Skip to Content
News

Headlines: Fire Damages ‘Karate Kid’ Apartment; Exploring Lao Cuisine in SoCal

photo: Lord Jim/Flickr CC

Happy International Women's Day! 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.

—Melissa Lucio, a mother of twelve, is scheduled to be executed in Texas next month despite several judges concluding that her trail was unfair as well as a coerced confession in the falling death of her daughter. [Innocence Project/HBO]

—LAUSD has seen a 40% drop in enrollment in the last 20 years, as some schools struggle to operate with declining numbers. [LAT]

—A new book looks at the rise of Mexican neighborhoods in Chicago and their fight against gentrification. [Borderless Mag]

—Reseda's South Seas apartment building, made famous as Daniel LaRusso's place in Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, was damaged in a fire last night, with no reported injuries to residents. [KTLA]

—An injured, beached pygmy sperm whale was euthanized on Malibu's Surfrider Beach on Sunday. [KTLA]

—The New York Times explores four Lao restaurants in Southern California. [NYT]

—Artist Noni Olabisi, known for powerful community murals in Los Angeles, is dead at 67. [LAT]

—The City of L.A. is suing three companies, including Monsanto, for polluting our local waterways with dangerous PCBs. [SMDP]

—Help Stop Mobil Exxon's "dangerous proposal to restart three offshore oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel and send nearly 70 oil-filled tanker trucks per day on our coastal highways." [Environmental Defense Center]

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Post-Punk Rising Star Depresión Sonora on L.A. Culture Shock and Tacos

L.A. TACO caught up with Madrid’s rising post-punk crooner over tacos de pulpo on Sunset Boulevard. We talked about the critical differences in the tacos in L.A., Spain, and Mexico, his favorite cheeseburger in Los Feliz, and a new album out soon.

May 12, 2025

Baekjeong KBBQ Brings Its Star Galbi Back to Koreatown

While a pop-up in East Hollywood offers Nigerian and Kenyan influences in dishes like rosemary lamb suya and short rib biriyani, and Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer bring brisket to an L.A. mall.

May 9, 2025

City of L.A. Quietly Abandons Plans To Expand Electric Car Share Program To South L.A.

BlueLA shut down last month after the city received a multi-million dollar grant to expand the car share service into South Los Angeles.

The Original Pantry Cafe Lives Again at This East Los Taquería

If you ever dreamed of having Original Pantry's breakfast with a full salsa bar on the side, your dreams have just come true. This East L.A. taquería is giving a new home to Original Pantry Cafe workers after the century-old diner’s lamented closure.

The Seven Best Tacos in Azusa

In Azusa, you'll mostly find CalMex and the simple joy of traditional taquería fare. But there are a few glorious outliers involving mole negro, fried quesadillas, and stewed spicy pork leg. Here's where to go.

See all posts