News

It may be Halloween, but it is also the anniversary of a major environmental bill that affected close to 9.2 million acres of California desert back in 1994. The California Desert Protection Act brought us two national parks, one national preserve, millions of acres of federal wilderness areas, as well as other special areas from Death Valley to the Mexico border. more ›

When Daylight Time ends on Halloween, most may interpret the regained hour as more of a treat (although those who forget to change their clocks and watches might find its a bit of a trick come morning). So don't forget: Overnight we "fall back" an hour. Though most of us keep time by cellphones and other devices that do the switching for us, our bodies and good old fashioned wall-clocks, watches, and kitchen appliance displays will need that bit of nudging to move from 2 a.m. back to 1 a.m. again Sunday morning. This is the third year since the official end date for Daylight Time was moved to the first Sunday in November. Don't forget! That extra hour of sleep might come in handy depending on how hard you party tonight. more ›

--La Peer Drive eastbound turn lane onto Santa Monica Boulevard, from 3 p.m. through 7 a.m. Sunday. more ›

The race towards MLS Cup 2009 got underway last Thursday night in Seattle, where coincidentally, it will also end on November 22nd. more ›

• Despite the best efforts from the city budget busters... LA is still over $100 million in the hole. Ugh...
• This is just flippin' scary. Apparently a woman blacked out behind the wheel and plowed into cars, a tree and a bus... and it was caught on video. (KNBC.com)
• In another freaky auto incident, an elderly woman thought she was in reverse but was actually in drive then drove through a restaurant wall injuring herself and people in the restaurant.

MLB announced today that Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier was named 2009 MLB Clutch Performer of the Year. The award voted on by fans recognizes the player who performed the best when the game was on the line. more ›

Watch out, folks! As always, never, never, never, never drink and drive. Halloween weekend is no exception and the LAPD is keeping an eye out. Over at Sunset and HIghland, a sobriety and drivers license checkpoint will be set up tonight between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 127 driving under the influence-related and 989 hit and run traffic collisions in the Hollywood area. more ›

It may be a temporary move from NYC, but the frontman of The Strokes is loving our city. He tells the New York Times: “It’s fun; I won’t lie. L.A.’s kind of, like, seven really cool towns. It’s so laid-back. If you go in the right spot, you can walk around, and you don’t need a car. It’s a lot easier to eat healthy. And the weather!” (via torrmoz) more ›

Saturday is big. It’s really big. Everyone seems to know it. ESPN’s College GameDay is going to be there. Oregon’s newest bastardized uniform creation (carbon fiber helmets and “steel” pants) will be there. A capacity crowd at Autzen Stadium will be there. more ›

Despite his aggressive campaign full of neighborhood town halls across the state, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced this afternoon that he has dropped out of the race for California Governor. He was the only major name running for the position but his fundraising and poll numbers lagged behind Attorney General Jerry Brown, who has yet to officially announce a run for Governor. Gavin's statement is below: more ›

The LAPD officers who used "questionable tactics" in their response to protesters on the 2007 May Day immigration march will not be prosecuted, reports the LA Times. The LAPD investigated the incident in which video footage showed police firing rubber bullets into the crowd Park May Day Melee. Their report reviewed the actions of 30 officers and "blamed poor leadership and overly aggressive tactics", but prosecutors were unable to "establish that any particular officer's actions were unreasonable or without lawful necessity in light of the tense, uncertain and rapidly evolving circumstances." Nineteen officers faced punishment last year, and earlier this year $12.85 million was awarded to victims injured in the protest. more ›

Surely you have noticed the cool new blue lane lights on the 110 Freeway delineating the transition lane to the 5 North (see a video embedded below). The lighted pavement markers, or Smart-stud systems, are a way to finally stop all of those jerks from sneaking into the front of the line when we have all been waiting patiently in line for the 5 North like good citizens. Plus they make your night-time drive more psychedelic, like you are at the laserium. more ›

Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson are the focus of separate investigations by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct , reports KPCC. Waters stands accused of arranging a meeting between Treasury officials and an association representing minority banks, one of which she owned stock in. Richardson may have "improperly profited" when she lost her Sacramento home to foreclosure, sold it to a third party and later reacquired it. more ›

Parking at Santa Monica's 3d Street Promenade might get a little more expensive under a plan the city council is exploring, says the Santa Monica Daily Press: more ›

When the first internet transmission happened, there was no celebration. In fact, the guys behind it back on October 29th, 1969 (40 years and one day ago), invented the internet and called it a night. That's because at the time, they had no idea that their solution to an annoying problem would start changing the world years later. In case you missed it, NPR yesterday did a fascinating report on the events leading up to the birth of ARPANET: more ›

Travion Terrett Ford, 25, was sentenced Thursday to prison for 2nd degree murder in the fatal stabbing of a USC student in September of last year. Bryan Richard Frost, 23, was walking with two other students early morning on the September 18th near 28th Street and Orchard Avenue when Ford apparently approached and an argument turned fight. Frost was killed by his stabbing wounds. more ›

• LAUSD Super Ramon Cortines says that he is considering shortening the school year to help balance their tight budget.
• After a stakeout of a victim's missing vehicle, an arrest has been made in the Stanton Mobile Home Murders.
• Doctor done in by diary? Entries in a diary kept by Anna Nicole Smith's doctor could lead to serious charges against him.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tomorrow is expected to announce his plans in building support for something he calls the "30/10" push to accelerate Measure R transit projects--the voted in half cent sales tax increase--from being completed in 30 years to 10 years. more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently slipped in an embedded and hidden "fuck you" in a veto message to San Francisco Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and now the San Francisco Chronicle is taking a stab back. A hidden message in their in-print editorial today reads "Grow Up Girlie Man." And maybe the state's frat boy squad can get back to work now. (h/t LAObserved) more ›

You know those mobile billboard trailers that line streets for days at a time, taking up parking and generally looking ugly fugly? While the city can't outright ban them, they can enforce the 72-hour parking ordinance, which states that vehicles and trailer parked in the same spot for more than that time can be towed. more ›

A claim that President Barack Obama was born in Kenya and not in Hawaii was dismissed in a Santa Ana U.S. District Court today, reports the LA Times. California attorney Orly Taitz, who apparently is the leader of the "birther" movement, has tried several times to challenge Obama's natural born citizenship with no luck. She's lost in many lower courts and was fined by a federal judge in Georgia for using the legal system for “political rhetoric and insults." more ›

An early morning shooting at a North Hollywood synagogue has set in motion a series of precautionary actions just in case the incident was part of a larger plan. The LAPD is now on a citywide tactical alert, the Operations Center has been activated at a Level One and the FBI has joined into the investigation. Police say they are increasing patrols around "critical Jewish sites in their areas" and has alertet all Jewish day schools and synagogues of the incident. more ›

Since this morning, one block of Wilshire Boulevard has been closed to traffic. Police were alerted at 8 a.m. to a suspicious bag left on the 3600 block of Wilshire, prompting the usual response by the LAPD--close the area down, send out the bomb squad. Officer Rosario Herrera said there is no word when the street will be reopened. more ›

This is one trend we hope to see spread around Los Angeles. Hopefully Arnaud Ozharun, owner of Natural Mind Beauty & Beyond on Sunset Boulevard, can inspire the city. After working with the city through permitting issues, it looks like Ozharun will be able to start planting soon, finds Jesus Sanchez at The Eastsider LA. Some 20,000 plants will cover the wall, now donned in soft purple fabric where thousands of seeds will be planted. "It will be like Amazonia," said Ozharun. Related: Good Ideas for Los Angeles: Vertical Gardens from a Chinatown Company more ›

Tomorrow, politicians and the media will test out the new 6-mile Gold Line Eastside Extension, but not before Metro's in-house media, former LA Times reporter Steve Hymon and transit blogger Fred Dennstedt, took a ride. In a post, they shared notes with the public. more ›

Hello, People's Republic! Santa Monica this week passed a new law banning cat declawing within city limits, reports the Santa Monica Daily Press. When it goes into effect in December, the city will be the second in California with such a ban. West Hollywood already has the law on the books and as of January 1st, 2010, a state law will go into effect restricting cities from making such a ban. more ›

Two men were shot as they headed into a North Hollywood temple for morning prayer early today. It was about 6:20 a.m. when the two Jewish men in their 30s were approached by a man who pulled a gun, which jammed at first, according to the LA Times. The men were shot in the lower torso and are listed in stable condition. Police do not believe it is a robbery and are investigating it as a hate crime. The synagogue is the Adat Yeshurun Valley Sephardic synagogue on the 12000 block of Sylvan Street. UPDATE: A man has been detained by police, but it is unknown if he is a suspect. Patrols have been kicked up around other synagogues as they determine of this was a solo or group effort. more ›

Other than their celebrity, what do Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Audrina Patridge, Orlando Bloom, Rachel Bilson, Brian Austin Green, Ashley Tisdale and Megan Fox all have in common. They were all victims of burglaries apparently committed by the same group, mostly made up of teens. more ›

But not to fear, if Huy Fong Foods Inc. leaves Rosemead, they won't be leaving the Los Angeles metro. As the Asian rooster-labled hot sauce grows more popular (they were grossing over 10 million a year back in 2005), Huy Fong is looking for a larger facility and has found one in Irwindale, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. We firmly believe this concoction of jalapeños, garlic, sugar, salt and vinegar is a staple in every home. It's just so ammmaaaaaazzzzing. more ›

Earlier this month the Wende Musuem installed 8 segments of the Berlin Wall in front of LACMA on Wilshire Blvd. This marks the longest stretch of the wall currently standing outside of Berlin. On November 8th, the 20th anniversary of the wall's falling will be commemorated via an event put on by the Wall Project, and more panels will be added to fully block Wilshire Blvd. Following an evening of activities and entertainment, at midnight the wall will be toppled, marking the anniversary, which will be broadcast live on German television. more ›

Metro is using their new blog the right way--with timely updates. From today: "The Gold Line is currently shut down between Highland Park and Southwest Museum stations. At about 1:15 p.m. an umbrella from a neighboring residence blew onto city power lines above train tracks, creating a potentially dangrous situation for the trains beneath. DWP, Fire Department and Metro officials are on the scene. Metro riders are advised to use either Metro bus lines 81 or 83 or to take the Gold Line to either Highland Park or Southwest Museum station and board buses that are shuttling passengers between the two stations. We’ll be posting updates as they occur." UPDATE: Trains are running on a single track, expect 10-15 min delays this afternoon, says the LA Times. more ›

Yesterday, state park officials began announcing plans for budget-saving reductions that begin Sunday. Some parks, including ones in the L.A. area, would lose lifeguards and see fewer hours or days of operation. However, Angeles District Superintendent Ron Schafer is mum on the details of said cuts. "We're working on plans that might help us avoid service reductions all together," he said over the phone, noting details should come next week. Local parks will operate as normal until then and hopefully after. more ›

LA Times columnist Steve Lopez teased us Monday about his adventure of getting recommendation approved for medical marijuana by a gynecologist and today his experience was told in full. An excerpt: I stood to show him where my back hurts. He asked me to bend down, and I demonstrated that I couldn't touch my toes, but I don't think he could see that. He hadn't moved from his seat. I pointed again to my lower back and asked if there were a disc that low. more ›

About 33,400 customers previously without power are good to go, now the LADWP has some 9,400 to go, as of 9 a.m. this morning. Other than isolated incidents here and there, the utility is reporting that 2,348 customers in Hollywood, 1,757 in Mar Vista and 1,031 in Northridge remain without power. more ›

Limited supplies of the in-demand H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine are forcing the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to be very strict in deciding who can get the preventative treatment at area clinics, reports the Daily Breeze. Thousands of people hoping to ward off the infectious virus have swarmed clinics and special vaccination events, however now individuals "not deemed at risk for swine flu are being asked to stay away from county-run vaccination clinics until more supplies become available." more ›

Sounds like a tame enough idea: Print up some t-shirts with the school mascot running and make a slogan out of one of those 800 numbers that uses words instead of digits. Only one of the parents from Linda Vista Elementary School in Yorba Linda decided to give the presumably made-up number a whirl and found that number was something else entirely, according to the Pasadena Star-News... more ›

Books on tape? Podcasts? Daydreaming? Favorite albums? Drivers who commute out of the Inland Empire have the most time on their hands to fill while making long treks to their workplace, according to recent census data. "The data said the commute is almost 42 minutes for workers from Lake Elsinore. For Riverside County, the commute is 31.6 minutes... more ›

Northridge: 1, 476There have been multiple reports of damage to buildings and due to fallen trees all over the city. At about 7 last night a tree fell onto the Pilgrim Community Church in South Los Angeles and as a result the "building has been red-tagged," reports abc7, noting that a tree fell onto a parked car at Burbank Boulevard and Topanga Canyon as well, and another in Long Beach. "In Pacoima, a camper broke the fall of a tree, and a Jack in the Box sign flew off at Sherman Way and Coldwater Canyon in North Hollywood."
more ›

The wind yesterday afternoon came in strong, running amok through Southland streets, making a mess of palm fronds and zapping the power our for tens of thousands. more ›

• Did you notice that it's a little windy out? Power has been knocked out at The Roxy and Rainbow Room in West Hollywood, forcing the closure of both for the night. Gusts are about 50 MPH in LA County and up in the Bay Area, a cable snapped on the Bay Bridge. Expect the conditions to last through tomorrow morning.
• And here are some wind safety tips from the L.A. Fire Department.
• If the city builds a garage on Broadway in downtown, the owner of the historic Los Angeles and Palace theatres will bring them back to life.

When Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger saved state parks from closing, it didn't mean he saved them from service cuts. Today, state park officials announced how they would deal with a $14.2 million budget cut: Superintendents for each district (for example, many of L.A.'s nearby parks are in the Angeles District, beaches in the OC and Ventura County are in the Orange Coast and Channel Coast districts, respectively) had to share the sacrifice and find cuts on a park-by-park basis. more ›

I’ll admit it. I’ve been pretty down since the final out of the NLCS. I simply could not shake my visions of Joe Torre sadly sipping his Bigelow green tea, Matt Kemp listening to sad early 90s R&B love ballads (in my mind it's Toni Braxton) and Andre Ethier staring dejectedly out the window of his plane back to Arizona. more ›

The road to legalizing marijuana for all in California takes another step tomorrow. The California Assembly Public Safety Committee tomorrow will hold an informational hearing "on the implications of taxing and regulating marijuana similarly to alcoholic beverages," according to a press release from Assemblymember Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), chair of the committee and author of the legislation. more ›

We've seen our fair share of aggressive behavior while taking the Red Line, but this video, taken between Hollywood and Highland and Universal City, is pretty disgusting. Sure the kids are acting like total brats and rudely harassing the woman (called the "crackhead" in this video), but does one of them deserve mace in the eye? more ›

Relative newcomers Black Gold are on tour with Girl in a Coma and will be hitting The Troubadour in West Hollywood this Sunday night. The Brooklyn-based duo hooked up after touring with Panic! at the Disco!, M. Ward, Ambulance LTD, and Rachael Yamagata, among others. Since their debut album in January, the group has been busy, releasing two EPs and a remix album in August. more ›

In 1993, after reading a book about homelessness, LA-resident Agnes Stevenson started teaching kids in a park in Santa Monica. From this book she learned that hundreds of thousands of children in the US do not attend school due to homelessness. And School on Wheels was born. more ›

From compost at Griffith Park to Silver Lake Salvage to amazing raw desserts at Cru, Your Daily Thread has put together a nice Neighborhood Green Guide "to navigate what is green, local, sustainable, organic and/or handmade in the areas of Atwater Village, Echo Park, Los Feliz and Silver Lake." The daily local green e-mail newsletter says more neighborhood guides are on the way. We hope they do downtown or the Southeast Valley next. more ›

On the agenda today for the City Council is consideration of a proposal that will "replace the city government's crash-prone e-mail system with a Google-based application," according to the Daily News. The impetus behind what some view as a costly or belated upgrade is the fact that the system they currently use, GroupWise, is often down and unreliable. more ›

A Los Angeles city council committee will look into the long-delayed outdoor smoking ban draft ordinance this morning. If approved, it will then move on to the full city council where if passed, the ban will go into affect after a six-month education campaign. Basically, the ban says no smoking--unless you're just walking by--within 10 feet of an established outdoor dining area (think restaurants and cafes with sidewalk dining or outdoor food courts). more ›

The National Weather Service says those hot temperatures from yesterday are just so... yesterday. A high wind warning will go into effect at 11 a.m., lasting 24-hours and bringing in nippier temperatures through tomorrow before they pick up again Thursday. In some areas of L.A. County, gusts of wind today could get up to 70 miles per hour. Temperatures in the immediate Los Angeles area today are expected to see highs in the high 60s to mid 70s. So wrap up in a scarf and don't forget your sandals. more ›

It's a big night for downtown Los Angeles, more specifically L.A. Live. 6 p.m.: "This Is It," the Michael Jackson documentary, premieres (some wonder if some movie premieres will move from Hollywood to downtown. The movie 2012 will premiere here next week.). | 7 p.m.: Lakers and Clippers open basketball season at the Staples Center | 9 p.m.: L.A. Live's newest addition, Regal Cinemas opens to the public. more ›

Traffic is still jammed on the 5 Freeway in Burbank after a big crash shortly before 6 a.m. this morning. A truck jackknifed, going through or over the center divider while hitting several cars in the process. The truck's cab caught fire, but injuries so far are reported to be minor to moderate, according to the Los Angeles Times. more ›

Chatsworth is Los Angeles. San Fernando is not. Hollywood is Los Angeles. West Hollywood is Not. Venice is Los Angeles. Marina del Rey is not. Studio City is Los Angeles. Culver City is not. Yesterday, NPR's All Things Considered decided to inform listeners about their NPR West studio's location, interviewing the very proud Andrew Weissman, mayor of Culver City more ›

After being caught by TMZ in another gotcha moment yesterday--she parked in a red curb zone for an hour--California's First Lady Maria Shriver quickly apologized: "I regret that I made a mistake. I take responsability for it," Shriver said in a statement. Cue end of story. more ›

Yeah, it definitely feels like that. And if you do get into the club, some health insurance providers punish you for getting older. And that makes some sense until you you find out "older" means 28 years old, necessitating a near 50 percent increase in monthly payments. But we digress. more ›

• On Saturday, the new Police Administration Building officially opened.
• A wine vineyard out in Westlake Village? Nice.
• Congrats! Water use in Pasadena over the summer dropped to the lowest levels since 1994.

The Amtrak Surfliner departed San Diego 10:35 a.m. last Saturday -- right on time. But Train 571, a weekend-only train filled with families and weekend adventurers, never made it to its final destination -- Union Station, LA. more ›

In an expose about TV news ratings, Variety's Michael Schneider digs into the current landscape, finding some interesting results: "According to the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, 52% of the public say they watch local TV news -- down from 64% in 1998. NBC affiliates in particular have been stung this fall; due to its low-rated 'Jay Leno Show' lead-in at 10 p.m., Los Angeles' KNBC has seen its late news drop 25% so far this fall in the adults 25-54 demo (the preferred measurement for local news)." KABC has dropped 17% for its 11 p.m. newscast, but KCBS is up 20%," perhaps in part because of parent CBS' strong primetime performance" and the duopoly with KCAL9. more ›

This Trader Joe's-inpsired cookbook has been out since 2008, but when spotted on a bookstore shelf last night, we got a bit giddy inside. It's L.A.'s favorite grocery store (based on the amount of comments Trader Joe's posts receive), so maybe this will be our favorite cookbook. So far, we're loving it. more ›

TMZ's latest Maria Shriver gotcha moment was published today after they observed her park an Escalade for one hour in a red zone while going to the doctor's office in Santa Monica. Miraculously, the aggressive parking enforcement people did not catch this. more ›

On Saturday, over 5,000 groups from around the world gathered for the International Day of Climate Action in an effort to bring attention to the Copenhagen Climate Talks ,scheduled for December when the Kyoto Treaty will be replaced (big question, will the U.S. sign it?). more ›

After weeks of drool-worthy anticipation, it's official: The Grilled Cheese Truck gets rolling tomorrow night at The Brig in Venice. The announcement came down overnight via Twitter: "Well, THE WAIT IS OVER AND IT'S TIME TO MELT! Who's busy Tuesday evening? Meet us on the westside....? CheesyMac&Rib w/ some tots anyone?" Of course, in typical 140-character's worth fashion, the details have been rolling out bit(e) by bit(e): "Here's the deal.World famous Brig to host our unveiling Tuesday night @830 til 1015 so we leave and make room for Kogi @1030. Short & sweet." more ›

Can't wait to read about this in his next column! more ›

The Department of Energy today released a list of awardees to receive stimulus funds for research on energy. 37 projects around the country were chosen because of their potential to "change the way we use and produce energy," the department said. Seven of those projects are in the state, two in Southern California. more ›

Unfortunately, sewage spills in the Long Beach area are all too often. The latest began this weekend when a sewage line began to leak on Saturday night. The waste entered the storm drain system and headed towards Shoreline Village at the mouth of the L.A. River. more ›

What a memorable year it has been for L.A. area soccer fans. It all started back in February with the will he/won't he? (stay in Italy) saga of David Beckham. Attention would once again be drawn to him upon his return to MLS in July, but in between, Chivas USA and the Galaxy were busy making their own headlines. more ›

Figures are in this morning for newspaper circulation nationwide, and the numbers reflect the downward trend symptomatic of a changing media landscape. Here in Los Angeles, the Times' circulation for a six-month period ending September 30th, "was at 657,467 for the Monday-Friday run," notes LA Observed, which shows an 11.05% drop from the same period for 2008. more ›

Metro this morning finally announced the long-awaited opening of the Gold Line's Eastside Extension between downtown Los Angeles to East L.A. After the traditional inaugural ride with government officials and media in tow the day before, the six-mile line will be open to the public with free rides on Sunday, November 15th. more ›

Swept up in the good time-y vibes surely prevalent during last night's heavily-touted U2 concert at the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took a couple of opportunities to share his exuberance over the occasion via Twitter. Villaraigosa and his girlfriend, KTLA reporter Lu Parker, were among the approximately 96,000 fans who packed the Pasadena stadium to see one of the last engagements in the rock band's "360 Tour" with support from the Black Eyed Peas. more ›

• A man was arrested for the death of an unborn child. His arrest came after an investigation of the "suspicious circumstances of a miscarriage". He is being held on $2 million bail.
• If you have questions about the huge concern surrounding the swine flu, here are a few answers that may help.
• Some neo-Nazi's and their counter-protesters clashed at a Riverside Home Depot. Police in riot gear had to break up the rally as insults and eventually punches were thrown.

A 2 - 0 victory over San Jose Earthquakes last night at the Home Depot Center clinched the Western Conference Title for the Galaxy for the first time since 2002. more ›

• H1N1, aka The Swine Flu, has been declared a National Emergency; President Obama made the proclamation earlier today.
• An apparent gang shooting last night near Compton Avenue and East 92nd Street has left three people wounded.
• Eight people in Long Beach have been treated for a rare form of typhus, but health officials say all the patients have recovered.

The Los Angeles Police Department's new home in Downtown is a state-of-the-art facility that has been the topic of much praise and scrutiny since construction began in 2007. Today, however, the building, which has yet to be graced with an official name, will be opened in a public ceremony helmed by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and outgoing Chief William Bratton. "At the 10 a.m. ceremony, Bratton will welcome the public to tour the new building," notes abc7, which is thought to be the most expensive and modern police facility in the country. more ›

MLS regular season play ends this weekend and with a single game left for both the Galaxy and Chivas USA, their respective playoff seedings and opponents are yet to be determined. more ›

• While the cases of swine flu and the demand for the vaccinations soar... Supplies of the precious vaccine remain scarce.
• Although in an attempt to help lower income families and the uninsured out, more than 3,000 people were able to get free vaccinations.
• Thanks to a little generosity and a little creativity, photographic beauty is being found and shot in Skid Row.

The largest mass of sand dunes in California just became more accessible with the opening of a new road today. The Bureau of Land Management opened the newly constructed Wash Road in the Imperial Sand Dunes near the southeastern corner of the state. The 15 MPH corridor, which leads to camp sites, parallels a road on a Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way no longer accessible to the public. more ›

The LAPD is setting up two sobriety & drivers license checkpoints this weekend. As always, just don't drink and drive and you'll be fine. Between 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. tonight, police will set a checkpoint up on Figueroa Street between 8th and 9th streets. Tomorrow in Cahuenga Pass between Hollywood and the Universal City area, a checkpoint will be set up... more ›

Police have set up a large perimeter in the Carthay Circle neighborhood as they search for an armed suspect thought to be hiding in the area. Shots were fired around 2:20 p.m. and at this point, there are no reported victims, according to LAPD's media relations. The perimeter is focused in the area around Fairfax and Olympic. more ›

KABC-TV is reporting a shooting death in front of a Van Nuys apartment building that has left one person dead. Two suspects, one reported to be a female, were apparently seen running eastbond on Vanowen towards Sepulveda. LAPD Media Relations has few details at the moment. Also: The Los Angeles Fire Depatment is reporting the death of a man in his 60's who was apparently was killed in a trash compactor at 8201 N. Woodley Ave., near the Van Nuys Airport. more ›

If your plans for tonight included hanging out around the Coliseum or USC, you might want to change them, unless of course, you have a pair of running shoes in the trunk of your car. At the stroke of midnight, runners will hit the pavement on the streets adjacent to the Coliseum and USC to participate in the worldwide running phenomena known as the Nike+ Human Race. more ›

After a hot mess of a meeting between the L.A. City Council, AEG and City Attorney Carmen Trutanich's office, the council unanimously approved sign permits for AEG. Attorneys with Trutanich say this action, an exception as they put it, will open the city up to more lawsuit fodder from the billboard industry. They're probably right. Nevertheless, this particular drama has ended, setting the path for the opening of Regal Cinemas, which will play the Michael Jackson film "This is It" on all 14 screens. Eric Richardson at blogdowntown live blogged the trainwreck of a meeting--see all the drama here. more ›

Last week Thursday, Devin Petelski was driving in Venice when her car and an LAPD vehicle collided. She and the two officers were sent to the hospital where she died two days later. The officer driving the car suffered a fractured hand and lacerations to his elbow while the other officer was treated for abrasions and general pain. more ›

Irvine's effort to turn the former 4,700-acre El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into the 21st Century's famed park just got a major boost. $65.5 million in construction projects were approved yesterday, paving the way for facilities to open in 2010 and 11. more ›

The Yellow-Legged Frog is one of the endangered species found within the Angeles National Forest. With the Station Fire now past and mudslides a concern, U.S. Fish and Wildlife service officials are relocating some of the frogs until their home is more stable, reports the Pasadena Star News. Other endangered species in the forest include the unarmored threespine stickleback (it's a fish), the Arroyo toad and the Santa Ana suckerfish. LAist covered the frogs last December. more ›

In the process to make L.A. Live a reality, AEG has been going through the city for permits and approvals for eight years. Now with a moratorium on billboards upheld by a judge, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich is fighting the installation of six digital billboards at the new 14-screen Regal Cinemas theatre, set to open on Wednesday. Today, the LA Times editorial board chimes in on the issue: more ›

For an airport that looks horrible, operates terribly and still has no train connection, who would be surprised at the latest poll results? Based on an online survey taken by 14,000 members and world travelers of Priority Pass, LAX came in number three behind London's Heathrow Airport and Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris. more ›

A video of a San Bernardino police officer striking a man with his baton multiple times as he lays on the ground with another officer on top of him has surfaced on the net and has been picked up by TV stations. more ›

UCLA officials are reporting that the 20-year-old female student who was stabbed and slashed earlier this month was released from the hospital on Sunday. The unidentified junior biochemistry major was said to be in "good condition." more ›

• The Angels beat the Yankees, 7-6, in Game 5 tonight. New York still leads in the American League Championship Series at 3-2.
• Oh, really? TMZ finds that two girls, aged 18 and 19, have been arrested in connection to burglaries at the homes of Lindsay Lohan and Audrina Patridge. They also might be connected to similar incidents at Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom and Rachel Bilson.
• The city's flower enforcement division?

