The Brief

On a Sunday as the sun set, women decked in embroidered thobes — or long robes — with gold coin jewelry around their necks and heads made their way to a community center in Brea. It was a henna celebration, a Levantine pre-wedding event to celebrate the bride and groom with music, dancing and adorning hands with a rich brown paste.

Dancers at the mock henna event hosted by Sabaya Club.

(

Courtesy Aya Humoud

)

But this event had no groom, no bride and no wedding. Sabaya Club created the event for women from all over Southern California to gather, create community and celebrate each other – just with all the festivities people enjoy at henna events.

“ I decided to start (Sabaya Club) because after high school, after college, girls that are Arab, Muslim struggle to find friendships,” said Aya Humoud.

Sabaya Club and other groups like Her Gather and Muslim Women Professionals are part of a growing movement by Muslim women to create third spaces where they say they are understood and don't have to explain their faith or identity.

Muslim women at a recent chocolate making workshop hosted by Sabaya Club.

(

Courtesy Aya Humoud

)

Studies have shown anti-Muslim bigotry disproportionately affects Muslim women for several reasons: they are more likely to be identified as Muslim if they wear a hijab, they are less likely to report hate crimes or discrimination and are perceived to be passive and needing saving. These spaces, community members say, provide Muslim women an opportunity to share their experiences and build community.

“A lot of them didn’t have a supportive community”

Sofia Haq, the founder and CEO of Muslim Women Professionals, said she started the organization in West Covina in 2016 after realizing Muslim women were “ navigating really big obstacles in our careers from how to get a promotion to how to deal with a racist boss to how to apply to a company that is maybe outside the realm of what you're used to applying to.”

A tatreez embroidery workshop hosted by Muslim Women Professionals.

(

Courtesy Sofia Haq

)

And the response, she said, has been tremendous. The organization has grown to six chapters nationwide, underscoring, she said, how Muslim women “did not have a supportive community.”

The organization convenes events for Muslim women on topics like how to navigate building wealth and acing job interviews to hosting conversations on what it means to wear a headscarf in corporate spaces and creating templates on how to ask a boss for non-alcoholic happy hour options.

Taking up space 

Anisa Abdulle (on the far right) started Her Gather for Muslim women to to build community instead of ‘shrinking’ to fit in.

(

Courtesy Anisa Abdulle

)

Anisa Abdulle started Her Gather — a community organization that hosts potlucks at the beach, pilates classes and picnics — for Muslim women  to just be and not explain why they are “wearing the hijab or why they're not drinking or having to announce that they're gonna go pray.”

“ I feel like Muslim women are kind of tired of shrinking to fit into places we aren't that's not made for us,” she said.

The surge in these spaces is also coming from second and third generation Muslim women.

“ I feel like our parents generations came here, they were in a survival mode, so it was all about putting food on the table or like getting kids through school, navigating a new country,” she said.

The next generations of Muslim women, she said, are “not just surviving."

“We're trying to heal, connect and create — take up a space in a meaningful way,” Abdulle said.

Yusra Farzan served on the board of Muslim Women Professionals from 2018 to 2021. 

Do you hate composting as much as I do?

Even though I know it has benefits for both my garden and the environment, I hate turning the pile and worrying about the right ratio of greens to browns and whether it’s too wet or too dry. And it’s always dispiriting to check for loamy, wonderful compost at the bottom only to pull up chunks of vegetables from two months ago.

And before you ask about worm farms, I’ve tried them too. Let’s just say that at some point, I expect to be held accountable for my crimes against worm-kind.

But for the compost- and time-challenged like me, I think I may have found a solution that allows me to simply toss my kitchen scraps into a bin and have it turned into fertilizer in about a month.

The catch: It involves thousands of maggots.

Don’t bail just yet. I think I can convert you into a larvae lover.

Black soldier flies, a composting powerhouse

Black soldier flies are dark blue and shiny, less than an inch long and don’t buzz around your head or bother you like a house fly might. They also live a handful of days, with their entire existence oriented around laying hundreds of eggs on organic waste so their larvae can go to town and start the cycle of reproduction all over again.

It’s those millimeters-long larvae that are going to speed up the composting process for us.

This is what you'll be dealing with: tiny larvae that turn darker when they're about to become flies.

(

John Obermeyer

/

Purdue University

)

Adult black soldier flies live only a few days. Their job is to mate and lay eggs and keep the composting process moving.

(

Laura Ingwell

/

Purdue University

)

“Unlike earthworms, [they’re] much more tolerant of a wider range of conditions and food sources. It will eat any organic waste in the larval form,” said Kerry Mauk, associate professor of entomology at UC Riverside.

