The Buccaneer ~ Sierra Madre

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<p>Stephanie Mendez is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and producer based in the LBC. Her work has appeared on ABC News, TODAY, E! News, SPIN, and more.</p>
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Stephanie Mendez

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Sports

Ten L.A. Gamers Tell Us How to Make Money Playing Video Games For a Living

<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

People

Burbank’s Annual Latin Clown Convention Made Me Embrace My Inner Payasa

<p>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.</p>


Izzy Ramirez

a man sits in scrubs that say "1-800-AUTOPSY"

Meet the Legendary Chicano Behind 1-800-AUTOPSY Who ID’d the Night Stalker

<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>


Julianne Le

a group of comedians wearing white tops and jeans

These L.A. Comedy Stars Sprang From One of the First Ever YouTube Channels

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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

a woman in a white tee shirt smiles in front of a restaurant sign

Food

This South Central Native Reveals Black L.A.’s Best Hidden Gems through Food Tours

<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

Chef Josh Gil holding up his albacore tostada.

Chef Joshua Gil, Anarcho Punk Chef Who United Alta and Baja California, Dies at 50

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Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

<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>


Mike Sonksen

Books

From Pasadena to Palmdale: Two Contemporary Noir Novels

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


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Sam Ribakoff

The Western States Regional Carpenters Union rallies for Council member Nithya Raman next to the competing SEIU 721 rally for Mayor Karen Bass outside the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center

Politics

Where Do the Candidates for L.A. Mayor Really Stand on Street Vending?

<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

Taco Members Only

Tijuana’s Prized ‘Tacos Varios’ Enter East L.A.

<p>Marina Watanabe is director of video and a reporter at L.A. TACO based in Koreatown. Previously, she worked as a video reporter for 404 by Los Angeles Times and a video producer at Condé Nast publications Teen Vogue, Glamour, and Them.</p>


Marina Watanabe

L.A.’s Most Exclusive Poke Comes From a Car Trunk And Sells Out In Minutes

<p class="p1">An award-winning journalist covering ICE and immigration raids. Host of the Daily Memo. ‘Where Memo Torres Eats’ on Apple Maps. Seen on Netflix, occasionally on KCRW. 3rd-gen landscaper. Proud son of an immigrant. Golden Bear.</p>


Memo Torres

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Site News

Our Playbook Against ICE Burnout

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<div class="html-div xdj266r x14z9mp xat24cr x1lziwak x14ctfv x13sv91t x6ikm8r x10wlt62 x1n2onr6 x1vjfegm x1k4qllp x1mzt3pk x13faqbe x1xr0vuk x1jm4cbz x114wg8e xrrpcnn x14rx4xb x13fuv20 x18b5jzi x1q0q8m5 x1t7ytsu x19livfd x1h2krnu x3p3xfz xet2kk3 xaymx6s x1lu5o8o x1ou5ly4 x1pczhz8 xm7lytj xpdmqnj x1ykpatu x1g0dm76" role="presentation">
<div class="html-div xexx8yu xyri2b x18d9i69 x1c1uobl x1gslohp x14z9mp x12nagc x1lziwak x1yc453h x126k92a x18lvrbx" dir="auto">Myriam Gurba is a California-born writer. Her next book, POPPY STATE: A LABYRINTH OF PLANTS AND A STORY OF BEGINNINGS, will be published by Timber Press in October.</div>
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Myriam Gurba

Personal Essay

Essay: Lindsay Clancy’s Murder Trial Is the Story of La Llorona, All Over Again

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