Despite the general consensus of constituents in their respective districts, three Democratic congressmen representing Los Angeles areas have voted to pass a controversial bill " that would offer retroactive immunity to telephone companies that cooperated with the federal government’s post-Sept. 11, 2001, domestic spying program and did so despite widespread opposition in their districts," reports the Glendale News Press. Adam Schiff (D-Pasadena), Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) and Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys) all supported the bill......

part 1 of "Rhapsody in Blue" from Fantasia 2000 The California Phil is one of the many great orchestras in the Los Angeles area that offers varied and exciting programming in the Ambassador and the Walt Disney Concert Hall throughout the year. They open up their summer season with a concert at the Arboretum, a beautiful botanic garden located in the heart of Arcadia. The Arboretum is a 127-acre park which includes the famous......

Saladang (and its sister, Saladang Song) have been serving up Thai food to their loyal fans in Pasadena for some time now. This set of mouth-watering photos comes from LAist Featured Photos contributor 护士黑鹰, who takes us through a whole Thai meal at Salandang through the lens. But what looks the best on a hot day like today is that darn Singha beer... and believe us when we say that LAist loves us some Thai......

Gold Line Photo by Fred Camino/MetroRiderLA and Metro Subway photo by Kwasi B. Next week, the Metro board will vote on two very important issues. One will put a half-cent sales tax increase, that would raise funds for public transit, on November's ballot. The other is the Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), a document guiding public transit in Los Angeles County for years to come. Gold Line advocates, who wish to see the line......

Now that it stays light until almost nine o'clock, nighttime has taken up its annual habit of being more playful, with balmy temperatures and the hint of summertime. But weekday doldrums can still take over, which means weeknight relaxation and indulgences are a must-have. Here's where the beautiful and historic Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa comes in. From now until August 27, every Tuesday and Wednesday night from 4-8 they're having a poolside summertime special,......

What's that sound? Oh, it's your stomach. It must be almost lunchtime! If you happen to be in the Monrovia area, this food porn shot of a Club Wrap from Wraps 360 courtesy of LAist Featured Photos contributor Tales of an L.A. Addict might just send you over the edge (or to Monrovia, who knows?). On her own blog, Pleasure Palate, our photog gets into the finer points of this fine looking lunch: When......

UCLA Professor Donald Shoup has been saying it for years: "inexpensive parking fosters urban decay, contributes to sprawl and motivates people to drive alone." How? It's that circling around effect, you know, when looking for spaces, avoiding valet. "Low meter rates can further congest city streets as motorists search for cheap parking spaces," the LA Times writes. "Studies in New York indicate that motorists on the hunt represent about 28% of all traffic on Manhattan......

Photo by Môsieur J. via Flickr Inspired by temple wish trees in Japan, Yoko Ono's Wish Tree project is devoted to encouraging the public to take part in artmaking as well as promoting worldwide peace and understanding. Starting in August, her Wish Trees, which will be chosen in relation to the surrounding environment or history of California, will be displayed at One Colorado in Pasadena. Ono invites people to write wishes (think world hunger,......

Update: "The Phoenix has landed, the Phoenix has landed. Welcome to the northern plains of Mars!" exclaimed EDL Communications Lead Richard Kornfeld. Another woman standing there watching was wow-ed: "That touchdown was phenomenal." It feels like being a room full of lottery winners -- everyone cheered, hugged and then someone broke out candy Mars Bars. The room's silence is now abuzz with chatter, some reporters are high-fiving, and cameramen are surrounding NASA experts for comments.......

With Memorial Day just around the corner, backyard and balcony chefs are cleaning their grills; at least you hope they are if you’re invited to a BBQ, to kick off the summer. I love to grill it up, but sometimes I’m a lazy, lazy man. Sometimes I just want some good BBQ with lots o’ meats and a place where my kid can be…well…a kid. Since Toy R Us isn’t serving tri-tip, as far as......

