largest anti-gang program was looking at their own financial crisis. After Friday, Homeboy Industries would have been out of money, thanks to the economy that blew a $5 million hole into the nonprofit's budget this year. For a place with the slogan "nothing stops a bullet like a job," they were considering furloughs. more ›

Although the original source of the controversial Obama poster appears to be a student in Chicago (he made the joker face and posted it on Flickr. Then someone apparently mashed it up with the word "socialism"), a conservative radio talk show has exploited the posters further making a contest out of it. The posters were first noted in Los Angeles back in April and received widespread attention beginning August 3rd. Seeing an opportunity, talk show host Alex Jones began a contest encouraging people to put up more posters. The poster had "Democrats and Obamanoids going ballistic," his website said. Some of Jones' posters--with his website address on one version--have appeared in San Francisco, but around 500 appeared in a Florida town leading to the questioning of at least one teenager. Previously: Shepard Fairey Opines on Obama Socialism Posters. more ›

Cambridge Police Sgt. James Crowley, the arresting officer in the controversial Gates case that drew quick and harsh criticism from President Obama, will thank a national police union today in Long Beach for defending him when the President said he acted "stupidly," according to the LA Times. Black Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested for disorderly conduct when police responded to a break-in call. Gates was actually breaking in to his own house because his door was stuck. The incident drew national headlines and President Obama's remark was praised by the African-American community, but not by the policing one. The three of them sat down for beers to talk things over soon after. It is not known when Crowley will speak at the Fraternal Order of Police convention today. Around 10,000 are in attendance. more ›

Is he frozen? Destined to rest at Neverland Ranch? Bound for Vegas? Headed home to Gary, Indiana? No one has known for sure what the status of the burial of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has been since his death, but now Jackson's father Joe has revealed his son "will be buried Aug. 29, what would have been his 51st birthday, at Forest Lawn Cemetery," according to the LA Times. more ›

Metro has intimated that they'll be voting on a preliminary line for their proposed Wilshire extension later next year, and hopes to connect their "current terminus in Koreatown to the Westside," explains MetroRider LA. But where the stops will be are still very much in flux; "one of the stations along the line is still kept as optional: Wilshire Boulevard and Crenshaw Boulevard." more ›

• A man described by authorities as "emotionally disturbed" caused traffic issues on the 210 by tossing cash out his car on the freeway before turning himself in to Azusa Police. The CHP and Azusa Police are asking those who picked up the cash to turn it in to them. Yeeeah that's gonna happen...
• West Hollywood residents are just saying NO to the building of a club near their neighborhood.
• Two boaters who were feared missing were found safe. Their boat skiff was discovered submerged by the Coast Guard off of the Catalina coast but they were anchored safely and had no idea they were even reported missing.

Some residents of West Hollywood and neighboring Beverly Hills are in an uproar about the British-import members-only club Soho, which is poised to open up on the penthouse level of the Luckman Plaza on the Sunset Strip. Those opposing the club fear that it will lead to excessive noise, crowds, and traffic in the area, not to mention increased paparazzi presence aiming to snap a goldmine shot of one of the club's exclusive members. more ›

Authorities in Santa Barbara County have confirmed that a wildfire which has currently scorched over 75,000 acres was set within a Mexican drug operation's cooking area, according to LA Now. The blaze began on the pot farm, and it's believed "the assailants are still in the forest area trying leave the forest by foot," as the fire rages uncontrolled. The "La Brea fire" started on August 8th, but is only at about 25% contained right now. Although firefighters are working to deprive the blaze of new fuel to burn through, hot temperatures, low humidity, and difficult terrain have made this battle a challenge. Over two hundred homes remain on evacuation. more ›

Maykel Galindo and Eduardo Lillingston each scored a goal for Chivas USA en route to a 2 - 0 victory over New York Red Bull at Giants Stadium last night. Hours after the red-and-whites victory, the Galaxy fell by the same scoreline to Seattle Sounders FC at the Home Depot Center. more ›

• Gruesome discovery: A woman's body was found stuffed in a suitcase in Buena Park early this morning.
• Another body story making headlines today is about Michael Jackson, and speculation that he's currently being kept on ice.
• It wasn't drugs or porn or other scandalous contraband that Feds seized in Los Angeles last week out of a shipment from China, but rather counterfeit Spiderman clogs.

Tuesday morning, as Chivas USA players prepared to return to the practice field, midfielder Sacha Kljestan tweeted "back to training... gotta get this season back on the right track." Kljestan's succinct message accurately summarizes the red-and-white's current situation. more ›

• A bank robber apparently committed suicide after a foiled attempt at robbing an Irvine Bank of America
• The LA Weekly found an interesting piece in the New York Times about the drinking water in LA. After a number of people in different cities were asked to sample water from drinking fountains and describe the action around those fountains... the judge from LA had a very to-the-point entry.
• A Malibu man has plead guilty to tax evasion when he failed to report at least $1 million he transferred to a Swiss bank account.

If there were any fantasies about having the new LAPD Chief work side by side with Bratton as he transitioned out of the job, those were shot down today in City Council. An official from the Personnel Department said the timeline has selection occurring in November. "We're trying to expedite this as much as possible, but we want to make sure that we do not cut any corners and we have a very valid and transparent selection process," she said. more ›

In a discussion about the upcoming trend (and hopefully long-term habit) of residents taking part in urban farming and apartment gardening, commenter trishells points out her illegal use of water under current city ordinances. However, she has a great point: more ›

Looking a little further the controversial cuts to the fire department, which takes 87 firefighters off duty throughout the city on a rotating basis, here is the interactive map the fire department's union is using as an education and advocacy tool. The so-called "brown outs" change every weekend day and work week so no one station bears the brunt of cuts. Today, about 26 stations have lighter staffing, which is like three to four less people at each. More specifically, it equals out to ten less engines, five less ladder trucks and nine ambulances. more ›

First there were signs in front of fire stations (see above) and now a mailer using images from the Chatsworth train crash (see below) that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is calling "tasteless, offensive and misleading." more ›

Jesus Sanchez, the blogger behind The Eastsider LA, found that street artist Shepard Fairey put an anti-graffiti coating on the brick walls of his art gallery and ad agency in Echo Park. Fairey explained that "when graff seeped into the raw brick it was very difficult to clean. The building is historic and I love and want to protect the brick." The new anti-graffiti coating will make abatement easier, but will not stop graffiti. more ›

Just like they eventually did with the Orange Line, Metro is beginning to install red light enforcement cameras along the Gold Line. By the end of August, the agency expects to have installation complete at a few intersections along First Street. An opening date for the new light rail line between Union Station and East LA has not been announced. more ›

As mentioned last week, the LAPD tonight will hold a DUI Checkpoint in Hollywood at on Highland Avenue at Willoughby from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. After 66 driving under influence-related and 662 hit and run traffic collisions in the area just in 2009, police say they are using this checkpoint to "educate the community to use designated drivers and not drink and drive." Also, there will be a saturation patrol in the Newton Division, which covers the southern parts of downtown (Fashion District, Pueblo Del Rio, South Park-Entertainment). "These DUI saturation patrols are being deployed in response to an increase in DUI-related traffic collisions in the Newton geographic area of the Los Angeles Police Department," a police statement read. more ›

CSUN Mass Communications grad student Esha Momeni, who was arrested in Iran last October while working on a documentary on the Middle Eastern country's women's rights movement, finally returned home Tuesday after a 10-month travel ban. “I didn’t believe I was leaving until I got into the plane, they closed the plane’s door and started going,” the 29-year-old told CSUN's Daily Sundial. more ›

An Orange County Police Sergeant has been on administrative leave since May over a domestic violence call, but now officials are finding that he used law enforcement databases for dates and to look up rival men. Sgt. Bill Arganda of the Westminster Police Department stands accused of searching the database some 4,000 times and has been accused of domestic violence twice. Of those databases searches, there were "a blond Fox news correspondent, a woman from a gym class, a mother from his daughter's kindergarten class, his ex-wife and ex-girlfriends as well as the new men in their lives," according to the Orange County Register, which dives into the Arganda's history. He is an 18-year veteran. more ›

Joe Moshe, reportedly the suspect involved in yesterday's all-day standoff in Westwood, had called 911 on Wednesday "threatening to blow the White House," the LAPD explained in a statement released last night. more ›

Los Angeles has had some hazy and reddish smoke layer in some parts yesterday. That usually leads to brilliant sunsets, but they are a sign of nothing good. The two wildfires burning north in Santa Barbara and Shasta counties have grown to be "out of control," as characterized by the LA Times. Since last Saturday, the fire burning in the Los Padres Mountains 26 miles east of Santa Maria has burned some 40,000 acres prompting about 150 evacuations. Winds and inaccessible terrain has hampered firefighter efforts. Further up north north of Santa Cruz, a 2,800-acre blaze that began on Wednesday has pushed 2,000 from their hillside homes as officials mostly attack from the air. more ›

The man standing off with police in Westwood since 10:30 a.m. was arrested without incident more than eight hours later when police approached the vehicle and pulled him out. He is reportedly Joe Moshe, 56, of Westchester. more ›

• Two major wildfires are burning in the state prompting evacuations in Santa Barbara and Shasta counties.
• More water restrictions around the region, this time in Glendale where lawn watering will be limited to three days a week for 10 minutes a day.
• What stimulus idea is better for the environment, economy? Cash for Clunkers or High Speed Rail?

