Lindsay William-Ross

In today's Extra, Extra we've got Whitey saying not guilty, miniature lap giraffes to obsess over, feedback on foodie fan fiction, a hat in the ring for the '13 race for City Controller, and more news of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

It was a nice try, but against the law, and today the actions of Michael Plank of Lomita have had their consequences set. Plank, 42, has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for smuggling 15 lizards from Australia into the United States--so basically one month per lizard.

A Rialto woman who works as a Los Angeles County probation officer was arrested at her San Dimas workplace by feds and hauled in on charges she "bilked the federal financial aid system by using two identities to fraudulently obtain financial assistance," says the Department of Justice.

Photo by Salina Canizales via the LAist Featured Photos pool The Tim Burton Retrospective is drawing crowds to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and savvy attendees will be sure to time their visit with room for a drink and some eats at Ray's and Stark Bar, the patio-style bar and restaurant that have recently opened up at the venue. Having already created a delicious cocktail, the Dr. Burton, that plays on the...

Things are pretty cut-and-dried when it comes to the impending "Royal Visit" by Prince William and his new bride Catherine Middleton. With a spate of events on the docket for the newlyweds' Californian weekend, those who have been awarded a special spot on the Royal agenda need to mind their p's and q's.

We visited former LAist writer Aarti Sequeira on the set of her Food Network show "Aarti Party,"--now in its third season--to find out what life after winning The Next Food Network Star and being a popular Food Network personality was like.

The Westside subway extension, which would bring Metro's Purple Line from its current Wilshire/Western terminus to Westwood, got what some are hailing as a "major step" closer to some big federal funding. California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer made a joint announcement today, urging the U.S. Department of Transportation to okay a $641 million federal loan for the project.

It's been two years since Reverend Jeff Carr came on board as the Chief of Staff to L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and today the 47-year-old announced he will be stepping down this summer. Carr, the City's former Director of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, was brought on with much to-do about his "demanding style" and experience in the non-profit sector and in getting policy passed in City Hall.

History is about to get some jazzhands (Photo by Wesley Fryer via Flickr) The future school kids of California will soon learn the valuable contributions to history by members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community by reading about them in their textbooks. Yesterday, the Assembly approved a bill okaying the addition of the info to our state's textbooks, and that bill lands on the desk of Governor Jerry Brown today. The bill,...

In today's Extra, Extra we've got an upcoming Extravaganza, a really generous CSUN b-baller, illegal fireworks sparking flames, and a dollar value for Twitter, plus more news bites of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports.

Photo: kristi.nicole How quickly those blue skies can turn gray... The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Warning for Northeastern Los Angeles County, including the eastern Antelope Valley and adjacent foothills. The warning is in effect until 7:15 p.m. tonight. Doppler radar shows a cluster of strong thunderstorms in the region, which are "producing very heavy rainfall and will likely cause flash flooding over the warned area." The storm cluster is moving...

It's time to squeeze every possible inch of space on our already-congested freeways for use at their maximum potential. On the 110 and 10 Freeways, the plan of attack is called the ExpressLane project, and while it's kicking off a little later than expected, it will have its ground breaking today in Gardena, making way for toll lanes on about 25 miles of freeway.