Thursday, November 6, 2025

Pasadena Food Banks Step Up as CalFresh and SNAP Benefits Halt Amid Federal Shutdown

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

As the federal shutdown continues with no end in sight, council members are using their newsletters to keep constituents informed on where they can go to receive assistance.

More than 17,000 local residents receive CalFresh and SNAP benefits. On Tuesday, President Trump said he would not honor a court order to dole out some benefits.

Pasadena’s food banks are stepping in to fill the gap for families who suddenly find themselves without crucial assistance.

Mayor Victor Gordo and Councilmember Justin Jones have led a citywide response effort, coordinating with the food banks and community organizations to expand emergency food distribution.

“Delayed and reduced food assistance caused by the Federal Government Shutdown continues to impact Pasadena families, who were already feeling the squeeze from rising costs,” Jones said. “I am deeply thankful for the compassion and hard work of my neighbors, local faith groups, and nonprofits who step up every day to try and bring some relief.

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Altadena’s Town Council Election Heads Into Its Final Day on Saturday

While much of California has moved on from Tuesday’s tallies, Altadena’s ballot isn’t quite done. The tract-by-tract race for Town Council concludes this weekend with one last in-person voting day.

Altadena’s slow, deliberate form of democracy will take its final turn on Saturday, Nov. 8, when residents cast ballots for Town Council representatives by census tract, the neighborhood-level structure that underpins how the community navigates Los Angeles County bureaucracy. The council’s design is intentionally close to the ground: members are elected by, and accountable to, their tracts, with two-year terms intended to keep representation rooted at the block level.

This year’s campaign has been defined by recovery and readiness. The Eaton Fire reordered daily life and priorities, drawing new volunteers into community work and, this fall, into the race itself.

“A successful election isn’t just about numbers — it’s about trust, inclusion, and continuity,” said Isis Moulden, the election chair. “The record number of candidates already signals that Altadenans are ready to step up,

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Edison Rebuts Radio Station’s Pasadena Town Hall Claims

STAFF REPORT

Cites ethical conflict over attorney participation

Southern California Edison on Tuesday afternoon disputed accusations made earlier that day by KBLA Talk 1580, asserting SCE committed to participating in a wildfire recovery town hall because they were told no plaintiffs’ attorneys were involved and withdrew only after they learned otherwise.

Pedro Pizarro, president and CEO of Edison International, the parent company of SCE, was never scheduled to appear on the panel for the Nov. 4 event, held at Victory Bible Church in Pasadena.

The Nov. 6 town hall, titled “Understanding the Wildfire Recovery Compensation Fund,” aims to inform residents affected by the Jan. 7 Eaton Fire about eligibility and claims processes.

KBLA host Tavis Smiley sharply criticized Edison’s absence, saying the utility “cannot be trusted” and accusing it of “gaslighting” the Altadena community.

“After destroying lives and property and then creating a settlement fund that consumer advocates have called ‘fast but not fair,’ now Edison chose to cancel its participation in a town hall designed to give African American families in particular a chance to ask pertinent questions,” Smiley said on air.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Why A New California Law Could Change The Way All Americans Browse The Internet

By Colin Lecher, CALMATTERS

The privacy changes web browsers will be required to make under a new California law could set the de facto standard for the entire country, changing how Americans control their data when using the internet, according to experts.

Assembly Bill 566, recently signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, requires companies that make web browsers to offer users an opt-out “signal” that automatically tells websites not to share or sell their personal information as they browse.

It will likely be easier for companies to roll out the service for the entire country, rather than for users only in California.

“It’s such a trivial implementation,” said Emory Roane, associate director of policy at Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, an organization that pushed for the legislation. “It’s really not that difficult technically.”

The legislation, a first of its kind in the country, was sponsored by the California Privacy Protection Agency, the state’s consumer privacy watchdog, as well as several consumer advocacy and privacy rights groups.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

PUSD Launches Student Council Elections

Pasadena Unified high school students campaign to lead as balloting will open November 10

Pasadena Unified School District’s Election Week has begun, with high school students from six campuses campaigning to represent thousands of their peers before the Board of Education.

From November 10 to 14, ballots are distributed via teachers as part of the district’s third round of Student Assembly and Council elections—an initiative driven by student advocacy for formal representation.

This year, 23 students are running for seats; some races are uncontested while others see up to four candidates competing for a single spot.

The Student Assembly includes 24 representatives: one from each grade, nine to 12, at Blair High School, John Muir Early College Magnet High School, Thurgood Marshall Secondary School, Pasadena High School, Rose City High School, and Center for Independent Study (CIS Academy), which is taking part for the first time.

Six juniors—one per school—also serve on the Student Council, rotating to attend Board meetings and casting preferential votes.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Voters Overwhelmingly Approve Proposition 50

CITY NEWS SERVICE

California voters Tuesday approved Proposition 50, the statewide congressional redistricting proposal.

What supporters dubbed “The Election Rigging Response Act,” led 64.4%-35.6% with 68.3% of election night precincts partially reporting, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

“Tonight, California voters stood up to Donald Trump, rejecting his attempt to steal elections in states like Texas, Florida, and Ohio,” Rep. Dave Min, D-Irvine, said in a statement.

“The maps created by Proposition 50 are a direct response to Donald Trump’s unprecedented power grab.”

Assemblyman David Tangipa called passage of Proposition 50, “A sad day” because “the people of California have been lied to.”

“They’ve been lied to by Governor Newsom and the elites here in Sacramento, and these election results just proved that they campaigned on a whole lot of lies and drove emotionally charged arguments to get people to vote against their best interests by protecting the gold standard on the redistricting committee,”

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Fire Survivors to Benefit from Expanded Soil Lead Testing, County Support

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion to expand soil lead testing and bolster remediation efforts in communities impacted by the Eaton and Palisades Fires, including areas in and around Pasadena.

Co-authored by Board Chair Kathryn Barger and Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath, the motion directs the Department of Public Health to broaden its free soil testing program to residents living within and downwind of the Palisades burn area. It also calls on California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to explore cost-effective insurance solutions for homeowners, such as volume purchasing agreements and low-cost financing. The motion reinforces the County’s advocacy with Lara’s office and supports partnerships aimed at restoring confidence and peace of mind for fire survivors.

“It’s been ten months since the wildfires and far too many survivors are still living with uncertainty about whether their soil is safe,” Barger said in a statement. “Resources for actual soil remediation remain a critical gap. Residents deserve clear answers and tangible support.”

The Eaton and Palisades Fires destroyed more than 16,000 structures and burned over 40,000 acres.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Wellness Conference Offers Healing Path for Eaton Fire Survivors

Free event brings trauma-informed care, sound therapy to displaced Altadena-Pasadena residents

Community members still reeling from the Eaton Fire will gather Saturday, Nov. 8, for a day of healing workshops and wellness activities designed to address trauma and displacement.

The Rising Phoenix Wellness Conference runs from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Harambee Center, located at 1609 Navarro Ave. in Pasadena. The event is free.

The Harambee Center’s Live Above the Hype organized the conference in response to the fire that destroyed more than 7,000 structures. The blaze also claimed lives.

“Families are rebuilding from ashes,” organizers said in the event announcement. “Youth are struggling to process overwhelming events, and community servants continue to lead despite their own personal hardships.”

Participants will experience sound healing sessions, trauma-informed workshops and movement activities. The evidence-based practices aim to restore mind, body and spirit.

Live Above the Hype founder K-Rahn Vallatine will deliver a trauma-informed keynote address.

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,