Richard Ramirez, better known as the Night Stalker, sits on death row for 13 murders in Southern California from two decades ago, but that number might change as police in San Francisco identified him as a suspect in a cold case murder today. DNA has connected him and a possible second and unknown suspect to the rape and murder of an 8-year-old girl in April 1984, two months before his first known murder in Los Angeles' Glassell Park neighborhood. more ›

For those who plan on getting the H1N1 vaccine and fit into the priority group categories, but don't have insurance, are underinsured or could just use a free dose, rotating free clinics in Los Angeles County open tomorrow. Only a handful are open each day, rotating in different parts of the region. more ›

And the War of Words over use of taxpayer money for the Michael Jackson memorial continues.... “If going after your money is being a bully, then I’m a bully; I have no problem doing that,” City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said in speech to members of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce at City Hall. “We wasted a lot of dough on the Michael Jackson memorial. We wasted a lot of money." more ›

Sport Illustrated's Jon Heyman is reporting that Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has fired his soon-to-be ex-wife Jamie McCourt as CEO of the team in the last two days. Both are expected to fight long and hard for control of the team. The first shots of the divorce has now commenced. Let's get the popcorn ready. more ›

In a unanimous vote, the Metro Board approved the Long Range Transportation Plan this afternoon. The document will guide transit planning in Los Angeles County for the next 30 years. One amendment was introduced and ultimately approved as well. Among a number of changes it brought, the most notable is a commitment to try to open the Gold Line Foothill Extension from Pasadena to Azusa before 2017. more ›

After a heartbreaking loss, it’s best to take a giant step back. It’s best to look at a failure against the backdrop of the season as a whole. The first conclusion I reached was, “At least we aren’t Washington Nationals fans”. more ›

A volunteer opportunity for those who can handle the adrenaline: "Ventura County Search and Rescue East Valley Team 3 (VCSAR 3) is comprised of highly dedicated and skilled volunteers who are able to respond to wilderness emergencies in Ventura County. VCSAR 3 team members are extensively trained in search techniques, technical rope rescue, tracking, swiftwater rescue, communications, winter operations, urban search and rescue, and search management." more ›

In response recent promises of strict medical marijuana enforcement from City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and District Attorney Steve Cooley, the Marijuana Policy Project quickly hired an an independent firm to poll L.A. County voters on the issue. No surprises here, 74 percent support the California's medical marijuana law with 54 percent in support of marijuana being legalized for all, just the way Governor Schwarzenegger wants it. more ›

As we noted yesterday, downtown Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village/Agoura Hills will be hosts for the 2010 Amgen Tour of California (it will also include a stage from Pasadena to Big Bear Lake). Announced this morning, here is the full route and all of its 750-mile glory: more ›

Metro is expected to pass the Long Range Transportation Plan at this mornings meeting, which began at 9:30 a.m. As Streetsblogger Damien Newton explains, the plan "will cement the timeline for local funding from Measure R for projects and allow the agency to apply for Federal and State funds." Basically, if voted upon, the document will be the guiding force for the development of transit in L.A. for years to come. more ›

The Governor's Office is webcasting the live the press conference where Schwarzenegger will sign legislation exempting developers from environmental laws, which has delayed the project. The Governor's office calls the project a "green project." Although today's legislation will pave way for this "shovel-ready" and "privately financed" project (that they say will bring 18,000 jobs), the LA Times notes that developers Majestic Realty might have trouble getting "construction loans amid the credit crunch." more ›

A big fight has been brewing between City Attorney Carmen Trutanich and AEG, which owns L.A. Live in downtown. Earlier this summer, Trutanich came to a city council meetings and announced that there were "civil and criminal aspects" with tax payer money being used for the Michael Jackson Memorial. He was mum in public about said crimes, but AEG President Tim Leiweke alleges the City Attorney has been bullying the company around, according to a big story in the L.A. Times today. more ›

Big operation in South L.A. this morning. The LAPD along with the FBI conducted an 18-month investigation leading up to todays sweep called Operation 40 Ounces to Freedom. 46 of the 75 gang members sought have been arrested, according to ABC7. more ›

For the second consecutive season, the Dodgers fall to the Phillies in the NLCS in five games. All that remains of a season filled with promise and optimism is a pool of disappointment. more ›

• The LAPD is cutting ties with Learning For Life, the group that runs their Explorers, because they have ties to the Boy Scouts of America which bans gays from becoming members.
• After more than 16 months, Santa Monica Police have made headway in a murder case. (KNBC.com Video)
• A 59 year-old Brea woman had to be recovered from behind piles of trash in her apartment after she died of natural causes.

Watch out, they're back. On Sunday the latest in Tea Party protests will hit Los Angeles as part of another bus tour across the country. The traveling two-plus week event, which will be in its first day, promises to "highlight some of the worst offenders in Congress who have voted for higher spending, higher taxes, and government intervention in the lives of American families and businesses," according to its website. Continued: "Let’s stand up and stop the bailouts, cap and trade, out-of-control spending, government-run healthcare, and higher taxes! We’re back and determined to take our country back!" more ›

The Los Angeles Fire Department is reporting a 1-acre fire near the neighborhood of Tujunga in the Northeast Valley. First reported at 5:09 p.m. from the 6300 block of Day Street, the fire is burning in steep rugged terrain. Over the phone, LAFD Spokesman Brian Humphrey says the nearest home to flames is about one mile away, therefore no evacuations have been ordered. more ›

City Attorney Carmen Trutanich wants the City Council to pass the latest proposed ordinance aimed at regulating medical marijuana dispensaries (you can read that ordinance in full, embedded below). more ›

Although it has not been officially announced, LAist has learned that the Amgen Tour of California bicycle race will go through at least two Southern California cities next year during its new date in May. Downtown Los Angeles and the cities of Thousand Oaks (home to the sponsor, Amgen), Agoura Hills, Westlake will play host to the race's fifth year. The full route is expected to be announced tomorrow morning at a series of events throughout the state, but organizers are encouraging fans of the race to follow four Twitter accounts tomorrow morning to be up to date on the latest news. more ›

Tomorrow, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the bill that will exempt developers of the proposed NFL stadium from some environmental laws, reports James Wagner at the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Once the law goes into affect, Ed Roski's Majestic Realty will be able to break ground on the 600-acre project, which has been delayed a year and one half. more ›

After wiping out 100 percent of domestic violence funds in the state budget over the summer, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign a bill tomorrow that will restore funding. more ›

This weekend is the big two-day music festival and cannabis expo at the San Manuel Amphitheater and police are ready to make arrests. Cypress Hills, Slipnot, Deftones among many other bands are playing alongside the Cannibus Cup, Medical Marijuana Expo and 4:20 Movie Night. In a statement, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department warns against any recreational use of the drug. "Further, there is no provision in the law for the use of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle, whether someone possesses a doctor's recommendation for the drug or not." more ›

There's a little controversy brewing up in San Francisco about the naming of neighborhoods and New York-like acronyms. One of the grittier neighborhoods called the Western Addition has been unofficially renamed by real estate agents to be called NoPa, or North of Panhadle. more ›

It's very common for reporters to cross the line and become communicators for agencies they once reported on and investigated. Today comes the news that Metro is launching their blog (finally!) with two notable names behind it. From the LA Times is Steve Hymon, the paper's former transit reporter. And from the blogLAsphere is Fred Camino, the downtown resident who created the blog MetroRiderLA. It's called The Source and Metro says it "is your window into what's happening at" the agency. "We'll be writing about agency news, funding and policy issues, and how to get the most out of transit and Los Angeles." more ›

This week, the Metro Transportation Library debuted an impressive set of historical maps depicting transit lines and proposals for routes and systems. Among the multiple versions of our current subway system and systems long come and gone is a proposed monorail from 1960, the transit vision for LA in 1974, the map produced based on the Kelker-Deleuw study of 1925 (when the city's first subway was built), and a map from the time when the Red Line was called the Orange Line. more ›

A second water main break occurred last night in the Hollywood Hills, a few miles drive east from an earlier break. LADWP crews cleared the "slow leak" break on Packwood Trail off Mulholland Drive by 2:30 a.m., more ethan four hours after the break was reported. Earlier on Tuesday, a break prompted the closure of Mulholland Drive in the Sherman Oaks and Bel-Air Crest areas. Two others were reported in South L.A. more ›

E-mails obtained by the LA Times indicate that director Roman Polanski is likely to be extradited to the U.S. to face sentencing in his thirty-year-old child sex case. “While the Swiss officials cannot speak for the judge, the extradition will likely be ordered based upon the facts submitted in our papers,” read an e-mail between two employees in the district attorney's office from two weeks ago. That package may have also included information about judicial misconduct, as alleged by Polanski ad his lawyers and requested by Swiss officials. more ›

• A two-car accident on Friday night between a vehicle and an LAPD cruiser left a young woman dead in Venice. Lots of questions are being asked.
• Foodie Alert in NoHo: Barsac Brasserie is now Firenze Osteria with Top Chef season five contestant Fabio Viviani partly behind the operation.
• Oh really? "This airport will not be world-class until we have public transportation that connects to the airport. Part of this plan does include extending the Green Line into the airport and that will be a project that will happen eventually."

The swine flu-releated death of a 4-year-old boy in Santa Barbara over the weekend has some worried as large shipments of vaccine has yet to arrive to the coastal county. This comes as the CDC today announced statistics about the age populations most affected by H1N1. 53 percent of the hospitalizations are people 25 years and younger while 39 percent are people aged 25 to 64 and 7 percent are 65 plus. Today's catch phrase is that this is a "young persons disease." more ›

Following the arrest of Alfonzo Landa earlier this month, officials today announced the identify of 23-year-old Ricardo Hernandez. A $50,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest of those involved was announced in late September, a couple days after the murder. more ›

A warning, of sorts, came from a delegation of local members of congress today. Two mainstream media headlines begin to the tell the story. From this morning, the Pasadena Star News: 14 SoCal congressional leaders call for prioritizing Gold Line And this afternoon from the LA Times: Mayor's effort to fast-track Westside subway faces challenge more ›

The body of 42-year-old Zoltan Tombol was found today after a couple days of searching in the Cleveland National Forest. Tombol, an L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy described as being in in exquisite shape, went missing Sunday night when he went hiking. Officials have been mum about any speculation to the cause of death, but when his truck was found yesterday, there were no signs of foul play. An autopsy will be performed tomorrow. more ›

The suspected arsonist in the Old Fire that scorched some 90,000 acres of the San Bernardino Mountains was indicted by a jury on 5 counts of murder today. Six people died and 1,000 homes were lost in the October 2003 blaze. Months later on a rainy Christmas day, 14 people died when debris flows swept through a Church camp. more ›

There are some staff changes happening at the Times this week. Tina Daunt, who wrote at the paper for 20 years, is among an unknown number of people laid off. Last night, she wrote on her blog: more ›

Thanks to a U2 concert at the Rose Bowl this Sunday evening, train service will be extended into the wee hours of Monday morning. 100,000 people are expected to descend upon the stadium and officials with the Rose Bowl and Live Nation--both which paid for the extended service--are encouraging fans to take public transit. more ›

Landon Donovan, star forward for the L.A. Galaxy and U.S. Men's National Team, has been named 2009 Honda Player of the Year for his achievements with the U.S. Men's National Team. It is the sixth time the speedy forward has won the award after first earning it in 2002. It was further announced that his dominance throughout these years has also earned him a second award: Honda Player of Decade. Congratulations to Landon! more ›

16-year-old Natalie Innocenzi from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy became the 92nd Rose Queen, officials with Tournament of Roses announced this morning. 1,000 girls tried out with only seven making it to the Royal Court. Innocenzi will ride on the Macy's Float during the festivities on New Year's Day. more ›

Fearing that she would turn him in, Joe Saenz kidnapped, raped and murdered the mother of his child, leaving her body at his grandma's house. That was in 1998, just days after he killed two rival gang members on the Eastside. more ›

The Dodgers and their general manager Ned Colletti agreed to a contract extention the Dodgers announced today. The terms of the contract extension has not been announced yet. In the midst of the McCourts' impending divorce it is just one sign of reassurance for the Dodger faithful. Colletti is the first Dodger general manager to see his teams reach the playoffs three times in four seasons, and is one of three active general managers to do so in his first four seasons: New York Yankee's Brian Cashman and Boston Red Sox Theo Epstein being the other two. more ›

Welcome to National Primate Liberation Week, which a UCLA press release describes as "when extremists typically post and distribute misleading or false information about animal research." more ›

Since 2 a.m. this morning, thee more pipes have burst, prompting more road closures, reports the LA Times. One burst on Mulholland Drive between Coldwater and Beverly Glen--another two broke in South LA at 83rd and Wall streets and Florence and Van Ness avenues. Yesterday afternoon, an LADWP water leak closed a portion of Rinaldi Street in Porter Ranch. So far, no conclusive word on why these are happening at such a destructive rate. more ›

Remember how Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took two vacations over the summer? First there was one to Iceland and then another to Africa. That bugged KTLA's Eric Spillman enough to go digging for costs, if any, to taxpayers. more ›

The Dodgers lost yesterday, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead in the series, but if our boys in blue win tomorrow, the playoff series comes back to Los Angeles for games on Friday and if need be, on Saturday. That said, Dodgers officials today are releasing 6,000 tickets for the two potential games. The cheapest tickets go for $51. Go, go Dodgers! more ›

LAX officials yesterday finalized plans for the fourth FlyAway route that will take passengers to and from Irvine. Beginning November 16th, the one-way 50-mile trip will cost $25 for adults (they won't accept cash, credit or debit only). Each fare allows for two students 8th grade and under to ride for free. Children under five also ride free. more ›

Big, but not surprising news snuck out yesterday about the 250-square mile Station Fire. After a cold front and a few days of rain, containment finally reached 100 percent last Friday evening. more ›

One stinking out. That’s all the Dodgers needed. The Dodgers had closer Jonathan Broxton who has been one of the more reliable players they had to hold a slim 4-3 lead. He came in the eighth inning to get out of a two-on, two-out jam and got Jayson Werth to fly out to right field. Good going so far. more ›

• Turns out those "gunshots" heard this morning at an Oxnard courthouse was actually the sound of nearby construction.
• Talk about a "get off my darn lawn!" moment: A bobcat strolled through one Irivine yard recently. Yikes!
• The police have nabbed two suspects whom they believe are the duo using Craigslist to find targets for home-invasion robberies.

