Why create murals in economically depressed areas? Those areas need money and resources, not art, some might say. Javier Ruiz, of the H.E.R.R. Foundation in Alhambra, gets it: “The mural is just on...

Many grandparents spoil their grandkids with gifts. This “meemaw” is different because she does that for complete strangers of all ages.  Laura Mayer, 57, gives away knicknacks to kids and adults...

Gentrification, displacement, housing affordability, lack of equity, crime, and safety.  These are some of the most pressing issues facing Lincoln Heights residents, according to the neighborhood council’s...

If one looks carefully, the Eagle Rock and Highland Park neighborhoods of Los Angeles have had some recent successes in the affordable housing arena that other communities can learn from, according to...

If, as Nelson Mandela said, “education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,” that weapon has undergone a series of changes -- and not always for the better. That’s according...

When Hattie Mitchell was a freshman at Cal State LA, she volunteered on Skid Row and saw a girl crawling on the sidewalk. That was the moment she decided to be a teacher, according to her husband, Brett...

Unwanted land. A spiritual oasis. A development opportunity. A wildlife corridor known as the Emerald Necklace.  These are the various ways Poppy Peak, a hillside area in the northern park of Highland...

As Jodi Moreno ascended in her career, her marriage began declining and soon after, her health. The health issues surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, making things worse. But through it all, she...

Brandon Ramirez was feeling very homesick in the Fall of 2016. He had no friends yet. He had just moved to California from Las Vegas. He was on a new campus, Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, and all...

In many ways, Justin Tran considered himself a “normal” kid in junior high and high school. He enjoyed taking part in activities on campus and talking with his classmates and teachers.   But...

Ming Lai took the long path to film-making. “Some kids make skateboarding videos, do short films or home movies,” Lai, 56, said in an interview with UT Community News. “I wasn’t one of those.” Lai,...