Elvira Arellano and Son. Photo from Daniel Hernandez. The top stories making news in your city today and over the weekend&#8230; TOP STORY: Elvira Arellano Deported to Mexico, Arrested Outside Our Lady Queen of Angels Elvira Arellano, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who became a symbol in the nation&#8217;s immigration wars after she took sanctuary…

Los Angeles News Roundup ~ August 20th, 2007

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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.

Lexis-Olivier Ray

A Flock license plate reader behind a row of shrubs near the entrance of L.A. State Historic Park. A car drives past the park in the background.

Featured

Flock License Plate Readers Spark Privacy Concerns at L.A. State Historic Park in Chinatown

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.

Hadley Tomicki

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.

Julianne Le

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).

Javier Cabral

Izzy Ramirez is a Los Angeles-based staff reporter with L.A. TACO, documenting immigration enforcement and state power as it unfolds on the ground. Their work centers real-time alerts and long-term public archiving throughout the Southern California region.

Izzy Ramirez

Juan Izguerra is L.A. TACO&#8217;s community coordinator and was born and raised in Pomona, California. As an L.A. resident, Juan enjoys exploring the small, hidden places of the SGV, Inland Empire, and wherever his stomach takes him.

Juan Izguerra

Chinatown's Central Plaza in Los Angeles, with red paper lanters strung over a wide courtyard with pagoda roofs in back.

L.A. Taco Guides

L.A. TACO Neighborhood Guides: Chinatown

Taco Members Only

Weekend Eats: Chicago-Style Hot Dogs and Wild Pita Sandwiches For CHIRLA

A chain link fence surrounds Alameda Triangle in Chinatown.

News

City of L.A. ‘Beautifies’ Chinatown Park, Then Fences It Off And Keeps It Closed For A Year

Eddie Lin is an OG L.A. food writer who encourages everyone to eat chicken feet at least once. He has appeared on many shows, but his favorite appearance is when he and his girlfriend ate Chinese Viagra soup made of boa constrictor. Yum and POW!

Eddie Lin

Food

The L.A. TACO Guide to Lunar New Year In Los Angeles: Eating Your Way To Better Luck and a Longer Life

Chinatown

L.A.’s First Dodger-Themed Pizza Parlor Features a Lifetime Collection of Memorabilia

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A giant five pound burger with a red flag in the top, being held by a hand as it sits on a tray

Weekend Eats: Think You Could Handle L.A.’s New Five-Pound Burger?

Memo Torres is the Director of Engagement and multimedia journalist for the James Beard award-winning L.A. Taco. He is also the host of the Daily Memo and writes for Apple Maps’ ‘Where Memo Torres Eats in L.A.’ You can see him on Netflix&#8217;s Taco Chronicles and Pressure Cooker.  You can hear him on KCRW’s ‘Good Food’ occasionally. He was a finalist for the Ruben Salazar Award for Latino journalists and a former third-generation landscaper.

Memo Torres

Erwin Recinos is a seasoned visual artist with an eye for capturing life as a working commuter aboard public transportation in and around Los Angeles. For 20 years now, Recinos has been documenting the urban landscape, street culture, and Hispanic communities of Los Angeles utilizing his daily routine and the city of Los Angeles as an inspiration. Recinos also works with popular food and event websites such as LATACO.com and Eater LA to capture the cuisine and culture that is so important to the city of Los Angeles and across Southern California.

Erwin Recinos

A red Know Your Rights card on the ground, in a screenshot from TikTok

DAILY MEMO

Daily Memo: ICE Is Detaining People Who Show The “Know Your Rights” Red Cards

The 19 Best Moles in L.A., from SFV to South L.A., Ranked

Investigations Newsletter: The Restaurants Feeding L.A’s ‘Most Wanted’ Journalist

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

a man stands in front of a mural with a pig in a police hat being crossed out

Sam Ribakoff

Politics

L.A. TACO’s 2026 Voter Guide

A Completely Interactive Guide To L.A. Voter Guides

Former editor of L.A. Taco. I still live in Los Angeles but mainly just hang out at parks and stare off into the distance.