Oil just keeps creeping up in price everyday it seems. This morning, headlines like this read "Oil Passes $120 A Barrel For First Time Ever." But don't expect today's record breaking numbers to be the cause of any immediate increases in local gas prices. According to Jeffrey Spring of AAA of Southern California, it takes three to six weeks to see the effect of oil prices at the pump. Any price increase or decrease on......

Now here's something par for the course: President Bush blames congress for the high price of gas. On the business side of things, Mark Lacter notes that "Royal Dutch Shell and BP both reported record first-quarter numbers, beating analysts’ expectations. Shell’s net income rose 25 percent to $9.08 billion. Exxon Mobil and Chevron are set to report later this week." (Emphasis added) In Los Angeles, the ">average price of a gallon of regular gas is......

Now the predictions are really getting people's attention: "Surging crude prices, which could surpass $200 a barrel in four years on tight supplies, could push gasoline prices to as high as $7 a gallon, CIBC World Markets analysts said Thursday," MarketWatch said early this afternoon. Currently, U.S. oil is $116 a barrel, down $3.90 from Tuesday's "historic high." The national average is $3.56 and in Los Angeles, the upward trend pushes the local average to......

Mayor Villaraigosa addressed his third State of the City at the LAPD's Parker Center last night, focusing in on gangs and the city budget, but also with some other talking points that were worth noting: On public transit: "Our national leaders must rethink the balance of our spending on highways vs. subways. It's time to recognize that the only true solution to long-term to gridlock in Los Angeles or anywhere else in the country is......

It's that time of the year again for Mayor Villaraigosa to make the annual State of the City speech at the LAPD's Parker Center. His third one since taking office, tonight's address is expected to focus in on the red-lined budget and crime, specifically gangs. In a poignant LA Times editorial, they say tonight presents him with "opportunity and obligation. He must make clear that he has a firm grip on" these two issues. Furthermore,......

This photo was taken on April 6 on Alameda near Union Station by LAist Featured Photos contributor ~db~. This afternooon, The Guardian reports that "oil surged to a record high over $112 a barrel on Wednesday after a government report showed a sharp drop in U.S. inventories ahead of the summer driving season." LosAngelesGasPrices.com has a chart and if you take a look at this link you might go "whoa." The average Los Angeles gas......

No, not because he had a record-breaking fundraising day. In fact, McCain sent an email to his supporters asking them to donate to his campaign within the next week in order to make his 1st quarter fundraising numbers look sexy (OK, he didn’t actually say he wanted them to look sexy but it's not a bad strategy as a way to compete with Obama). He did, though, pick up the endorsement of former First Lady......

A gallon of gas in California is averaging $3.63, 35-cents more than the regular joe American, and yesterday, a barrel of oil topped $111 (this time last year, it was $57). But as the San Francisco Chronicle explains, this isn't about supply and demand. Rather, it's the dollar and they break it down: Oil is traded in dollars. A weak dollar means that foreign investors can buy more oil, which helps drive up the price.......

This morning at the Marriott Downtown, Los Angles Development and Economic Corporation (LADEC) financial uber-guru Jack Kyser will be presenting the 2008-09 LAEDC Forecast Results, a 71-page document entailing the region's financial future. Highlighting a recession watch, the crumbling housing market, and growth opportunities such as tourism, one loosely dubbed as "Its NOT business as usual!" talks strike and its ill-economic impacts upon the city. From the Hollywood Reporter: The figure includes lost wages from......

Score one for the passengers: budget airline carrier JetBlue is announcing that they will begin service between LAX and airports in New York and Boston this May. They also have plans to increase service from their Burbank and Long Beach locations, meaning more flights for consumers to choose from, which will increase competition with other carriers (like Southwest) and thereby lower airfares. They'll now be flying to JFK Int'l three times a day, and......

Our crack political team is projecting "reason to believe" that both Rudy Giuliani and Gov. Schwarzenegger will endorse John McCain for the Republican nomination very soon. We've sorted through various flight plans and itineraries, deciphered a number of "no comments" and left several voice messages on Wolf Blitzer's cell. Schwarzenegger will endorse "within days," Sen. Lindsay Graham told reporters before McCain took off for Burbank this morning. It's unclear whether that means today, or......

The Daily News has more details on those marijuana vending machines. Besides, you know, the fact that they are TOTALLY AWESOME! A rash of gang violence in Watts since the weekend has led to two shooting deaths and the injury of at least 13 others. Yahoo is not doing so well: a major drop in fourth quarter profits is going to mean layoffs somewhere in the neighborhood of of 7% of the workforce. Four......

A report of how workers feel about the job market indicates that we Californian "workers are becoming increasingly less confident in the job market, economy and in their personal employment situation." The California Employee Confidence Index, released on Friday, has our state-wide points at 50.3, which is both a 2.5 drop, and "the lowest level seen in the history of the survey"--a dubious distinction at best. Some of the downright depressing statistics garnered from the......

There are two things you can count on living in LA: fires and earthquakes. Now, it seems, we might need to add some tsunami insurance to our list of must-have SoCal coverage policies. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Seismic Safety Commission have launched a study to determine the potential tsunami risk to the LA and Long Beach ports. ...

Home Depot has been trying to build a Sunlund-Tujunga location for awhile now, but community activism and the LA City Council has put a stop to that, or at least a major delay. Now, in a suit brought forth by The Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust and the University Park Estates Neighborhood Assn., a Home Depot planned for southeastern Long Beach was given a major setback in court yesterday. The Long Beach City Council......

