Hate activity continues to increase as nonprofit groups and local and state government officials struggle to combat OC’s latest public health issue, which county supervisors consider a crisis.
Author Archives: Brandon Pho
As a Voice of OC reporter, Brandon Pho covered north/central Orange County, as well as broader regional issues around law enforcement, transportation, the environment, the OC Fair and Little Saigon.
He joined in 2018 as an intern, shedding light on turmoil and corruption claims in Westminster and uncovering a now-fired OC Fair executive’s suspect fundraising relationship with a nearby, private Christian college that the Fair had sponsored with public money.
Later, he published a number of investigative stories on local law enforcement agencies; detailed political jockeying around a controversial seawater desalting plant proposal in Huntington Beach; narrated a racial reckoning inside one of the county’s largest school districts; and tracked various quality of life issues across the region.
Before Voice of OC, Brandon worked as a reporter and editor at Cal State Fullerton’s independent student newspaper, the Daily Titan, and won a number of accolades for his reporting in 2018, including a 1st and 2nd place Los Angeles Press Club award and 1st place national College Media Association award.
While at Voice of OC, Brandon was a member of Report for America, a national network of local reporters committed to bolstering democracy throughout the U.S.
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Could Orange County Have A Senator in Congress?
Katie Porter’s bid for the U.S. Senate may open her seat up to her most recent Republican opponent. Scott Baugh is the first to announce his own run for that seat.
Posted inEducation
Did Orange Unified School Officials Improperly Replace Their Superintendent?
How did four board members agree to fire a top administrator with 24 hours’ notice with replacements already in place?
Posted inWestminster
Is Westminster Dodging Bankruptcy?
Just after voters agreed to keep a tax increase on themselves, officials made a controversial choice to fund the Little Saigon Tet Parade with city dollars for the first time in 10 years.
Posted inSanta Ana
How the OC Streetcar Put Downtown Santa Ana on A New Path
Downtown Santa Ana’s Latino merchants politically mobilized against a rail project that impacted their sales and a downtown economic group they say doesn’t represent them.
Posted inSanta Ana
Corner Market Owner’s Death Turns New Chapter for Santa Ana Neighborhood
Stories of late store owner Armando Aguinaga stitch a mosaic of the historic Santa Ana barrio he served.
Posted inCountywide
Santa Ana Swears in First Woman Mayor and New Council
Santa Ana just swore in its first woman mayor in a city that awaits a host of key debates over housing, open space and public safety.
Posted inCountywide
Could Santa Ana’s Main Library Closure Actually Get Residents Better Access?
Temporarily closing Santa Ana’s main downtown library next year might drive improvements in the overall library getting residents access to more books and meeting spaces.
Posted inSanta Ana
Is Santa Ana Poised to Start Taxing Vacant Property Owners?
The idea has taken off in other California cities. Will it take off in the heart of Orange County?
Posted inPolitics & Elections
Meet Your New Santa Ana City Council
The results of this election largely maintains the progressive political dynamic atop one of Orange County’s largest cities and the seat of county government.