Photo by pink_fish13 via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr BARGAIN BOOZE For those of us who would prefer to have cheap drinks at a happier hour than early evening, The Mint has the answer: Midnight Happy Hour. Finlandia drinks are only a $1. ART OPENING The work of 30 artists is presented in this brand new mixed-media show at the Santa Monica Museum of Art that is focused on puppetry. Participating artists include:......

El Portal is a popular Mexican restaurant specializing in Yucatán-influenced food. Oh damn, that guacamole looks good right now. They are located on Green Street within Pasadena's Playhouse District. LAist Featured Photos contributor pink_fish13 ate their last month and tempted us with these photos. Submit your Eye Nosh food 'porn' photos and mini-reviews to LAist via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr.......

California Strawberry Festival (Oxnard) This annual fundraiser is focused on the legendary Ventura County strawberry, and has lots of food, crafts, and entertainment from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Strawberry Meadows of College Park (3250 South Rose Avenue, Oxnard). Tickets: $12 Adults; $5 Youth (Ages 5-12); $8 Seniors (55+); $8 Active Military and Dependents with ID; Children 4 and under are free Lilac Festival The 26th annual Lilac Festival in Frazier Park at......

mixi-bang is a vinyl toy haven right in the middle of Old Town Pasadena. Nestled between Burke Williams and The CrepeVine, mixi-bang carries Asian vinyl, western vinyl, plushes, and several toy related books. For those who like their toys more interactive, DIY Circus Punks, Munnys, and Qees line the shelves too. Throw in an Ugly Doll for good measure and happy customers will leave with a smile. The mixi-bang gallery features rotating shows. Check out......

LAist Featured Photos contributor 护士黑鹰 shares with us her "super divine" Crepe Suzette from the Crepe Vine in Old Town Pasadena. What's in it? "Fresh crepes, layered with hot, sugar-coated oranges, doused in Grand Mariner and sprinked with powdered sugar." Wow. Yum. Evil. It's time for breakfast again. Submit your Eye Nosh food 'porn' photos and mini-reviews to LAist via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr.......

Mike Whitaker, with Riverside CAL Fire, uses a hose to control a fire Monday, April 28, in Sierra Madre. Firefighters struggled in tough conditions Monday to push back the stubborn wildfire burning above homes in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains northeast of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ric Francis) While 300-400 people are being let back into their homes on the Eastside of the fire in Sierra Madre, Fifty-one homes in Pasadena were evacuated......

Yesterday at four different locations around the Los Angeles area, teams built ice structures, a re-creation of performance and installation artist Allan Kaprow's "Fluids." Yesterday, Kaprow's son helped build one of the structures in Pasadena's Memorial Park. LAist Featured Photos contributor Tom Andrews was there to catch it. From Beverly Hills to San Pedro, "Fluids" structures are still being put up today and tomorrow. Below the photo gallery is a map of locations and dates.......

Fluids in Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills - 1967 © Dennis Hopper [Yes, the actor] Since late March, performance art happenings have taken place all around Los Angeles. From students at USC dragging cement blocks in public right-of-ways to women licking jam off cars, the Allan Kaprow exhibit has extended beyond the gallery walls of the MOCA Geffen Contemporary gallery exhibit. Through the end of June, recreations from the pioneer of performance art will continue.......

Photo by delera-photos via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr There were a lot of earthy things to do this weekend, but the true Earth Day is tomorrow. And after that, Earth Day-like events continue through May 10th with one of the best Earth Day festivals around -- WorldFest in Encino. Tomorrow and as previously mentioned, Wilshire Blvd. is being closed down between Western and Harvard. Since it's also Car Free Day, the event abut......

The kind folks who read LAist every week (that’s YOU!) live all over this fantastic city and we try to have a little something for everyone. This week’s classical pick has us hanging out at the Norton Simon Museum in the Pasadena/SGV area for a concert featuring musicians of the Grammy-Award winning Southwest Chamber Music group. This Saturday’s program includes Charles Ives’ Children’s Day at the Camp Meeting, Schubert’s Shepherd of the Rock (believed to......

