Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Caltech Research: Universal Voting-By-Mail Increases Voter Turnout for Both Major Parties

By Katie Neith, CALTECH

In recent years, voting by mail has been the subject of numerous lawsuits and attacks that often claim the process gives Democratic nominees and legislative bills an edge. But a recent Caltech study shows that sending ballots to all registered voters boosts turnout for both major parties. Co-authors R. Michael Alvarez, Caltech’s Flintridge Foundation Professor of Political and Computational Social Science and co-director of the Caltech/MIT Voting Technology Project, and Yimeng Li (PhD ’22), a former graduate student in Alvarez’s group, outlined their findings in a paper published in the Journal of Politics.

“We found a three to four percentage-point increase in turnout due to the policy,” says Li, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at Florida State University. “The impact was larger for partisan voters compared to nonparty affiliate voters but among partisan voters, we saw no evidence of Democrats getting an advantage, which has been a common narrative.”

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Expanded CalAssist Program Assists LA County Fire Survivors

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced that more than 1,000 Los Angeles-area firestorm survivors have received mortgage assistance through the state’s expanded CalAssist Mortgage Fund program.

According to the governor’s office, more than 1,100 disaster survivors have signed up for the program since it was expanded to provide up to $100,000 in mortgage payments over 12 months for homeowners recovering from disasters including the 2025 Los Angeles-area fires.

The CalAssist Mortgage Fund, administered by the California Housing Finance Agency, launched in June 2025 to provide direct mortgage assistance to homeowners whose primary residences were destroyed or severely damaged in qualifying disasters.

Under the expanded program, eligible homeowners can receive up to one year of mortgage payments made directly to mortgage servicers, a significant increase from the previous three-month benefit, officials said. The maximum benefit also increased from $20,000 to $100,000.

Assistance is available to homeowners who are current on payments, in forbearance or behind on their mortgages.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Local Synagogue’s Social Justice Committee to Host Immigration Panel on Sunday

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez and CHIRLA’s Angelica Salas are among four panelists; PJTC Senior Rabbi Joshua Ratner will moderate

The Social Justice Committee of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center will host an Immigration Panel and Discussion on Sunday, May 17, the committee said in materials released this week by its chair, Carl Selkin.

The four panelists are California State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Executive Director Angelica Salas, Julie Mitchell, and Rabbi Suzy Stone. Rabbi Joshua Ratner, the senior rabbi at Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center, will moderate.

Time and venue for the panel were not provided in the announcement materials, which directed prospective attendees to the Social Justice Committee for the RSVP link go register and get the informaton.

In its materials, the committee describes its mission as one of responding to societal conditions and contemporary issues based on traditional Jewish values and the prophetic admonition “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof — Justice,

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

PUSD Board Members’ Texts and Emails Under Scrutiny

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

A Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) spokesperson told Pasadena Now that the district is in receipt of several requests for information related to school consolidation.

“The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) is in the process of responding to several Public Records Act (PRA) requests for text and email communications, which relate to the issue of school consolidation,” said Hilda Hovarth Ramirez. “PUSD and its legal counsel are carefully analyzing the documents that are responsive to the PRA request to determine what, if any, next steps should be taken.”

The district has been discussing school closures for several months and although there have been no open Board discussions of which schools have been targeted for closure, a published report provided alleged emails between board members.

In those emails, board members spoke of closing Marshall, Don Benito, Blair High School, and San Rafael Elementary School.

It is unclear whether the board members violated the Ralph M.

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Sheriff’s Department Announces $212,000 in Relief Grants for Eaton Fire Survivors

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced Monday that $212,000 in grant funding has been distributed through the Altadena Eaton Fire Relief Fund to assist 212 survivors of the Eaton Fire as recovery efforts continue in the community.

According to the department, the funding was distributed April 27 through a partnership involving Altadena Forever Run co-chairs Ethan Marquez and Victoria Knapp, community members, and fire survivors committed to Altadena’s long-term recovery.

Sheriff’s officials said $148,000 of the total was raised through the inaugural Altadena Forever Run. That amount included about $102,000 from race entries and sponsorships, $17,000 donated during race registration checkout, and $29,000 in direct donations made through GoFundMe during open race registration.

“The Altadena Forever Run is a powerful reminder of what can happen when a community comes together with purpose,” Sheriff Robert G. Luna said in a statement. “These funds will go directly toward helping Eaton Fire survivors rebuild and recover.”

