Skip to Content
News

Headlines: L.A. Named “California’s Least Affordable Place;” Working Out While High Now Trendy

Jeremy Bishop via 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.

—California Governor Gavin Newsom launches a campaign today to penalize oil companies, who have earned record profits amid punishing gas prices for the public. Newsom's goal is to fine the companies and give the money back to drivers, one that is likely at great odds with lawmakers who enjoy the campaign contributions and lobbyist perks of the oil industry. [Fortune]

Griffith Park: The 74-year-old pony rides will end at Griffith Park by the end of the year, as the city's Parks and Rec department has not renewed the attraction's lease. The rides have been the frequent target of protest from animal rights activists. [NBC]

Whittier: Saturday Night Live alum Melissa Villasenor will be the grand marshal of her hometown of Whittier's Christmas parade this week. [MelissaVComedy]

—Working out while you're high on sweet sinsemilla is becoming something of a trend in L.A. [LAT]

—"When comparing average income to average rents, L.A. is the least affordable place in California." [Liam Dillon]

—A street takeover participant reportedly dropped his AR rifle after hitting a civilian in South L.A. and being arrested. [SRT]

Los Angeles has officially approved an ordinance to ban new oil wells and to phase out drilling in the next 20 years. [Adam L. Mahoney]

—Lyft is ditching its bike and scooter services in Los Angeles, leaving Santa Monica with no bikeshare service. [SMPD]

—Whole Foods will stop selling Maine lobster this month, citing concerns that lobster fishing is helping reduce endangered right whale populations on the East Coast. [Smithsonian]

—We should all be improving for 20 minutes a day for our mental clarity and creativity, and to combat anxiety. [NPR]

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Why Waving a Mexican Flag at a Protest in the U.S. Is a Form of Resistance

Raising Mexican flags is not an act of anti-Americanism. Quite the opposite—it is an expression of cultural pride, dignity, and resistance in the face of racism and intolerance. In the United States, waving the Mexican flag—or any national flag—can be an act of defiance against oppression, a declaration of one’s humanity and rights in response to relentless denigration by movements like MAGA that seek to marginalize entire communities. Even Trump would agree...

February 18, 2025

Tens of Thousands of Angelenos Flock to L.A.’s Flower District for a Valentine’s Day Flower Free-For-All

Tens of thousands made their way to the city's wholesale flower capital, jamming the streets and sidewalks with countless flowers and people. L.A. TACO'S contributing photographer Kemal Cilengir was there to capture it all, including street vendors getting fined and the dystopian-like flower free-for-all being had by lovestruck customers and hustling vendors eager to offload their prized plants.

February 14, 2025

This Weekend: A New Bar-Setting Indian Restaurant, Duck Laab Pizza, and a Filipino Breakfast Diner Pop-Up

Have a three-day weekend full of chai cheesecake, black garlic cocktails, egg pie, and famous flour tortillas.

February 14, 2025

Self-Defense Against ICE: Community Groups In L.A. Are Uniting to Protect Themselves

More than 50 organizations have joined the call to join this coalition, making it one of Southern California's largest immigrant rights coalitions. The group aims to extend from the San Fernando Valley to the U.S./Mexico border. The coalition is organizing training sessions to prepare its members for community tactics to defend their neighbors from ICE raids and deportations. Their first mass protest is taking place on Monday.

February 13, 2025

Tacos Before Vatos: 13 Tacos In L.A. That Will Make You Forget About Him

For L.A. TACO, love is always in the air, and it smells like charcoal burning on a sunny day under carne asada and tortillas hot off the comal, with vibrant salsas, caramelized onions, and thick guacamole. Forget him, and spend time with things that matter in life: tacos, forever. 

February 13, 2025
See all posts