Friday, June 13, 2025

California Investigates State Farm Over Claims From Los Angeles Fires

By Levi Sumagaysay, CALMATTERS

California’s Insurance Department has launched a formal investigation into State Farm over its handling of claims from the Los Angeles County fires.

The investigation, expected to take months, will allow for a more comprehensive regulatory review, the department said in a press release today. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in the release that the review will help determine whether State Farm has complied with the state’s consumer-protection and claims-handling laws.

“No one should be left in uncertainty, forced to fight for what they are owed, or face endless delays that often lead consumers to give up,” Lara said.

Survivors of the January fires and lawmakers who represent them had urged the commissioner to open the investigation into the state’s largest provider of property insurance.

Residents of Pasadena and Altadena have complained about delays in payments; being assigned multiple claims adjusters; having to fight to be reimbursed for smoke damage; and more.

Friday, June 13, 2025

Pasadena Unified Urges Community Safey and Preparedness as Immigration Crisis Grows

District repeats court order requirements and visitor protocols while providing family preparedness resources

The Pasadena Unified School District on Thursday reiterated that it maintains comprehensive safety measures restricting immigration enforcement access to school campuses in response to recent federal immigration enforcement activities in the region.

“Our top priority is the safety and well-being of children in our schools, their families, our employees, and our broader community,” Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco wrote in a June 12 letter to the District community. “At Pasadena Unified School District, we are committed to maintaining environments of calm routine for children in our schools, where the focus is on learning, joy, and community.”

The District requires all law enforcement personnel, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, to check in through designated single entry points at all preschool through 12th-grade campuses. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will not be permitted on school grounds without a lawfully executed court order,

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Fire-Affected Tenants To Receive Free Legal Help At Altadena Clinic

Workshop and attorney consultations scheduled for Monday to address post-fire housing issues

Tenants affected by the Eaton Fire will receive free legal assistance at a clinic Monday, June 16, organized by local housing advocacy groups.

The Altadena Tenants Union will co-host the event with the Pasadena Tenants Union and Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County. The clinic runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

A tenants’ rights workshop will be held from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by individual legal consultations with pro bono attorneys from until 8 p.m.

Slots for the free one-on-one consultations with attorneys will be available to discuss individual situations. The clinic will help tenants with various post-fire legal issues, including recovering security deposits, pushing landlords to remediate, obtaining relocation assistance and other tenant-related problems.

Tenants can register for individual consultations online and must indicate their preferred time and provide contact information. Neighborhood Legal Services will reach out to conduct an intake beforehand.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Albertsons, Pavilions, Ralphs and Vons Workers Authorize Strike

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Workers at Albertsons, Pavilions, Ralphs and Vons grocery stores will begin preparations Thursday for a possible strike.

Members of Local 770 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union will participate in sign-making sessions and conduct picket captain meetings at union headquarters in Koreatown, according to the union.

The union representing approximately 45,000 workers at the four stores in Southern California announced Wednesday that its members had voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike.

“Our message is clear: We are fed up with these corporations’ union- busting tactics designed to intimidate us and prevent us from getting the fair contract that we’ve earned and deserve,” according to a statement from the Bargaining Committee of Locals 324 and 770 of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

“For four months, we’ve negotiated with Kroger and Albertsons, offering solutions to the staff shortage crisis that hurts store operations, working conditions, and customer service. The companies have dismissed our proposals and claimed that our concerns were `anecdotal’,

Thursday, June 12, 2025

California Launches $20,000 Mortgage Relief Program For Disaster Victims Today

Applications open today for homeowners displaced by fires, floods and other qualified disasters since 2023

California launches the CalAssist Mortgage Fund on Thursday, June 12, to provide emergency financial assistance to homeowners whose properties were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by natural disasters. The program offers grants of up to $20,000 to help eligible residents cover up to three months of mortgage payments following disasters that occurred between January 1, 2023, and January 8, 2025, including the Eaton fire.

Eligible homeowners can receive grants without repayment obligation. Applying is free. The program targets residents whose primary residences were destroyed or left uninhabitable due to significant property damage from qualified disasters.

To qualify, applicants must meet program income limits that vary by County, maintain a mortgage or reverse mortgage, and own a single-family home, condominium, or permanently affixed manufactured home. Properties may include up to four units.

Funds are limited, and homeowners should prepare to apply now. Applications will be reviewed in submission order,

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Life-Threatening Meals: Restaurants Would Identify Food Allergens For Diners Under This Proposed Law

By Kristen Hwang, CALMATTERS

If Kim Nickols eats dairy, peanuts or wheat, her blood pressure drops and she loses consciousness.