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Guest Opinion | Dr. Elizabeth Pomeroy: A Vision for PUSD

As I  consider the reconfiguring and possible closing of  PUSD schools, some concerns come to mind.  If education is learning to ask the right questions, let’s take that approach to these tough decisions.

I am writing from the experience of 13 years on the PUSD Board of Education, during which time we voted to close 6 elementary schools and one middle school.  Not long before I joined the Board, 4 other elementary schools were closed.  These closings are part of the District’s history and must be considered in future planning.  So, to the questions:

What became of the vacant campuses after students were gone?   Of the 10 elementaries, 4 became charter schools, one was leased to a private school, 3 had combined charter and PUSD uses, one was leased to the City of Pasadena, and one is being planned for PUSD staff housing.  The middle school combines charter and PUSD uses.

Does closing campuses save PUSD money?  The District’s consultants in this matter estimate that closing a campus saves about $500,000 per year.  

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Frozen Creator and Pasadena-Trained Illustrator Bring New Graphic Novel to Vroman’s

Jennifer Lee and LeUyen Pham discuss and sign As I Dream of You tonight, joined by Eisner-winning collaborator Gene Luen Yang

LeUyen Pham arrived in Pasadena decades ago as a young art student from Southern California, a scholarship winner at Art Center College of Design with 140 published books still ahead of her. Tonight she returns to the city where her career began — this time alongside the woman who wrote Frozen.

Pham and Jennifer Lee, the Academy Award-winning writer and director of Disney’s Frozen and Frozen 2, will discuss and sign their new young adult graphic novel, As I Dream of You, at Vroman’s Bookstore at 7 p.m. The conversation will be moderated by Gene Luen Yang, the MacArthur Fellow and National Book Award finalist who previously collaborated with Pham on the three-time Eisner Award-winning Lunar New Year Love Story.

The book, published May 5 by First Second Books,

Monday, May 11, 2026

Registrar Urges Displaced Fire Survivors to Update Their Voter Registration With a Temporary Mailing Address by May 18

County registrar urges Eaton Fire voters still in temporary housing to update their registration by May 18 or risk missing the June primary

Vote-by-mail ballots for the June 2 California primary began arriving in Pasadena and Altadena mailboxes last week after the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office started mailing them on April 30, according to an announcement from the office of Registrar Dean C. Logan. Every registered voter in the county receives one. But the county does not forward ballots. They go to the address on file — and for displaced residents whose registered address is a lot scraped to bare soil, the ballot could have nowhere to land.

The Registrar’s office is urging fire survivors to update their voter registration with a temporary mailing address by May 18, the last day to register and receive a ballot by mail. Voters who miss the deadline can still cast ballots in person at Vote Centers, which open May 23, or use same-day registration through Election Day.

Monday, May 11, 2026

County Supervisors Agenda Includes Eaton Fire Recovery Actions, Affordable Housing Projects Near Pasadena Area

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is scheduled to consider several Eaton Fire recovery-related measures, affordable housing projects in nearby unincorporated communities and a proposed crackdown on illegal street takeovers, according to the Board agenda posted May 6.

The meeting is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, in Board Hearing Room 381B at the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 W. Temple St., Los Angeles.

Several agenda items focus on continuing recovery operations tied to the January 2025 Windstorm and Critical Eaton Fire Events.

One item would continue emergency authority allowing county officials to bypass standard competitive bidding requirements for certain emergency contracts related to cleanup, reconstruction and infrastructure recovery associated with the fires.

A separate Public Works Department item would similarly continue emergency contracting authority for repair and replacement of public facilities damaged during the fires.

The agenda also includes a scheduled report from the county’s Chief Sustainability Officer regarding the Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire-Safe Recovery,

Monday, May 11, 2026

School Board Member Says Community Engagement Will Take Place on Eliot Tower

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

[UPDATED] A school board member told Pasadena Now that additional assessments of the Eliot tower will be conducted and the community will have its say on the matter before a final decision is made.

“The evaluations so far by DSA (Division of the State Architect) and structural engineers have determined that the tower is not stable or safe,” said Board Member Jennifer Hall Lee. “Additional assessments of the tower will be conducted. There will be full engagement of the community before any actions are taken. As an Altadenan I understand the devastation of our community and that Eliot is Altadena’s iconic building.”

According to media reports, Altadena Town Council Vice Chair Milissa Marona said Blanco told a land use committee the school district had consulted insurance and engineering firms and believed the tower could not safely remain.

According to those reports, Marona said future plans did not include Building A or the tower,