Monday, February 9, 2026

Pharmacy and Lab Workers Join Kaiser Permanente Strike as Nurses Enter Third Week

STAFF REPORT

More than 4,000 UFCW members walk off the job Monday at the Pasadena-headquartered health care system

More than 4,000 pharmacy and laboratory workers began an open-ended strike against Kaiser Permanente on Monday, February 9, joining approximately 31,000 nurses and health care professionals who have been on strike since January 26 at the health care system whose Southern California regional headquarters is in Pasadena.

The walkout by members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union expands the work stoppage at Kaiser Permanente, which manages its Southern California operations from 393 E. Walnut St. in the Pasadena Civic Center and serves 4.9 million members in the region. The unions say Kaiser has committed unfair labor practices by refusing to bargain in good faith. Kaiser, in a statement issued Sunday from its Pasadena headquarters, called the strikes “unnecessary, disruptive for our members and patients, and counterproductive to reaching a contract agreement.”

UFCW members walked off the job at 7 a.m.

Monday, February 9, 2026

California Union Pushes Work-from-Home Bill As Newsom Calls State Employees Back to the Office

By Yue Stella Yu, CALMATTERS

One of California’s larger public employee unions is pushing legislation to make remote work a permanent option for state workers as the clock ticks down on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s July 1 mandate for most employees to be in the office four days a week.

The measure, authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee, a Milpitas Democrat, would require state agencies to offer work-from-home options “to the fullest extent possible” and provide written justifications when they require employees to work in person, according to a press release from the Professional Engineers in California Government. The union represents more than 15,000 state engineers who mostly work for Caltrans and in environmental agencies.

The bill would also require the state to establish a dashboard to document the annual savings as a result of remote work. The Department of General Services, which manages contracts and real estate for the state government, published that information until ending the practice in 2024.

Monday, February 9, 2026

Year of the Horse Celebrations Gallop Into 59 LA County Parks Starting Feb. 12

Altadena’s Loma Alta Park is among free countywide Lunar New Year sites offering cultural performances, crafts, and food

[Updated] This article has been corrected from an earlier version that incorrectly listed Farnsworth Park, Altadena, as the event location. The Lunar New Year celebration will be held at Loma Alta Park, located at 3330 Lincoln Avenue, Altadena, CA 91001.]

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation will host free Lunar New Year celebrations at 59 parks across the county from February 12 through 28, the department announced in a press release.

Loma Alta Park in Altadena is among the participating sites, according to the department’s website, offering Pasadena and Altadena residents a nearby venue for the annual cultural celebration.

The Lunar New Year officially begins February 17, ushering in the Year of the Horse on the Chinese zodiac calendar.

Events countywide are expected to feature lion and dragon dances, cultural music and dance performances, interactive arts and crafts,

Monday, February 9, 2026

L.A. County Rent Relief Program Reopens Monday, Now Lets Tenants Apply Directly

Eaton Fire survivors and residents facing emergency hardship can seek grants of up to $15,000 for past-due rent

Tenants who owe back rent because of the Eaton Fire or other emergency financial hardships can begin applying directly to Los Angeles County’s Emergency Rent Relief Program on Monday — a change from the program’s first round, when only landlords could submit applications.

The expansion, announced by the county last week, opens a path for displaced Altadena residents and others across L.A. County who have fallen behind on rent, mortgage payments, or utility costs. The program provides grants of up to $15,000 per rental unit, covering up to six months of debt. Applications open at 9 a.m. Monday at LACountyRentRelief.com and close March 11 at 4:59 p.m.

The program is administered by the county Department of Consumer and Business Affairs in partnership with The Center by Lendistry and is directed by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, according to county press releases.

Monday, February 9, 2026

Pasadena Temple Commissions Artist Who Lost Her Work in the Eaton Fire to Lead Community Mural

Miki Yokoyama invites fire-affected neighbors to paint alongside her three days a week on the temple grounds

An artist who lost her home and nearly her entire body of work in the Eaton Fire is now leading a community mural project at the Pasadena Buddhist Temple, where anyone affected by the blaze can pick up a brush and help paint. 

The temple commissioned Miki Yokoyama, a self-taught artist who had lived in Altadena for 13 years before the fire destroyed her family’s home in January 2025, according to a report in the Rafu Shimpo. Yokoyama lost not just her house but her supplies and countless paintings — nearly her entire body of work, according to a GoFundMe campaign set up by friends of the family. 

The mural project, which the temple calls the “Hope & Healing” Mural Project, began February 1 and is open to all fire-affected residents. 

