Thursday, July 23, 2026

Pasadena Congresswoman Judy Chu Votes No on Defense Bill

Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), whose 28th Congressional District covers Pasadena, Altadena and much of the west San Gabriel Valley, voted Wednesday against the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, the annual bill that sets Pentagon policy and spending levels.

The House passed the measure, H.R. 8800, by a vote of 216 to 212, according to the official House Clerk roll call, and the bill now moves to the Senate.

Passage came a day after House leaders revived the legislation under a new procedural rule; an earlier attempt to bring it to the floor had collapsed in late June, leaving the bill stalled for roughly three weeks.

Chu was among the members who voted against the final passage. The measure carries a topline of roughly $1.15 trillion, a figure set during committee work earlier this year.

In a statement released by her office, Chu said she opposed the bill on three grounds: its overall level of defense spending, its relationship to U.S.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Public Cooling Center To Stay Open Through Sunday Night

The City of Pasadena will operate the Jackie Robinson Community Center as a cooling center through Sunday, as a National Weather Service heat advisory covers much of Los Angeles County.

The center, at 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave. in northwest Pasadena, gives residents an air-conditioned place to escape the heat. Forecasters have warned that the heat poses a high risk of illness for older adults, young children and people without air conditioning.

The city said the cooling center will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, July 23 to 24, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for much of Los Angeles County beginning Wednesday morning, with highs of 88 to 96 degrees common in inland-coast areas, including Downtown Los Angeles, and overnight temperatures expected to bring less relief than usual.

Local public health officials have urged residents to stay hydrated and cool,

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Heat Advisory in Effect for Pasadena and Altadena Through Monday

Pasadena and Altadena residents are being urged to take precautions against dangerous heat as a Heat Advisory remains in effect across the region through Monday, July 27

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said unusually warm overnight conditions are expected to accompany the daytime heat, offering less relief than usual, through Monday.

Taking precautions is the most important way to prevent heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke and heat cramps, as well as heat-related death, the department said.

“Heat causes more deaths in the U.S. annually than floods, storms, and lightning combined. Those most likely to get ill during the heat include older adults, young children, outdoor workers, athletes, and individuals with chronic medical conditions,” said Muntu Davis, MD, MPH, the Los Angeles County Health Officer, in the release.

“Remember, your safety and the safety of others is crucial during extreme heat conditions. If you or someone around you experiences symptoms of heat stroke or heat exhaustion,

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Eaton Fire Survivors to Launch Postcard Campaign Pressing Newsom on Wildfire Liability

Organizers say a Friday press conference at an Altadena recovery hub will open DearNewsom.org and push for liability reforms to be debated openly rather than in last-minute deals

More than eighteen months after the Eaton Fire, hundreds of Eaton Fire survivors plan to gather Friday in Altadena and hand-write postcards to the governor.

The postcards will launch DearNewsom.org, a campaign the survivors are opening alongside elected officials, consumer advocates, civil rights organizations, labor leaders and community groups, according to a media advisory from the Every Fire Survivor’s Network.

Organizers say they are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers to protect survivors and to take up wildfire-liability reforms through the ordinary legislative process rather than through last-minute, end-of-session deals.

The gathering is set for The Collaboratory, a fire-recovery hub at 540 West Woodbury Road, the advisory says. 

Speakers listed in the advisory are Joy Chen, executive director of the Every Fire Survivor’s Network; state Sen.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

For His Eagle Project, a Pasadena Scout Gives Back to a Church That Helped Fire Survivors

THERESE EDU

Destin Cleveland restriped both parking lots at Victory Bible Church, a Pasadena relief hub after the Eaton Fire

For months after the Eaton Fire, families who had lost nearly everything pulled into the parking lots at Victory Bible Church for food, water and a moment of calm. This past week, a teenager raised in that Pasadena congregation repainted those same lots — faded lines and worn handicap markings made new — a quiet thank-you to the place that had supported and steadied his neighbors when so much else was gone.

The work was Destin Cleveland’s Eagle Scout service project, the capstone every Scout must plan and lead to earn Scouting’s highest rank. What started as a fix for faded parking lines grew into something larger in a community still rebuilding: a young man giving back to the church that had opened its doors to fire-displaced families, and pulling in two Scout troops, a crew of parent volunteers and a roster of local businesses to do it.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Heat Wave Grips Pasadena as Triple-Digit Highs Persist Through Weekend

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

A prolonged heat wave will keep Pasadena under triple-digit temperatures through the weekend, forecasters said Thursday, with little relief overnight.

