Seattlest watches as a S.L.U.T. is born and Seattle Flickr users go nuts over a local art installation. A restaurant critic demands a Diner's Bill of Rights over a gnat next to her drink, and, in lieu of a Portlandist, Seattlest debates with itself over the identity of the Northwest's crown jewel. Seattlest also joins the guys from Fantagraphics for an ill-fated gun party in the woods. LAist saw national headlines soar this week with......

KCBS and its KCAL affiliate picked up seven awards at the Los Angeles Emmy Awards last night, with the award for live coverage of an unannounced event going to the team for the Esperanza fire. Let's all share in a joyous chorus of "Hell yeah!!": teen drivers may be barred from using cell phones while driving, under state legislation passed today. And while we're at it, give another whoop of joy for the resignation......

With unseasonable weather descending upon much of North America, schools getting ready to reconvene, and sports seasons getting exciting, it's a busy time of year for us here in the Ist-A-Verse. Luckily, even with all the things we have to do, we still managed to get together to let you know what we've all been up to. After cooling down from a hot weekend of many badass Sunset Junction Street Fair photo dispatches, LAist asked......

Guest Day Editor Zuma Dogg will be joining LAist with a few posts throughout the day. Read his introductory interview here and check out his site as well as Mayor Sam where he contributes. He also wrote an article in the current edition of the LA Weekly Dear Los Angeles City Council, We all know legislation, administration and meetings take up a good amount of your time, whether ZD shows up that day, or not.......

Via Think Progress and Bob Geiger, it looks as though we may finally be seeing Democrats grow a spine: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced a few hours ago that he intends on forcing Republican obstructionists to stay in the Senate, over night if necessary, if they want to filibuster the Iraq withdrawal legislation. Here are a few key excerpts (for the whole schlemiel, head over here): "Republicans are using a filibuster to block......

It must feel flattering to be Air Quality Management District chairman William Burke. After all, how often can a legislator claim to have a bill introduced by colleagues whose sole purpose would be to ensure that he/she remains in office indefinitely? That seems to be the exact goal of SB 886, a piece of legislation authored by Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod, D-Chino, that would specifically exempt Burke from the current two-term limit. Burke has......

You know that beautiful corridor between Westwood and Brentwood on Wilshire - all that grass, and lack of skyscrapers, and what's the word: open space? It belongs to the Veterans. It's called the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus. George Bush and the feds want it, they want to be able to build on it, and lease or sell it to Big Business. And when it looked like the $120 billion Iraq War spending bill......

What with all the political hubbub brewing this year over issues like The War, immigration, abortion, political corruption, we’re pretty sure the Farm Bill is going to get the shaft as far as public conversation is concerned – just like in 2002, when its passing was totally overshadowed by 9/11 and the ensuing hysteria. Frankly, it’s a damn shame. This is one issue that actually has a chance of raising bipartisan support – even......

#132 Largo city manger's plans to become a woman got found out by the local paper. So instead of letting the paper announce it, he announced to the people of Largo to be understanding of his upcoming procedure. Nearly 500 people squeezed into City Hall and most asked for his head. At the end of the meeting the council decided to fire their city manager of 14 years. [Post-Trib] #133 That teenage hiccuping girl......

"It's insulting to take the bus" Wad at MetroRiderLA bemoans dumb people who write to the Daily News (MetroRiderLA) USC study explains the obvious, but for good measure According to a recent USC study, children who grow up near freeways will have double the risk of stunted lung development. So basically, it's saying that if you take the bus, you are not to blame for dead and deformed lung children (CBS2) Hope they add......

This man had balls people Devastating to our local Armenian community and those of us who enjoy free speech, editor of Agos Armenian Daily newspaper in Turkey, Hrant Dink, was assassinated. "The assassination of Mr. Dink is not only an attack on the Armenian community of Turkey; it is an assault on freedom of speech, truth, and justice everywhere," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said on Friday. "Mr. Dink spoke frankly and courageously about the history......

- Hillary Clinton announces her bid for 2008 presidency - LAT - Outspoken in opposition to abortion rights, Republican Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas also announced his presidential bid - CNN - Burbank Police wound a suspect at the Ramada Inn - CBS2 - Mountain Lion Spotted In Beverly Hills - NBC4 - "California parents could face jail and a fine for spanking their young children under legislation a state lawmaker has promised to......

Today, the Information Technology Administration (ITA) along with the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE), announced some Los Angeles E-Democracy, as they call it. What does this mean? A bunch of online toys for us city nerds. Here's some of what they've done in the past 24 months: Online Council Votes: stalk follow your councilmember's voting track record. Online Council File Index: Keep track of any legislation considered and/or acted upon. Online Council Docs: We......

We've got no problem with gays. We've got no problem with Christians. Hell, some of our best friends are Republicans. What we have a problem with are people with power who live gigantic lies and influence legislation that they don't really believe in. Ted Haggard would love it if gays got married, or if gays truly had equal rights. He'd love it because then it wouldn't have been so hard for him to admit......

