Emma G. Gallegos

A rookie and "honor recruit" from the L.A. County Sheriff's department resigned shortly after he said that he was forced to beat a mentally ill inmate, according to the Los Angeles Times. The 23-year-old rookie Joshua Sather had been working a shift at the jail downtown last year, when he called his uncle a veteran in the department crying. He complained that he had been forced to beat up a mentally disabled inmate. He quit almost immediately after and now works in oil fields in Colorado.

The era of legal pot dispensaries could be coming to an end. Sixteen shops in San Diego received notices from the federal government ordering them to shut down within 45 days, even if they are operating legally under California's 15-year-old medical marijuana law, according the Associated Press.

In tonight's Extra, Extra, Michael Jackson dreamed of creating a children's hospital, Billy Bob Thornton's daughter is sentenced and the late Steve Job starts a fashion trend. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

Harvey Mudd College, Claremont McKenna College and USC are some of the priciest schools in the nation, according to a survey put together by Campus Grotto.

A Baldwin Park man was convicted of child abuse for shooting at a little girl's dog. The girl was playing with her dog back in May when States pulled out a gun. The little girl ran away from him into the house, while States shot at her dog. He missed, but he continued waving the gun around, once even pointing it at the dog while the girl held it in her lap.

You can sleep well tonight with the knowledge that Orange County's own model-turned-Hannibal Lecter will not be released early on parole. Omaima Nelson dined on her newlywed husband's flesh dipped in BBQ sauce after killing him during Thanksgiving weekend twenty years ago. She was sentenced to 27 years in prison, but she has twice requested — and has now been twice denied — getting out early on parole.

Anschutz Entertainment Group isn't the only big winner from a pair of bills Governor Jerry Brown signed on Tuesday that fast-tracks any lawsuits against the proposed downtown stadium. Supporters of the slow-going subway to the Westside believe these bills could help them out, too, according to The Daily News.

A eucalyptus tree took a tumble in Corona Del Mar yesterday, hitting four cars and two homes, according to the Daily Pilot. Fortunately, no one was injured. Normally news of a falling tree is as hyperlocal as it gets. It's the sort of thing you might hear about at a neighborhood council meeting. But this latest development seems unsettling, since it's at least the fourth time falling eucalyptus trees have made news within a few weeks.

Sarah Palin, your favorite g-droppin', celebrity-courtin', Fox News-commentin' vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor of yore just announced today that she will not run for president.

Many Southern California hospitals near the San Andreas Fault aren't prepared for the Big One, according to an investigation by the California HealthCare Foundation Center for Health Reporting.

Here it comes: rainy season is a little early. So drive carefully especially if you're up in the hills and just remember the sun will come out tomorrow (or maybe the next day). Today's storm could last for six hours straight and dump up to an inch of rain in Southern California.

In tonight's Extra, Extra, the LAPD is tracking flash mobs, Michael Jackson's fans will go to the ends of the earth to stand outside trials having anything to do with him and the New York Times' rewritten lede gets a second look. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.