Thursday, January 22, 2026

Pasadena, Altadena Projects Included in $7 Million Secured by Congresswoman Rep. Chu in Federal Spending Bill

A federal spending package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes more than $7 million for projects in California’s 28th District, according to a statement from Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28). The funding is part of H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which the House approved on a 341–88 vote.

In a press release, Chu said the bill “makes important progress toward protecting the programs our communities rely on and rejecting the Trump administration’s plan to cut funding for public services by tens of billions of dollars.” She said she was pleased the legislation “makes progress in relieving cost-of-living pressures for American families by mandating robust funding for affordable child care and housing, public health, transportation infrastructure, and more.” Chu also said she was disappointed that the bill would increase funding for “a Department of Defense budget that is already bloated” and that it “put[s] no meaningful guardrails on the Trump administration’s reckless actions in Venezuela or their threats of use of force against places like Iran and Greenland.” Despite those concerns,

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Deadline Friday for LA County Rent Relief Covering Eaton Fire Past-Due Rent

Landlords and displaced homeowners have until 4:59 p.m. to apply for up to $15,000 in assistance; tenants must complete required profile

Landlords and displaced homeowners have until 4:59 p.m. Friday to apply for Los Angeles County’s Emergency Rent Relief Program, which offers grants covering past-due rent owed by tenants impacted by the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

The program, which opened in December, will distribute more than $23 million in assistance to eligible landlords throughout Los Angeles County, according to a county statement.

Grants may cover up to six months of unpaid rent, with a maximum award of $15,000 per rental unit. The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena and surrounding areas, displacing thousands of families who continue to face housing instability nearly a year later.

Tenants cannot apply directly. Landlords must submit applications through the portal at LACountyRentRelief.com. But tenant participation is required: after a landlord applies, tenants are invited to complete a brief tenant profile.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

First Free Modular Home for Eaton Fire Survivors Arrives in Altadena

A year after the blaze destroyed 9,400 structures, a nonprofit partnership plans to deliver its initial factory-built house to a family that couldn’t afford to rebuild

One year after the Eaton Fire tore through this foothill community and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, a factory-built home is set to be craned onto a residential lot Thursday — the first from an initiative providing free modular houses to fire survivors who lack the resources to rebuild.

The Rodriguez Family’s 950-square-foot, two-bedroom home arrived fully assembled from a factory in Mexico. It is the first of the homes that Steadfast LA and Samara have announced, with five Altadena families selected so far and plans to install homes throughout 2026.

The initiative aims to deliver 80 to 100 free modular homes to underinsured or low-income homeowners in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and other fire-affected areas, according to Steadfast LA.

The program targets longtime homeowners who were underinsured or uninsured and cannot afford traditional construction,

Thursday, January 22, 2026

SoCalGas Vows to Fight Edison Cross-Claims in Eaton Fire Litigation

The utility says it will defend itself against Edison’s cross-claims in the Eaton Fire case

Southern California Gas Co. said it will vigorously defend itself against cross-claims filed last Friday by Southern California Edison in the ongoing Eaton Fire litigation, calling the utility’s legal move an attempt to deflect responsibility and accountability for the blaze.

Edison filed cross-claims Jan. 16 against more than a dozen defendants, including SoCalGas — and Pasadena Water and Power  — in connection with the fire.

“Edison has acknowledged its role in the Eaton fire for the better part of a year now,” SoCalGas said, adding that it will pursue recovery for damages to its own system “through all available causes of action and remedies.”

SoCalGas said it is reviewing the allegations in the cross-complaint.

“SoCalGas has insurance, including wildfire insurance, and intends to pursue coverage for the damages related to its system as well as coverage to defend both Edison’s claims in the Eaton fire litigation and pending lawsuits brought by individual plaintiffs related to the Palisades fire,” the company said.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

State Politics: Lobbyists and Lawmakers Mingle Over Luxury Tequila, Shrimp and Cigars at Capital Party

By Yue Stella Yu, CALMATTERS

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor stood at the free tequila bar.

The Inglewood Democrat had asked for three glasses of Patrón El Alto, “the pinnacle of luxury” priced at roughly $150 a bottle. She kept one glass, leaving the other two for her staffers.

Her aides had been rubbing elbows with a lobbyist for AT&T and hurrying him to the bar for a drink. The lobbyist had been chit-chatting with a CalMatters reporter. But when McKinnor arrived to give him a hug and whispered in his ear, the chit-chatting stopped altogether. The lobbyist and the lawmaker know each other well: For two years, McKinnor was the author of an AT&T-sponsored bill to phase out most landlines the company is required to maintain in California. The bill died each time, but McKinnor has promised to bring it back this year.