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard reported highs near 99 degrees Thursday, climbing to about 100 degrees Friday and Saturday. Overnight lows will remain in the upper 60s to around 70 degrees, limiting recovery from daytime heat.

Thursday’s conditions include sunny skies and calm winds shifting to a southwest breeze near 5 mph in the afternoon. Similar patterns are expected Friday and Saturday, with light winds and mostly clear skies.

Forecasters said temperatures will ease slightly Sunday and Monday, with highs near 96 degrees, before dropping closer to 93 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday. Despite the modest cooling, readings will remain above seasonal averages.

No rain is forecast for Pasadena during this period. Winds will stay light, generally calm in the mornings and shifting to gentle south or southwest breezes in the afternoons.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Four Myths About Insurance In California

By Levi Sumagaysay, CALMATTERS

Many Californians have seen rising costs, less availability and are running into other issues with insurance — including delays and denials of their claims — in the past several years.

As climate change increases the risk of wildfires and other disasters, it’s important to know how insurance plays a role. The health of the insurance market affects the ability of individuals and communities to replace, rebuild and recover after a catastrophe.

Disasters aside, property insurance affects where people live, how neighborhoods are formed, whether people can drive to work, and more.

As the state’s residents prepare to vote for a new insurance commissioner in November, here’s a look at a few common myths about insurance in California.

FACT: Almost everyone needs insurance, including landlords, renters and small business owners. Anyone who drives needs auto insurance.

About 44% of the state’s residents do not own their homes,

Thursday, July 23, 2026

9th Circuit, in Case Argued in Pasadena, Rules Child Who Turns 21 During Appeal Can No Longer Prevent Parent’s Deportation

The unanimous decision, filed Wednesday, was argued at the court’s West Pasadena courthouse

A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel that heard the case at its Pasadena courthouse ruled Wednesday that a person who turns 21 while a parent’s appeal is pending before the Board of Immigration Appeals, or BIA, can no longer count as the “child” whose hardship supports the parent’s application for cancellation of removal.

The unanimous decision in Cruz Torres-Casas v. Todd Blanche means immigration authorities must assess whether an applicant has a qualifying relative when the agency issues its final decision, not only when an immigration judge first rules.

The panel also upheld the agency’s conclusion that Torres-Casas had not shown the required level of hardship to his remaining qualifying relatives.

Torres-Casas was represented by the Vejar Law Firm in San Dimas, in the San Gabriel Valley, and the three-judge panel heard arguments earlier at the 9th Circuit’s Richard H. Chambers Courthouse in Pasadena.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Metro Touts Ridership Gains, Olympic Preparations as Bass Takes Gavel

By JOSE HERRERA, City News Service

Outgoing Metro Board Chair Fernando Dutra formally presented Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with a ceremonial gavel Wednesday, as she takes the helm of the regional transportation agency for the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Bass, who will chair Metro’s Board of Directors for a second term, shared her vision during the annual State of the Agency address at Union Station, outlining her four priorities: safety, affordability, reliability and readiness.

“That is our north star because a region where transit is safe, affordable, reliable and ready means every Angeleno can get around without a car. To every community it means expanded opportunities and a stronger local economy. It means cleaner air and a real answer to the climate crisis,” she said.

“Public transit, quite literally, is one of the most powerful tools to change and improve the quality of life, and that’s what we’re building,” she added.

Bass spoke as work continues to get the agency’s in-house Department of Public Safety up and running,

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Local Election Notice: Candidate Filing Period Opened July 13

Notice has been given for the Pasadena Unified School District’s General Election for Board of Education Members to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 for Geographic Sub-Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7. Nomination papers for candidates seeking these Board Member seats are available during the period of July 13 through Aug. 7, 2026, in the Office of the City Clerk, 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S228, Pasadena. Candidates may receive and circulate nomination petitions to gather signatures of registered voters in order to have their names placed on the November 3rd ballot for Members of the Board of Education serving Geographic Sub-Districts 1, 3, 5, and 7, each for a full four-year term for each office.

The official nomination period opened on Monday, July 13 and will close at 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 7, 2026 for School District elections. The City Clerk’s Office is issuing nomination papers during that period to qualified candidates that are registered to vote and reside within the respective Board of Education district being sought.