City council members are now barred from blocking people on their official social media and deleting their comments.
Author Archives: Hosam Elattar
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC/ Report For America reporter covering Anaheim & North Orange County, food insecurity, housing & homelessness, the Arab & Muslim American community and education.
Elattar started at Voice of OC as an intern in January, 2020 and has covered local food banks’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, School board debates on how to teach history, the decades long push by Arab American business owners to recognize Little Arabia and a corruption scandal at Anaheim City Hall.
He has won several awards from the OC Press Club including Best News Story, Best Political Story and Best Religion Story.
Elattar is Egyptian American and has lived in Botswana, Nepal, Uganda, The Dominican Republic and India.
Posted inGovernment
Huntington Beach Officials May Not Be Able to Block Comments Under Proposed Social Media Policy
City council members across OC have been scrutinized for deleting comments on social media, forcing some cities to intervene.
Posted inDana Point
Dana Point Looks to Set New Rules and Penalties on Short-Term Rentals, Following Footsteps of Other Cities
The city has been trying to create an ordinance on the rentals for years to address community concerns.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Nonprofit Sparks Efforts to Vaccinate OC’s Muslim Population; Pandemic Data on Arab Community Nonexistent
Mobile vaccine clinics are coming to mosques across Orange County during and after Ramadan.
Posted inEducation
Ethnic Studies Class Debate Continues in OC as Los Alamitos School District Presents Course Textbook
It’s the latest debate as some Orange County school districts grapple with how to teach history through a diverse perspective.
Posted inGovernment
Anaheim Council Members Might Remove a City Commissioner Who Blamed China for Pandemic
Council members are also expected to consider restructuring the sister city commission
Posted inHealth & Wellness
Meet Orange County Doctors Who Are Confronting COVID-19
Some doctors have been serving their community on the frontlines of the pandemic for over a year now.
Posted inAnaheim
Over 20 Years Ago an Arab Immigrant Sought Help; Now She And Her Nonprofit Are Serving OC Residents Amid a Pandemic
Access California Services has been providing assistance to underserved populations all over Orange County for over 20 years.
Posted inCosta Mesa
Costa Mesa City Council One Step Closer to Finalizing Retail Cannabis Regulations
City council members laid groundwork Tuesday and a 7% tax for commercial marijuana shops that could start opening by Summer.
Posted inEducation
Orange County Parents And Students Confront Ethnic Studies; School Districts Look to Potentially Expand Offerings
Some parents call for a greater emphasis on the history of communities of color in school curriculums while others oppose such courses saying they fuel hate and division.
