Thursday, February 5, 2026

Union Leaders Have A Message For Newsom: Regulate AI If You Want To Be President

By Khari Johnson, CALMATTERS

If Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to be president of the United States then he must address artificial intelligence’s impact on workers. That’s the message sent today in Sacramento by members of the AFL-CIO, a union with a combined 2.3 million members.

In attendance at a press conference, held steps from the California state capitol, were AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler, California Labor Federation president Lorena Gonzalez, and the heads of four state labor federations, including from traditional early primary states like Iowa and states vying for earlier spots in the primary state calendar like Georgia and North Carolina.

The California Labor Federation wants a variety of statewide regulations to protect workers, including limitations on how managers can use predictive AI, advance notice of AI-related job cuts, and curbs on workplace surveillance. And it has signalled a willingness to play hardball.

“I don’t think you’re going to have a lot of motivation to walk precincts for somebody who won’t engage working class voters on the very things that are taking away their jobs,” Gonzalez said of Newsom’s widely expected 2028 presidential run.

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Directors Lab West Returns to Pasadena After Wildfire Hiatus

Free eight-day intensive for theater directors accepts applications through March 13 for May program

Directors Lab West, an intensive professional development program for theater directors and choreographers, will return to Pasadena May 30 through June 6 after a one-year hiatus caused by the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.

The eight-day program returns to Pasadena Playhouse and Boston Court Pasadena with a model that addresses what organizers call a fundamental challenge in theater: directors work in isolation. Funded by the Stage Directors & Choreographers Society, the program is free to participants and has produced more than 500 alumni since 2000.

Applications are due March 13 at 5 p.m. Only the first 100 applications will be accepted, and approximately 50 participants will be selected.

“Traditionally, directors and choreographers are artists, but they work alone,” said Ernest Figueroa, who co-founded the program in 2000 and continues to serve on its steering committee. “To share an exchange is not something as part of our process.

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Thousands Expected for 8th Annual Yoga Expo at Pasadena Convention Center

More than 3,000 yoga practitioners, wellness seekers, and curious families are expected to converge on the Pasadena Convention Center Saturday for the eighth annual Yoga Expo LA, an all-day immersion featuring more than 50 classes, world-renowned instructor Travis Eliot, and what organizers call the nation’s largest yoga-inspired gathering.

The February 7 event brings married instructors Travis Eliot and Lauren Eckstrom—Los Angeles-based co-founders of online platform Inner Dimension TV—to headline programming that spans vinyasa and restorative yoga to sound healing and trauma-informed practices. The couple will lead multiple sessions, including a late-afternoon main-stage class called “Flowing Through the 6 Dimensions.”

“In my classes, you’ll learn that yoga is more than what you do with your body,” Eliot states on the Inner Dimension website. “It’s what you do with your life.”

Eliot, a world-renowned yoga instructor, meditation teacher, and certified Ayurveda practitioner, teaches “Chi Flow: Strong & Supple” late morning. Eckstrom, an E-RYT Yoga Alliance-certified yoga teacher and mindfulness meditation instructor, leads “The Complete Practice: Nurture &

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Measles Outbreak in Los Angeles County Reported; Pasadena Health Officials Urge Vaccination

No local cases yet, but five confirmed in LA and Orange counties this week as national surge continues

Measles has not reached Pasadena in 2026, but the virus has been reported close to the city’s doorstep.

Los Angeles County and Orange County confirmed five cases in the past week, part of a national outbreak that has already infected 588 people in January alone — the highest total for that month since the disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. As cases multiply across the region, Pasadena Public Health officials are asking residents to check their vaccination status and get the MMR shot before someone they know is exposed.

“With increasing measles activity across the nation and region, I urge Pasadena residents to take steps now to protect their health and the health of their loved ones,” said Manuel Carmona, Director of Public Health for the city. “Getting vaccinated remains the most effective way to protect yourself and prevent the spread of disease in our community.”

Thursday, February 5, 2026

Altadena’s Loma Alta Park to Host Black History Month Celebration on Friday

Loma Alta Park will host Altadena’s community Black History Month celebration on Friday, Feb. 6, as part of Los Angeles County’s 2026 countywide observance, according to a press release from the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The free event runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at 3330 N. Lincoln Ave. and is part of a countywide series of cultural and educational programs taking place at 59 parks between Feb. 5 and Feb. 28. County officials said the series is designed to honor the achievements, contributions, and resilience of Black Americans while providing accessible, family-friendly programming within local communities.

According to the county’s announcement, Black History Month activities across participating parks will include interactive workshops, cultural demonstrations, art activities, storytelling, and live performances, with programming intended for participants of all ages. Many events also incorporate spoken word, music, wellness activities, and food tastings inspired by Black culinary traditions.

