&#8220;STIGMA&#8221; follows LA based filmmakers Jeff Johns and Ryan Loughridge as they travel the globe to discover why more hasn&#8217;t been done to completely eradicate the existence of Leprosy in the world. Through India, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, they talk to WHO doctors and aid workers, while visiting numerous colonies and hospitals to meet…

Stigma ~ Premiere This Saturday

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<p><span style="font-weight: 400">Blending her time in the kitchen as a line cook with her passion for storytelling, Lauren Bethke writes about community, inclusivity and the city she loves the most—Los Angeles.</span></p>


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Lauren Bethke

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<p>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.</p>


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Photo Essay

Photo Essay: East Hollywood Gay Club Famous for Its “Vaquero Nights” Turns 35

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<div dir="ltr">Shylah Featherstone is a journalism student at Cerritos College and an intern at L.A. TACO, where she covers food, culture, and community stories across Los Angeles. Passionate about amplifying underrepresented voices, she hopes to build a career in multimedia journalism that connects people through thoughtful storytelling.</div>
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Shylah Featherstone

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The First Native Powwow Comes to Cal State LA After 79 Years. Here Is What I Learned From Attending

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Catch Chicano Arts Innovator Gronk In Conversation at Moveable Feast, August 27 In Pasadena

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<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>


Hadley Tomicki

<p>Karina Soriano is a Los Angeles-based journalist who covers the crossroads of music, food, art, and social issues. She spotlights the everyday people who really keep L.A. moving. Usually, while stuck in traffic, looking for a good place to eat.</p>


Karina Soriano

<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>


Javier Cabral

<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>


Lexis-Olivier Ray

<p>Andrew Bangs, or simply Bangs to his compatriots, is a long-time LA Taco supporter and occasional contributor. He spends a lot of time thinking about his dog.</p>


Andrew Bangs

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The Whole ‘Hood Knows He’s Innocent. Will He Finally Be Freed After 20 Years In Prison?

<div>Ivan Ehlers is an Ecuadorian-American cartoonist and writer. He is a regular contributor to <i>The New Yorker</i>, <i>MAD Magazine</i> and the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>.</div>
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