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Yusra Farzan
What I cover
I am a geek for city council meetings — meaning I watch those long local government meetings so you don’t have to. And I keep you informed on how decisions in Orange County’s 34 cities affect your electricity bill, how your taxes are funding the next big project, the resources available at your child's school and if there is a corruption scandal brewing within your local government. Orange County’s food scene excites me too. If you ask me about the foods of my childhood, I will tell you about its Levantine shawarma, Korean bulgogi, Yemeni mandi, Sri Lankan kottu, Indian chicken 65, Pakistani biriyani and Malaysian nasi lemak. And guess what, I can find it all in O.C. I hope to help people connect with the different communities that call O.C. home.
My background
I grew up in the Middle East, but I am of Sri Lankan descent and I can count people from 27 different nationalities as friends. I got my start in entertainment reporting but soon realized local news has my heart. My work can be found in the Orange County Register, The Guardian US, L.A. Times, Teen Vogue, NPR and BuzzFeed.
My goals
I want to help people understand how if they want to see systemic change in housing, policing, education or healthcare — it all starts at the local level.
Best way to reach me
Covering 34 cities can be a lot, so I need your help in being my eyes and ears on the ground. If you have a tip, you can email me at yfarzan@laist.com or on Signal at username: @yusramf.25
Stories by Yusra Farzan
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If the measure passes, Santa Ana will become the first city in California to allow non-U.S. citizens to vote in its municipal elections.
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The majority have favored mail in voting, elections officials report.
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Home prices will be determined by pre-disaster appraisals.
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Do entered a not guilty plea, which he is expected to change on Thursday.
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Former Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do was one of the state’s highest elected Vietnamese American politicians. He resigned on Tuesday.
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La medida enmendaría los estatutos de la ciudad de Santa Ana para permitir que los residentes no ciudadanos voten en las elecciones municipales.
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La alcaldesa actual, Valerie Amezcua, se postula para la reelección. Ella está siendo desafiada por el concejal Benjamín Vázquez.
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Over 200 homes have been without power for weeks now because of accelerated land movement.
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Who is Andrew Do? Why is his 23-year-old daughter involved? What does a county supervisor even do? We explain the theft of public funds that prosecutors say took place in Orange County.
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Federal prosecutors say the longtime O.C. supervisor has agreed to plead guilty and resign in a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars meant to feed needy seniors, following a months-long LAist investigation and federal probe.
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A look back at LAist reporting that uncovered more than $13 million in public funds directed to a little-known nonprofit by Andrew Do, who did not disclose that his daughter Rhiannon Do held leadership roles with the group — which was not required by state law at the time.
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A total of 50 people have now been charged, including 26 UC Irvine students.