She and her colleagues recently wrote a paper that describes a food waste processing system driven by black soldier fly larvae that was largely self-sustaining for about two years. Similar systems have been used to process food waste around the world.

The larvae will eat paper, vegetables and fruits, as well as meats and animal fats (two things you're often discouraged from adding to traditional compost), breaking them down into smaller bits that can be further processed by microbes in the soil. Adding organic matter like frass to the soil can help improve soil health.

Importantly, the insect frass that’s left behind — maggot poop, as well as the bits and pieces of exoskeleton they shed as they grow — is an organic fertilizer that has a nutrient profile similar to chicken manure, she said.

The exoskeletons contain chitin — a type of sugar molecule found in the shells of crabs and lobsters that breaks down into tiny pieces over time. When detected by plants, it can prompt them to boost their immune systems in anticipation of insect attacks, making them more resilient, Mauk said.

Composting with the help of black soldier fly larvae may just change your relationship with maggots.

(

Laura Ingwell

/

Purdue University

)

How to build your own black soldier fly system

You’ve got a lot of flexibility, depending on the size of your space and how much food waste you create.

“You don't have to make it complicated at all. It can be set-it-and-forget-it if you want it to be,” said Laura Ingwell, an associate professor of entomology at Purdue University who’s been working with black soldier flies for about a decade.

Her system is quite simple.

A Purdue entomologist's black soldier fly contraption is simple but effective.

(

Laura Ingwell

/

Purdue University

)

She fills a 50-gallon barrel with food waste, lets the soldier flies continuously go through their life cycles over the course of a year and harvests their frass when they die during the winter.

Here in Southern California, we don’t need to worry about extreme cold killing off our larvae, so we can keep our systems rolling year-round.

Simple systems and where to get flies

Your system can be as simple as a bucket or black plastic tote that you toss food waste into. Unlike a traditional compost bin, the containers need only be about a foot deep or so, as the larvae don’t travel far.

Order some black soldier fly larvae from an online store like Symton or Fluker Farms, drop them in and just keep piling more food waste on top over time.

If you don’t want to spend money on black soldier flies, you can also attract your own. Dump citrus and coffee grounds in a bucket, cover it with a screen and place a stack of cardboard pieces on top. Every few days, check the fluting on the cardboard for tiny soldier fly eggs. Once you’ve got a few, drop the cardboard into the food waste and let them eat.

Check inside the cardboard for fly eggs.

(

Purdue University

)

The eggs aren't big: just the size of the head of a pin.

(

Purdue University

)

My system

My system’s going to be a bit more complicated, as I want to harvest frass repeatedly throughout the year. I’ll have three totes inside a screened-in platform. That should keep the black soldier flies in and other bugs and critters out.

My screened black soldier fly house prevents other bugs from getting in and keeps the black soldier flies from escaping. This should encourage them to keep laying eggs in the containers I'll place inside.

(

Jacob Margolis

/

LAist

)

As they close in on three weeks of life, I should see the pupae turn from creamy white to dark gray, and their eating will slow down. At that stage, I’ll start dropping food waste into a new container, so when the first black soldier flies emerge, they’ll mate and lay eggs on the fresh food, keeping the cycle going.

I’ll then be able to drop the first bucket of frass on my veggie garden and fruit trees.

At least, that’s how I’m hoping it’ll work.

What to feed black soldier fly larvae

Ingwell said they’ll eat pretty much any type of organic waste, including manure, pizza crusts and noodles or even those questionably compostable cardboard takeout containers and light green produce bags. It may take the maggots a bit longer to get through those, Ingwell said. It’s also worth experimenting on your own to see what they consume.

“ I've put a whole pack of hot dogs in there once,” Ingwell said. “ They ate it, and they got really big, but it smelled so bad. My students forbid me from ever putting hot dogs in there again because they hated dealing with the colony when they were on their hot dog diet.”

More than 5,000 black soldier fly larvae are lurking just beneath the surface of this kitchen waste dumped inside of a black tote.

(

Jacob Margolis

/

LAist

)

Larvae from one gram of eggs can eat approximately two pounds of food in a week and a half.

Troubleshooting

Search the internet and you’ll find all sorts of black soldier fly contraptions, like this one, which has ramps for the larvae to march up before they pupate. Ingwell said these systems often don’t work well, and she wouldn’t bother.

If the system is too wet, it may smell rancid and the larvae may try to leave. In that case, throw in some dry wood chips or paper or drain the liquid. When I first started my bin, it took the larvae a bit to get adjusted, and some fled in the process.