As city staff gears up for a series of public meetings seeking input on the draft master bicycle plan for Los Angeles, cyclists are coming together, advocating for the process to be extended into 2010. "The plan is 6 months late, and we only have six weeks to submit comments?" noted Dr. Alex Thompson on his bicycle blog the day it was released. more ›

Mother Nature is taunting us as she does best. After an earlier-than-expected season opening for Mammoth Mountain on Friday, officials had to close the popular skiing spot down as warmer temperatures made a return. "After a big storm earlier this week and great skiing and riding on Friday, record breaking warm temperatures rolled in, wreaking havoc on our snow in the process," a statement from the resort read. However, a storm in the near future could bring back the snow and lower temperatures. more ›

Stephanie Pratt can add one more dubious claim to fame to her resume after an early Sunday morning arrest that took place outside a Hollywood nightclub, according to On The Red Carpet. Pratt, 23, the blonde fashion-student and sibling of the notoriously unlikeable Spencer Pratt (one half of the "Speidi" duo comprised of him and his starlet wife Heidi; LAist Interview) was "booked at the Van Nuys jail" and "released a few hours later after posting $5,000 bail." more ›

In a seven game series, the winning team needs four victories to advance to the next round. Although the Phillies hold only a 2-1 series advantage, make no mistake: Tonight is a must-win for this Dodgers squad. Following last night’s public execution of Hiroki Kuroda, the Boys in Blue are reeling. more ›

The office supply store, which first purchased the naming rights to the Staples Center in 1997, has scored a deal with AEG to keep their name on LA's busiest arena in perpetuity. The original agreement was $100 million for a mere 20 years. Exact terms of the new arrangement have not been disclosed. It's the first time a major-market arena has inked a lifetime deal. more ›

A superior court judge today told Los Angeles city officials in a preliminary injunction that they were the ones breaking the law, not a medical marijuana dispensary that was told it could not operate under a 2007 moratorium--since extended twice--banning new medical marijuana facilities. more ›

Cliff Lee started. Cliff Lee pitched. Cliff Lee conquered. On the upside the Dodgers didn't waste a good start by a starting pitcher. Phillies lead 2-1 in the NLCS, and the sky isn't falling. more ›

Yesterday morning, authorities in Larimer County, Colorado, revealed that they are pursuing a criminal investigation of Thursday's "Balloon Boy" incident, when the Heene family allegedly led the Sheriff's Department, the media, and stunned viewers all over the world, to believe their 6-year-old son Falcon was drifting over the countryside in a home-made weather balloon. While no charges have been filed yet, patriarch Richard Heene could face a hefty laundry list of accusations, including several felonies. more ›

Social security numbers, evidence, witness information and more are stored in a parking structure accessible by civilian employees and some visitors at the LAPD's Southwest Division. Over at the Northeast Division, more of the same near the employee main entrance. more ›

In a major switch from the Bush Administration, Attorney General Eric Holder in a memo today told agencies in 14 states to stop prioritizing raids and cases against those who comply with state medical marijuana laws. It's not a good use of time, the three-page legal memo said, urging that criminals should be the focus of any efforts. more ›

Friday's Freshman-Sophomore football game between Hollywood High School and West Adams Prep ended abruptly when player Spencer Juarez collapsed on the sidelines, with just two minutes of play left. The game was halted, and paramedics were called to transport the teen to Children's Hospital. Teammates say "Juarez had just taken a hit, and as he was jogging back to the sidelines, he fell over," but just what caused the student to collapse... more ›

A 21-year-old man was killed in Northridge yesterday when a vehicle pulled up and began opening fire, possibly mistaking the victim for someone else. About one half hour earlier, two groups of black males got into a verbal dispute at the corner of White Oak Avenue and Lassen Street. One group fled when they realized the other group was armed with handguns. Most ran across the street to take cover on a church's grounds. more ›

Times might be tough, but at LAX, making good use of the aging Tom Bradley International Terminal is proving to be tougher. Today, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners are "expected to approve $1.13 billion in construction contracts to revitalize facilities for international travelers at Los Angeles International Airport and build new gates to accommodate the next generation of large commercial planes," according to LA Now. more ›

• A 19 year-old San Bernardino man died after police used a taser on him.
• A Sun Valley woman who barricaded herself after being surrounded by SWAT was found inside after apparently shooting herself.
• Reality "star" Kourtney Kardashian apparently had her home broken into. She returned home to find boxes and containers opened up and a lot of jewelery missing.

The 25th Annual AIDS Walk Los Angeles gets underway officially at 10 o'clock this morning, but streets in West Hollywood are already closed to drivers and will remain so for a large portion of the day. If your travels today are in the vicinity, plan some alternate routes. Here's the route map to show you where to go to cheer on the walkers--or what part of town to avoid today. more ›

A Hollywood High School football player died yesterday afternoon after being hospitalized when he collapsed during Friday night's game against West Adams Prep, according to LA Now. more ›

Set pieces prove costly last night for Chivas USA and they are forced to settle for a 2 - 2 tie against the lowly San Jose Earthquakes. "It was a weird game, I thought. We started well, we got ourselves a goal. We were sensing that any second we would score the second, then for a second we fall asleep, on a free kick and the game is tied 1 - 1," said Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic. Preki's comments were on the mark. more ›

• Gov. Schwarzenegger is expected to approve the environmental waiver that would allow a 75k-seat stadium to be built in Los Angeles.
• There was a 3.2 magnitude earthquake in the Oxmard-Port Hueneme area last night.
• Detectives in the Santa Clarita Valley are working to determine the cause of death and identity of the partially decomposed human remains found near a bike path near the South Fork trail.

Los Angeles-based artist Shepard Fairey might be left with only his "hope" when it comes to the suit and counter-suit battles being waged in court right now regarding his iconic adaptation of a photograph of Barack Obama for use in his 2008 Presidential campaign. more ›

A standoff that began at around 10:40 last night ended just before 6 this morning outside an apartment building in North Hollywood where a man who'd been believed to have shot his wife was holed up. LAPD officers and members of the SWAT team and bomb squad units were "met by neighbor Nick Wilcox, who told them some bullets came through his apartment wall," at the building on the 6500 block of Simpson Avenue, according to KTLA. more ›

MLS regular season play ends next Sunday, but although both L.A. sides have already secured a playoff spot, much is still left to be settled between themselves and the Houson Dynamo. more ›

more ›

For seven innings, game two of the National League Championship Series was a game played to Renoir-esque beauty. For the players in the game and the diehard fans, the beauty of this pitcher’s duel couldn’t fully be appreciated. But from afar it was a complete piece of art. But the Dodgers stayed persistent and used the ugly strokes painted by the Phillies reliever and defense to come away with a 2-1 victory tying up the series 1-1. more ›

The pop-up museum that is Environmentaland is going away after Wednesday. It's a nicely done and unique project by Global Inheritance. The interactive museum (or theme park, as they describe) has stuff like bikes that you pedal to create different kinds of energy, a design your own recycling bin area and a taste test that let's you see the difference between sustainable and regular food. more ›

Curbed LA caught the installation of some panels from the Berlin Wall at 5900 Wilshire Blvd., across from LACMA: "The exhibition is part of Culver City-based Wende Museum's commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Wall... When finished (a total of 10 panels will go up), the exhibition will constitute the largest concentration of Berlin Wall panels outside of Europe." more ›

White House leaders are coming to Los Angeles on Sunday to continue his tour for his National HIV/AIDS Community Discussion. "These Discussions, hosted by the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), offer the public a chance to provide input as the White House works to fulfill the President’s pledge to develop a National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS)," explains a White House press release. more ›

USC's digital online news website Neon Tommy began a new series today called Democracy in Action where reporters visit field offices of L.A.'s state legislators. "Our goal is to see what goes on in a two-hour period on a routine day," they explain. For the first post, Jessica Flores visited Assemblyman Mike Davis' field office, finding that the simplest of questions were the hardest to find answers to. Perhaps this is just one of the many symptoms why Sacramento is fucked: more ›

So apparently the Heene family made an attempt for the Hollywood life (and that's besides their appearance on ABC's Wife Swap). They rented a Burbank home from June 2006 until June 2007, according to Carrie Cavalier, who met the father, Richard Heene, when she was hired to take his headshots. more ›

After Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger slashed 100 percent of funding for domestic violence programs in California, shelters began making plans to cut services or worse, shut doors. In Santa Clairta, the local shelter laid off some employees and moved offices to save on rent. more ›

For those who travel the 10 freeway in the wee hours of the morning, take note. Caltrans will be closing westbound lanes between Puente Avenue and the 605 Freeway (map) all next week. Specifically, between 11:59 p.m. and 4 a.m. Monday through Friday. It's for the $114-million HOV lane project, which is expected to be finished in winter 2012. When done, the car pool lanes will whisk passengers between the 605 and Puente Avenue in both directions. more ›

For four days, 74-year-old Mostafa Mahmoud Zayed was seen slumped over his balcony in Marina del Rey. Neighbors, who saw him on Monday, didn't think much of it--it was a dummy for Halloween, after all. more ›

A Thursday night water main break in the Hollywood Hills left about 20 people without water through this morning, reports the Daily News. The six-inch main burst in the Mount Olympus area in the Hollywood Hills affecting about 20 customers. No streets were closed. more ›

Although his paintings were allegedly stolen fro his westside home last month, Richard L. Weisman waived the $25 million he could have gotten under his insurance policy, reports the Los Angeles Times. more ›

Since taking office, President Obama has visited Los Angeles a couple of times, but today is his first San Francisco visit. Tonight will be a National HIV/AIDS Community Discussion at UCSF, which offers a chance for the public to provide input on combatting the disease. The White House says that more than 56,000 new HIV infections occurs each year in the U.S. Obama has three goals in his effort to... more ›

The Dodgers walked seven Phillies, four of which would end up scoring. Offensively the Dodgers went 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and leaving 10 runners on base while the Phillies went 3-for-5 with RISP with five runners left of base. Mistakes hurt teams more in the postseason. All of that was evident in the Phillies 8-6 victory over the Dodgers in the game one slugfest of the National League Championship Series. more ›

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was on tonight's episode of Jeopardy and interestingly enough, a full category was dedicated to his alma mater, UCLA. To say the least, he got a little too excited when answering the first question. Good times, good times. more ›

In an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, "Balloon Boy" Falcon Heene was asked why he didn't come out from the garage attic when his parents called for him. In response, the 6-year-old said, "Um. You guys said that, hrm, we did this for a show." more ›

The first National League playoff game has just begun and while tens of thousands of eyeballs are glued to the game right now, there are plenty who are not. Maybe they don't care or maybe they are waiting to watch it on Tivo at home. And if you're part of the latter group, some digital billboards might ruin it all for you. more ›

When you write lyrics that say, in essence, that "faggots" should "get up and run" because "they have to die," it's fair to say people will get upset. Adding that you will shoot them in the head and "burn them up bad" doesn't help either. But that's part of Buju Banton's “Boom, Bye Bye” song, which has prompted gay rights groups to effectively pressure promoters to cancel 16 concerts across the country. more ›

It has been a long wait for Dodger fans. The Phillies pushed the Dodgers around last year in the 2008 NLCS. Philadelphia made short work of the Boys in Blue, sending them home in just five games. And it wasn't that close. more ›

Good Day LA’s Steve Edwards is a huge Dodger fan. He’s also an honest Dodger fan. While 3,000,000 confirmed they were at Dodger Stadium on that fateful night Kirk Gibson hit his iconic home run exactly 21 years ago today, Edwards admits the truth. “You know that shot of when he hits it you see the parking lights of the cars go on in the parking lot,” Edwards asks. “I was already out of the ballpark. I was in my car the moment it happened. more ›

If Metro's regional connector project is built, passengers will be able to commute between Pasadena and Long Beach without transferring from the Gold Line to the Red Line, then the Blue Line. Likewise, those traveling between East LA and Culver City (and maybe someday Santa Monica) will be able to skip a similar transfer process. That means faster travel times and more accessibility car-free. more ›

Unfortunately, Falcon Keene has not been found. The 6-year-old set off a national news frenzy today when he was thought to be in an experimental balloon flying across the Denver metro, but when it landed, no one was inside. Did he fall? Is he hiding? No one knows yet, but we hope he is alright. more ›

This is entirely strange, bizarre and truly frightening. A 6-year-old Colorado boy apparently climbed into a hot-air balloon (of sorts) that floated away. Commentators on CNN predict it's going 40 miles per hour at 10,000 feet elevation. There is also speculation that the boy (his name is Falcon Heen) may have fallen out, according to a sibling who said the balloon's door was left open as it took off. Craig Kennedy, a hot air balloon expert, agrees, hypothesizing that if the boy was actually on board, it wouldn't be flying so topsy-turvy like. more ›

Have a frank talk with an LADWP official this month and they'll tell you it's been a tough few weeks. The perception of the city-owned utility has gone downhill amid a series of water main breaks, the sudden resignation of David Nahai (however, with a comfy consulting gig) and one moderate rainstorm knocking out electricity service to nearly 50,000 customers. more ›

Is Menchies going to overtake Pinkberry in Los Angeles? It was not that long ago when it was a franchise of one in Valley Village. Now they're opening it's 19th location in Chatsworth, which is the 11th for the L.A. area (and there are plans to open five more from Granada Hills to Beverly Hills to Santa Monica). more ›

Today is the state's largest-ever earthquake drill ever. Some 6.8 million people are signed up to participate in the simple, but important process of dropping, covering and holding on. You don't need really don't need to sign up, but listening to this video from the Great California Shakeout may help when a large quake starts shaking--hopefully in your sudden freakout, you remember these tips. more ›

UCLA Chancellor Gene D. Block yesterday wrote an open letter to the community in follow up to last week's stabbing incident. Although he offers no specific details on the case, he does explain how the process is supposed to work: more ›

Watch out, Los Angeles. We might be having a Raider Nation soon enough (or hey, maybe even get back the Chargers). In a legislative session yesterday, the state's senate approved a bill that "would grant the 75,000-seat stadium project an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act, the environmental law that governs development," according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. more ›

Although there were some gains in features and commercial shoots, overall film-production dropped in the third quarter of 2009 compared to 2008, according to statistics released yesterday. In all, there were 9,680 permitted production days from July to September compared to 11,300 recorded in the same time period last year--that's a 14.3 percent drop. more ›

As we have been saying, if you're not heading up to Mammoth to ski, you'll be down here for the expected hot temps this weekend. The moderate rainstorm of the past couple days is creeping away and the heat is coming back. Expect temperatures from the 70s to even maybe the low 90s, depending on where you live (beachside, valleyside?). And as nice as the weather will be, is it a good idea to go swimming in the ocean? Some say not after the rain. more ›

t’s a rematch in the National League Championship Series! It’s the Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies! Last year the Phillies came to the series being the cock of the walk physically intimidating the young Dodgers by pitching inside. While Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda shot back in game three, the tone had been set. The Phillies were going to take the pennant, and the Dodgers could do nothing but stand there. more ›

Fox Sport's baseball insider Ken Rosenthal is reporting that the Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Dodgers CEO Jamie McCourt have already started divorce proceedings. He also reports that the separation is not amicable. A source told Rosenthal, "They've already 'lawyered' up. They're trashing each other terribly. It's going to be World War III." more ›

• In the midst of Dodger preparation for the National League Championship, the Dodger owners are preparing for a separation?
• Two areas of Long Beach are looking to join the OC. It could come down to a matter of dollars and cents.
• Is it really true? The beginning of the end for reality TV?

