Kristy Pyke

CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg is finally answering the hard questions about Facebook privacy issues. During an interview with Wall Street Journal Columnists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the annual All Things Digital Conference last night, Zuckerberg stumbled over his answers and has people wondering what this means for Facebook. Hosts Mossberg and Swisher kept pushing the fact that people are not happy with the instant personalization default instead of simply asking their...

The Shakespeare Center is taking a break from their Shakespeare Summer Festival after 24 consecutive years of free public shows in downtown. They will instead focus on their nationally-recognized arts enrichment program Will Power to Youth. Director of the Shakespeare Center Ben Donenberg stated they had to take $100,000 from the summer festival budget to fund their spring show, according to Los Angeles Downtown News.

The State Assembly passed the ban on single-use plastic bags yesterday in a 41-21 vote, and the reactions seem split as well. In hopes of gaining support for the State Senate decision expected to happen later this summer, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) has released new data. They say that a recent study (.pdf) shows San Francisco...

Photo by juliejordanscott via Flickr After years of proposed budget cuts for the Department of Cultural Affairs, recommendations from the mayor to cut art grant money, and now the threat of charging non-profit art organizations rent, the art community has had one simple message: no. Currently there is a program in place allowing non-profits to rent city owned buildings, such as Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood and the Watts Towers Arts Center, for $1.00...

Photo by Seven_Null7 via Flickr The federal government is looking for a new definition of homelessness and they are taking suggestions and comments from the public. How would you define it? According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) the current definition of homeless is “an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate, nighttime residence.” But under the HEARTH (Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing) Act, signed into...

Photo by FeatheredTar via Flickr A bill that would ban plastic and other single-use bags from a variety of stores took a big step today. The California State Assembly approved AB 1998 in a 41-27 vote. Under the legislation, the ban will “eliminate single-use bag litter, which pollutes oceans, beaches, parks and communities and endanger wildlife”, according to the bill's author Assemblymember Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica). Supermarkets, drug stores, convenience and liquor stores would...

Detail of a mural by Elmac and Retna in Hollywood | Photo by Lord Jim via Flickr A Los Angeles City Council panel is investigating Portland, Oregon’s Public Art Mural Program for inspiration on how to deal with murals locally. Once known as the mural capital of the world, Los Angeles has fallen far behind with mural maintenance as well as commissioning, funding, or allowing new murals to be put up. During the discussion...

Many people remember the freeway murals painted for the 1984 Olympics or the Los Angeles Marathon, but today they are hardly recognized as such. Between corrosion and graffiti the murals stand as a sad reminder of the issue...

Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) announced today that her bill to ban single-use bags, which includes paper and plastic, has “historic support”. After the bill was amended last week to accommodate all stakeholders, AB 1998 is said to have the support of environmental groups and businesses alike.

The second floor of city hall is home to the snack bar. For years Guilliano’s sold snacks, beverages, breakfast, and lunch to both staff and public alike. But talk around city hall has brought a new issue to the forefront, one that hits closer to home for a lot city councilmembers. Last week Councilmembers Paul Koretz and Janice Hahn submitted a motion (.pdf) to provide healthier food options and encourage city hall employees to...