Monday, July 14, 2025

One-Click Charity Drives Friends In Deed’s Back-to-School Push for Educational Equity

Friends In Deed, a 131-year-old Pasadena nonprofit, is leveraging Amazon wishlists to accelerate community giving for its annual Back-to-School backpack and supply drive. The organization hopes to distribute 400 complete kits to students from local low-income families by August 9, with priority access for food pantry clients on August 2.

After launching their digital call for donations on June 10, Friends In Deed saw Amazon deliveries start to arrive within 24 hours—a shift Food Pantry Program Director Tim Nistler calls “pretty quick” and a rewarding indicator of strong community engagement.

The deadline for donating backpacks is August 1, while school supplies must be received by July 25, Nistler said.

Distribution will occur at 444 E. Washington Blvd. during the first two Saturdays in August, with Thursday, Friday and Saturday collection times available in July.

The dual-distribution model prioritizes food pantry families before opening to the broader public, a structure intended to balance accessibility with resource availability.

The nonprofit’s Amazon wishlist offers an immediate way for donors to contribute items such as sturdy backpacks,

Monday, July 14, 2025

“Fighting Back Against ICE” Talk Anchors Foothills Democrats’ July Gathering

The Pasadena Foothills Democrats will center their July 17 general meeting around a keynote address by Jose Madera titled “Fighting Back Against ICE.” The event, held at 505 Lakeview Road in Pasadena from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., is expected to draw local activists, residents, and officials concerned with immigration justice and enforcement reform.

Madera, director of the Pasadena Job Center and a representative of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), will speak at 7:55 p.m. on the impact of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in local communities. He will also represent the Immigration Justice Working Group of DSA–LA. A Q&A will follow his remarks.

Before the main program, a potluck social mixer will take place from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.

At 7:15 p.m., the general meeting will begin with sign-in, a land acknowledgment, and approval of June minutes and officer reports. Committee updates will be presented at 7:30 p.m., covering campaigns, legislation, and digital media efforts.

Members will consider several motions,

Sunday, July 13, 2025

California, Epicenter of the Nation’s Housing Crisis, is Finally Getting a Housing Agency

By Ben Christopher, CALMATTERS

After years of soaring rents, increasingly out-of-reach home prices and an enduring homelessness crisis that touches every corner of the state, California is finally creating a state agency exclusively focused on housing issues.

You might wonder what took so long.

Earlier this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced a proposal to split up the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency — an awkward grabbag of disparate bureaucratic operations — into two fresh agencies: One just for housing and homelessness-related departments and one for everything else.

The Legislature had until July 4 to veto the plan. It didn’t (though some Republicans tried). Now the work of standing up California’s first housing agency begins.

Supporters of the bureaucratic reshuffle say the move is long overdue. In surveys, Californians regularly name housing costs and homelessness as among the state’s top concerns. That alone warrants the creation of a new cabinet-level adviser to the governor,

Sunday, July 13, 2025

Rep. Judy Chu Honors San Gabriel Valley Leaders at Annual Awards Ceremony

Congresswoman Judy Chu recognized a slate of community leaders and organizations Saturday during the annual Congressional Leadership of the Year Awards Ceremony at the Arcadia Community Center, commending their service and impact across the San Gabriel Valley.

The July 12 event drew attendees from across California’s 28th Congressional District to celebrate honorees nominated by local residents. Nominations closed June 22, according to the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce. The awards spanned fields including government, education, activism and nonprofit service.

Recipients included:

• Building Bridges Award: Nic Arnzen, vice chair of the Altadena Town Council and chair of its Communications Committee, is also a commissioner on Los Angeles County’s first LGBTQ+ Commission. Arnzen, who was first elected in 2020 and is now serving his third term, lost his home during the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which destroyed nearly 90 percent of the census tract he represents.
• Businesspersons of the Year: Jason Kim and Johanna Quach, developer and store manager of Paris Baguette San Gabriel,

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Sen. Pérez Applauds Federal Court Ruling Limiting Immigration Raids, Introduces New Legislation

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) issued a statement Friday praising a federal court ruling that limits immigration enforcement actions in California’s Central District, calling the decision “a powerful statement against the Trump Administration.”

Pérez said federal attorneys failed to present compelling evidence justifying their immigration enforcement tactics, which she described as racially discriminatory.

“This is appalling to hear, but not surprising,” Pérez said.

The ruling was issued by U.S. District Court Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, whom Pérez commended for exposing what she called the “flimsy and discriminatory manner” in which federal immigration raids have been conducted.

Pérez said the judge’s decision would help curb aggressive enforcement actions in communities and workplaces.

