Zach Behrens

Route 460 was one of the many to receive minor changes | Photo by Alan Heitz via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr Twice a year, Metro makes a slew of changes to their schedules and transit routes in an effort to improve service and efficiency. Sunday was one of those days. Usually, there is something new and flashy to show off like a new Rapid bus route, but this summer there's no such thing....

Bottega Louie's facade at 7th & Grand in downtown LA | Photo by Eric Richardson/blogdowntown Four Los Angeles eateries received awards tonight at Dwell on Design honoring excellence in their design. The 4th annual 2009 Restaurant Design Awards presented by American Institute of Architects Los Angeles (AIA/LA) presented Bottega Louie and Chaya Downtown with top category jury prizes and The Conga Room with the lounge/nightclub award. The Lab Gastropub on USC's campus garnered the...

After one death and a shooting this week, some fans are wondering what happened to their sweet Orange County Disneyfied Angels baseball experience. The LA Times takes a look, finding some interesting comments made on the internet: "In a ballpark that once had a no-alcohol section for families and won over youngsters with Disney promotions, fans have taken notice, erupting on message boards and on Twitter. Several threatened to stop going to games. 'Not...

The Roxy quickly put up this message on their marquee today | Photo via The Roxy Up in the capitol, legislators are trying to fix the state's $24 billion budget deficit. After another day on both house floors, the Assembly unanimously voted for three bills that would cut school spending and delay payments to schools and local governments in order to allow the state to pay its bills instead of giving IOUs. It was...

As of yesterday, the State Senate had not moved on items except denying a budget package of three bills passed by the Assembly (before a bill can go to Schwarzenegger, it must pass both houses). That package would temporarily halt the use of IOUs in lieu of bill payments from the state. In regards to the threat of state parks, no action has been taken yet. The Democrats proposal goes like this: AB 180,...

At a Starbucks in NYC | Photo via Center for Science in the Public Interest A new nutritional information and menu labeling law will take effect next Wednesday, forcing many restaurants in the state to provide facts about the food they serve. Split into two phases, the first one next week states that restaurants with 20 or more locations in California must provide brochures at the point of purchase with number of calories, grams...

Zach Behrens/LAist On Wednesday night, this is what Ed McMahon's Hollywood Walk of Fame star looked like just outside of the Roosevelt Hotel. There were no flowers or no notes, just newspaper stuck to the sidewalk with some black paint or tar over his name. Accident? Vandalism? Probably the latter--there are some crazy and mean spirited people out there. Luckily, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce cleaned it up that night and things are back...

For the second time this year, a California man has died at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Claude Finney, 48, jumped into the water to swim without a personal safety device, according to National Park Service officials, who say he was treading water for about a minute before he began to call for help. Friends tried to throw him life-rings, but he disappeared below water before they reached him. Search and Rescue teams have...

The Jackson family attorney, Brian Oxman, stepped outside UCLA Medical Center and spoke with KCAL9 for a live interview. "The family is just very sad. They are together, they are not saying anything, they aren't doing anythig, they are simply hugging one another," he said of the scene inside the hospital. "The music of Michael Jackson has been echoing off the walls here at UCLA; it has been one of the most surreal experienes...

LA Weekly is tracking every murder within Los Angeles city limits and yesterday in Pacoima, the 137th for 2009 occurred. Yesterday, "30-year-old Gerardo Cruz was standing out in front of his girlfriend's house with her brother drinking beer when three alleged gang members jumped out of their blue compact car and 'shot up the place.'" Although gang related, police said Cruz was not affiliated with any gangs. This was the fourth homicide in the...

More details are coming out from last night's shooting at the Angels-Colorado game. An off-duty officer from the Anaheim Police apparently shot two men after an altercation. One was shot in the head and the other in the chest. All three were sent to the hospital and the officer has been the only person released so far. TV news reports suggest that the officer identified himself as the two men were allegedly breaking into...

Michael Jackson, reportedly suffering from a heart attack, was rushed to a local hospital from his Holmby Hills rental estate during the twelve noon hour today. When paramedics arrived around 12:26 p.m., the 50-year-old pop star was not breathing, reported the LA Times. "The call came in because a person was not breathing," said an LAFD official. "When the team arrived, they saw that CPR was already in progress by someone at the home. The person not breathing was transported to UCLA Medical Center and remains there." He was taken to UCLA Medical Center just a few minutes away from the home.