Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Lawmakers Wanted A New Infrastructure Agency To Operate In Secret. Why They Backed Down

By Yue Stella Yu, CALMATTERS

California lawmakers wanted to create a nonprofit agency authorized to borrow limitless taxpayer money to finance infrastructure projects — all while shielding most of its operations from the public eye.

Sponsored by state Treasurer Fiona Ma, SB 769 would create the Golden State Infrastructure Corporation, a nonprofit organization within the treasurer’s office that would use public and private financing for projects from transportation to housing.

The measure initially sought to exclude virtually all of the nonprofit’s records from public disclosure and allow the organization to make decisions behind closed doors.

That kind of authority deserves public scrutiny, good government groups argued, especially as corruption scandals plagued state agencies in recent decades. The proposal follows state officials’ efforts in recent years to shroud themselves in secrecy by using burner phones and non-disclosure agreements and by introducing measures to reduce public access to records and meetings.

After good government advocates and legislative analysts raised transparency concerns,

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

LA County Looks to Clear Encampments in Very High Fire Hazard Zones

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors Tuesday directed staff to assess areas newly designated as “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones” and recommend ways to keep them clear of homeless encampments.

In March, Cal Fire released an updated map categorizing areas statewide as moderate, high or very high fire hazard zones

According to Tuesday’s motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath, “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones (VHFHSZs)” across Southern California increased by 26%, including some of the county’s most populous areas.

“In the aftermath of the Eaton and Palisades fires, it is imperative that the County ensure it has the resources to address the increase in VHFHSZs, including working with jurisdictional partners who have the responsibility to address encampments in their own VHFHSZs,” the motion stated.

“This will ensure that the County is taking proactive measures to mitigate fires in newly designated VHFHSZs and prevent loss of life and property for housed and unhoused residents alike.”

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Altadena Sees Sharp Drop in Burglaries, But Not Bear Sightings

Community involvement and arrests credited for crime reduction; wildlife remains active in fire-affected area

Home burglaries in Altadena have dropped significantly below pre-fire levels, with current statistics tracking below January numbers before the devastating Eaton Fire, according to local law enforcement officials.

Acting Captain Phillip R. Marquez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported the positive crime trend during a Monday night community meeting hosted by the Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Associations.

“Our burglary stats, we’re doing really well,” Marquez said. “Our home burglary stats, we’re going to be below, if it continues, we’ll be below January, 2024 before the fires.”

The crime reduction comes as authorities have conducted multiple search warrants and made numerous arrests. Last Thursday, deputies executed search warrants at three different locations, taking several individuals into custody as part of ongoing investigations into area burglaries.

Marquez credited increased community involvement alongside law enforcement efforts for the improvement in crime statistics. The department has identified numerous suspects in the area and conducted search warrants at every single location related to the investigations.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

LA Officials Assess Remedies for ‘Unlawful’ Immigration Enforcement

CITY NEWS SERVICE

City and county officials in Los Angeles are taking action to combat the tactics of U.S. immigration agents amid ongoing enforcement raids in the Southland.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday directed its attorneys to explore legal remedies to prevent so-called “unconstitutional” federal immigration enforcement.

According to a motion introduced by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath, since June 6, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have intensified immigration raids in the county, detaining people on streets, at shopping sites, parking lots and churches, and have even attempted to enter schools.

“Over the last few weeks, federal agents, often in unmarked vehicles, without visible badges, in regular street clothes and masked faces, have detained people indiscriminately, at times even taking U.S. citizens,” the motion stated. “This includes numerous reported instances of individuals questioned and detained without a judicial warrant and without reasonable suspicion.”

At Tuesday’s meeting,

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Major Milestones Achieved in Altadena Fire Debris Removal Operations

Program nears completion with 98% of properties cleared as operations scale down

The Altadena fire debris removal program has reached significant completion milestones, with 98% of properties cleared and 95% of rights of entry returned to Los Angeles County as of Monday, according to program officials. 

Colonel Sonny B. Avichal, who oversees the debris removal operations, reported that 5,424 properties have been cleared of the 5,508 that opted into the program. Only about 530 property owners have opted out of the federal debris removal assistance. 

The operation has scaled down dramatically from its peak, with debris removal crews reduced from 129 at maximum capacity to just 19 crews currently working in the field. The Altadena Golf Course facility, which has served as a central staging area for debris processing, is expected to stop accepting new material by July 4 as operations wind down. 

