Zach Behrens

Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist (more photos here) Judge Vaughn R. Walker split the baby today and decided to let the trial against Prop 8, which banned gay marriage in California, be videotaped by the court and uploaded to YouTube later in the day, according to the LA Times. Plaintiffs advocated for televising the historic trial, but proponents of Prop 8 said they were concerned with witnesses feeling intimated by millions of viewers. The cameras...

On Saturday, Frosted Cupcakery opened its second location in Hollywood. If the excitement in Long Beach over this shop is any indicator, Frosted may have a chance at giving Sprinkles, Crumbs, Famous and others a run for their money. Not only does the eatery offer a slew of daily cupcakes, they have pupcakes, which are meat filled cupcakes for dogs. Prices are $2.95 for each regular cupcake, $2.00 for a bag of three pupcakes...

Photo by Andrew Dinh via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Improvements to come? "California lawmakers are moving closer to education reforms sought by the Obama administration, giving the state a shot at $700 million in federal money." Traffic Alert! Sigalert has been sold to Westwood One. A Facebook big wig donated a $2 million to Attorney General Jerry Brown's campaign for governor. The Grove and Americana developer Rick Caruso is also helping raise money...

Netflix and Warner Brothers today announced a new deal with means good and bad news. The bad first: customers seeking new Warner Brothers DVD releases will have to wait 28 days until the rentals are available. The catch? Well, Warner Bros. wants people to buy DVDs instead of rent them and other movie studios are likely to follow suit with a similar deal. Any good news here? Possibly. "Both companies would like you to...

After conducting an autopsy on the body of Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson, who was found dead yesterday in her Los Angeles home, the L.A. County Coroner has deferred the cause of death, pending the receipt of toxicological tests and microscopic studies. No ruling will be made until results are back, which could take 6 to 8 weeks, but the coroner did say that the "anatomical findings show no evidence of trauma to...

EaterLA is confirming that Rick Bayless, Chicago's famed Mexican restauranteur, is opening two local restaurants. At first it was a rumor since Bayless was seen going restaurant-to-restaurant back in November, something that was unusual considering he hadn't visited Los Angeles in 15 years. Apparently, Bayless will take over the two spaces, the former Table 8 space on Melrose (scheduled to open in March) and the soon-to-be-shuttered Ma'Kai space in Santa Monica (scheduled to open...

Photo by lavocado@sbcglobal.net via Flickr Today, the Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to make their second and final vote on zoning changes to portions of the Glassell Park and Cypress Park communities. The problem? "Many in the Glassell Park and Cypress Park communities felt these areas had been long neglected from a planning perspective," explained Julie Wong of Council President Eric Garcetti's office. "This addresses some community concerns, including what they feel to...

We've been excited about Pourtal's month of featuring Malibu wineries, which begins tomorrow, and today we find out about Pinot Days, a three-day festival dedicated to Pinot Noir, thanks to LA Weekly's Squid Ink. "The festival, touting 70+ Pinot Noir producers, primarily from Northern California and Oregon, is the first of its kind on Los Angeles," says the Weekly of the $50 event that begins on the 14th in Santa Monica (an LA Weekly...

Two Orange County men who entered the home of an FBI agent to steal beer were sentenced to two years in prison. "The men entered the Yorba Linda home Nov. 18 through a partially opened garage door, the Orange County District Attorney's office said," explained the LA Times. "The FBI agent -- identified only as James M. -- entered the garage and identified himself as a law enforcement officer and ordered them to stop....

Photo by GarySe7en via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr The LA Times today revealed a memo and information from sources about all the recent resignations and new hires within Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's administration. The most poignant fact, one that most people are likely to agree with, is this: a lack of follow-through on certain policy goals. This is one reason why Villaraigosa earned little respect as a leader during his first four years. He...

Kogi BBQ owners have been talking about this, even before the food truck craze grew to an unwieldy size: have a real restaurant. You know, like a real restaurant where a competing food truck, in theory, could park outside and take business away from it (tee hee). Via Eater LA and Food & Wine, we learn of the designer street food king's next move is to open up a rice bowl-focused mom-and-pop-like counter service-style...

The LAPD today announced a shooting mystery in Pacoima that left a 34-year-old man bleeding to death on the sidewalk. At around 6:45 a.m., officers responded to a call near Pierce Street and Haddon Avenue in the Northeast Valley neighborhood. Upon arrival, they found the man, Antonio Carlos, lying on the sidewalk. He was transported to the hospital where he died from his wounds. "The motive is unknown," stated a police advisory. "There is...