Zach Behrens

Traffic in Hollywood We knew it was coming and today it became official. Google Maps has added real-time traffic data for major streets on Google Maps. "[It] will now show you live traffic conditions on arterial roads in selected cities. Just zoom-in on the city you're interested in, and click the 'Traffic' button in the upper-right corner of the map. As you zoom in closer to an area of interest, we'll color the arterial...

A mule deer in Yosemite Valley | Photo by Sylvain Leprovost via Flickr That's just not cool. Congress may have just passed a law allowing guns into national parks that takes effect in February, but hunting animals before and after the law is not legal and is just plain bastardly. Over the past several years, multiple trophy-sized deer have been poached within Yosemite National Park boundaries. As authorities began to investigate, officials "uncovered a...

Photo by bcmacsac1 via LAist Feautured Photos on Flickr As this year's lower murder rate closes in on last year's and after an especially bloody weekend (and deadly July that left around 30 dead), Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAPD Chief William Bratton will release a plan today that is supposed to put the damper on an increase in gang violence in central and South L.A. "While gang crime in Los Angeles is down overall,...

Photo by Ca-los! via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr With less than a week left, there have been 18 gang-related homicides this month in South LA. That's already six more than July meaning close to 40 deaths in two months for one region of the city. That said, the LAPD and other agencies announced an effort today to flatten that trend. "Every spike in crime is a clue for preventative measures," said Deputy Chief...

Drought in the Central Valley | Image via NASA Last June, Governor Schwarzenegger sought federal disaster aid as California entered its third drought summer in three years. 43% of the state is listed in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor's results last week. Still, the Obama Administration denied Schwarzenegger's request, which would have given money for food banks, unemployment and other services in Fresno County, according to the Associated Press. Now...

Angelica Pol, of Van Nuys, visits a makeshift memorial outside the family home of the late pop star Michael Jackson in Encino last month (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) The news about the cause of Michael Jackson's death has prompted the LAPD to once again remind the public and media about parking at the Hayvenhurst Estate, which was Jackson's childhood home and current one for family members. The LAPD has been trying to "to strike a...

Starting tomorrow, the region will be within a high pressure system resulting in some hot weather that will even have the beach areas suffering somewhat. Then tomorrow expect mid 80s at the beaches and temperatures into the 90s more inland. Some parts of the San Fernando Valley could reach in the low 100s. Thursday could see even hotter temperatures followed by a just slightly cooler weekend, but not by much. As for today: expected...

Although the sought-after suspect, Ryan Jenkins, was found dead Sunday evening in a British Columbia motel room, authorities are still searching for Jasmine Fiore's car and the possibility of a second suspect in the case. Her white Mercedes sedan is still missing and may hold the key to clueing police in if there is a second suspect. “The Mercedes is still missing. It is the biggest piece of the puzzle. We hope it will...

The Brie Cheese Sandwich | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist Talk about a great lunch. A few recent trips to il Tramezzino in Studio City proved this place to one of the city's king of sandwiches. A favorite so far is the Brie Cheese with sun dried tomato, grilled eggplant and basil garlic sauce ($10.95). Keeping to a vegetarian theme, Veg. Special #1 has goat cheese, arugula, grilled eggplant, roasted peppers, marinated eggplant and roma...

Tonight is the second of two community meetings Sunset Strip Music Festival organizers are outreaching the immediate surrounding community about the first ever street closure of the Sunset Strip for a day long music festival. On Saturday, September 12 for 24 hours starting at 7 a.m., the famous drag will be shut down from Doheny to San Vicente. The first meeting bought out less than a dozen people, who were "amazingly positive," according to Nic Adler, owner of The Roxy and one of the festival organizers. He said no access to homes will be completely cut off, but most questions were geared to those basic type of logistics.

Photo: Julie Wolfson/LAist Despite some Mid-Wilshire restaurants facing a financial loss when "designer food trucks" appear nearby during lunch, Baja Fresh, who neighbors the suffering businesses, tells the LA Times they have no complaints: "Patricio Palacios, manager of Baja Fresh in the 5700 block of Wilshire, said he had no complaints because his business was thriving despite the presence of mobile food vendors. 'If you come here now, you will see there's no free...

From last year's Topless March in Venice (more photos, NSFW, here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist There might have been a pornstar (or just some naked chick) fingering herself in front of photographers behind the walls of Sunset Junction (link is a video taken from afar), but over in Venice Beach, there was a parade of topless Raëlians protesting the 14th Amendment. Xeni Jardin at boingboing captured some video and describes the group as...