ESPN's hall-of-fame baseball analyst Peter Gammons went on The Michael Kay Show based in New York City to talk about postseason baseball. What came out of his mouth at the end of the interview was both shocking yet not surprising. more ›

Foes of gay marriage tried to get a U.S. District Judge to dismiss a case against Proposition 8, a voter-approved initiative that reinstated a ban on gay marriage last November. As expected, Judge Vaughn Walker denied the motion, which means a court case could begin as early as January, according to the LA Weekly. more ›

Because rain continued to drop today, the Los Angeles County Department of Health extended an advisory that warned beach goers to stay away from swimming near discharging storm drains, creeks, and rivers. That's because "bacteria, debris, trash, and other public health hazards from city streets and mountain areas are likely to enter ocean waters though these outlets," they said. more ›

After being caught not once, not twice, but thrice, California's First Lady Maria Shriver apologized today for breaking the cell phone while driving law. Her brief statement: more ›

It rains and all of the sudden there are crashes everywhere. In fact, there were 186 between midnight and earlier this morning. All this ridiculousness means fodder for comedians and the like, and, no doubt, a couple humorous ones surfaced yesterday on local blogs. Above, via Curbed LA, Conan O'Brien teases his new home and below, via the LA Now and LA Observed, a mock movie trailer for yet another Los Angeles disaster flick. more ›

It was January 26th, 2005 when Juan Alvarez parked his gasoline-drenched Jeep Cherokee on train tracks in Glendale. He said it was an attempt to commit suicide before he changed his mind the last minute. He jumped out of the way before "a fast-moving Metrolink train struck the SUV, derailed and struck a parked Union Pacific locomotive before colliding with another Metrolink train traveling in the other direction," as the Associated Press describes. 11 people died and 180 were injured. Alverez was convicted of murder last year. more ›

Arguably the best coach in sports history, former UCLA men's basketball head coach John Wooden turns the big 99 today. Born on October 14, 1910 in the tiny town of Hall, Indiana, his family would move to Martinsville, IN where he would play in the state high school championships for the Martinsville High School basketball team 1926-1928 winning only once in 1927 against Muncie Central 26-23. more ›

After receiving at least two feet of snow over the past 24 hours, Mammoth Mountain officials decided to move their opening date from November 12 to this Friday, they announced this morning. It is the second earliest opening for the resort ever. more ›

The Los Angeles Department of Power & Water have updated the number of customers without power this morning. Here are the latest numbers, as of 10 a.m.: South Los Angeles: 3,370 Venice/Mar Vista: 1,970 Highland Park: 2,650 Crenshaw: 1,960... more ›

Whenever it rains in Los Angeles, it exemplifies how we are all connected, whether living in the Valley or at the beach. "The county’s 2,800-mile storm drain system is designed to channel rainwater to the ocean to prevent local flooding," explains officials from the nonprofit Heal the Bay. "But it also has the unintended function of moving pollution directly into the Santa Monica and San Pedro bays following rainstorms." more ›

Director Roman Polanski may be sitting in a Zurich jail cell facing extradition to the United States, but that's not stopping him from finishing his film, The Ghost. He is giving instructions so that the film will be finished by February when it will premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. more ›

A midnight fire on the west side of Los Angeles International Airport is causing some delays this morning. Terminal 6 is experiencing minor delays and officials are asking travelers to give themselves enough time as light signals around the airport have been affected. Other than that, the outage is mostly affecting administrative (non-essential personnel) and tenant buildings. There is no estimate of when the power will be restored. more ›

Saturday's jubilation stemming from a rare road win in Honduras for the U.S. Men's National Team which in turn earned the team a spot for next year's World Cup was brought to a tragic halt Tuesday morning. Nats forward Charlie Davies was involved in an early morning car accident in D.C. that claimed the life of fellow passenger, Ashley J. Roberta and also caused injury to a third, yet unidentified, passenger. Davies suffered a broken leg, internal, facial and other injuries. more ›

The fourth hearing over a pending federal court case challenging the legality of Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, will take place in San Francisco today. Backers of the ban are asking U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn R. Walker to dismiss the challenge because the law is clearly written and, get this, "there is no constitutional right for gays and lesbians to marry because marriage has long been defined as a union between a man and a woman," according to the LA Times. more ›

An early morning rush-hour accident has prompted the closure of all southbound lanes of the 5 Freeway in the Santa Clarita Valley this morning. At about 5 a.m., a big rig traveling southbound jackknifed near Calgrove Boulevard, blocking lanes and impacting one of two routes out of the valley. At 7:47 a.m., the city of Santa Clarita sent a text message alert to residents saying lanes were still closed until further notice. That means to travel to the San Fernando Valley will mainly come via the 14 Freeway and The Old Road. more ›

As of 6:30 a.m., the Los Angeles Department of Power and Water reported that approximately 13,195 customers were without power, caused by the season's first storm. That includes 1,200 in South L.A., 4,133 in the Venice/Mar Vista area, 2,230 in Highland Park, 2,000 in Silver Lake, 1,270 in Wilminton and 490 in Park La Brea. Some 26,000 customers have already had their power restored. more ›

The National Weather Service has canceled the Flash Flood Watch issued yesterday in conjunction with the current weather system that is bringing rains to the area. As the storm approached, residents of recent burn areas, like the hills in the northern parts of Glendale, in La Crescenta, in La Cañada-Flintridge scorched by the massive Station Fire, worked diligently to prepare their homes and hillsides for potential mud or debris flows. more ›

• Census worries: "California has cut its census funding to $2 million from $24.7 million a decade earlier, and a Pew Charitable Trusts study released this week found that L.A. funding has also plunged."
• What's the latest in the courts with cases that involve vehicles and cyclists?
• The suspect in the UCLA stabbing/slashing pleaded not guilty today in court.

Although there is a state law that allows parents to legally surrender a newborn baby, there are proper ways to do it and not do it. Last Friday, firefighters in Norwalk returned from an emergency call when "observant crew members" spotted him. "Most abandoned babies are never found alive," noted a news release from the LA County Fire Department. more ›

Her husband may have signed the no driving while holding a cell phone law, but the message apparently hasn't hit home for California's First Lady Maria Shriver. more ›

Police are currently searching a Hollywood neighborhood after an after-school shooting near Helen Bernstein High School. At 1:55 p.m., police received a call about shots fired on the 1300 block of North Wilton Place. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the hip area, according to police. LAUSD officials say she is in stable condition. more ›

Ah yeah, signs of the upcoming ski season! Today's storm over California is dumping snow in the Sierras up north. If it stays, we might be seeing an earlier ski season than expected. Curently, Mammoth Mountain is scheduled to open on November 12th, but depending on what happens over night, there is potential to see the popular skiing spot open earlier. Officials with the ski area say it's been snowing hard since 8 a.m. and about a foot has fallen in the main lodge area. more ›

Thousands across Los Angeles are without power today, according to the L.A. Department of Water and Power. Some 20,000 customers in the greater South Los Angeles area are affected. In portions of Studio City and North Hollywood, about 1,100 customers are without power. Outages have always been reported in East Los Angeles, Mid City, and Woodland Hills. The department has increased the amount of crews working on power restoration. more ›

With all the troubles the Kings have had in penalty killing at home, no one would have said last season that they could shoot their way past their problems. The Kings have ratcheted up the offense scoring 19 goals in five games thanks in large part to a retooled No. 1 line. more ›

Have you ever gone to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, walked around for hours and then afterwards, go out for dinner, you know, to get sushi? If so, maybe you used the aquarium's handy wallet-sized Seatfood Watch pocket guide. more ›

After Orange County Assemblyman Mike Duvall resigned amid controversy over a video where he bragged about sex with a woman, allegedly a lobbyist, the state's Fair Political Practices Commission gave him 30 days to disclose any gifts he had received. more ›

Last month was a tragic one for the Van Nuys community. Andrew Garcia, just four months old, was killed when bullets flew into the car where he was being fed. Two others were wounded. The two suspects in the case got away until last Thursday when one of them was arrested. Alfonzo Landa, 17, will be charged with the murder of Garcia and the attempted murder (with a shotgun, no less) of six others in the September 27th shooting in Van Nuys. more ›

The 20-year-old UCLA student who allegedly took a knife to a classmate's throat last week was charged with premeditated attempted murder today. Prosecutors believe Damon Thompson stabbed the female student during a chemistry lab class five times and slashed her throat without any provocation, according to the LA Times. more ›

Thousands may see it from the beaches of Zuma and Malibu, but the experience of the isolated Anacapa Island is a world away, chock full of dramatic views, beautiful sunsets and sunrises and a fascinating history from the Chumash Indians to failed attempts at farming. more ›

Weather Underground has a pretty sweet Google Map mash-up with live graphics showing the current weather pattern over California (or zoom in on whatever city you want). As of right now there are some isolated patches of rain over Los Angeles County (map). The majority of rain in the county is expected tonight when flash flood watches go into effect. more ›

The first round of clinics for free H1N1 vaccinations will open their doors next week Friday, LA County Public Health officials announced today. "This is so residents all over the county that don't have access to health insurance or providers can get vaccinated," said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, LA County's Health Officer, this morning in a telephone press conference. more ›

That's the lowest approval rating of the Legislature from registered voters in the Field Poll's 26-year history. And that's not the only record broken. He may eat adorable breakfasts, but that's not going to save Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 27 percent rating, the lowest since he entered office (and a number only found back in 1961 with Pat Brown). But still, he isn't the governor with the worst approval rating, that goes to Gray Davis (22%) before he was ousted from office in a recall election that Schwarzenegger won. more ›

There may be a $405-million budget shortfall, but that's not going to affect the levels of police officers employed by the city, according to an accord reached yesterday by a couple City Councilmembers and Mayor Antonio Villaragosa. more ›

A two-year study between the United Way of Greater Los Angeles and USC's Center for Community Health Studies and Housing found that housing the homeless is about $80,000 cheaper than leaving them on the streets. The survey found that taxpayers spent $187,288 a year those living on the streets because of their use of hospitals, jails and clinics. Putting people in permanent housing costs $107,032. more ›

The last time I saw Brendan Mullen we had a proper lunch in the Snooker Room at the Cat and Fiddle. The stained glass danced across his face and his eyes were alive with delight when we talked about the fun times. He was working on a new book to be published at a later date, In spite of recent physical difficulties, he seemed content in a way. He told me about his operations and how he still could not turn his head. Brendan Mullen was never happy that the world moved without him. more ›

The National Weather Service this morning issued a flash flood watch for several areas that have burned over the last year from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles. "A strong Pacific storm system moving into Central and Southern California will bring the threat of heavy rain," an alert stated. Up to four inches are expected in many areas. more ›

The NFL and Los Angeles has been a topic ever since the Rams and Raiders up and left town in 1995. Plans to turn the Coliseum and Rose Bowl into NFL stadiums came and fell through. Building a new Downtown LA stadium was laughable. A stadium by Dodger Stadium was counted out. A site on top of a landfill in Carson had the most legs, but in the end proved to be too costly to be practical. more ›

Jimmie Johnson was once again the class of the field at Fontana on Sunday. more ›

The Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies will meet in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series for the second consecutive year. Last year the Dodgers fell to the eventual World Series champion Phillies in five games. Game one will be on Thursday at Dodger Stadium at 5:07 pm. All games of the NLCS will be broadcast on TBS with Chip Caray doing play-by-play and Ron Darling and Buck Martinez doing commentary. Of course everyone can listen to AM 790 KABC with Vin Scully calling the game from innings 1-3 and 7-the end of the game with Charley Steiner and Rick Monday covering innings 4-6. more ›

• ARE YOU READY? It's StormWatch 2009 time!
• An Anaheim pastor accused of molesting four girls in his congregation is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow.
• The University of California is considering raising tuition...for just some of their students.

The close of summer means more opportunities at California's desert National Parks like Joshua Tree and Mojave (though you might want to wait a few more weeks for Death Valley). But these colder weather months mean limited options at Channel Islands National Park, just off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara. more ›

Statistics for 2008 crime in California were released today (.pdf) by the Attorney General's office, finding that homicides and many other crime categories were down. In 2007, there were 2,258 homicides, compared to 2,143 in 2008--a 5.1 percent change. Forcible rape slightly decreased 1.6 percent to 8,906 incidents. The other two violent crime categories, robbery and aggravated assault, also went down to 69,391 and 104,793, respectively. However, burglary and larcenty theft over $400 increased slightly. more ›

Although two major gay rights bills were signed by Governor Schwarzenegger this weekend, two dealing with transgender issues were vetoed. One would have aided transgender people to revise their birth certificates and the other would have provided protections for transgender people in prison. more ›

Among the various laws signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday was one strengthening an already existing law aimed at paparazzi. more ›

As Obama prepared for his big "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" speech last week, government figures released showed that women are more likely to be kicked out of military service under the policy than men. In a story, the Associated Press highlighted Julianne Sohn, who now works for the LAPD. more ›

Six days before the massive Station Fire broke out in the Angeles National Forest, a fire dubbed the "Lady Bug Fire" burned just six miles away. Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives believe that much smaller fire was started by Babatunsin Olukunle, a 25-year-old Nigerian man and UC Davis dropout, according to KTLA. more ›

The Dodgers and MLB have released an additional 4,500 NLCS tickets to Dodger fans. Tickets are as low as $51 and can be purchase online or by calling 866-DODGERS. The Dodgers are in back-to-back NLCS for the first time since 1977-1978. The NLCS starts at Dodger Stadium on Thursday against either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Colorado Rockies. The Phillies currently lead two games to one in their NLDS. more ›

According to Chris Myers on Fox Sports Radio on the "Myers and Hartman Show", Myers spoke with NFL insiders saying the Oakland Raiders are the front-runners for moving to Los Angeles. With the proposed Los Angeles Stadium going through the final hurdles before becoming a reality, talk of the NFL returning to Los Angeles after a 15-year absence is starting to be more than rumors. But the Raiders? Make of that what you will. more ›

California Shakeout organizers are doing something quite genius to further their message this Thursday, when a major mock earthquake will strike California. They've asked radio and TV stations to participate by broadcasting an emergency message at 10:15 a.m. about the statewide drill and what people should do if it were a real earthquake (see the TV version above). 6.4 million people are signed up for the coordinated event. more ›

Yesterday, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed two bills into law, both of which focus on restricting operation of a motor vehicle to previous DUI offenders, reports the Daily News. Assemblyman Mike Feur (D-Los Angeles) has authored AB 91, calling for the implementation of a pilot program in four counties that will put an ignition interlock device in "every vehicle owned or operated by a first-time DUI offender." more ›

As part of the proposed network of high speed trains in California, a route from Los Angeles to San Diego could go b-line eastward through into the Inland Empire instead of taking the traditional Amtrak Surfliner route down the coast. Such a trip would take 1 hour and 18 minutes. There are lots of public meetings this month about transit and a series about this project will start up next week. more ›

Although the city of Walnut has settled with the developers of the proposed NFL stadium, the project has yet to get the green light. A lawsuit by a citizen's group is still active and a vote by the Senate, which is expected to pass, should be voted on this week. And now one Walnut councilman is speaking out, according to the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. more ›

This might top that knife-yielding video of his from the Summer. On Friday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger twitpic'd the above image and said "This is how I start my day." more ›

Governor Arnold Scwharzenegger last night vetoed a bill that would have limited the options of completing the 710 Freeway, which is considered the missing link of the regional freeway system, according to the L.A. Times. If signed, the bill would have stopped any possibility of a surface route, therefore increasing chances of a 4.5-mile tunnel under South Pasadena, connecting to the 134/210 freeway exchange. more ›

An associate professor in UCLA's history department last year had concerns about the undergrad student suspected in last week's campus stabbing. E-mails from 20-year-old Damon Thompson to Stephen Frank indicated something was wrong. more ›

Among the hundreds of bills signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger last night, two gay rights ones were authored by San Francisco's Senator Mark Leno. One names May 22nd as Harvey Milk Day and the other recognizes same-sex marriages from other states by providing "the same legal protections that would otherwise be available to couples that enter into civil unions or domestic partnerships out-of-state," according to the bill's language. "In short, this measure honors the will of the People in enacting Proposition 8 while providing important protections to those unions legally entered into in other states." more ›

According to a report posted on Metro's website, it appears the Gold Line Eastside Extension could be opening on Saturday, November 14th. It is listed in a powerpoint presentation (.pdf) meant for a board committee meeting this Wednesday. more ›

• We're getting ready for the coming wet weather! But with the rain comes the possible dangers of mudslides for burn area residents.
• Holes in the child welfare system sometimes lead to dead ends for the unfortunate children that fall through them.
• The Governator took a step back from all those veto threats...

