Good morning. It's a new month with new energy and we welcome you to it with some photos from our LAist Featured Photos contributors on Flickr.......

Now that the warmest October since 1965 is over with, today is expected to be mostly cloudy with highs in the 60s and 70s depending if you're beachside or otherwise. Expect showers north of Los Angeles up the West Coast. As for Sunday, wet weather in the city is expected as a Pacific storm system continues to provide rain and even high elevation snow (yay for ski season). Highs across the Los Angeles region are......

Part of an ongoing series. On Saturday, locals The Monolators (MySpace) -- covered previously here -- celebrated the release of their new album Don't Dance at Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake, along with Correatown (MySpace), You, Me, and Iowa (MySpace), and Summer Darling (MySpace). The Monolators finale, "We Fell Dead", was nothing short of epic, with drummer Mary Chartikoff on gong and a whopping nine bassists onstage, which included bandmembers from the aforementioned Correatown......

At Wedding Park in West Hollywood earlier this summer (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist The Yes on 8/Protect Marriage campaign that wishes to see Proposition 8 (eliminates same sex marriage) succeed began to put out facts regarding marriage. "From now until November 4 we will be providing you facts and/or talking points to be used in spreading the word about the importance of voting YES on Proposition 8," their e-mail newsletter......

A poll released yesterday by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that voters are split nearly evenly over Prop 4 (parental notification of minors having abortions), with 47 percent in favor and 44 percent opposed. Polls were similarly split in the past, when attempts were made to pass nearly identical measures (Prop 73 in 2005 and Prop 85 in 2006), and the initiatives were nevertheless defeated both times. Republican voters show the most......

Mark Paul, former deputy treasurer of California, among other things, has a good point about all the money-spending initiatives on this November's ballot. "In a little-noticed report, Treasurer Bill Lockyer projected last year that, at current tax levels, California will not be able to pay for its existing programs and its debt service at any time in the next two decades if voters keep approving bonds at the same rate as they have over the......

One person, one vote. | Photo by HEI ! via Flickr As it stands right now, in November, we vote on 12 state propositions, which is quite a handful for our minds to wrap around. But it's nothing compared to the 47 state props Californians had to deal with back in the 1914 general election (should boxing be outlawed on Memorial Day?). The Santa Barbara Independent has nicely collated and summarized each prop under......

A couple on their wedding day at WeHo's 'Wedding Park' (more photos here) | Photo by Tom Andrews/LAist "This is overall a victory," Boi from Troy wrote about yesterday's language change in the text of Proposition 8, a November ballot initiative that seeks to keep marriage between a man and a woman only. The original description said this: [Prop 8] Amends the California Constitution to provide that only marriage between a man and a......

This week, supporters of defeating Proposition 8 before it even hit November's ballot lost the battle. If approved, it will have the state only recognize marriage between a man and a woman, therefore making same-sex marriage a thing of the past. They argued the prop "involves a constitutional revision that can't be adopted through a ballot vote," says CNN, who also says they "contended that petitions circulated to qualify the proposition for the ballot contained......

They keep piling on. Today, "the governor placed a $900 million bond measure on the ballot to provide low-interest home loans to returning veterans of current and recent wars," reports John Myers at KQED's Capitol Notes. And there could be more to come, he says. Three of them could be a water bond, a budget reform proposal and a reform of the lottery initiative to raise money for the state budget. Now that's fifteen props......

As Californians consider whether or not to vote on the legalization of marijuana this November, a study conducted at a Johns Hopkins University lab is now launching a look into the potential health and wellness benefits of illegal mushrooms, too. A study participant who tried these so-called "magic mushrooms" left her experience with insight that may now provide a scientific explanation of the existence of hippies: ...a business consultant named Dede Osborn took a......

One person, one vote. | Photo by HEI ! via Flickr As it gets closer to the November election, more and more propositions are being qualified for the ballot. Most notably is Prop. 8 (pdf), something that's been talked about for a couple months now. It's the state constitution amendment change that would limit marriage in California, effectively stopping the same-sex marriages that have just begun. Amends the California Constitution to provide that only......

