Zach Behrens

Get out those umbrellas. The National Weather Service is predicting 3/4 of an inch to 1.5 inches of rain, which is expected to begin this afternoon. On south facing foothills, rain could even peak at 3 inches, which has L.A. County's Public Works...

Officials in Cancun have told reporters that there are "inconsistencies" in a timeline reality TV producer Bruce Beresford-Redman has given surrounding the death of his wife, Monica, the owner of Zabumba Bar & Restaurant on Venice Boulevard, according to the LA Times. What those "inconsistencies" are have not been told, but It has been reported that he allegedly left Mexico to drop off his kids and then came back to the resort to report...

Photo by jimmay bones via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr With seven months until November, some political observers believe the passage of marijuana legalization will be difficult, according to the San Bernadino Sun. Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College, says that although there has been polls showing it passing at this point, he says that law enforcement will be a strong opponent. "We'll see a lot of messages tying marijuana...

A 32-year-old woman was shot in the arm last night during an attempted robbery, reports The Eastsider LA. It happened on the 2300 block of Glendale Boulevard, near Silverlake Wine, Cha Cha Lounge and other popular neighborhood hangouts. The alleged purse snatching attempt happened around 9:45 p.m. when the woman was walking with two friends, according to LA Now. A struggle of some sort occurred and the suspect, described as a male Latino wearing...

From now until 4 p.m. today, Heritage Square on the Eastside is home to a festival that every history nerd should attend. More than 70 historical societies, from the Studio City History Project to the Eagle Rock Valley Historical Society to the Art Deco Society, are gathering to show off their knowledge and wares at L.A. Heritage Day.

Since everyone's eyes are on Los Angeles' budget these days, here's a preview of Monday's 1 p.m. Budget Committee meeting (.pdf). Committee members will discuss the Financial Status Report from Friday. It brings the news that the city has a bigger deficit than before, now at $222.4 million (see LAist's breakdown of this report here).

Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist L.A.'s best cupcake shop--that's just, like, an opinion, man--recently introduced a line of cupcake mixes so you can rock out at home and impress your friends. The $13 mixes make 18 cupcakes and include the mix, liners, frosting and any toppings if necessary (like pink sugar crystals for the vanilla flavor). The flavors offered--Red Velvet, Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate, Black Tie (dark chocolate), pumpkin and others--are basically the same as what...

On Monday, Councilmember Paul Krekorian will host a community town hall to address concerns and update residents about the investigation of last week's restaurant shooting in Valley Village that left four dead and two critically injured. LAPD Deputy Chief Kirk J. Albanese, who heads the San Fernando Valley, and Deputy Chief David R. Doan, chief of Detectives, will be there along with neighborhood leaders. The 7 p.m. event is at Colfax Elementary School Auditorium...

A charter high school in Lawndale--that city where vampires and garlic made the news earlier this year--is on the short list of schools under consideration to receive a graduation commencement speech by President Barack Obama, reports KPCC. Environmental Charter High School is one of the five to make the list out of thousands of high schools that entered the Race To the Top High School...

Photo by Mr Gold via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr There was a 5.1 earthquake in Mexico this afternoon. It's said to be an aftershock. The fight between supporters and detractors of the second phase of the Expo Line between Culver City and Santa Monica has been taken to another level. Journalist Michael Linder asks if Villaraigosa's legacy will be as the Mayor who wrecked Los Angeles. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is...

It's the weekend, which means time for DUI Checkpoint. Tonight's location is on Ventura Boulevard at Big Oak Drive in Studio City from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. "In 2010, residents residing in the North Hollywood Area have endured 59 driving under the influence-related and 313 hit and run traffic collisions," says the LAPD in a notice....

A new and humorous Twitter account appeared this week mocking a city councilmember for his apparent lack of consistency and conviction in the way he does business. Based on last week's drama, @NotPaulKoretz was probably created by a food truck vendor, or at least a die hard advocate. [Update, Monday, April 12th: Koretz has responded to the food truck situation. Read about it here.] "At lunch (in a building, of course). On the way,...