Wednesday, April 1, 2026

‘Save Our Schools’ Rally Protests Possible PUSD Closures

By EDDIE RIVERA

Nearly 100 demonstrators line Del Mar Avenue as district budget crisis keeps several schools under consolidation review

Nearly 100 parents, students and community members gathered Tuesday afternoon outside Pasadena Unified School District headquarters, lining Del Mar Avenue under gray skies and the threat of rain, to protest the possible closure of several campuses amid the district’s ongoing budget crisis.

Organizers held up signs and chanted at the busy traffic, as motorists honked in approval. They described the “Save Our Schools” demonstration as a show of unity across multiple campuses still under consideration, as part of a PUSD consolidation process.

“I’m the president of the Marshall PTSA, and we’re organizing (this) rally to save schools in PUSD, all the schools in PUSD,” said Warren Bleeker, who helped coordinate the event.

The district has been grappling with a structural budget deficit that has forced officials to consider a range of cost-cutting measures, including school consolidation.

Wednesday, April 1, 2026

California Governor’s Race: See the Candidates’ Incomes and Tax Payments

We already knew that Democrat Tom Steyer, a billionaire running for California governor, is rich. But how rich?

In 2024, Steyer and his wife, Kat Taylor, reported a total income of $39 million, thanks to the duo’s massive investments in the global stock market. That’s more than all nine of his major opponents in the governor’s race and their partners made that year combined, according to their federal tax returns released this week.

A 2019 state law, designed to better inform California voters, requires candidates for governor to release their federal tax returns to qualify for the June primary ballot. Among major candidates, only Chad Bianco, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter and Tony Thurmond have already filed their 2025 tax returns.

Here are some highlights:

Income: $39 million in 2024, primarily from massive investments in the global stock market. They also made $6 million in passive income in Luxembourg, Netherlands, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands in 2024. They collected $38,000 in royalties from other properties and earned $23,000 from TomKat Ranch,

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Parents to Rally Outside Pasadena Unified Headquarters as Consolidation Committee Considers Second Vote

Campuses remain under review as advisory panel meets tonight with community opposition intensifying

Parents and community members opposed to public school closures will rally outside Pasadena Unified School District headquarters Tuesday afternoon, 30 minutes before the advisory committee reviewing more than a dozen campuses for possible closure or consolidation convenes for what could be its most consequential session yet.

The “Save Our Schools” rally, scheduled from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. on the sidewalk near the north parking lot at 351 S. Hudson Ave., precedes the fourth meeting of the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m. in Room 151 of the same building.

The committee’s agenda concludes with a second vote — listed as an “after meeting” item — on whether to remove additional schools from the review list, the committee’s most significant procedural step since its March 9 session, when members voted to take nine campuses off the list and left 14 under consideration.

The rally flyer,

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Supervisor Barger: More Than 1,025 Homes Are Under Construction Across the Eaton Fire Burn Area

Supervisor Barger’s latest recovery data shows construction accelerating — but insurance delays are keeping thousands of displaced residents on the sidelines

More than 1,025 homes are under construction across the Eaton Fire burn area, according to data released Tuesday by Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office. Another roughly 3,000 applications to rebuild have been filed, and approximately 2,000 building permits have been issued.

None of that, Barger said, tells the full story. More than 6,000 households lost homes when the fire tore through Altadena and surrounding communities in January 2025. Fifteen months later, only about half of those households have submitted applications to rebuild — a gap that Barger attributes not to permitting delays, but to insurance checks that have not arrived.

“The fact that only half of wildfire survivors have submitted applications makes clear that significant barriers remain, especially financial ones,” Barger said in the statement from her office. “Many impacted residents have taken no action to rebuild because they lack the capital to move forward — an issue exacerbated by delayed insurance payouts.”

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Pasadena Education Network to Honor Parent Volunteers at 20th Anniversary Event

The Pasadena Education Network will mark its 20th anniversary with a Wine & Spirits Tasting in Pasadena on April 19, an event that will recognize parent volunteers who support students across the Pasadena Unified School District.

The celebration is scheduled for Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Shakespeare Villa, 171 South Grand Ave., Pasadena. According to a statement from the Pasadena Education Network, three parent volunteers — Nate Bradley, Emily Mencken and Isis Moulden — will be honored for being role models for the kind of involvement that PEN advocates.

PEN will also present its Founders Award to Amelia Chapman for her commitment to PEN’s mission to promote family participation in public schools to benefit all students.

Guests will enjoy a variety of wines donated by Altadena Wine & Spirits, a Negroni Bar sponsored by Cocktail Cadre, food provided by Stems and desserts compliments of Nothing Bundt Cake. There will also be a silent auction.