The police standoff that has lasted since mid morning has yet to end outside the Federal Building in Westwood. Veteran Avenue is closed south of Wilshire Boulevard after the suspect led police on a pursuit from his Westchester neighborhood where they and the Secret Service were seeking him on a warrant for reportedly making threats against the White House. more ›

Since this morning, police have been in a standoff with a pursuit suspect wanted on a warrant, reportedly over threats to the White House and possibly other charges. The chase began in Westchester around 10 a.m., heading north on the 405 freeway before entering the Westwood neighborhood when the car entered the driveway of the Federal Building at Wilshire and Veteran. Once there, police blocked him in and he has been refusing to leave the car since Veteran Avenue is closed down near Wilshire and a nearby apartment building was evacuated as a precautionary measure. The bomb squad was called out earlier and at 1:45 p.m., the SWAT Team from downtown was deployed to the scene, according to the LAPD. An armored personal vehicle, which is used when a suspect may have heavier weaponry, was also deployed to the front of the car. UPDATE, 5 p.m.: Standoff still ongoing, suspect possibly identified. UPDATE, 7:45 p.m.: The suspect has been arrested. more ›

State Controller John Chiang today said the issuance of IOUs instead of paying bills can stop on September 4th. His suggestion still must be approved by the Pooled Money Investment Board, which controls the state's cash flow, according to the Sacramento Bee. In July, California began issuing IOUs because a revised budget was not in effect. So far, 327,000 totaling $1.95 billion have been sent out. "The State of California owes a debt of gratitude to the thousands of individuals and businesses that were forced to bear the brunt of the State's chronic fiscal mismanagement," Chiang said. more ›

It probably wasn't very hard for former City Controller Laura Chick to leave her Los Angeles post early to join Schwarzenegger as his Inspector General overseeing how stimulus money was being spent in California. In Los Angeles, she was a bulldog over anything wasteful. more ›

Guitarist and inventor Les Paul died today at the age of 94 in New York. He brought us multi-track recording and the electric guitar, which originally was called "The Log." Before looking like a guitar, it was "a four-by-four piece of wood with steel strings," the Associated Press describes. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will place flowers at his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You can pay your respects at 1541 N. Vine Street, south of Selma Avenue. more ›

A police pursuit that began in Westchester has ended in a standoff between the suspect and police outside the federal building in Westwood. Officers from Pacific Division attempted to detain the suspect on a warrant when he fled in a Volkswagen, prompting the pursuit around 10 a.m. The suspect reportedly has made threats against the White House and the Secret Service is apparently involved, according to the LA Times. Veteran Avenue has been shut down near Wilshire and a nearby apartment building has been evacuated. UPDATE, 2:15 p.m.: The SWAT team has been deployed. UPDATE, 5 p.m.: Standoff still ongoing, suspect possibly identified. UPDATE, 7:45 p.m.: The suspect has been arrested. more ›

It's been a trying few days for the Los Angeles Department of Transportation as strong emotions from bicyclists and other complete streets activists rallied to save the elimination of bicycle lanes on Reseda Blvd. to make room for peak hour traffic. A Northridge Neighborhood Council had it as an agenda item earlier this week, prompting a huge turnout by the public to fight the measure. more ›

Notorious Manson follower Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is scheduled to be released from prison on August 16, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. If she is released on Friday, as some online sources have reported (not enough prison staff on Sundays?), it will be less than a week after the 40th anniversary of the Tate-LaBianca murders. more ›

No official list of state parks to close had been published yet, but at least five in the Los Angeles area face the real possibility of closing if partnerships are not formed to save them after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed $39 million from the department's budget. Los Encinos in Encino, Santa Susana Pass in Chatsworth, Rio de Los Angeles in Chinatown, Point Dume in Malibu and Pio Pico in Whittier are all being considered for closure, the LA Times finds. more ›

Instead of approving a $300-every-two-years fee for restaurants that want sidewalk dining, the city council yesterday sent the idea back to study because they believed it was a disincentive to restaurants to offer such a service, according to the Daily News. "At a time like this, when businesses are struggling to survive, I just think it sends a wrong message of 'Here comes the city again, with yet another fee,"' Councilwoman Janice Hahn said. "I know in my district, we have been trying to encourage this, to get a more pedestrian feel. This just seems the wrong time to be imposing another fee on businesses." The proposed fee would cover the costs of inspection to make sure chairs are not blocking access to the sidewalk. A $1,200 one-time fee to set up sidewalk dining is still on the books. more ›

It's quite a change from the old look, but a welcome one at that. It's more mature and newsie with a hat tip to the past--much better than that corporate turquoise thing that was going on before. There's an interactive tour you can take and over at the Readers' Represenative blog, online managing editor Meredith Artley explains and highlights the key changes made, such as better navigation, the new font (Georgia!), a faster loading video application and other features. Your thoughts? more ›

San Francisco Giants defeat LA Dodgers 4-2 (10 innings). With Tim Lincecum starting for the Giants and the Dodgers countering with a string of bullpen pitchers, things didn't look good for the Dodgers. However the Dodgers hung in tight down 2-1 in the top of the ninth. After a questionable safe call to Rafael Furcal at first who then tagged up to second on Russell Martin's deep fly ball to center, Andre Ethier hit an RBI single to tie the game. But Guillermo Mota in the 10th inning would give up a two-run walk off to Juan Uribe (of all people) to give the Giants a win. In the fifth inning with Pablo Sandoval at the plate, Jame McDonald made a pitch inside. Sandoval took exception taking a couple of steps towards the mound pointing his bat at McDonald while yammering. Martin tried to get at Sandoval protecting his pitcher leading to a benches-clearing scuffle. Once order was restored no ejections were issued. By the way that pitch was called a strike. more ›

• After attempts to build a youth center and soccer field on a vacant lot have fallen through, the LAUSD has seized the opportunity (and the land) to build an elementary school.
• Agents from the DEA, FBI and LAPD went off to raid some weed spots. They won't say what it is exactly they're looking for but warrants were served to locations in Marina del Rey and West LA.
• In an update to a post earlier today, the suspect in an assault on a Culver City councilman turned himself in to authorities.

Although Equality California announced putting support a ballot measure to strike down Prop 8, another group, The Courage Campaign, said today they are shooting for 2010 and just raised $135,000 in the last two days--an amazing amount for August fundraising in an off-year during this economy--for research. Chatter among some within the anti-Prop 8 movement has the house divided. more ›

A collective of enforcement agencies including the FBI, DEA, local police departments and the IRS raided at least two dispensaries on the Westside for unknown reasons this afternoon. Warrants were also served on the private homes of the owners. Organica Collective on Washington Blvd. in Culver City was raided followed by the Overland Gardens Collective in West Los Angeles were raided around 11 a.m. and authorities were still searching for unknown things hours later. A dog believed to be a pit bull was shot at one of the locations. more ›

The City of Los Angeles is one step closer to four years ago after yesterday's City Council meeting, when a study concerning the possible adoption of a Google-based e-mail system was approved, reports the Daily News. more ›

Backers of restoring gay marriage in California announced today that they will focus their energies on a 2012 ballot proposition, based on "information, research and feedback" from analysts, pollsters and the community-at-large. Equality California stepped back from attempting to win a measure on the 2010 ballot, but said in an e-mail that they refuse to wait until there is full confidence of winning, which could be later than the 2012 election. more ›

In order to increase road capacity on Reseda Boulevard in Northridge, the city is proposing the removal of bicycle lands and street parking. Complete streets activists quickly caught wind of this and showed force at a meeting last night, ultimately succeeding in getting the neighborhood council, who is only advisory to city councilmembers, to vote down support for the measure. "We have taken the first step to build a strong coalition with Reseda Boulevard homeowners, residents, apartment building managers, business owners, and other stakeholders. This effort has just begun, and it won't be easy. Fighting City Hall never is. But that will make our ultimate victory that much more significant," Glenn Bailey, the city's Bike Advisory Committee Chair, wrote in an e-mail. Damien Newton at LA Streetsblog disagrees: "the LADOT only considers community support essential until it's proven that they don't have it. Then the "silent majority" of car commuters that use the road are the people's who's theoretical concerns take precedence." more ›

The free healthcare check program at The Forum in Inglewood that will go through next week has been so popular, Metro is temporarily extending a bus line's service to 24 hours. Thousands turned out in the first two days of the week long event that is offering free health, dental and vision checks to the uninsured, under-insured, unemployed and under-employed. Hundreds spent the night hoping to get checked today. Remote Area Medical Foundation will be offering services through next Tuesday. Due to "overwhelming demand," Metro Bus Line 115, which usually runs from 5 a.m. to midnight will now run 24 hours a day with service every half hour during the off-hours. Good Timing? Remote Area Medical tends to serve rural areas, but placing a clinic in the 2nd largest U.S. city during the national healthcare debate is an interesting move, coincidental or not. more ›

Members of two rival gangs clashed last night at an Arco station at the corner of Laurel Canyon and Vanowen in North Hollywood, resulting in a shootout that left one teenage boy dead, according to the Daily News. more ›

Well, she may not be the newest or youngest in our local mountains, but she is the most recent cougar to be trapped, tagged and released by the National Park Service, who has been conducting a study with them over the past seven years. P-13 (they are named in the order they are caught) was captured on July 31st in the Hidden Valley region, which is the northwest sector of the mountains south of Newbury Park. She is now the third active GPS collar being tracked. more ›

