Sunday, January 4, 2026

Radio Station Will Broadcast 3-Hour Live Local Show to Mark Eaton Fire Anniversary

KBLA Talk 1580 will broadcast live on Wednesday, Jan. 7, to mark the first anniversary of the Eaton Fire in a three-hour event scheduled from 6 to 9 a.m. from Perry’s Joint, 2041 Lincoln Avenue in Pasadena.

KBLA Talk 1580 and the show’s sponsor, LA Fire Justice, said in an advisory that the event will “celebrate the heroes who answered the call” and “honor the resilience of neighbors determined to rebuild together.”

The broadcast will be hosted by Dominique DiPrima, of “First Things First” on KBLA Talk 1580, and James Farr, of “Conversation Live: Altadena Rising.”

Scheduled guests include Chris Holden, former Pasadena mayor and current CEO of LA Fire Justice; Heavenly Hughes, executive director of My Tribe Rise; Pastor Jonathan DeCuir of Victory Bible Church; Brandon Lamar, founder of Project Passion; and Perry Bennett of Perry’s Joint Cafe.

The advisory also lists a number of Altadena residents as show guests: Zaire Calvin, Jarvis Emmerson, Martin Gordon, Diane Lewis, Dr. Eshele Williams,

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Sunday’s Altadena Forever Run Prompts Multiple Street Closures Across Altadena

Sunday’s inaugural Altadena Forever Run will bring widespread road closures and possible traffic delays across the foothill community as organizers prepare for a commemorative event marking the upcoming first anniversary of the Eaton Fire.

The multi-tier run, scheduled for Jan. 4, was organized through a collaboration involving the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Athletic Association, the Altadena Sheriff’s Station and the Sheriff’s Support Group of Altadena.

A series of complete closures were to take effect at 6 a.m. and remain in place until noon, including Mariposa Street between Ganesha and Glen avenues, Mendocino Street between Allen and El Molino avenues, Altadena Drive between Lake and Allen avenues, and Ventura Street between Fair Oaks Avenue and Glen Avenue. No crossing will be permitted during the closure window.

Major north–south corridors will also be affected. Fair Oaks Avenue from Ventura Street to Altadena Drive and Lake Avenue from Mendocino Street to Altadena Drive are expected to experience heavy congestion, according to the event’s road-impact table. Glen Avenue,

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Pasadena’s Congressional Representatives Condemn Trump’s Actions in Venezuela

Congresswoman Judy Chu and Senator Adam Schiff, who both represent Pasadena in Congress, reacted swiftly on Saturday to condemn President Donald Trump’s January 3, 2026 military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Chu issued her statement on X Saturday afternoon, criticizing Trump for launching the operation “without any explanation to the American people and without authorization from Congress.”

Chu said “Americans do not want another foreign regime change war launched in secret and without accountability,” and warned that Trump was “setting an example to the world that it is acceptable for countries to unilaterally overthrow sovereign leaders.”

She added that “Congress must rein in this administration and stop it from dragging our country into another endless, unauthorized war.”

Schiff, in a statement released Jan. 3 through his Senate office, called Maduro “a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela,” but said that “starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution,

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Tuesday Rally Opposing U.S. Action in Venezuela Planned for Pasadena

A rally in Pasadena in response to U.S. military action in Venezuela is planned for Tuesday, Jan. 6.

The event is tentatively scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Lake Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Alta-Pasadena and Rooted in Resistance SGV reportedly are lead organizers .

Rooted in Resistance SGV has a planning meeting set for Monday, Jan. 5, at 6:30 p.m. at artWORKS, t 2914 East Walnut Street in Pasadena to finalize logistics.

The rally would follow the announcement on Saturday of U.S. military strikes and land operations in Venezuela, including the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

A nationwide “Emergency Response” network involving activist organizations Indivisible, MoveOn and 50501 activated the same day, with protests held Jan. 3 and planned for Jan. 4 in Santa Fe, San Francisco and Indianapolis.

The report states that activists have pivoted previously planned Jan. 6 “Defend Democracy” events toward the Venezuela intervention, with similar Jan. 6 demonstrations planned for other cities,

Saturday, January 3, 2026

More Rain All Weekend

CITY NEWS SERVICE, NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE and PASADENA NOW

National Weather Service predicts new storm front to arrive this afternoon

The latest in a series of winter storms arriving in force Saturday afternoon prompted evacuation warnings near the Eaton Fire burn scars in Altadena and portions of Pasadena.

One day after record rains pounded some Southland areas — putting a damper on the Rose Parade — the National Weather Service on Friday predicted a storm front arriving in the Southland early Saturday afternoon. 

It was expected to bring rains totaling one to two inches, along with gusty winds, to Los Angeles County. Temperatures were expected to oscillate between the 50s and 60s.

Forecasters said the initial estimate is a quarter- to half-inch per hour with isolated rates up to .75 of an inch during the most intense storm period Saturday. Thunderstorm potential looked minimal, they said.