The signature event at the beginning of each year of legislative action is one of many political extravaganzas at which lawmakers and their staff are invited to mingle with special interests.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Pasadena School Board to Consider Launching Study on Potential School Closures

District also set to adopt state-mandated equity metrics for evaluating consolidations as enrollment decline continues

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education will meet Thursday evening and consider commissioning a comprehensive study on potential school closures and consolidations, a significant step that could reshape the District’s footprint as it grapples with years of declining enrollment.

The Board is scheduled to vote on a consulting services agreement with Total School Solutions, a firm that would conduct what agenda documents describe as a “comprehensive school closure/consolidation study.” The proposal comes as the District continues to face pressure from shrinking student populations, a trend affecting many California school districts.

In a related action item, the Board will consider adopting Resolution 2857, which would establish equity impact analysis metrics required under Assembly Bill 1912 (Education Code 41329) to guide evaluation of any future school closures or consolidations. The state legislation mandates that districts considering such actions must demonstrate conformance with specific equity metrics before proceeding.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

County Board of Supervisors to Review Eaton Fire Emergency Contracts in Meeting With Direct Impact on Altadena Recovery

Bi-weekly report on emergency response spending comes as fire-damaged community continues cleanup and rebuilding efforts

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will convene Tuesday, Jan. 27 to review ongoing emergency contracts related to the Eaton Fire and other January 2025 blazes, a recurring agenda item with direct implications for Altadena residents still navigating the aftermath of the devastating wildfire.

The meeting, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles, includes two separate bi-weekly emergency contracts reports—one from the Department of Internal Services and one from the Department of Public Works—documenting actions taken under emergency authority granted by the Board on January 28, 2025.

Emergency Contracts Under Review

According to agenda documents, the Board will review emergency actions taken by the Director of Internal Services and the Director of Public Works to respond to and recover from what the County terms the “January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Fire Events,” which include the Palisades Fire,

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Beloved Nonprofit Thrift Shop Damaged in Eaton Fire to Reopen Saturday, Renewing Support for Women’s Education

[Updated]  After a year-long closure caused by extensive smoke damage from the Eaton Fire, the Daz-E Shop, a nonprofit thrift store dedicated to funding scholarships for Southern California women, is preparing to reopen its doors and welcome the community back.

The fire forced the shop to close on January 7, 2025, disrupting both local commerce and a vital source of educational funding for women. Following months of restoration, the organization is returning to its space and is planning a celebratory grand reopening in the coming weeks.

In addition to resuming its core mission of supporting women’s scholarships, the Daz-E Shop is awarding ten special scholarships for Altadena women whose education was impacted by the Eaton Fire, extending its commitment to recovery and resilience.

“We are incredibly grateful to the community that stood with us during this long year,” said Marge McNaught, President of the Daz-E Shop Board of Directors. “This reopening is not just about a store. It’s about resuming service to our valued customers and restoring opportunity,

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Kaiser Nurses Plan Candlelight Vigil at Pasadena Headquarters Ahead of Open-Ended Strike

The union representing 31,000 healthcare workers says Kaiser has refused to return to the bargaining table; Kaiser disputes that account

Kaiser Permanente nurses and healthcare workers will gather outside the company’s Southern California headquarters here Saturday evening, holding candles two days before they begin an open-ended strike.

The gathering at 393 E. Walnut St., Kaiser Permanente’s regional headquarters, is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and precedes a walkout set to begin Monday that could become the largest healthcare strike of 2026. At issue are wages, staffing levels, and whether Kaiser Permanente or the union is responsible for stalled contract negotiations.

The union representing 31,000 Kaiser Permanente workers in California and Hawaii says the healthcare giant has refused to return to the bargaining table since December.

“Kaiser can end this whenever they choose by coming back to the table and bargaining in good faith,” said Charmaine S. Morales, a registered nurse and president of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Thursday is No-Burn Day for Pasadena and Much of Southern California

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a No-Burn Alert for Thursday, prohibiting wood burning in fireplaces and in all indoor or outdoor devices in Pasadena and across four Los Angeles-area counties.

The alert covers the South Coast Air Basin, including large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, except the high desert and Coachella Valley.

“South Coast AQMD reminds residents in these areas that burning wood in their fireplaces or any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device is prohibited at any time on No-Burn Days,” the agency said.

Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems, according to the AQMD. Fine particulate matter called PM2.5 can get deep into the lungs to cause asthma attacks and other respiratory problems, increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

Homes that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, low-income households and those without natural gas service are exempt from the requirement. Gas and other non-wood burning fireplaces are also not restricted,