Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot at 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968 while standing on the balcony outside of his second-story room of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. In town to support a strike by sanitation workers, the civil rights leader was on his way to an event when he was struck in the jaw by a bullet that severed his spinal cord. King was pronounced dead at a Memphis hospital just after 7:00 p.m. He was 39 years old. This powerful and prophetic speech, referred to as "I've Been to the Mountaintop," was delivered the day before his assassination. more ›

• In part to honor the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr and in part to "increase the peace" a 40-hour moratorium on violence goes into effect for the City of Los Angeles starting at 6:01 p.m. tonight. Do your part!
• Because "You can't fire me...I QUIT!" lacks that certain je-ne-sais-quoi, perhaps? An employee in the midst of getting the boot today in Industry stabbed his boss with a pocket knife.
• 31-year-old Keven Lee Graff was sentenced to two life terms in prison today for two murders he committed in June 2004. Graff, a former Marine who is homeless, beheaded a 91-year-old screenwriter then murdered his 69-year-old neighbor.
• The mother of the dead baby found earlier this week near a home in Santa Ana has been arrested by US Marshals after a short stand-off in Henderson, NV. 20-year-old Michelle Pedroza used to reside in one of the houses near where the infant's corpse was discovered by a resident.
• A crowd of about 4,500 gathered today to honor firefighter Brent Lovrien, who died on the job last week in an explosion. His services were held downtown at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and he was remembered as a man with "a true sense of loyalty."
• Actor Chris Rock took the stand for about 15 minutes this morning to testify in the trial of pro-snoop Anthony Pellicano, who allegedly used some shady methods to do is generally shady job. Rock hired the private dick to dig up dirt on a model who claimed the comedian knocked her up.
• Ever wonder if renting a garage is legit in the city? CurbedLA reminds us about housing and tenancy laws in their Ask Curbed column.
• In the days before WeHo, there was grub The Gay Way... EatingLA gives us a culinary chuckle and throwback with a photo of a 1940s era downtown eatery.

Since February is Black History month, we asked our friends at Eso Won Books in Leimert Park to recommend ten history books that would provide a balanced overview of black history, filling in any gaps in the American educational system. Included are a number of books that specifically focus on the history of African-Americans in Los Angeles. more ›

Today marks Jackie Robinson's 89th birthday, and the Dodgers are celebrating it by educating the youngins. more ›

It’s kinda quiet on the event front, a perfect day to reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. But if you're into going out tonight: more ›

We have all heard quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Few people have had the opportunity to hear the speech in its entirety. Delivered at the 1963 March on Washington, this speech helped to establish King as a national figure and proponent of ending social injustice through civil disobedience and nonviolence. The following year, in 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize. It is worth taking the time to listen to this speech, whose message is still relevent and inspirational today. more ›

The cultural diversity that exist in just about every nook and cranny of this country sometimes blinds people of the ignorant, immature, and, in some cases, overtly racist actions of our more idiotic counterparts. We, Americans, like to think that we’ve come a long way since the 1960s and that the battles to destroy prejudice is somewhat obsolete, but every so often high profile cases, like that of the Jena 6, comes along and kicks us in the ass reminding us that we still have a long way to go. more ›

Yesterday, September 20th, was the day that Mychal Bell was to be sentenced after being found guilty as an adult on the charge of aggravated battery. Prosecutors were asking for a sentence of 22 years at one point, then reduced it to 15 years. Last Friday the appeals court overturned his conviction. The court determined that Bell, who was 16 at the time, should not have have been tried as an adult. In spite... more ›

The only one of the accused 6 to not post bail, Mychal Bell, is expected to receive his sentencing today in Jena, Louisiana. Local officials tried to impede the traveling march from entering the small town of Jena (population: 2,971) by limiting 5 buses to enter the city limits per 12 minutes. Most locals have fled the city, businesses have closed down. While the arrest stems from the fact that 6 black teens beat a... more ›

2,000 DWP customers lost power today in Sun Valley. At noon, power was threatened to be cut from large energy consumers. But as the afternoon progressed, the Stage 2 was unlikely to happen. Yes, this is a heat wave. At age 18, having a DUI conviction, being a tagger and dealing in drugs is bound to get you caught up in murder charges in Van Nuys. A brush fire broke out in Castaic today... more ›

Quotes of the week: “There are two kinds of people in this world, the givers and the takers. The takers eat better, but the givers sleep better.” – Danny Thomas "A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." - Benjamin Franklin “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Good Art California Design Biennial 2007 August 19 – September 30, 2007 Pasadena Museum of... more ›

Photo by ellwoodite via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr more ›