If you’re considering using the frass in your garden but you’re disposing of meats, you may be concerned about E. coli. To reduce the presence of microbes in the frass, you can age it for a few weeks, though contamination is an area that needs more research, Mauk said.

Keep us updated

I’ll be documenting my journey over on YouTube, on 89.3 FM and right here at LAist.com.

If you decide to give black soldier flies a try, let us know. Send me an e-mail or comment on one of our videos.

It’s now official: $3.73 million in taxpayer money has been recovered from the Andrew Do corruption scheme that LAist first uncovered.

That’s the amount now in a federal forfeiture account, after officials seized bank accounts and sold two properties purchased as part of the scheme involving the former Orange County supervisor — including a Tustin house his daughter bought.

Do is now serving a five-year sentence in federal prison. He admitted to taking bribes as part of a scheme to divert nearly $8 million from feeding needy seniors out of money he awarded.

As part of the plea deal, he also acknowledged taking over $800,000 in bribes through his two daughters, including a down payment on the house later he and his youngest daughter Rhiannon Do later forfeited to resolve the criminal case.

The criminal investigation was launched in response to LAist uncovering that millions of dollars had gone unaccounted for that Andrew Do had quietly awarded to a group that Rhiannon Do, then a 22-year-old law student, held a leadership role at.

What will happen with the money?

Federal authorities say a decision is expected in the coming days on whether to give it to the county government, which officially is the victim in the case. Federal prosecutors previously said they planned to recommend to the federal Justice Department’s forfeiture office that the money go to the county.

If the recovered taxpayer money does go to the county, it will be up to Andrew Do’s former colleagues on the O.C. Board of Supervisors to decide how to spend it.

Several county supervisors previously told LAist they'd want it to support people who were deprived by Andrew Do’s scheme. That would be seniors and people with disabilities in his former district, which included Little Saigon and — during the early part of the scheme — Santa Ana.

When asked about it Friday, some supervisors took a broader view of how they’d want to use the money — noting that it’s been a long time since the coronavirus pandemic that the money was originally meant to address, and that community needs have changed.

“I’d like the money to be used for improving the quality of life for residents in our cities and I will work with them to determine the best use,” said Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who now represents Andrew Do’s district and was his boss more than a decade and a half ago.

The money could go toward municipal repairs, law enforcement and programs for seniors directly impacted by these crimes, Nguyen said in her written response.

Supervisor Don Wagner told LAist his earlier thoughts were that it should go to Andrew Do’s former district, since it was originally meant for residents there.

“But we are so many years on, and the problems that money originally was to address (mostly Covid impacts) are now behind us, that I think we should have a discussion about how and where to spend it,” Wagner said in his written response.

“The budget is so tight and the needs so great across the county that I believe a conversation would be appropriate now.”

Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said he’d work toward a fair distribution of the funds to best serve residents, with a focus on current needs.

“We will definitely consider what areas of the County were harmed by Do’s scheme, but we must also remember that the funds were intended for relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, a threat we are no longer facing,” he said in a statement.

“We also need to consider addressing the current needs of residents with any dollars returned to the county.”

The two other supervisors — Katrina Foley and Doug Chaffee — did not provide comment.

What was recovered?

Here’s how the $3.73 million recovered through forfeiture breaks down, according to court records:

• $1,702,630.86 from a bank account of Viet America Society, the nonprofit at the center of the corruption  scheme.
• $724,749.10 from a bank account of Aloha Financial Investment, Inc., a real estate company that Andrew Do admitted was used to route meal funds into bribes through his two daughters.
• $911,410.63 from authorities selling a commercial property in Santa Ana that Aloha Financial Investment purchased in an apparent all-cash transaction in 2023.
• $395,299.07 from authorities selling a house in unincorporated Tustin that Rhiannon Do purchased using $385,000 from Aloha Financial Investment.

What about the rest of the taxpayer money?

The amount of taxpayer money recovered so far is less than half of the $7.9 million Andrew Do admitted was diverted from specific meal contracts.

In a lawsuit seeking to recover funds, the county alleges the total amount lost in the scheme was even larger: $13.25 million. The county’s suit covers all of the money Andrew Do directly gave to two nonprofits, Viet America Society and Hand to Hand Relief Organization.

A spokesperson for the federal prosecution office that led the case declined to answer if authorities are pursuing recovery of additional dollars beyond the $3.7 million already recovered.

That leaves over $4 million — and possibly much more — not yet recovered.

