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.
—Los Angeles County has a plan on deck to bring back the indoor mask mandate, possibly by July 29. [Soumya/Twitter]
—One million fentanyl pills, made to look like other drugs like oxycodone, were seized in an Inglewood home reportedly linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, with an estimated street value of $15-$20 million. [LAT]
—An LAPD officer was grazed by a bullet in a confrontation with two armed robbery suspects trying to take a watch off of a pedestrian. [LAPD]
—So-called comedian Chris Destefano told a racist story about a worker's immigration status, drawing condemnation in the comments and rightfully angry reaction videos. [TikTok]
—Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Keurig Dr. Pepper contributed a combined 121 million tons of heat-trapping gases into our atmosphere last year–more than Belgium's entire climate footprint. But their dependence on plastic may be an even bigger problem. [Bloomberg]
—Eric Weinberg, a producer and screenwriter on the shows Scrubs and Californication, was arrested at a Los Feliz home this week in connection with “several sexual assaults including rape" between 2012-2019. The man would pretend he was a photographer to approach his victims. [KTLA]
—From San Diego: I am a mini model of a modern major Taco Bell. [Instagram]
—A chef's experiences at L.A. restaurants like Petit Trois, Animal, and Pasjoli help inform FX's new show The Bear about the stresses of kitchen work and restaurant management. [NYT]
—Ontario police shot and killed a man at a gas station they claim was charging them with a knife last night. [ABC]
—Senate Democrats appear to be mulling a bill that legalizes cannabis on the federal level. [Fortune]
—California's aggressive push to get people into solar power has lead, years later, to a massive environmental problem as the panels, which contain toxic metals, start to stack up in our state landfills. [LAT]
