Zach Behrens

Now here's a real treat. Photographer Mike Meadows, who is known for his fabulous work of the Los Angeles Fire Department in action, yesterday caught some amazing photos of the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Park, as first pointed out by KNBC's Robert Kovacik. First there's the photo of the rainbow seemingly ending behind the Hollywood Sign (you're going to have to use some ninja skills to allude police and motion sensors to get that gold!)....

Gloria Allred showed this afternoon in a press conference what she said is proof that Meg Whitman and her husband knew that they were employing an illegal immigrant years. And if Whitman denies it, she is ready with even more proof, Allred said......

Gubernatorial Candidate and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman held a press conference in Santa Monica this morning, once again defending herself against allegations made by her former housekeeper, who is represented by high-profile attorney Gloria Allred. "This is truly a polical smear... based on lies," Whitman said. "Frankly I think Jerry Brown should be ashamed of what his allies have done here." KABC's John North called the situation a "political race blow-up," explaining that...

The tail end of this heat wave has brought the Southland some unexpected, but nice weather. Commuters stuck in evening rush hour in parts of Los Angeles saw double rainbows and an intensely beautiful sunset. In Sherman Oaks and Studio City, there was rain, thunder and lightning. What did you see and hear tonight?...

Patch, the AOL-owned hyper-local neighborhood news website, is springing up in communities all over the Los Angeles region, but not all communities are handing out a warm welcome. Over at Yo! Venice! writer Bret bemoans that the new Venice news site is run by someone who does not live in the community, but rather Hollywood. He compares the portal to Walmart, which, interestingly enough, is the same comparison Timothy Rutt of Altadenablog makes in...

Photo: Darwyn DJ Metzger via Twitter Sheriff's Deputies locked down the Equinox gym on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood this evening after a female was found inside not breathing. It was unknown if her condition was caused medically or by another person, but deputies treated the area as a crime scene, according to Sgt. Z. Conner of the West Hollywood station. The unidentified woman was transferred to Cedars-Sinai in unknown condition. One person Twittered...

Remember claw cranes? Those ubiquitous arcade devices that give you a chance at a free stuffed animal if you lower the claw in the right spot? The concept was eventually expanded in the 1996 to live animals -- specifically lobsters -- and is now known as the Lobster Zone game. Basically, if you catch one, the restaurant will cook it for you.

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist How effective is Los Angeles' Photo Red Light Program? That's the question City Controller Wendy Greuel will be talking about at a press conference later this morning. The enforcement cameras, which record drivers who will eventually receive a ticket in the mail running red lights, are supposed to improve public safety by reducing accidents at the city's highest risk intersections. Greuel's office, however, said the city's 32 cameras have "not...

With less than five weeks to November's election, polls about California's two biggest races are seemingly coming out daily. Today is one from CNN/Time, which shows Democrats in the lead. Among likely voters, it shows incumbent U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer leading former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina 52% to 43%. The exact same numbers were reflected in the gubernatorial race with Attorney General Jerry Brown ahead of former eBay CEO Meg Whitman. However, the range...

End of the day links: hot weather, clean air standards, county workers who are paid more than $350,000, college students and the November election, the L.A. housing market, LAPD officers shoot and kill a suspect in HiFi and studying children in downtown.