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Westside Current

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Rents Are Already High - USC Expects Them to Soon Be Even Higher

LOS ANGELES - Renters in the county are expected to soon pay even more for average monthly rent, according to a USC forecast released Tuesday. The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate's Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast projects the county's average rent will increase from $2,362 to $2,469 by June 2029.Available apartments are also expected to become harder to find. The county's vacancy rate is projected to fall from 5.6% in June to 4.87% as renters fill vacant units.The forecast covers the broader county market, including the Westside. Its averages do not predict rent changes in individual neighborhoods.The report found Los Angeles and Orange counties remain chronically short of apartments, along with Ventura County. It pointed to San Diego County and the Inland Empire as examples of how building more housing can ease pressure on rents."Housing cannot be affordable unless we have plenty of it," said forecast author Moussa Diop, an associate professor of real estate at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.Los Angeles County has seen an increase in apartment permits following post-wildfire permitting reforms. During the first half of 2026, permits ran 60% above the previous year's monthly average.But the report said it remains unclear how

Los Angeles County, CA · 3d

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San Clemente Artist Richardi Captures Coastal Life in November Exhibition

For San Clemente artist Linda Richardi, the city’s colorful coastal landscape offers more than picturesque views. It provides inspiration for paintings that reinterpret familiar surroundings through color, texture and abstract forms. Richardi is the San Clemente Art Association’s featured artist for November, showcasing a collection titled The San Clemente...

San Clemente, CA · 1d

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lagunabeachindy.com

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Free the Irvine Bowl – Yet Again

I feel like I’ve been chanting this for so long I might as well be shouting “Attica, Attica.”. So here we are, intoxicated and coming off a bender of great shows at the Irvine Bowl. Kudos to Coast for enduring the headwinds and showing us how much more wonderful life in Laguna is when we activate that wondrous, intimate amphitheater for more than eight weeks of the Pageant.

Irvine, CA · 7h

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Voice of OC

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OC’s Veteran’s Cemetery Remains Under Construction For at Least Two More Years

This is a community opinion piece. The views are the author’s, not Voice of OC’s. We’re interested in hearing different perspectives and voices. Want to weigh in on this or another issue? Email opinions@voiceofoc.org. The following is a press release from an organization unaffiliated with Voice of...

Orange County, CA · 2d

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Voice of OC

publisher · 11.5K followers

Mavrovouniotis: The County Counsel Is Part of the Problem

This story is part of the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service, a partnership with Chapman University that trains student journalists to cover public policy across Orange County. Have a student project or a response to this work? Email admin@voiceofoc.org. In July 2021, a senior deputy in Orange County’s Office...

Orange County, CA · 1d

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orangecountytribune.com

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Changing of the guard on councils

Three wake-ups after Election Day, some local races that were nip-and-tuck are turning into almost-settled. City councils in Garden Grove and Westminster appear to be going through some potentially significant changes, and the area’s delegation to the state legislature is about to be remade as well. According to the...

Garden Grove, CA · 2d

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Another win for the far left as Jessie Lopez defeats David Penaloza in the 68th A.D.

The race for California’s 68th Assembly District appears settled, with Jessie Lopez defeating David Penaloza by a margin of 55,426 votes to 51,300 votes, or 51.93% to 48.07%. The result sends one of Orange County’s most outspoken progressive elected officials to Sacramento and raises important questions about the future direction of Democratic politics in central Orange County.

Orange County, CA · 2d

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LAist

partner publisher · 18.6K followers

Agency overseeing Amtrak Pacific Surfliner to get $1 million from state to study improvements

The money will be used to update a 2022 study to reflect changes since then to things like service schedules and needed infrastructure improvements.

Los Angeles, CA · 1d

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Rady Children’s Health Orange County receives $10M gift for vulnerable children

A major philanthropic investment is set to expand specialized care for some of Orange County’s most vulnerable children. Rady Children’s Health Orange County, formerly known as CHOC, announced a $10 million gift from Mrs. Cari Peets and Family to strengthen and grow its Resilience Program, which serves children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and other forms of trauma.

Orange County, CA · 2d

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NBC Los Angeles

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SoCal district attorneys back legal challenge to Newsom's commutation decision

As Gov. Gavin Newsom faces backlash for his decision to commute every California death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole, Los Angeles and Orange County district attorneys spoke out Thursday in opposition, backing a legal challenge to block the governor's plan. Los Angeles County District Attorney...

