Thursday, June 19, 2025

New Study By Pasadena Research Institute Uncovers Hidden Heart Risks from Vaping

How Nicotine Harms Young Hearts — and What Might Stop It

As youth vaping surges during the summer months, researchers at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) in Pasadena have uncovered a surprising new danger: Nicotine may be quietly damaging the heart, not just the lungs. A newly published study reveals how the substance found in both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes triggers harmful cellular changes in the heart—and points to promising paths for treatment.

The study, led by Dr. Khaja Shameem Mohammed Abdul, a postdoctoral research scholar in HMRI’s Cardiovascular Signaling Laboratory, appears in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. It details how nicotine activates a stress pathway in heart cells, causing a spike in a protein called PHLPP1. This surge increases oxidative stress—a toxic process that can impair energy production, damage heart cells, and even lead to cell death.

“While many people associate vaping with lung damage or addiction,” said Dr. Mohammed Abdul, “our research shows that nicotine also stresses the heart at a cellular level.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Pasadena Immigration Enforcement Raids Draw Condemnation from State Senator

Sen. Pérez demands answers after federal agents detain people at bus stop

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez condemned federal immigration enforcement actions that took place Wednesday morning in Pasadena, where agents detained people at a bus stop.

The Democratic senator, who represents Pasadena, issued a statement criticizing what she described as “The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions this morning in Pasadena paint another troubling picture of unidentifiable federal agents terrorizing and snatching vulnerable people off the street.”

“All indications show these raids targeted decent, hard-working community members at a bus stop who are simply trying to make a living and support their families,” Pérez said in the statement.

The senator said she has contacted federal agencies seeking information about the status of those detained and questioning the agents’ conduct.

“I want to know the status of the people detained this morning, and why the agents are conducting themselves like kidnappers,” Pérez said.

She plans to visit a detention center Wednesday alongside Rep.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Pasadena Schools Assign Additional Staff After Reports of ICE Activity

District says all students safe as police monitor situation near campuses

The Pasadena Unified School District assigned additional staff to several campuses Wednesday after community reports of ICE activity near schools.

Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said all students and employees remained safe as the district immediately coordinated with city police to monitor the situation. Schools operated normally throughout the day.

“Our team continues to be present at school sites and found them calm, secure, and operating smoothly,” Blanco wrote in a letter to the Pasadena Unified School District community.

The district assigned additional staff to support several campuses Wednesday and planned continued support in coming days. City of Pasadena police were closely monitoring the situation at and around school sites.

Front office teams are trained and ready to follow established safety procedures, Blanco said.

Summer programs, food distribution services and after-school activities continued as scheduled. The district also reached out to all summer programs, including community partners on campuses,

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Witnesses Say ICE Agents Detained Six People in Pasadena Wednesday Morning

STAFF REPORT

[Developing story] According to witnesses, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took six people into custody outside of a Winchells Donut House at the intersection of Orange Grove Blvd. and Los Robles Ave. shortly before 6 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Pasadena Now has reached out to the Pasadena Police Department and City Hall officials and so far has not received an official statement. ICE does not routinely immediately confirm enforcement actions.

One witness told Pasadena Now that some of the people were waiting at a bus stop when they were detained.

Witnesses said ICE agents returned to the location a second time shortly before 9 a.m.

A video of the event provided by an onlooker shows two cars approach the bus stop. Immediately afterwards two men flee the bus stop and are pursued by what appears to be ICE agents.

In the video, the pursuers appear to ignore an African-American man at the bus stop.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Pasadena-Area Congresswoman Leads Delegation to Investigate ICE Facility Conditions

Local lawmakers report overcrowding, detainee mistreatment at Adelanto Center

Congresswoman Judy Chu of Pasadena led a congressional delegation Tuesday that gained access to the Adelanto Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center, uncovering what lawmakers describe as alarming detention conditions.

The Adelanto ICE Processing Center is a privately-operated immigration detention facility located in Adelanto, California, near Victorville. It is operated by the GEO Group under contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Chu, representing California’s 28th Congressional District which includes Altadena and Pasadena, was joined by four other California representatives in conducting congressional oversight at the facility. The lawmakers found the center, which housed 300 individuals last month, is now at full capacity with 1,100 detainees.

