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]

More Stories

Vanguards of Language: Obi Kaufmann, Saul Williams, and the Power of Poetry

New books by Kaufmann and Williams are valuable manifestos that urge us to create a new world by transforming how we live and what we create.

October 31, 2026

A Stunning Iranian Bakery From a Former Spago and Lucques Pastry Chef

On the savory side, this shop offers a signature seeded, hot stone-baked barbari, a cumin-tinged wheel of latir bread, shaggy with sesame seeds and dill; and a barley-and-wheat-blended circle of sistani bread, spiced with coriander, cumin, fennel, and turmeric, and speckled with nigella and sesame seeds.

October 30, 2026

ICE Watch: America’s Mass Detention Nightmare Continues Ahead of Midterm Elections

Fear of ICE agents at the polls has people on edge. The federal government says federal immigration agents will not be patrolling those locations but also has not ruled it out entirely, both in the Southland and beyond.

October 29, 2026

Salvadoran Street Coffee at the Silver Lake Reservoir Honors A Local Barista’s Roots

The beans come from Juayúa, El Salvador, where they're grown, harvested, and processed before being shipped green to L.A. for roasting. Roasted medium-light, they bring out notes of blueberry and Concord grape, with the acidity of cherimoya and a cacao nib finish.

October 29, 2026

Do Activists Vote? How Nine Local Organizations Approach L.A.’s General Election

Election Day is next Tuesday. If you’re still on the fence about whether or not to cast your ballot, read what dedicated community members have to say.

October 29, 2026

How Dolores Huerta Changed Our World

Huerta did not organize so Mexican-Americans could simply become consumers. She organized so they could become empowered participants in the democracy they defined.

October 28, 2026