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.
—Activist-turned-elected official Gloria Molina died on Sunday at the age of 74 from cancer. Tributes from admirers, friends, and local politicians are pouring in, with Mayor Karen Bass writing, "Supervisor Molina was a force for unapologetic good and transformational change in LA. As the first woman Mayor of Los Angeles, I know I stand on her shoulders." Cardinal Roger Mahoney said, “She was fearless in confronting institutional injustice such as the infamous Exide battery complex in East Los Angeles.” [NBC]
—A Riverside man in his 60s is believed to have had his hand chopped off by a stranger walking around with a sword on Saturday evening. Police responded to a report of a severed hand found on the sidewalk, while the man came into the hospital without a hand. He is expected to survive. [OCR]
—"Namaste." Former Mayor Eric Garcetti made a cringe-y video welcoming himself as the 26th U.S. ambassador to India. Remember him? [U.S. Embassy India]
—Koreatown: The owners of KTown Pho are warning restaurateurs about a potential duo of dine-and-dashers after two dudes split on their check. [KTown Pho]
—With the West facing critical water shortages, one study finds that only 7% is used by homes, the majority by agriculture, with one California almond requiring 3.2 gallons of water each to be produced. [NYT]
—Three separate street takeovers popped off in South L.A. last night, with police reportedly arriving and no arrests made. [ABC]
—Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell keeps trying to promote a sports drink at press conference appearances and being blocked, hilariously, by team personnel concerned that sponsor Gatorade would not be too happy with that. [SI]