“We are slowly getting in additional properties and then we should get a bump of the final bump of properties,

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Trump Freezes School Funds Nationwide

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that his administration will freeze millions in federal school funding across the nation.

In total about $6 billion in funds was frozen. About $800 million of those funds were earmarked for California schools.

The funds are meant for crucial educational programs, including after-school programs, support for English learners and migrant students and professional development for educators.

“The district is monitoring the impact of this action on PUSD programs, particularly in areas such as instruction, interventions, high-quality professional development for educators, supplemental materials and services for English learners and immigrant students,” according to a statement released after a query by Pasadena Now.

According to that statement, based on current estimates, PUSD faces a potential revenue loss of $1,202,482 for the FY 2025-2026, broken down as follows:

Title II Part A: $604,612

Title III: $211,452

Title III Immigrant: $47,782

Title IV Part A: $338,635

(Title I-C is not applicable to PUSD)

The matter was not discussed in open session at Monday’s School Board meeting.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

USPS Warns Against Mailing Fireworks Ahead of July 4th

Safety risks prompt postal service to remind customers about prohibited items

The U.S. Postal Service is urging customers not to mail fireworks this Independence Day, emphasizing the serious safety risks associated with shipping explosive materials.

Fireworks of all types — including sparklers, firecrackers, bottle rockets, and Roman candles — are prohibited from both air and ground transportation through the postal system due to potential hazards, postal officials said.

“Shipping fireworks through the mail puts our employees, customers and transportation networks at serious risk,” Acting Postmaster General Doug Tulino said. “Even small items like firecrackers or bottle rockets can cause fires, explosions or injuries if mishandled.”

The Postal Inspection Service investigated 1,700 cases last year involving attempts to send hazardous materials through the mail, including fireworks and other explosives. Individuals caught mailing such items may face civil penalties and criminal charges.

The agency uses advanced technology and inspection protocols to detect nonmailable items. Customers are encouraged to review Publication 52 – Hazardous,

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

LA County Could Consider Legal Remedies for `Unlawful’ Immigration Enforcement

By ANUSHA SHANKAR, City News Service

Calling it an attempt to “protect civil rights” of residents, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will consider a motion Tuesday that would direct its attorneys to explore legal remedies to prevent so-called “unconstitutional” federal immigration enforcement.

The motion introduced by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Lindsey Horvath states that since June 6, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have intensified immigration raids in the county, detaining people on streets, at shopping sites, parking lots and churches, and have even attempted to enter schools.

The motion contends that more than 1,600 people have been detained during the operations.

“Over the last few weeks, federal agents, often in unmarked vehicles, without visible badges, in regular street clothes and masked faces, have detained people indiscriminately, at times even taking U.S. citizens,” the motion states. “This includes numerous reported instances of individuals questioned and detained without a judicial warrant and without reasonable suspicion.”

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

One Of The Biggest Obstacles to Building New CA Housing Has Now Vanished

By Ben Christopher, CALMATTERS

A decade-spanning political battle between housing developers and defenders of California’s preeminent environmental law likely came to an end this afternoon with only a smattering of “no” votes.

The forces of housing won.

With the passage of a state budget-related housing bill, the California Environmental Quality Act will be a non-issue for a decisive swath of urban residential development in California.

In practice, that means most new apartment buildings will no longer face the open threat of environmental litigation.

It also means most urban developers will no longer have to study, predict and mitigate the ways that new housing might affect local traffic, air pollution, flora and fauna, noise levels, groundwater quality and objects of historic or archeological significance.

And it means that when housing advocates argue that the state isn’t doing enough to build more homes amid crippling rents and stratospheric prices, they won’t — with a few exceptions — have CEQA to blame anymore.

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

To Save Money Now, Newsom’s New Labor Deals Pause Spending On One Of California’s Biggest Debts

By Adam Ashton, CALMATTERS

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is making benefit deals with public employee unions that save money today in part by putting off payments that were meant to bring down costs tomorrow.

His office this month negotiated eight agreements with unions that pause state spending for two years toward one of California’s largest long-term debts: the health care benefits civil servants receive in retirement.

Newsom’s pause on the pre-funding payments for current workers has the potential to free up a lot of money. His office in May estimated those payments would cost the state more than $700 million in the new budget year.

But the promise to workers is massive: At the last official estimate, California would need $85 billion to pay for the retirement health care benefits it has promised to state employees.

The governor’s move to suspend payments toward future retiree health care coincides with another big concession he’s asking from unions as he manages a $12 billion deficit.