Zach Behrens

Last month it was announced that President Barack Obama was Los Angeles-bound to aid Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer in campaign fundraising. Now the details are out, says the Daily News. On April 19th, a late-afternoon reception will be hosted at the California Science Center with dinner afterwards next door at the Natural History Museum. Dinner tickets? $35,200 per couple. The reception is more affordable, starting at $250 a person. Boxer is in a virtual...

Photo by MenaceZeGreat via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr If you thought the $200-million or so budget deficit, and thus the looming threat of 4,000 city hall layoffs, was bad, the recent standoff between the Los Angeles City Council and the Board of Water & Power Commissioners may dig the hole deeper. Traditionally, the Board, which oversees the Department of Water Power, makes an annual $220 million transfer to the city's general budget, which...

Remember when that KFC joint in Palms was turned into a medical marijuana dispensary last year? Now it's getting some pop culture, OG Kush love, thanks to the latest episode of South Park. In the episode, two new Colorado laws went into effect, legalizing medical marijuana and banning fast food in low income areas, meaning it was banned throughout the whole state. Cartman freaks and finds himself immersed in the dangerous black market world...

The Infrastructurist today points out a nice historical post on Progressive Fix, which tells us there was a time when we led the world in high speed rail. But that was before we went interstate highway-crazy: "In the period between 1935 and 1950, the 10 fastest scheduled passenger trains in the world were all U.S. streamliners… To operate the Shinkansen, or 'New Trunk Line,' between Tokyo and Osaka, Sogo actively imported technology from America......

Good news for the local economy in regards to the film industry. "On-location shoots for feature films, television and commercials jumped 25 percent during the first three months of 2010 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to FilmL.A. Inc., the nonprofit group that handles film permits for Los Angeles and unincorporated county areas," says the Daily News. Although shoots remain below 2007 levels, the recent results are exceeding expectations....

For the most part, pedestrians have the right of way at marked and unmarked crosswalks, but in a car culture, drivers don't always understand that. Police often do stings, sending a plainclothes officer into a street and citing violators. It's nothing new, and using an officer dressed as Santa Claus is pretty common. This week, the Glendale Police Department capitalized on Easter and sent an officer in a bunny outfit. They say it gives...

The Department of Transportation announced yesterday its intentions to indefinitely expand a temporary January ban prohibiting interstate truck and bus drivers from text messaging behind the wheel. 16% of crash fatalities--that's 5,870 dead--in 2008 were blamed on distracted driving. The same year, 500,000 injuries were blamed on it, too. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, "20 states [California included!], the District of Columbia and Guam now ban text messaging for all drivers. 15...

One LAist reader hypothesizes that tonight's traffic in the Hollywood could be hell. Her e-mail: "It occurred to me on my way to work that Hollywood Blvd. will be closed westbound between Orange & Highland for the Clash of the Titans premiere until about 11.45pm. Normally no big deal, but since Paul McCartney is playing at the Bowl and it backed up traffic enough last night, the combination of the two will probably result...

Photo by U.S. Army Environmental Command via Flickr When the L.A. City Council met yesterday, they recommended an increase in electricity rates, but it was 25% less than what Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wanted for his renewable energy plan called the carbon surcharge, which would push L.A.'s renewable energy use to 20% by the end of the year. It would also help the Department of Water and Power avoid bankruptcy. "I am pleased to see...

Curbed LA, via the Las Vegas Sun, is reporting that the DesertXpress train planned between Las Vegas and Victorville will begin construction this year. This route, if extended from Victorville, would ideally connect with California's High Speed Rail project in Palmdale. Another project also in the works would bring a high speed MagLev train from Vegas to Anaheim....

Photo by firecatstef via Flickr Long Beach's program is nothing new as Los Angeles has been doing it since last June. The big difference, however, is that Long Beach is offering residents $2.50 instead of $1.00 for every square foot that is transformed from bitch-thirsty lawn grass to native landscaping that thrives off the Southern California climate. The Beautiful Long Beach Lawn to Garden Incentive Program will give up to $2,500 for 1,000 square...

A couple who was married at Marriage Park in West Hollywood (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist The L.A. City Council today unanimously backed a resolution to support social security benefits for same-sex couples. Currently, no benefits are offered in four main categories, including retirement benefits, disability insurance, survivor benefits and burial expenses. Bill Rosendahl, the only openly gay member on the Council, noted that he has the same power and authority...