Andy Sternberg

Dia de Los Muertos 2008 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery / photo by jtstrathdee via LAist Featured Photo Pool. Explosions in the Sky's new album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care won't be available until April 26th but a unique multimedia installation on the grounds of Hollywood Forever will allow fans to experience the inevitable sensory overload of the epic post-rock quartet's latest creation for free, on April 23rd. Taking Care: 6 Visual Interpretations is...

Less than two weeks before dropping the much-anticipated "Wasting Light" album, Foo Fighters reacted to unauthorized early leaks with an April 1 treat for fans that really is no joke. The Foos latest surprise for fans is a high-quality audio stream of "Wasting Light" available for your listening pleasure at the Foo Fighters website and Facebook page. Listen in for yourself.

USC's Greek system is facing social probation for the second time this school year after a series of recent mischievous events including racy emails and rooftop sex on campus. USC's Vice President of Student Affairs, Michael Jackson, set up a task force Thursday night, including members of the administration and the Greek community to work past all of the negative attention, according to the Daily Trojan.

Two experienced skydivers were killed after the canopies of their parachutes collided and deflated about 300 feet from the ground Thursday afternoon, according to authorities. The victims, Christopher Stasky of San Diego and Patrick McGowan of Menifee, both 42, were experienced parachutists at the Perris Valley Skydiving School with tens of thousands of jumps between them. McGowan was a veteran instructor at the Perris Valley Skydiving School and was helping Stasky train Canadian military...

In this photo (by R. E. ~ via LAist Featured Photo Pool), non-radioactive milk is paired with non-atomic cookies. There's radiation in our milk!!! But unlike earlier this month the media is declaring it unquestionably non-threatening, as opposed to shocking viewers to induce vomiting and feverishly turn to adult breastfeeding in fallout shelters. The fact is, there's always radiation... everywhere. Likely more so if you take your milk from a paper or plastic carton...

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Barry Zito was released from the hospital Thursday morning after suffering minor injuries in a two-car crash in Hollywood. Zito, who has a home in the Hollywood Hills, was taken to Cedars-Sinai with a sore neck but claimed he won't miss his start Sunday at Dodger Stadium. Could this be the beginning of a downward spiral for the Giants, who left the Dodgers in the dust last year and somehow bearded their way to a World Championship? Happy Opening Day!

photo of the fountain at Confluence Plaza courtesy Wet Design Confluence Plaza officially opened Thursday with a full dedication complete with a brass band. The plaza, located at the corner of N. San Fernando Road and N. Figueroa Street, near Home Depot in Cypress Park, is part of a larger plan to beautify the stretch of the Los Angeles River that parallels the 5 Freeway and an industrial corridor. The plaza is highlighted by...

A man's legs were severed after he was hit by a freight train in Long Beach Thursday morning. A passer-by spotted the injured man near the tracks around 5:15 a.m. and paramedics took him to a hospital where he was conscious and in critical condition, according to Long Beach fire spokesman Steve Yamamoto. Firefighters later found the detached limbs, packed them in ice and brought them to the hospital for possible reattachment. The man...

It's time to accept what we've known for so long. Traffic in Los Angeles sucks. Argument over, in fact, we may as well just quit whining and save our breath for smoggier (or more radiated) days ahead. A new Top 100 list released by INRIX puts Los Angeles at the very top. As in the #1 Worst. Number one most-congested metro.

Trader Joe's issued a recall for its Pizza al Pollo Asado product after being alerted that it may contain trace amounts of wheat, which is not listed in the ingredient panel. No adverse reactions have been reported, however anyone with a wheat allergy could be affected. Customers are welcome to bring back any and all Frozen Pizza Al Pollo Asado (sku 95811) to Trader Joe's for a full refund.

Up to 80 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine were seized by L.A. County Sheriff's Deputies following a high-speed chase from Lynwood to Santa Fe Springs Tuesday night. The pursuit began after the suspect fled from detective surveillance in Lynwood around 9:25 p.m. and ended when the man crashed into a parked car at a Santa Fe Springs intersection. Sheriff's deputies found a duffel bag containing 50- to 80-pounds of cocaine and/or methamphetamine, according to reports. That's as much as 36 kilos.

Los Angeles County leads the nation with 1.7 million people struggling to afford to stay properly fed, according to the Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study. While 50 million people nationwide struggle to put food on the table, L.A. is highest in food insecurity, according to the study, which is based on 2009 statistics collected by government agencies.