Saturday, January 24, 2026

Kaiser Permanente Lab Scientists, Technicians Authorize Strike

CITY NEWS SERVICE

United Food and Commercial Workers locals representing Kaiser Permanente clinical lab scientists and medical lab technicians in Los Angeles, Orange and four other Southern California counties announced Friday their members had voted overwhelmingly to authorize their bargaining team to call an unfair labor practice strike.

Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California regional headquarters is here in Pasadena.

“This vote sends a strong message to Kaiser: We’ve had enough of their union-busting tactics that undermine workers and silence our voices. They need to stop delaying, stop attempting to divide the Alliance of Healthcare Unions, and get back to negotiating a fair contract,” according to a statement from The UFCW Locals 324, 770, and 1428 Bargaining Committee.

There was no reply to an email sent Friday night to Kaiser Permanente seeking a response.

A strike authorization vote does not necessarily mean there will be a strike.

Kaiser Permanente workers in Southern California are seeking “safe staffing and sustainable workloads”

Friday, January 23, 2026

December Unemployment Rates Decrease in Los Angeles County

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased over the month to 5.6% in December, below the rate of 6.1% a year ago, according to figures released Friday by the state Employment Development Department.

Statewide, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.5% in December, down from 5.6% in November, and the same as a year ago in December 2024.

The comparable estimates for the nation were 4.4% in December, 4.5% in November, and 4.1% a year ago.

Between November and December, total nonfarm employment in Los Angeles County decreased by 3,400 to 4.65 million jobs.

In Los Angeles County, trade, transportation and utilities led the five industry sectors that gained jobs over the month, adding 4,700 payroll positions. Gains were made in retail trade, wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities. The retail trade gains were mainly in clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, and jewelry retailers, and general merchandise retailers.

Private education and health services employment fell by 4,300 jobs,

Friday, January 23, 2026

Pasadena Unified Opens Applications for School Consolidation Advisory Committee

Feb. 9 deadline set as district reviews enrollment and potential campus changes

The Pasadena Unified School District is looking for community members to serve on the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee, a key part of the district’s review of enrollment trends and potential campus consolidations.

The committee was authorized under Board Resolution 2852: Establishing Optimal School Sizes, which the Board approved in December as part of a broader “transformation process” to evaluate school closures or consolidations beginning in the 2027–28 school year.

Those interested must submit an application by Monday, Feb. 9, at 5 p.m. through the district’s online form at https://forms.gle/QiDvht1gdZEfCiCn7.

The resolution sets minimum enrollment thresholds of 300 students for elementary schools, 400 for middle schools, and 900 for high schools. Campuses falling below those levels will be studied, with recommendations due to the Board in October.

District officials said the advisory group will assist with enrollment review and provide input as the planning process moves forward.

Friday, January 23, 2026

Free Food Carts Available for Altadena Street Vendors Under New $2.8 Million County Program

Vendors in unincorporated areas can apply now; City of Pasadena operates under separate regulations

Street food vendors operating in Altadena and other unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County can now apply to receive a free, health-code-compliant vending cart through a $2.8 million program launched January 12 by LA County and the City of Los Angeles.

The Sidewalk Vending Cart Program will distribute more than 280 carts to eligible vendors at no cost, according to a press release from the LA County Department of Economic Opportunity. The initiative addresses a significant barrier many low-income vendors face: the cost of equipment that meets state health standards, which can run into thousands of dollars.

Altadena, as an unincorporated community, falls under LA County’s jurisdiction and is eligible for the program. Vendors operating within the City of Pasadena are not eligible, as Pasadena has its own public health department with separate permitting requirements.

“This program is about more than equipment, it is about economic equity,”

Friday, January 23, 2026

Board of Education Approves School Consolidation Planning, Calling It a “Transformation Process”

Advisory committee applications due February 9; final decisions on closures expected by June

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education voted Thursday night to launch a formal planning process that could lead to some school campus closures, as the District races to satisfy County officials who have demanded proof by March that budget cuts are being implemented.

The vote puts into motion Resolution 2852, which the Board passed in December after a contentious debate and sets minimum enrollment thresholds for all schools: 300 students for elementary campuses, 400 for middle schools, and 900 for high schools. Schools that fall below those thresholds will be studied for potential closure or consolidation, with recommendations due to the Board by October.

“The presentation and Board action marks the beginning of a thoughtful and inclusive process, not a predetermined outcome,” Superintendent Elizabeth Blanco said in a statement.

The District contracted with Total School Solutions, a Fairfield-based consulting firm, to guide the formation of the Superintendent’s School Consolidation Advisory Committee.

