Friday, February 13, 2026

Viola Davis to Receive Chairman’s Award at NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena

The EGOT winner will be honored for public service at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Feb. 28, adding to her nine previous Image Awards

Viola Davis, one of the most decorated performers in American entertainment, will receive the Chairman’s Award at the 57th NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 28 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the NAACP announced Thursday.

The Chairman’s Award honors individuals who “excel in public service and leverage their unique platforms to ignite and drive meaningful change,” according to the NAACP. Davis was recognized specifically for her activism beyond the screen, including her work with programs to eradicate childhood hunger and the recent launch of the Davis-Tennon Foundation.

Davis holds EGOT status — an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and two Tony Awards — and has collected nine NAACP Image Awards for her performances in “How to Get Away With Murder,” “The Woman King,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Fences,” “Won’t Back Down” and “The Help,” as well as for her 2022 memoir “Finding Me,”

Friday, February 13, 2026

Altadena’s Sold-Out History Book Returns, Reissued With Post-Fire Images

The author and a fellow novelist — both of whom lost homes in the Eaton Fire — will discuss the new commemorative edition Monday at Vroman’s

The award-winning history of Altadena, out of print and in high demand since the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of the homes and personal libraries that once held it, is back. 

Author Michele Zack will discuss and sign a new commemorative hardcover edition of “Altadena: Between Wilderness & City” at 7 p.m. Monday, February 16, at Vroman’s Bookstore. 

Zack will be joined in conversation by Altadena-born novelist Michelle Huneven, a friend since their first day of ninth grade at John Muir High School. The two have been neighbors in west Altadena for more than two decades. Both lost their homes in the January 2025 Eaton Fire — as did many of the residents whose stories fill the book’s pages. 

The event is co-presented by Vroman’s and the Altadena Historical Society, which commissioned Zack to write the book

more than 20 years ago.

Friday, February 13, 2026

Weekly Protest Series Will Mark Valentine’s Day With ‘Fight Back With Love’ Theme

Organizers position Saturday rallies at Colorado and Fair Oaks as local lead-up to March 28 national demonstration

A local activist group returns to the corner of Colorado Boulevard and Fair Oaks Avenue on Saturday for its fourth consecutive weekly protest, this one carrying a Valentine’s Day theme the organizers call “Fight Back With Love.”

San Gabriel Foothills Indivisible, a chapter of the national Indivisible network that serves communities from Monrovia to Sunland-Tujunga, launched its “Save U.S. Saturdays” series on Jan. 24.

The group describes the protests as a local bridge leading up to No Kings Day 3.0, a nationwide demonstration planned for March 28 that will include a flagship march in Minneapolis-St. Paul, according to the No Kings Coalition website.

The protests run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday at the Old Pasadena intersection. A separate event listing on Mobilize.us states the demonstrations run until 2 p.m.

Promotional materials for the Feb. 14 event encourage attendees to “come ready to show your love for Democracy,

Friday, February 13, 2026

Radio Episode Honors Pasadena-Raised Activist Michael Zinzun on His Birthday

KBLA’s “Altadena Rising” program will feature Dr. Melina Abdullah and archival audio of the late organizer

Michael Zinzun, who was raised in Pasadena, ran an auto repair shop in Altadena and co-founded a policing accountability organization that challenged law enforcement practices across Los Angeles, will be the subject of a special radio episode first airing Saturday on what would have been his 77th birthday.

“Conversation Live: Altadena Rising,” the weekly program hosted by James Farr on KBLA Talk 1580 AM, will broadcast an episode titled “Love as Resistance: Michael Zinzun’s Message to the Grassroots – Agape” on February 14 at 10 a.m. PT, with a rebroadcast on February 15 at 11 a.m. PT, according to a statement issued by the show.

The episode will feature Dr. Melina Abdullah, a professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles, and co-founder of Black Lives Matter Los Angeles and Black Lives Matter Grassroots, where she serves as director. Listeners will also hear archival audio of Zinzun,

Friday, February 13, 2026

Federal Cases Surge Nationally Against People Accused of Following ICE in Their Vehicles

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Federal authorities have sharply increased arrests of people accused of following immigration enforcement agents in their vehicles, according to a Reuters review of court records and interviews.

One recent case involved Becky Ringstrom, a 42-year-old Minnesota woman who was arrested after following federal immigration officers in her SUV.

Ringstrom said she was boxed in by unmarked vehicles and taken into custody by masked agents before being transported to a federal building, where she was issued a citation alleging she impeded law enforcement, Reuters reported.

Her arrest is among hundreds of cases brought under a federal statute that makes it a crime to assault, resist or interfere with federal officers performing official duties.

Reuters found the Trump administration has prosecuted at least 655 people under the law since immigration crackdowns intensified last summer — more than double the number during the same period a year earlier.

