Zach Behrens

Photo by Rich Anderson via Flickr CVS Pharmacy has agreed to settle with the federal government after admitting it illegally sold a key ingredient to criminals who made methamphetamine, the United States Attorney's Office said today. The company will pay a settlement of $77.6 million. $2.6 million of that represents the profit the company made from selling pseudoephedrine, the rest is a civil penalty, which is the largest ever paid under the Controlled Substances...

Fry Smith visits Sherman Oaks | Photo by polaroid-girl via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr The L.A. County Board of Supervisors this week approved the expansion of its letter grading system for (.pdf) food establishments to include food trucks and carts. That means your favorite mobile eatery could soon be displaying an acceptable "A," a bummer of a "B," or a cautious "C." But a number of things must first happen before this actually...

via LCD Soundsystem's MySpace When we ran a ticket giveaway in August for this concert, you responded with zeal. So, heck, we're doing it again! This Friday LCD Soundsystem is playing the Hollywood Bowl with Hot Chip and Sleigh Bells and we're giving away another two pairs of tickets (if you want to buy them, here's the Ticketmaster link). To enter, head on over to our Facebook page, "like" us if you haven't already...

Photo by hall.chris25 via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Should a construction company seeking a contract from the city for its next big project be able to donate to or fundraise for political campaigns? If you ask the Los Angeles Ethics Commission and at least one-third of the City Council, the answer is "no." The Commission already last month urged councilmembers to adopt an ordinance forbidding companies with pending business before the city from...

Woodman Avenue in Sherman Oaks | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Thanks to a law signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger earlier this month, cities now have the power to ban mobile billboards, and Los Angeles, which pushed the issue with state legislators, will be no exception. Today a city council committee (.pdf) will discuss three motions that could spell out the death for the unhitched trailers that display ads throughout the city, mostly in the...

Rudy Martinez While the November election is at the top of everyone's mind these days, the municipal election next March is making news today. Yesterday, campaign finance disclosure statements were due to Los Angeles' Ethics Commission and they've revealed that a real race is developing in Council District 14, which covers parts of downtown, the Eastside (Boyle Heights, El Sereno, etc.) and Northeast L.A.(Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, etc.). Eagle Rock sushi restaurant owner and...

Photo via Save Our Encino Barnes & Noble on Facebook Barnes & Noble last month announced they're closing two stores in Valley on properties owned by Rick Caruso. While the high-profile developer, who is known for The Grove and The Americana, wants to keep the bookseller in Calabasas, he's ready for the Encino location to be turned into a CVS Pharmacy. For Encino residents, however, the loss of books and the addition of an...

If you were on Hollywood Boulevard last Saturday night, you may have seen this demonstration, something that mirrored, but on a smaller level, a rally of remembrance in Bangkok. While the political and violent drama that's been taking place in Bangkok this year hasn't exactly been played out in local media, other outlets have been following the drama. Here's what the Telegraph said in May: In the full glare of the world's media, Thailand's military...

Artisanal LA artwork Ice cream from Malibu, vegetables from Silver Lake, Beer from Northeast L.A. and salsa from Chinatown. First-time event Artisanal LA today announced its complete -- save for a few expected additions -- schedule and line-up for its October 23rd and 24th event. The event is meant to bring together the region's unique local, sustainable and handmade food businesses all in one space. Think craft beer (Eagle Rock Brewery, for example), baked...

Now that was a debate! It was lively, informative, had good back-and-forth and was nearly void of campaign slime (read: housekeeper and "whore" controversies). Topics and questions from veteran newsman Tom Brokaw included...