Friday, October 17, 2025

California’s Chronic Deficit Looms Again As Newsom Prepares His Last State Budget

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

It seems like just yesterday that Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators enacted a state budget that papered over a $20 billion gap between income and outgo while blaming President Donald Trump for their fiscal dilemma.

It was, in fact, less than four months ago that Newsom signed the $321 billion, 2025-26 budget, saying, “As we confront Donald Trump’s economic sabotage, this budget agreement proves California won’t just hold the line — we’ll go even further. It’s balanced, it maintains substantial reserves, and it’s focused on supporting Californians — slashing red tape and catapulting housing and infrastructure development, preserving essential healthcare services, funds universal pre-K, and cuts taxes for veterans.”

Trump, however, had nothing to do with what state officials have described as a “structural deficit,” meaning that spending encased in current law outstrips revenue expectations. Rather, it stems from what officialdom later acknowledged as a $165 billion error in revenue projections in 2022 that fueled Newsom’s boast of having a $97.5 billion surplus.

Friday, October 17, 2025

Community Canvas Project Invites Residents to Create Collaborative Art

The collaborative installation will feature 4-by-4-inch canvases contributed by residents and friends in Altadena

The Pasadena Village Community Canvas Project will host a free public art event Friday, Oct. 24, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Village Office Community Room, 236 West Mountain Street #113. Open to all, the event has limited capacity for 28 participants and is free of charge.

Organized by ALTA (AltaArts Collective), the initiative invites residents and friends in Altadena to contribute 4-by-4-inch canvas artworks with a depth/profile of 1 inch or less toward a growing installation that will eventually be displayed permanently at a local business or institution in Altadena. Participants may create their art on-site using provided supplies or submit their own canvases. Canvases can also be picked up from ALTA during its community events.

The project’s vision is “to create magnificent canvas-covered walls that can be showcased at events,” with canvases added over time to form a completed masterpiece. ALTA will catalog all submitted artwork and host a formal unveiling event in the future.

Friday, October 17, 2025

Los Angeles County Reports First Locally Transmitted Clade I Mpox Case

Los Angeles County health officials confirmed that an adult resident has contracted the more severe clade I strain of mpox without recent travel to areas where the virus typically circulates.

The announcement is intended to alert residents and encourage testing, vaccination and preventive action to contain potential spread. The City of Long Beach announced its own clade I mpox case earlier this week. In 2025, 118 clade II cases have been reported countywide.

“This identification of cases of clade I mpox, which may cause more severe illness than the more common clade II, is concerning,” said Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County Health Officer. “Mpox continues to be spread largely through close, intimate contact with symptomatic people, mainly during sexual activity.”

Health officials are conducting contact tracing and enhanced surveillance to identify additional cases. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is collaborating with California state health authorities and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the investigation.

Clade I mpox appears more severe than clade II,

Friday, October 17, 2025

Newsom Announces Affordable Insulin Soon to Be Available for Purchase

CITY NEWS SERVICE

California has become the first and only state to make its own affordable insulin, with the medication expected to be available for purchase starting Jan. 1., Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in Los Angeles Thursday.

Through a state-backed deal with Civica Rx, a nonprofit generic drug manufacturer, and Biocon Biologics, California residents will have access to an interchangeable biosimilar insulin glargine pen offered under the CalRx brand and pricing, the governor said. Insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin analog used in the management of diabetes.

The pens will be available to California pharmacies for $45 and to consumers at a suggested retail price of no more than $55 per five-pack of 3ml pens — a substantial reduction from current retail prices, according to the governor’s office.

“California didn’t wait for the pharmaceutical industry to do the right thing — we took matters into our own hands,” Newsom said in a statement. “By beginning the process to manufacture our own insulin and pricing it at a maximum cost of $11 a pen in a five-pack,

Friday, October 17, 2025

First Major Storm of the Season Adds 700 Million Gallons to Local Water Supply

CITY NEWS SERVICE

This week’s storm, the first major rainfall of the 2025-26 season, dropped roughly 3 inches of rain in Los Angeles County, adding more than 700 million gallons to local water supplies, officials announced Thursday.

The storm began late Monday night with rain intensifying into the following morning and later slowed in the evening. Rain collected during Tuesday’s storm was enough to supply 18,400 people for a full year and brought the total amount collected since Oct. 1 to a billion gallons, according to Los Angeles County Public Works.

The majority of stormwater was captured behind the region’s 14 major dams, which will be held and later distributed among the county’s 27 spreading ground facilities to recharge local groundwater aquifers.