“Our parks are places where history, culture, and community come together,” Norma E. García-González, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation,

Thursday, February 5, 2026

LA County Agencies Were Given Chance to Review Eaton Fire After-Action Report

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County agencies were given an opportunity to review and provide feedback on an independent after-action report examining alerts and evacuations during the catastrophic January wildfires that destroyed parts of Altadena, officials said Wednesday.

It was unclear whether county agencies proposed minor or major edits to the report. County Counsel said drafts of any documents, including the alert after-action report, will not be released, citing legal concerns.

KNX News first reported Wednesday that County Counsel declined to release draft versions of the report in response to a public records request.

County Counsel said in a statement that for a review of this significance, it is standard practice to include a validation step in which stakeholders review a draft report.

“This process is to ensure that findings are accurate and complete, and that the recommendations are realistic and informed by the stakeholders who must implement them. Once this process is complete and the consultant has determined that its findings are accurate,

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Barger Tells Trump Officials: Lack of Money, Not of Permits, Blocks Eaton Fire Recovery

Supervisor says 53% of survivors haven’t rebuilt because insurance payouts remain delayed

More than half of Eaton Fire survivors have yet to begin rebuilding their homes, and the barrier isn’t permitting delays — it’s a lack of capital from stalled insurance payouts, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger told two top Trump administration officials Tuesday.

Barger met with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler to discuss recovery obstacles facing thousands of residents whose homes were destroyed when the Eaton Fire tore through Altadena and surrounding communities beginning January 7, 2025.

“Fifty-three percent of fire survivors have yet to take action on rebuilding — not because of permitting or regulatory delays, but because they lack the capital to move forward,” Barger said in a statement following the meeting. “Insurance payouts have been delayed, and many residents are still waiting for the funds they need to begin construction.”

The meeting came eight days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 27 directing federal agencies to identify state and local regulations for potential preemption,

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Assemblymember Harabedian Launches State Review of Mortgage Forbearance Law for Eaton Fire Survivors

The Pasadena assemblymember will evaluate whether lenders are complying with protections he authored for homeowners who lost their homes

Assemblymember John Harabedian is using a new legislative oversight tool to determine if the mortgage forbearance law he authored is actually protecting homeowners.

Harabedian and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas announced Tuesday the launch of an Outcomes Review of AB 238, the Mortgage Forbearance Act, which requires mortgage servicers to offer up to 12 months of forbearance to homeowners experiencing financial hardship due to the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The review is part of a first-in-the-nation Assembly oversight program designed to evaluate whether enacted laws are delivering intended results.

The announcement comes after Harabedian’s office received reports that some mortgage servicers are not following the law. The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation has received 233 consumer complaints about mortgage forbearance since January 2025, with 92 percent resolved in favor of consumers, according to state data released last month.

“Wildfire survivors shouldn’t have to fight their mortgage company while they’re trying to rebuild their lives,”

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Congresswoman Chu, Senator Schiff Demand Answers From Insurers as Fire Survivors Struggle With Claims

Lawmakers cite reports of impossible documentation requirements one year after the Eaton Fire

Two Pasadena Congressional representatives — Rep. Judy Chu and Sen. Adam Schiff — have joined 14 California lawmakers in demanding that nine major insurance companies explain why Los Angeles wildfire survivors are still facing significant barriers to receiving fair compensation, one year after the Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures in Altadena.

The letter, sent Monday, cites reports from constituents who have been required to provide itemized receipts for every possession lost, including photographic proof of ownership—requirements the lawmakers call “an impossible task even for those who have not lost everything.” The companies have until Thursday to respond.

Chu represents California’s 28th Congressional District, which includes Altadena and Pasadena, the communities most devastated by the Eaton Fire. The January 2025 blaze killed at least 19 people and displaced an estimated 100,000 residents. According to the congressional letter, 70 percent of survivors remain displaced.

“Survivors of the Eaton and Palisades fires are facing mountains of paperwork and unanswered calls to their insurers,”

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Supervisors Approve $843 Million Homeless Budget with Nearly $200 Million in Cuts

Pasadena’s $1.32 million allocation from Los Angeles County’s Measure A homeless services fund appears protected under an $843 million spending plan approved unanimously Tuesday, but the plan slashes nearly $200 million from county programs that include outreach teams serving areas outside the City of Los Angeles.

The budget, approved 5-0 by the Board of Supervisors, cuts $92 million from the Pathway Home interim housing program—shrinking it from 20 sites to seven—and reduces $105 million from other services including street outreach and housing navigation. Pasadena is one of only three cities in the county, along with Long Beach and Glendale, that operates its own Continuum of Care and receives direct Measure A allocations rather than relying solely on county-administered programs.

“We have a gap between our projected revenue and what the status quo costs,” said Sarah Mahin, director of the county’s Department of Homeless Services and Housing, explaining that rising shelter operation costs and the expiration of federal and state COVID-era funding drove the cuts.

For Pasadena,