Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Pasadena, Regional Agencies Seize 10,000 Pounds of Illegal Fireworks Ahead of Fourth of July

By EDDIE RIVERA

Four arrested as investigators tie cache to a criminal street gang smuggling operation

Pasadena police and fire investigators, working with regional agencies, seized approximately 10,000 pounds of illegal explosive fireworks from a storefront on Whittier Boulevard in Los Angeles on Friday, June 19, and arrested four people in what officials called the largest illegal fireworks seizure ever recorded in the Pasadena area.

The cache — which investigators say was tied to a criminal street gang that smuggled the fireworks from Nevada — was intended for distribution across Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley cities and was intercepted just over two weeks before the Fourth of July, the Pasadena Police Department said.

Officials estimated the street value of the seized fireworks at more than $120,000.

Along with the fireworks, investigators recovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs), an unregistered firearm with high-capacity magazines, a large quantity of marijuana products, and documentation indicating the sale of illegal fireworks.

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Tax Audit Measure Qualifies for November Ballot

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Southern California voters will have a chance in November to weigh in on a proposed constitutional amendment that would require audits of programs funded by new state special taxes and restrict certain future tax increases.

Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber announced Tuesday that the initiative has gathered enough valid signatures to qualify for the Nov. 3 general election ballot.

Under the proposal, statewide special taxes approved after Jan. 1, 2026, would be subject to recurring audits, while special tax measures proposed through the initiative process would require a pre-election audit of programs slated to receive funding.

The measure would also prohibit new state taxes enacted after Jan. 1, 2026, from being excluded from California’s existing voter-approved state spending limit, including taxes appearing on the same ballot as the measure.

According to the Secretary of State’s office, the initiative needed 874,641 valid petition signatures to qualify. Election officials determined it exceeded the threshold through a random sampling process.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

City’s Minimum Wage Rate Increases to $18.57 Effective July 1

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

The city’s minimum wage will increase from $18.04 to $18.57 per hour for all businesses, regardless of size, effective Wednesday, July 1.

The City Council adopted the city’s minimum wage ordinance on March 14, 2016.

These rules were implemented prior to the State of California’s minimum wage legislation, and the state’s minimum wage requirements do not override the city’s ordinance.

The city’s minimum wage follows a distinct schedule that includes higher incremental increases.

After several planned annual adjustments, the Pasadena minimum wage is now updated each year based on changes in the Consumer Price Index.

This new rate will remain in effect until June 30, 2027, when the next adjustment will occur.

As of April 1, 2024, the State of California established a $20 per hour minimum wage for employees of “national fast-food chain” establishments.

This state requirement applies to all qualifying fast-food businesses operating within Pasadena and supersedes the city’s minimum wage when an employer meets the state’s definition of a national fast-food chain.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Twenty-Three Children Cross the Bridge to Kindergarten at Pasadena Nonprofit

They arrived as infants, carried through the doors of a Northwest Pasadena learning center by parents who were themselves looking for a new start. On June 18, 23 of those children — now four and five years old — walked across a symbolic bridge and into the next chapter of their lives.

The special graduation ceremony at Families Forward Learning Center featured a traditional Bridging Ceremony, a meaningful milestone symbolizing each child’s transition to kindergarten and the next stage of their educational journey. At FFLC, parents learn alongside their kids — attending English-language classes, parenting workshops, and adult education courses in the same building. The nonprofit has practiced this two-generation model since 1961, when it began as a small “Mothers’ Club” in Northwest Pasadena. It now serves low-income families in Pasadena and Altadena with children from birth to five years old, according to the organization.

This year’s theme, “Building a Brighter Future,” reflected the potential and opportunities that lie ahead for the graduating students, according to a press release from the organization.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Former Obama Speechwriter Brings His Surfing Memoir to Vroman’s

David Litt discusses a year and a half of learning to ride waves with a brother-in-law who is his political opposite

Former Obama speechwriter David Litt will discuss and sign his memoir about learning to surf Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Vroman’s Bookstore, the Colorado Boulevard shop the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce describes as Southern California’s oldest and largest independent bookstore.

The book, It’s Only Drowning, recounts how Litt took up surfing in his mid-30s with help from his brother-in-law, Matt Kappler — an electrician and Joe Rogan listener whom Litt describes as his cultural and political opposite. According to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, the memoir follows the pair from the Jersey Shore to California, Spain and Hawaii’s North Shore. The publisher lists the title as a national bestseller and a 2025 Booklist Editors’ Choice selection.

