Saturday, August 30, 2025

Newsom Launches Task Force to Clear Homeless Encampments in LA, Other Cities

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday announced a new statewide task force that will prioritize clearing homeless encampments and expanding services in California’s 10 largest cities, including Los Angeles.

The State Action for Facilitation on Encampments, or SAFE Task Force, will coordinate expertise and programs across state agencies to address encampments. The goal is to work with local governments to move people from the streets into temporary shelter and ultimately permanent housing, according to the governor’s office.

“California has put in place a strong, comprehensive strategy for fighting the national homelessness and housing crises — and is outperforming the nation as a result in turning this issue around,” Newsom said in a statement.

“No one should live in a dangerous or unsanitary encampment, and we will continue our ongoing work to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home,” he added.

The task force will begin operations within 30 days in areas such as Los Angeles,

Saturday, August 30, 2025

LA County Board Meetings to Offer Real-Time Translations in 70 Languages

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger Friday announced a new initiative to expand language access at board meetings and hearings through real-time translation and interpretation in more than 70 languages.

The service, powered by artificial intelligence, will be available on mobile phones and computers for residents attending meetings virtually or in person.

“Every resident has the right to engage with their local government,” Barger said in a statement. “This service is an important step and valuable resource to ensure that the diverse communities that make up our county can have their voices heard.”

The county previously used the AI technology during press conferences about January’s wildfires.

To use the service during board meetings, residents can take the following steps:

• Visit attend.wordly.ai/join/QHKT-4397;
• Click “attend” and select your preferred language; and
• Watch the automatic translated captions, listen to live-interpreted audio, and unmute the speaker icon.

“Expanding the language access capabilities underscores the need for making L.A.

Saturday, August 30, 2025

Pasadena Panel Blocks Trump Administration’s Bid to Deport Venezuelans

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A federal appeals court in Pasadena Friday blocked the Trump administration from canceling the temporary protected status of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States, including a community in the Southland, who contend they are unable to safely return to their home country.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a lower court ruling that maintained protections for Venezuelans while the case proceeds through court.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem attempted to end the protections just days after taking office in January. However, a federal district court put her decision on hold pending a final resolution in the case, finding that the secretary’s decision appeared to be motivated by racial bias toward Venezuelans and violated the law governing temporary protections.

On Friday, the 9th Circuit denied the administration’s appeal of U.S. District Judge Ed Chen’s March ruling that found the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on their claims.

Saturday, August 30, 2025

Labor Day Heat Advisory Issued for Pasadena and Greater Los Angeles Region Amid Triple-Digit Forecasts

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

A heat advisory remains in effect for Pasadena and surrounding areas beginning Monday morning, with temperatures expected to soar as high as 106 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard.

Pasadena is expected to top out at 102 on Labor Day and 103 on Tuesday.

The advisory, issued early Saturday, warns of dangerously hot daytime conditions and warm overnight lows across much of Los Angeles County, including the San Gabriel Valley.

The alert is scheduled to remain in place from 10 a.m. Monday through 6 p.m. Tuesday, though forecasters noted it may be extended through Wednesday depending on evolving conditions.

The National Weather Service cautioned that high temperatures ranging from 96 to 106 degrees are likely across inland valleys and foothill communities, including Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, and La Cañada Flintridge.

The agency said that sensitive populations — including children, older adults, individuals without access to air conditioning, and those engaged in outdoor labor — face elevated risks of heat-related illness.

Friday, August 29, 2025

Gov. Newsom Signs Bill Authored by Pasadena Assemblymember to Protect Fire Survivors’ Insurance Payouts

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Gov. Gavin Newsom Friday signed legislation requiring lenders to pay homeowners interest on insurance proceeds held in escrow after property damage or loss.

Assembly Bill 439, known as the Disaster Interest Accrual Act, guarantees homeowners at least 2% annual interest on post-loss insurance payouts placed in escrow during rebuilding, which can take months or years.

“Homeowners rebuilding after a disaster need all the support they can get, including the interest earned on their insurance funds,” Newsom said in a statement. “I am proud to deliver this commonsense solution to ensure survivors receive every resource available to help them recover and rebuild.”

While California law has long required lenders to pay interest on escrowed funds for property taxes and insurance premiums, it did not extend to hazard insurance payouts — until now.

Assemblyman John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, who authored the bill, said the new law closes a loophole that allowed financial institutions to keep interest earned on disaster-related insurance funds.