The county’s lawsuit to recover funds has been paused by a judge while a criminal case proceeds against one of the defendants. The judge decided Friday to lift the pause and resume the case, while keeping the case paused for the charged defendant.

Andrew Do also was ordered to pay $878,230.80 in restitution to the county, about $250,000 of which was required to have been paid so far. Going forward, he’s required to pay $25 per quarter while in prison, according to the judge’s order. After leaving prison, he has to pay $1,000 per month or 10% of his income — whichever is more.

He continues to collect about $6,700 per month from his county pension, including while in prison. As a result of his conviction, his pension was reduced by 4% and he was refunded the money he had paid toward his pension after his crime began in mid-2020. The refund amount he received is confidential, according to the pension system.

Where are they now?

Andrew Do is in federal prison near Tuscon, Arizona, set to be released in September 2029.

His daughter Rhiannon Do admitted to violating four criminal laws around the home purchase, including mortgage fraud and perjury. The deal she made with prosecutors avoided criminal charges but included requirements that she continue attending school and studying for the state bar exam to become an attorney.

She went on to graduate from law school, and passed the bar exam last year. The next, and final step, for her to become an attorney would be passing a moral character review, which examines past history of fraud, among other things.

That review is confidential, so the current status is unknown. If Rhiannon Do were to pass the character review and become an attorney, her name would show up publicly in a search of attorneys on the State Bar’s website. A search of her name on that website on Friday showed no results.

When I first moved to L.A. many years ago, I had artist friends who lived in the Arts District when it was still full of unrenovated warehouses and art studios, and there wasn’t a Verve coffee or fancy sushi place in sight. So seeing inspired artist S.C. Mero’s new work — a theater inside a utility box at Third and Traction — brought me a hint of nostalgia for the old artsy downtown days. Mero’s work is always so clever, from resin-filled aquarium potholes to tiny cigarette coffins; her sense of whimsy is much needed lately!

If you lean more toward music than utility box theater, whimsy-wise, this week Lyndsey Parker at Licorice Pizza recommends the Fray in a Q&A and performance at the Grammy Museum on Monday, or indie royalty Neko Case at the Observatory in Santa Ana. Tuesday offers another compelling show to Orange County, when Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails bring their mind-blowing “Peel It Black” tour to the Honda Center. On Wednesday, dream-pop duo Phantogram start their three-night run at the Troubadour (they’ll also be there Thursday and Friday), and British soul singer-songwriter and producer KWN will play at the Belasco. Thursday is a big night, with Margo Price at the Fonda, Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles at Largo, Umphrey’s McGee at the Regent, plus Big Thief’s Buck Meek goes solo at the cool new Pasadena venue Sid the Cat Auditorium.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can read about the ever-expanding parrot population, brush up on the gubernatorial candidates and meet the woman who helped turn the Brady Bunch house into a landmark.

Events

Jonas Wood

Opening Thursday, March 12 (through April 25)
Gagosian Gallery 
456 N. Camden Drive, Beverly Hills
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

(

Jonas Wood

/

Gagosian Gallery

)

Whether you’re heading out to Indian Wells for the tennis or not, get in the courtside spirit at Gagosian, where painter Jonas Wood’s racquet-inspired work will have you ready to practice your backhand in no time. His bright, pop art colors and paintings of specific matches are bold, realistic and draw the viewer in; all of the works in this show are tennis-related — save for one that shows a video game the artist plays with his kids.

Star-Crossed Rendezvous

Tuesday, March 10, 8 p.m. 
MOCA Grand Ave. and Walt Disney Concert Hall 
Grand Ave., Downtown L.A. 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

(

Courtesy MOCA

)

After being blown away by South Korean artist Haegue Yang’s sculptures at Frieze L.A., I popped in last week to see her room-sized pieces that use soundscapes from the Korean composer Isang Yun, currently on display at MOCA Grand Ave. Get a completely immersive experience of her work by seeing the exhibit after hours (open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday), then hop across the street to see the L.A. Phil perform Yun’s musical composition, Double Concerto for oboe, harp and small orchestra. The L.A. Phil event is sold out, but a standby line will form in the Disney Hall lobby; the MOCA exhibit is on (and free for all) through Aug. 2.

OC Restaurant Week

Through Saturday, March 14
Various Orange County locations
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO

Get great deals at some Orange County favorites and newcomers, with prix-fixe lunches and dinners all across the area, from Anaheim to Newport Beach and everywhere in between.

