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.
—Bellflower: Following a string of burglaries on small businesses in Long Beach and surrounding communities, a food influencer @GrubWithGreg, used his platform to make Taquería El Sabrosito in Bellflower go viral for their gigantic "Super Wet Burrito." The small business posted a surveillance video showing four burglars rummaging through their restaurant last week. The reel, posted by both the restaurant and influencer, has over 120k views on Instagram. Taquería El Sabrosito is at 14320 Bellflower Blvd, Bellflower, CA 90706.
—Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny both sported L.A. Dodgers caps at The Grammy's last night, which included a performance from Compton's own Steve Lacy with Compton-raised Thundercat on bass, and a special new award named for Compton legend Dr. Dre. The show ended with a live performance of legendary emcees outside of Staples Center, which included no L.A. artists. [EW]
—Oof. Instead of providing "closed captions" for Bad Bunny's opening performance at The Grammys last night, some CBS captions read: "singing in non-English" and later when he offered an acceptance speech, "speaking non-English." English-speaking artists were given standard closed captions while later broadcasts and streaming broadcasts reportedly offered updated Spanish-language closed captioning for Bad Bunny's performance. [EW]
—An unnamed LAPD SWAT team member who was caught on body camera footage telling colleagues "happy hunting" before the fatal shooting of Leron James, a reportedly armed and barricaded suspect, in an apartment building in Downtown in 2022, has been suspended for two days for making improper remarks. [IBT]
—Despite recent rains, water and climate scientists warn us not to expect lakes Mead and Powell, our country's largest reservoirs, to fill up again anytime soon. A long-term water shortage for the Colorado River Basin will likely remain due to strenuous demand from populations in multiple states. Climate change has also dramatically altered the river over the last 23 years, as rising temperatures intensify the drought, causing the river’s flow to decline about 20%. [LAT]
—Brentwood: Former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger collided with a female cyclist in his car in Brentwood yesterday morning. Law enforcement sources reportedly say the woman made a left turn in front of him before he had a chance to hit his brakes, sending her to the hospital with minor injuries. He is not believed to be at fault. Less than 13 months ago, the Austrian actor was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in West L.A. [CNN]
—Cage-diving with Great White sharks has been ended in Baja, Mexico, with the nation's government citing “bad practices” among tour companies, including leaving cages, improper use of bait, and the dumping of pollutants. San Diego companies who run shark tours are out of business, concerning conservationists that the animals will be hunted more widely for their valuable body parts. [LAT]
—As democracy withers in Haiti and gang violence spirals out of control, it’s armed men like gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, sanctioned by the United Nations for 'serious human rights abuses,' that are filling the power vacuum left by a crumbling government. In December, the U.N. estimated that gangs controlled 60% of Haiti’s capital, while some on the streets of Port-au-Prince suggest that number "is closer to 100%." [AP]
—"iPhones are made in Hell": three months inside China’s iPhone city, where one worker for FoxConn recounts colleagues "passing out on the job, attempting suicide, and getting into fistfights with their supervisors," during brutal 10-hour, six-days a week labor. [Rest of World]