Last month, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger eliminated full funding--a mere $16.3 million--for domestic violence programs in the state. Highlighting the need for such a program, an 18-year-old girl was killed in her bed in the Santa Clarita Valley last Sunday. Her boyfriend allegedly committed the murder inside the family trailer in the Canyon Country neighborhood. That was the third domestic violence death for the valley in a year's time. more ›

Actor George Hamilton will celebrate his 70th birthday by having his Hollywood Walk of Fame star revealed this morning. He's been seen in The Godfather: Part III, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, Zorro, The Gay Blade, Lone Star and the Dracula spoof, Love at First Bite (Love at Second Bite is currently in development), among many other movies. Next week, My One and Only with Renee Zellweger will be released, a film Hamilton helped produce based that's partially based on his family. Hamilton's star is located across the street from the Roosevelt Hotel. LA Weekly notes another celebration is happening today, too: the 70th anniversary of the Wizard of Oz apparently is today with an event this afternoon at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. more ›

Andrew Adelman, Manager of the Department of Building and Safety for Los Angeles, is currently under investigation for an alleged rape back in July. The LAPD is mum, but Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa reportedly sent a stern message placing him on administrative leaving. The LAPD confirms that an investigation does involve a city employee but does not name anyone. "Because of the serious nature of the allegation and for reasons of confidentiality, no names will be released," a police statement read. more ›

Councilman Mehaul O'Leary was assaulted around 2 a.m.Sunday at his bar, the Joxer Daly's Pub, leaving him in the hospital with serious injuries. He's still in the hospital, but recovering, according to the LA Times. Los Angeles resident Robert Anthony Singerman, 28, has been identified as the suspect and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. No word on his wheaabouts but he is considered armed and dangerous. Anyone with information is asked to call police at (310) 253-6202. Culver City, like many smaller cities in the region, has a council-manager system where elected officials are part-time and hire a city manager to run day-to-day operations. more ›

LA Dodgers defeat San Francisco Giants 9-1. "It's all over at AT&T," Vin Scully proclaimed after Matt Kemp hit an Earl Weaver to give the Dodgers a 9-1 lead in the seventh inning. "Sorry, wrong number for the Giants." In the fifth inning with Rafael Furcal on first, Russell Martin hit a grounder up the middle fielded behind the back by Giants starter Joe Martinez. What looked like a sure double play was muffed by second baseman Eugenio Velez at second leaving both Furcal and Martin safe. Andre Ethier and Manny Ramirez would hit back-to-back doubles and James Loney would single in Manny giving the Dodgers a four-run inning. In the seventh inning Manny would hit a two-run homer and Kemp hit his three-run shot to deflate the sold out crowd in San Francisco. The Dodgers with this win break the streak of three straight losing series. more ›

If you follow local politics, this video should make you laugh. The LA Weekly finds it was based on a story of theirs from last year where they concluded that Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was the 11% mayor. Despite all that the video pokes fun at, the city is still here and the crime rates are down. Still, what's up with the million trees? more ›

• A large brush fire that's been burning since Saturday in Santa Barbara County prompted evacuations today.
• Now the city is proposing to remove bicycle lanes. The battle continues...
• Speaking of transportation issues, Councilmen Bill Rosendahl and Paul Koretz will take over the city's Transportation Committee.
• Kogi BBQ + Book Donations + Silver Lake Library = New Books for You this Saturday!

For as long as I remember, the Dodgers always did one thing very right. When the Dodgers win a game, Randy Newman’s “I Love L.A.” blared through the stadium speakers with the lyrics on the scoreboard accompanied by palm trees. The song is a little silly, but it’s our tune. It’s by a guy who does movie music. He calls out street names in it. They play it when the L.A. Marathon starts (I know, I ran in it). Even the Lakers play it when they win. more ›

The annual Perseid meteor showers has been around since July, but tonight and early tomorrow morning is its expected peak for visual gratification. Los Angeles' light pollution and the moon will distract somewhat, but there are some solutions if you can't travel afar to the likes of Joshua Tree or the Channel Islands. more ›

In order to keep some--not all--state parks open, California State Parks will be increasing fees beginning next Monday. The move comes after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed nearly $39 million from parks last month in the state budget. Officials say that it is likely some parks will close, but are seeking to partner with communities and corporations to keep some open. more ›

A state legislator is suing the Governor over budget cuts and so is everyone else, it seems. Today, you can add AIDS Project Los Angeles to the list. They contend that Schwarzenegger went beyond his authority by cutting $85 million from HIV/AIDS programs. Citing the state's Legislative Counsel Bureau, the APLA says Schwarzenegger was only allowed to make budget cuts to original budget appropriations, not to a bill passed last February. “In exceeding his power, the governor has singlehandedly dismantled a critical array of programs that protect the health of all Californians -- programs that ultimately save the state from far more catastrophic spending,” APLA Director Craig E. Thompson said. “The effects will be nothing short of devastating.” Los Angeles County has the second largest AIDS epidemic in the country and 7,000 people statewide are estimated to become HIV positive. A rally will be held at Pershing Square in downtown tonight at 7 p.m. followed by a short march to the Reagan State Office Building on Spring Street. 2,000 demonstrators are expected. more ›

Since mid June, Seth Menachem has been walking around his Fairfax District neighborhood, getting to know his elderly neighbors, interviewing them on camera for advice and posting the captivating short clips on his blog, Life Advice from Old People. "Maybe it's because my dad died, maybe it's because I was so close to my grandparents, and maybe it's a combination of both," he explained over e-mail. "But, I love speaking to the elderly and I love getting advice from them on the things they've learned in their lives. It forces me to reevaluate my life constantly - not a bad thing. more ›

If you saw that car chase going up the 405 this morning, here's what happened, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officers attempted to pull over a man driving northbound on the 405 freeway in the Carson area around 8:45 a.m. But the man fled, going up to speeds of 90 miles per hour (he was going opposite of rush hour traffic at times). He made his way to the San Fernando Valley, hooked a right onto the 118 Freeway before heading back south on the 5 Freeway, exiting at Roscoe Boulevard in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Sun Valley. The chase ended around 9:40 a.m. in the driveway of a house on a side street in neighboring Arleta when police surrounded and arrested him. His name has not been released yet, nor the reason why officers initially wanted to pull him over. more ›

As Chief William Bratton begins to step down--his official last day is October 31st--the question that keeps on getting ask is who will replace him? Many are speculating an internal search, one that has been "raised" under Bratton. He's been repeating his mantra, telling TIME Magazine that the search should take place internally: "With the crises that the city is facing at this time with this budget, an outsider no matter how qualified or skilled, it's going to take that person months to get up to speed. Why take that risk when there's no shortage of people in the department who know the city, who know the issues of the department." The word on the street, according to the magazine, is that "three assitant chiefs, Jim McDonnell, Sharon Papa and Earl Paysinger may be in the running along with the well-regarded head of detectives, Deputy Chief Charlie Beck." more ›

Earlier this year when Venice residents were fed up with the vehicular homeless taking up the streets with RVs and allegedly dumping water illegally onto lawns and into the streets, the local neighborhood council held an election, ultimately approving overnight parking districts that would limit such activity. But the true legal authority in the manner was the California Coastal Commission who balked, voting against the proposal saying it was not there place to decide on social issues. more ›

Hundreds lined up at the Inglewood Forum early this morning for free medical, dental and vision care not just for the uninsured and under-insured, but the unemployed and under-employed, too. Remote Area Medical, a volunteer based organization that recruits professional doctors, will be here today through August 18th beginning at 5:30 a.m. daily. Only 1,200 people a day will be scheduled for appointments, according to the LA Times, which noted people began showing before 3 a.m. this morning. A variety of services will be offered including PAP smears, x-rays and Mammography. more ›

Shaq is now one of the newest investors in a San Diego based company that provides car owners with their own portable ethanol filling station at home. The Microfueler from GreenHouse is an in-home organic fuel microrefinery that allows you fill up any car that can take regular gas. The $10,000 contraption takes in a feedstock mixture to produce the ethanol that is pumped into cars. more ›

Life is really, really boring in the bubble that is the Santa Clarita Valley. Thankfully, running amock can fill the lack of things-to-do void. A large group of zombies attacked Valencia neighborhood businesses last night prompting an LAist reader who was shopping at Target to ask us what the heck was going on. "I did not appreciate looking at iPod headphones when some child running down the isle screamed 'THE ZOMBIES ARE HERE RUNN FOR YOUR LIFEEEEE.' Then there were forty 15-year-olds running at me," she wrote, explaining that the iPod gift card rack was knocked over and that apparently one zombie was hit by the car in the parking lot of Whole Foods (nutty video here of hundreds attacking Target and this one, too). Over 500 people confirmed attending Zombie Invasion SCV on Facebook and the valley's local radio station reported "several hundred" zombies seen around town. more ›

A Grand Canyon-bound tour helicopter from Las Vegas made an emergency landing at Lake Mead yesterday after a large bird crashing into the windshield. The pilot suffered a face laceration, but there no injuries to the six tourists from London aboard. The Cormorant bird strike happened around 5:40 p.m. as the helicopter was over the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. more ›

LA Dodgers defeat San Francisco Giants 4-2. Well if only the Dodgers could play the NL West all 162 games. Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda made only one mistake that Travis Ishikawa took out over the right field wall. The Dodgers took out their frustration in the fourth inning when with the bases loaded Matt Kemp hit a bases-clearing double. Mark Loretta would hit a single to score Kemp. All was quiet until the bottom of the ninth when Jonathan Broxton gave up a home run to Bengie Molina with on out then gave up a single to Randy Winn to bring up the tying run at the plate. But Fred Lewis would ground into a force out at second and Ryan Garko would ground to second to end the game. Before the game it was announced the Chad Billingsley was scratched from his start on Wednesday. more ›

• Tonight's Town Hall meeting hosted by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena) is expected to draw supporters and those opposed to the proposed healthcare reforms being discussed.
• Los Angeles and Glendale both have the distinction of pulling up the rear, at 184 and 191, respectively, in a ranking of 194 cities for Best Drivers, as assembled by Allstate.
• Sherman Oaks eatery Max has come to the end of its lifespan and will soon become Marche, helmed by Gary Menes of Glendale's Palate. Back in '02 Esquire voted Max one of the Best New Restaurants of the year.

