More hot times are headed our way again this week, with temps expected to reach triple digits in many parts of Los Angeles, like in the San Fernando Valley where 100+ degree weather will take over starting tomorrow. The Daily News is passing on the heat wave lowdown; it's bad news for folks sweatin' it out without relief in some areas, and good news for those who have the beach handy. Don't be surprised if......

One small 1.4 magnitude aftershock hit the Loma Linda area after yesterday's 4.0 shaker, but the Earth pretty much stood still in Southern California for the last 24 hours. Two other 1.4 quakes were reported near Fontana and Murrieta Hot Springs and a very minor 0.6 near Littlerock (East of Palmdale). The recent heat wave is a good reminder for earthquake preparation. What if "The Big One" hit in the middle of that? Would you......

Photo by yunny via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr The recent heatwave was expected to transition to cooler temperatures beginning last Saturday, but there was no such luck, forcing weather forecasters to say today would be that day as the Valley would get a much needed marine layer (as of 8:30 a.m., skies are blue here in the Valley). If correct, instead of triple digits that became the norm the past four days, parts......

Face it, it's hot. And with some people, especially the elderly, living without AC in poorly insulated homes, cooling centers can literally be a lifesaver. Three cooling centers in the Valley will remain open tonight until 8:00 p.m. tonight and will be open tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. There's also free water! The centers are located at parks in Canoga Park, Sunland and Northridge. [Via Mayor's Office Press Release]......

What the LA Department of Water & Power is saying today during the heatwave: "Yesterday's energy peak reached 5856 megawatts, and was the second highest load in June. Today's peak demand is expected to reach or exceed the record of 6165 megawatts, set on July 24, 2006. While the LADWP has enough power to meet the city's needs, extraordinary demand during prolonged hot temperatures puts a tremendous strain on the city's electrical distribution equipment. Customers......

Photo by WTL photos via Flickr As temperatures easily reach over 100 in some parts of the region, it is affecting those who are vulnerable. An 90-year-old woman driving in San Bernardino County died when she stepped out of her car to search for her husband who left the car for unknown reasons. They were found 50 yards from their car and the 116 degree heat killed Virgil Sanders and the husband had 2nd......

Photo by cheesee via Flickr As Spring turns to Summer this weekend, the temperatures are expected to mark the season change with a bang starting today. The National Weather Service is predicting today's temperatures to range from 95 to 105 in region's valleys. Downtown is expected to be in the 90s and beaches should stay normal (upper 60s, low 70s). Friday is supposed to be the worst: 109 degrees on Friday in the Valley?......

The city seems to have gone completely mad. From a 16 year-old shot in Northridge to a 70 year-old stabbed to death in Hollywood, Sunday was just another day in what is starting to feel like an out-of-control crime wave. In just the last few months, a man stabbed people in a movie theater while they watched a horror movie, a woman stabbed her own mother, and a man dressed as a skeleton terrorized......

My relatives on the east coast just don't understand California weather. For a time, it seemed they saw Southern California as the land of rainbows, unicorns and constant, seasonless, unrelenting heat. The gifts they sent me reflected these beliefs - bikinis that would embarrass a stripper, all manner of atrocious patterned terrycloth 'loungewear', big, cheap plastic sunglasses that they thought all the movie stars might wear whenever they ventured out of their fabulous mansions to......

Nearly 500 Teamsters tired of not being able to work for the weekend - because they have to work on some weekends - went on strike early this morning affecting Long Beach, Compton, and Sun Valley. About a quarter million people will be touched by the strike that is based around two major issues, long hours and respect. [Waste Management] said the [Teamsters] contract expired in September and that its latest offer included a......

Tucked into one of the ubiquitous strip mall enclave of business on Hollywood Boulevard in Thai Town, Sapp's Coffee Shop is barely noticeable (and not to mention not terribly attractive as a lead photo--my apologies). I first got a peek at the tiny no-frills joint earlier this year, when one of my favorite (and adventuresome) foodies, Anthony Bourdain, stopped by with a local food blogger to try their authentic Thai Boat Noodles. This dish......

Recent major events for the LAFD include last night's apartment fires in North Hollywood and Westchester. Busy day on LAPD's blog: a drive-by shooting yesterday, a labor day homicide, Congressman Xavier Becerra's office burglarized, two fatal Skid Row stabbings, a Carl's Jr. robbery and a fatal shooting this morning in South LA. Sparked by the recent heat-reated power outages, Matt Littman at the Huffington Post asks if Los Angeles is in permanent decay: "It......

- The heatwave that has graciously broken could have lead to 25 deaths here - Republican congressman Paul Gilmour of Ohio found dead in his apartment in DC - Shaq is filing for divorce from his wife of five years. Together the couple had four children: Shareef, 7, Amirah, 5, Shaqir, 4, and Me'Arah, 1 - 400 court interpreters are on strike from San Luis to Santa Barbara to LA counties, any chance they're......

Did you know today is the 226th birthday of El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora La Reina de Los Angeles -- aka L.A.? The old bitch is looking pretty good for her age! Although the city did not incorporate until 1850, September 4th, 1781 is the date that 44 Mexican pobladores set out from San Gabriel with a military escort to settle alongside a great river -- then called the Rio de Porciuncula, later to......

Happy first weekend of September - and happy Labor Day weekend, too, for our American cities! Let's take a look at what's been happening around the Ist-a-verse. The deaths of two firefighters shook Bostonist this week. Boston's firefighters bent over backwards all week long - first, they fought flames pouring from the Boston Tea Party museum, and then a restaurant fire killed two and injured many more. Their efforts make everything else - like Tom......

2,000 DWP customers lost power today in Sun Valley. At noon, power was threatened to be cut from large energy consumers. But as the afternoon progressed, the Stage 2 was unlikely to happen. Yes, this is a heat wave. At age 18, having a DUI conviction, being a tagger and dealing in drugs is bound to get you caught up in murder charges in Van Nuys. A brush fire broke out in Castaic today......

323.603.6312. Now you can stalk our editor Tony Pierce. Just kidding. That's not his phone number, but between 11 and 12 this morning, you can reach him there at Ring My Bell. Boo hoo! Nissan is forcing the city of Pasadena to give back their electric cars! "They were like chickens running around with their heads cut off..." The L.A. Times looks into the behind-the-scenes politics of what the heck is going on with......

Dear LAist, I want to be good citizen but I don't want to give any money to Al Gore and watch that movie. I'm still pissed at he and Tipper's PMRC bullshit. How can I conserve energy during this heat wave? Mr. Greenthumb Venice Dear Mr. Greenthumb, We've noticed that the best way to conserve energy is to use someone else's. If you find yourself turning up the AC in your house, get out......