Santa Monica Pier

A US judge ruled Monday against Christians seeking to force municipal authorities to allow them to erect traditional Christmas Nativity displays in Santa Monica, California.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Got 48 hours in Los Angeles? Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors make the most of the city:

US cities prepare for New Year's Eve celebrations amid weather, security preparations. Visitors crowded into Times Square on Friday to await the storied New Year's Eve ball drop, the largest of many events across the country planned to usher in 2011.

Hasbro markets to iPhone and iPod Touch users with new handheld device that promises 3-D. Hasbro Inc. is betting that iPod and iPhone users want 3-D viewing on the go.

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Holidaying with children doesn't have to mean sacrificing style, with a growing number of hotels offering family-friendly features from playrooms to tree houses while still appealing to sophisticated adult tastes.

Ronnie Renner breaks own motorcycle big air world record on quarter pipe in Windy City. Freestyle motocross star Ronnie Renner has broken his own world record with a jump of 63 feet, 5 inches on a quarter pipe.

Critics of President Barack Obama marked national tax day Wednesday with "tea party" protests that Republicans are calling the birth of a grassroots opposition, but Democrats dismiss as a fraud.

Los Angeles event caps 24-hour call to action on climate change. Picture it ? you're walking a bustling city street in the evening, or you're sitting at home watching brightly-lit TV on your flatscreen ? and the lights suddenly go out.

Silicon Valley might have never come to be the technology capital of the world were it not for Frederick Terman getting tuberculosis.

CYBERTRIPS: Stroll, Eat, Fish or Just Enjoy the View From One of California's Oceanfront Piers. Take a stroll in the California sunshine, breathing in the tang of ocean air while waves roll ashore under your feet ? and do it without getting your feet wet and while staying within easy reach of food and amusements. And while you're at it, do a little salt-water fishing.