Pérez also announced she is authoring Senate Bill 805, the No Vigilantes Act, which seeks to expand California’s police impersonation laws and establish new standards for law enforcement identification. The bill would:

• Require law enforcement operating in California to clearly display identification featuring either a name or badge number.

Saturday, July 12, 2025

County Health Leaders Condemn Federal Policy Denying Undocumented Access to Vital Services

Three Los Angeles County health officials on Friday sharply condemned a federal directive barring undocumented people in California from accessing federally funded health and social service programs, warning of sweeping threats to public health and community equity.

In a joint statement issued by Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Director of Public Health; Dr. Christina Ghaly, Director of Health Services; and Dr. Lisa Wong, Director of Mental Health Services, the officials described the policy change as deeply saddening and said it “threatens to undermine” the county’s mission of providing care for all residents.

“We are guided by the fundamental belief that health care is a human right,” the statement read. “We stand united in our commitment to ensuring that every person — regardless of immigration status — can seek the healthcare services they need without fear or barriers.”

The directive from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is expected to impact programs administered by county health departments, including physical and mental health care as well as substance use services.

Saturday, July 12, 2025

LA County Offers Virtual Workshop on Alternative Housing for Eaton Fire Survivors

Mobile homes, manufactured housing among options to speed rebuilding process

Los Angeles County officials will host a virtual workshop next week to help Eaton Fire survivors explore faster, more affordable rebuilding options.

The online event will focus on mobile homes, manufactured homes and factory-built housing as alternatives to traditional construction. In a statement, county Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said these options could help residents return home sooner.

“These alternative housing types offer residents a path to return home sooner while meeting modern safety and code requirements,” Barger said. “This is an essential opportunity for Eaton Fire survivors to learn about innovative and practical solutions for rebuilding.”

The workshop will feature experts from the California Department of Housing and Community Development, Los Angeles County Public Works and the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning.

Presenters will explain definitions, benefits and permitting requirements for each housing option. The session targets homeowners, designers and building professionals exploring rebuild strategies.

Friday, July 11, 2025

Federal Judge Halts Indiscriminate Immigration Stops, Orders Access to Lawyers for Detainees in Southern California

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

A federal judge on Friday granted two temporary restraining orders blocking the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from continuing immigration enforcement practices in Southern California that the court found likely violated the Constitution.

The rulings prohibit immigration agents from stopping individuals without reasonable suspicion and from relying on certain characteristics to justify enforcement actions, including race or ethnicity, speaking Spanish or accented English, being present at locations like bus stops or agricultural sites, or engaging in certain types of work.

In a separate order, the court also required U.S. Department of Homeland Security to allow detained individuals access to legal counsel every day of the week, including weekends and holidays, at the B-18 federal building in downtown Los Angeles.

The orders stem from a lawsuit filed earlier this month by Southern California residents, workers, and advocacy groups, alleging that U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents used unlawful tactics to detain people and held them under illegal conditions without access to attorneys.

Friday, July 11, 2025

In Fire-Scarred Dena, a Joyful Choice: Let’s Pause

Neighbors who became friends through disaster will gather Saturday for what organizers call ‘joy as resistance’

Near where emergency shelters once distributed blankets to wildfire evacuees, a DJ will spin records on Saturday afternoon. Six months after flames destroyed thousands of homes here, community groups are betting that Pasadena needs a pause, if only for a day.

“There were so many things going on, where people had to go get new clothes, get food, get this, get that, and it was very overwhelming, but there was no space to pause,” said Florence Annang, who helped organize the seven-hour Memorial Park celebration.

“In February, I had a conversation with Councilmember Tyron Hampton, and I said, ‘we need some joy.'”

The “Communities in Unity” event, running from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., was originally scheduled for June. It was postponed it when federal immigration agents began conducting raids in the neighborhood that week.

“Pasadena, you can shake it for a little minute,

Friday, July 11, 2025

Civil Rights Attorneys Argue for Restraining Order Halting ‘Roving’ Raids in Los Angeles Area

By FRED SHUSTER, City News Service

A Los Angeles federal judge said she will issue a ruling in the coming days, possibly as early as Friday, on a request by immigrant advocates for temporary restraining orders aimed at restricting the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from conducting immigration enforcement operations in the Los Angeles area including Pasadena, and she appeared to be leaning toward ordering that detainees be given access to lawyers and that immigration stops be allowed only when agents have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

Attorneys with Public Counsel and the American Civil Liberties Union are seeking orders aimed at ensuring people detained are given their legal right to meet with a lawyer, and also aimed at ending so-called “roving patrols” of agents they claim are detaining people without warrants or probable cause, but instead only on suspicion and people’s race or ethnicity.

Sean Skedzielewski, a government attorney, denied those accusations Thursday, saying DHS enforcement activities are based on proper evidence and the “totality of the circumstances.”