Zach Behrens

"Up until a few years ago, it was quite unusual to see blue whales feeding from shore and it was exceedingly rare to see feeding fin whales," finds the Daily Breeze in a reader Q&A about blue and fin whales off the Palos Verdes Peninsula. "Last year, trained volunteers saw fin whales on a record number of days, 91, and blue whales on four days." The American Cetacean Society Los Angeles Chapter's Gray Whale...

Police are asking for the public's help in identifying the Stun Gun Bandit, who robbed a Fashion District store Tuesday, taking $650.00 in cash and shocking the store clerk before leaving. “Make no mistake, the man was armed with a gun, which he showed the clerk,” said Lt. Paul Vernon, who supervises detectives for the Central police station, in a news release. “But after the young woman gave up the money, the robber shocked...

The story about apparent San Clemente murder-suicide of a mother, her two daughters and a grandmother took an odd twist today, as more details were released. An Orange County sheriff's deputy had arrived just before the shooting and heard the shots. The LA Times pieces the hauntingly grotesque story together: "A deputy responded and pulled up to the house. She saw the grandmother, Bonnie Hoult, standing on the curb, holding hands with a small child...

California's earthquake warning system is getting a much needed upgrade with new monitors currently being installed, according to the LA Times. A five-second warning may not seem like a lot, but it could be enough when a major quake erupts outside an urban area: "Those precious seconds could allow emergency officials to shut off gas and water lines, raise fire station doors, stop subway operations and possibly even warn the public of shaking to...

At the Venice Skate Park | Photo by hatehills via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr 30 years of major public transit projects--that's 12 projects--completed in 10 years? MoveLA is ready to engage in battle. The man charged with stalking ESPN's Erin Andrews pleaded guilty today in a Los Angeles courthouse. The popular Downtown Art Walk has a new Executive Director. Will L.A.'s feral cat population grow? A superior court judge suspended local trap, neuter...

Photo: IMAGESOFVEGAS.COM/ISPHOTOGRAPHY Although it soft opened last month, Sweet Surrender Cupcake and Candy Shop in Las Vegas' Palazzo officially announced its opening today, on National Cupcake Day, of course. Besides the more pedestrian cupcake flavors like red velvet, lemon strawberry and chocolate ganache, the superstar sweet treat is the "Decadence D’Or." Retail price: $750.00. So what does a $750 cupcake taste like? A blogger tasting party is probably out of the question, but the...

Now entering its 14th year, the New Short Fiction Series has left the Beverly Hills Public Library, finding a new home at Barndall Art Park in Hollywood for 2010. The series features L.A. area and West Coast writers, many of them accomplished screen writers. January's event features "Painted Bicycles" and other stories by Andrea Lisa Leeb, who will share the stage with Jennifer Ann Evans (Criminal Minds), Jesse Holcomb (Dead Shot and Eddie) and...

Photo by Kevin Britton via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr The gauntlet has dropped again. After a few exit announcements that were noted yesterday, former LAist Contributing Editor Elina Shatkin today tweeted "can now add 'former Los Angeles Times staff writer to my resume.' I was laid off this morning." Shatkin, the amazing and brilliant writer that she is, had graced the Times' food and entertainment sections. Seemingly shocked, fellow Times reporter Chris Barton...

A Grilled Cheese, as seen at the now shuttered Meltdown, Etc. in Culver City | Photo by Tales of an LA Addict via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Eric Greenspan, a former competitor on The Next Iron Chef and owner of The Foundry, is working towards opening a comforting idea: a restaurant dedicated to grilled cheese. A similar-themed restaurant in Culver City, Meltdown, Etc., closed its doors earlier this year, but that may have...

On Venice Beach | Photo by jennifer_kelton via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr That's what journalist Charles Feldman is saying the Huffington Post. After going undercover for a documentary on how easy it is to obtain approval from a doctor, he feels that city and county officials have misplaced focus. "The dispensaries could not exist, let alone function, without the enabling benefit of the estimated 1,500 or so California doctors, not surprisingly most in...

A man who has barricaded himself in a home on the 3900 block of Riverton Avenue in Studio City has prompted police to shut down streets in the area along Vineland Avenue, north of Ventura Boulevard. At around 1:50 p.m. a concerned family member called the situation in. SWAT was been deployed and as of 6:20 p.m., LAPD media officials said the situation was ongoing....

A streetcar in Portland | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist The good news is that the city and non profit charged with bringing downtown a street car scored $250,000 in federal money, reports blogdowntown. That's a... step, but they need up to $100 million to make the line a reality. Next up is possibly applying for $25 million in a $280 million grant fund for "urban circulator" projects. Councilmember Jose Huizar would like to see...