Even though the Heat look very beatable right now, the marquee NBA matchup in 2010 is Lakers-Heat on Christmas Day. Today new pictures leaked of Kobe&#8217;s special edition Christmas &#8220;Grinch&#8221; shoes that he&#8217;ll be wearing. File these ones under &#8220;so bad they&#8217;re good&#8221; I guess? They&#8217;ll be available in limited release on December 26th in…

Kobe IV “Grinch” Nikes ~ LA Lakers

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<p>A.k.a. Afroxander; Editor-At-Large (formerly Weekend Editor) at L.A. Taco and a lecturer at San Diego State University. He has covered arts, culture, history, politics, and sports with an emphasis on Latin America and its U.S. diaspora for over two decades.</p>


Ivan Fernandez

Sports

Are The Lakers Still L.A.’s Team?

<p>Stephanie Mendez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer based in the LBC. Her work has appeared on ABC News, TODAY, E! News, SPIN, and more.</p>
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Stephanie Mendez

a man in a jersey posing at a desk with a gaming computer

Ten L.A. Gamers Tell Us How to Make Money Playing Video Games For a Living

<p>Julianne Le graduated from UCLA in 2025 with a major in English and minor in Asian American Studies. Maybe it&#8217;s because she isn&#8217;t jaded yet, but she is super eager to peek into the overlooked corners of L.A. and write about them. Le is the former editor-in-chief of UCLA&#8217;s Pacific Ties Newsmagazine and was a finalist for the Associated Collegiate Press&#8217; &#8220;Podcast of the Year&#8221; award in 2024.</p>


Julianne Le

three woman skaters pose together with their skateboards

The Unlikely Sisterhood of Women Skaters in Santa Monica

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<p>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).</p>


Javier Cabral

<p>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.</p>


Hadley Tomicki

Don’t Want the Dodgers at the White House? A New Petition Is Gaining Momentum

Is Gentrification Ruining Mexico City’s Iconic Lucha Libre?

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

<p>Sam Ribakoff is a reporter, journalism teacher, communicator for labor unions, and a nice guy from Long Beach.</p>


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Sam Ribakoff

The Western States Regional Carpenters Union rallies for Council member Nithya Raman next to the competing SEIU 721 rally for Mayor Karen Bass outside the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center

Politics

Where Do the Candidates for L.A. Mayor Really Stand on Street Vending?

Taco Members Only

Tijuana’s Prized ‘Tacos Varios’ Enter East L.A.

<p>Marina Watanabe is director of video and a reporter at L.A. TACO based in Koreatown. Previously, she worked as a video reporter for 404 by Los Angeles Times and a video producer at Condé Nast publications Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Them.</p>


Marina Watanabe

Food

L.A.’s Most Exclusive Poke Comes From a Car Trunk And Sells Out In Minutes

<p class="p1">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.</p>


Memo Torres

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Site News

Our Playbook Against ICE Burnout

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Myriam Gurba

Personal Essay

Essay: Lindsay Clancy’s Murder Trial Is the Story of La Llorona, All Over Again

<p>Karina Soriano is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers the crossroads of music, food, art, and social issues. She spotlights the everyday people who really keep L.A. moving. Usually, while stuck in traffic, looking for a good place to eat.</p>


Karina Soriano

<p>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.</p>


Lexis-Olivier Ray

<p>Andrew Bangs, or simply Bangs to his compatriots, is a long-time LA Taco supporter and occasional contributor. He spends a lot of time thinking about his dog.</p>


Andrew Bangs

Chicken wing skewers grilled over charcoals

L.A. Taco Guides

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a man uses puppet strings while Donald Trump sleeps behind him. a poster of Cristiano Ronaldo is in the background.