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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

Lexis-Olivier Ray is an award-winning staff investigative reporter for L.A. TACO known for holding powerful people in Los Angeles accountable and his reporting on Los Angeles culture. As well as an artist and filmmaker. In 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists&#8217; Los Angeles chapter named Ray one of their &#8220;distinguished journalists.&#8221; In 2023, Ray won a second place Anthem Award in their Health Innovation category for a texting service geared towards the unhoused community and service providers that he launched in 2021 with L.A. TACO and Subtext. Ray was a 2020 USC Center For Health Journalism (CHJ) Data Fellow. As well as a 2022 CHJ Impact Fellow. As a freelancer, Ray has contributed to the L.A. Times, Men&#8217;s Health Magazine, KCET and SFGATE.

Lexis-Olivier Ray

News

LAPD Falsely Blames Temporary Closing of Wilshire Station On ‘Defunding’ In Face Of COVID Surge and 12% Proposed Budget Increase

Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”

Janette Villafana

People

She Was Eight When She Worked At Her Parents Paletería in Huntington Park. Now This Latina Is Serving Her Bolis At the Super Bowl

One of L.A. TACO&#8217;s co-founders, Hadley Tomicki is a writer and editor on food, travel, and culture whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, UrbanDaddy, High Times, and many other places.

Hadley Tomicki

Weed

Here’s How Marijuana Could Help to Prevent COVID-19, According to Scientists

Michael is a native Angeleno and a photojournalist / professional basketball player. He most recently played in Japan.

Mike Ojo

Photo Essay

Heartbreaking Scenes From Valentina Orellana Peralta’s, the 14-Year-Old Killed by LAPD Bullet, Funeral in South L.A. (Photo Essay)

Crime

A Highly Detailed Account of How Two LAPD Cops Got Fired After Ignoring a Robbery to Catch Snorlax on Pokémon GO

Professional punk and Editor-In-Chief for James Beard Award-winning L.A. TACO. Associate Producer for JBA-winning Las Crónicas Del Taco. Former restaurant scout for Jonathan Gold. Co-author of &#8220;Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and &#8220;Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling&#8221; (2023, Abrams).

Javier Cabral

Featured

Announcement: L.A. TACO Is Getting a New Education Column: ‘The L.A. Public School Report’

Father of Three Killed Over a Fake $20 Bill While Working One Night a Week at Taco Bell in South L.A.

An award-winning journalist covering ICE and immigration raids. Host of the Daily Memo. ‘Where Memo Torres Eats’ on Apple Maps. Seen on Netflix, occasionally on KCRW. 3rd-gen landscaper. Proud son of an immigrant. Golden Bear.

Memo Torres

Video

This 35-Year-Old Jalisco-Style Taco Truck in Venice Named After A Madonna Song Continues to Thrive Despite Gentrification

Tacos

Weekend Taco Mission: Three Tasty Tacos to Try in West L.A.’s Sawtelle Neighborhood

As Omicron Cases Surge At The LAPD, Officers Continue to Disregard Face Covering Mandates