As part of an early television stamp collection being released tomorrow, the LAPD will be celebrating the honored TV show that helped bring their name to fame: Dragnet. The popular show aired for 11 years from 1951-1959 and 1967-1970. Among the 20 stamps that will debut tomorrow, Dragnet will be one of them in addition to a LAPD 140th anniversary postmark, complete with a unique commemorative envelope and a special “Badge 714” Photo Stamp, designed and offered through the LAPD Historical Society. more ›

Shepard Fairey, famous for his street art and the famous Obama poster, spoke to the LA Times about the other Obama poster that was first seen around Los Angeles last week. "I don't agree with the political content of the poster," Fairey said of the poster that has Obama's face painted like The Dark Knight's Joker with the word "socialism" below. "They don't realize that Medicaid is a socialist program." Fairey and his circle of street artist contacts say they are clueless as to the street artist's identity. Have Republicans caught on? "It could be possible that a right-winger finally got hip to the idea that street art can get people's attention and be a valuable way to express a point of view," Fairey said. An LAist commenter last week was happy to see this kind of artwork. "Clearly the president is doing something right if he is inspiring the right wingers to go out and try to scare people into thinking that he is dooming us to a socialist future," wrote airickoo. more ›

No, urban farming is not the name of some cool sounding store that will become the next fad like froyo and cupcakes. It's just what it is--farming and gardening for yourself at home at in local gardens for the community. Up in San Francisco, Mayor Gavin Newsom wants community gardens on vacant and underutilized city-owned lots. At the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama has planted a garden on the south lawn. Although the garden on White House Place in Los Angeles is threatened and the South Central farm is now over a hundred miles away in the Central Valley, the urban farming efforts found in Silver Lake, South Pasadena, Altadena and elsewhere seem to be growing in popularity. more ›

Those who own horses are likely to get less strict water usage laws under a motion going through Los Angeles city council right now, but on a more national level congress looking into tax relief for pet owners. more ›

Despite an abundance of precaution over a possible bank break-in, police officials have called a code 4--everything back to normal, no issues--at a Bank of America branch in Sherman Oaks. Around 8 a.m. when the bank manager arrived, things seemed out of place and suspicious noises were heard coming from the vault area. Police were alerted who in turn shut down Ventura Blvd. between Cedros and Willis for 3 and a half hours. Search teams found no one or any evidence of of a robbery or person. A transient with a black duffle bag--wrong place, wrong time, wrong bag--was temporarily detained and eventually let go. In the photo to the right, captured by an LAist reader in an office building across the street, police are seen on the roof of the bank building. more ›

The Los Angeles County Coroner announced today that their "thorough and comprehensive" investigation into the death of Michael Jackson has been completed. However, the LAPD has requested the information remain confidential as their investigation continues. "The extension of security measures will help maintain the integrity of the investigation and allow investigators from LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Division, as well as our partner law enforcement agencies to continue their investigation," they explained in a statement. Further questions about the investigation will not be answered. As for Jackson's body, his family is still deciding where to bury him. more ›

After spending the weekend in Chicago at an Obama event, San Francisco Mayor and Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom is back in the Los Angeles area for like the billionth time today and tomorrow for his "Conversations About California's Future" tour. He'll discuss the economy, health care, education and will hold a question and answer period with the audience. Tonight he'll be in Long Beach and in Santa Ana tomorrow followed by Riverside next week Thursday. All three events are open to the public. Newsom is the only frontrunner Democratic candidate running for Governor. L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa decided not to run and former Governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown's campaign website is intended for his re-election to his current post, not governor. more ›

An aggressive brush fire in the Los Padres National Forest has burned 10,000 acres and is showing little sign of letting up, according to the LA Times. The La Brea fire began Saturday afternoon and is over five miles away from homes on the edge of the Santa Maria and New Cuyama areas. The national forest abuts the Angeles National Forest in the Santa Clarita Valley and extend along the South Coast Ranges to a little north of San Luis Obispo. Just last week, officials announced stricter fire restrictions as increased danger became more apparent . more ›

It's not that the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California wants Lancaster officials to stop praying all together at the beginning of meetings, but to stop singling out that Jesus guy. “The City Council is clearly showing bias toward one religion by leading council and planning meetings with Christian prayers,” said Peter Eliasberg, Manheim Family Attorney for First Amendment Rights at the ACLU/SC in a statement... more ›

Citing the difficulties and the slow start an outsider can have when arriving to Los Angeles, LAPD Chief William Bratton recommends that the search for a new chief within the department in an interview with the LA Times. "Nobody understands what it's like to be an outsider better than me. I've done it many times," he said pointing the time it takes to "get up to speed" and understand political power structure. more ›

Police have shut down Ventura Boulevard between Cedros and Willis in Sherman Oaks after bank employees suspected a possible break-in in progress this morning. Upon arriving around 8 a.m., bank workers heard suspicious noises coming from the vault area. They alerted police who in turn precautiously shut down the busy artery during rush hour as they prepared to enter the building. As of 9:40 a.m., police were preparing to enter the building, according to Officer Bruce Borihanh at Media Relations. UPDATE: A police search party exited the building empty handed, but noticed a man carrying a black duffel bag. He has been detained in handcuffs and is being questioned, according to KNX1070. UPDATE 2: The man was determined to be a homeless person not related to the incident. UPDATE 3: Ventura Blvd. has reopened, but police continue to search for a possible suspect. more ›

The MTA has "revamped its policy" and now the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department will assume responsibility for "supervising transit security guards," according to abc7.com. The changes to the transit system's supervisory structure most likely stems from the recent revelation that there have been 11 investigations launched in the past two years by the L.A. County's Sheriff's Department... more ›

William Bratton may be Chief of the LAPD (not for long), but city hall actually has three other totally separate police departments, which may be confusing to some. There's the Port Police, Office of Public Safety--they police city properties like parks and libraries and not city streets like the LAPD--and the Los Angeles World Airports Police who are in charge protecting airport properties like LAX, Van Nuys, Ontario and Palmdale. Although not confirmed, LAWA's Assistant Chief, Erroll Southers, is headed to run to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), according to sources to the Associated Press. Despite funny names like Thousands Standing Around, the agency is one of the few that blogs and really takes their comment section to heart by implementing policy changes based on the public's complaints and suggestions. more ›

A memorial service for 17-year-old Lily Burk, who was murdered late last month while out running errands for her mother, was held last night in Barnsdall Art Park. About 500 people gathered to remember the short life of the Los Feliz teen, according to the LA Times, who was remembered through "song, poetry and heartbreaking tributes." more ›

A 50-year-old man who jumped into Lake Mohave on Sunday is presumed drowned after rescue personnel suspended a search as night fell. The Lawndale man, whose identity has not been released, jumped into the water without a life jacket to retrieve a lost hat. "He went underwater and has not been seen since," according to a statement from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a popular destination for Southern Californians. Two Californians have died already this year at the area managed by the National Park Service. On Memorial weekend, an El Monte man drowned followed by another California man in late June. more ›

Dodgers manager Joe Torre called a meeting after today’s 8-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves (58-54). “I just wanted to give them my perspective on where we are,” said Torre, “how we haven’t really been playing well for a period of time and how we’re still controlling our own destiny.” The Dodgers (67-45) haven’t been playing well falling to 2-5 on the homestand. more ›

• Even though the city and the state continue to find ways to cut dollars, there are retired city officials that continue to collect six-figure pensions including the former head of the LADWP who stands to collect over $300,000 annually.
• A heart-warming story amidst tragedy in Monrovia. A mother of six children took in four more when their mother passed during childbirth. The community has rallied around them by donating anything and everything they could need.
• President Obama has been busy filling court seats. From the first Latino on the Supreme Court to federal court seats here in California. Three of the four seats were filled with Asian-Americans who the President felt were underrepresented in the federal courts.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of the Dodgers pitching rotation. As reported last night, the Dodgers brought up starter Eric Stults from AAA Albuquerque Isotopes. In order to make room on the 25-man roster, they sent infielder Tony Abreu back to Albuquerque before the game. Stults last pitched on Thursday giving up one earned run on two hits in three innings pitched against the Portland Beavers. more ›