Founded in 2006, PEN is a network of more than 2,000 parents who support and send their children to Pasadena Unified School District schools.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Big Tech Joins Big Oil As Big CA Politics Spenders

By Lynn La, CALMATTERS

Big Tech spent $39 million to influence state politics last year, making 2025 a blockbuster year of spending for Meta, Google and other technology companies that want to push their agenda to California officials.

As CalMatters’ Jeremia Kimelman explains, the upcoming election, disputes over artificial intelligence regulation and the growth of the cryptocurrency industry have prompted Big Tech to spend big bucks on political campaigns, donate to nonprofit organizations and hire lobbyists.

The $39 million makes the tech industry the top political spender in California, alongside the oil and gas industry, giving tech companies an outsized influence in Sacramento, critics say.

• Catherine Bracy, founder of the nonprofit TechEquity, which is in favor of AI regulation: “There’s a question of why (tech companies) have to spend so much money. And that’s because they’re on the wrong side of history, and people don’t like them very much.”

Since the current two-year legislative session began in December 2024,

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Tuesday, State Offices Observe Farmworkers Day Following César Chávez Holiday Change

CITY NEWS SERVICE

State departments and offices will be closed today, Tuesday, for Farmworkers Day after Pasadena Unified, LA County, and the city of Los Angeles closed Monday for the holiday.

The holiday previously honored César Chávez but was renamed and refocused after sexual abuse allegations against Chávez first surfaced publicly last week.

The Los Angeles Unified School District and the county Board of Supervisors approved the change last week, aligning with similar actions by state lawmakers and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who issued an executive order renaming the city’s observance.

County supervisors said the change was intended to shift the focus to the broader farm worker movement and its contributions, rather than a single individual.

“The abuses of one man should not diminish the extraordinary sacrifices and accomplishments of the farm worker movement, and renaming this holiday acknowledges that,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said last week.

“This past week has been heartbreaking for so many people on so many levels  for communities,

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Experts Discourage Buying Real Bunnies as Easter Gifts

By DAVID WEINER, City News Service

Animal rescue groups and shelter officials are urging people not to buy live rabbits or baby chickens as Easter gifts for children as Sunday’s holiday approaches.

Buying or adopting animals on a whim often leads to abandonment when the novelty wears off and families realize they’re not equipped to properly care for the pets. Instead of a live animal, rescue groups recommend buying a stuffed toy bunny or chocolate candy rabbit for kids’ Easter baskets.

“Every single year, we receive so many reports of people buying bunnies or chicks for Easter and discarding them once the novelty wears off,” Sarah McFarlane, faith outreach coordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, told City News Service. “Shelters are flooded with not only dogs and cats, but rabbits, who are the third most common pet in the shelters.

“Every time someone buys an animal from a breeder, a shelter animal loses a chance to find a loving home,”

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Analysis: Fire-Safe Homes Could Reduce Losses by One-Third in LA Fire Zones

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Rebuilding homes to fire-safe standards in areas burned by the Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires could reduce insurance losses by about one-third, according to an analysis cited Monday by consumer advocates backing proposed state legislation.

The analysis, released Friday by the California Department of Insurance and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, found that meeting wildfire safety standards for roughly 30,000 homes within the Eaton and Pacific Palisades burn areas would significantly cut average annual losses.

“As Los Angeles continues to rebuild, local leaders face a pivotal choice: reconstruct to the same standards that left communities vulnerable, or seize this moment to build back with proven, science-based protections that will safeguard lives, property, and insurance access for decades to come,” Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement Friday.

Consumer advocates said the findings support SB 1076, a bill that would require insurers to offer coverage to homeowners who meet state fire safety standards.

“The evidence is indisputable: If L.A.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Group Files Suit to Preserve LA County Criminal Justice Reform Measure

CITY NEWS SERVICE

An advocacy group filed a lawsuit Monday seeking a judicial declaration that voters’ approval of a Los Angeles County charter overhaul measure in 2024 did not inadvertently repeal a previous ballot item that required the county to annually set aside money for jail-diversion and other social service programs.

The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit by Californians United for a Responsible Budget seeks a judicial review and declaration that Measure J — approved by voters in November 2020 — remains in effect and enforceable, despite the 2024 approval of the Measure G charter-reform package.

Measure J requires the county to set aside 10% of its locally generated, unrestricted money and spend it on jail-diversion programs and other social services aimed at preventing people from landing behind bars. The funds were intended to be used on programs such as job training, business development, housing services and youth development.

But last year, county officials discovered that the measure was never codified in the county charter after it was approved by voters.