A Starbucks in Sherman Oaks as victim of a hit-and-run. You can't deny a blogs influence on local politics and city services these days. Who knew? Kangaroo skin is illegal to sell in California. Sorry Adidas. Celebrity stylist Stacy Young cannot add new allegations against Jamie Foxx in breach of contract case. The Feds have finally arrived to inspect 'Killer King,' or Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital. At it again with UCLA and Monkeys... more ›

- Republicans, always a little late to reality the party, are finally now calling for impeachment of the president. And once again we should thank illegal immigrants for making this dream come true - Wonkette - 40.8% of SFV residents were born in a foreign country - Daily News - LA Charter Schools sues LA Unified - Business Wire - Shrek the Third gets sorta crappy reviews in the LA Weekly and the LA... more ›

Yesterday on tv someone said, "Wherever Jerry Falwell ended up today he's probably surprised." more ›

RSVP: Go to the Creative Screenwriting website and sign up to receive information about future events. You should then receive an email with further instructions about how to sign up for this event. more ›

Texas is thawing, the Northeast is freezing, and a sort of natural order seems almost restored to the Ist-A-Verse. Almost. more ›

The Golden Globes came and went, all while many, if not more, watched the second two hours of Los Angeles being terrorized in 24 on FOX. It was still brisk for the stars on the Red Carpet and the weather is expected to continue in the 60's throughout the week with the lows in the 40's. Luckily, the fire department has determined that the Red Flag will be lifted this morning. People celebrated Martin... more ›

Even though you might be at work, today is Martin Luther King Day. more ›

Current Record: 17-20, 4th Pacific, 10th West more ›

If your lips are chapped, you know it must be a City of Los Angeles Red Flag Day. Welcome to yet another one in this unusual season. In other LAFD news, black ice gave them quite a scare when one of their own got pinned by a vehicle that went slippity slip! Maybe now government officials will no longer laugh at this writer when he makes complaints over unruly sprinklers. Pshaw! And please, do... more ›

- In a new book, Gay LA, two authors discover that "more gay-oriented organizations have been founded in Los Angeles than in any other city in the world" - SF Gate - Former LA news anchor Jim Lampley accused of felony domestic abuse in San Diego - AP - Pamela Anderson demands that her next boyfriend be an editor of a city-based blog - UPI - Blonde chick from Lost divorces after just six... more ›

If you see the LA City Council around any of these intersections, may we suggest that you honk if you're horny. According to CBS2, they've got the green light to put digital cams in 22 intersections and these 22 are on their radar. more ›

LAPD and union organizers joined forces to script a protest march during Thursday afternoon rush hour near LAX. Hundreds of people were arrested according to plan. The arrestees, who were registered with LAPD and took a class in preparation for the event, even got t-shirts and a gift package that included a meal (put together by union organizers, not their cellmate). I’ve worried that unions have embarrassed themselves in recent years, becoming top-heavy machines... more ›

Mrs. Coretta Scott King died in her sleep this morning in Atlanta. She was 78. She was discovered by her daughter Bernice King and and announcement was made by former Atlanta Mayor and King family friend Andrew Young. more ›

Quick, where were you 12 years ago today? Here's a hint: at 4:31am, the Northridge Quake hit. The Daily News remembers and looks at new earthquake sensing technologies. more ›

Now we all can just get along. In a scene befitting the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant officially put to rest their past differences. Before last nights game during warm-ups, O'Neal came to Kobe and congratulated him on the birth of his first child and the upcoming birth of his next one. A move that Kobe says surprised him. more ›

Today, as we're sure you know, is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Perhaps his "I Have a Dream" speech is what inspired the LA Times to ask a bunch of local activists and entertainers what they would dream up for an imagined Los Angeles. To our surprise, nobody invoked Blade Runner. Instead, people are thinking along the lines of transportation (TC Boyle, Mike Watt) and graffitti (Robbie Conal). more ›

There is something distasteful that in the week before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Los Angeles Times has decided to run a four-part series that maligns the legacy of one of California's greatest civil rights leaders, Cesar Chavez. Of course, if the foundation is bad, if there is graft and corruption, it should be exposed. There's just something about the timing. more ›

What a sad legacy for a hospital named after Martin Luther King, Jr. and Charles R. Drew. The Los Angeles Times reports that King/Drew Medical Center is losing accreditation from a National Health Agency. While it won't force the hospital to close, it will prevent several insurance companies from paying for services there and will likely end several of the doctor training programs the beleaguered facility is famous for. This is as good as time as any to take a look at The Times special report on the trouble at King/Drew and to remind our readers not to get sick in Watts. Seriously. more ›