Down 5-1 after five innings, the Angels scored twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth to pull out a 7-6 victory over the Boston Red Sox for the three-game sweep of the American League Divisional Series. Down 6-5 Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon intentionally walked Torii Hunter to load the bases. Vladimir Guerrero responded by lining a single to center field to score Chone Figgins and Bobby Abreu. This marks the first time the Angels have swept a series, and the first time they have beaten the Red Sox in the postseason exorcising 1986, 2004, 2007 and 2008. The Angels will face either the Minnesota Twins or the New York Yankees. more ›

Chivas USA secured its fourth consecutive trip to the MLS playoffs by defeating the Kansas City Wizards 2 - 0 last night at the Home Depot Center. The match closed out a great day of soccer that began with some favorable results for the red-and-whites and further included the U.S. Men's National Team securing their sixth consecutive World Cup appearance with a 3 - 2 victory over Honduras. more ›

Dodgers manager Joe Torre made sure that his team would not suffer a letdown after their miraculous 3-2 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals in game two of the National League Divisional Series. more ›

For the second consecutive season the Dodgers sweep an NL Central team in the National League Divisional Series - this season the Cardinals played the role of the victim losing 5-1 in game three. Although Matt Kemp had a golden sombrero (four strikeouts), Manny Ramirez and Andre Ethier went 3-for-5 each. Manny knocked in two RBI while Ethier was a single short of the cycle, hitting a two-run homer in the second inning. Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla threw a gem of a game shutting out the Cardinals for seven innings giving up only four hits and a walk while striking out four. The Dodgers now face the winner of the Philadelphia Phillies and Colorado Rockies series. more ›

• Police continue to work to determine the motive in the case of the UCLA student whose throat was slashed while she worked in a campus chem lab.
• Duck, duck, goose: A Northridge doc who claimed her herbal concoction could cure cancer has been charged with fraud.
• ...or get off the pot? The LAPD are in a holding pattern when it comes to the recent declaration that marijuana dispensaries are illegal.

The start of 2009 brought with it sad news for friends and fans of Book Soup, the much-cherished bookstore located on the vibrant Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, when its longtime owner Glenn Goldman passed away just a day after putting the shop on the market. more ›

Sports Ed. note: With USC taking a week off, our guest writer Zack Jerome takes a look at this supposed rivalry. more ›

To date the Sheep Fire has scorched 7,128 acres in San Bernadino County. Located near Lytle Creek and Wrightwood, the blaze broke out mid-afternoon last Saturday, and has eased towards containment through the week. more ›

Despite a reduced schedule due to World Cup Qualifying, the importance of each of this weekend's trio of MLS matches is anything but diminished. more ›

• The FDA has warned hospitals about the dangers of radiation during CT scans after errors were found at Cedars.
• A three year-old boy was abandoned after his mother took off on a bus and left him behind. Police are still investigating.
• Even on his way out, LAPD Chief Bratton is battling the city council about the size of the police force.

After the stunning conclusion of Game 2 of the NLDS yesterday at Chavez Ravine, Cardinals’ shortstop Brendan Ryan told the St. Louis Dispatch "It makes me sick, absolutely sick to my stomach." Moments before Mark Loretta sent a looping liner into center field for a walk off winner, I knew how Ryan felt. Cy Young candidate Adam Wainwright had been tying Dodger hitters in knots for eight innings. It was a slow death he was dealing us. more ›

Kentucky Derby champion Mine That Bird and the undefeated mare Zenyatta will be in action tomorrow at Oak Tree's Breeders Cup Challenge Day at Santa Anita. The Challenge will include four races, three Grade I races and one Grade II race, in which the winner will automatically qualify for a starting spot in the Breeders' Cup World Championships held at Santa Anita on November 6 and 7. more ›

TBS is seeing an increase in viewership during the 2009 MLB Divisional Series. In the first two days of the LDS, TBS is averaging a 3.1 household rating and a 15% increase in total viewers (4,525,000 vs. 3,929,000). The LDS has averaged 3,526,000 households in the first two day making it the highest two-day average for the LDS since 2005. All key demographics have seen an increase with males aged 18-34 increasing 19% from last year. Locally yesterday's Cardinals-Dodgers game got a 6.5 rating in Los Angeles, and the Red Sox-Angels game got a 8.0. more ›

Last week, after a few rallies throughout the state, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger handed in a grant to the feds, asking for $4.8 billion in stimulus money for California's high speed rail project, which would take passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in a few hours. Today, that grant drew support from both of California's U.S. Senators and 21 other congressional leaders, including many from Los Angeeles. more ›

Ah, life in the desert outskirts of Los Angeles. This incident happened this morning in Victorville when a 5'7" 200-pound Caucasian man gave a note to a teller that implied a threat if he did not receive some money. So far, no arrests, but not to fear, we hear barnyard animals are good crime stoppers. That's because of another great headline: "Barnyard animals help nab burglar." A suspect burgler Thursday in nearby Pinon Hills hid inside a building by a barn. Police were tipped off because all the animals were "fixated" on the building. "The donkeys, the geese and then pigs were just staring at this building," an official said. more ›

The truck driver who killed two people and injured twelve when his vehicle careened into a La Canada Flintridge intersection was spared the possibility of murder charges today. A Pasadena Superior Court judge said there was insufficient evidence that Marcos Barbosa Costa, 44, had intent to kill people, according to the Daily News. However, he will still face vehicular manslaughter and reckless driving charges. more ›

Officials continue to gain control of the Sheep Fire, burning near Wrightwood. The 7,128-acre blaze is currently 90 percent contained with full containment expected tomorrow by 6 p.m. On Wednesday, fire personnel began implementing rehab initiatives for short- and long-term repair of the forest and infrastructure. The fire began last Saturday afternoon and has damaged or destroyed a handful of homes, also leaving eight firefighters injured. At one point, the fire prompted 6,000 to 8,000 people to evacuate. more ›

A 55-year-old mother and her two sons are in trouble after a series of events that led police to find a home used for child care was also used for nefarious activities. On Wednesday evening, after 23-year-old Benjamin Kuzelka's hand was injured by a bomb, he went to the hospital saying it was a gunshot wound, according to the LA Times. Doctors said the injury was inconsistent with a gun shot and notified police, who in turn responded to Kuzelka's home, finding bomb making materials and marijuana plants. Both the mother, Rebbeca Kuzelka and brother, 21-year-old Grey Kuzelka were arrested. more ›

The ever-so aggressive gubernatorial campaign for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced this morning a slew of small local endorsements from around the state. Other than State Senator Alex Padilla in The Valley, no major Los Angeles politicians currently working are on the list. But Newsom did gather up three West Hollywood notables, including John Heilman, Mayor Pro Tempore, Councilmember Lindsey Horvath and Robert Kalonian, President of the West Hollywood Democratic Club. Former State Senator Sheila Kuehl also has endorsed him. more ›

Some 23,000 runners, walkers and cyclists will be hitting 26-miles of Long Beach streets this Sunday morning during the the city's 25th annual marathon. About 35,000 people are also expected to join and cheer on race participants. That means if you live or will be in the area, especially between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Long Beach metro area, take heed of closures and traffic. more ›

The large annual Harley Davidson ride and charity from Glendale to Fairplex has been canceled this year. Although 25,000 bikers attended last year, topped off with performances by ZZ Top and Foo Fighters, the reality of pulling off the event meant to raise money for various charities just wasn't there for organizers as pre-sales were way down. more ›

Now here's a humorous ending to yesterday's manhunt for an armed robbery suspect. Although he evaded police during a five-hour search and closure of a few block area, his continued tomfoolery landed him in cuffs. As told by a local neighborhood watch via the LAPD Senior Lead Officer for the area, here's what happened: more ›

Four hours after the Dodgers improbable 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals to give them a stout 2-0 lead in the National League Divisional Series, euphoria is still running through my veins. The Cardinals had the game won. All left fielder Matt Holliday needed to do was make sure James Loney’s line drive got into his glove. Instead he lost the ball which hit him right in the gut. Whether he lost it in the lights or in the swirling white rally towels the fans were waving around is irrelevant. more ›

The Dodgers really weren’t supposed to win tonight’s game. “It just comes down to one really weird inning,” said Saint Louis Cardinals Cy Young candidate, pitcher Adam Wainwright, of the bottom of the ninth. “We were in the driver’s seat there. They had two outs, nobody on base.” more ›

• Arrests have been made in the off-campus stabbing of an Arcadia High School student.
• Looks like Becks is headed off for Italy. Again.
• Another undersea shaker. This time a 3.8 magnitude earthquake just off the Channel Islands coast.

The LAPD has announced the creation of new program called iWatch, something which LAPD Chief William Bratton calls the "21st century version of Neighborhood Watch." Basically, the program encourages residents to identify and report suspicious behaviors and activities that have been known to be used by terrorists. more ›

The first batch of H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccinations have arrived in Los Angeles County, health officials announced at a noon press conference today. 92,000 doses are here with larger shipments expected in coming weeks. By the end of the month, 1 to 1.5 million doses should be in local clinics and doctors' offices. more ›

A series of public meetings about the Crenshaw Corridor (you know, a train from Wilshire Blvd. to LAX) have ended, but there still plenty of planning (and dreaming) to be had for public transit in the Los Angeles region. From bicycling to bus lanes to subways, here's a wrap-up of meetings that remain this month. more ›

A large amount of a explosive component (TATP, or acetone peroxide) used in the 2007 London bombings and suspected in the current Zazi alleged terrorism case was found in the Riverside County home after a man reportedly blew off his hand making a bomb last night. The investigation is in its infancy, but one police source tells the LA Times that links to skinhead groups are being investigated. more ›

The kid gloves come off today for starter Clayton Kershaw. The 21-year old phenom with that devastating 12-6 curveball that Vin Scully called “public enemy #1” will be at the adult table in game two of the National League Divisional Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. While such a daunting could give a kid a case of the butterflies, Kershaw doesn’t envision any problems. more ›

Following a handful of fellows arrested for attempted murder in a September stabbing, another one, likely unrelated, happened this afternoon on campus. At about 12:20 p.m., UCLA police were called about a stabbing on the sixth floor of Young Hall. They responded and have already taken a suspect into custody. So far, a connection between the victim, who was taken to the hospital, and suspect is unknown. Police are asking if you have information regarding this incident contact UCLA PD at (310) 825-9371. [Update: More details are coming out. A male student slashed the throat of a female student, leaving her in critical condition.] more ›

SFist does this column daily, so when we saw this facebook update from a friend, we giggled. He "has decided that Runyon Canyon park is way gayer on a weekday morning than The Abbey is on a Friday night." We believe many LAist readers would agree on this one. Of the hundreds of Yelp reviews of Runyon, many talk about how the park is quite the scene. "Runyon is one of two hikes I do regularly now. It's the easy option. I love tracking all the cosmetic surgery...and that's just the guys," wrote Richard P., who also likes the hike from Ferndell Canyon up to Griffith Park Observatory. "The downside to the Griffith option: about 75% fewer hot bodies and absolutely no celebrities. So you chooses your poison." more ›

A Field Poll released this morning has Attorney General Jerry Brown comfortably leading San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom by 20-points in the race for governor. Results indicate Brown at 47 percent with Newson at 27 percent. Meanwhile, the three Republican candidates have less succinct results. "About half of GOP primary voters (49%) are undecided. Among those offering a preference former eBay head Meg Whitman receives 22% of the vote, former Congressman Tom Campbell 20% and State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner 9%," explained the poll. more ›

Maybe it’s the Dodgers’ turn to be champs. The sold-out Dodgers Stadium faithful vibrantly acted that way throughout last night’s 3:56 almost-marathon, which saw the Los Angeles Dodgers take the first game of the National League Division Series from the Saint Louis Cardinals. The Lakers felt that way too. The reigning NBA kings pledged their adoration for the Dodgers, and shared a slice of the city’s goodwill toward them, by participating in a series of rah-rah Go Dodgers! videos, shown on the left field jumbotron. more ›

Causing excessive noise, speeding, splitting lanes dangerously, motorcyclists can sometimes be exasperating. Not only that, statewide statistics show that motorcycle fatalities are on the rise, increasing 51 percent in the past eight years. In L.A. County, deaths have increased 62 percent in the last four years, most drastically in the 21- to 24-year-old and 55 plus age groups. more ›

Neighbors around Griffith Park are up in arms after a move to shift Park Ranger resources without community dialogue. Over the year, community groups said they have requested transparency when changes were made to the Division. However, neighbors who attended at a city council committee on Tuesday to speak about the recent shootings of eight coyotes instead found out about a shift in ranger resources due to budget woes. more ›

Some L.A. City Councilmembers are considering freezing the police department's budget in light of the economy and a downtrend in the city's crime statistics. Specifically, it would affect the goal of hiring 10,000 officers, a Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa campaign promise that is nearing completion. Proponents of the hiring freeze say it doesn't make sense to hire officers and then furlough them. more ›

Los Angeles just got a new fire chief and Long Beach is about to lose theirs. Fire Chief David Ellis announced yesterday, after five years at the top post, his intent to retire by the end of the year. Ellis began his career in Glendale in 1980, but two years later found himself working for Long Beach, where he was raised and schooled as a kid and college student. The Department has about 550 employees and a $90 million budget, a small portion of which that is spent on a blog, likely inspired by LAFD's). more ›

A perimeter has been set up in Sherman Oaks as police search for a robbery suspect currently at-large. At some point this morning, officers observed wanted robbery suspects in the parking of lot of Rite-Aid at Riverside and Fulton. One was taken into custody, but another ran, according to police. more ›

