Callie Miller

Tonight's Extra, Extra brings you unfortunate falls, stadium scoops, hundreds of jobs saved, a crazy downtown caper that gets crazier and more. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

Forget about higher education and cramming for final exams. Los Angeles Community College has announced a new whistleblower program for students to take part in, according to the Daily Breeze. What's so important it requires snitch recruitment? A $5.7 billion bond-funded construction program that came under fire in March after it was revealed that bond money for the project was spent on "unauthorized, non-construction" activities.

Two men have been found shot to death in an office building parking lot, according to CBS. Officers were called to the scene on west Temple Avenue this morning and found two men that were shot in the upper body, they were pronounced dead at the scene. No one in the business complex area reported hearing gunfire....

Be careful out there Angelenos! More California car crashes have historically been reported on December 15th than any other day of the year, according to KTLA. Your chances of getting into an accident today as compared to any other day driving the 405 in mad traffic jumps 23 percent. This increase in danger is attributed to weather, holiday shopping and other seasonal distractions.

Operation Gratitude Care Package Received (Photo by USACEpublicaffairs via Flickr) As many Angelenos rush about looking for the perfect gift, others are wondering where they can give the gift of their time or give donations to help those in need this holiday. The Encino Patch has pulled together a fantastic 17 Places to Volunteer or Make a Donation list of spots in their local vicinity and beyond. The volunteer opportunities range from food and...

he Pennsylvania coupled wanted in connection with the murder and dismemberment of downtown LA resident Herbert White have been arrested, according to KTLA. Melissa and Edward Garcia, Jr. were reportedly living on the streets and Melissa recently dyed her hair to alter her appearance. Edward confirmed his identity when questioned. They were arrested on La Brea Avenue near Hawthorne in Hollywood.

The Small Business Survival Index is out and California ranks 48th in "business friendlieness," according to the Orange County Register. Are we really that mean to small business? When ranking the costs that most impact smaller companies, the answer is a resounding yes. The main reason? Taxes, taxes, taxes. Income taxes, capital gains taxes and unemployment taxes in California have not been kind to California small business owners and many are leaving the state for more tax-friendly climates.

In today's Extra, Extra we have bigger budget woes, national flu vaccination week, what you can do to save L.A. libraries and TRON ticket giveaways. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports. You know you want to!

Theft of electronic devices in downtown L.A. increases dramatically during the holidays and the LAPD is enlisting your favorite servers and bartenders to help you keep your cell safe, according to the LA Times. Police Lt. Paul Vernon is asking that servers at downtown eateries, bars and clubs keep a close eye on stray cell phones, cameras and other mobile devices that patrons may leave unattended while enjoying dinner and drinks out.

Fifth-grade Dominguez Elementary School teacher Silvestre Ela has been arrested for possession and distribution of child pornography and police are asking for possible sexual abuse victims to step forward, according to the LAPD. Several computers and DVDs containing pornographic images were taken from Ela's home. Ela, 53, has admitted to viewing and downloading images of child pornography, but has denied preying on or victimizing children. He could face up to three years in state...

Housing for the homeless has been a subject of intense debate in Los Angeles for many years, but the LA County Board of Supervisors has a new plan to get thousands of homeless Angelenos off the streets, according to the Daily Breeze. A special task force found that it would be 40 percent cheaper to house LA County's 48,000 homeless rather than leaving them to the streets where they become ill and face a host of daily challenges and the board believes that it can find permanent homes for 12,000 chronically homeless individuals and 6,000 newly homeless veterans by 2016.

A man accused of smuggling hundreds (hundreds!) of tarantulas (tarantulas!) into the United States via U.S. mail was arrested by undercover federal agents yesterday after he arrived in Los Angeles, according to KTLA. Sven Koppler of Watchtberg, Germany has been under investigation since March when a routine search of an international package revealed 300 live tarantulas that were being shipped to L.A. without being declared and without permits. The investigation was aptly named "Operation Spiderman."