Hard Summer was supposed to go all night at the Forum in Inglewood last night, and the sold out event had the venue packed (it seats 18,000). But for some reason, before things could even get too intense, the event was shut down by authorities. LA Times' music blog Pop & Hiss explains:

Saturday's all-night electronic event Hard Summer at the Forum was shut down by midnight. The event was declared a "hazard" by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, according to an Inglewood police representative. Based on the county department's recommendation, Hard Summer was called off. [...] more ›

Landon Donovan and Jovan Kirovski each scored a goal for the Galaxy en route to a 2 - 1 victory over New England Revolution, while Chivas USA continues to struggle and gets routed 4 - 0 at the Colorado Rapids. The Galaxy pressured the New England Revolution defense from early on and quickly took control of the game at Gillette Stadium. The increasing pressure on the Revolution defense led to some errors in the back line and it wasn't long before the blue-and-gold got some quality shots on goal. more ›

Kelly Johnson’s two-run homerun off of Guillermo Mota (3 - 3) in the tenth inning was the difference in the Atlanta Braves’ (57 - 54) second straight extra-inning victory against the Los Angeles Dodgers (67 - 44.) The last two nights saw 22 frames played at Dodgers Stadium with no wins to show for the additional effort. more ›

ESPN and the LA Times' Mark Medina are reporting that sources say that Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis will become the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. A news conference will be held on Tuesday to announce the deal. Reportedly Rambis and the Wolves agreed to a four-year, $8 million deal. Rambis will be taking over for Kevin McHale who coincidentally enough clotheslined Rambis during the 1984 Finals when they were playing for the Lakers and Celtics respectively. more ›

Last night’s 9-5 loss in 12 innings against the Atlanta Braves has thrown a monkey wrench in the Dodgers pitching rotation. After Jason Schmidt was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder injury, Scott Elbert was supposed to take his spot to start in Sunday’s game. However Elbert was sent to pitch in the 12th inning after Ramon Troncoso allowed runners to get on first and second and gave up the winning RBI single and three-run homer by Ryan Church. more ›

82 home games per season (plus playoffs) isn’t enough Thinking Blue for some local Dodgers aficionados. The community-minded Los Angeles Dodgers of Echo Park (67-43) are picking up that slack, and offering even more chances for local families to enjoy Our Boys in Blue. Round 1 - Fernandomania ‘09 Dodgers legend (then: star pitcher, now: Spanish-language broadcaster) Fernando Valenzuela, presents the fourth installment of “Los Amigos de Fernando,” Sunday, August 9. more ›

• The candidates running for the open Council position in CD2 met today in Sunland-Tujunga for a debate, which Mayor Sam liveblogged.
• Forget "pencils" and "teacher's dirty looks," try no more (new) books for K-8 students in California until 2016.
• What if there's a fire in your office? The LAFD wants you to know what to do.

A lot of people have been getting a kick out of seeing the signs posted in Hollywood and other parts of town explaining how (not) to hail a taxi. For those who know the drill of reaching your arm up and leaning towards the street and hoping the next cab pulls up to the curb in front of you, the signs are precautions about what for many urbanites is second nature. more ›

Tonight and tomorrow mark the 40th anniversary of two nights of murders in Los Angeles that forever changed the cultural landscape. Instructed by the head of their "family" one young man and three young women crept onto the property of a home atop Cielo Drive, and ruthlessly initiated a bloodbath that cost the lives of all who were present: Sharon Tate, Abigal Folger, Wojciech Frykowski, Jay Sebring, and Steven Parent. The following night a similar group replayed a similar scene, this time on Waverly Frive in Los Feliz, taking the life of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca. more ›

Recently, a string of taco truck robberies held at gunpoint have left many truck operators feeling shaky, but reluctant to report the crimes. At least 22 robberies took place over the last two months in East Los Angeles, but "some vendors have been reluctant to report them for fear of retaliation from the perpetrators and possible immigration problems from authorities. As a result, detectives believe there may be more unreported robberies," explains LA Now. The LA County Sheriffs believed 21-year-old Nery Perez was responsible, and two days ago announced they were looking for him as their prime suspect. Yesterday, Perez "walked into a sheriff's station with several relatives," turning himself in for the crimes, according to cbs2.com. Perez and four others are suspected to have been "committing at least two to three robberies a day," and the LASD estimate the "total losses at $7,000." more ›

Chivas USA and Galaxy take the show on the road tonight as they return to MLS action in Colorado and New England respectively. The red-and-whites return to action after a three week break which has allowed them to regroup after a series of tough results. The team recently acquired MLS veteran Marcelo Saragosa and Kevin Harmse, but despite the additions, injuries have once again become a major source of problems for the red-and-whites. more ›

• Who's Bad??? The Mayor of Carson caught a lot of heat for lowering the flag to half-mast for the passing of Michael Jackson.
• In order to save some money, the US Postal Service is considering canceling Saturday deliveries. (KNBC.com video)
• Did ya feel it too? A 3.3 "quiver" shook the Fontana area today around 1:50am.

After a wildfire swept through a portion of Joshua Tree National Park last May, officials announced today that the Lost Horse Mine Trail has been reopened. "While the Lost Horse Mine Trail is being re-opened, park visitors are urged to remain on the trail while hiking through the area," a statement read. "The pace of germination and post-fire re-growth [of fragile desert plants] has been slowed somewhat due to the lack of summer rainfall and generally dry conditions across the park." Speaking of dry conditions, swarms of bees in search of moisture have caused the closure of the Jumbo Rocks Campground until further notice. Bees have been actively moisture in trash cans, bathrooms and off human skin. more ›

Despite the fact that the state Assembly rejected a proposal allowing new offshore drilling in the budget vote a few weeks ago, the issues is back. Or, as Dan Jacobson of Environment California puts it, "the coast won and the oil companies lost... Or so it would seem." more ›

For those living in apartments or condo buildings, much of the recycling is done by the city's Multifamily Residential Recycling Program from the the L.A. Bureau of Sanitation. The progressive department, who is also aggressively working on a zero waste plan with the public, has now entered the world of Web 2.0. They just set up Twitter and Facebook accounts so people can learn about materials accepted in blue bins, but also for residents to send suggestions and questions. Sounds like a good idea considering over 400,000 multifamily residential units take part in the program. more ›

Taste approved, this seasonal pizza at Pizzeria Mozza is crazy good and will only last until fresh artichokes are out of stock (likely by September). This $15 pie is made with stracchino, a soft and creamy cheese, and is topped with shaved artichokes, lemon & olives. more ›

For the first time since 2002, the Los Angeles city council today voted to ban new billboards and supergraphics. Take note, this is not a moratorium like in the past, this is a b-a-n. The last time such an action was approved, the city ended up in years of litigation--some of still ongoing--thanks to a pile of lawsuits from the billboard industry who have reportedly installed thousands of illegal billboards in the meantime. Those same folks and a good number of their lobbyists who showed at today's meeting still oppose this and warn of constitutional rights being diminished. A lawyer representing the Roosevelt Hotel said the "ordinance has significant constitutional issues, and would have a legal challenge against it on constitutional grounds for substantive due process, procedural due process, and vague and ambiguous grounds." The ban also the conversion of billboards to digital ones and commercial signs visible from freeways. more ›

Tonight and tomorrow night, the LAPD will be conducting a couple DUI checkpoints around the city. "Our Message is simple: If we catch you drunk, you will be arrested," they say. more ›

The City Council is slowly but surely making their way through hundreds of applications for medical marijuana dispensaries that applied for permits and set up shot during a moratorium from 2007. 42 of the 779 applications have been denied so far and yesterday, 18 of them were recommended for denial by a City Council committee, according to the LA Times. The moratorium, which has not been lifted, let 186 already-existing dispensaries to continue operations. more ›

A man police thought to be two separate robbers in the downtown area was arrested this week in Skid Row. Anthony Brown, 42, allegedly began a spree of robberies around July 10th and over the weeks dropped so much weight that his appearance changed leading police to believe there were two bandits out there. Drugs appear to be caper in the weight loss and police have not said if they were specifically used to aid in changing his identity. more ›

A $25,000 donation to the Altadena Foothills Conservancy will enable the non-profit to study a trail from Eaton Canyon to the Rio Hondo River in Rosemead, ultimately enabling a large trail system in the San Gabriel Valley. "The system would connect Arcadia to Whittier, through Temple City and Rosemead, and loop around the other side of Whittier Narrows park up through Industry and Baldwin Park to reach Irwindale," according to the Daily News. The trail would run along the mostly-concreted Eaton Wash that's currently off limits to the public. Last month, a 20-acre site was secured as open space by residents and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. more ›

Just hours after city officials announced a major overall crime reduction in the Hollywood entertainment corridor, a suspect went on a homeless stabbing spree that left two dead and one injured. The victims were in their 40s and 50s. It started around 1:30 p.m. and continued to 4:40 p.m. when Damian Durado, 54, was arrested shortly after and suspected of all three incidents. Police are scratching their heads over a motive. more ›

LA Dodgers beat Atlanta Braves 5-4. There were a lot of little subplots to last nights' Dodgers-Braves game. The Dodger lead was slowly slipping away (6 games over the idle Giants). Former Dodger Derek Lowe was making his return to Chavez Ravine with the Braves. Which Dodger team was going to show up? Would the Dodgers help Randy Wolf get a decision? Who knew WHAT to expect. In spite of all the uncertainty, one thing is for certain. If the game is on the line and Andre Ethier is at the plate, more often than not the Dodgers are gonna win. Andre hit his fourth career walk-off homer, a 3 run shot, to give the Dodgers the win over the Braves and keep the Dodgers 6 1/2 up of the Giants in the NL West. more ›