Litt joined the White House as a speechwriter in 2011 and left in 2016 as a senior presidential speechwriter to President Barack Obama.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

SUN Bucks Program Can Help Pasadena Area Families Keep Kids Fed This Summer

As summer arrives and school cafeterias are closed, many local families face a challenge: keeping children consistently fed and nourished while school is out. For households that rely on school meal programs during the academic year, the loss of those daily breakfasts and lunches can create a significant gap.

California’s Summer EBT program, also known as SUN Bucks, is designed to help bridge that gap and ensure children continue to have access to healthy food during the summer months.

The program provides $120 per eligible school-aged child to help families cover grocery costs during the summer when school meals are unavailable. Funds can be used at grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers markets and other retailers that accept SNAP benefits (CalFresh). Families can purchase everyday staples such as milk, bread, fruits, vegetables and healthy snacks to support a balanced diet.

Kaiser Permanente, whose Southern California Region is based in Pasadena, is helping raise awareness about Summer EBT as part of its Food Is Medicine strategy,

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Pasadena Sees Lessened Risk as Particle Pollution Advisory Extends to Tuesday

A regional particle pollution advisory remains in effect for Pasadena through 12:30 p.m. Tuesday as smoke from a large Boyle Heights structure fire continues to affect air quality, according to the South Coast AQMD.

The fire, which began around 2:30 p.m. on June 17, prompted the agency to extend its advisory as PM2.5 readings improved across Central and Southeast Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley and the San Fernando Valley beginning around 1:00 p.m. Sunday. AQI levels near the fire were still elevated, with Very Unhealthy conditions measured throughout the day in Boyle Heights. Other areas were Good to Moderate for PM2.5.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the incident is still evolving and continues to monitor the situation.

Residents should follow guidance from responding agencies. Smoke exposure may cause temporary irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Individuals experiencing severe or worsening symptoms — including difficulty breathing, chest pain or significant respiratory distress — should seek medical attention immediately.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Tournament of Roses’ First Openly Gay President to Speak at Pride Shabbat in Pasadena

By THERESE EDU

A displaced Jewish congregation will mark its second Pride Shabbat at First United Methodist Church on the 11th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling

The Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center will hold its second annual Pride Shabbat on Friday, June 26, in the borrowed sanctuary of First United Methodist Church — the same evening that marks the 11th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

The guest speaker at the post-service reception, called the oneg, will be Terry Madigan, the first openly gay president of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses in the organization’s 136-year history. Madigan also serves as treasurer of the San Gabriel Valley LGBTQ Center, according to JEDI Committee Chair Diane Burr.

The service, organized by PJTC’s JEDI (Jewish Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Committee, begins at 7:30 p.m., preceded by Shirah with Cantor Ruth Berman Harris at 7:20 p.m. First United Methodist Church is at 500 E.

Monday, June 22, 2026

High-Severity Wildfires Burn 30 Times More Area Than in 1985, UCLA Study Finds

CITY NEWS SERVICE

High-severity wildfires that kill large numbers of trees are now burning far more acreage in California than they did four decades ago, according to a UCLA study published Monday.

The study, appearing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the area burned by high-severity fires in California increased thirtyfold between 1985 and 2024, while overall forest acreage burned annually increased tenfold.

Researchers said severe fires, which often kill entire stands of trees rather than allowing forests to recover naturally, have overtaken lower- severity fires as the dominant type of forest fire in California.

“These high-severity, forest-replacing fires used to be uncommon, and now it’s the dominant fire type,” senior author Park Williams, a UCLA professor of geography, said in a statement. “Fire is a natural process that can be healthy for ecosystems, but most of California’s tree species have a difficult time coming back following fires that kill huge swaths of trees.”

Monday, June 22, 2026

LA County Approves $50.3B Budget for FY2026-27

By JOSE HERRERA, City News Service

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Monday unanimously approved a $50.3 billion spending plan for fiscal year 2026-27, representing an increase of $1.5 billion compared to the current budget.

The Board of Supervisors finalized the spending plan Monday during a special meeting, authorizing changes to what was initially a $47.9 billion budget proposal in April. The new fiscal year will begin July 1.

County officials said the increase was primarily the result of shifting $1.3 billion in special funds and other restricted funding, and nearly $900 million from the state for behavioral health services. Estimated tax revenue in the proposed budget remained unchanged, according to county CEO Joseph Nicchitta.

He noted there is no new local money in the final changes.

The spending plan accounts for a total of 115,683 budgeted positions compared to what was initially 115,885 positions, a net decrease of 202 positions. Nicchitta said those positions do not represent layoffs but rather a change in departmental operational needs.