El Random Hero

“We are open to receiving an offer with the condition that we know Mr. Salinas is willing to take it," Deputy District Attorney Jessica Balady told Judge Karla Kerlin. Read this week's Investigations Newsletter by @shoton35mm.bsky.social: lataco.com/luis-miguel-...

Exclusively doing food and art coverage? I woke up at the crack of dawn yesterday and went to the courthouse to cover a possible wrongful conviction case that I've been working on all year. Our coverage isn't changing.

Statement regarding recent staff changes at L.A. TACO.

I really hope @lataco.bsky.social and @eltragon.bsky.social patch things up ASAP because it is getting messy and it is undercutting all the incredible work they’ve both worked on. Think of the community, Primo. We will back both of you. Don’t let egos destroy what y’all have built.

Los Angeles has the best pan de muerto scene in the country. Here are 12 panaderías where you can find the fluffy, gently spiced, sugar-dusted pan dulce that is as delicious as it is crucial to the Dia de Muertos Mexican tradition. The full guide: lataco.com/best-pan-de-... By L.A. TACO STAFF

I love LA.

A week after ProPublica published an investigation that found $470 million in SNAP benefits were stolen from Americans last year alone, the Trump administration announced a new rule to add microchips, which are more secure, to EBT cards.

If the AI bubble bursts, "we need a people-first bailout," says writer @astra.bsky.social.

Tonight @ 7pm: “Join the Chinese American Museum for a virtual panel discussion...as we reflect on the legacy of the Los Angeles Chinese Massacre of 1871 & explore its connections to contemporary issues of racism, xenophobia, & their impact on our communities.” events.ticketleap.com/tickets/fcam...

The class action suits claim the robots are violating state privacy laws.

"271 current and former employees [of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department] who either admitted to or were found to potentially have tattoos associated with two deputy gangs, the 'Regulators' and 'Spartans.'" #California #USA #Policing #Incarceration

Mayor Bass says people hit with high LADWP bills won’t have to worry about utility shutoffs (for now), Raman apologizes for Gates gaffe, and two County Supes say they won’t run for county ‘mayor’ seat. LA Squawk Box for Wednesday, October 21, 2026 squawkbox.la/p/mayor-kare...

Your right to privacy doesn't end when you get behind the wheel. Our new license plate frame sends a clear message about the importance of protecting our movements from surveillance.

A CalMatters investigation finds that nearly half of commercial drivers had a valid license after being charged with vehicular manslaughter. cal.news/4k3Vyjo 📸 Anna Hoch-Kenney

Neighbors blocked ICE agents from detaining a Long Beach man, residents told the Long Beach Post. 🔗 Full story: vist.ly/5p3xq ✍️ Jacob Sisneros | Long Beach Post 📸 Courtesy stopice.net

The Trust for Public Land is trying to green and open 28 LA schoolyards by 2028. Imagine if LA28 threw its weight behind these transformational projects over the next two years. Plus ULI's recommendations for DTLA, LA28's human rights grants, and more electric buses, all in the latest Hot Links 🔥

In 2020, I wrote about the history of Black and brown unity in response to the George Floyd uprising going to share it here: abemarquez.substack.com/p/black-and-...

If laws have weak enforcement mechanisms, companies factor that low risk into the cost of doing business and keep violating our privacy, EFF’s Lena Cohen told @mercurynews.com. “Unless companies face serious consequences for violating our rights, they’re unlikely to put privacy ahead of profits.”

Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, more people are believed to have died from cancer, respiratory and other illnesses due to exposure to the airborne toxins than the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center.

The total value of defense contracts won by companies in Los Angeles County more than doubled in the last 10 years after adjusting for inflation, according to an analysis by CalMatters and The Markup. cal.news/4x2ejGG 🎨 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Felling down about the white supremacists ruining everything and not facing consequences? Relive the joy from watching Martha Root delete the Nazi dating (and other messed up) websites: www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJsS...

"The long-delayed memorial underscores the cemetery’s push to preserve local history, ensuring the Raker children’s names and stories remain part of Inglewood’s collective memory for generations." #Inglewood

The first ever L.A. TACO x Superchief punk fest is going down this Friday 💥🤘🏼🎸 We’ll be celebrating the release of our latest zine with the best tacos and the best punk bands in L.A. Secure your tickets now: givebutter.com/lataco-zine-...

Or become a member for FREE entry: lataco.com/join

BREAKING: The Trump administration is now threatening to cut state funding for programs meant to aid low-income individuals if states don't report undocumented immigrants to DHS.

