Skip to Content
News

Headlines: L.A.’s ‘Cannabis Czar’ Steps Down; Lakers’ Head Coach Fired

8:00 AM PDT on April 12, 2022

photo: David Vives/Unsplash

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.

—Cat Packer, L.A.'s first "cannabis czar," has stepped down from her position as executive director of the Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation after five years. [High Times]

—A Santa Monica neighborhood has had its USPS mail delivery suspended after carriers in the area have experienced threats and attacks. [NBC]

—On Monday, tenants from across L.A. held a protest against K3 Holdings, owner of over 60 rent-controlled buildings in the city, with accusations of allegedly predatory practices and filthy building conditions. [ABC]

—Karen Bass and Rick Caruso are currently leading the L.A. mayoral race, according to a new poll. [LAT]

—Frank Vogel has been fired as The Lakers' head coach on Monday, despite a year left on his contract. [ESPN]

—Philadelphia has reinstated its indoor mask mandate, citing rising cases of the latest COVID-19 variant. [NYT]

—Several UPS trucks were burned at a UPS customer center in Lancaster on Monday. [NBC]

—25-year-old Cristian Rodriguez grew up in Hawaiian Gardens and now plays for L.A.'s professional rugby team. [ABC]

Authorities are asking the public's help to find Carlos Emmanuel Montalva, a 25-year-old man last seen in East L.A. [Hey SoCal]

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

Police Video Shows LAPD Beat Handcuffed Man in Van Nuys Jail Before His Death

LAPD officers forcefully restrained a man, kneed him, and struck him with their elbows. He was later found dead in his cell.

August 31, 2026

From Pasadena to Palmdale: Two Contemporary Noir Novels

Set roughly 120 years apart, new novels by author Naomi Hirahara and actor/comedian Kirk Fox expose the corruption and latent menace just beneath the surface of the City of Angels.

August 29, 2026

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

Mayor Karen Bass's team realizes that she messed up by trash-talking street vendors, but is Nithya Raman's campaign really pro-vendor?

August 28, 2026

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

The border city's consummate working class taco arrives with rich guisados, handmade corn tortillas, beans, and rice.

August 28, 2026

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

Some of the most euphoric experiences come from plastic baggie transactions. Eating Dover Sole Market's Hawaii-sourced poke is no exception.

August 27, 2026

Our Playbook Against ICE Burnout

The Daily Memo, as we knew it, did its job when it was most needed. Now, we are launching a newsletter called ICE Watch that goes right to your inbox every Wednesday—far away from the shadows the tech billionaires cast with their algorithms and the chaos they promote on your feeds. We hope you subscribe.

August 27, 2026