Thursday, June 19, 2025

Pasadena Assemblymember Launches Audit of LA Wildfire Response

STAFF REPORT

Assemblymember Harabedian seeks accountability after fires killed thirty, destroyed 18,000 buildings

A California assemblymember has initiated a state audit of prevention and response efforts related to the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that killed 30 people and destroyed more than 18,000 buildings in Los Angeles County.

Assemblymember John Harabedian, a Pasadena Democrat who chairs the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, announced the audit request has been approved and will be conducted by the California State Auditor.

“Eighteen of my neighbors lost their lives in Altadena and countless more had their livelihoods upended in the Los Angeles Fires,” Harabedian said. “They and their families deserve the truth about what happened.”

The audit will examine multiple aspects of the fire response, including identifying destroyed homes, death locations and impacts on vulnerable populations. It will analyze the timeline of the fires, evacuation orders and emergency responses to assess whether systems functioned properly and in a timely manner.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Leader of Local Day Laborer Coalition Says ICE Agents Aren’t Respecting Rule of Law

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

After immigration agents detained six people and allegedly brandished a gun on a bystander, the leader of a local day laborer coalition told Pasadena Now that the law enforcement officials carrying out immigration raids are not respecting the rule of law.

“They’re not even respecting the US Constitution,” said Jose Madera, director of the Pasadena Community Job Center. “That’s the terror that people are living with right now.”

The six people detained were waiting at a bus stop on Orange Grove Avenue near Los Robles Boulevard early Wednesday when agents approached and began chasing people.

Activists held a vigil at that location at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

The congresswoman represents parts of Los Angeles County including Pasadena, where some of the people were detained today.

ICE operations in the district have raised concerns about potential violations of law enforcement protocols. Congresswoman Chu said video footage suggests agents may have committed serious legal violations during the raids.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Juneteenth Closures: What’s Open and Closed in Los Angeles County

City of Pasadena departments and services remain open as usual, but PUSD is closed

Los Angeles County residents will experience a mix of closures and continued services today for Juneteenth, with government offices, banks, and courts shutting down while most private businesses remain open.

All City of Pasadena departments and services operate as usual. However, the Pasadena Unified School District observes Juneteenth as an official holiday, meaning all district offices are closed and no regular school activities are taking place Summer school programs are also affected by the Juneteenth holiday closure

Federal and county services will see service interruptions. All Los Angeles County offices are closed, with emergency filings available from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Vital Records Headquarters Office. County libraries and some community centers are also closed for the holiday.

Major banks, including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and TD Bank, will be closed. However, online banking services and ATMs will continue to operate normally.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

LA County Supervisors to Review Sewer Fees, Garbage Rates, and Community Investment Plan

Countywide meeting will address critical infrastructure, emergency response, and community funding efforts

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will convene a public hearing on Tuesday, June 24, at 9:30 a.m. to address a series of critical financial and infrastructure decisions affecting residents across the county.

The meeting’s most significant discussions will center on proposed increases in sewer and garbage collection service fees. The Athens/Woodcrest/Olivita Garbage Disposal District is proposing a rate increase, escalating from $177 to $225 per refuse unit in Fiscal Year 2025-26, with further increments planned through Fiscal Year 2029-30 up to $392 per refuse unit.

The Lennox Garbage Disposal District seeks similar rate adjustments, proposing to raise fees from $545 to $572 per refuse unit, with planned increases to $671 per refuse unit by Fiscal Year 2029-30.

A comprehensive public hearing will also review the Sewer Service Charge Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26, which includes proposed ordinance amendments for the Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District and Marina Sewer Maintenance District.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Local Elected Officials Denied Access to LA Detention Center After ICE Arrests in Pasadena

The trio had sought to check on constituents arrested during early morning raids in Pasadena

Federal immigration authorities denied three elected officials access to a Los Angeles detention center Wednesday where they sought to check on constituents arrested during early morning raids in Pasadena, despite laws guaranteeing congressional oversight of such facilities, according to the officials.

Congresswoman Judy Chu, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez attempted to visit the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon following Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that resulted in at least six arrests.

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo told Pasadena Now’s Eddie Rivera that ICE agents denied the trio access to the facility.

The denial comes despite federal law under P.L. 118-47 that guarantees Members of Congress access to Department of Homeland Security facilities for oversight purposes without prior notice.

