Skip to Content
News

Headlines: Ashli Babbit’s Brother Charged With San Diego Hate Crime; South Bay Starbucks Staffers Eye Unionizing

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 brother of Ashli Babbit, fatally shot by Capitol police on January 6, 2021, is being charged with a hate crime and battery after yelling slurs at and assaulting a Latino traffic controller in San Diego. [NBC]

—A reported surge of Ukrainians and Russians at the Tijuana border is leading to increased attention on the Biden administration's embrace of Title 42, the process initially invoked by Trump to mass-expel migrants from the U.S. [MSN]

—Starucks employees in Long Beach and Lakewood are seeking to unionize, part of a growing nationwide movement. [LBP]

—Oscar-winning actor William Hurt is dead at age 71. [THR]

—Uber is charging a gas fee that goes directly to drivers, in light of rising fuel prices. [ABC]

—An off-duty Las Vegas cop is being charged after robbing a casino with a department-issued gun, among other crimes. [NBC]

—A 52-year-old man was shot and killed while walking his dog in Mid-City Los Angeles early Saturday morning. [Wane]

—Legendary L.A. sports broadcaster Alan Massengale has died at age 63. [ESPN]

—A man was killed in a deputy-involved shooting in Palmdale on Sunday. [CBS]

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

L.A.’s DIY Underground Hardcore Scene Raises $10K For L.A.’s Undocumented Families Affected by ICE

"We're in crisis mode," says Victor Campos, the Director of Mosh for Youth. "Immigrants build our communities, and they thrive with immigrants. If we look at who's being taken by the raids, it's hard-working Latinos. They're going to Home Depots, to swap meets, to places of business, and taking our people away. Families are left broken and shattered by these raids, so it's our responsibility as individuals with platforms to do something about it."

June 17, 2025

Unhoused Residents and a Chef Getting Off Work Get Unintentionally Caught in Violent Police Actions Against Protesters in DTLA

A Black woman in a wheelchair who did not appear to be involved in the protests found herself trapped among dozens of protesters. When a line of police advanced towards her and the remaining protesters, two people put their bodies on the line a sthey struggled to move her wheelchair away from the police.

June 17, 2025

Who Allowed ICE To Arrest Vendors and Customers at The Santa Fe Swap Meet?

Suspicion is falling on management, despite its formal denial that employees knew anything about it. "“Who let them in? That’s what we want to know,” said a vendor. “They have speakers; they could have alerted people,” said one vendor.

June 16, 2025

Sheriff’s Department Says Little Girl Seen In Viral Video Was Taken Into ‘Protective Custody’ by DCFS, Not ICE

L.A. TACO has confirmed that the viral video posted today by Union Del Barrio showing a little girl crying in the backseat of a truck has to do with a warrant for a murder investigation.

June 16, 2025

These Photos Capture How Police Escalated Saturday’s ‘No Kings’ Protest Into Violence in DTLA

"The police violence was totally unprovoked and has been the worst I've ever seen it in all my years of covering protesting," said photographer Kemal Cilenigr, who documented the day's shift from peaceful to besieged.

June 16, 2025

Opinion: Senator Padilla’s Arrest is Proof Trump Wants to Silence Truth At All Costs

At the moment of Padilla’s arrest, he was no longer a sitting senator, or citizen of this country, he became just another Mexican. Trump is primed to lose the Battle for Los Angeles, not because he lacks resources or loyal followers, but because he doesn't even understand the battlefield itself. 

See all posts