A Dodger Dog bite

Good morning, it’s Thursday, June 18.

A giant fire that broke out at a Boyle Heights cold storage warehouse yesterday afternoon forced nearby residents to shelter in place for several hours, with officials urging them to stay inside and warning of “hazardous materials nearby.” The L.A. Times reports that there were concerns about an ammonia leak after the fire reached an ammonia line. Dark smoke from the fire was visible across a wide swath of the city, though the fire was brought under control in the early evening. The Boyle Heights incident comes just weeks after thousands of Orange County residents were evacuated during a chemical tank crisis at a Garden Grove aerospace company.

Fiery exchanges between fans are hardly unusual at Dodger Stadium. But a viral video that’s making the rounds this month involves a feud that began not with people, but with a dog bite between two of the Dodgers’ most famous canine fans. 

If you went to a Dodger game in the last decade, there’s a good chance that you saw The Great Bambino on the stadium’s video board. A Shar Pei with a service dog certification, the dog was a mainstay at the park, famous for wearing blue sunglasses, a flat-brim Dodgers cap, and sometimes even a jersey.

“He was the most famous Dodger dog of all time,” said owner Mark Morocco.

Dodger, a German Shepherd mix, is a little less famous, but still well known, especially after he came up with a home run ball hit by Dodgers infielder Michael Busch in 2023.

L.A. Material’s Pablo Goldstein has the scoop on how a dog bite between these two canine super fans a few years back led to the angry confrontation making the rounds this month. 

“It’s not a Dodgers game without a little fight,” said one fan who witnessed the owner’s confrontation. “Oh my God, even at Pups in the Park. The culture is too deep.”

For the next month, L.A. will be graced with the presence of some of the best soccer athletes from around the globe. But all year round, Angelenos are graced by the presence of some of the best cuisines from around the globe. There are restaurants across L.A. that represent nearly all of the countries that are competing. And so we here at L.A. Material are hosting our own championship… of restaurants!

If you would like to nominate a restaurant to compete, upgrade and join the L.A. Material Forum — if you haven’t already — to submit the restaurants you think deserve a spot, and help shape the final bracket before voting opens to the public. 

Some of the early contenders so far:

Argentina: Malbec, Carlitos Gardel, Mercado Buenos Aires

Japan: Tsubaki, Otomisan, Otafuku

Mexico: Sabores Oaxaqueños, Mijares, Angel's Tijuana Tacos

South Korea: Sun Nong Dan, Yuk Dae Jang

United States: Moo's Craft Barbecue, The Apple Pan, Musso & Frank

CHARTER REFORM ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT: The L.A. City Council moved forward with a package of wide-ranging changes to the city’s constitution for L.A. voters to decide on in November, including a proposal to allow non-citizens to vote in local elections. But a long-sought push to expand the City Council was tabled. (For more background on the City Charter, see Tuesday’s newsletter.)

HORSEBOYS: The saga of the Pasadena Police Department “horseplay” incident — “horseplay” being the police chief's description for one cop shooting another — took a new turn, the L.A. Times reports. While the officer who fired the shot is no longer with the department, Police Chief Gene Harris announced that a witness supplied "additional information" which has led to the opening of a new investigation.

I WANT A NEW DRUG: Fresh off FOX’s $25 billion acquisition of Roku, the Wall Street Journal has a story on a former drug dealer who now makes millions outside of the Hollywood system producing low-budget, non-union movies for platforms like Tubi and Roku.

LAST CALL: After more than 40 years with the purple and gold, Los Angeles Lakers announcer Lawrence Tanter announced his retirement as the team’s in-arena voice. Tanter, who suffered a stroke in March, is arguably best known for his lasciviously baritone delivery of “Laker Girls…” following the conclusion of the dance team’s routine.

CHARITY CASE: A former member of the LAFD's labor union was arrested Wednesday for stealing more than $82,000 from the Fire Foundation, allegedly using some of the funds for online gambling among other expenses, reports the L.A. Times. 

TALLY ME BANANA: In case you missed it, L.A. Material contributor Vanessa Anderson investigated the curious case of a banana that is organic, Fairtrade-certified, and available for purchase all over the United States... except Los Angeles.

WE ENDORSE THIS PIECE: L.A. Material senior reporter Matt Hamilton covered the L.A. Times’ lack of endorsements for the June 2026 primaries, the first time that the newspaper chose not to provide endorsements for local candidates and measures on the ballot.

In this vintage 1974 video from the KTLA archives, Mexican comedy legend Cantinflas visits Robert F. Kennedy Elementary School in East Los Angeles.

AND FINALLY… A poem to pair with your morning coffee: “I Live For My Car" by Wanda Coleman.

Enjoying this newsletter? Forward it to a friend. Did someone forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here. Want to help make this work possible? Upgrade your subscription.