ICE agents detained six people at a bus stop near Orange Grove Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena at approximately 6:30 a.m.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

New Study By Pasadena Research Institute Uncovers Hidden Heart Risks from Vaping

How Nicotine Harms Young Hearts — and What Might Stop It

As youth vaping surges during the summer months, researchers at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) in Pasadena have uncovered a surprising new danger: Nicotine may be quietly damaging the heart, not just the lungs. A newly published study reveals how the substance found in both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes triggers harmful cellular changes in the heart—and points to promising paths for treatment.

The study, led by Dr. Khaja Shameem Mohammed Abdul, a postdoctoral research scholar in HMRI’s Cardiovascular Signaling Laboratory, appears in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. It details how nicotine activates a stress pathway in heart cells, causing a spike in a protein called PHLPP1. This surge increases oxidative stress—a toxic process that can impair energy production, damage heart cells, and even lead to cell death.

“While many people associate vaping with lung damage or addiction,” said Dr. Mohammed Abdul, “our research shows that nicotine also stresses the heart at a cellular level.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Pasadena Immigration Enforcement Raids Draw Condemnation from State Senator

Sen. Pérez demands answers after federal agents detain people at bus stop

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez condemned federal immigration enforcement actions that took place Wednesday morning in Pasadena, where agents detained people at a bus stop.

The Democratic senator, who represents Pasadena, issued a statement criticizing what she described as “The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions this morning in Pasadena paint another troubling picture of unidentifiable federal agents terrorizing and snatching vulnerable people off the street.”

“All indications show these raids targeted decent, hard-working community members at a bus stop who are simply trying to make a living and support their families,” Pérez said in the statement.

The senator said she has contacted federal agencies seeking information about the status of those detained and questioning the agents’ conduct.

“I want to know the status of the people detained this morning, and why the agents are conducting themselves like kidnappers,” Pérez said.

She plans to visit a detention center Wednesday alongside Rep.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Pasadena Schools Assign Additional Staff After Reports of ICE Activity

District says all students safe as police monitor situation near campuses

The Pasadena Unified School District assigned additional staff to several campuses Wednesday after community reports of ICE activity near schools.

Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said all students and employees remained safe as the district immediately coordinated with city police to monitor the situation. Schools operated normally throughout the day.

“Our team continues to be present at school sites and found them calm, secure, and operating smoothly,” Blanco wrote in a letter to the Pasadena Unified School District community.

The district assigned additional staff to support several campuses Wednesday and planned continued support in coming days. City of Pasadena police were closely monitoring the situation at and around school sites.

Front office teams are trained and ready to follow established safety procedures, Blanco said.

Summer programs, food distribution services and after-school activities continued as scheduled. The district also reached out to all summer programs, including community partners on campuses,

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Witnesses Say ICE Agents Detained Six People in Pasadena Wednesday Morning

STAFF REPORT

[Developing story] According to witnesses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took six people into custody outside of a Winchells Donut House at the intersection of Orange Grove Blvd. and Los Robles Ave. shortly before 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Pasadena Now has reached out to the Pasadena Police Department and City Hall officials and so far has not received an official statement. ICE does not routinely immediately confirm enforcement actions.

One witness told Pasadena Now that some of the people were waiting at a bus stop when they were detained.

Witnesses said ICE agents returned to the location a second time shortly before 9 a.m.

A video of the event provided by an onlooker shows two cars approach the bus stop. Immediately afterwards two men flee the bus stop and are pursued by what appears to be ICE agents.

In the video, the pursuers appear to ignore an African-American man at the bus stop.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Pasadena-Area Congresswoman Leads Delegation to Investigate ICE Facility Conditions

Local lawmakers report overcrowding, detainee mistreatment at Adelanto Center

Congresswoman Judy Chu of Pasadena led a congressional delegation Tuesday that gained access to the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center, uncovering what lawmakers describe as alarming detention conditions.

The Adelanto ICE Processing Center is a privately-operated immigration detention facility located in Adelanto, California, near Victorville. It is operated by the GEO Group under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Chu, representing California’s 28th Congressional District which includes Altadena and Pasadena, was joined by four other California representatives in conducting congressional oversight at the facility. The lawmakers found the center, which housed 300 individuals last month, is now at full capacity with 1,100 detainees.

“While I’m relieved that we were ultimately allowed into the Adelanto facility, as is our legal right as Members of Congress, this visit only reinforced how much work remains,” Chu said. “The conditions many of these people are facing are inhumane. The detainees told me that they have gone days without changing their clothes,