When Amy Lewis touches shellfish, hives erupt on her body and her throat swells.

And if Addie Lao consumes even small amounts of dairy, nuts or sesame, she vomits for hours.

Suffering severe, life-threatening food allergies, all three avoid eating in restaurants because the risk of exposure to an allergen is too great.

In an effort to help the estimated 4 million Californians who suffer food allergies, state legislators are now considering a bill that would require restaurants to identify allergens on their menu. The legislation made it through the state Senate with a 32-0 vote and now is under consideration by the Assembly.

Introduced by Sen. Caroline Menjivar, the measure would require restaurants to notify customers when a menu item contains any of the nine federally defined major allergens: milk,

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Altadena Seniors Affected By Eaton Fire Eligible For $15,000 Emergency Assistance

Community fund offers bridge payments to homeowners 65 and older who lost homes in wildfire

Altadena homeowners aged 65 and older who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire can receive $15,000 in emergency financial assistance through a new community fund.

The Altadena Community Preservation Fund is accepting applications for one-time bridge payments designed to support immediate and mid-term needs for qualifying seniors. Assistance will be distributed until funds are exhausted.

To qualify, homeowners must have experienced total loss during the Eaton Fire and lived within U.S. Census Tracts 4602, 4603.01, 4603.02 and 4610. Applicants must be at least 65 years old and either uninsured or underinsured, including those covered by the California FAIR Plan.

Homeowners can determine their census tract by visiting altadenatowncouncil.org.

Eligible seniors can apply online at forwardplatform.com/altadena-community-preservation-fund or scan a QR code provided in program materials. Those needing assistance with applications should call (855) 582-3973.

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Pasadena Urges Calm Amid Regional ICE Raids and Unrest; City Reaffirms Commitment to Civil Rights

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

As federal immigration raids and resulting protests roiled Los Angeles, Pasadena officials urged calm on Wednesday following a weekend demonstration at a local hotel.

“We at the City of Pasadena are deeply saddened and concerned by the events that have taken place in the region over the past several days surrounding the federal government’s immigration enforcement activities and the unrest that has taken place in downtown Los Angeles and in other locations.”

The statement comes ahead of planned events in the city. Local leaders are encouraging all events to remain peaceful.

“We are aware of planned gatherings here in Pasadena in the coming days,” the statement said. “We want to assure you that the city respects everyone’s First Amendment right to peaceful protest.?However, anyone taking advantage of these situations to commit crimes in our City will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.?”

The Police Department will be monitoring gatherings to ensure public safety and the protection of property.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

LA County Offers Free Blood Lead Testing For Wildfire Survivors on Friday

STAFF REPORT

Health safety initiative addresses post-fire exposure concerns at Altadena location

Los Angeles County is providing free blood lead testing for wildfire survivors as part of a health safety initiative addressing post-fire exposure concerns.

The testing aims to help residents who may have been affected by the devastating wildfires that struck the region earlier this year.

According to a June 11 report in the Los Angeles Times,

Free blood lead testing will be available for wildfire survivors at the Altadena Community Center, located at 730 East Altadena Drive.

The testing event is scheduled for Friday, June 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This health safety initiative represents part of ongoing efforts to address potential exposure concerns that may have resulted from wildfire-related contamination.

The testing is specifically designed for wildfire survivors who may have concerns about lead exposure following the fires.

The Altadena Community Center location provides a convenient and accessible venue for residents in the affected area to receive this important health screening.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025

Pasadena School District Faces $110 Million Budget Crisis Over Next Three Years

The Pasadena Unified School District is confronting a severe financial crisis with projected operating deficits totaling more than $110 million over the next three years, threatening the district’s fiscal sustainability and likely triggering a downgrade in its financial status.

“This is a very serious fiscal situation,” Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco wrote in an email letter sent to the community Tuesday.

“We want to be clear: without significant changes, without additional reductions even larger than those recently implemented, our financial trajectory is unsustainable.”

Dr. Blanco said District projections show operating deficits of $37.9 million in 2025-26, $36.7 million in 2026-27, and $36.1 million in 2027-28, with a projected negative ending balance of $78 million by the 2027-28 fiscal year.

The district will present its first budget overview at Thursday’s Board of Education meeting, with final budget adoption scheduled for June 26.

The Los Angeles County Office of Education is expected to issue a letter of concern, and while the district “may not be officially assigned a certification at budget adoption,”