Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Guest Opinion | Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater: Our Doors Are Open

As we enter a second month of the government shutdown, an image keeps coming to me: open and closed doors. The doors of the government are currently closed, with neither side able to figure out how to end the stalemate that doesn’t involve just blaming the other side. But, with those doors closed, the doors of Friends In Deed have remained open. Through COVID, the Eaton fire and now the shutdown, our doors, and our hearts, remain wide open to those most vulnerable in our community.

Last week, we served 848 households, shattering any previous record of people coming through our doors. And while that in and of itself is mind-boggling, another number also got our attention: 65 first time people. These folks expressed fear about the cancellation of their SNAP benefits, so they were coming to ‘stock-up.’ We can only imagine that those numbers will increase now that the benefits are fully cut. And even with the announcement that the administration will release some contingency funds,

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Southern California Edison Will Be A No-Show at Altadena Town Hall About Fire Recovery Fund

STAFF REPORT

Southern California Edison has withdrawn from a scheduled Altadena town hall focused on wildfire recovery compensation, prompting sharp criticism from community leaders and KBLA Talk 1580, according to the event’s co-organizer.

KBLA made the announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 4, ahead of the Thursday, Nov. 6 event titled “Understanding the Wildlife Recovery Compensation Fund.”

The town hall, scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. at Victory Bible Church, 1479 N. Hill Avenue in Pasadena, will proceed without Edison’s participation. It aims to provide fire survivors and residents with information on fund eligibility, navigating the claims process, and broader recovery efforts following the Jan. 7 Eaton Fire.

KBLA accused the utility of avoiding accountability and backing out of a public commitment to engage with affected residents.

“Southern California Edison cannot be trusted. After destroying lives and property and then creating a settlement fund that consumer advocates have called ‘fast but not fair,’ now Edison chooses to cancel its participation in a town hall designed to give African American families in particular a chance to ask pertinent questions alongside community leaders,” said Tavis Smiley,

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Voters Get Last Chance to Cast Ballots in Special Election on Redistricting

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Tuesday is the final day to cast ballots in the special election on Proposition 50, the statewide congressional redistricting proposal.

Vote centers will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A complete list and map of vote centers in Los Angeles County is available at locator.lavote.gov, including optional GPS tracking to identify the location nearest at the time of the query.

Additionally, eligible voters who missed the registration deadline can visit any vote center, complete a conditional voter registration, and cast a provisional ballot.

More information is available at www.lavote.gov/home/voting- elections/current-elections/find-my-election-information.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters will have 66 vote centers open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Residents can find their nearest vote centers by visiting ocvote.gov/votecenter.

Voters can also use one of 124 secure ballot drop boxes or three ballot drop-off locations in the county,

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Pasadena Village Van Brings Fire Survivors Home After 10 Months

FireAid grant funds transportation service helping older adults rebuild lives after Eaton Fire

Ten months after fleeing the Eaton Fire, displaced older adults are finally moving back home, thanks to a van service funded by FireAid. 

Pasadena Village, a nonprofit serving seniors, purchased a hybrid Kia Carnival minivan with grant money from the January 2025 FireAid wildfire relief initiative. The organization also hired a part-time driver. 

The van has so far logged more than 30 trips, a Pasadena Village statement posted on social media said. It has helped members return to their homes after nearly a year of displacement. 

The service extends beyond moving assistance. It provides rides to recovery events, community meals and healing concerts. 

In one instance, the van helped a local artist retrieve her canvases. The artwork was displayed in an “Out of the Ashes” exhibit. 

The vehicle serves as a “third line of defense” for transportation needs, according to the organization’s statement.

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

California Special Election Tuesday Features Extended Voter Access

All registered voters received mail ballots; vote centers opened up to 10 days early

California holds a statewide special election Tuesday featuring a single ballot measure.

Senate Bill 280 called the election, which was signed into law as Chapter 97 of the 2025 legislative session.

Every active registered voter in the state should have received a vote-by-mail ballot. Counties began mailing ballots Sept. 25.

The election includes several provisions to expand voter access. Voters can register and cast ballots conditionally through Election Day.

Vote centers in some counties opened as early as Oct. 25. Counties using the Voter’s Choice Act opened one center per 10,000 registered voters starting Nov. 1.

Ballot drop boxes have been available since Oct. 7. Traditional polling place counties provided at least two drop-off locations or one per 30,000 voters.

The voter registration deadline was Oct. 20. But conditional registration allows people to register and vote through Tuesday.

