Welcome to L.A. TACO’s daily news briefs, where we bring our loyal members, readers, and supporters the latest headlines about Los Angeles politics and culture. Stay informed and look closely.
—The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) sent out notices to neighborhood councils instructing them to "look out for ANTIFA" in anticipation of video footage being released related to the killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Nichols died in a hospital three days after reportedly being beaten by Memphis Police. The Memphis Chief of Police described the video footage as "heinous" and "inhumane." The police chief is anticipating "a strong reaction" to the video footage.
—California wants to ban the chemical that gives the chrome on low riders and motorcycles that signature shine. [LAT]
—After weeks of heavy rain, it appears that the west coast is returning to La Niña dry conditions for the next month or so. [@realwxforecast/Twitter]
—A Stanford University study found that cannabis legalization does not lead to "elevated rates of psychosis-related health outcomes." The authors of the study reviewed healthcare claims of more than 60 million privately insured patients from 2003 to 2017. "The study is the first and largest to our knowledge to quantify the association on medical and recreational cannabis policies with rates of psychosis-related health care claims across US states," the authors of the study wrote. [NORML]
—DanceSafe, a harm reduction non-profit, has introduced an "improved Fentanyl testing strip." The new testing strips do not produce false positives for substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and ecstasy. [DanceSafe]
—Culver City: Eight thousand tacos, that's how many tacos Tito's Tacos sells on a busy day. In a new YouTube video, L.A. Times Food shows us how those tacos are made. Spoiler alert: everything is made "fresh." [LAT Food]
—Westlake: More than a hundred Los Angeles firefighters responded to a major fire near 7th and Hoover in the Westlake/Pico Union area of Los Angeles last night. An arson suspect was arrested at the scene. [FOX]
—Months after suffering serious burns to his face, comedian Jay Leno reportedly broke several bones while riding a motorcycle. "I turned down a side street and cut through a parking lot, and unbeknownst to me, some guy had a wire strung across the parking lot but with no flag hanging from it,” Leno told Las Vegas Review-Journal. [NBC]
—Drake's home was reportedly broken into last night. A source told TMZ that the Canadian rapper was not home during the alleged robbery. A suspect was later arrested by police. [TMZ]
—A Rand study found that there are more unhoused people living in Skid Row, Hollywood and Venice than there were a year ago. The study contrasts the most recent homeless count, which found that homelessness decreased in those areas. The annual county-wide homeless count, organized by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, has been heavily scrutinized recently. [LAT]
—One person was rushed to the hospital following an explosion at a University of Southern California science building on Thursday afternoon. [ABC]
