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.
—An Altadena homeowner has agreed to give the one-acre parcel of land she owns back to the Tongva people, for who it is ancestral land, marking the first time in 200 years the community has had land to call its own. “Land is everything to tribal culture,” says Mooney D’Arcy, a historian who was interviewed for the story and traces a history of the U.S. government’s broken promises of ceding reservation land. “So being landless is an impediment to full cultural realization.” [LAT]
—A vigil was held for Steven Reyes, the Highland Park liquor store owner killed by a scooter swung at his head last Thursday while trying to stop the theft of a case of beer. Four teens between the ages of 15 and 18 years old tried to steal multiple items from the store. When Reyes tried to stop one of them from taking a case of beer, he was struck in the head with a scooter, police said. [KTLA]
—Nikki Finke, the journalist feared and venerated by the Hollywood industry she reported on with an uncanny nose for scoops, has died at age 68. “She posted firsthand accounts of how she saw the entertainment business and was unfazed about dressing down its biggest players,” Deadline wrote. “Her often biting, acerbic posts called out wrongdoing and wrongdoers as she saw fit — making her a hero to many assistants and below-the-liners while irking many in the C-suites who were not used to anything less than praise.” [CNN]
—Eight people were injured and taken to the hospital after a car crashed through the front doors of a Stater Bros. in Rialto on Monday morning. Based on an initial investigation, it appears that Jones was attempting to park her vehicle in one of the handicap spots at the front of the store. While she was trying to park she became distracted. Jones failed to put the vehicle in park. As she removed her foot from the brake, she pressed the accelerator instead. [NBC]
—Pro-Russian hackers took down the websites of several international airports this weekend, including LAX's. KillNet listed the domains yesterday on its Telegram channel, where members and volunteers of the hacktivist group gather to acquire new targets. They are relying on custom software to generate fake requests and garbage traffic directed at the targets with the goal of depleting their resources and making them unavailable to legitimate users. [Bleeping Computer]
—Katie O’Neill, an artist and gallery owner in Pacific Palisades, is pleading for the return of her paintings following a smash-and-grab burglary last week. “When I came in and turned on the lights … it was just a surreal scene to look around and see so many paintings gone,” Katie O’Neill, owner of Katie O’Neill Fine Art, told KTLA. A witness told the artist that someone with a crowbar busted down the window and loaded up her paintings into the trunk of a car. [KTLA]
—Harvey Weinstein's second criminal trial over the alleged sexual assaults of multiple women is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles this week. The Los Angeles trial is significant, however, as Weinstein is in the process of appealing his New York conviction. If found guilty, the Los Angeles verdict could add decades to his prison time. But if his New York appeal is successful, the Los Angeles verdict could be the only substantial reason he stays in prison. [NPR]
—In the stating the obvious department: Kanye West is a huge asshole.Ye’s page was reportedly placed on hold after posts he made that some groups are calling ‘anti-Jewish.’ [Billboard]
—And so is Steven Seagal, who called Vladimir Putin ‘one of greatest world leaders’ on 70th birthday: “He is one of the greatest world leaders and one of the greatest presidents in the world and I’m really hoping and praying that he gets the support and the love and the respect that he needs.” [The Independent]
—Blink 182 has reunited with Tom Delonge and just announced a world tour in 2023 and new music. They released a vintage era Blink video full of double entendres announcing their return and are kicking off their international tour at a music festival in Tijuana on May 4th. They are also stopping at Banc of California Stadium on June 16th. [SDUT]