Staying Sane in an Insane World through Meditation

Monday, March 9, 6 p.m.
Online
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

(

Katerina May

/

Unsplash

)

Just the name of this meditation session had me stop to say, "Yes, yes, that sounds like a good idea for everyone." If it’s all been a lot lately, learn some key meditation skills at this free online class with Doug Frankel, run through the Westwood Brand library. Sign up and get the Zoom link by emailing here.

Annual Oscar Quiz

Wednesday, March 11, 8 p.m.
O’Brien's Pub
2226 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

(

Courtesy O'Brien's

)

You may think you know something about the Oscars, but I’d bone up on my trivia before going up against the movie know-it-alls (and many, many Jeopardy! champs) who head to the annual Oscars quiz at O’Brien’s. It's a popular trivia night, so get there early, pick your teammates (up to six on each team) wisely and watch some winners to prep (but maybe skip Crash).

Live Action Shorts

Monday, March 9, 7 p.m. 
Academy Museum 
6067 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile
COST: $10; MORE INFO

"The Butcher's Stain" is nominated for Best Live Action Short.

(

Meyer Levinson-Blount

)

Sure, many of the shorts are now available on streaming services, but there’s joy in seeing these clever short films with an audience and supporting the indie filmmakers behind them. The Academy Museum, of course, is screening many of the harder-to-find nominated films this season; Monday is the live action shorts, but check the calendar for docs, animated shorts and more ahead of the weekend’s big ceremony.

The Art of the Album: The Photography of Danny Clinch

Through May 2026
Wrensilva
8625 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

(

Danny Clinch

/

Wrensilva

)

It’s not often I recommend a brand experience here, but Wrensilva makes record players — by hand — and as someone with a small vinyl collection and a soft spot for local craftspeople and old things, this is just very cool. You can visit Wrensilva’s gallery and studio and listen to records at their space. Plus, they have an art show through May featuring the photography of Danny Clinch, who’s shot some of the rock world’s most recognizable album covers, including for Blind Melon, Johnny Cash, Tupac and the Foo Fighters.

First 5 Orange County was awarded $75,000 from the county to jump-start a childcare business incubator. Officials say the money is badly needed, but it’s unclear how the investment will address the ongoing provider crises.

Around one-in-eight infants and toddlers have access to licensed childcare in the county, according to a recent study from First 5.

O.C. Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento, who issued the funds last month, said the money will boost support for childcare businesses.

“We must address the shortage of spots and assist local entrepreneurs in our district with the necessary training and assistance to successfully create these additional businesses to serve the needs of our residents,” Sarmiento said in a statement.

Leaders at the agency, which distributes funds generated from California’s tobacco tax, said the incubator aims to support the needs of working families, but the childcare crisis is a systemic issue.

Why it matters

A child’s early years are also critical for brain development, Goll added. Their brains are exploding with new things and researchers have shown just how much a child’s early experiences can affect their health and behavior later in life.

In Orange County, at least 68% of children need childcare, nearly on par with the 74% of kids statewide who need care, according to Kids Data. Those unmet needs can mostly be attributed to the exorbitant costs of childcare.

Kim Goll, CEO of First 5 Orange County, said the demand for childcare is “woefully” underserved in the region.

“We have one licensed childcare slot for every eight kids that we have,” Goll told LAist. “Stress and strain on parents and the lack of quality and accessibility is going to be a problem when we think about the impact of the child, but [also] when we think about the impact on the economy overall.”

Details on the incubator 

The incubator program will give entrepreneurs support in opening, stabilizing and expanding their childcare businesses.

Future childcare providers who join the program will spend two months building their knowledge of business basics, early child development and how to run a childcare program.

Those who finish the training and successfully apply for their childcare license will receive a stipend.

For childcare providers, economics are a hurdle, Goll said, even with financial assistance.

“Subsidized rates from the state of California are not competitive, so even if you want to run a subsidized program, it's very hard to pay your staff enough to keep them,” Goll said. “Rates often keep the workers within child care living at or below poverty, so it's not a really attractive workforce environment.”

Is the incubator program the solution? 

It’s complicated. Goll said that while the incubator program is aimed at addressing the needs of working families and their children, the childcare issue is a looming systemic one.

“Even if you can afford an apartment, but you can't afford childcare, or you're toggling between those two, you've upended both,” Goll said.

The reality is families are stressed out, Goll added.

“If we want people to be able to afford housing, they have to be able to get to work. Well, if you're a parent, your ability to get to work is significantly impacted by where you place your child, and most of our workforce are parents,” Goll said. “We have to solve this problem if we want to solve the rest of the problems.”

Interested applicants can request more information here.