Organized by the California Preservation Foundation, “Doors Open California” begins this weekend. While most of the #LACounty tours take place later in the month, the Breed Street Shul "guided experience" is on Sunday. californiapreservation.org/doca/ #LAevents

NEW: These local jails in Florida were supposed to detain immigrants for only up to 72 hours, per DHS. One woman was rebooked 10 times, spending a cumulative 26 days in jail.

Meet Rafael Rubio, NY City Council Employee Released from Delaney Hall After 5 Months in ICE Jail

Breaking: The private prison company CoreCivic has sold two of the largest immigration detention facilities in California to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in a deal worth $1.5 billion, the company announced Monday. cal.news/4p3tgG6 📸 Miguel Vasconcellos

RSS is a secret trick to making the internet more usable. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...

"At #Manzanar alone, there were more than 100 men’s baseball teams....The camp also fielded 14 women’s #baseball teams, with one, the Dusty Chicks, that competed against and beat men’s teams." cc: @manzanarcommittee.bsky.social

Eat good food, connect with new people, and help save DS Thai Night Market. 🏮✨ You can find this market in the heart of Chinatown Friday through Sunday from 4-10 PM. 🎥: Erwin Recinos

Fri–Sun: El Pueblo's Heritage Festival will be a great time to support the #OlveraStreet merchants & explore the museums at El Pueblo. Performers include Ozomatli (on Saturday) and Poncho Sanchez (on Sunday). www.eventbrite.com/e/el-pueblo-...

Together, Kogi and Sam Woo represent two generations of immigrant entrepreneurship that reshaped how L.A. eats. 🔥

It's pretty remarkable that Jimmy Fallon had a convicted rapist on his show and the US press has barely covered. www.marieclaire.co.uk/life/conor-m...

Somebody turn this into an 8-part series on Netflix, pls. www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/bus...

A Bridge Home and Tiny Home shelter contracts up in council today, more funds for CARE+ sweeps, people reliant on housing vouchers say communication is poor on pending July 1 move-out, and more. LA Squawk Box for Friday, June 26, 2026: open.substack.com/pub/lasquawk...

As local candidates begin to gear up for the November general election, many of them promising to fight for Angelenos, L.A. TACO asked city attorney candidates if the had a plan to investigate the perpetrators of this fire. The full story: lataco.com/boyle-height... By Sam Ribakoff

"For Berber and other legacy families, the fight to keep their businesses open is about more than financial considerations. They see it as their duty to be stewards of Olvera Street and to preserve their family’s culture, traditions and heritage." #OlveraStreet #LegacyBusiness

The FIFA World Cup Cup kicks off today. I’ll be posting film recommendations based on the countries playing each match. All of them are available to stream/rent in the U.S. Here’s the first: Mexico: IDENTIFYING FEATURES 🇲🇽 vs. South Africa: THE WOUND 🇿🇦

Kyron Shakeel Swaso, 35, spoke with L.A. TACO following his deportation to Belize, in what he says was an act of retaliation for organizing a hunger strike at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center. The full story: lataco.com/deported-ade... By Izzy Ramirez

Mayor Scott Furgeson was caught on camera saying of the “No Data Center” signs going up that, “I’ve seen a lot of these all over town, but I only see them in shitty houses,” before adding, “most of them are rentals.”

The Jet almost being decapitated by @speedballbailey.bsky.social is slo mo 🔥 #AEW

“Los Mexicanos nacemos donde nos da la rechingada gana” -famously said by Costa Rica-born Mexican singer Chavela Vargas.

"A Mexican is born wherever the hell they please" goes unreasonably hard as a wrestling promo line

The @metrolosangeles.bsky.social D Line extension is a BIG deal for Koreatown residents. Check out the three newly-opened stations at Wilshire/La Brea, Wilshire/Fairfax, and Wilshire/Lacienega, plus Metro's ongoing series of activations! #RideTheD #MetroPartner 🎥: @marinamasako.bsky.social

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian-French artist, director, and author of the graphic novel Persepolis, has died at 56. An outspoken critic of the Iranian government, Satrapi helped bring the experiences of modern Iran to a global audience.

Big news this week: workers at LA's World Cup venue vote overwhelmingly to authorize a strike with days to go until the U.S. home opener. Plus: the IOC comes to town, the FBI confirms those "military exercises" were indeed for the World Cup, and so much more to read in this week's Hot Links 🔥

Last Pride, you asked us your biggest queer digital rights questions—from dating safety online to how to get your address removed from public websites. This year, LGBT Q&A is back again with more answers and resources to help you navigate the internet on your own terms. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...