Randy Wolf had trouble getting his curve ball over for a strike and the Dodgers kept leaving baserunners stranded. But they kept at it until Andre Ethier hit his third walk-off homer and fifth walk-off hit for the season to give the Dodgers the 5-4 improbable win over the Atlanta Braves. “That boy cold,” Matt Kemp yelled out in the clubhouse after the game while the media were gathered around Ethier. more ›

The Dodgers will hope some kind of wonderful happens tonight as they face former Dodger ace and current Atlanta Braves starter Derek Lowe. "He was a horse," manager Torre said of Lowe. "I really enjoyed the time he was here because he was a good teammate for these guys." Lowe comes into the game by plane (not train or automobile) with a 4.21 ERA and 11 wins. He got a win against the Dodgers on Saturday in Atlanta when he gave up three runs on five hits in six innings pitched. In his last five games, Lowe has been sitting pretty in pink with a 3.00 ERA and a 4-0 record. Batters are hitting .265 against him in that span. more ›

• A brush fire in Riverside prompted a mandatory evacuation in some neighborhoods this afternoon.
• The LADWP is offering free California friendly landscaping workshops over the next four Saturdays.
• Environmentaland has opened its doors at Hollywood & Highland. It's a theme park of sorts... an interactive environmental one, they say.

Remember last year when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed taking away “traditional navigable waters" status for the Los Angeles river? That stirred some major controversy including a three-day kayak trip from the Valley to the ocean by a group of activists set out to prove the river's navigability. Heather Wiley, who works for the Army Corp and disagrees with their decision, was caught up in the mess. more ›

Since the LAPD deployed 40 foot officers in the Hollywood and Highland area earlier this year crime has dropped considerably, city officials announced today. An overall reduction in crime has dropped 26% and more specifically, there has been a 21% drop in robberies, 29% decrease in burglaries and a 40% percent decline in auto theft. more ›

A possible arson suspect has barricaded himself somewhere on the 5400 block of Russell Avenue, near the intersection of Hollywood and Western, according to the LAPD. Not many details are available, but police believe he may have a weapon. A good number of police and fire have responded to the situation that is currently ongoing. more ›

Director John Hughes, 59, has died, according to TMZ. He was in New York City on a trip taking a morning walk when he suffered from a heart attack today. Hughes' movies--some of them that he wrote, director or both--many of them based in around Chicago, included classics such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Home Alone and Planes, Trains & Automobiles. After stepping back from the film industry, he resided in Northern Illinois on a functioning farm, enjoying his time with a family and supporting independent art, notes Variety. R.I.P., John Hughes and you were right when you wrote this line for Ferris: "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." more ›

For a few years now, a big swath of open space at Laurel Canyon and Mullholand Drive has been up for sale. The current owner has been nice and patient enough to sell the land instead of turning it into a housing development, but only under a payment plan with goal dates to be met. The next date is August 17th and the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority is $145,000 short. Paul Edelman, the Chief Ecologist for both the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a state agency, and the Authority, has made a case for Los Angeles to put money behind saving this land on the Huffington Post: more ›

Speaking of domestic violence, Actor Tom Sizemore was arrested on those charges late last night. Police picked him up on the 100 block of Beaudry Avenue around 10:45 p.m. He remained in jail this morning in lieu of a $20,000 bail. "Over the last few years, Sizemore, 47, has developed a troubled history with the law," says the LA Times. "In August 2003 he was convicted of misdemeanor charges of physically abusing and harassing his ex-girlfriend, the former 'Hollywood Madam' Heidi Fleiss. In February 2005 Sizemore failed a court-ordered drug test after he was caught trying to use a prosthetic penis to defeat a urine test and was ordered into drug rehabilitation for two years." He was arrested in 2007 for possessing methamphetamine. more ›

No big surprise here. City Controller, and former Councimember for District 2, Wendy Greuel will endorse Chris Essel for the council seat. Both women have backgrounds in the film industry business. This is the second big endorsement for Essel in the past few weeks. She most recently gained the support of former Mayor Richard Riordan. Assemblymember Paul Krekorian was endorsed by Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley earlier this week and no word on big endorsements yet from the other frontrunner, Tamar Galatzan, but in an e-mail blast yesterday, a tongue-and-cheek top ten reasons to elect Tamar list touted that she "has voted for Wendy Greuel more times than Essel and Krekorian - combined." That's because she's a long time resident of Council District 2. Krekorian, for example, just moved into the boundaries this summer. more ›

While Schwarzenegger slashed 100% of funding for domestic violence in California, the Department of Justice today announced that Recovery Act money is heading to a handful of grants to domestic violence shelters in California, including two in Southern California. House of Ruth, Inc in Los Angeles County received $500,000 and $520,755 was awarded to the Southern California Alcohol and Drug Program headquartered in Downey. more ›

Apparently, Los Angeles County Sheriff's have been doing random bag checks for Metro since March, according to Damien Newton at StreetsblogLA. Metro staff emphasized to him that the searches are legal, after he spoke to them when a reader witnessed it happening to commuters entering the Gold Line platform at Union Station. Notes Newton: "When Metrolink announced it was going to begin randomly searching passengers' belongings last summer, there was a firestorm of protest. After the horrific crash last September, the agency came under fire for spending money Keeping Us Safe from Terrorists instead of improving rail safety." more ›

Got beef? Check that package for establishment number "EST. 31913." 825,769 pounds of ground beef distributed in California and other Southwestern states were recalled today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service after it was thought it may be linked to a salmonella outbreak. The meat was produced between June 5, 2009 through June 23 and was packaged under a variety of names, according to the Associated Press. More specific details can be found on USDA's press release. more ›

Brewers 4, Dodgers 1 - Fans expected some fireworks on Wednesday night, just one game after Milwaukee's Prince Charming Fielder tried to huff-n-puff-n-blow down the doors to the Dodgers clubhouse. They'll have to wait until Friday's regularly scheduled postgame show. Instead, Brewers hurler Braden Looper exacted revenge the old fashioned way -- by tossing a solid 6 and 2/3 innings. His second pitch of the evening wound up in the right field bleachers, but the Rafael Furcal leadoff homer must have been a leftover from the previous night's 17-4 scoring feast. Otherwise, it was a quiet game for Dodger bats. Jason Schmidt took the loss on just 3 2/3 innings, ending when he hit Craig Counsell with a pitch. Don't read too much into it. The bases were juiced (forcing in a run) but the pitch wasn't (71 mph). more ›

While watching an ESPNews segment in the clubhouse about Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder’s attempt to have a meet-and-greet in the Dodger’s clubhouse, Dodgers reliever Guillermo Mota laughed. more ›

• Apparently the judge wasnt moved by Chris Brown's apology. The judge has delayed sentencing for his assault on Rhianna because she wants to make sure that the community service is stiff enough.
• LA lawyer Juan J. Dominguez, who you might recognize from his ads on buses, has been accused of fraud by bringing up phony claims against Dole Food Co and Dow Chemical Co.
• The LA City Council will vote Friday on an ordinance to ban the "super graphic" billboards.

Last night after the game, I was listening to Dodger Talk with co-hosts Ken Levine and Josh Suchon. I was trying to get any added insight to the retaliation pitch Dodger reliever Guillermo Mota bounced off of Milwaukee Brewer Prince Fielder’s sizable gut. During the broadcast, a caller shifted gears and asked the hosts, “Why doesn’t Manny wear his custom mouthguard anymore?” I knew the answer and decided I’d call in. more ›

The brutal drenching Southern California took back in 2005 shut down a good deal of recreational space around Los Angeles. An LAist favorite included the trail Henniger Flats in Altadena, but more locally was the loss of the Lake Hollywood Reservoir more ›

Passing the measure known as "Cash for Clunkers" looms before lawmakers--and their summer recess--and has been met in the media with its fair share of critics and cheerleaders. Categorizing himself as the latter, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti published a post today on his website declaring his support--"love," actually--of the program that "gives car-buyers vouchers worth up to $4,500 for trading in their low-mileage vehicle for one that’s significantly more fuel-efficient." more ›

In a media availability session around noon today, LAPD Chief William Bratton officially announced his resignation, effective as of October 31st, so he can pursue a career in the private sector. He joined Los Angeles in October of 2002 and will soon join Altegrity Inc., a worldwide private security firm based in Falls Church, Virginia. more ›

A number of people in the Western San Fernand Valley have fallen victim to a ploy by two gun-wielding robbers who post cheap cars on Craigslist, arrange a time place to meet and ask the victim to bring cash. A number of them have occurred on De Soto Avenue and Vanowen Street between 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The LAPD says if you do buy a car off Craigslist, do not take cash and to meet a public place such as a bank or DMV office. Both suspects are described as Hispanic males between 25 and 30 and 130 pounds. One is about 5'7" and the other 5'10". Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact robbery detectives at (818) 756-3523. During off-hours, call 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247). Callers may also text “Crimes” with a cell phone or log onto www.lapdonline.org and click on Web tips. When using a cell phone, all messages should begin with “LAPD”. Tipsters may remain anonymous. more ›