This game was supposed to be an exhibition by St. Louis Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter to display his dominance over a completely overmatched Dodgers club. But what was the name of the game? Let’s leave runners on base! The Dodgers and Cardinals broke an NLDS record combining for 30 runners left on base. Three times the Dodgers had the bases loaded only to bring home one runner - and that was on a hit batsman. more ›

Amid cooler weather, firefighters continued to increase containment on the 7,128-acre Sheep Fire today. However, the low-pressure system that brought record lows to Southern California this week is moving out, which will increase temperatures starting tomorrow. Containment, currently at 85 percent, is still expected by Saturday, according to officials tonight. more ›

The speculation of postseason rosters, pitching rotation and all that rot is over. October baseball has finally arrived for your Los Angeles Dodgers. The club is feeling confident but ready for a good fight. “I obviously know that it’s a tough task obviously going against a guy who probably was the frontrunner for the Cy Young,” game one starter Randy Wolf said Tuesday about going against St. Louis Cardinal’s ace Chris Carpenter. more ›

When bad things happen to good people, the arm of the law must be raised in a fist and shaken hard! Such is the case when bad frozen yogurt-makers make fake frozen yogurt in a dirty way. Say what? Okay, so we're paraphrasing the press release that caused a collective gasp in the local foodie scene: Yogurtland has been slapped with a class-action lawsuit which alleges that they are being a bit shady when it comes to how they name, make, and serve their "frozen yogurt." Here's the scoop: more ›

On-location shoots for advertisements may be on the rise, but filming in Los Angeles has been on the downtrend for some years now, thanks to incentives that lured shoots to Alabama, New York City, Canada and elsewhere. That might be good for complaining neighbors, but it's not for the larger picture that is Los Angeles' economy. more ›

An 8.0 earthquake off the Vanatu Islands today prompted various tsunami watches and warnings in the South Pacific and a tsunami advisory for Hawaii. However, California and the rest of the West Coast, including Alaska, have not been put under any notifications from government officials, as of 4:27 p.m. PST. more ›

Is this normal for life after the passage of Measure R or is Metro trying to make transit nerds go crazy? Metro today announced the sixth, yes, the sixth public meeting about transit taking place this month. Projects seeking community input include the bicycle draft master plan (this one is actually under the jurisdiction of LADOT), bus lanes on Wilshire Blvd., the Crenshaw corridor to LAX, the Harbor corridor, the Rosa Parks station and now the Westside Subway Extension. more ›

Pet hotels, pet groomers, pet spas, and pet boutiques cater to the needs of dogs and cats--or rather their owners' needs--for the finer things in life. The OC Register profiles Carrie Hyde, the owner of The Spaw, which is a a dog daycare and grooming business in Tustin, as she preps to open up her latest pet-venture, which is described as a "Whole Foods for dogs and cats." more ›

Debris flows from the 2003 Old and Grand Prix fires left 16 people dead, according to a post-Station Fire report released yesterday by the USGS. Perhaps, that's one reason to take note of the debris flow areas marked on multiple maps within the report. more ›

We always forget so quickly, but yeah, it's that time again when Mayors bet beloved city treasures when their sports teams hit the playoffs or finals. In this day and age, the bets happen on Twitter. more ›

The LA-based group Black Eyed Peas are showing their love of the Dodgers by being featured in a "This Is My Town" billboard. A season-long campaign to highlight fan loyalty and the diversity of the Dodgers and Dodger fans, the Black Eyed Peas are the most recent celebrities to grace the billboard campaign that have also featured Snoop Dogg, Yoda, Lakers point guard Sasha Vujacic and other celebrities and Dodger players. more ›

Temperatures warmed up overnight in the Wrightwood area where Mountain High Ski Resort hoped to open doors today. Snow making last night was "fairly marginal" as temperatures stayed above 34 degrees. Freezing or below temperatures are generally need to make snow. more ›

Although the proposed football stadium in the city of Industry awaits an important, yet possibly disastrous environmental vote in the State Senate, planners are eying what teams they could bring to Los Angeles County. more ›

A fire last night in a Riverside home proved to be a unique challenge for firefighters because the house was "packed to the ceiling with items," according to cbs2. The fire was sparked by "an electrical problem" and was troubling for the responding crew since "the kitchen and back porch area [...] were stuffed with clutter and there was no way to get inside" and, further, "there was concern that embers had ignited hidden fires in other rooms." more ›

Photographer and Manhattan Beach resident Jake Rome this morning let us know that officials decided to keep the popular park closed as city staff figure out how to solve neighborhood problems. In a comment, he writes: Just an FYI, the council decided to keep the park closed until they've developed and implemented a mitigation that discourages sufficient number of people from using the dune. more ›

Last year, then-City Controller Laura Chick wanted to do a performance audit on then-City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo's office. Delgadillo successfully blocked it with a court order, but the fall out over private attorney fees for Chick, totalling $200,000, has lingered. The most recent tentative court ruling was pushed yesterday another month so Greuel and Trutanich can work things out. more ›

Yesterday, Swiss officials refused to grant a bail request for the release of notorious film director Roman Polanski, who has been detained there since late last month following his arrest in Zurich on a thirty-year-old warrant from Los Angeles County. Feeling the flee-friendly and famed French citizen was a flight-risk, the Swiss are not bowing to pressure from members of foreign governments or cinema power-players to let the septuagenarian go. more ›

Furthering the ridiculousness of the David Nahai consulting contract, City Councilmembers are chiming in as well. "This is more than comical," City Councilman Dennis Zine was quoted saying in the Daily News. "Here we are putting city workers on furlough, talking about reducing cop hiring, asking people to conserve water, and then we're talking about squandering thousands of dollars on this man." more ›

Considering yesterday's amazing progress on the Sheep Fire (a 32 to 75 percent containment jump), it's no surprise that firefighters made no progress over night on the blaze, which still stands at 7,128 acres in size. more ›

LA Kings defeat San Jose Sharks 6-4. The Kings exploded on the reigning President's Cup winner San Jose Sharks jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the second period. But then the penalties mounted and the Sharks took advantage scoring four powerplay goals. However 26 seconds after the Shark's Dany Heatley scored that last powerplay goal, Teddy Purcell found the puck after a faceoff and beat goalie Thomas Greiss. Davis Drewskie capped off the scoring with 1:19 remaining on an empty-net goal, the first goal of his NHL career. Center Anze Kopitar scored the fourth goal for the Kings in the second period and notched two assists. It wasn't a pretty game and the Kings need to really work on their penalty kill. But two points is two points for their first win of the NHL season after an embarrassing loss to the Phoenix Coyote on Saturday. more ›

The man who died in the press box at Dodger Stadium today was identified as 59-year old (not 49) Farmer Brothers Coffee worker John Foster. Foster had been working on the coffee maker in the press box dining room when he was found on the floor unresponsive. He was pronounced dead on the scene. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. more ›

When we last left the Dodgers they had a lot of things to address for the playoffs. Manager Joe Torre had no idea who would start in St. Louis for game three of the National League Divisional Series nor who would start at second base. These two questions finally had some sort of closure today. The starter for game three will be Vicente Padilla while Chad Billingsley will start if there’s a game four in St. Louis. more ›

• There's a new debate happening over police recruiting. Some city councilmembers want to freeze hiring amid budget cuts and furloughs. Crime is on the decrease, but will that goal of 10,000 officers be reached?
• A new GPS unit installed on downtown DASH buses should help drivers pace service evenly on their routes.
• Last Spring, the LA County Board of Supervisors supported changing the name of an Agoura-area peak in the Santa Monica Mountains from Negro Mountain (sometimes titled a worse racial epithet on older maps) to Ballard Mountain, named after the earliest known African-American resident in the Agoura area. That name change finally took effect after the U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved it.

Officials announced this evening that the Sheep Fire has been 75 percent contained, a major improvement from this morning when it was only listed at 32 percent containment. The size of the blaze is still listed at 7,128 acres. more ›

What a hot mess. The Department of Water and Power's commission today voted to not only name and pay a Deputy Mayor as the interim General Manager of the utility, but also continue to pay retired General Manager David Nahai for three months for consulting services. Both will earn over $6,200 a week, equivalent to a salary of $325,000. more ›

Yes, snow. Yay! About eight inches fell over the weekend on Mammoth Mountain, signaling the possible start of ski season (they hope to officially open in November). A little more locally, the colder weather has enabled two ski resorts in the San Bernardino Mountains to make snow. "Mountain High Resort, in Wrightwood, has made snow the past two nights and may open a beginner-level trail Wednesday," reported the Press-Enterprise. Snow Valley Mountain Resort in Running Springs has made snow, but no plans to open have been announced yet. more ›

Are you worn out on public transportation meetings this month? Let's recap before we get to the latest. Current and upcoming meetings soliciting public feedback include the city's draft bicyle plan, the Crenshaw Line to LAX, bus lanes on Wilshire and major improvements to the Rosa Parks Station where the Blue and Green lines cross. more ›

This could be a bad sign for the Dodgers. A 49-year old male vendor died in the Vin Scully Press Box at Dodger Stadium of a heart attack. Being the first open workout a day before the National League Divisional Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, most media members were not in the press box when the vendor died. Access to the press box was blocked off pending the arrival of the coroner, however bags, laptops and cameras were retrieved for the media by several members of the Dodgers staff. More details as they come in. more ›

That's the current economy for you. Own a lot of property and Forbes Magazine will catch on in their most recent 400 wealthiest Americans list. Developer Ed Roski Jr., CEO of Majestic Realty Company, dropped from No. 163 to No. 236 on the annual list, which has one sports consultant speculating trouble for the proposed NFL stadium in the city of Industry. more ›

The Forest Service lifted mandatory evacuations for the Wrightwood area at noon today. The Sheep Fire prompted around 6,000 to 8,000 people to evacuate the area near the San Bernardino National Forest on the San Gabriel Mountains. more ›

In early August, Manhattan Beach officials closed the popular Sand Dune Park for maintenance after a busy Summer with a high rate of visitors. About a month later, it was ready to be reopened, but didn't. more ›

Sunday's cool, early fall, evening was a deep contrast to the hot music that resonated throughout the John Anson Ford Amphitheater as the inaugural LA Vida Music Festival kicked off. Presented by Corniche Entertainment and the Las Vegas Tourist Bureau, the program showcased local musicians and a variety of Latin music genres ranging from mariachi to Latin jazz. more ›

Forest Service officials today lowered the estimated size of the Sheep Fire by about 700 acres to 7,128 acres. Spokesperson Norma Bailey said new GPS technology being deployed has been helping the estimates to be more accurate. more ›

A report released today by the U.S. Geological Survey says that if it rains, "huge flows of mud and debris" are a likely scenario in the areas burned by the Station Fire, according to the Associated Press. The report examined about two scenarios--one, a three-hour thunderstorm and a 12-hour one. more ›

Former Assemblyman Mike Duvall (R-Yorba Linda) is off the hook in at least two investigations after a video revealed to the public showed him bragging about sex with women, one of whom was allegedly a lobbyist. Last week the Assembly's Ethics committee dropped an inquiry into the allegations because they lacked authority over the matter once Duvall, who is married, resigned from office. more ›

Text messaging appears to be one major caper in the Chatsworth Metrolink train crash last year, which left 25 dead and 135 injured. Investigators found that Metrolink Engineer Robert Sanchez sent a text message 22 seconds before his train slammed head-on into a freight train. more ›

Two of the three UCLA students arrested after an off-campus fraternity party that ended with a fight and multiple injuries were released from jail yesterday. Although police are continuing to investigate them, LA County County District Attorneys decided not to file charges against Justin Kim, 19, of La Crescenta, and Chris Yi, 19, of Huntington Beach. The other arrested student, Isaiah Hee Cho, 19, of Westminster, will remain behind bars, charged with with being an accessory to aggravated mayhem and added a gang enhancement. more ›

A woman's charred body was found shortly after midnight after firefighters doused a dumpster fire in Santa Fe Springs near the 5 freeway. Her hands and feet appeared to be bound by some kind of electrical cord, reports the LA Times. more ›

Seven of eight ESPN "experts" are picking the St. Louis Cardinals to beat the Dodgers. "Baseball Tonight" anchor Karl Ravech is even picking the Cardinals to sweep. The lone dissenter is Eric Neel who is picking the Dodgers in five. I don't get it. Starting Wednesday a new season will begin. What happened in the regular season is irrelevant. So while most people are picking the Cardinals to win because they won the season series 5-2, it means nothing. Just because Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright looked indomitable, it's just hogwash. more ›

Forest Service officials announced tonight that containment of the Sheep Fire reached 30 percent as scorched acreage grew slightly to 7,824 acres. more ›

• There's no mincing words in this headline about one of CA's Governor-hopefuls: "Meg Whitman is a Liar"
• Gender-segregated schools aren't news, but for the LAUSD today marks the first time one of their schools isolates genders for instruction.
• A second mistrial has been declared in the case of a father who is accused of throwing his young daughter off a cliff in 2000 in Rancho Palos Verdes.

One of L.A.'s best traffic-beating ideas will soon hit Orange County. A non-stop FlyAway bus between the Irvine Station and Los Angeles International Airport was approved today by the city's Airport Commission. The three-year license agreement between Irvine and LAX means the fourth FlyAway route could start soon. more ›

Reality TV contestant Ryan Jenkins allegedly left a suicide note on his computer, the Buena Park Police Department announced today. He never mentions the death of his wife, Jasmine Fiore, but he blamed her for the situation he was in--"professing both his love and disdain for her," according to TMZ. "About half of the letter described how much he loved her, and in the same breath, he would talk about how frustrated she made him and that he felt very jealous about some of her relationships and that frustrated him immensely," more ›

It was about a year ago when the public was outraged over some 7,500 rape kits sitting on the shelves of LAPD criminalist labs untested. Fueled by the anger and a city audit, the LAPD announced they would begin going through all the kits. Today, 3,157 kits are left to go with the full backlog completed in the summer of 2011, according to the LA Times more ›

The Illinois man accused of taking nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews and uploading them to the web will have to appear in a Los Angeles U.S. District Court later this month. Michael David Barrett, 48, was arrested Friday night at Chicago's O'Hare Airport for allegedly taking video of Andrews in the nude through a peephole in a Nashville hotel room and then posting it on the internet after failing to sell the footage to TMZ. more ›

Former Department of Water & Power CEO David Nahai may have resigned last Friday, but that doesn't mean he still won't get a comfy paycheck while he starts his new job at the Clinton Climate Initiative. Through the end of 2009, Nahai will earn about $6,300 a week as a consultant. “There’s nothing nefarious about it, nothing complex about it. This is a reasonable business decision, nothing more than that,” DWP commission President Lee Kanon Alpert told the LA Times. “David’s resigned, and we need his institutional knowledge for the next few months.” more ›

With movie tickets going for $10-$14 a shot depending on the show time and cinema, is it that much of a stretch to the concept or budget to double that to see a film in a comfortable, intimate, "restaurant-like" setting? Gold Class Cinemas is banking on it, actually. The Aussie company is working on the renovation of the former Laemmle Theatres (which were AMC Theatres back in the day) at One Colorado in Old Pasadena, and is scheduled to open their 6-screen high-end movie venue "in time for the holiday season," according to the Star-News. more ›

As the Sheep Fire in San Bernardino County rages on, officials this afternoon announced that more homes have been lost or damaged, increasing the total to seven residential structures in the Wrightwood area. Mandatory evacuations for some 6,000 to 8,000 people are expected to be lifted by the end of the day. more ›

City Controller Wendy Greuel is expected to release her second audit since entering office last July later today. According to her office, a wastewater disposal contractor took advantage of the city's lack of oversight and a poorly written contract to overbill and overcharge. more ›

As announced earlier, Gavin Newsom's gubernatorial campaign has been endorsed by former President Bill Clinton, who will be at the San Francisco Mayor's side today at two events in Los Angeles. more ›

If you follow any "foodies" on Twitter you may have woken up to a stream of 140 character obit-like wails echoing the death rattle that's just been shook at print publication mega-player Conde Nast. They've just announced that they're going to close up shop at Gourmet magazine, a 68-year-old monthly whose colorful photos and thoughtful words have inspired cooks and eaters here in Los Angeles and around the world for decades. more ›

The Sheep Fire began Saturday and quickly rolled through the western portion of the San Bernardino National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains, prompting thousands to evacuate as it headed towards Wrightwood. Now 20 percent contained and 7,500 acres in size, firefighters say today's weather should be helpful. more ›

• Believe it... There were THREE MORE water main breaks in LA causing flooding and other damage.
• Former President Bill Clinton's support can't come soon enough for gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsome.
• Six people were wounded in a big Highland Park shooting. The shooting is believed to be gang-related. No arrests have been made and police are still investigating.

