Stopping just short of demanding abstinence from its Opinion column contributors, the LA Times most likely paid a pretty price to scrounge together today's "Current" section. Case in point: The lead column is by the venerable Daniel Hernandez, the 26-year-old LA Weekly staff writer who left the Times last year. Why? Because, as he told us last August, the culture of the Times was exhausting and unfulfilling. He felt he was "challenging the institutional and......

Wanna know why LAist has four writers at SXSW all of whom paid their own way? Because LA loves music and LAist is obsessed with good tunes. Below are just some of the killer acts playing today here in Austin. Yes be jealous, but better, come here next year and party with us. LA Bands: 4pm: Ozomatli @ Austin Convention Center 8pm: The Chairs of Perception (formerly Urinals) @ Soho Lounge 10pm: Dengue Fever......

- The first charitable Muslim medical institution in the US was founded in South Central LA. The UMMA clinic was started by UCLA students in 1996 and was honored recently with a special address on the floor of the US House of Representatives by Maxine Waters. - Two Egyptian Nationals who plead guilty for enslaving a 10 year old girl here in Southern California were given 2 years in prison and forced to pay......