Orange County Pulse

• Single mother Maria Sofia Maldonado struggles to afford rent and food for her seven children, relying on Second Harvest's free summer meals in...

Orange County schools will have an AI policy in place for the new school year. The policy allows teachers to decide how they will or will not use AI in the classroom.

Brea's 50-year tax-sharing agreement with developer Dwight Manley delays city sales tax revenue for decades to attract Costco, highlighting classic...

In one of the nation's priciest housing markets, down payment assistance lets qualified buyers bridge the gap without draining savings.

Key options...

Orange County stands alone in Southern California without mandatory A/B/C restaurant grades, leaving diners reliant on hidden certificates while...

San Bernardino County residents could shoulder much of an $11 billion tab to meet stricter regional water rules protecting the ocean, even as the...

Orange County's 446,500 no-party-preference voters represent a decisive bloc in the 2026 governor's race and local contests.

• 23.4% of the county's...

The jailhouse informant scandal under former DA Tony Rackauckas left a lasting stain on Orange County’s justice system through illegal use of...

Voter registration shifts and competitive districts are driving tectonic changes in Orange County's electoral landscape ahead of upcoming elections.

• Federal intervention: After years of disputes, the U.S. government announced required water cuts for California, Arizona, and Nevada from the...

• OC Creek Team warns that county crews have sprayed 30-50,000 gallons of Roundup annually on the Santa Ana River alone, part of a decade-long...

The bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act removes federal barriers like outdated manufactured-home codes to accelerate production.

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A 14-story Platinum Triangle tower sold for $63 million—a 32% discount from its 2017 purchase—highlighting selective investor caution in Orange County...

Orange Police Department's certified Crisis Negotiators resolved a suicidal standoff on a freeway overpass through communication, empathy, and active...

Cross-sector collaboration advances as Moulton Niguel Water District Board President Brian Probolsky joins the South Orange County Economic Coalition...

The City of Orange approved a two-year moratorium on new massage parlor permits in late June, following a 45-day pause in May, to curb illegal...

OCTA awarded Clean Energy Fuels Corp a $27.5 million contract to design, build, and operate a hydrogen fueling station at its Garden Grove bus base,...

Food insecurity in Orange County surged past Great Recession peaks, with over 387,000 residents and 112,000 children affected in 2024 alone, and demand at local food banks still climbing due to inflation and shrinking federal aid.

Supervisor Katrina Foley awarded Laguna Beach $50,000 from her discretionary budget for a new HeloPod helicopter refilling tank, strengthening rapid...

Santa Ana's $11 million in spending cuts include over $1.1 million from parks and recreation, sparking confusion over community garden access.

• City...