Along California's coast today, the highest tides of the winter season will batter the shore for the third day in a row.

The real estate research firm Data Quick reports that for the first time since the housing crash in 2007, short sales now outnumber the sale of foreclosed homes. This is good news, not just for homeowners who find themselves underwater with their loans, but for banks as well.

Saturday marks three years since a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit the impoverished Caribbean island nation of Haiti. The quake caused tremendous damage in some of the country's major cities, including the capital of Port-Au-Prince.

Last night, Vice President Joe Biden met with various leaders from the film industry to talk about efforts to curb gun violence. For years politicians have called on the entertainment industry to reduce depictions of violence, but they've been mostly unsuccessful.

Now it's time for the Friday Flashback, our weekly wrap-up of the week's big news. Joining us from the offices of The Guardian newspaper in New York, Heidi Moore, U.S. finance and economics editor, and James Rainey, political columnist for the L.

Cue the wind machine. Ventura County farmers need it during cold nights to keep their expensive strawberry crops warm.

Since the Chinese government deemed the US an "approved destination" in 2008, tourism from China has risen. It is now the top source of international tourism for LA, leading to a demand for Mandarin speakers.

Every week we get your weekend conversation starters with Rico Gagliano and Brendan Newnam, the hosts of the Dinner Party podcast and radio show. On tap this week, texting prayers, Bernie Madoff's reading materials and the birth of the Texas oil business.

In just a few months the city of Los Angeles will choose a new mayor, so today we're kicking off the first in a regular series we're calling: City Hall Pass. Think of it as your ticket to all the latest political news coming out of downtown

In other housing news, the curious phenomena of zombie titles. Thousands of homeowners are finding themselves legally liable for houses they didn't know they still owned after banks walk away from foreclosed homes before they're final.

L.A. County's reputation as a crime capital is beginning to wane. Sheriff Lee Baca released statistics that indicate declines in crime - including in Compton.