Westwood Village will keep its free parking for now, as the Los Angeles City Council voted against a proposal to lease nine Los Angeles parking garages, including one on Broxton Avenue. The proposal was part of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's plan to put a dent in the city's $53 million budget deficit. The Los Angeles City Council voted 12-0 in a meeting Wednesday to stop looking for a private firm to lease the garages for the next 50 years, said Paul Neuman, spokesman for councilmember Paul Koretz. Leasing the garages would have opened up the option to increase parking fees. Read more...

California could lose $1.5 billion in federal funding if a bill approved in the House of Representatives on Saturday passes through the Senate. These reductions would significantly reduce allocations for Pell Grants and federal grants to University of California researchers. Read more...