First off, let us say that drunk driving is bad. Really bad. You should be taking the bus, no? Maybe even ride the Holly Trolley around in circles until 4 a.m. to sober up. Daily News reports that a study finds your cell phone/car consumption is worse than your drinking/car one. And if you think your bluetooth ear piece is any safer, these Utah researchers say not: In response to safety concerns, some states......

shredding moms Yesterday moms in Laguna Niguel skated a bowl in a mothers' day fundraiser. "Kids are proud to have a nonconforming parent," the LA Times writes, which puts a nail in the skating-as-rebellion coffin for us. Wait, we hear more banging — it's 35-year-old mother Jenny Sparks, who tells the paper: "Skateboarding is the new Jenny Craig." immigration numbers An AP report in the Daily Breeze says that it's going to be hard......

buns in the oven? Anna Nicole Smith, who just had the Supreme Court side with her (sort of) against her nasty stepson, is rumored to be pregnant — with twins. Our favorite part of the story is the name of her lawyer, who issued a non-denial of the pregnancy yesterday: he's Howard K. Stern. Disney hottie While we're talking about centerfolds, Kara Monaco, a former staff cast member of Walt Disney World, who used......

The day started with students walking out again to show their opposition to the Sensenbrenner Bill and ended with the Senate Judiciary Committee approving legislation that would make it possible for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the US to seek citizenship without first having to return to their home countries. Eric at blogdowntown's worries that the students had no idea what they were protesting will be addressed tomorrow as LAUSD will feature classes......

In the wake of all the Golden Globe coverage, we nearly forgot to mention that several California cities made a not-so-prestigious list this weekend. The National Coalition for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization that focuses on justice, economic justice, health care justice and civil rights issues, released a list of the 20 meanest cities in America in 2005. Criteria to make the list included "...the number of anti-homeless laws in the city, the enforcement......

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is poised to make a decision that could affect the video game industry in a major way. Sometime in the next few days, Schwarzenegger may either sign or veto a bill prohibiting the sale of violent games to minors. The bill would prohibit the sale of “especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel” games to people under the age of 18. The possible penalty for breaching this law would be a fine of......

The election of Antonio Villaraigosa as Los Angeles mayor continues to have a "musical chairs" effect through city politics, as the players jockey for better seats to get their issues heard. This time it's the unions aiming for the political equivalent of floor seats at Staples Center. Los Angeles Tenth District City Councilman Martin Ludlow has been nominated to head the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. The labor federation has to find a......

Nick Pacheco has announced his candidacy for LA City Council Member from District 14 in Northeast Los Angeles. Pacheco held this position two years ago, then lost it to Antonio Villaraigosa, who will now be vacating it to become mayor. The LA Times suggests that school board president Jose Huizar and state senator Gil Cedillo are also likely candidates for the seat. What do these guys stand for? Judging by a recent interview with......

The Los Angeles Business Journal reports that delays at major Southern California ports have frustrated so many shippers that they are diverting freighters to other West Coast ports. David Greenberg writes, "A major South Korean shipping company, fed up with delays at the Port of Long Beach, will begin diverting its biggest freighters to Portland, Seattle and Vancouver as shippers continue searching for alternatives to congested facilities in Southern California. Hanjin Shipping Co. Ltd.......

It's been busy legislative week up in Sacramento. One law in particular should make animal rights activists cheer and hardcore gastronomes groan: Governor Schwarzenegger signed the measure prohibiting the practice of gavage, AKA force-feeding ducks and geese to fatten their livers. Because of the Governor's largess and concern for the rights of animals who cannot speak for themselves, foie gras producers in the state will have to develop a humane alternative to the practice......

If happiness is a warm gun, there's a gentleman in Simi Valley who was chuckling like Buddha on a lotus blossom jag - until the LAPD pinched him for possession of 388 illegal firearms, more than the total number of guns seized citywide in 2003. After Wayne Wright was busted for selling a gun to an undercover officer (out in Porter Ranch, of all places), the police searched his home and discovered a cache......

The LA Times reported yesterday that Comedian Jay Leno, host of TV's "The Tonight Show" called Assemblywoman Sally Lieber's office earlier this year and "delivered a monologue that wasn't funny at all." Although LAist isn't surprised that Leno's monologue wasn't funny, we were surprised when we heard just what he was monologuing about. Apparently, Leiber was sponsoring legislation to end a Calfornia exemption that spares many old cars from smog checks. And since Leno......

The nervous anticipation and anxiety that greets each new school year just increased for 10,000 California students. California Charter Academy, the largest operator of charter schools, announced the closing of 60 campuses throughout the state [via L.A. Times]. Investigations surrounding the organization�s misdeeds and problematic academic programs and performance are in part to blame. The Charter Schools Association is now rushing to find seats at other schools for the California pupils whose schools will......

The City Council seems set to do everything in its power to keep the city of L.A. a Wal-Mart-free zone. Two council committees approved a new ordinance that will require big box retailers to pay for an economic analysis for any potential new store. Councilmember Ed Reyes expects Wal-Mart to sue the city in response to the legislation. [LAT] Juan Catalan, the man who was exonerated by Larry David's stock footage, is suing the city......

It took just four Democratic defections to keep the Patriot Act as-is. The Patriot Act, which gives law enforcers the right to sneak, peek, and surveil with unprecedented authority, almost took a hit last week. Rep. Bernie Sanders (Socialist-VT) proposed an amendment to eliminate the government's new right to track what books people buy or check out at the library. Rep. Jane Harman of the South Bay sided against Sanders - and her vote proved......

Video games entered the vice-y realms of drinking and stripping as the L.A. City Council agreed to an ordinance regulating public internet parlors - specifically, the kinds designed to run high-end online games. There are about 30 establishments in the city that qualify as "cyber-cafes" under the new rules. Councilman Dennis Zine pushed the legislation after a string of cafe-related shootings in his district. Mack Reed at LA Voice is pissed, but it seems to......