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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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Incumbent Mayor Valerie Amezcua is running for reelection. She is being challenged by councilmember Benjamin Vazquez.
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The measure would amend Santa Ana's city charter to allow noncitizen residents to vote in municipal elections.
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The proposed ethics and transparency reforms are in response to LAist’s investigation of millions of unaccounted for tax dollars directed by O.C. Supervisor Andrew Do to a group his daughter was helping lead.
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The move comes more than nine months after LAist first started reporting on issues with public funding he directed to a nonprofit where his daughter served in leadership roles.
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Newport Beach, San Clemente and Aliso Viejo are just the latest cities to harden their stance on homeless encampments.
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The move Tuesday came as some 250 homes are now without power due to safety concerns.
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A sharply worsening landslide affects 140 homes. The accelerating crisis has city officials and Portuguese Bend residents criticizing a lack of preparation and worrying about the difficulty of evacuating the neighborhood's elderly residents.
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SCE told LAist that homeowners living in the area affected by continual land movements are being notified that the electricity turnoff is scheduled for Sunday.
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A group wants to move the location of the cemetery from Anaheim to Irvine.
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Federal authorities have frozen the bank accounts for Viet America Society, the nonprofit at the center of a high-profile controversy over what happened to millions of taxpayer dollars, according to reporting from the Orange County Register.
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Board members were informed that Do “will likely miss a number of meetings in the future."
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Also on Monday, Don Wagner, who chairs the board, said he was scheduling a vote to remove Do from his committee assignments.
