Consumers seemingly didn’t love McDonald’s McPlant, the company’s version of a plant-based burger.

During the Wall Street Journal’s Global Food Forum, Joe Erlinger, the president of McDonald’s USA, said that the meat-less burger “was not successful” in San Francisco and Dallas.

In 2021, the burger also appeared at other McDonald’s locations nationwide, including El Segundo and Manhattan Beach.

According to MarketWatch, restaurants in the Bay Area and Dallas-Fort Worth were selling 20 McPlants daily, fewer than the 40 to 60 they had expected.

“I don’t think the U.S. consumer is coming to McDonald’s looking for the McPlant or other plant-based proteins,” Erlinger said. He also shared that salads won’t return to menus nationwide either.

McDonald’s plant-based burger featured a patty made from ingredients like peas, rice, and potatoes, served on a sesame seed bun with tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and American cheese.

The patty was co-developed with Beyond Meat.

The company has since ended its limited test run of the McPlant without disclosing any plans for a potential nationwide debut.

According to the Good Food Institute, a nonprofit that promotes alternatives to animal proteins, meat alternatives grew in popularity in the U.S. in 2019 and 2021, but their popularity lessened in 2022 and declined in 2023.

However, that’s not the case everywhere. McDonald’s international markets were apparently more welcoming of the plant-based option.

Though McPlant wasn’t a hit, Erlinger said that McDonald’s will continue investing heavily in its chicken products.

Former Los Angeles Dodgers player Steve Garvey speaks to KTLA’s John Fenoglio about running for the California Senate as a Republican in a blue state.

Garvey, who is vying for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat, acknowledges his journey is an uphill battle that won’t be easy.

“I want to be the next senator from California,“ Garvey said. “I think I can make a difference. I knew that the disparity between registered Democrats and Republicans was significant, but I did start to hear from Independents and people who were undecided about the next election.”

Garvey, 75, grew up outside California but moved to the Golden State when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1968. 

In a career that spanned nearly two decades, Garvey played with the Dodgers until 1982 before moving south to play with the San Diego Padres.

He does not have a career in elected office and his political involvement, until now, largely involved fundraising for other candidates, according to CalMatters.

As a political outsider, Garvey has focused on addressing violent crime, homelessness and “failing schools” while citing his personal inspirations as the Pope and Ronald Regan.

Garvey formerly voted for and supported Donald Trump in 2016.

When asked whether he would still support Trump for the 2024 presidential election, he replied, “If it was right now, I would vote for him. I think that he’s the most capable of the two candidates at this time. I actually feel sorry for President Biden at this point and we need somebody that’s clear of mind. Somebody that’s able to make quick decisions.”

Garvey is running against Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff from Burbank, who is leading in the polls and in fundraising.

“I am a Conservative and I’m willing to work with everyone for the good of the people,” Garvey said. “I am running for all the people and politicians are running for half the people. My opponents voted 97-98 percent down party lines. I made the pledge I would never vote 97-98 percent party lines because there’s bound to be situations and instances where we come together.”

The 2024 United States Senate elections in California will be held on Nov. 5.

A family in the Antelope Valley whose home erupted in flames over the weekend said they believe the cause of the devastating blaze was unsanctioned fireworks being set off in the area.

Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the June 30 fire on West Avenue 012 in Palmdale and said firefighters found the house fully engulfed in flames, as well as a one-acre brush fire.  

Now, Irma Campos and her family are sleeping outside the charred remains of their home in an RV lent to them by a neighbor.  

“It’s going to take us a year to come back from this,” she told KTLA’s Angeli Kakade.  

Campos said that unsanctioned fireworks in Palmdale have been a problem for years, saying that on Friday and Saturday, explosions were coming from everywhere. It wasn’t until Sunday though, that she says a firework landed in her backyard and caused a massive fire.  

“We opened up the curtain and the fire was just coming right at us,” she explained.  

Footage of the fire posted to the Citizen App shows the dark, billowing smoke as flames overtook her home. Campos said her first thought was to run.  

“Mija, let’s run,” she said at the moment. “We started running and my other daughter was here, and we grabbed each other and started running with no shoes. We just ran.”  

Just last week, Palmdale announced a ban on the sale of illegal fireworks, warning residents that only fireworks labeled “safe and sane” are allowed.  

“It’s a lot of desert landscape and those fireworks traveling, exploding and their embers coming down start fires, catch houses on fire, brush on fire,” Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Erynn Velazquez told KTLA. 

Setting off illegal fireworks can come with fines of more than $17,000 and criminal charges, and while Deputy Velazquez said they’re adding additional patrol for the Fourth of July holiday, the damage has already been done to the Campos’ home.  

“Why did they do it? That’s my biggest thing, why?” Campos said. “I wanted the people who did do it to see what happens. They might see it on TV. This is what you did to me. I no longer have a house.” 

Fire officials have yet to confirm that fireworks caused the destructive fire at her home. The case remains under investigation.  

In the meantime, a GoFundMe has been organized to help the Campos family recover from the loss of their home.