California · 1d

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The Independent

partner publisher · 2.6M followers

California teen sues school after alleging teacher called him a slur

Your browser does not support the video tag. A 16-year-old Palestinian-American student, Yousef Abdullah, is suing the Anaheim Union High School District after a teacher allegedly called him a terrorist . The lawsuit claims school counselors and administrators repeatedly dismissed the remark as a joke from a movie rather than addressing racial discrimination. While a district investigation found the comment violated policy prohibiting abusive language, no meaningful disciplinary action was taken against staff. The lawsuit also alleges teachers illegally revealed Abdullah's ADHD diagnosis to classmates, leading to further harassment and ridicule. An Orange County Superior Court judge recently rejected the school district's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. IN FULL California teacher called Muslim student a ‘terrorist’ after denying him a spot in AP class, lawsuit claims

Anaheim, CA · 12h

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Remembering Ysmael Villegas, Riverside County’s First Medal of Honor Recipient

This Veterans Day, let’s remember Riverside County’s first Medal of Honor recipient, Ysmael Villegas. Staff Sgt. Villegas showed extraordinary courage during the Battle of Luzon in the Philippines, a crucial battle in the Pacific theater of World War II. On March 20, 1945, Villegas took out a series of Japanese entrenchments in the midst of a firefight on the Villa Verde Trail, a key route through the Caraballo Mountains, a range which helped the occupying Japanese maintain control over the island. Villegas died that day while storming the sixth and final Japanese stronghold. His compatriots rallied to overcome the Japanese forces that day and would soon take control of Luzon. Later that year, President Harry Truman awarded Villegas the Medal of Honor posthumously.

Riverside County, CA · 2d

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The Gadgeteer

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The Museum Americans Fly to Tokyo to See Is Getting a Permanent Home in Anaheim

TeamLab is building its first permanent museum in the United States at OCVIBE in Anaheim, a purpose-built space of roughly 110,000 square feet designed around its immersive art. It’s scheduled to open in 2030. Until now, the full museum experience has meant a flight to Tokyo. teamLab’s permanent museums...

Anaheim, CA · 1d

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People

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Six Flags Reaches $11.2 Million Settlement Over Hidden Processing Fees — Here’s Who Qualifies for a Payout

California residents who purchased tickets online for Knott’s Berry Farm or California’s Great America are entitled to cash payments

California · 3d

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mynewsla.com

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Anaheim Agrees Not to Restrict Unhoused People’s Movement Around Shelters

The city of Anaheim agreed not to engage in a policy that restricted unhoused people from walking or biking to and from city-funded shelters, a part of a civil rights settlement with Orange County, according to court papers obtained Thursday. Under the former policy, shelter residents who did not own...

Anaheim, CA · 1d

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Dixon concedes as Foley widens lead in supervisor race

Incumbent Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley widened her lead over challenger Diane Dixon following Wednesday’s 5 p.m. election results update, one day after Dixon publicly acknowledged the outcome and ended her campaign. As of Wednesday evening, approximately 21,640 ballots remained to be processed countywide, according to the...

Orange County, CA · 11h

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raincrossgazette.com

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Ward 2 Lead Flips as Mail Ballot Deadline Passes

Aram Ayra pulled ahead of Gracie Torres in the Ward 2 City Council race on Tuesday, Nov. 10 — his first lead since polls closed a week earlier — while Chuck Conder holds a firmer lead in Ward 4 and Noemi Hernandez Alexander leads the Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) board race, according to semifinal results released Tuesday.

Riverside County, CA · 3d

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ABC7

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OC residents whose homes were damaged in Norte Fire describe hurdles after filing insurance claims

Three weeks after the Norte Fire damaged or destroyed seven homes in Orange County, some residents whose homes remain standing say they are facing serious smoke damage and insurance challenges as they try to return home. Among them is San Juan Capistrano resident Cyndi Dudek, who evacuated her neighborhood as the fast-moving fire approached. “It was very frightening,” Dudek said. Dudek had moved into her home in August. Two months later, on October 16, the fire reached her neighborhood. She said conditions deteriorated rapidly as she evacuated. “From the time I went from my front door just to my car, we were gasping. The smoke was in our face,” she said. Although homes one block away were destroyed, Dudek's home remained standing. Still, she said the property suffered extensive smoke damage. “We lost the habitability,” Dudek said. She said a strong odor remains throughout the home and that ash continues to cover nearly everything inside. Dudek said she is especially concerned because her husband has compromised lungs. An expected lawsuit alleges the destructive Norte Fire in Orange County was caused by a San Diego Gas & Electric equipment failure. The couple filed a claim with the California FAIR Plan, the

Orange County, CA · 2d

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KTLA

partner publisher · 278.2K followers

Tony Strickland announces bid to chair California GOP

(Inside California Politics) — After the current chair of the California GOP declined to run for reelection in the wake of the party’s dismal performance in the midterms, a new candidate has emerged to lead the state party. State Sen. Tony Strickland, who just lost reelection in his Huntington Beach-based district, announced Friday he will […]

California · 5h

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State Funding Prevents Major Metrolink Service Cuts in OC

Metrolink passengers traveling through San Clemente and other parts of Orange County will avoid significant service reductions after the state committed $20 million to help maintain the regional rail system’s operations. The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced the funding on Thursday, Nov. 5, preventing service cuts that were...

Orange County, CA · 1d

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