Thursday, March 19, 2026

Some California Democrats Pitch Gas Price Relief as Prices at the Pump Soar

By Jeanne Kuang and Alejandro Lazo, CALMATTERS

One candidate wants to suspend a host of state environmental policies that boost the price of gas. Another wants to suspend the 61 cent-a-gallon state gas tax.

Amid a spike in gas prices fueled by President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, at least two Democratic contenders for California governor are capitalizing on the moment to push for policies they say would give drivers a break.

Recent proposals from former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan reflect how Democrats are trying to use rising gas prices, a potent election-year issue, to distinguish themselves as prioritizing the cost of living.

Their Republican opponents have been saying the same for months.

Villaraigosa is calling for a moratorium on a variety of state greenhouse-gas reduction rules that he called “failed policies.” They include carbon emissions limits at refineries, standards to reduce carbon in fuels and other rules he blames for forcing refineries to close.

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Fed Holds Rates as War, Inflation Fears Ripple Through California Housing Market

By EDDIE RIVERA

Rising energy costs and economic uncertainty weigh on consumers, builders and buyers

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday held interest rates steady, signaling mounting concern that a widening conflict involving Iran—combined with persistent economic headwinds—has darkened the outlook for growth, inflation and housing, particularly in high-cost Southern California.

In a statement, the central bank said “uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased,” while noting that inflation remains “somewhat elevated,” a reflection of rising energy prices and global instability following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.

Oil and gas prices have jumped nearly 25 percent since the conflict began, according to new data from the California Association of Realtors (CAR), raising fresh concerns that inflation—after months of gradual easing—could accelerate again in the months ahead.

For California’s already strained housing market, the implications are immediate.

“Elevated construction costs and constrained affordability conditions remain the culprit for the weakness in housing construction,” the CAR report noted,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Altadena Residents Blast Edison Over Underground Power Line Costs at Town Council Meeting

Altadena homeowners and fire survivors voiced sharp criticism of Southern California Edison’s plan to underground power lines in the Eaton Fire burn area at Tuesday’s Altadena Town Council meeting, with residents calling the estimated $8,000 to $10,000 cost to connect from their private property to underground infrastructure an unfair burden on a community still struggling to rebuild.

Edison’s Bradley Pensak, who is the Senior Manager of Targeted Undergrounding / Wildfire Rebuild responsible in Altadena and Malibu, told the council that SCE is prioritizing approximately 63 miles of distribution lines for undergrounding in Altadena and surrounding areas affected by the January 2025 Eaton Fire. About 40 of those miles fall within the High Fire Risk Area near the canyons, with the remaining 23 miles in areas where properties were severely damaged.

Pensak said the civil construction costs — which typically include conduit and trenching on a customer’s private property — are costs the customer would bear, particularly in new construction rebuilds. He said Edison had submitted proposals to the California Public Utilities Commission seeking ways to help offset customer costs and was also working with LA County on its FEMA funding submittal through Cal OES.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Bill to Expand Court-Ordered Mediation Clears Key Committee, Authored by Pasadena Assemblymember

AB 1950 would remove dollar-amount cap on civil cases eligible for mediation in Los Angeles County Superior Court

Legislation authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian (D–Pasadena) that would allow Los Angeles County judges to order mediation in civil cases of any dollar amount passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee, according to a press release from Harabedian’s office.

AB 1950 would remove the $50,000 cap on cases eligible for court-ordered mediation in LA County Superior Court, the court system that serves Pasadena and Altadena. The measure creates a pilot program set to expire January 1, 2032, and next heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee this spring, according to the press release.

The bill would affect civil disputes such as employment claims, contract cases, and personal injury lawsuits that exceed the current dollar threshold. Under California law, courts are prohibited from ordering mediation in cases where the amount in controversy tops $75,000, a limit set to take effect January 1, 2027, up from the current $50,000 cap,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Metro Launches Safety Data Hub Covering Pasadena A Line Stations, Altadena Bus Routes

Riders can now access crime statistics, response times and security data for local transit services through a new online tool

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday launched a new online Safety Hub that gives Pasadena and Altadena transit riders access to crime data, security activity and response times for the A Line stations and bus routes serving both communities.

The hub, available at metro.net/safety-support/, provides centralized safety information, according to Metro. It connects to a Public Safety Dashboard providing station-level data on security deployments, crime demographics and other metrics for Metro’s system, which recorded 305 million boardings in 2025, according to a Metro press release. Metro serves Pasadena through six A Line rail stations and Altadena through bus routes 660 and 662.

