• The feds are cracking down on undocumented immigrants who reenter the country after being deported, the LA Times found. Attempts to nab the offenders makes up more than one-third of all prosecutions in Los Angeles and surrounding counties. The logic behind the push, feds say, is to keep the more dangerous elements off the street but some public defenders who represent the undocumenteds are calling BS on them.
• Attention 11th and 12th graders: the University of California is considering dropping the SATs from admission requirements. Smart move, UC. The test has proven to be racially and economically biased and does not test intelligence but test taking skills. Oh wait, college is sort of like that too.
• Police in Hermosa Beach arrested a man who allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend's apartment and stabbed her current boyfriend multiple times. Current boyfriend is alive but in serious condition while ex-boyfriend and current madman surrendered to cops after a stand off in the apartment.
• The Kodak Theater could be the site of this year's MTV Video Music Awards. Kodak might be an unusual choice due to its relatively small number of seats, compared to past venues. Especially because each musician needs two seats: one for himself and for his ego.
• A man in Palm Springs is counting his lucky stars today, having been rescued after falling about 200 feet from Mount San Gorgonio Saturday afternoon. That'll teach him for falling.
• The Washington state Department of Corrections has agreed to pay $2.25 million to five children who were wounded or traumatized when a parolee from Washington fired 70 rounds into the Granada Hills Jewish community center, wounding five before killing a mail carrier in August 1999. The families of the boys argued the state should have done more to check up on the parolee which, had they done so, would have revealed the dude was stashing weapons in his house. The families originally sued for $15 million. Therapy ain't cheap, people.
• Two people were shot in Sun Valley this morning during an apparent case of road rage. Five people in one car fought with two people in another, each eventually pulling guns. What happened to the good ol days when rivals would just have dance offs in alleys and have names like Jets and Sharks? more ›

How does UCLA celebrate winning a tough game against the Washington State Cougars? By tanking it against the Washington Huskies. more ›

UCLA 67, Washington State 59 - The #5 Bruins returned a favor by knocking off the #17 Cougars on their home court. Darren Collison scored all 18 of his points in the second half and Kevin Love had 16 on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. UCLA improves to 21-2 overall, and at 9-1 in the Pac-10 hold on to first place by a game over Stanford. more ›

I really did think the Arizona State Sun Devils would give the UCLA Bruins more trouble than the Arizona Wildcats. It looks like neither of those squads did much of anything against the Bruins. more ›

Lakers 109, Hornets 80 - Two of the hottest teams in the NBA met in New Orleans, but only one of them lived up to the billing. Los Angeles thumped the Hornets despite playing on back-to-back nights and New Orleans having several days of rest. Maybe they just got cold. The Lakers bench was key, outscoring the Hornet's reserves by 42-9. It was like the reverse of a USC game. more ›

The Bruins were lucky enough to get coverage on FSN this time while breaking away from a 10-10 tie at the half to outlast Washington 44-31 last night. Washington's Jake Locker threw three deadly touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. It was a difficult game for the Bruins, until the Huskies' defense started to give during the second half. Each touchdown pass that Locker completed, the Bruins were able to respond to until finally opening... more ›

With a 5-3 loss last night to San Francisco, the Los Angeles Dodgers' lead in the National League West has narrowed to one game over the Padres. The next two games at Dodger Stadium will be key, as a No Cal sweep over So Cal would move the Giants into a virtual tie with the Dodgers in the NL West. One player who will have absolutely no impact in either of the remaining games against the Giants is pitcher Mark Hendrickson (he's scheduled to start Saturday against the Pads). And given his lack of immediate importance, it's no coincidence that Mark is the subject in Part 5 of our 436 Part Series, Better Know a Dodger. more ›

Oregon 81, USC 57 - LAist predicted that USC and UCLA would play for the Pac 10 title. When the top seeded Bruins were knocked off by #8 Cal, it was up to the Trojans to represent LA. They couldn't. The 24 point margin doesn't begin to explain the Duck's domination. After beating Washington State in the semifinals on Friday night, USC left Staples Center in the wee hours of the morning on Saturday. They... more ›

USC 70, Washington State 61 - After loosing to the Cougars twice in league play, the Trojans avenged the regular season by beating Washington State in the Pac 10 Tournament semifinals. USC led most of the way, thanks in part to 24 of 33 shooting from the charity stripe compared to just 6 of 8 for the Cougs. The Trojan's tenacious D also held their opponent to 36.1 percent shooting. Oregon 81, Cal 63 -... more ›

The most exciting college sports action is going down this weekend in Los Angeles and this time there's no pigskin involved. The Pac 10 Men's Basketball Tournament is taking place Staples Center. It's a little like that awkward moment just before the Big Dance. It can be expensive to go, you wish you were with one of those cheerleaders, somebody already got upset (big time), and somebody hopes to get lucky. Come to think... more ›

The Bruins should have been worried, walking onto a court of 11,000 hardcore WSU fans, jumping and cheering at the top of their lungs -- "should have", but they weren't. Instead they bounced back from a 23-22 halftime deficit and extinguished any notion that they did not have control. UCLA finished the game 53-45 over WSU, and clinched the Pac-10 title; meaning UCLA could become the top seed entering the NCAA Tournament. Arron Afflalo led... more ›

Kings 4, Ducks 3, OT - LAist revels in rivalries, especially local ones. Take Los Angeles and Anaheim. Despite gaining parity in baseball and cartoon production, they've seen a major gap in hockey. The Kings are at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, while the Ducks have spent most of the season on top. Yet when the teams face off, that doesn't mean a thing. Los Angeles won in overtime, giving them three wins... more ›

Today - Thursday - March 1st, 2007 Ducks @ Kings (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) College Basketball: UCLA @ Washington State (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) Survivor: Fiji (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) Someone has a tantrum on the island. Swinging (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) Series premiere Scrubs/30 Rock (NBC, 8-9:00 p.m.) New episodes. Larry King Live (CNN, 9:00 p.m.) Reporter Bob Woodruff Ace of Cakes (Food Network, 10:30 p.m.) Off to Baltimore. If only this show had the balls... more ›

Ducks 3, Kings 2, SO - With both local teams struggling lately, Los Angeles and Anaheim opened a weekend home-and-home series at Staples Center. The Kings tied it up with about five minutes to play, and neither team could score in overtime. The Ducks, with one of the best records in hockey, skated away with a shootout win over the Kings, with one of the worst. The scrappy rivalry featured 56 penalty minutes issued in... more ›

Today - Thursday College Football: California vs. Texas A&M (ESPN, 5:00 p.m.) the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl from San Diego "City of God" (IFC, 6:00 p.m.) Hardcore gang action in Rio - heavy duty violence College Basketball: Washington @ USC (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) College Basketball: Washington State @ UCLA (PRIME, 7:30 p.m.) Road Trip with Huell Howser. (KCET, 9:00 p.m.) Huell Goes to Chico! Inside the Actor's Studio (Bravo, 9:00 p.m.) Eddie Murphy... more ›

Ducks 2, Thrashers 1 - Anaheim continues to look like the best team in hockey after winning their tenth game in the past eleven. Teemu Selanne tallied both goals, the second just a minute after Atlanta evened the score in the third period. Mavericks 110, Lakers 101 - The Lakers lost in Dallas, falling half a game out of first place in the Pacific Division. Kobe Bryant had a game high 33, but Los... more ›