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.
—LAPD, decked out in riot gear, offered a rather overwhelming response to four climate scientists handcuffing themselves to a Chase Bank building on Wednesday, at a time when those fighting for the Earth are growing desperate to get anyone to listen. [PCC/Extinction Rebellion]
—COVID cases, specifically from the Omicron subvariant BA.2, are starting to go up in California cities again, including L.A., San Diego, and San Francisco. [LAT]
—Sheriff Villanueva will have to testify under oath on deputy gangs in his department before the Office of the Inspector General. [ABC]
—Water levels in Lake Powell have become unbelievably low. [CNN]
—A car recently crashed into San Gabriel's beloved Golden Deli Vietnamese restaurant. [Bopomofo/Instagram]
—The L.A. County Board of Supervisors approved a $10,000 reward in the hit-and-run crash into a building that killed a man and his three-year-old daughter in Long Beach last month. [LACG]
— The State Bar of California has started an investigation into attorney conduct relating to misdirected payments in a settlement in Armenian genocide reparations. [LAT]
—A guacamole-packing expert teaches us how to keep our guacamole fresh for a week. [TikTok]
—Former L.A. Times reporter Sam Quinones expounds on what he believes is a potent new form of meth causing a spike in crime and homelessness in L.A. [LA Mag]
—A moratorium on towing RVs parked illegally on L.A. streets has been lifted, with officials saying they plan to get aggressive in enforcing parking regulations due to homeowners complaints. [LAT]
—Taiwan's Bafang Dunpling has opened in the San Gabriel Valley, is reportedly packed. [Eater]
—Three badly decomposed bodies were found inside an Irvine home, the possible victims of a murder-suicide. [NBC]
—A 19-year-old West Hills man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for burning down Santa Monica's Sake House by Hikari amid racial justice protests in May of 2020. [CBS]