Last month a local activist was arrested by Pasadena police after an ICE agent drove to the police station when several cars began following him.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

County Counsel Files Lawsuit Alleging Fire Truck Suppliers Overcharge

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Los Angeles County is suing a private equity firm and three other companies alleging overcharging and state and federal antitrust violations in relation to fire truck purchases.

The defendants in the lawsuit, filed by County Counsel Dawyn R. Harrison on behalf of the county, its fire department, and the people of the State of California, are the private equity firm American Industrial Partners and fire truck manufacturers REV Group, Oshkosh Corporation and Boise Mobile Equipment, according to a news release from Harrison’s office.

The lawsuit claims the defendants’ conduct violated unfair competition laws “for consolidating the fire truck market through a series of anticompetitive mergers, acquisitions and other unfair practices… (that) sharply inflated the cost of fire trucks and parts to fire departments nationwide, including the L.A. County Fire Department,” according to the county counsel’s office.

“Los Angeles County will not allow companies to exploit the fire truck market at taxpayers’ expense,” according to a statement from Los Angeles County Board Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

California Expands Mortgage Relief Program for Fire Survivors

CITY NEWS SERVICE

A state mortgage relief program that has provided $20,000 in financial support to fire survivors in Southern California will be expanded to provide a full year of assistance up to $100,000 that will not need to be repaid, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.

Launched in June 2025 by the California Housing Finance Agency, the CalAssist Mortgage Fund initially provided up to $20,000 in grants to homeowners whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the Eaton and Palisades fires.

Homeowners whose homes were impacted by natural disasters and were issued a “State of Emergency proclamation” or a “Major Disaster Declaration” between January 2023 and January 2025 were eligible to apply for assistance.

The grant program has been increased fourfold, and eligibility will be expanded to cover more survivors, according to Newsom’s office.

In Los Angeles County, households with a combined annual income of up to $281,400 now qualify. This reflects a $70,000 increase from the previous limit.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Attorney General Opens Civil Rights Probe into Eaton Fire Response in West Altadena

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The state Attorney General’s Office Thursday announced a civil rights investigation into the response to the January 2025 Eaton Fire, questioning whether race, age or disability discrimination contributed to delays in emergency notifications and evacuations in the historically black West Altadena area.

Attorney General Rob Bonta noted that the 14,000-acre fire killed 19 people, all but one of whom lived in the West Altadena area, and the average age of the fire victims was 77 years old.

“The investigation we’ve launched is driven by one over-arching question — did the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s delay in notifying and evacuating the historically Black West Altadena community during the Eaton Fire violate state anti-discrimination and disability rights laws?” Bonta said at a Los Angeles news conference announcing the investigation. “Meaning, did unlawful race-, disability- or age-based discrimination in the emergency response result in a delayed evacuation notification that disproportionately impacted West Altadena residents?

“That’s the question. We don’t know the answer.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Barger Backs State Review of Eaton Fire Response in West Altadena

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said she supports Attorney General Rob Bonta’s announcement of a state investigation into the emergency response to the Eaton Fire in West Altadena, issuing a statement that called for full cooperation and close examination of residents’ concerns.

“I welcome Attorney General Bonta’s investigation into the emergency response to the Eaton Fire and expect our County departments to fully cooperate,” Barger said in the statement.

She said the concerns raised by residents of West Altadena “deserve to be taken seriously and examined thoroughly.” Barger also noted that she initiated an independent After?Action Review led by the McChrystal Group “to scrutinize the County’s actions and identify what worked, what didn’t, and where improvements are needed.” She added that she has supported the County’s participation in the Governor’s After?Action Review process.

“If there were gaps, we must acknowledge them. If there were disparities, we must confront them. And if systems need to change, we must change them,” Barger said.

“I stand ready to support the Attorney General’s efforts and remain committed to working collaboratively to ensure we learn from this tragedy and strengthen our emergency response systems for every community we serve,” she said.

Thursday, February 12, 2026

A Lethargic Economy, Flickers of Hope — and a Cloud of Doubt

By EDDIE RIVERA

As the administration enters year two, population slowdown, rising layoffs and uneven housing signals underscore a nation still searching for economic footing

The U.S. economy is moving, but not exactly sprinting.

As the current administration enters its second year, new data compiled by the California Association of Realtors (CAR) suggests a nation still struggling to find momentum. Growth is forecast for both the broader economy and the housing market, but the signals underneath remain uneven, and confidence among employers and consumers alike, seems fragile.

The nation’s population rose 0.5% between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates. That marks the slowest pace since 2021 and comes not far above the historic 0.2% low recorded during the early COVID period. The country added 1.8 million residents over the year, but the gain was sharply reduced by a drop in net international migration, which fell from 2.7 million to 1.3 million.