Friday, January 23, 2026

Pasadena Police Assist in Multi-Agency Probe That Identifies Eight Suspects in International Jewelry Theft Ring

BASED on Story by CITY NEWS SERVICE

A month-long investigation involving Pasadena police helped lead to the arrests of two suspects and the identification of six others allegedly tied to a transnational theft ring targeting jewelry and high-end clothing stores across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, Los Angeles police announced Thursday.

Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Rampart Division led the investigation with assistance from Wilshire Division detectives and multiple partner agencies, including the Pasadena, Glendale, and Arcadia police departments, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Jewelers Security Alliance. The probe resulted in the arrests of Constantin Totoi, 38, and European Muntaneu, 40, according to an LAPD statement. Names are CQ, according to the LAPD.

The LAPD said a search warrant was served in connection with a grand theft incident that occurred in Rampart Division on Dec. 16, 2025. A news segment that aired the following day generated investigative leads and prompted the coordinated,

Friday, January 23, 2026

Altadena Revealed: Historic Craftsman Home Gets a Second Life After Fire

A 1910 residence saved from demolition becomes a symbol of post-fire community resilience

A 1910 Craftsman-style home that survived demolition twice now represents Altadena’s post-fire recovery. The Duntley-Blackburn Residence, originally built for realtor G.M. Duntley, was recently relocated to a fire-ravaged plot in Altadena as part of an ambitious historic preservation initiative, eight decades after its first life-saving move.

The home’s remarkable journey will be explored Friday, January 30 at seven p.m. at Altadena Main Library. Architectural historian Graham Larkin will speak on “Itinerant Craftsman: Lessons from the Duntley-Blackburn Residence” as part of the monthly Altadena Revealed Lecture Series.

The house’s earlier relocation became the stuff of Hollywood legend. In 1948, owner Alice Blackburn threw a party inside the home as it was being moved three miles from East Hollywood to Los Feliz to make way for the Hollywood Freeway. The guest list included celebrities Doris Day, Betty Hutton and Dorothy Lamour, who danced and drank inside by candlelight. Life magazine covered the event.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Pasadena, Altadena Projects Included in $7 Million Secured by Congresswoman Rep. Chu in Federal Spending Bill

A federal spending package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives includes more than $7 million for projects in California’s 28th District, according to a statement from Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28). The funding is part of H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, which the House approved on a 341–88 vote.

In a press release, Chu said the bill “makes important progress toward protecting the programs our communities rely on and rejecting the Trump administration’s plan to cut funding for public services by tens of billions of dollars.” She said she was pleased the legislation “makes progress in relieving cost-of-living pressures for American families by mandating robust funding for affordable child care and housing, public health, transportation infrastructure, and more.” Chu also said she was disappointed that the bill would increase funding for “a Department of Defense budget that is already bloated” and that it “put[s] no meaningful guardrails on the Trump administration’s reckless actions in Venezuela or their threats of use of force against places like Iran and Greenland.” Despite those concerns,

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Deadline Friday for LA County Rent Relief Covering Eaton Fire Past-Due Rent

Landlords and displaced homeowners have until 4:59 p.m. to apply for up to $15,000 in assistance; tenants must complete required profile

Landlords and displaced homeowners have until 4:59 p.m. Friday to apply for Los Angeles County’s Emergency Rent Relief Program, which offers grants covering past-due rent owed by tenants impacted by the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

The program, which opened in December, will distribute more than $23 million in assistance to eligible landlords throughout Los Angeles County, according to a county statement.

Grants may cover up to six months of unpaid rent, with a maximum award of $15,000 per rental unit. The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,000 structures in Altadena and surrounding areas, displacing thousands of families who continue to face housing instability nearly a year later.

Tenants cannot apply directly. Landlords must submit applications through the portal at LACountyRentRelief.com. But tenant participation is required: after a landlord applies, tenants are invited to complete a brief tenant profile.

Thursday, January 22, 2026

First Free Modular Home for Eaton Fire Survivors Arrives in Altadena

A year after the blaze destroyed 9,400 structures, a nonprofit partnership plans to deliver its initial factory-built house to a family that couldn’t afford to rebuild

One year after the Eaton Fire tore through this foothill community and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, a factory-built home is set to be craned onto a residential lot Thursday — the first from an initiative providing free modular houses to fire survivors who lack the resources to rebuild.

The Rodriguez Family’s 950-square-foot, two-bedroom home arrived fully assembled from a factory in Mexico. It is the first of the homes that Steadfast LA and Samara have announced, with five Altadena families selected so far and plans to install homes throughout 2026.

The initiative aims to deliver 80 to 100 free modular homes to underinsured or low-income homeowners in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and other fire-affected areas, according to Steadfast LA.

The program targets longtime homeowners who were underinsured or uninsured and cannot afford traditional construction,