Friday, August 29, 2025

Army Corps Completes Debris Removal From Eaton Fire in Altadena

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed final debris removal in Altadena and neighboring communities impacted by the Eaton Fire, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger announced Friday

The corps signed off at Eliot Arts Magnet School in Altadena, marking the completion of debris operations in Pasadena and Sierra Madre, according to Barger’s office. Restoration work will continue through the fall at the Altadena Golf Course, with a final handover to the county Department of Parks and Recreation expected by the end of the year.

“I thank the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their extraordinary service to the residents of Altadena and our region,” Barger said in a statement. “Their dedication and professionalism ensured that recovery efforts moved forward quickly and effectively.”

Barger said the county’s focus will now fully shift toward rebuilding. She pledged to continue monitoring progress and working alongside residents to support long-term recovery and restoration.

“Our residents deserve nothing less than a full and resilient recovery,”

Friday, August 29, 2025

Why California Backed Down From Forcing Landlords To Keep Residents Cool

By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, CALMATTERS

During the most recent heat wave in Los Angeles, Memphis Perez, his wife, three children and elderly mother crammed into a bedroom, the only room in their apartment with air conditioning. He paid for the air conditioner himself, but thinks his landlord should have provided one instead.

“It’s like being inside a toaster,” Perez said. Temperatures reached the upper nineties; it was sweltering for days. “It’s only fair for them to do their part and provide a survivable experience in an apartment,” he added.

But it is unlikely the state Legislature will make that happen this year, despite a report from the California Department of Housing and Community Development recommending that the state set a maximum indoor temperature standard of 82 degrees for all homes.

Sen. Henry Stern, a Los Angeles Democrat, authored a bill that would make it a state policy that residents must be afforded comfortable temperatures in the dwellings they rent.

Friday, August 29, 2025

A Young Senator Enters History with Crisis at Her Back

By EDDIE RIVERA

State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez ceremonially sworn in at PCC ceremony

Last Saturday morning, the freshly restored walls of Sexson Auditorium at Pasadena City College reverberated with applause, and cheers as hundreds of supporters and dignitaries gathered for the ceremonial swearing-in of Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, currently the youngest member of the California State Senate and already one of its most closely watched new voices.

The official oath had been administered months earlier in Sacramento, but the belated community celebration carried its own symbolism.

“Joy is what will sustain us,” said Juliana Serrano, the master of ceremonies, reminding the audience that Pérez’s first months in office coincided with catastrophe: the January Eaton Fire, which killed 19, leveled thousands of homes in Altadena and Pasadena, and displaced tens of thousands more.

“Managing a regional emergency would have been a challenge for any senior legislator,” Serrano said. “Yet as a freshman, Senator Pérez led like the professional that she is.”

As PCC President José Gómez reminded the audience,

Friday, August 29, 2025

CHP’s Annual Labor Day Weekend Crackdown Begins Friday

CITY NEWS SERVICE

California Highway Patrol officers will ramp up operations on highways and roads throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, and statewide, Friday to catch drunken and drug-impaired drivers — marking the start of the agency’s annual Labor Day weekend enforcement campaign.

The “maximum enforcement period” will get underway at 6 p.m. Friday and conclude at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

All available officers will deploy for targeted crackdowns.

“Every available officer will be on the road this Labor Day weekend with one mission: stop impaired drivers before they harm themselves or others,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said.

“If you choose to drive under the influence, expect to be stopped, arrested and held accountable. No excuses, no warnings. Lives are on the line.”

During the 2024 Labor Day weekend MEP, 1,140 motorists statewide were arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, compared to 1,064 during the 2023 Labor Day weekend campaign.

Friday, August 29, 2025

First Round of 2026 Rose Court Interviews Set for Sept. 6 at Tournament House

The Tournament of Roses will begin its selection process for the 2026 Rose Court with initial interviews scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 6 at Tournament House in Pasadena.

Prospective candidates will be interviewed between 10 a.m. and noon, with a second session from 1 to 4 p.m. at 391 S. Orange Grove Blvd. Applicants are advised to arrive early due to limited parking behind the venue; free street parking is available on Arbor Street.

The Sept. 6 interviews mark the first public step in the annual search for seven young women who will represent the Tournament of Roses at official events leading up to the 137th Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game.

The Rose Court members will be selected through multiple rounds of interviews conducted by the Queen and Court Committee. Each member will receive a $7,500 educational scholarship and serve as an ambassador for the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community and the greater Los Angeles area.

Twenty-five finalists will be invited to the Rose Court Announcement on Sept.