It turns out actress Lindsay Lohan's lackadaisical 'tude towards her addiction and recovery is translating to her time put in doing court-ordered community service, and now her lame efforts have gotten her booted out of one program where Lohan was meant to complete over 300 hours of work. more ›

Volunteers raised money for the Japanese Red Cross' earthquake and tsunami relief efforts outside City Hall on Thursday. And if the flashing "Tsunami Relief Effort" sign in front of the building wasn't enough to get passerbys to crack open their wallets, Darin Furukawa was there in full superhero Red Cross samurai garb. more ›

147 residences in La Cañada-Flintridge and 85 residences in La Crescenta have been ordered evacuated due to the to the possibility of debris flows resulting from forecasted rain storms in the area, according to LA County officials. Those affected by the evacuation orders are being notified by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and will be expected to comply by 9PM tonight. The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Holy Redeemer Church in Montrose that will open at 6PM. more ›

While here in Los Angeles and the greater Southern California area are anticipating Pacific wave activity as a result of today's early morning devastating 8.8 quake off the coast of Chile, many are working diligently reach loved ones in South America and regions under more serious tsunami warnings. Additionally, many here might be interested in ways to help out in the relief and recovery in Chile, and as a result, Google has just launched a Crisis Response portal where you can donate funds to the American Red Cross and UNICEF, get updates from news sources, and locate loved ones. To follow relief efforts and opportunities for aid, you can also follow the Red Cross on Twitter. more ›

Worthy of Tweet of the Day status. Via @RedCross: "We are now confirming you have donated $5 million to Red Cross earthquake relief efforts in #Haiti by texting "haiti" to 90999. Amazing." Earlier Today: LA and OC Search & Rescue Teams Heading to Haiti and a fundraiser in Echo Park tonight. more ›

As firefighters get a better handle on the Station Fire, evacuations are lifted and shelters close. Two remain open, the Red Cross announced today. One at Verdugo Hills High School in the L.A. neighborhood of Tujunga (10625 Plainview Avenue, Tujunga, CA 91042) and the other at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita (27051 Robert C. Lee Parkway, Newhall, CA 91350). Since the beginning of the Station Fire last week Wednesday, the Red Cross has sheltered more than 700 people at seven shelters across the Los Angles region with the help of 500 volunteers. The organization estimates that they served 5,100 meals, 8,600 snacks and 525 comfort kits (containing a toothbrush and other personal hygiene items). Dozens of clean-up kits for homes were also given away. more ›

“There is no better way to celebrate this holiday season than to help this City’s less fortunate families and children,” said Mayor Villaraigosa today in a statement. “At a time of great challenge for our economy and our country, it is our responsibility to give what we can to those suffering the most.” And things could be worsened if mudslides wipe out what was saved in the Sayre Fire. The lead agency on shelter management and relief effort for last week’s Sayre fire, the Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles is accepting monetary donations over the phone at (310) 445-2685 and through its website, www.redcrossla.org. more ›

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is encouraging residents and businesses to help support the hundreds of displaced families due to the Sayre Fire by donating to the Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, the organizations that is acting as the lead agency on shelter management and the current relief effort. more ›

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The American Red Cross maintains an online "Safe and Well List". This list allows friends and relatives of people who live in areas affected by a disaster, like the current fires, to check on their well-being. To conduct a search, the person needs either a phone number or a complete home address. more ›

It looks like they can fly, sometimes. What do you do on National Pig Day anyway? I could be snarky and suggest some bbq, but I love pigs, Porky and Arnold the Pig included. more ›

"Human activity" is what the LA Times is reporting is the cause of the fires. That's arson if it wasn't an accident. The most destructive fire in Malibu in nearly 15 years raced through parched canyons Saturday, consuming 49 homes and forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. The so-called Corral fire burned 4,700 acres before the fierce Santa Ana winds died down, allowing firefighters to make a stand. By evening, the blaze, which... more ›

An area of Mexico larger than metro LA is almost completely underwater after two days of severe flooding. Granted, we're busy fighting a Global War on Terror and it's inconvenient to help our neighbors, not to mention our own domestic needs, but... it's probably worth knowing that 80 percent of Tabasco is underwater. More rain is on its way. Our fires were on front pages around the world. So how come when Mexico experiences... more ›

