Friday, August 14, 2026

Federal Judge Blocks Plan to Suspend Federal Funding to LA Homeless Services Authority

By FRED SHUSTER, CITY NEWS SERVICE

A judge Thursday blocked the Trump administration’s decision to suspend federal funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority over allegations of fraud and widespread mismanagement, finding that the abrupt loss of cash would jeopardize housing and services for more than 11,000 people across the region.

U.S. District Judge David Carter’s partial preliminary injunction against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allows LAHSA access to federal homelessness funding for fiscal year 2026.

The ruling matters for Pasadena through shared regional outreach networks (LA-HOP, LAHSA Winter Shelter Program), County Measure A funding flows to Pasadena’s contracted providers (Union Station Homeless Services, Friends In Deed), and the broader precedent it sets for HUD’s scrutiny of local homeless authorities nationwide, which could affect Pasadena’s own upcoming federal grant competitiveness.

Also at stake is nearly $241 million already earmarked for the Los Angeles region by Congress, as well as immediate future funding for homelessness in the next fiscal year.

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Federal Toolkit Names L.A. County Sheriff’s Homeless Outreach Team A Model; Barger Points To Fifth District Funding

A new federal toolkit has named the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homeless Outreach Services Team a model for multidisciplinary homeless outreach, and Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Wednesday the designation supports her decision to fund HOST teams assigned solely to her Fifth District.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Sara Carter and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner unveiled the toolkit, which identifies HOST as a model for multidisciplinary outreach efforts.

Barger said in a statement that she directed funding to HOST teams dedicated only to the Fifth District, separate from the teams that serve the county at large.

In regions including the Antelope Valley, Barger said, unsheltered homelessness has declined, encampments have been cleared safely and individuals have been reunited with family members. She did not provide figures.

“I appreciate the federal toolkit’s recognition of HOST and the multidisciplinary approach it represents,” Barger said. “It reinforces an important lesson: meaningful progress depends on strong partnerships across public safety,

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Today, School Board Could Select Date to Vote If Any Schools Will Be Closed or Consolidated

Five action items Thursday night would define the district transformation process, name a committee and set a date for the vote

Pasadena Unified School District trustees on Thursday will consider setting a date for a board vote on whether to close or consolidate any district schools and if so, which, when it considers action items on an agenda that could define and staff the district transformation process the Board of Education initiated in June.

The board meets tonight at 6 p.m. in the Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room, Room 236, at 351 S. Hudson Ave.

Trustees will take up a definition of the district transformation process, and will consider approving the information necessary for board members to make an informed decision on which schools, if any, to close or consolidate, including a list of the areas and data sets to be covered and the data sets by priority level.

They will also consider approving a committee structure and committee members to facilitate the transformation process,

Thursday, August 13, 2026

With Time Running Out, Torres Qualifies for PUSD District 7 School Board Race

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Cynthia Torres will face Dennis J. McNamara in November after Yarma Velazquez declined to seek reelection

Cynthia Torres has qualified for the race for the District 7 trustee in the November election for the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) School Board.

Torres submitted her papers on Tuesday and qualified on Wednesday, the final day to make the race. She will face Dennis J. McNamara for the seat currently held by Yarma Velazquez, who is not seeking reelection.

McNamara filed his nomination papers July 27 and qualified for the ballot the same day.

Because Velazquez did not seek reelection, the deadline to qualify for the seat was extended to Aug. 12.

The field for the elections is now complete.

In District 1, Felita R. Kealing and incumbent Kimberly Kenne have both qualified for the ballot. Kealing filed July 29 and qualified Aug. 3, while Kenne filed July 22 and qualified July 24.

Thursday, August 13, 2026

PUSD Board to Examine Framework That Will Guide School Closure, Merger Decisions

The Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education is scheduled to begin shaping a future, community-informed process that could lead to school consolidations or closure decisions when the board hears a two-part presentation and reviews related materials during tonight’s study session.

The two-part presentation, titled “Facilitated Discussion: Initiating the District Transformation Process (Resolution No. 2894),” lays out a road map for defining the process, identifying the information needed for later decisions, determining a deadline for a Board vote on school consolidations or closures, and considering a committee structure and membership for the next phase.

The session is designed to develop process and governance direction rather than make final consolidation or closure decisions.

Thursday night’s presentation calls for the Board to reflect on the previous school-consolidation process implemented over the years, develop a working definition of the District Transformation Process that identifies its components and intended outcomes, and identify the areas and datasets that should be considered before informed decisions are made.

The second part of the presentation turns to the scope and structure of the process ahead.

