Tonight's Extra, Extra brings updates on bus gropers, a downtown streetcar, the very brief employment of UCLA's former defensive coordinator, and the health of our city. Plus: Keep up with us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter: @LAist @LAistFood @LAistSports. more ›

In a joint acquisition by the Getty Museum and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, $30 million worth of Robert Mapplethorpe photos will soon call L.A. home. While "the bulk of the work came from New York's Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, the museum and trust say the rest was obtained with donations from The David Geffen Foundation and the Getty trust," notes the HuffPo, not everyone in Los Angeles is cheering. more ›

John Paul Getty III, an heir to the oil-fortune and once dubbed by the media as the “golden hippie,” who at the age of 16 made headlines when he was kidnapped, passed away on Feb. 5 in Buckinghamshire, England after a long illness. He was 54. Getty’s life was never free from tragedy. He was the grandson of American oil giant J. Paul Getty, whose fortune helped build the J. Getty Museum in Los Angeles. more ›

Over at the Huffington Post, writer Lila Nordstrom has a piece up that bemoans the fact that Angelenos don't walk more. She argues that not only is driving an accepted cultural norm here (true), but that walking in a city is a challenging skill that needs to be learned. She writes: more ›

The plan calls for $53 billion in funding for new and existing rail projects over the next six years with $8 billion marked specifically for high-speed rail. But don't go selling your car just yet, 2012 is the earliest that work would begin in California... on a line connecting Fresno and Merced. more ›

I found myself in the fortunate position of receiving a bag of chanterelles from a generous friend, and figured the situation alone warranted coverage in seasonal eats--for what is more seasonal than foraged food? Before we go any further though, I want to stress that foraging for mushrooms is not for amateurs. Despite the fact that chanterelles are one of the more recognizable species out there, without experience and a mycologist to consult, there are at least 2 close imitators that are not edible. If you’re interested in the wild world of mushrooms, get involved with the Los Angeles Mycological Society, go on some guided forays, check out the 27th annual wild mushroom fair on February 13 at the LA Arboretum and seek the advice of the experts. Until then, buy from one of the great mushroom sellers at the farmer’s markets around town. more ›

A set of Eagle Rock properties that are used as part of the set for "True Blood" is slated to be burned for an episode in season four, according to Eagle Rock Patch. On the show, Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell) serves as landlord for the houses, which have been home to Arlene Fowler (Carrie Preston) and now-deceased Dawn Green (Lynn Collins). more ›

The Natural History Museum’s First Fridays series picked up again last week, celebrating the normally unremarkable date of February 4th and continuing this year’s engaging amalgamation of intellectual, cultural, and musical intrigue. Unlike January’s, in which lines of anticipating concert-goers stretched far out into Exposition Park, this month’s turnout was impressive but modest; it was enough to make you feel like you’re a part of a pretty badass show while still able to escape from the madness in one of the stoic exhibits. more ›

Some thought's on Keith Olbermann's move to Current TV: we don't think he's coming to Los Angeles, among other things. --- ABC's "V," "No Ordinary Family," and "V" don't seem to be long for this world - not extreme enough or not boring enough? --- A couple cool TV-oriented podcasts you should check out. --- Tonight's listings and the TV Junkie Must-Watch Plan. more ›

Actress Lindsay Lohan will face a felony charge of grand theft tomorrow, according to LA Now. She is accused of stealing a necklace worth $2,500 from a Venice jewelry store. Lohan is expected to be arraigned tomorrow afternoon, and is not likely to be arrested ahead of her court appearance. A statement issued by Lohan this weekend by her lawyer says she plans to fight the charges in court, but "not in the press." more ›

UC Chancellor Mark Yudof and CSU Chancellor Charles Reed announced Monday that they will not seek further tuition hikes this year, instead trimming enrollment and services to meet $1.4 billion in proposed cuts. The leaders warned, however, that if voters don’t approve Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax extensions in June, more cuts and fee hikes may be necessary. more ›

On Sunday we posted our photo gallery from the 2011 Writers Guild Awards (East) ceremony that we attended on February 5th. Please check out our video interviews with: Denis O'Hare ("True Blood"), Terence Winter (creator of "Boardwalk Empire"), Liz Brixius (co-creator of "Nurse Jackie"), Vincent Piazza ("Boardwalk Empire"), Judah Friedlander ("30 Rock"), and awards host Kristen Schaal ("Flight of the Conchords," "Bob's Burgers"). more ›

It’s those times when all meat starts to taste like chicken and the rum and Coke you ordered tastes like Froot Loops, that the notion there is just a glitch in the Matrix starts to seem like a possibility. The sci-fi scenario of robots running amok is not just a thing for the books, according to the theory of singularity, and a documentary called the Transcendent Man. more ›