As always, the rainy forecast brought concerns of potential flooding,

Friday, January 2, 2026

Altadena Homes Face Lingering Indoor Smoke Hazards After Wildfires, Newly-Published UCLA Study Finds

BASED ON A STORY BY CITY NEWS SERVICE

Homes in the Altadena-Pasadena foothills continued to pose air?quality risks long after the January 2025 wildfires were extinguished, with some residents potentially exposed to elevated levels of carcinogenic pollutants after returning, according to a UCLA study released Friday.

Researchers with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health found that in some homes within burn zones, levels of certain volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, were higher during the post?fire recovery period than while the fires were actively burning.

The study, published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters, examined indoor and outdoor air quality during and after the January 2025 wildfires in the Pacific Palisades-Malibu area and the Altadena-Pasadena foothills.

The findings suggest that smoke?impacted building materials and household items continued releasing harmful pollutants over time.

“These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to minimize indoor exposures during the recovery phase,” Dr. Michael Jerrett, a professor of environmental health sciences at UCLA Fielding and a co?author of the study,

Friday, January 2, 2026

Low Numbers of Arrests, Medical Calls at Rose Parade and Bowl Game Continue Recent Trends

Public safety officials reported a low number of arrests and medical emergencies at the 2026 Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game, continuing a multi-year trend of minimal incidents at the New Year’s Day events, according to a city spokesperson.

Pasadena Police made three arrests, while the Pasadena Fire Department handled a handful of minor medical calls during the 137th Rose Parade and 112th Rose Bowl Game.

The figures stand in stark contrast to historical data from pre-pandemic years when the number of incidents was significantly higher.

“Overall, nothing significant and numbers are low for the thousands of Parade viewers and participants, Game attendees and tourists in town,” Pasadena Chief Communications Officer Lisa Derderian said in a statement released Friday.

The Rose Bowl said 90,278 spectators attended the bowl game on Jan. 1.

Police arrested one man for assault with a deadly weapon at 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, alleging he struck a victim with a metal chair following an argument.

Friday, January 2, 2026

After Hours in the Sky and Scrapped Parade Flyover, B-2 Crew Waited—and Finally Got Their Moment

The stealth bomber was already deep into a 15-hour mission when rain and clouds canceled the Rose Parade flyover. The pilots stayed airborne anyway

Somewhere over the western United States on New Year’s morning, two Air Force pilots sat in the cockpit of a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, hours into a mission that had begun in the darkness over Missouri, watching the clock tick toward 8:00 a.m. Rose Parade stepoff.

They had already completed multiple mid-air refueling operations—maneuvering their angular, bat-winged aircraft into position behind a tanker at altitude, a task their commander calls “the most challenging kind of hands-on flying event that we do in the B-2.”

Four thousand airmen across 15 squadrons at Whiteman Air Force Base had contributed to the mission that put them in position. The parade route was ready, under low clouds and steady rain. The television cameras were in place. Millions awaited.

But then came the word: Stand down. The clouds were too low.

Friday, January 2, 2026

California’s Budget Outlook is Grim. Here’s What You Need to Know

By Yue Stella Yu, CALMATTERS

Gov. Gavin Newsom opened this year with a rosy forecast: Buoyed by $17 billion more in revenue than previously planned, the state would have a modest surplus of $363 million for fiscal year 2025-26, he told reporters in January.

But life turns on a dime.

The January wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles forced the state to spend billions in disaster aid and delay tax filings for LA residents. The cost of Medi-Cal, the state-run health insurance program for low-income residents, ballooned to $6 billion more than anticipated. President Donald Trump’s on-again-off-again tariff policies rocked the stock market, which California heavily relies on for tax revenue. And the state lodged a flurry of lawsuits against the Trump administration over its threat to withhold federal funding for food assistance, disaster recovery and other grants.

By May, Newsom no longer predicted a modest surplus, but a $12 billion deficit.

Thursday, January 1, 2026

2025 In Review: Devastating Fires, Federal Pushback, and Contentious Climate Compromises

By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, CALMATTERS

Days after 2025 began, two fires scorched through Los Angeles neighborhoods, the most destructive in California’s history. The Eaton and Pacific Palisades fires also renewed attention to issues such as utility oversight, insurance coverage, and the broader challenges of wildfire planning in a changing climate. And their harms rippled outward, leaving thousands of low-income workers and immigrants without jobs. 

But California found pushing its climate agenda forward to be an uphill battle this year: Ambitious climate goals faced  a hostile federal government economic pressures.

Anticipating opposition from President Donald Trump, state leaders chose to abandon important clean-air rules before he even took office, including plans to phase out diesel trucks and transition to cleaner trains. Nearing mid-year, Trump and his allies in Congress blocked the state’s clean-car mandate, a blow to emissions reduction plans.

Nevertheless,