An anonymous Craigslist rant takes on the hateful nature of Los Angeles--especially the tony Brentwood--and asks that all the haters leave: "If you wanna stay be fucking nice," she exclaims. In fact, she's so fed up, she's going out of her way to get revenge. It's amusing. "Everyone in this city mistreats eachother, its disgusting. It doesnt matter what color they are, they are dicks. In fact, I make a point now of going into places like Brentwood, where the people are the fucking rudest, most self-important assholes ever, and I like to stroll through the market aisles, take my time parking, fiddle in my purse for my wallet...its fucking juvenile, but I definitely take my sweet ass time crossing the street when its my right of way. These people need to be shamed." What do you think? Is Los Angeles a mean town or just as mean as any city? more ›

It's been a rough few years for the Clinton family, who remain the owners and operators of the last of their once-booming set of cafeteria eateries in Los Angeles, Clifton's Cafeteria. It was just three years ago that the death of Jean Clinton Roeschlaub, described as the cafeteria family's heiress, was ruled homicide; the 83-year-old who was thought to be the heart and soul of the restaurant was found dead inside her penthouse apartment. more ›

The grassroots, but powerful San Fernando Valley Democratic Club yesterday endorsed Assemblyman Paul Krekorian for the 2nd District Council Seat in Los Angeles, according to wire reports. Krekorian is considered one of the front runners in the race along with Studio Exec Chris Essel and city prosecutor and LAUSD boardmember Tamar Galatzan--he currently represents portions of the Valley and over-the-hill neighborhoods like Los Feliz and Silver Lake. The endorsement gives the Democrat an edge on Essel, who has raised the most money and has been endorsed by former Mayor Richard Riordan. No matter, "money is not going to be a factor in this council race," says his campaign manager. "This campaign is going to be won on the ground, talking to voters directly." The primary for the district, which runs from Sherman Oaks to the Northeast Valley, will be held on September 22nd. more ›

It's made the internet rounds in the pas few years and today sister site Chicagoist talks up an Egyptian Bust from sometimes between 1550 BC and 1050 BC that is currently in the collection at the Field Museum. The bust's nose has a striking similarity to Jackson's post surgery one. "95% of Egyptian statues and busts were defiled by early Christians and Muslims because they were used for idolatry," a Museum spokesperson said. "They looked at these as idols and taking the nose off made them 'non-human.'" Chicagoist is not sure if that applies to Jackson, too. In any case, do you remember the time? more ›

With crime significantly down and the consent decree lifted, the man who said he likes to fix things and not maintain them is stepping down, according to sources to the Los Angeles Times. Although no official announcement has been made and aides to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa say they are not savvy to the announcement, the Times says. The 61-year-old who recently put his Los Feliz home on the market will next head up a private security firm. more ›

Investigators have begun looking into what caused yesterday's hillside brush fire in Eagle Rock and Glendale, which ultimately grew to 60 acres, triggered voluntary area evacuations, and required about 300 firefighters to extinguish. The fire, which "broke out near the interchange between the 134 and 2 Freeways at about 4:10 p.m." is now fully contained, and no homes were damaged and no one was injured, according to abc7.com. more ›

Freed Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee arrived with former President Bill Clinton and his team shortly before 6 this morning at Burbank's Bob Hope Airport. The private aircraft went straight to "a heavily secured hangar to meet the waiting crowd, which included former Vice President Al Gore and reporters and photographers," according to LA Now. There Ling, 32, and Lee, 36, were met by their husbands, Lee's 4-year-old daughter Hana, and parents and siblings. more ›

After thinking about the events that transpired just after the final out was recorded in the Dodgers 17-4 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers, it amazed me how Prince Fielder and his teammates were able to get to the Dodger clubhouse doors. more ›

After scuffling for more than a week, the Dodgers needed a game like this. Having forgone batting practice they proceeded to crush the Milwaukee Brewers 17-4 despite getting only seven more hits. The 17 runs would mark the most runs the Dodgers have scored at home since May 25, 1979 when they scored 17 against the Cincinnati Reds. more ›

To say this is scary times for Dodger fans is an understatement. Although the Dodgers maintain the best record in the Majors at 65-41 they have lost seven of their last 11 games and have seen their lead in the NL West shrink from nine games to 6 1/2 games. Fans are starting to hyperventilate. more ›

In the latest installment of ABC's Primetime: Family Secrets, we're introduced to Bridget, a 15 year-old girl who can't hug her parents. The young girl can barely even sit in the same room as her parents without twisting, turning or screaming because she believes that they are "contaminated." Primetime follows the progress of Bridget, along with three other subjects all who suffers from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), as she sits in the therapy room and fights her disorder. David Muir hosts this gripping special that puts a face to OCD from both the child and their family's perspective. Primetime: Family Secrets airs tonight at 10pm. more ›

A brush fire has reportedly grown to about 20 acres (LAFD officially says 4 to 5 acres) and may be threatening homes in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles near the Glendale border. more ›

Current TV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee will arrive in Los Angeles tomorrow after a surprise visit by former President Bill Clinton prompted a pardon by Kim Jong II. In June, they were convicted of entering the country illegally and other unspecified "hostile" acts against the country which led to a sentence of 12 years of hard labor. more ›

In a lengthy 185-page opinion released by three federal judges today, they ordered the state to come up with a plan that would deal with 43,000 prisoners over the next two years, reports the LA Times. The order basically sets the pace for releasing prisoners according to media reports but Chief Deputy Atty. Gen. Jim Humes says the state must come up with a plan, not necessarily release prisoners onto the streets. The judges said the overcrowding causes prisoners to commit even more crimes and a few years ago, conditions were so bad, inmates were dying from curable and avoidable diseases, prompting a court-appointed receiver to see reform in the system. The state may appeal the decision. more ›

The Dodgers will host the fourth annual Blue Heaven Sleepover for fans at Dodger Stadium on Friday, August 14 where fans will be able to sleep on the outfield under the stars. Fans will be able to to watch the Dodgers game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on DodgerVision at 6:40 pm followed by an opportunity to play catch on the field and watch a screening of Field of Dreams. more ›

A 67-year-old homeless man was found dead over the weekend at a downtown homeless encampment with his throat slashed and his eyes gouged out. Police say another homeless man, 50-year-old Timothy Bishop, killed Robert Burrus. A witness saw Bishop on top of Burrus Friday night but did not realize what happened until the next morning when the dead body was found. “I’m not surprised the witness came forward so quickly,” Lt. Paul Vernon, head of detectives for the Central Police Station, said in a statement. “We’ve seen it time and again, that in spite of their condition, many of the homeless downtown still have a sense of pride among them that they are willing to come forward and report crimes. We solve more murders downtown because of it.” Police believe Bishop slashed Burris's throat with a broken bottle and gouged his eyes out so that he would not be identified later. This was the fourth downtown murder in 2009. more ›

Yup the NBA schedule for the 2009-2010 season was released today, and the first date anyone looks at is Christmas Day. The Lakers, of course, are playing the marquee game hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers at 2 pm. more ›

It was about 10:35 a.m. yesterday when Jeremy Burrell was approached by several male black suspects while walking on a sidewalk in the Hyde Park neighborhood in South LA. "More than one suspect drew a handgun and began firing at Burrell," said the LAPD. "Burrell was hit multiple times and transported to a local hospital for treatment. He was pronounced dead a short time later." The suspects got away in a van and police are calling it a gang-related shooting. Detectives are asking for anyone with information about this incident, which took place on the 3400 block of West 63rd Street, to call the detectives at (213) 485-1383. During off-hours, call 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247). Callers may also text “Crimes” with a cell phone or log on to www.lapdonline.org and click on Web tips. When using a cell phone, all messages should begin with “LAPD.” Tipsters may remain anonymous. more ›

The Los Angeles region could get another National Recreation Area congressional designation under a study that is proposing three different concepts for the San Gabriel watershed and mountains. Congress directed the National Parks Service to study and evaluate resources in a large area from the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys down to the Orange County border. No, it doesn't mean we'd be within minutes of a new National Park in the traditional sense--Yosemite, Joshua Tree--but it could mean better managed cultural sites or new trails and protected open spaces. more ›

Well, we did call him the Obama of classical music earlier this year. 28-year-old Gustavo Dudmel is set to lead the Los Angeles Philharmonic this upcoming season in what is probably going to continue to put Los Angeles on the map for the genre. Former conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen led the group strong in past years and it helped to be in the internationally renown Walt Disney Concert Hall designed by Frank Gehry (did you know, the hall was designed before the similar-looking Guggenheim in Spain? Los Angeles just didn't have the money back then to build it). more ›

Now here's a nice idea. A reader at LA Streetsblog submitted a photo of a digital TV showing bus departure times at the Union Station Metro Red Line station. Little is known at this point, but it seems to be an experiment or at least the first of many. Line 20 to Santa Monica is departing in 15 minutes with the following one leaving in 24 minutes, it reads. Not bad. Not bad at all. more ›

Some fire companies were closed Sunday indefinitely, but a rotating set of closures scheduled for tomorrow will lessen the number of ambulances and rescue trucks on Los Angeles city streets tomorrow as a money saving move amid the city's budget crisis. more ›

There are around 50 neighborhood marches, BBQs, block parties taking place throughout the city and country tonight in an annual event meant to connect neighbors with neighbors and to the police officers that patrol their streets. It's National Night Out, "America's night out against crime," as the slogan goes. more ›