County officials patrolled and monitored the rainfall to ensure a prompt response for any potential storm damages, particularly in fire-impacted areas such as Pacific Palisades and Altadena. No major issues were reported in L.A. County’s burn scar areas,

Friday, October 17, 2025

State, FEMA Ending In-Person Support For Eaton Fire Survivors

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will end in-person operations at Survivor Support locations in Altadena at 5 p.m. on Friday

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will end in-person operations at Survivor Support locations in Altadena at 5 p.m. on Oct. 17.

The decision follows a steady decline in demand for face-to-face assistance related to the Eaton Fire.

Virtual support will remain available after the in-person sites close, allowing survivors to continue accessing FEMA and state resources online or by phone.

Residents can visit DisasterAssistance.gov or call 800-621-3362 daily from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. for federal assistance. State recovery information will remain accessible at www.ca.gov/LAfires/ .

The U.S. Small Business Administration will continue to provide in-person services at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive.

The Small Business Administration will also continue in-person services at a location in Los Angeles.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Eaton Fire Spurs Renewed Focus on Earthquake Readiness as City Joins Statewide Drill Today

By EDDIE RIVERA

January’s disaster reignites interest in emergency preparedness ahead of today’s Great ShakeOut

January’s devastating wildfires have become an unexpected catalyst for earthquake preparedness in Pasadena, as city officials report renewed public interest in emergency readiness ahead of Thursday’s Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.

“The Eaton Fire last year helped reignite interest in emergency readiness,” said Nallely Procopio, emergency coordinator for the City of Pasadena. “When we teach you about preparing for a wildfire, we’re also teaching you about an earthquake—anything that comes our way.”

Pasadena and Altadenans will join millions across California on Thursday for the Great ShakeOut, a statewide event to promote readiness for the next major quake. City officials say the drill is meant to reinforce everyday preparedness habits as much as it is to simulate the “big one.”

“The main point is really to educate our public, create earthquake awareness, and show how we can prepare,” Procopio said. “We keep hearing about the one that we’re long overdue for here in Southern California.”

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Here’s what Newsom vetoed

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

In Tuesday’s newsletter, I mentioned some of the new laws California will enact. Now let’s dig into what didn’t make it past the governor’s desk.

At the end of this year’s legislative session, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed 123 out of the 917 total bills lawmakers sent to him — a slightly lower veto rate of 13.4% compared to last year’s 15.7%.

One of the bills he spiked Monday would have raised the cap car dealers can charge to process Department of Motor Vehicles’ and other paperwork from $85 to $260, writes CalMatters’ Ryan Sabalow.

In his veto message, the governor said that consumers could be charged “hundreds more for only minutes of data entry” even though there are no new state requirements and DMV processes are getting more streamlined.

Read more here.

Newsom also rejected a handful of bills intended to expand health care coverage,

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Community Dinner Offers Free Meal and Support for Fire Survivors

Two churches partner with local coalition to create space for healing and connection

Fire survivors in the Altadena area will have a chance to connect with others who have experienced similar losses at a free community dinner next month.

Epicentre Church and the Clergy Community Coalition are hosting the second dinner for fire survivors Tuesday, Nov. 4. The event takes place at Epicentre Church, located at 425 Sierra Madre Villa Ave.

The dinner begins at 6 p.m. and is catered by Nancy’s Greek restaurant. Organizers describe it as a safe space for survivors to process their experiences together.

“All fire survivors are welcome,” according to the event announcement. Attendance is capped at 100 people due to space constraints.

In addition to the meal, the evening includes an optional therapeutic art project. Clarissa Castillo-Ramsey of the Altadena Arts Collective will lead the activity.

Fire survivors interested in attending must sign up in advance. Organizers need an accurate headcount for catering purposes.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

County Public Health Probes First Locally Acquired Dengue Case of 2025 Season in San Gabriel Valley

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue virus for the 2025 mosquito season, officials announced Wednesday.

The patient, a resident of the San Gabriel Valley, developed symptoms in late September and is currently recovering. Health officials said the individual had no recent travel history to regions where dengue is endemic, indicating the virus was contracted from a local mosquito.

While the risk of widespread dengue transmission in Los Angeles County remains low, public health officials emphasized that the case confirms the presence of infected mosquitoes in the area. They urged residents to take preventive measures, including eliminating standing water, using insect repellent, and ensuring window and door screens are intact.

In response, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District field teams have deployed additional mosquito traps and increased testing frequency to detect the presence of dengue virus (DENV) in local mosquito populations. Door-to-door inspections and treatments are underway to eliminate adult mosquitoes and breeding sources.