Prince William and Kate's Summer Tour 2011 comes to a Southern California end with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge getting royally gritty during a downtown spin through Skid Row and a nearby school, according to the Associated Press. more ›

More than 160,500 women have served (and died) in the former president’s the war in Iraq, but many find themselves isolated in the male-dominated culture. “This seclusion, combined with the military's history of gender discrimination and the uniquely challenging conditions in Iraq, has resulted in a mounting epidemic of sexual abuse, physical degeneration, and emotional distress among many female soldiers.” Tonight Columbia University journalism professor Helen Benedict will talk about her latest book, The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq , and will be joined by two of the five female veterans who are the focus of her book and a therapist who has been working with women soldiers returning from Iraq. The free discussion will take place at the American Friends Service Committee (634 S. Spring St., Downtown LA) tonight from 6:30-8:30 pm. more ›