Not so fast hotel builders and Bevelry Hills politicians. Residents who fought (see the protest photos here) to keep the Beverly Hilton from turning into a new huge hotel/condo project have gotten their issue qualified for the November ballot, according to LA County who counted and verified the petition signatures. The Beverly HIlls city "council could decide to put the issue before the voters, or repeal the resolution which was the subject of the referendum......

Photo taken yesterday at West Hollywood Park by Tom Andrews/LAist Now that same-sex marriage is here for a joyful four-point-five months before Californians determine the fate of the institution when voting on the California Marriage Protection Act in November, it's going to be a fight. Each poll varies on the outcome of what Californians think, but for the most part, results are negligible and the state seems split 50-50. KNBC's political commenter, Sherry Bebitch......

Photo by Adan Garcia via Flickr As an assembly bill that would enable Metro to put a half-cent sales tax increase on November's ballot makes its way towards the state Senate this month, a report released from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) said that such an increase would only cost people $25 extra per year (if the sales tax rate goes up, it will go from 8.25% to 8.75%, "translating to......

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has agreed to preside over gay marriages after the ban is lifted at 5:01 p.m. on June 16 -- though, he is scheduled to be in Israel at that time. "I've told a number of couples that I will be happy to preside," the mayor said per Rick Orlov at the Daily News. "I will marry as many people as possible." Same-sex marriage will be challenged on the November ballot and Orlov......

Today, the Office of Vital records told all California counties can start issuing same-sex marriage licenses the minute after the California Supreme Court's order goes into effect, which is June 16, 5:01 p.m. Previously, officials had told county clerks that they could begin officiating gay marriages on June 17. Originally, marriages would have been allowed on June 14, but a request to stay the ban by opponents pushed back the date while justices reviewed a......

In November, Californians will vote on an amendment change to the California constitution that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, there for stopping same-sex marriages from occurring (they begin June 17). Similarly, a 2003 amendment change by state legislatures to the 1996 voter-approved Compassionate Use Act was found unconstitutional by a Court of Appeals last month. They said the change needed a vote by the people, according to the......

Photo LaMenta3 via Flickr Now that same-sex marriages are legalized in California (they begin June 17), this weekend's 38th annual Los Angeles Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Transgender Pride celebration will probably have more energy than ever before. From Friday through Sunday, events including the Dyke March, the two-day Christopher Street Festival (with headliners Joss Stone and Olivia Newton John) and the parade, West Hollywood will be abuzz with activity. And with festivals and parades......

The California Supreme Court denied the request to stay same-sex marriages until after a November vote by a 4-3 vote, it was announced today. That means marriages may be commenced starting June 17 throughout California. The order becomes final on June 16 at 5 p.m., according to a press release sent out by the state's Judicial Council. Last month, enough signatures were collected by opponents of same-sex marriage to put an amendment change proposal on......

Left: Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, Right: City Councilman Benard Parks | Photos from their respective websites Yesterday's most contentious race was that for the seat for the 2nd District on the County Board of Supervisors. Considered a highly-paid and powerful lifetime position once you're seated, the race between California State Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas and LA City Councilman (former LAPD Chief), Bernard Parks was extremely heated. With a mostly South LA constituency, no candidate took the......

Today, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced (pdf) that the initiative to ban gay marriage through a state amendment change qualifies for the November 4th ballot. 1,120,801 signatures were submitted and enough signatures qualified through a random sample signature check. If passed, the amendment would change California's consitutution to define marriage as a union “between a man and a woman.” One poll said that Californians "narrowly" reject gay marriage. LIMIT ON MARRIAGE. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.......

Photo by bobster1985 via Flickr After announcing earlier this week that same-sex marriages could begin on June 14, a memo went out today from California's Office of Vital Records saying that the new start-date is Tuesday, June 17. The date is after a "key deadline," in which the state's supreme court has to make a decision on whether or not to delay the ruling until the November election when voters can decide to amend......

Update, 5/29/08: The date has been changed to June 17. Read the full story hereIt's official. Starting on Saturday, June 14th, gay marriages can be officiated. "Stephen Weir, who heads the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials, said he was told by the Office of Vital Records that clerks would be authorized to hand out marriage licenses as soon as that date - exactly 30 days after the California Supreme Court ruled that gay......