Lakers Fan Injured By LAPD During NBA Finals Celebrations Receives Historic Multimillion Dollar Payout ^36%

L.A. TACO - By Lexis-Olivier Ray, Lizbeth Solorzano - 7/2/2026, 1:29 PM

Biased Writer Voice 30.3% - Negativity Bias 25% - Confirmation Bias 19.2%

In eight seconds, Pablo Vera’s life changed when three LAPD officers on horseback surrounded him in Downtown Los Angeles and battered him with 40-inch wooden batons modeled after a Japanese sword. A lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan, Vera was out that evening celebrating with hundreds of other jubilant fans after the Lakers won their 17th... more

He Went To Celebrate The Lakers Win. And Came Home With His Arm Broken By LAPD. ^32.8%

L.A. TACO - By Lexis-Olivier Ray, Lizbeth Solorzano - 6/11/2026, 5:29 PM

Negativity Bias 21% - Biased Writer Voice 20.7% - Post Hoc (False Cause) 19.8%

Welcome to L.A. TACO’s weekly Investigations Newsletter, I’m Lexis-Olivier Ray, the Head of Investigations for L.A. TACO. After a year of tremendous loss, Pablo Vera finally had something to celebrate when the Lakers won their 17th NBA title on October 11, 2020, nearly a year after Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were among the nine... more

A Freshman At USC Got a New Camera For Christmas, Then Lost His Eye To a ‘Less-Lethal’ At a Protest ^47.9%

L.A. TACO - By Lizbeth Solorzano, Lexis-Olivier Ray - 4/24/2026, 10:23 PM

Negativity Bias 11.4% - Indoctrination 7.6% - Pessimism Bias 6.7%

In late March, 18-year-old Tucker Collins was on his way to completing his first year of college at the University of Southern California (USC), unaware of the life-altering events that were to come. Collins chose the school to pursue astronautical engineering and cinema. Growing up, he found his passion for rockets through a rocketry... more

Scoop: City of L.A. Facing Over 120 Claims For Damages Related To Anti-ICE Protests Amid Financial Crisis ^39.4%

L.A. TACO - By Lizbeth Solorzano, Lexis-Olivier Ray - 4/9/2026, 8:36 PM

Negativity Bias 28.3% - Biased Writer Voice 16.8% - Anecdotal 13.3%

In one instance, a registered nurse with a cart holding medical supplies was treating wounds and head injuries during a “No Kings” protest in June, when a 40mm projectile allegedly shot by a Los Angeles police officer suddenly ripped the flesh from the outside of his thigh. In another instance, a photographer showed up to the same... more

50 Mutual Aid Groups Demand Repeal of ‘Anti-Homeless’ Zones in Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez’s District ^49%

L.A. TACO - By Lizbeth Solorzano, Lexis-Olivier Ray - 3/4/2026, 10:36 PM

Negativity Bias 20.4% - Appeal to Emotion 14.6% - Anecdotal 9.7%

On the morning of February 21, organizers representing more than 20 mutual aid organizations came together to confront Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez during a campaign event at Bellevue Recreation Center. They were there to address his wishy-washy stance on Los Angeles Municipal Code 41.18—the controversial “anti-homeless” law banning... more

Can a Tax Break Revive L.A.’s ‘Dying’ Cannabis Market? ^93%

L.A. TACO - By Lizbeth Solorzano - 11/26/2025, 6:54 PM

Today is another tough Green Wednesday for California's legal dispensaries, which continue to struggle against unregulated operators that face none of the burdens of taxes, licenses, costly compliance, or community-benefit mandates. Some of the most popular mainstream edible brands found at dispensaries. Photo by Lizbeth Solorzano for... more