It's been two years since an American city was destroyed. The above clip is a teaser of a video podcast series produced and promoted by entertainment icon Quincy Jones and pop guy Usher who have teamed up with Habitat for Humanity in order to urge Americans not to forget the victims of the hurricane. Think about what happened two years ago and think of a way to help. Editor Tony Pierce drove to New... more ›

Some medical types released a study on CPR, that found the benefit of chest compressions alone, can be just as beneficial as the current procedure for CPR with mouth-to-mouth ventilation. They also studied the reactions of people when confronted with someone who’s collapsed, and discovered 70% of bystanders do nothing, partly because they’re afraid of touching a stranger’s lips. more ›

Oh, you don’t like needles? I see. Do you like being in a hospital where there isn’t enough blood to treat you for whatever it was that was so serious that it sent you to the hospital? more ›

Face it, the Red Cross has been pretty good to us over the last few years. So why not give up more than a few pints of blood? Tonight from 7p-11p at the Nucleus Gallery (30 West Main Street, Alhambra, 91801) over 100 artists will be presenting work that has been created on 4" x 6" postcard sized mediums. more ›

The Orange County wildfires continue to burn in the Cleveland National Forest. Firefighers say they're making progress; more than 500 are on the scene. But the region's red flag conditions continue. Authorities have issued a public health alert for the smoke in OC and in Long Beach too. more ›

Well, someone did. We're not kidding. more ›

THURSDAY more ›

Restaurants in the Innovative Dining Group (IDG) have announced that on Thursday, September 8th, 20% of their local restaurants' proceeds will be donated to the Red Cross in order to help add to the growing amount of funds raised in the Los Angeles area to benefit the survivors of Hurrican Katrina. IDG has six spots in the greater LA area, three of which are locations of Sushi Roku (West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Pasadena), two are BOA Steakhouses (West Hollywood and Santa Monica), and the Katana Robata and Sushi Bar. LAist knows many folks don't care for Sushi Roku, but we do know that supporting this cause is incredibly worthwhile. What we do think is open to a little ribbing is the fact that TV and radio's most well-known metrosexual, Ryan Seacrest, will be on hand at the Santa Monica locations Thursday, presumably to shake hands and flash his pearly whites. (Seacrest is apparently an investor in the IDG group.) Dining out is just one way to help raise money for Katrina Relief. Thursday will also bring the anouncement of the details around Dine for America, a national restaurant fundraising effort due to take place on October 5th. Stay tuned. more ›

The media coverage of Katrina permeated our hearts and minds this week. Angelenos are just as horrified as the rest of the US at the devastation, suffering and lethargic relief efforts. more ›

We've seen lots of people discuss the slowness of the Red Cross website. The local version of the site is moving much more smoothly and you can donate there. more ›

Americans rose to the occasion when the Asian tsunami hit in December. Now it's time to help out a little closer to home. A few local media outlets have set up emergency relief centers where Los Angelenos can drop off check, cash or credit card donations. Here are a few: more ›

In the aftermath of tragedies, people say and do some pretty stupid things. Like Reverend Lewis Logan of Bethel AME, who says that Katrina is a Black woman seeking retribution on the South for its history of racism (Matt Szabo). LAist might be a little color blind but the faces we see on TV dealing with this storm seem decidedly black and impoverished. And, regardless, what the hell kind of abuse of religious faith is that? Obviously Reverend Logan went to the same school of ministry as those in the group Columbia Christians for Life who believe hurricane Katrina looks like a fetus at 6 weeks of pregnancy and thus must be the lord's assault on America for its pro-choice ways. (Ms. Musings) more ›

Londonist has minute by minute coverage of the suspected terrorist blasts in London today. Included in their bird's eye view of the event is a link to the incredibly comprehensive (and constantly updated) wikipedia entry about the transport explosions. more ›

As the Independence Day holiday approaches—known as much for firearm and recreational sporting injuries as for the camping and partying over the long holiday weekend—the Red Cross is warning that the blood supply in Southern California is critically low. This is a warning we've all heard before, but for some blood types (such as O-, O+ and B+), there is not enough blood in reserve to last the rest of the day, and perhaps not even through the evening. The Southern California Red Cross lists their current blood supply as follows: more ›

LA City Council Member Eric Garcetti is providing a way to give support to the victims of the Metrolink tragedy. more ›

The Inland Valley's Daily Bulletin reports that "Some of the estimated 40,000 Sri Lankans living in Southern California prefer to vacation in their native country this time of year" putting many of them in the path of Sunday's huge earthquake and tsunami in the region. more ›