Mitch Englander

High-Capacity Gun Magazines Banned In Los Angeles

Do you need your assault-style rifle to have more than 10 bullets attached to it, at the ready to pierce unsuspecting deer, paper targets and beer cans? Really? The Los Angeles City Council today dove into a contentious debate and did what congress has been unable to do: It banned 11-round-plus mag ... More >>

Hit-and-Run Blowback on LAPD

Doctors try to save bicyclist's remaining leg as legislator calls for crackdown

L.A. City Hall Wants To Shut Down Most Marijuana Dispensaries (Again)

During one of the lowest-turnout elections of the year, L.A. voters will get to vote on three marijuana dispensary measures for the city. The City Council approved putting its own measure before voters during the May 21 municipal election, although five on the council dissented. Are they trying to ... More >>

Marijuana Initiatives Head For May Ballot: Some Dispensaries Back L.A. City Proposal

The L.A. City Council today approved two competing marijuana initiatives for the May 21 ballot and came a step closer to putting its own, third measure before voters, too. At the same time one of the initiatives' backers, the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance, said it would abandon campaignin ... More >>

Kevin James' Mayoral Dreams Get Legs

Gay Republican moderate attracts big GOP cash in Los Angeles

Ka Pasasouk: State Considered Northridge Suspect Prone To Violence

Would Ka Pasasouk, the man police believe murdered four people in Northridge last weekend, have been on the street had it not been for California's controversial prison-realignment program? A state prison official told us yes: He served his time and was due to get out last January in any case. The ... More >>

Ka Pasasouk: Four Suspects Arrested in Northridge Quadruple Homicide

Updated with new details at the bottom. Spelling of suspects' names has been fixed; the headline has been updated to include the ID of the homicide suspect. First posted at 4:10 p.m. LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announced that suspects have been arrested in connection with the horrific weekend murder of ... More >>

Los Angeles City Council Members Take Time Off For Conferences, Then Don't Go

By now it's common knowledge that Los Angeles City Council members love their perks and holidays. Just read the L.A. Weekly cover story "Los Angeles on $300,00 a Year." But now they're taking time off from dealing with important city business -- it's officially called a "recess" -- for a major confe ... More >>

Buh-Bye to LA's 100 LED Billboards?

Official IDs For Illegals Coming Soon To L.A.

If you're an illegal immigrant you can't even get arrested in this town. Really, the LAPD won't arrest you for simply being undocumented. But soon you'll be able to get an ID card issued by the city. The L.A. City Council this week voted 12-1 to get the program started by requesting proposals from ... More >>

L.A. City Hall's 'Elephant Awareness Day' Apparently Not Enough to Keep Ringling Bros. Out of Staples Center

Surprise, surprise! Not one month after L.A. politicians wasted time and resources designating August 3 as the city's official "Elephant Awareness Day," the poster corporation for alleged elephant abuse is coming to town. This very evening, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus (owned by Feld E ... More >>

Marijuana Dispensary Ban Considered at L.A. City Hall Tomorrow

Updated at the bottom with the committee's momentous moves. First posted at 8 a.m. Hope you're getting your rest this holiday weekend. Because tomorrow's a big day for the medical marijuana scene in Los Angeles. The L.A. City Council's Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) committee will take u ... More >>

LAFD Response-Time Scandal

Chief Cummings' plummeting morale problem

LAFD Chief Brian Cummings' Media Blackout Is Illegal and Self-Serving, Says LA.'s Top Free-Speech Attorney

[Update: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who hand-picked Cummings last September and has been lovingly tugging at the chief's puppet strings ever since, totally humiliated his political plaything this afternoon by demanding -- via passive-aggressive "open letter" -- that the LAFD go back to its old meth ... More >>

Mitch Englander, L.A. City Leader, Asked to Step Aside in Debate Over Taking Unlicensed Drivers' Cars

Councilman Mitch Englander.​The matter of impounding cars belonging to unlicensed drivers in the city of L.A. is becoming a hot topic. The National Lawyers Guild and the Southern California Immigration Coalition are calling on L.A. city Councilman Mitch Englander to step away from the debate ... More >>

Mandatory Condoms in Porn Becomes Law in L.A. For Location Shoots

Ed Carrasco​Updated at the bottom: They did it. First posted at 6:05 a.m. This will likely be the day that will live in infamy ... for people who make boom-boom cinema. The L.A. City Council is expected to give final approval to a measure that will require condoms for porn performers who wor ... More >>

Porn Star Condom-Use to be Mandatory at Most Los Angeles Adult Video Sets, City Council Votes

Updated at the bottom with official reaction from the porn industry. First posted at 12:53 p.m. The L.A. City Council today said that yes, porn stars must wear condoms when performing within city limits. The 11-1 vote means that a costly ballot initiative asking you, the voter, to approve just suc ... More >>

Jimmy Kimmel Roasts Eric Garcetti at City Hall: Gay Jokes Abound

Garcetti is so not gay people joke about it.​Gotta love the L.A. City Council. Not only does it not get anything done, pass silly laws like a cat declawing ban as our streets fester with potholes, and take years to get a grip on issues like marijuana dispensaries (fruitlessly, of course), but ... More >>

L.A. City Council Candidate Mitchell Englander, Heir To The Incumbent, Nears Half-Million Mark As Top Competitor Brad Smith Drops From Race

Mitch Englander For City CouncilSitting pretty in District 12​Update: The race is back on! District 12 Candidate Brad Smith says: "One week ago, we had to put this campaign on hold because of very real issues that anyone working in today's economy can identify with; today, those issues have be ... More >>

L.A. City Council Election 2011: Remaining Stragglers Turn In Candidacy Paperwork

LA Talk RadioFrank Sheftel, the guy who once carved chocolate statues in the likeness of Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley for their '90s wedding, now thinks he can run City District 4​The last of the L.A. City Council candidates have filed for the March 2011 municipal election. There are ... More >>

Do As The City Wants And Put In Drought Tolerant Plants, And Then Get Fined

Giga Granada Hills blogDrought resistant landscaping? Pay a fine.​ File this under: Your city government, not helping. (But with a nice ending.) Here's the story, as reported by the Giga Granada Hills blog. Several years ago the Department of Water and Power enacted an incentive program to ge ... More >>

In Face Of City Hall Budget Crisis, Everybody Goes To Washington

​You might have gotten the idea somewhere that the city's facing a historic budget crisis with 4,000 layoffs planned, departments closing, libraries cutting hours, less cops on the beat, and fire engine companies being furloughed. But someone has yet to inform the Los Angeles City Council that ... More >>

Jimmy On the Edge of Town

A Homeless Christian-Muslim From Palestine Pitches a Tent Behind Bed Bath & Beyond in Northridge. Then Come the Railroad Men and Feral Cat Activists.

In the Lap of Lobbyists

Monty Python and the Flipping Bird

Lord of the Race

Serving on two powerful air-quality boards., L.A. Marathon founder William Burke sets a fast pace. But it just might be when he crosses the finish line, the public — and clean air — are the big losers.

Valley Split

Old-School Campaign Hands Alacaron a Razor-thin Victory