Zach Behrens

Steve Cooley | Photo via L.A. District Attorney's Office It wasn't an easy decision, but the LA Times today endorsed L.A. County's Republican District Attorney Steve Cooley over San Francisco's Democratic D.A. Kamala Harris. Why? It's not his stance on social issues like gay marriage, but he's a centrist who can manage: One of the biggest troubles facing the state of California in recent years has been the dissolution of the political center and,...

Photo by Caveman 92223 via Flickr It only applies to one landlord, but it could indicate what future cases hold. A judge yesterday barred Los Angeles city attorneys from taking action against a landlord of a medical marijuana dispensary who is currently part of a lawsuit challenging the city's medical marijuana ordinance, according to the LA Times. Natural Ways Always in Palms is one of the 45 dispensaries that prompted the city to send...

Photo by sergeant killjoy via Flickr They warned you on Twitter and it starts today. The California Highway Patrol, along with other agencies across Los Angeles County, today are taking a zero-tolerance approach to the state's hands-free mobile laws. You cannot text while driving (basically) or hold a phone to your ear. “These two days of targeted enforcement are intended to educate through visual presence and enforcement of the laws,” said CHP Chief Steve...

Of the some 40,000 LADWP customers left without power over the last stormy (kinda) day, about 9,900 are still in the dark, according to the utility. That number is made up of 4,800 customers in South L.A., 1,800 on the Eastside and another 1,800 in Koreatown. Crews are still working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible....

Photo by girl42 via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr It gets hot -- like last week -- and the power goes out. It gets stormy -- like today -- and the power goes out. As of 9 p.m., some 32,000 LADWP customers across Los Angeles were without power, according to utility. 10,000 customers were affected in South L.A., 9,000 in Hyde Park, 3,700 on the Eastside, 2,000 in Koreatown and another 2,000 in Southeast...

Photo by nicadlr via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Amid controversy and criminal charges over sky-high salaries, a city of Bell councilmember resigned today. A big win for Schwarzenegger: the state supreme court ruled that the Governor legally furloughed state employees during the last fiscal year. Although there is a bike path currently on the Gerald Desmond Bridge in Long Beach, plans for its replacement scrapped the path -- that is until recently and...

The Grilled Cheese Truck | Photo by polaroid-girl via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Tuesday's gubernatorial debate may be canceled, but that doesn't mean sparks will be flying during a different event. 89.3 FM KPCC will be hosting a their own debate about food trucks and L.A.'s driver to curb them. On one side of the table there will be Tom LaBonge, the L.A. City Councilmember who has introduced motions and held a public...

For reasons not stated by either candidate, the third gubernatorial debate scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled, according to Politico. The debate would have aired on San Francisco’s KGO with radio host Ronn Owens moderating. “The Brown/Whitman debate scheduled for tomorrow on my show isn't going to happen. I'm beyond disappointed," Owens tweeted. Both camps for Attorney General Jerry Brown and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman would not give reasons, but speculation points to...

Last Monday, a record breaking 113 degrees downtown. Today, overcast, fog and rain. Expect these conditions, with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50, through at least Wednesday. Then things should clear up, hit the 80s and otherwise make for a nice sunny weekend. What type of weather do you prefer?...

Photo by stevendamron via Flickr With the federal government calling distracted driving an "epidemic" -- and for good reason, 16% of U.S. roadway deaths in 2009 were thanks to distracted driving -- and one study concluding that texting while driving is up, several policing agencies in Los Angeles County will be keeping a watchful eye on where drivers are looking on Tuesday. "You've been warned," tweeted the California Highway Patrol's Southern Division about a...

Photo by Mark Luethi via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Prompted by this weekend's travel alert issued by The State Department -- be vigilant, Americans! -- Chief George Centeno of the Los Angeles Airport Police said his office is on guard. "Los Angeles Airport Police are aware of, and closely monitoring the reported terrorist threat to Europe," he said today. "We will continue to collaborate and work in close partnership with our law enforcement...

At Burning Man Decompression Saturday evening | Photo by parlance via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr $700 million spent on housing and zero to show for it. Check out the LA Times' two-part story on cities across California have mismanaged housing funds. The Echo Curio Curiosity Shop & Gallery, which is known for its music shows in Echo Park, has been shut down by the LAPD. The reasons are still unknown. The Valley is...