“While I’m relieved that we were ultimately allowed into the Adelanto facility, as is our legal right as Members of Congress, this visit only reinforced how much work remains,” Chu said. “The conditions many of these people are facing are inhumane. The detainees told me that they have gone days without changing their clothes,

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Los Angeles County Seeks Public Input on Deputy Gangs

Residents urged to share experiences with Sheriff’s Department groups

Los Angeles County residents can now report their experiences with alleged deputy gangs through an online survey open through July 15.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission is collecting first-hand accounts about interactions with deputies believed to be part of deputy gang groups within the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Deputy gangs and cliques have existed within the Sheriff’s Department for decades, according to the Commission statement. These groups are characterized by conduct including potential law violations, excessive force, and threats to the public or fellow law enforcement personnel.

In February, the commission developed 27 recommendations to address deputy gangs, which the Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted in March. The board directed the commission to compile community experiences with these groups.

Beyond the online survey, the commission will host a virtual Community Listening Session on July 10 to collect additional feedback.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Altadena Business Expo Seeks Resource Partners to Help With Wildfire Recovery Expo

STAFF REPORT

The Altadena Chamber of Commerce is seeking resource partners for a business expo designed to help small business owners recover from the 2025 wildfires.

The Rebuilding Altadena Business Expo will take place July 12 from 11:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Altadena Library, according to a letter from chamber president Judy Matthews. The event aims to provide critical resources and recovery guidance to local entrepreneurs working to rebuild their businesses.

Organizations can apply to participate as resource partners by Sunday, June 30. The chamber is seeking partners who can offer support in areas including access to capital, insurance claims assistance, business continuity planning and workforce recovery.

“We expect a strong turnout of small business owners from Altadena and nearby areas who are seeking assistance during this critical recovery period,” Matthews wrote in the invitation letter.

The expo is co-organized by the Altadena Chamber of Commerce and Operation HOPE. It will be held at the Altadena Library in Altadena.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Los Angeles County Supervisors Approve Permit Fee Relief for Wildfire Survivors

STAFF REPORT

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion Tuesday to defer and refund permitting and inspection fees for homeowners affected by the Eaton and Palisades Fires.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s motion provides immediate financial relief to residents whose properties were destroyed in fires that struck in January.

Eligible homeowners rebuilding single-family homes will have permitting and inspection fees immediately deferred. The county will also issue refunds to those who have already paid fees for qualifying rebuild projects.

To qualify, homeowners must have owned and resided in the property prior to the fires. County permit fees can exceed $20,000, presenting a significant financial barrier for survivors already struggling with insurance claims and rebuilding efforts.

A report estimated that waiving rebuilding and inspection fees for the Eaton Fire alone could cost up to $120 million.

“Families who lost everything in these devastating wildfires deserve every opportunity to rebuild without being burdened by County fees,”

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

LA County Supervisors Look to Assess Economic Impacts of Immigration Raids

By ANUSHA SHANKAR, City News Service

Amid stepped-up federal immigrant enforcement in the area, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday calling for a study of the raids’ economic impact on small businesses.

Intensified raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have prompted daily protests in the streets of downtown Los Angeles and other L.A. County sites that have occasionally turned violent and destructive over the past week. That led President Donald Trump to deploy the California National Guard and the U.S. Marines to the area, over the objections of local elected officials.

According to the motion by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, the ICE raids have been removing people from workplaces, “leaving their families unaware and waiting for them to return home after a day at work.”

At a news briefing Tuesday morning, Solis said, “These raids are targeted at our immigrant neighbors, including finding people in parking lots, Home Depot, grocery stores,

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Fire Victims Sue State Farm Over ‘Grossly Underinsured’ Homes

Lawsuit claims California’s largest home insurer deliberately set replacement costs far below actual rebuilding expenses

Six couples and one individual who lost their homes in the devastating Los Angeles fires filed a lawsuit Monday against State Farm, alleging the insurance giant deliberately left them “grossly underinsured.”

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, targets State Farm General Insurance Company, claiming it systematically underestimated rebuilding costs to maximize profits while leaving fire victims without adequate resources to rebuild.

“State Farm, California’s largest home insurer, has engaged in a ‘multi-faceted illegal scheme’ that is designed to ‘reap enormous illicit profits by deceptively misleading over a million homeowners in California,'” the complaint alleges, according to The Spokesman-Review.

The lawsuit represents seven households from three communities devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires: four from Altadena, two from Pacific Palisades and one from Sierra Madre, according to Yahoo News.

Some homeowners were underinsured by more than $2 million when their properties were destroyed,