Census: California Power Shifting Inland to Hispanics

(NEWSER) - A new Los Angeles Times poll shows why gay marriage advocates and opponents are targeting LA Latinos after Proposition 8: Unlike African Americans, they are divided on the issue. While African American voters oppose gay marriage by 54% to 37%, Latinos are split, 45% in favor and 46% against. Among Latinos, women, the young, and the college-educated tend to approve of same-sex nuptials. More»

34,000 plants growing in Topanga State Park

(NEWSER) - A $100 million marijuana plantation was destroyed by a police raid in Topanga State Park in Los Angeles on Friday. The 34,000-plant operation deep in the park's back country is the largest busted by cops in the Santa Monica Mountains in seven years, reports the Los Angeles Times . No one was arrested, but three men were spotted fleeing the scene. Park rangers and sheriff's deputies discovered the operation after finding a dam that was diverting water from a creek to irrigate the plants in the park, which is located entirely within LA city limits. More»

Oblivious texter nearly walks into new neighbor

(NEWSER) - There goes the neighborhood. A black bear apparently sick of roughing it in the wilds of California decided to check out a suburb 10 miles north of Los Angeles in the Verdugo Mountains area. The bear was spotted lounging on a lawn before investigating several backyards, shooting him to the top of the list of suspects tearing through trash bins the last few weeks, reports AP . One pedestrian was so focused on his cell phone that he didn't notice his new neighbor until the last minute—then sprinted to safety. Despite the bear's powerful jaws and giant claws, the three-year-old male appeared to be "pretty mellow," said one ranger. He was eventually tranquilized while napping under a tree, and removed to a woodsy area where the taxes aren't so high. More»

Cessna strays too close as Obama heads to LAX

(NEWSER) - What were they smoking? A four-seater Cessna plane hauling marijuana yesterday strayed into restricted airspace designed to protect President Obama, who was flying on Marine One; the small plane was intercepted by fighter jets. The incident occurred as the president was traveling in the helicopter from Orange County to Los Angeles International Airport, reports the Los Angeles Times . Authorities attempted repeatedly to contact the Cessna 182. When the pilot failed to respond, two F-16s forced the aircraft to land nearby at Long Beach Airport, where it was met by law enforcement. More»

John Atterberry had worked with Jessica Simpson, Michael Jackson

(NEWSER) - The record executive who was critically wounded in Friday's Hollywood shooting rampage died last night, the AP reports. John Atterberry, 40, had been a vice president of Death Row Records, then home to Tupac Shakur and Dr. Dre, before going on to work with artists including Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, and Michael Jackson, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»