Painting sessions take place Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.

Monday, February 9, 2026

Free Workshop Offers One-on-One Federal Student Aid Application Help Before March 2 Deadline

College Access Plan hosts financial aid completion night Wednesday at Altadena’s Collaboratory

Students and families who have not yet filed for college financial aid can get free, one-on-one help completing their applications Wednesday evening in Altadena — less than three weeks before California’s priority deadline.

College Access Plan, a Pasadena-based nonprofit that partners with the Pasadena Unified School District, is hosting a Financial Aid Completion Night on February 11 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at The Collaboratory, 540 W. Woodbury Rd. Advisors will walk attendees through the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, and the California Dream Act Application, or CADAA, which allows undocumented students to apply for state financial aid.

The California priority deadline for both applications is March 2, according to the California Student Aid Commission. Students who miss it may lose eligibility for Cal Grants and other state-funded aid.

The event is free and open to high school seniors, college students,

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Friedman’s Transit Safety Bill Joins Women’s Caucus Legislative Slate

The bipartisan measure, co-led with a New York Republican, would send $50 million a year to transit agencies for officers and safety upgrades

U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman’s bipartisan transit safety bill has been endorsed by the Democratic Women’s Caucus and included in the caucus’s Women’s Safety Legislative Slate, adding to a growing list of backers for legislation that would direct federal money toward policing and safety improvements on public transit systems including those serving Pasadena and Altadena.

Friedman represents portions of Altadena and Pasadena in Congress.

The Safe and Affordable Transit Act, H.R. 6298, would authorize $50 million per year in competitive federal grants for transit agencies to hire additional officers, contract with local police departments, and fund physical safety upgrades such as surveillance systems, operator shields, and visibility improvements, according to the bill text filed with Congress. Friedman, a Democrat who represents California’s 30th Congressional District including portions of Pasadena and Altadena, co-leads the bill with Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York.

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Southern California Agencies Ramp Up DUI Patrols for Super Bowl Sunday

CHP arrested more than 200 drivers during last year’s game; officers will patrol Pasadena-area roadways through Monday

Law enforcement agencies across Southern California will flood roadways with extra patrols and sobriety checkpoints this weekend as the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots meet in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.

The California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department are taking the lead in LA County and will increase their presence from Friday through early Monday morning — including on highways and streets serving Pasadena and Altadena, according to official safety advisories issued Friday by the agencies.

The stakes are not abstract. During last year’s Super Bowl, CHP officers arrested more than 200 drivers for DUI statewide and responded to more than 130 crashes that killed one person and injured more than 60, according to the CHP.

“Our goal is to keep California’s roads safe, and we will actively enforce laws against unsafe and reckless driving,” CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee said.

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Pasadena Church That Drew 800 to Immigration Training Holds ‘Allyship’ Session Sunday

All Saints’ Faith & Formation hour falls within the Episcopal Church’s new Migration With Dignity observance

All Saints Episcopal Church, where nearly 800 people packed the sanctuary last month for an immigration-defense training that organizers expected only 100, holds a Faith & Formation session on immigration and allyship at 9 a.m. Sunday.

The session at the Euclid Avenue parish is part of an ongoing series of immigration-focused programming at All Saints, which declared itself a sanctuary church in 1983 during the Central American refugee crisis. The session falls within the Epiphany season, during which the Episcopal Church has directed congregations to observe a new annual Migration With Dignity Sunday under a policy framework adopted at the denomination’s 81st General Convention in 2024.

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles has asked parishes to mark the observance with prayers and educational resources related to its migration ministry, according to diocesan pre-convention materials. The diocese describes the Sunday and related formation opportunities as “a new entry point for engagement into the work of Sacred Resistance in support of immigrants,”

Saturday, February 7, 2026

LA County Law Requires Pet Owners to Spay and Neuter — and February Clinics Can Help

Altadena residents served by the county’s animal care agency face fines for noncompliance with Title 10

Pet owners in Altadena and other unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County are required by law to have their dogs and cats spayed or neutered, and this month the county is offering low-cost clinics to help them comply.

The requirement falls under LA County Code Title 10, which mandates spaying and neutering for all dogs and cats in the county’s jurisdiction. Failure to comply can result in citations and fines, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, the agency that provides animal services for Altadena and other unincorporated areas. DACC is promoting the clinics as part of National Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, which falls each February ahead of the spring and summer months when shelters see a surge in animal intake.

“February is the perfect time for pet owners to take action and have their pets spayed and neutered,” said Marcia Mayeda,