The feud between drivers and cyclists runs deep in Los Angeles. Now, a local cycling advocate is asking the city to set up more license checkpoints for drivers. Alex de Cordoba was riding his bike in Echo Park when, he says in a Huffington Post column, he was "nearly killed by a hit and run driver." A week later, while driving to work, he noticed a checkpoint for unlicensed drivers -- and a man holding a sign to alert fellow car enthusiasts. more ›

Officers from the LAPD’s Crime Task Force / Driving-Under-the-Influence Enforcement Detail, South Traffic Division will be setting up a Sobriety and Driver’s License Checkpoint eastbound on Manchester Avenue tonight between Broadway Street and Figueroa Street from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Yesterday, new impound protocol was announced. more ›

If you're headed in or out of Van Nuys tonight by car, let the driver beware: The Los Angeles Police Department have announced a sobriety checkpoint to be conducted tonight. The checkpoint will run from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Roscoe Boulevard between Woodley Avenue and Haskell Avenue. more ›

Another weekend, another LAPD sobriety and license checkpoint running to help get impaired drivers off the streets and to educate the public. Tonight it's the valley's turn, as the police will be set up on Ventura Boulevard between Columbus Avenue and Noble Avenue in Sherman Oaks from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. more ›

The Echo Park Curiosity Shop and Art Gallery announced today via their blog that they will be closing down for good. The eclectic space, currently housing events and art exhibits, had run into some challenges last month as they put music performances on hold and pursued their cafe entertainment license with the city. Though the next incarnation won't be identical, rest assured "some form of this will return." Stay tuned! more ›

A San Bernardino County Supervisor was driving his work-issued vehicle on a suspended license for over four years, according to records, says CBS2. Paul Biane was arrested in Illinois for drunk driving in 2005 on a "a family trip to attend a Notre Dame-University of Southern California football game," and consequently had his license suspended. Biane claims he did not know that the suspension applied to all states; he says he found out about it when he attempted to renew his license in California. The initial suspension was to have lasted just six months, however because Biane managed to not pay a $250 reinstatement fee, it was extended to four years. more ›

Already under investigation by the Medical Board of California for his handling of Octomom Nadya Suleman's in-vitro fertilization, Beverly Hills' Dr. Michael Kamrava is now under fire for implanting "too many embryos in another patient, causing the death of a fetus," according to cbs2. more ›

The LA Weekly says "Councilman Tom LaBonge registered his own dog this week after voicing an objection to a successful City Council motion to have animal services workers go after unregistered canines in the city." For LaBonge, it is a civil liberties issue. The motion at hand lets the Department of Animal Services work with the Department of Water and Power, which "maintains a customer database of households with dogs so that meter readers and other DWP personnel can be aware of any animal issues when they are visiting a property." With the information from DWP, Animal Services employees can cross check records to see if people are paying their license fees. The move is expected to garner $3.6 million for city coffers. more ›

Under current written law, Santa Monica police are able to throw any cyclists, whether a city resident or not, into jail for not having a bicycle license. Fines can range up to $1,000. The 1995-created law directly contradicts a 1996-written California Vehicle Code section, which states the law shall apply to residents of a city issuing bicycle licenses. more ›

Although City Council repealed the bicycle license law earlier this month, the issue continued to be a point of discussion between officials and bike advocates. At the Transportation Committee meeting earlier this week, some cyclists said they don’t completely oppose a licensing program, but they would like to see a more efficient and easier process that would be “voluntary.” more ›

The language of Proposition 8 may have ended gay marriages in California, but it was silent on invalidating marriages before the prop was passed on November 4th. The big question on 18,000 couples' minds is what will happen to their marriages? California Attorney General Jerry Brown and a number of equality groups are saying that marriages between June 16th and Nov. 4th "are still valid in the state of California and must continue to be honored by the state," according to the ACLU. However, a final definite answer on that is still unknown, they warn. "Although it is extremely unlikely that California courts would apply the initiative retroactively, the proponents of Proposition 8 may file a legal challenge trying to invalidate the marriages of those who married before Proposition 8 possibly passed." more ›

After LAist learned that Los Angeles County was suspending marriage licenses for gay couples, we asked Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan for some more detail on why and what next, especially in light of the millions of uncounted ballots. Here's what he said: more ›

It didn't take long for the LA County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to take action yesterday evening. A notice from their office was sent shortly after 6:00 p.m: more ›

My oh my, how things change fast. California's marriage licenses identified each of the couples by either bride and groom before gay marriage was legalized in May when it changed to Party A and Party B. But after many complaints and one couple threatening to sue, the state changed it back--this time with a few changes. "The new form will apply for same-sex and heterosexual marriages, and applicants may also decline to check any box at all," reported The Granite Bay View who quoted Suanne Buggy, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Public Health, saying "You could check bride and groom, bride and bride, groom and groom. And it is completely optional if a couple decides they don’t want to check anything at all.” The new forms will be available in November. more ›

After missing the boat on the first days of same-sex marriage due to two out-of-town trips, Mayor Villaraigosa finally began to fill his promise of marrying "as many people as possible." Yesterday afternoon, he joined together Bruce Cohen and Gabriel Catone. Cohen is an Academy Award-winning producer for American Beauty and has also produced Big Fish and Pushing Daisies and Catone is an art consultant in New York. more ›

Tuesday came and went, but not without history being made. Same-sex couples around California signed their marriage licenses, made their vows and rejoiced in a right that they should have had long ago. Hundreds turned out to West Hollywood Park as a new marriage licensing facility opened just that morning. A few quiet protesters showed up, but other than that, the park was full of laughter and smiles. Wandering through the crowd, you could hear certain phrases said over and over again such as "finally," "this is historic," I feel lucky to be part of this," and "can you believe it?" more ›

LAist Photographer Tom Andrews was there to capture it all, here's what he saw. more ›

When officials said counties could begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses at 5:01 p.m. on Monday, June 16, by extending office hours, most still chose to begin the ceremonies on June 17 when it was originally scheduled. Counties that stayed with such action included Los Angeles and San Francisco. more ›

The city of West Hollywood is hosting a town hall-style meeting to discuss "information on the latest legal maneuvers surrounding the gay marriage issue -- including the upcoming November ballot measure that would reinstate the ban and the state Supreme Court's refusal to block same-sex marriages in the interim," according to KCBS. Additionally, Rong-Gong Lin II at the LA Times is taking questions and answering them online. more ›