Photo by delara-photos via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr DID U C OPRAH 2DAY? OMG SO GR8! OOPS G2G, PPL R B-TING SUM GUY UP TTYL! Pasadena ain't your ashtray. So tonight their city council meets to vote on a massive smoking ban that will prohibit puffers to indulge in their habit in almost any public place. Hey, what's the latest on the upcoming SAG/AFTRA contract talks? Deadline Hollywood Daily has an......

Photo by tobo via Flickr Which side of the Gold Line tracks do you live on? Southsiders (below the 10) better be representing because Northsiders are fighting hard for their piece of the cake too. Metro's Gold Line currently goes from Union Station in downtown to Sierra Madre, east of Pasadena. Metro is currently extending the Gold Line from Union Station southeast through Little Tokyo into East LA and is slated to open in......

Somewhere over the rainbow at The Wizard of Oz is playing. / Photo by Яick Harris via flickr. TEEVEE LIVE Last we checked there were tickets still available for an evening with the cast and crew of FX’s Damages. Scheduled to appear are Noah Bean, Rose Byrne, Glenn Close, Ted Danson, Tate Donovan, Anastasia Griffith, Željko Ivanek, Glenn Kessler (CoCreator/Executive Producer/Writer), Todd A. Kessler (CoCreator/Executive Producer/Writer), and Daniel Zelman (CoCreator/Executive Producer/Writer. 7 pm //......

Photo of bungalows in Monrovia by Living in Monrovia via Flickr The City might not want to help you buy a home, but the Repo Bus Tour will help you find one. A driving tour of SGV neighborhoods has been assembled by Pasadena-based LTV Real Estate, reports the Pasadena Star-News. The tour takes prospective home owners through parts of Duarte, Covina, West Covina, Monrovia, and Pasadena, and shows them homes that are in foreclosure and......

Photo by Clinton Steeds via Flickr While many mourn the loss of stalwart indie bookshops like Dutton's, many may want to celebrate the fact that LA (County, at least) is home to the nation's best bookstore, as deemed by Publisher's Weekly. Pasadena's 114-year-old Vroman's has been given the top spot, and is thriving in its Colorado Boulevard home, with no signs of falling prey to the big box bookstores and online buying. Now their staff......

Photo by highervision via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr This evening a public viewing will be held for slain LA High football star Jamiel Shaw, with funeral services to follow tomorrow. Shaw's tragic murder has prompted many LA residents to refocus on the senselessness of gang-related violence. Go, stop, go, stop: Commuters northbound on the 57 and the 605 transitioning to the 210 westbound this morning were greeted by the new traffic......

Burbank residents who live in the vicinity of Bob Hope Airport may soon see relief in the nighttime hours from cargo plane flight activity if a proposed mandatory curfew is endorsed by the public and approved by the FAA. This month, airport officials will consider the curfew that will prohibit air traffic between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. In turn, the airport could potentially save millions in operation costs. In 2002, the second phase of......

We would like to take a moment to thank this week's advertisers on LAist. The 2009 Toyota Corolla, which encourages you to "Live the Dream for Less Coin." Pasadena Art Weekend, for three days of free events. Busted Tees, which introduces three new designs a week. If you're interested in advertising on LAist or any other site in our network, check out our online mediakit.......

Today around 12:30 p.m. at Nogales High School in La Puente, a call came into 9-1-1 -- there was a gun on campus. Sheriff Deputies responded and found out it was a prank. "Apparently unsupervised students in a classroom there called 9-1-1 to report someone with a gun," reported Frank Girardot of CrimeScene Blog, which covers San Gabriel Valley area crimes. He says at least two students were in custody. One week ago today, a......

"Sister Cities" | Photo by Stephanie Asher via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr An update on yesterday's Harbor-Gateway shooting of a 6-year-old in a car. LAPD Chief Bratton announced: "We are very confident that we have the people who were involved in the actual shooting in custody." For the Lakers fans out there, LA City Councilman Bernard Parks declared today as "Derek Fisher Day." 1,817. That's the number of teacher layoffs so......