Metro said the hub was developed with input from riders and the agency’s Public Safety Advisory Committee, a 15-member body established by the Metro Board in June 2020 to bring community perspectives into safety policy.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Altadena Artist’s Glass Memorial to Eaton Fire Home Opens in Manhattan at Whitney Biennial

A 13-foot chimney built from 821 cast glass bricks recreates the sole structure surviving the January 2025 blaze

A glass reconstruction of the chimney that was the only structure left standing after the Eaton Fire destroyed Kelly Akashi’s Altadena home is now on view at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, part of the 82nd Whitney Biennial running through August 23.

The installation, titled “Monument (Altadena),” places the community’s fire loss explicitly on a national stage. Akashi, 43, is an associate professor in the Graduate Art program at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. Her colleague Ei Arakawa-Nash, a core faculty member in the same program since 2022, will also, separately, represent Japan at the 61st Venice Biennale with an exhibition opening May 9.

Both faculty members are now presenting work simultaneously at the Venice Biennale and Whitney Biennial.

Akashi’s Altadena home, a Spanish Colonial bungalow she purchased in 2021, burned in the Eaton Fire in January 2025,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

County Approves $5 Million to Help Wildfire-Displaced Renters Buy Homes

The state-funded program offers up to $200,000 in down payment assistance, but could serve as few as 25 households

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved nearly $5 million in state funds to provide down payment assistance to households displaced by the January 2025 wildfires, creating a homeownership pathway for renters in Altadena and other fire-impacted communities.

The motion, introduced by Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, authorizes the Los Angeles County Development Authority to accept $4,999,675 through the California Department of Housing and Community Development’s CalHome Program, according to a press release from Barger’s office. Eligible households may receive up to $200,000 or 40% of a home’s purchase price, whichever is lower.

The program’s disaster provisions expand income eligibility to households earning up to 150% of the Area Median Income — approximately $159,900 per year for a family of four in Los Angeles County, the press release states. That threshold is notably broader than LACDA’s existing homebuyer programs,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

90-Day Effort to Develop Anti-Copper Theft Strategy Underway for Pasadena, Altadena

The countywide effort formalizes coordination among law enforcement, utilities, and local jurisdictions after thieves stole 6½ miles of wire from Pasadena streetlights

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Monday unanimously approved a motion directing county departments to develop a coordinated strategy against copper wire, catalytic converter, and non-ferrous metal theft across the region.

The motion, authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn, calls for a report within 90 days outlining prevention strategies, enforcement improvements, and the projected impact of metal theft on upcoming international events, according to a press release from the supervisors’ offices. The directive aims to consolidate previously fragmented efforts into a unified framework aligned with AB 476, the state law that took effect January 1, 2026, strengthening penalties for metal theft and regulation of scrap metal recyclers.

The action carries particular weight for Pasadena and Altadena, both in Barger’s 5th Supervisorial District. Thieves have stolen 6½ miles of copper from Pasadena’s streetlight system since January 2023,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

LA County Warns of E. Coli Outbreak Linked to Raw Cheese Sold at Pasadena Retailers

Health officials say four of seven patients nationwide are 3 years old or younger; California dairy company declined FDA’s recall request

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Tuesday warned residents to discard RAW FARM-brand raw cheddar cheese after federal investigators linked the product to a multistate E. coli outbreak that has sickened seven people, including two in LA County.

Four of the seven patients are 3 years old or younger, according to the FDA. Two have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported

The cheese has reportedly been sold at Sprouts Farmers Market at 39 N. Rosemead Blvd. and Erewhon Market at 475 S. Lake Ave. in Pasadena, according to prior county health notices, though it has not been confirmed whether the product remains on shelves at those locations.

RAW FARM, LLC, a Fresno-based dairy company, declined the FDA’s request to voluntarily recall the cheese. It is the first time in the company’s history it has refused such a request,

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

LA County Proclaims Public Defense Day, Honoring Right to Counsel at Pasadena Offices

The Board of Supervisors recognizes the 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright decision that guarantees free legal representation to those who cannot afford it

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors proclaimed March 18, 2026, as Public Defense Day, recognizing the constitutional right to legal counsel and the public defenders who uphold it at offices across the county, including two branches in Pasadena.

The proclamation, authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn, commemorates the anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1963 decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, which established that states must provide attorneys to criminal defendants who cannot afford one, according to an LA County Board of Supervisors press release. The LA County Public Defender operates a Pasadena office at 300 E. Walnut St., and the Alternate Public Defender maintains a branch at 221 E. Walnut St., both near the Pasadena Courthouse.

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in Gideon that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel is a fundamental right applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment,