Sunday, January 25, 2026

Kaiser Permanente Nurses Strike Set for Monday Morning

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Thousands of Kaiser Permanente nurses and health care workers in the Los Angeles area are expected to be part of a 31,000-person unfair labor practices strike at facilities in California and Hawaii starting Monday.

Members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals and promise to stay out until a fair contract agreement is reached. UNAC/UHCP members include registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, midwives, physician assistants, rehab therapists, speech language pathologists, dietitians and other specialty health care professionals.

The strike was set to begin at 7 a.m. Monday, local time.

Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California regional headquarters is located in Pasadena.

“We’re not going on strike to make noise,” said Charmaine S. Morales, RN, president of UNAC/UHCP. “We’re striking because Kaiser has committed serious unfair labor practices and because Kaiser refuses to bargain in good faith over staffing that protects patients, workload standards that stop moral injury and the respect and dignity that Kaiser caregivers have been denied for far too long.

Saturday, January 24, 2026

Pasadena Church Hosts Three Immigration Actions in Three Days

All Saints offers solidarity rally, allyship workshop, and patrol training as federal enforcement intensifies

All Saints Church is hosting three immigration-focused community events over three consecutive days, offering Pasadena residents a range of ways to respond to intensified federal immigration enforcement.

The first event was a solidarity rally Friday in downtown Los Angeles, explicitly supporting Minneapolis faith leaders who have been organizing protests since an ICE agent fatally shot a citizen observer on January 7.

The second, a Sunday, January 25 workshop at the church, will address practical allyship for community members.

The third, a Monday, January 26 training session, will teach attendees how to conduct community patrols to monitor for ICE activity.

On Sunday at 9:00 a.m., the church’s Immigration Task Force will lead “Faith & Formation: Immigration and Allyship” in Sweetland Hall. The workshop, held in collaboration with the Immigration Resource Center, will address “what it looks like to be in solidarity with our community and neighbors,

Saturday, January 24, 2026

Hundreds of Volunteers to Beautify Pasadena Elementary School Saturday for MLK Day of Service

City Year Los Angeles brings corporate sponsors, state assemblymember to Title I school where 90 percent of students are economically disadvantaged

Hundreds of AmeriCorps members and community volunteers are expected at a James Madison Elementary School gathering Saturday to beautify the campus as part of the national MLK Day of Service.

The project, organized by City Year Los Angeles, brings corporate sponsors including Los Angeles Football Club, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and The Starbucks Foundation to a Title I school where 90 percent of students come from economically disadvantaged families. Assemblymember John Harabedian, who represents Pasadena in the California State Assembly, and Principal Elisa Perez will participate alongside the volunteers.

City Year Los Angeles is an AmeriCorps program that deploys young adults to schools across the region. More than 260 AmeriCorps members serve as tutors and mentors in Los Angeles schools each year, and the organization has been conducting school beautification projects for nearly two decades.

“Hosting this service day is more than just beautifying a campus — it’s about restoring a sense of belonging and hope,”

Saturday, January 24, 2026

Kaiser Permanente Lab Scientists, Technicians Authorize Strike

CITY NEWS SERVICE

United Food and Commercial Workers locals representing Kaiser Permanente clinical lab scientists and medical lab technicians in Los Angeles, Orange and four other Southern California counties announced Friday their members had voted overwhelmingly to authorize their bargaining team to call an unfair labor practice strike.

Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California regional headquarters is here in Pasadena.

“This vote sends a strong message to Kaiser: We’ve had enough of their union-busting tactics that undermine workers and silence our voices. They need to stop delaying, stop attempting to divide the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, and get back to negotiating a fair contract,” according to a statement from The UFCW Locals 324, 770, and 1428 Bargaining Committee.

There was no reply to an email sent Friday night to Kaiser Permanente seeking a response.

A strike authorization vote does not necessarily mean there will be a strike.

Kaiser Permanente workers in Southern California are seeking “safe staffing and sustainable workloads”

Friday, January 23, 2026

December Unemployment Rates Decrease in Los Angeles County

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased over the month to 5.6% in December, below the rate of 6.1% a year ago, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.5% in December, down from 5.6% in November, and the same as a year ago in December 2024.

The comparable estimates for the nation were 4.4% in December, 4.5% in November, and 4.1% a year ago.

Between November and December, total nonfarm employment in Los Angeles County decreased by 3,400 to 4.65 million jobs.

In Los Angeles County, trade, transportation and utilities led the five industry sectors that gained jobs over the month, adding 4,700 payroll positions. Gains were made in retail trade, wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities. The retail trade gains were mainly in clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, and jewelry retailers, and general merchandise retailers.

Private education and health services employment fell by 4,300 jobs,

Friday, January 23, 2026

Pasadena Unified Opens Applications for School Consolidation Advisory Committee

Feb. 9 deadline set as district reviews enrollment and potential campus changes

The Pasadena Unified School District is looking for community members to serve on the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee, a key part of the district’s review of enrollment trends and potential campus consolidations.

The committee was authorized under Board Resolution 2852: Establishing Optimal School Sizes, which the Board approved in December as part of a broader “transformation process” to evaluate school closures or consolidations beginning in the 2027–28 school year.

Those interested must submit an application by Monday, Feb. 9, at 5 p.m. through the district’s online form at https://forms.gle/QiDvht1gdZEfCiCn7.

The resolution sets minimum enrollment thresholds of 300 students for elementary schools, 400 for middle schools, and 900 for high schools. Campuses falling below those levels will be studied, with recommendations due to the Board in October.

District officials said the advisory group will assist with enrollment review and provide input as the planning process moves forward.

Friday, January 23, 2026

Free Food Carts Available for Altadena Street Vendors Under New $2.8 Million County Program

Vendors in unincorporated areas can apply now; City of Pasadena operates under separate regulations

Street food vendors operating in Altadena and other unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County can now apply to receive a free, health-code-compliant vending cart through a $2.8 million program launched January 12 by LA County and the City of Los Angeles.

The Sidewalk Vending Cart Program will distribute more than 280 carts to eligible vendors at no cost, according to a press release from the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity. The initiative addresses a significant barrier many low-income vendors face: the cost of equipment that meets state health standards, which can run into thousands of dollars.

Altadena, as an unincorporated community, falls under LA County’s jurisdiction and is eligible for the program. Vendors operating within the City of Pasadena are not eligible, as Pasadena has its own public health department with separate permitting requirements.

“This program is about more than equipment, it is about economic equity,”

Friday, January 23, 2026

Board of Education Approves School Consolidation Planning, Calling It a “Transformation Process”

Advisory committee applications due February 9; final decisions on closures expected by June

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted Thursday night to launch a formal planning process that could lead to some school campus closures, as the District races to satisfy County officials who have demanded proof by March that budget cuts are being implemented.

The vote puts into motion Resolution 2852, which the Board passed in December after a contentious debate and sets minimum enrollment thresholds for all schools: 300 students for elementary campuses, 400 for middle schools, and 900 for high schools. Schools that fall below those thresholds will be studied for potential closure or consolidation, with recommendations due to the Board by October.

“The presentation and Board action marks the beginning of a thoughtful and inclusive process, not a predetermined outcome,” Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement.

The District contracted with Total School Solutions, a Fairfield-based consulting firm, to guide the formation of the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee.

Friday, January 23, 2026

Pasadena Police Assist in Multi-Agency Probe That Identifies Eight Suspects in International Jewelry Theft Ring

BASED on Story by CITY NEWS SERVICE

A month-long investigation involving Pasadena police helped lead to the arrests of two suspects and the identification of six others allegedly tied to a transnational theft ring targeting jewelry and high-end clothing stores across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, Los Angeles police announced Thursday.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division led the investigation with assistance from Wilshire Division detectives and multiple partner agencies, including the Pasadena, Glendale, and Arcadia police departments, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Jewelers Security Alliance. The probe resulted in the arrests of Constantin Totoi, 38, and European Muntaneu, 40, according to an LAPD statement. Names are CQ, according to the LAPD.

The LAPD said a search warrant was served in connection with a grand theft incident that occurred in Rampart Division on Dec. 16, 2025. A news segment that aired the following day generated investigative leads and prompted the coordinated,

Friday, January 23, 2026

Altadena Revealed: Historic Craftsman Home Gets a Second Life After Fire

A 1910 residence saved from demolition becomes a symbol of post-fire community resilience

A 1910 Craftsman-style home that survived demolition twice now represents Altadena’s post-fire recovery. The Duntley-Blackburn Residence, originally built for realtor G.M. Duntley, was recently relocated to a fire-ravaged plot in Altadena as part of an ambitious historic preservation initiative, eight decades after its first life-saving move.

The home’s remarkable journey will be explored Friday, January 30 at seven p.m. at Altadena Main Library. Architectural historian Graham Larkin will speak on “Itinerant Craftsman: Lessons from the Duntley-Blackburn Residence” as part of the monthly Altadena Revealed Lecture Series.

The house’s earlier relocation became the stuff of Hollywood legend. In 1948, owner Alice Blackburn threw a party inside the home as it was being moved three miles from East Hollywood to Los Feliz to make way for the Hollywood Freeway. The guest list included celebrities Doris Day, Betty Hutton and Dorothy Lamour, who danced and drank inside by candlelight. Life magazine covered the event.