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<p>Jared Cowan writes and podcasts about L.A. filming locations. He also works as a photographer and camera operator.</p>


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Jared Cowan

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Revisiting ‘Mi Familia’ and the Main Filming Location In Boyle Heights 30 Years Later

<p>Sara Alvarez is a bilingual multimedia journalist and undergraduate studying Public Relations and Advertising at USC Annenberg. She is currently a Social Media Intern for L.A. TACO, and the Social Media Manager for Annenberg Media’s Latine news desk, Dímelo. Born and raised in the Bay Area, her coverage focuses on community reporting, news, and popular culture.</p>


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Sara Alvarez

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<div id="message-content-1250858460501901333" class="markup_a7e664 messageContent_abea64">Valeria Macias is a student reporter at USC, where she double majors in Journalism and NGOs and social change. Through her work in publications like the LA Times, USC Annenberg Media, Boyle Heights Beat, ABC7, and many others, Macias has amplified the voices within her local communities. Most of her reporting focuses on the local Angelino community and shines a light on issues of gentrification, street vending, city government, and more.</div>
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Valeria Macias

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Culture

Barrio to Broadway: How ‘Homeboys, the Musical’ Turns Trauma Into Acapelas

Screenshot of Friday via New Line Cinema.

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Film

Revisiting the Iconic Film Locations from ‘Friday,’ 30 Years Later

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<p>Jesse Katz is the author of <i>The Rent Collectors: Exploitation, Murder, and Redemption in Immigrant LA</i>, which is a finalist for an <i>L.A. Times</i> book prize and a PEN America literary award. He spent 24 years on staff at the <i>Los Angeles Times</i> and <i>Los Angeles</i> magazine.</p>
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Jesse Katz

Miguel Angel Garcia next to the candle vigil in the alley. Screenshot via Die Like a Man.

Die Like a Man – Miguel Angel Garcia next to the candle vigil in the alley

What ‘Die Like a Man’ Gets Right that Other L.A. Hood Movies Don’t

In a scene from Police Academy 2, Bobcat Goldthwait, left of center, as the Scullians’ leader, Zed, standing around other actors portraying his gang. Screenshot via Warner Bros.

How the Old L.A. Zoo Was Turned Into Police Academy 2’s Punk Hideout, 40 Years Ago

<p>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.</p>


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Hadley Tomicki

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Sports

Tokyo Art Legend Takashi Murakami Is Making Dodgers Gear Now

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<p><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">Janette Villafana is an award-winning bilingual multimedia journalist. Her heart lies in community-based reporting, and her work is highly centered on showcasing and uplifting community voices, with a significant focus on the Latino community. She developed her beat at L.A. TACO, covering street vending communities in Los Angeles. Past work has been featured on NBC, LAist, Latino Rebels, and more. She is currently featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington in an exhibit titled “¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News.”</span></p>


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Janette Villafana

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Tacos

The 11 Best Tacos In And Around West Hollywood

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Food

After Winning Michelin Recognition For His L.A. Taquería, Alex Carrasco Is Bringing Durango-Inspired Flavors to Rancho Cucamonga

<p>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).</p>


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Music

The Best 13 Performances from Punk Rock Bowling 2025

<p>Laura is a desmadrosa, a product of East Los, an educator, and a hood establishment connoisseur.</p>


Laura Tejeda

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The 34 Best ‘Hood Burgers In Los Angeles

<p>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.</p>


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Lexis-Olivier Ray

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L.A. Homeless Services Authority Facing Staff Cuts, Seeks Volunteers to Avoid Layoffs

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<p>Colin Browne is a critic and journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, and Hollywood Mirror.</p>


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<p>Mike Sonksen aka Mike the PoeT is a 3rd-generation Los Angeles native. Poet, professor, journalist, historian and tour-guide, his latest book &#8220;Letters to My City&#8221; was just published by Writ Large Press. He teaches at Woodbury University.</p>


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