The murder of 17-year-old Lily Burk captured the city's attention a few weeks ago when she left her Los Feliz home on an errand to Southwestern University for her mother, a professor there. Burk encountered Charles Samuel, a parolee, who abducted her and tried to get money out of her via Burk's credit card at several ATMs. It didn't work and she was left with a slashed throat in a parked car in Skid Row. Samuel was arrested a half hour later, albeit for a different reason. Police only connected him to the murder in the following days. more ›

Milwaukee Brewers defeat LA Dodgers 6-5. Coming off of some rather remarkable starts, Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw lost his form. Actually he got through the first three innings without giving up a hit, but in the fourth inning he walked in two runs with the bases loaded to give the Dodgers the lead for good. In the sixth inning with Jeff Weaver pitching Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun put the game away with an Earl Weaver shot to left center. Brewers starter Manny Parra pitched his longest outing of the season - eight innings - giving up two runs on six hits and a walk. But the ninth inning came and he gave up a single and double to Casey Blake and Matt Kemp. Longtime Dodger foil Trevor Hoffman came in to save the game but promptly gave up a double to James Loney to score Blake and Kemp. Orlando Hudson would single to right sending Loney home. The Dodgers would load the bases with Manny Ramirez at bat. Manny flew to right ending the game and the come back. more ›

• Pasadena's Huntington Hospital has been ranked as one of the top in the nation by Consumer Reports.
• Closing soon for an 18-month renovation: The Bel Air Hotel and restaurant.
• Actor Shemar Moore was struck by a vehicle over the weekend while riding his bike in Sherman Oaks.

Not too many local reports of people feeling the large quake in the Gulf of California one-minutes shy of 11 a.m., but it definitely shook up the water cooler talk in San Diego and other border cities and as far as Phoenix and El Paso. The 10:59 a.m. 6.9 quake struck just four minutes after a 5.8 shaker. The large quake was followed by 5.0 and 5.9 quakes within an hour. There have been no reports of damage or injuries. The large quake may have been caused by "an unidentified strike-slip style fault," according to Scienceduce Gary Robbins at the OC Register via seismologist Sue Hough at USGS in Pasadena. more ›

Los Encinos State Historic Park, which re-opened just two years ago after being closed down following the '94 Northridge quake, is poised for closure as a result of the recent state budget drama. more ›

Making the rounds in the news today is this freshly-brewed story of a new drive-through coffeehouse where the servers shun the more typical apron and khakis in favor of two very different pieces altogether: The bikini. more ›

The Dodgers have added a fourth bobblehead giveaway on their 12:10 pm game on September 16 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. As a tribute to Manny Ramirez hitting a pinch-hit grand slam on on July 22 on his bobblehead night that gave the Dodgers a 6-2 lead over the Cincinnati Reds, the Dodgers will be giving away a bobblehead of Manny tipping his cap to the fans. more ›

Not all higher education news from the state is grim, thankfully. As a response to the new state budget's inclusion of hundreds of millions in cuts in our two university systems, the Cal Grant program announced late last week that they would adjust award monies to cover the student fee increases implemented at the California State University schools for the upcoming academic year. "The total State University Fee increase of $978 will be offset dollar-for-dollar for all 62,600 Cal Grant A and B recipients attending the CSU," a press release details. more ›

Talk about a mixed message: Posters of President Obama "in Heath Ledger-style Joker make-up with the legend 'Socialism' beneath it has been popping up recently on surfaces around L.A.," Bedlam Magazine reports. While the image does allude to the ubiquitous Shepard Fairey 'HOPE' posters, and its numerous spoofs and riffs, this piece of what our sister-site Chicagoist calls "guerrilla artwork," is trying to convey an altogether different take on the state of the nation under Obama. No one has reportedly come forward to take responsibility for the image. The folks at Bedlam take a stab at analysis:

But is it serious? We'd like to know who the artist is and whether this is the sort of provocative guer[r]illa public art that is intended to encourage people to think (although about what, we're not sure). more ›

Last week Monday, a man in his early twenties dressed like he worked for UPS knocked the door of a 90-year-old Westchester woman saying he had a delivery. When she opened the door, he forced himself in demanding money, according to the LAPD. At some point during the incident police say that he kicked and chocked her before leaving the home on the 9000 block of Chase Avenue, near Loyola Marymount University, with some cash. He is described as a male Hispanic, 22-23 years old, black hair, brown eyes, 6 feet 1 inch tall and 180 pounds. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Pacific Area Detectives at (310) 482-6396. During off-hours, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). more ›

Not only was Mark Madsen recently traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, he also bought a pretty nice sounding web domain on eBay--www.P2P.com. Too bad, it was stolen, reports the Associated Press. A 25-year-old New Jersey man apparently hacked the website, took ownership and then sold it to Madsen for $100,000 over the auction based site. No word from Madsen yet--he's a big Twitterer--but alleged hacker Daniel Goncalves faces "felony charges of theft by unlawful taking or deception, identity theft, and computer theft," which could carry 10 years for each count. The case is reportedly the first ever criminal prosecution of domain theft. more ›

It was another one of those situations where witnesses say the suspects approached the victims and ask that scary gang-related question, "where you all from?” That's what happened Saturday night at Normandie Avenue and 29th Street in West Adams, near USC, when 18-year-old Martha Cruz, two cousins and a friend were waiting for a red light to turn green. A light colored four-door sedan with tinted windows pulled up next to the driver’s side of their car when the the front passenger asked the fatal question before opening fire on the car. Cruz, who was in the back seat, was hit and later died at the hospital. Detective do not have many details at this point, but if anyone knows something, contact info is below. more ›

Yesterday leaders of the Episcopal Church here in Los Angeles announced the six candidates they've selected as nominees for two open Suffragan (assistant) Bishop positions, reports the LA Times, and among those in the running are two openly gay priests. more ›

• Stories of how the economic collapse has hurt businesses are well known, but for every one of them there are thousands of stories like those of Ramon Granados who struggles to make ends meet for his family.
• What makes some kids join gangs while others find different ways of fitting in? A multiple choice test developed by USC researchers intends to find out and keep kids away from street gangs.
• A Prop 8 rally in East Los Angeles was held by hundreds of people looking to spread the word about marriage equality. The "Camp Courage" gathering was modeled after President Obama's grassroots campaign which looks to turn community anger into positive and effective action.

Vending machines are the sacred territory of chips, candy, soda, and coffee that tastes like watery dirt...okay, and the occasional iPod. But Quicksilver, the Huntington Beach-based company that makes a popular line of swimwear and beach-going duds, is hoping patrons of the Standard Hotel in Downtown LA will drop a few coins in their new box. Starting August 8th, 70's-styled boardshorts and bikinis will be available for purchase from a vending machine they're installing at the chic DTLA hotel's rooftop pool, reports the OC Register. "The Standard Boardshorts by Quiksilver will have 4 different designs, such as red and white polka dots called Hokus Polkas, from the ’70s and ’80s [and] the bikinis are in basic black." So just how many nickels will you have to drop in the slot to make a purchase? No word yet on pricing, but online the swimwear retails $75-84. more ›

The owners of Alcon Liquor, a store on Saticoy Street in Canoga Park, are anxious to meet one of their recent customers again: The winning SuperLotto Plus ticket, matching all six numbers and worth $11 million, was sold there, according to cbs2.com. more ›

93,137 fans packed into the Rose Bowl last night to watch F.C. Barcelona defeat the L.A. Galaxy by a score of 2 - 1. The atmosphere was electric as thousands of Barcelona fans jammed into the stadium to get a glimpse of the European and Spanish Champions on what proved to be a perfect evening for soccer. more ›

• Uh oh. We've got some unwelcome guests coming into California!
• The L.A. Community College District is paying their outgoing Chancellor over $420k in the wake of his unexpected leave. He had just under 2 years to go on his contract.
• Hugh Hefner's Playboy Mansion is about the become a really empty nest; the home has been sold for $18 million. Hef said it was because his sons were headed off to college.

Although no strike is reportedly on the immediate horizon, the Service Employees International Union "announced that 74 percent of its membership approved [a] strike authorization in votes counted Saturday," according to abc7.com, and "union leaders will meet in the coming week to decide what steps to take." more ›

A year ago, the LA Times was predicting a major comeback of sorts for Westwood, the Los Angeles neighborhood most associated with UCLA. But if the comeback is to involve classic movie houses, the comeback looks grim. This week the Mann Festival closed down, and preservationists are on standby, prepared to battle the possible loss of the Mann's Village and Bruin, according to the Times. more ›

Petty Officer Jonathan Campos of Lancaster was found dead in his military jail cell at Camp Pendleton yesterday, according to KTLA. Campos stood accused of murdering Seaman August Provost, a 29-year-old Houston native who "was shot multiple times as he stood guard at Camp Pendleton on June 30." more ›

Few events have drawn as many folks to the Rose Bowl as will tonight's soccer friendly between the L.A. Galaxy and F.C. Barcelona. Over 85,000 fans are expected to make their way to Pasadena for the historic event only eleven days after a crowd of over 81,000 had done the same to watch Chelsea F.C. face off against Inter Milan in the World Football Challenge. Combined with the Galaxy - A.C. Milan match from two weeks ago, nearly 200,000 L.A. soccer fans will have made their way to local stadiums to take in the action within a two week span! more ›