Monday, May 06, 2013

Headlines that caught my eye on a rainy Monday

The California Supreme Court has ruled that cities have the power to pass zoning laws that preclude pot shops within the limits of those cities.  If none of the pro-pot ballot measures pass tomorrow, the City of Los Angeles may try to get rid of the pot shops again.

A protest today at USC will accuse the university's security forces and the LAPD in engaging in "racial profiling" when they shut down a party this weekend that had mostly black student attendees while doing nothing to a nearby party that was made up of almost exclusively white students.  Police have denied any profiling went on.

Now there are concerns that the limousine that caught fire on the San Mateo bridge may have done so due to overloading, as the vehicle was rated to carry only eight passengers.  There were nine women inside the back when the limo caught fire.  Five of them died. 

A teen girl told a jury in Compton she did not kill her mother and stepfather.

A coroner for L.A. County testified today at the trial seeking $40 billion from AEG over the death of Michael Jackson.  The coroner said that the level of propofol found in his body was consistent with levels that would be found in someone who was undergoing general anasthesia.

The judge in Lindsay Lohan's case has approved the Betty Ford Center as Lindsay's home for her 90 day rehab stint, but warned she must remain in the hospital wing and she is not allowed to leave for any reason.

Egypt's Minister of Tourism says that "booze" and "bikinis" are now welcome there in spite previous bans on them.

NFL pro bowler Terrell Owens has become a different type of pro bowler, participating in the U.S. Bowling Congress Open Championships.  Owens owns a team in the new PBA league.

Lauryn Hill will be going to prison after all, but apparently only for three months.  She paid a very large debt to the IRS in advance of today's sentencing hearing.

A Florida woman is involved in a dispute with Wells Fargo Bank.  Her husband of 53 years died, but he failed to name her as a joint owner of a small savings account.  So the bank won't give her the $273 in the account and the court cost to issue the letter the bank wants will be $250.

That story about the Texas high school track athlete who was disqualified for making a "religious gesture" was premature.  He has admitted the gesture was celebratory but not religious in nature.

Former President Bill Clinton has a way of getting things done.  But one thing he tried and failed to do was to get the surviving members of Led Zeppelin to reunite for a concert to benefit the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Former MLB star Otis Nixon was arrested after police found drugs in his truck and a crack pipe in his pocket.

The TV show "Cops" is leaving the Fox network and jumping to Spike TV. 

A 12 year old in Las Vegas approached a motorcycle cop and questioned why he had parked his bike on the sidewalk.  The officer refused to answer, or provide his badge number as requested.  Now the video of the incident is on Reddit and has 2 million views.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's son Patrick was ejected from a famed Hollywood nightspot after he threatened to beat the out of the DJ.

You decide.  Trouble in paradise, dirty old man or just horny?  There's a photo of Elton John's husband copping a feel of Neil Patrick Harris' backside when the two couples posed together.