Thursday, August 13, 2026

CA Gig Workers Clear New Milestone In Push For Union

By Levi Sumagaysay, CALMATTERS

California Uber and Lyft drivers, who won the right to unionize last year, on Tuesday celebrated the formation of what they say will be the biggest ride-hailing driver union in the world.

California is the second state to allow ride-hailing drivers to unionize after Massachusetts, and Illinois last week passed a law to allow its drivers to do the same. The milestone is notable because the companies treat their drivers as independent contractors, a worker classification that does not typically have the right to bargain collectively.

The Public Employment Relations Board notified the California Gig Workers Union last week that it had signed up at least 30% of active drivers, a threshold allowing it to represent ride-hailing drivers statewide.

Drivers and Service Employees International Union leaders spoke at a press conference in Los Angeles, saying they expect to bargain over issues such as drivers getting kicked off the apps, low pay and the effects of the companies’ algorithms on drivers’ work.

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Pasadena Unified Kicks Off New School Year With Awards, Optimism

By EDDIE RIVERA

Superintendent Blanco calls on staff to build district’s own future

Coffee cups and breakfast burritos disappeared quickly under a hot morning sun as Pasadena Unified School District employees gathered at Pasadena High School Wednesday for the district’s annual Welcome Back event, an all-staff gathering that mixed celebration with a call to action ahead of the 2026-27 school year. 

Baskets of apples greeted arriving teachers, and a student drum line kept the mood upbeat as staff filed into a packed auditorium for the program, themed “The Power of Us: Forward Together.” Student musicians, singers and Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets opened the event, before district administrators spoke. 

Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Blanco addressed the full house, telling employees the district was focused on academic success, stronger operational systems and building a vision for what comes next. 

“This year, we’re building on what we have accomplished, learning from what we’ve been through, and creating our own future instead of waiting for it to happen,”

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Judge Denies Government Bid to Dismiss SoCal Immigration Raids Lawsuit

By FRED SHUSTER, City News Service

A Los Angeles federal judge has rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to end a closely watched lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security alleging immigration raids in Southern California are not just unlawful, but deliberately designed to target Latino communities, according to court papers obtained Wednesday.

Residents, workers and advocacy groups sued the DHS in July 2025, alleging unconstitutional stop and detention practices by agents tied to arbitrary enforcement quotas. An amended complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court earlier this year adds new claims of violations of equal protection and use of unreasonable tactics by DHS agents.

Government attorneys then asked the court to immediately toss the case, arguing that accusations in the updated version of the complaint are not enough to support plaintiffs’ legal claims.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Maame Frimpong, who is overseeing the case, determined in a written ruling that “the accusations are enough for this case to go forward at this time,”

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Two Men Accused of Working Altadena’s Burn Zone Without a License Return to Court

Andrew and Daniel Escarzaga are due in Department D on Wednesday morning, where a preliminary hearing date is scheduled to be set in their felony case

Eight days after investigators named the spark that burned Altadena, a courtroom on East Walnut Street will take up one of the crimes that followed it.

Andrew Escarzaga, 27, and Daniel Escarzaga, 29, both of Chino, are scheduled to appear at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday in Department D of the Pasadena Courthouse. 

Each man is charged with a single felony count of contracting without a license during a natural disaster. Unlicensed contracting is ordinarily a misdemeanor in California. It becomes a felony when the work involves structures damaged or destroyed by a disaster for which the governor has proclaimed a state of emergency or the president has declared an emergency or major disaster. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed an emergency for Los Angeles County on Jan. 7, 2025, the day the Eaton Fire started. Conviction carries up to three years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

Pasadena Unified Releases Campus-by-Campus Soil Remediation Status Ahead of Monday’s School Year Start

In a community email issued Tuesday night, the Pasadena Unified School District published a campus-by-campus status report of soil remediation and restoration work at each affected campus, less than a week before its new school year begins Monday, Aug. 17.

“We have made significant progress, but some campuses will still have outdoor areas under remediation or restoration when school begins,” the district said in the email. “The update … shows where each site stands today, what work remains, and most importantly, what students and families can expect when campuses reopen.”

Nine of the 11 Pasadena Unified School District campuses and facilities affected by soil-remediation and restoration work are expected to be accessible when the new school year begins Monday, Aug. 17, but none is expected to be both fully complete and fully unrestricted, according to the report.

Blair High School, Cleveland Elementary Site, the Education Center, Jefferson Children’s Center and Octavia E. Butler Magnet will open with work, excavation or restoration areas closed and fenced.