Lindsay William-Ross

A bill for a statewide ban on single-use plastic shopping bags is up for consideration, backed by Los Angeles-based state senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima).

A gray cat is recovering after being found in a box with his mouth and nose covered in red duct tape. The two-year-old kitty was abandoned in the box in a lower level parking lot a the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center, according to the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC).

Sin City is about to get a little more sinful for burger lovers, thanks to word of the impending expansion to Las Vegas of the uber-popular NYC chain Shake Shack.

A woman home alone in her Perris residence getting ready for bed was the victim of a very unusual intruder recently, when her neighbor crawled into the house via the dog door and demanded she have sex with him.

A recent episode of the animated comedy series "Family Guy" depicted "mass deaths at the Boston Marathon," and has now been pulled indefinitely.

It's been nearly two years since a Garden Grove woman allegedly chopped off her estranged husband's penis and threw it in the garbage disposal, and now the case is finally going to trial. Opening statements are slated for today in a Santa Ana courtroom.

Angelenos have been reminded to follow the mantra "If you see something, say something" when it comes to items left unattended around town, which has led to a rash of "suspicious package" reports locally in the wake of Monday's Boston Marathon bombings. Today what appears to be a housewares item was inspected by the bomb squad after it was spotted and reported in a Silver Lake parking lot.

In today's Extra, Extra we've got Beverly Hills approving the Purple Line...on their terms, where to find Thai Iced Tea Beer, and more news bites of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports. You can also find us on Pinterest, Storify, Foursquare, and Instagram (laistpics).

A portion of Topanga Canyon Boulevard will be put up for consideration as designation as one of California's Scenic Highways, thanks to the efforts of Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and the Board of Supervisors.

Tesco, the UK operators of the regional grocery chain Fresh & Easy has been taking a long, hard look at how the business is doing, and, perhaps as expected, has decided to sell all of their stores.