Dr. Sharon Mitchell of Adult Industry Medical (AIM) Healthcare Foundation talks to audience members at Zócalo's Cocktail Hour With all the talk of the economy and morality (see Part 1) at last night's panel, Dirty Business: Should the Porn Industry Be Saved?, one subject prevailed during cocktail hour among the audience that as comprised of the curious, the perverts, health officials, and industry folks: sexually transmitted diseases. And that tone of that was set......

Welcome to Hollywood Today, an LA City commission voted recommending that Charles Bukowski's former home to be designated a historic cultural monument. Yay books and reading! According to state representative Fabian Nunez, who represents the Downtown LA area, the biggest crisis we're facing today is foreclosures. ""It's a more immediate crisis," he told the AP. Meanwhile, protests are beginning to hit the streets over this. Drink up! It's the holidays! Caroline on Crack has......

It is estimated that 200 firms, 6000 workers and 1200 actors produce 4000-7000 adult films a year in Los Angeles. Yes, there are more porn-related, adult industry jobs than software jobs in this town. With $4.3 billion in sales and rentals (which is still nothing compared to the $12 Billion made from toys and books), the Adult Entertainment Industry puts $4 billion in revenue back into the local economy. “It’s in an industry producing......

Zuma Dogg was nice enough to post this video on Mayor Sam today which lays out a proposal that Jan Perry wants to inflict on the residents of South Central. Even though the councilwoman is ignorant in regards to the neighborhoods in her district, she does know that the people she represents are fat. They're so fat (and in her mind, ignorant) that she seems to want to protect them from themselves. It's her......

It's time we all realized something very very important about Britney Spears. Something incredible. Something -- redemptive, even. Much like Tamburlaine, she has been sent by God as a scourge to rid our fair city of its vermin-like paparazzi, one crushed foot at a time. Thank you, Britney. Thank you. Looks like the ArcLight at the Sherman Oaks Galleria might be up and running! Now us Valley kids don't have to cross the big......

The man responsible for killing a woman and her two young children in a street-racing accident last month has been tracked down and arrested in Mexico; Martin Marones is expected to be charged with three counts of murder. So many questions! Has "Heroes: Origins" been shelved? Or just "postponed" due to the writers strikes? Will we ever find out who's been offing the group of twelve? And what's up with this ADAM guy??? Two......

The first time I was in Compton, I didn't even know it until later when I was at a restaurant looking at the menu and noticed the address. It appeared the world's stereotype was wrong, maybe gone or I just happened to be in the "right" part of town. "Compton is beautiful, there are horse ranches there," a co-worker who grew up there told me at a previous job a few years before my......

First things first: Michael Ian Black released his CD, I'm A Wonderful Man, on September 25th and it's very very funny, check it out HERE. If there's a comedy album to get this year, I'm A Wonderful Man is the one. Secondly, Michael Ian Black has relaunched his website and blog after putting it on hiatus for a while, check it out HERE. And most importantly, Michael Ian Black is on tour and coming to......

This week marked one of the proudest moments in recent Canadian history. Well, not really...but pretty darn close... On Monday the Canadian dollar traded at $1.0091! That translates to about 99.12 Canadian cents to the American dollar, the highest rate the currency had traded at in over 30 years! The “loon” has been steadily increasing over the last month up from its typical rate of around $0.80-$0.85 Canadian cents to one American dollar. The......

Guess what, folks? Something huge happened today. Something to have drinks over. Something that is enough reason to run around the streets screaming "joy to the world". You know what that is? GLORIA JEFF GOT FIRED. Okay, that doesn't sound so great -- I know you are scratching your head right now. Who? What? Where? Gloria Jeff was the general manager of the city's Department of Transportation, otherwise known as LADOT. You know, the......

Monday Mark Danielewski presents Only Revolutions 7pm @ Vroman's Ellen Sandler presents The TV Writer's Workbook 7pm @ Borders, Sherman Oaks Nell Freudenberger & Jennifer Gilmore discuss their work with Bernadette Murphy 7pm @ Central Library Sy Safransky discusses his work and The Sun 7:30pm @ Beverly Hills Public Library Tuesday James Ellroy discusses his work 7pm @ Central Library Diana Gabaldon presents Lord John & the Brotherhood of the Blade 7pm @ Vroman's......

As the Sunday morning sunrise warmed the lawn of the San Gabriel Mission, dedicated celebrants gathered with the Pobladores 200 to recognize LA’s upcoming 226th birthday by retracing the steps of the original settlers who established El Pueblo de la Reina de Los Angeles in 1781. San Gabriel is quite proud of its contribution to the “birth” of Los Angeles and a significant contingent of enthusiastic San Gabriel volunteers were on hand to outfit and......

After an extensive 7-year study by LAist about how celebrities choose to fly, we have come to conclusion that the superstars choose Southwest Airlines and the the stars of a past day or just the weird ones take United Airlines. Over the past 7-years, we have flown with: - Vince Vaughn on Southwest Airlines from LAX to Chicago Midway (boarded with the disabled and children/familes) - Philip Seymour Hoffman on Southwest Airlines from Burbank to......

We've heard it all before: eat more fruits and veggies. Incorporate more leafy greens into your diet. Veggies should make up 50% of your dinner plate. Keep apples and oranges around as snacks instead of potato chips and cookies. Blah blah green blah healthy blah vitamins blah. So you make up your shopping list, head to your local grocery store, and stock up. You figure you'll save a lot of money by cooking up......

Feeling a little lazy. Maybe a little experimental. We ordered in. We refused the nice bike ride to the grocery store. We said no to the nice farmers at the market. We skipped going out for dinner. Instead, we went online and pressed "yes" to delivered organic fruits and veggies. To live in a city with farmer's markets everywhere, it just feels so lazy to do this. But when we opened that box, we......