Headlines: Family-Owned Restaurant in Chinatown Receives $13,000 Gas Bill

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.

—Chinatown: Hop Woo BBQ & Seafood Restaurant, the Chinatown-based eatery known for their Chinese turkeys, received a gas bill totaling more than $13,000 in charges for the month of January. Across the state, consumers are seeing a substantial increase in monthly gas bills. Gas companies blame the surge in prices on a volatile wholesale market. Meanwhile, energy company executives are watching their salaries go up. Hop Woo is asking for the public's support. [Evan Kleiman/IG]

—Beverly Hills: More than 80 ficus trees lining Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills will be cut down for a sidewalk restoration project. Residents and business owners say that the trees damage sidewalks, cars and business. They also create drainage issues. The city plans to spend more than $200,000 to remove the trees—some of which are more than a half century years old. The decision to remove dozens of healthy trees comes at a time when cities are trying to expand their tree canopy. Climate experts say that trees provide much needed shade and help filter out pollutants. [LAT]

—Santa Monica: A 1980s Chevy Van used to sell tortillas will be towed onto the Santa Monica Airport tarmac for Frieze Los Angeles. Ruben Ochoa, an artist known for painting tamale carts, is putting the Chevy van on display for the first time since 2005. The exhibition will also feature bronze sculptures made out of tortillas that resemble giant coins. And four tamal carts with custom graphics.“My parents created a Mexican market on wheels, so I was emulating that practice,” the artist told The New York Times. “The idea was to show artists of color or marginalized artists and bring their work to the community.” [NYT]

—Pasadena: Erick Galindo and Megan Tan announced a new season of their hit podcast WILD. "You heard Megan's pandemic love story in season one. This time, Erick tells Megan the wildest thing he did for love. It starts with an invite on a cross-country road trip with the woman whole stole his heart. Join him and Melinna Bobadilla, Gabrielle Ruiz and Atsouko Okatsuka. Does Erick find his one true love?" Produced by LAist Studios, the new season debuts in April.

—Bike LA, a coalition committed to making our LA safer for all roads users, released their 2023 Bicycle Safety Report. The group found that 3/4 of bicycle fatalities occur on multi-lane roads. More than 80% of fatalities happened on roads without bike lanes. And more than half of all fatalities occurred at night. Read the full report here.

—Culver City: Harold's Chicken Shack , theChicago fried chicken legend, will expand to a second-location at Westfield shopping mall in Culver City. [Eater]

—Skid Row: Los Angeles sanitation workers threw away "food and goods slated for the community," during a homeless sweep in Skid Row yesterday that attracted more than a dozen cops. The Los Angeles Community Action Network says, Stephanie Williams, a prominent resident of Skid Row known for passing out supplies to the community, was targeted. [LACAN/Twitter]

—Culver City: Culver City officials passed a city-wide ban on homeless encampments Monday night, after a 3-2 vote. The controversial ordinance permits blankets and sleeping bags but prohibits tents and makeshift shelters. The ban will not be enforced until the city finds enough shelter and housing options. [ABC 7]

—Inglewood: Las Vegas and New Orleans will host the next two Super Bowls. Which means L.A. could host the big game as early as 2026 or '27. If that happens, L.A. will host the World Cup, Super Bowl, and The Olympics in a three-year span. The league is expected to make an announcement later this year. [LAT]