Lindsay William-Ross

For City of Los Angeles residents who opt to go solar for their power, the DWP has a rebate incentive. However, today the City Council is urging the DWP to put their rebates on hold, and to consider reducing the dollar amount of the rebates, according to the Daily News. Though the Council "unanimously rejected a proposal to slash" DWP rebates today, they are asking that the DWP make a new plan that will safeguard against the program going bankrupt.

Early risers and insomniacs in Torrance may have noticed some flaring today at the Exxon Mobil Refinery, which kicked in after a power outage, according to the Daily Breeze. The culprit: A raccoon who "slipped past some protective barriers at a power substation at 190th Street and Prairie Avenue and sparked the outage." Power was knocked out at around 1:50 a.m. but was restored by 4:30 a.m. Afterward, the refinery initiated "the flaring to...

It's official, and it's a wrap before Thanksgiving: "Steve Cooley conceded defeat today to Kamala Harris in the political slugfest for California attorney general," the Sacramento Bee is reporting. It took 22 days to reach this point, and, after that many days of ongoing ballot counting, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris (D) not only was named the victor by media outlets and prominent politicians, but she held on to a slim, but growing, lead over the Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley (R). It took 22 days to reach this point, and, after that many days of ongoing ballot counting, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris (D) not only was named the victor by media outlets and prominent politicians, but she held on to a slim, but growing lead over the Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley (R).

Before The Food Network's butter-loving queen bee Paula Deen wishes us a Happy New Year at the 2011 Rose Parade, the beloved Southern cook is talking about Thanksgiving, reports the Pasadena Star-News. Deen's love of Turkey Day is a simple as "F" words. Not "F" bombs, y'all, but rather these three congenial words: Food, family, and friends. The TV personality will be cooking at home for this holiday, but come January 1st, 2011, she'll...

Authorities are still working to determine the identity of a man whose body was discovered last weekend in the canal in Venice, however the coroner's office has conducted an autopsy, and has ruled the victim's death was an accidental drowning, according to the Daily Breeze. The victim was found wearing a black jogging suit; the body was reported as being spotted in the Grand Canal south of Venice Boulevard early in the morning on...

For many, the strategy to surviving Thanksgiving week air travel, and the TSA's new search policies and procedures, is to have a sense of humor. While that doesn't mean suddenly it's funny to make "explosives in your underwear" jokes at the check-in counter, for social media junkies it means risking having your junk touched by a TSA agent gets you a badge of honor. Foursquare has debuted the "Baggage Handler" badge, which users can...

A deadly crash in Gorman, the "Biggest Loser" crew gets back to work, every single Arnold Schwarzenegger scream all in a row, and more news bites of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports

An Irvine-based salesman seems to have swindled some seventy-somethings out of their savings, says the OC Register. Laguna Woods residents Fred and Shirley Burt put $7,545 down on a walk-in bathtub, which Shirley needs for her broken hip. Three months after paying, the Burts still don't have their tub. The salesman, Michael Edwards Ragsdale, is already in hot water with the DA's office for a similar scheme he ran earlier this year on a...

Julio Alvitres (LAPD) The LAPD have arrested 54-year-old Julio Alvitres for swindling would-be customers out of cash in exchange for empty promises about obtaining driver's licenses and Social Security Cards. Now the authorities are looking to speak with anyone targeted by the crook who lured Mexican, and Central and South American nationals in the Mid-City area by claiming he was a DMV employee. Unfortunately, Alvitres' victims learned the hard way that Social Security and...

Living the Valley can be cool, The Lobsta Truck is on a roll, more Barstow water gets the all-clear, and more news bites of the day. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports

For those who doubt the "free lunch," Chef Lupe Liang of Hop Woo BBQ and blogger Eddie Lin of Deep End Dining are ready to prove you wrong. Hop Woo is going to give out 218 lunch boxes on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday (almost 450 total) to diners who come in between 2-5 p.m. and mention Deep End Dining sent you. What's for lunch? Lin tells us: "Each lunch box will include slices...

First they banned plastic bags in unincorporated Los Angeles County, now the Board of Supervisors is considering a ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in the same area, according to LA Now. Currently the pot shops are living on borrowed time, under a 4-year-old policy that already imposes strident restrictions on where they can set up.