Réne Enríquez fought his way to the top of one of America's most ruthless gangs, the Mexican Mafia, for 20 years. From behind bars, he was able to kill and order deaths of gang rivals on Southern California streets. But then he began to have a change of heart. Reporter Michael Montgomery stayed on the story for a year and a half and tonight he finally tells Enríquez's story from the beginnings of the Mafia......

Last November we put out a desperate plea to 89.3 KP-CC to go e-z on the O-R-G. In the new year, however coincidentally, we've noticed a near-total abolition of this redundantly rhyming spellin' lesson for Luddites. In early January, we thought it was a dream. One by one -- Julian, Mantle, Stoltze and Xaykaothao -- all starting throwing around "dot org" as if they finally believed that most of us have a degree from an......

Every so often when we feel so inspired to do so, we feature a photo from a photographer in the LAist Flickr Pool. It's another way of giving the many excellent photographers in our pool the attention that they deserve. Everyone knows Santa Monica College has a radio station (KCRW 89.9). And CSUN (KCSN 88.5) and CSULB (KJAZZ 88.1) too. Even Pasadena City College (KPCC 89.3) and USC (KUSC 91.5) have theirs. Where is UCLA's?......

I've written e-mails, made phone calls, and pledged. I even wrote a two-page essay at their 3-hour (paid) market research session at the Hyatt. And still, every morning I'm summoned from my slumber by a soft voice announcing in code-like rhyme that my public radio station is having an orgy on the Web. Sixty-three degrees at seven-thirty-three, on eighty-nine-Point-three, KP-CC, I'm Steve Julian.... Online at K-P....C-C dot O-R-G. "Dot O-R-G?" You mean "dot org," I......

By week's end, LA is regularly littered with a handful of free rags. Combined, these publications put the Tribune Company's Spring Street operation LA Times to shame as far as reporting on the dozens of municipalities that make up this metropolis of more than 12 million people. LAist reads the weeklies so you don't have to. If there's anything we missed, let us know, or better yet drop it in the comments section below.......

Update: Among much 9/11 coverage on Gothamist, they also do The Inappropriate 9/11 Coverage Awards. Has anything changed in Hollywood? In Pop culture? LA Times' Patrick Goldstein reflects: ... it would take more than a horrific catastrophe to quench our thirst for the madcap antics of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Star Jones Reynolds, Jessica Simpson and all the other bobble heads bouncing around our celebrity universe.... I spend a lot of time around showbiz......