Jessica P. Ogilvie

January Jones took a break from her busy filming schedule to pen a piece for the Huffington Post today about the dangers of shark finning. Jones, a spokeswoman for non-profit ocean protection group Oceana, wrote the article in support of AB 376, an anti-finning bill that passed the CA state senate last week.

Being a university professor isn't a bad side job for a suspected drug dealer and motorcycle gang leader. And Steve Kinzey, who's employed by Cal State San Bernardino, proved it this week. The 43-year-old, facing charges of operating a meth ring and heading up a criminal biker group, put his smarts to good use and figured out a way to post his $300,000 bail this week, according to CBS News.

Musical theater people are well known for their emotional investment in their beloved shows. So what will they think of Russell Crowe as a potential Inspector Javert in the film remake of Les Miserables? According to the Hollywood Reporter, the tempermental actor is in talks with Universal and Working Title to join Hugh Jackman and possibly Helena Bonham Carter in the movie, which is scheduled for a December 2012 release.

PCH has reopened after a crash involving a BMW had it closed down for part of the early morning, reports the Daily News. The accident happened at about 1:30 this morning, when the car slammed into a construction truck, causing the truck to catch on fire.

This weekend marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, which means tearjerker interviews on TV, terrifying images on loops, and "where were you when" conversations. And in L.A., it also means ramped up security -- but not because of any specific threat against the city.

Jury selection is set to begin today in the case against Dr. Conrad Murray, who's accused of involuntary manslaughter in Michael Jackson's death, reports KTLA. The trial is moving forward after a failed attempt by defense attorneys to have it pushed back, claiming that jurors will be influenced by the plethora of media attention the case has already received.

A bill was approved last night by the California State Senate that will require the testing of all rape kits in counties where fewer than 12% of forcible rape cases result in arrests, reports the Pasadena Star News.

A five-hour stand-off ended early this morning when SWAT team members fired tear gas into a Reseda home, reports the Daily News. The officers were there after LAPD responded to a call at around 8:00 p.m. yesterday about a domestic disturbance. A 38-year-old man, whose name hasn't been released, barricaded himself into the home and his girlfriend fled, later being interviewed by police.

After a highly publicized build-up following the suicide of Russell Armstrong, the premiere of the second season of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" went on as scheduled on Monday. As promised by Bravo execs, the episode didn't show Russell, but did rely heavily on Taylor Armstrong's struggle to save the couple's marriage.

In tonight's Extra, Extra, a cancer survivor paddles the ocean, Reese Witherspoon is injured, you too can buy Liz Taylor's jewelry, and SoCal has pretty bad cities for the jobless. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

Russell Armstrong of "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" fame didn't have any drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death, reports L.A. Now. The results of his autopsy were released today by a coroner's office, and his death has officially been ruled a suicide.

Does it feel recently as though your commute has gotten...longer? If so, you may be experiencing sympathy pains for your fellow travelers; according to the Huffington Post, new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau show that the amount of time Southern Californians spend getting to work is on the rise. The information comes from the 2005-09 American Community Survey. Of 15 million Californians who commute, the majority -- about 2.2 million -- reported that they spend between 20 and 24 minutes getting to their job.