Zach Behrens

A violent altercation between the LAPD and cyclists on a large group street bicycle ride last May beget something unexpected: a monthly Critical Mass, notoriously known across the country as a leaderless sometimes chaotic event, ride accompanied by the police officers for the last three months. And now, thanks to police presence, the monthly event has grown. "June was big, July was bigger, and August was just huge," said Stephen Box, a cycling advocate...

On heels of the announcement that he's taking over Clifton's Cafeteria and adding some nightlife options, Andrew Meieran is celebrating again. GQ Magazine has released its Best 25 Cocktail Bars in America and of the three picked from Los Angeles included his popular underground -- literally -- prohibition-style bar The Edison. "In an old subterranean power plant, the Edison is the largest bar on this list," the magazine noted of the downtown bar, which will...

Lindsay William-Ross/LAist The decision to implement a health grading system for food trucks and carts today was pushed back to a meeting in October, but officials still took steps to address issues. County Supervisor Don Knabe announced that he is creating a taskforce made up of mobile vendors and restaurant owners. The move is prompted by concerns raised by restaurants that food trucks and carts are unfairly competing with them. “In this economy, we...

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Santa Monica was home to the first food truck lot, but, despite its success, it lasted one whole day. The city shut it down over zoning issues and put the concept to study. That was January. Then last month the city's planning department concluded it would give out three-month temporary use permits for food truck lots on private property. The deal was that the city would monitor the effects of...

Musician Lady Gaga spoke at a rally in support of repealing the so-called "don't ask, don't tell" law, in Portland, Maine, on Monday. She wanted Maine's Republican senators to cast votes this week to help repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach) The military's infamous 17-year-old "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy about serving while openly gay will continue after it failed to see the day...

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong You can predict the cheers from residents on this one. Citing an anonymous source, the LA Times says at least eight city of Bell officials and employees have been arrested. Who and what charges will be brought against them will be announced later today at a press conference, but it's likely that among the arrested include City Manager Robert Rizzo and at least four of the five city councilmembers. The...

As rumored in the past few weeks, the powerful Service Employees International Union of California is readying to officially endorse Prop 19, which would legalize and tax marijuana. It's not official yet, but sources are confirming it to the New York Times, which notes that the endorsement offers "the proposition a shot of mainstream legitimacy as well as a potential financial and organizational lift." The group has 700,000 members, making it the largest statewide group....

Mount Washington in Northeast L.A. | Photo by Jennifer Gaillard via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Some are starting to apply the Manhattan phrase "bridge and tunnel" to suburbanites who visit downtown Los Angeles. Oh, really? The recession supposedly ended in 2009. Want the home once owned by William Randolph Hearst? No, not his castle up the coast, the one in Beverly Hills. It's up for sale right now and it's all yours for...

A building at USC has been evacuated after a suspicious package was reported to authorities, University officials said in an alert to students. Students were warned to stay away from the The Hedco Neuro Sciences at Watt and Downey Way (map). Campus security and LAPD were taping portions of campus off, including up to 34th Street and Trousdale (map), according to the Daily Trojan's twitter. Update: The suspicious package, which is a paper envelope,...

They've been pissing off drivers since 2007 and now CBS2 is making it their latest target. They are stop signs in a few hiking areas around Los Angeles. But these aren't just any stop signs, they are a very rare breed that carry photo enforcement technology. You may be alone in the nature, but someone's watching to see if you roll through a stop sign.