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Altadena Sheriff’s Station Opens Registration for Annual Toy Giveaway

Registration runs through November for holiday event serving families in need

The Altadena Sheriff’s Station is accepting registrations through Nov. 30 for its annual Toy Giveaway program.

The initiative targets Altadena residents and families in need. Registration opened Saturday, Nov. 1.

Families can register online through a QR code or web form. Those who sign up can also register other families requiring assistance.

Station officials will compile the list after registration closes. Each registered family will receive details about pickup times and locations for the Holiday Fest Toy Pickup.

The program serves children from birth through age 18.

The sheriff’s station is collecting new, unwrapped toys. Donations help provide holiday gifts to local children.

Community members can contribute toys to support the annual event.

Registration is available through this online form.

Monday, November 3, 2025

Pasadena Nonprofit Launches Nation’s First Certification to Flag Ultra-Processed Foods

A Pasadena-based nonprofit has launched the first U.S. food certification program aimed at helping consumers identify and avoid ultra-processed foods, citing health risks and insufficient federal oversight.

The Non-UPF Program, headquartered in Pasadena and trademarked in June 2024, began operations in December and now offers a certification mark for food products that meet standards for minimal processing, based on the Nova Classification System. The Nova framework, used by nutrition scientists, categorizes foods into four groups, with ultra-processed foods falling into Group 4.

“Our goal is to help Americans cut through the confusion in food labeling and provide clear guidance for less processed foods,” said Melissa Halas, founder of the Non-UPF Program and a nationally recognized dietitian and nutrition expert, in a statement issued Oct. 30.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are industrial formulations made with chemical additives and ingredients not commonly found in home kitchens, such as artificial flavors, modified starches, and high-fructose corn syrup. These products often undergo multiple industrial steps to enhance shelf life and texture.

Monday, November 3, 2025

Political Gumbo: Just Win, Baby

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Last week the City filed a lawsuit to compel UCLA football to honor its lease with the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium.

As of now, the Bruins are legally obligated to play home games in the Rose Bowl until 2044.

According to the lawsuit, officials at the school have notified the Rose Bowl that they were done with the stadium. Rumors abound that the team wants to play in SoFi.

Internet posts point to the 27 miles from the campus to the Rose Bowl, and the difficulties getting to the Rose Bowl.

It’s about 10 miles less to SoFi in Inglewood.

There is no buyout clause and according to the lawsuit, the agreement contains a non-compete clause that prohibits UCLA from playing home games anywhere else in Southern California for the most part.

The mouthpieces can argue over the legalities.

Instead, I offer this.

Moving to SoFi or any other stadium will not solve the Bruins’ problems.

Sunday, November 2, 2025

A Sequel Better than the First

By EDDIE RIVERA

Dodgers defeat Toronto, 5-4, in heroic fashion, to win their second consecutive World Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers have defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 5–4. Finally. 

It was an improbable victory and a perfect Hollywood sequel that, like so few sequels, was better than the first. It was a blockbuster filled with stars on both sides and crazy with heroes. And no bad guys. 

The noise at Rogers Centre was deafening before it went silent. Eleven innings of tension and talent, of moments meant for myth, had built to a single swing. When Will Smith turned on a 2-0 slider and sent it screaming into the Blue Jays’ bullpen, the Dodgers didn’t just take the lead — they took a deep breath that had been held for 25 years. 

The Dodgers’ 5–4 victory in Game 7 of the World Series delivered what baseball hadn’t seen since the turn of the millennium: a repeat champion.

Sunday, November 2, 2025

Even California’s Iconic Industries Are Cutting Back In This Sluggish Economy

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

As Gov. Gavin Newsom ramps up what appears to be a 2028 White House bid, a mainstay of his pitch during television interviews and social media appearances is California’s economy.

As Newsom tells it, the state’s $4-trillion-plus annual economic output is not only the fourth largest in the world, were it a nation, but it’s a model of entrepreneurial vigor and programs advancing equity.

Were it only true.

A year ago, the Legislature’s budget analyst, Gabe Petek, indirectly blew the whistle on Newsom’s braggadocio.

“California’s economy has been in an extended slowdown for the better part of two years, characterized by a soft labor market and weak consumer spending,” Petek wrote while outlining the state’s deficit-ridden budget dilemma.

“While this slowdown has been gradual and the severity milder than a recession, a look at recent economic data paints a picture of a sluggish economy. Outside of government and health care,