The Colorado Rockies still couldn’t emerge from the K-hole they fell into yesterday. After striking out 12 times in last night’s game, they struck out an additional 17 times losing 5-3 against the Dodgers. Dodgers starter Vicente Padilla knew this was an audition for the postseason. His fast balls were crisp and he was able to get his curve balls over for strikes striking out the first five batters he faced. He ended up going five innings giving up a run on four hits with ten strikeouts. more ›

Do you know what dozens of bottles of champagne and cans of beer do to a clubhouse? Well I got a nice whiff of it this morning and picture it: you’re back in a frathouse in the middle of spring semester just as the scents of spilt beer and worn socks, shoes and boxers comingle into a moldy suffocating mess. But that’s the price of victory which everyone in the clubhouse was willing to deal with. more ›

The Sheep Fire broke out around 2:30 yesterday afternoon in the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Bernardino National Forest and continues to burn between Lytle Creek and Lone Pine Canyons. The blaze has now grown to 3,500 acres and is reported as being 10% contained, with about 1,000 personnel working to control the fire, according to InciWeb. more ›

Maicon Santos and Jesus Padilla provided all the offense for Chivas USA to take a 2 - 0 victory over D.C. United last night at RFK Stadium. more ›

“One win does a lot things for a team,” Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw proclaimed on the field in front of the Dodgers dugout after the corks popped. It took a while but the Dodgers finally did it. In front of their 11th sellout crowd of 54,531, the Dodgers finally clinched the best record in the National League and the NL West crown with a 5-0 spanking of the Colorado Rockies. And with that the moribund Dodgers instantly became the toast of Los Angeles. more ›

People are mopey here in the press box at Dodger Stadium today. The pall of failures from the last five games hangs around like an unwanted in-law. The Dodgers are in the midst of their worst losing streak of the season which encourages about as much confidence as the Hindenburg. However the players apparently don’t feel that same fog of disappointment. more ›

• A wildfire in the Sheep Canyon area of San Bernardino has prompted evacuations and is threatening homes. The blaze broke out around 2:30 p.m. and officials believe it could grow to be 4,000 acres.
• Broken record --> Broken water main. Another one, yes. This time in Glassell Park.
• Universal announced that as part of their planned property makeover they would be investing heavily in projects aimed at improving traffic at what is a very congested part of the SE Valley.

Bizarre plays late in the second half canceled each other out as the Galaxy held on for 1 - 0 victory over the visiting Chicago Fire last night at the Home Depot Center. more ›

The Assembly Ethics Committee yesterday had to drop the investigation into former Orange County Assemblyman Mike Duvall after they were advised the panel lacked authority over the issue. more ›

It was only last February when construction began on the 16,000-square-foot Venice Beach Skate Plaza. Today, eight months later, the $3.5 million in-ground concrete park full of bowls, ramps, rails, platforms, and steps opens. more ›

It was more of the same for the Dodgers who couldn’t get many things done in an epic 3:42 4-3 loss. Singer-songwriter Jimmy Demers set the tone of the evening by taking 10 minutes to sing the National Anthem. In fact he’s still in the middle of one of his runs. The Dodgers couldn’t muster anything at the plate striking out 10 times against Rockies starter Ubaldo Jimenez. In the two other games Jimenez started against the Dodgers this season he struck out only seven batters total. more ›

• Bad... Having a middle school music teacher ending up in jail. Worse... Finding out it was for flashing his son's doctor's receptionist.
• A blowup doll in the carpool lane caused a traffic jam on the 60 freeway in Mira Loma. [insert... uh never mind]
• A Phoenix man who posed as a West LA fertility doctor may be responsible for over 20 sexual assaults in two different states.

Another in a series of quake swarm events struck near Keeler, CA tonight during the 6 p.m. hour. 30 minor to moderate earthquakes struck between 6:09 and 7:10 p.m., according to the United States Geological Survey. The largest shaker was measured at magnitude 5.2 at 6:15 p.m. It was preceded by increasingly larger earthquakes at 3.1, 4.7 and 4.9. more ›

Come Halloween weekend, thousands of Phish fans will descend upon the Indio Polo Fields in the Coachella Valley for a three day festival surrounding eight Phish sets. Yes, it's time for Phish Festival 8 and we're giving away a pair of tickets (you can also buy tickets here). more ›

It’s come down to this - a heavyweight divisional slugfest to duel for the National League West division title between the defending champions Los Angeles Dodgers and the little engine that could Colorado Rockies. more ›

Although Santa Monica's outdated bicycle license appears to directly contradict state law, officials recently have been promoting the city's bicycle licenses because of a rise in thefts in the Southbay. "We do try to get people to get licensed because it makes the return of stolen bikes easier," explained Don Patterson, the manager who oversees the division that issues bicycle licenses. more ›

Three UCLA students and four others have been arrested in connection with attacks that took place at an off-campus frat party in September. The incident happened in the early hours on Tuesday, September 22nd when police received a call about an assault with a deadly weapon at a Lambda Phi Epsilon fraternity residence on the 600 block of Midvale Avenue. more ›

Under current written law, Santa Monica police are able to throw any cyclists, whether a city resident or not, into jail for not having a bicycle license. Fines can range up to $1,000. The 1995-created law directly contradicts a 1996-written California Vehicle Code section, which states the law shall apply to residents of a city issuing bicycle licenses. more ›

They better clear some jail cells for a bunch of drunk hipsters tonight. On the heels of 80 DUI incidents and 792 hit and runs in LAPD's Northeast Division this year, officers will hold a sobriety checkpoint at Sunset Boulevard and Echo Park Avenue tonight from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Expect some traffic in the area, especially in light of Thom Yorke's show around the corner at the Echoplex. more ›

See some smoke in the hills? A fire 40-foot by 40-foot grass fire was knocked down by Los Angeles Fire Fighters in 18 minutes this afternoon. The fire, first reported at 1:59 p.m., was located at 9785 Trudy Drive, south of Mulholland Drive between Beverly Glen and Coldwater Canyon. more ›

KNX1070 is reporting that the head of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power will resign today. A rash of recent water main breaks, including flooding in Studio City and a fire truck sucking sinkhole in Valley Village, apparently has played a role in CEO David Nahai's decision. An announcement by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected at 1 p.m. more ›

It's not an investigation, but the FBI has questioned at least two employees of the former Assemblyman Mike Duvall to see if there is any evidence of criminal wrongdoing, the LA Times reported today. Back in September, KCAL9 obtained a video of the Corona-based politician bragging about sexual trysts with, nonetheless, lobbyists. One of them allegedly worked for a utility firm. And what do you know, Duvall was the vice chairman of the Assembly's Utilities and Commerce committee. more ›

September 15th is a special day for many Latin Americans that call L.A. home. On that fateful day in 1821, the Spanish were told they were no longer welcome in Central America. Various other countries, including Mexico, followed suit in the days that followed and today, that call to Independence is widely celebrated throughout the L.A. area. more ›

Winters can get pretty hot in the Coachella Valley, so you can guess how excruciating Joshua Tree National Park is in the summer. Visitation actually gets so low, officials close a number of campgrounds. However, as we head into cooler temperatures, park Superintendent Curt Sauer announced that campgrounds would reopen today. more ›

Not only were we looking at the "year of the bear," as predicted by one California Fish and Game spokesperson said earlier this year, the Station Fire has left some 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest charred, which means less chances of food and water. But hello, Pasadena with your swimming pools and trash cans full of yummy scraps. more ›

Has the world gone topsy turvy? The city's Department of Transportation is finally using Twitter for real-time updates to their DASH service. That's a great first step as there have been many times we've waited for the Studio City/Van Nuys DASH thinking, "it'd be nice to know if it's ever coming..." You can follow the transit service here and more specifically, the downtown DASH here. Mobility Maven is the department's General Manager, Rita Robinson. more ›

CBS2 says there were four victims, ABC7 says there were eight and the LA Times says there were six. Whatever the number truly is, there were a handful of people shot early this morning outside a Rosemad bar with a suspect or suspects still possibly on the loose, if they are not one of the people with bullet wounds. more ›

The 48-year-old was sitting with his wife and one of their young sons in a small theater at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills. Both of the boys looked fidgety. On screen was the U.S. premier of "Kings Ransom," a documentary scheduled to air on ESPN next week as part of a series celebrating the network's 30th anniversary. Future releases include a look at the relationship between the NFL's Raiders and gangster rap culture, directed by Ice Cube. more ›

“Dodgers Forfeit Right to Celebrate” “Dodgers Wrestle with Inability to Clinch the West” “Skid Potentially Historic for Dodgers” “Dodgers Sleepwalking to Postseason” Etc. Etc. You get the idea. For as ominous and bleak as these headlines sound, you could imagine these were written by the dirty vicious bloggers. But no, these were written by the mainstream media: Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports; Bill Plaschke of the LA Times; Doug Miller of MLB.com; Gary Miller of CBS2/KCAL9 respectively. more ›

• The OC is doing away with the "grading system" for restaurant ratings and will instead go with the "Green-Yellow-Red" system.
• LA City officials are taking a closer look to see just how "non profit" the weed houses medical dispensaries really are.
• LA County's top cop is having to defend the decision to go after Polanski.

U.S. Forest Officials yesterday signed an order that lifted closure restrictions on a large chunk of the Angeles National Forest. However, 450 square miles of the San Gabriel Mountain range still remain off-limits to public-at-large as the Station Fire continues to burn and personnel comb through recovery areaa. The closure will remain in affect until next year September, unless a new order lifting restrictions is signed. more ›

It's been two weeks since Miltrice Richardson went missing. On September 16th when restaurant management at Geoffrey's Malibu called sheriff's deputies because she could not pay her $89 bill, officers found a small amount of marijuana in her car, impounded it and booked her at the Lost Hills station in Agoura Hills. Hours later at approximately 1:25 a.m. she was released, walking out with no car and no cell phone. more ›

We see it everyday on Los Angeles roads. Drivers eating, reading, illegally talking on a cell phone, checking Google Maps on their iPhone, painting nails, etc. So much for paying attention, not to mention the lack of turn signals used in by L.A. drivers (annoying!). more ›

Elizabeth Goldstein, President of the California State Parks Foundation, is calling bullshit on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's announcement that state parks are saved. No details beyond the announcement have been released since last Friday, but Goldstein says read between the lines: more ›

The first batches of H1N1 flu vaccine are expected to arrive next week to clinics and doctor's offices, the LA County Department of Public Health announced today. By the end of the month, most doctors and healthcare providers will have some doses available. Those who fall within defined "priority groups" should contact their doctor about receiving the FluMist nasal spray of the H1N1 vaccine, officials said. Priority is given to young people (in good health) aged two to 24 years of age, healthcare and emergency service workers and people who live with or care for infants less than six months of age. more ›

The 10th Annual Los Angeles Triathlon is this Sunday, which means there will be street closures as participants bike from Venice to downtown and then run back and forth (literally) along Grand Avenue. The following streets will be closed and opened in waves as competitors race: more ›

The still-burning--yes, five weeks in, still burning--Station Fire is being investigated after the L.A. Times exposed that authorities pulled back resources on the fire when it first began. "It is very clear that a thorough investigation and review of the Station Fire response by the federal government is absolutely necessary," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a written statement, supporting the federal investigation. "I can assure all Californians that the state is fully committed to working with the federal government to improve the U.S. Forest Service's response efforts," the governor added." more ›

The Bush era of ICE raids are over. That, however, does not mean ICE is on the fritz. In what the New York Times calls "a showcase for the Obama administration’s effort to reduce illegal immigration," companies are being forced to "to dismiss unauthorized workers." more ›

The first of four public meetings about the Crenshaw Corridor project was last night, with 50 to 60 people reportedly showing up. Out of those who attended, "about a dozen spoke their two minutes — with nearly every public speaker in favor of the light rail option," wrote transit blogger LA Wad on MetroRiderLA. That included LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas who paid a surprise visit to the meeting in support of the light rail option. more ›

Oh look, the squares at the Burbank Police Department are being investigated by the FBI and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after seven members of the force, current and former, have filed lawsuits regarding human resource issues, sexual harassment and racial discrimination. The latest lawsuit filing comes from a captain who says he was demoted after pushing for an internal investigation on other officers' misconduct. more ›

You would think it was at least 2010 yet. No, it's still 2009. You would think that Attorney General Jerry Brown has at least announced he is running for governor. And no, he filed paperwork Tuesday to form an exploratory committee. Yet still, Jerry Brown yesterday received endorsement from some powerful Hollywood folk, according to Variety. more ›

Remember the hundreds of small quakes shaking the Salton Sea back in April? After a 5.1 shaker early this morning, dozens of smaller earthquakes have shook the small town of Keeler, which is about 148 miles from Las Vegas. Considering all the recent major earthquakes (and tsunamis) in American Samoa, Indonesia and Peru, are these related to each other? National Public Radio's Morning Edition ask that question this morning, interviewing scientists: more ›