Lindsay William-Ross

Los Angeles has a lesson to teach credit rating agency Standard & Poor's: Downgrade our credit rating and we just won't hire you anymore. (You can almost see us thumbing our nose, right?) Basically, L.A. is joining in with other cities and counties in giving the group the boot and claiming their rating doesn't really mean much, anyhow.

Actor Danny DeVito was honored with the 2,445th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame today, and while on the famous Boulevard for the event, he stopped to take some time to...hug a tree!

USGS Hey LBCers? Did you feel the earth move under your feet a few minutes ago? A 3.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 miles SSE of Long Beach (that's 20 miles SSE of the L.A. Civic Center) at 2:45 this afternoon, according to the USGS. Most people on Twitter in the Long Beach and L.A. area seem to be saying they missed this one. "Earthquake? I didn't feel anything," said one Twitter user. If you...

The graphic new images poised to adorn American cigarette packs next year are meant to warn smokers and would-be smokers of the health dangers associated with the habit. However a few large U.S. tobacco companies say the new labels will just plain scare their customers away from cigarettes, and they've filed a suit against the federal government.

Few things will discourage a potential recruit from joining the Navy more than being penetrated by a foreign object after taking a practice exam. Today, a Navy recruiter was arrested by El Monte Police and charged with doing just that do a woman who was looking into joining the service in March.

If your Sunday needs more spice and a little sauce, you might want to head over to Domaine LA, because from 3-6 p.m. the wine shop will be hosting the acclaimed Mariscos Jalisco truck for a wine-and-food pairing that sounds divine.

In today's TGIF Extra, Extra we've got a sperm whale, no big deal at 5 Guys, Carolla on pies, and a pocket park's permanence, along with a few more news bites of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

L.A.-based street and commercial artist Shepard Fairey got his butt whooped recently while in Copenhagen, Denmark, reports the Guardian. The 41-year-old creator of the iconic and problematic Obama "HOPE" campaign poster found himself the recipient of punches and kicks outside a club early last Saturday morning.

A young man from Simi Valley was arrested this week for allegedly making multiple threats against Las Vegas hotels and casinos. 18-year-old Zachary Jackson is accused of phoning in the threats to multiple Vegas venues between July 28th and August 8th.

Court papers filed this week by attorneys for the Los Angeles Dodgers and team owner Frank McCourt indicate the baseball franchise is looking to have a request for punitive damages dismissed in the lawsuit filed by the family of beaten Giants fan Bryan Stow.

Fans of Chef Thomas Keller and Bouchon can finally get their daily bread (and other sweet and savory baked goodies) on Tuesday, August 16th,Wednesday, August 17th, when the eagerly-awaited Bouchon Bakery opens up in Beverly Hills.

Ron Thomas, the father of a homeless man who died after a beating at the hands of Fullerton police officers, spoke out today about the case, and shared a disturbing image of his son Kelly's beaten face.