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.
—Roughly 48,000 academic employees in the University of California system have walked off the job and are striking for better wages and benefits across the UC system's 10 campuses, canceling classes among other disruptions to studies and campus life. [L.A. Times]
—Palmdale: A street vendor in Palmdale had his signs run over repeatedly by "a wanna-be vigilante," who was caught ranting on camera. [Alex Enamorado/Instagram]
—Griffith Park: Curmudgeonly rocker Morrissey canceled his concert at The Greek Theater this weekend only 30 minutes into the show, walking off stage and never coming back. Some fans speculated that he was too cold to continue. [KTLA]
—Altadena: The winner of the recent Powerball, whose ticket was purchased in Altadena, will end up paying nothing in state taxes because California doesn't tax lottery winnings, a boon equivalent to a bonus $125 million. [Long Beach Press Telegram]
—Downtown: A woman was shot and killed at the Historic Hayward Hotel on West 6th Street last night by a gunman who fled the scene. She is believed to be a tenant of the building. [KTLA]
—Mercy For Animals, the world's largest organization for the protection of farm animals, is calling upon King Taco, Five Guys, Quiznos, and Dairy Queen to begin offering new plant-based options on their menus by the end of the year. [MFA]
—L.A. residents who can't afford bail have filed a class-action lawsuit against the system, alleging it keeps people locked up before being charged. [Guardian]
—Karen Bass is on track to become L.A.'s next mayor, given her poll numbers showing a lead of 4% that will be hard for Rick Caruso to overcome. [LAT]
—Comedian Jay Leno was reportedly hospitalized with serious burns after a fire in his Burbank car garage, but says he'll be fine in a couple of weeks. [TMZ]
—Nithya Raman made this weird ad about why having a mayor is important. [Nithya Raman]
—Former Dodger Yasiel Puig has plead guilty to a felony charge of lying to the FBI about an illegal gambling operation. [Steve Chiotakis]
