Yusra Farzan
Local news in Orange County has my heart: All those long meetings — city council, school boards, power authorities, housing commissions, planning departments — play a huge role in our everyday lives. So I take the time to synthesize how decisions in Orange County’s 34 cities affect your electricity bill, how your taxes are funding the next big project and the resources available at your child's school.
Even though I got my break in entertainment reporting, the pieces I am most proud of spotlight everyday people: teachers in Orange County, the duo who started a school for Ukrainian refugees, the women behind Ramadan markets and the teenager who invented a cancer-detecting toothbrush.
Ask me about the small liquor store in Garden Grove that also carries Sri Lankan snacks, the best places to get Arab food in Anaheim and why the drive to Laguna Beach is worth it for those warm, summer days.
I grew up in the Middle East, but I am of Sri Lankan descent. I used to live in Irvine, and I still have one foot in O.C. But now I also call Rancho Palos Verdes home — it’s also why I am so invested in covering the land movement here.
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One expert warned that there is a “potential for cliff failures, for sure, as those waves are just beating against the base of the cliff more frequently during events like this." -
They are a mix of first-timers and seasoned pros. Some of them have been coming for decades. -
A lot of it will be in our taps in up to 25 years. -
The cake, a localized version of British fruit cake, is a treat enjoyed by all faith groups. -
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza as airstrikes continue is prompting grief, survivors’ guilt, and “bringing back a lot of baggage.” Seeing a need for support, a mosque and school in Garden Grove have incorporated mental health into their programming. -
Instead, proponents say the city will celebrate Huntington Beach, California and federal history, including the Civil War and the Bill of Rights. -
But, researchers say residents are burdened by the housing market. -
But church’s position on same-sex marriage has not changed. -
The climate crisis will increase the number of marine mammals needing treatment, experts say. -
Those who oppose the ban say the policy unfairly targeted a practice that predates the founding of Los Angeles.
