Thursday, October 16, 2025

County Public Health Probes First Locally Acquired Dengue Case of 2025 Season in San Gabriel Valley

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is investigating the first confirmed case of locally acquired dengue virus for the 2025 mosquito season, officials announced Wednesday.

The patient, a resident of the San Gabriel Valley, developed symptoms in late September and is currently recovering. Health officials said the individual had no recent travel history to regions where dengue is endemic, indicating the virus was contracted from a local mosquito.

While the risk of widespread dengue transmission in Los Angeles County remains low, public health officials emphasized that the case confirms the presence of infected mosquitoes in the area. They urged residents to take preventive measures, including eliminating standing water, using insect repellent, and ensuring window and door screens are intact.

In response, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District field teams have deployed additional mosquito traps and increased testing frequency to detect the presence of dengue virus (DENV) in local mosquito populations. Door-to-door inspections and treatments are underway to eliminate adult mosquitoes and breeding sources.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

Barger Warns of Looming Fiscal Crisis for L.A. County if Federal Shutdown Persists

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger on Tuesday issued a stark warning about the potential fallout from a prolonged federal government shutdown, saying essential safety net programs and County operations could face severe disruptions beginning Nov. 1 if federal funds are not secured by the end of October.

Barger’s statement followed briefings from County officials outlining the fiscal cliff that could emerge. She emphasized that programs such as CalFresh and CalWORKS — which provide food assistance and child welfare support to thousands of vulnerable families — are at risk of suspension.

“I am deeply concerned about the looming cliff facing many of our vulnerable families and children if federal funds are not secured by the end of this month,” Barger said. “Programs like CalFresh, which provides essential food resources to thousands of families, and CalWORKS, which supports child welfare payments for children in need, are lifelines for the most vulnerable in our County.”

Without these resources, she warned, families who rely on them could face “unimaginable hardship beginning November 1.”

Barger also noted that the shutdown threatens funding for County departments including the Department of Public Social Services and the Department of Children and Family Services,

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Barger Casts Lone Dissenting Vote Against Immigration-Related Emergency Declaration

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger on Tuesday opposed a motion to declare a local state of emergency in response to federal immigration enforcement actions, casting the sole dissenting vote in a 4-1 decision.

The emergency declaration, approved by the board majority, alleges that ongoing federal immigration raids are preventing people from going to work and forcing some businesses to close.

Barger, who represents Altadena and Pasadena, said her vote was rooted in concerns about governance and the appropriate use of emergency powers—not immigration status. “Families across Los Angeles County are afraid, and that fear is real,” she said in a statement following the vote. “I’ve spoken with members of our Latino community who live with the daily anxiety that immigration actions could separate families and destabilize neighborhoods. That fear deserves to be acknowledged with honesty and compassion.”

However, Barger argued that invoking emergency powers in this context is a misuse of authority. “Emergency powers exist for crises that pose life and death consequences like wildfires—not as a shortcut for complex policy issues,” she said.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

LA County Board OKs Local Emergency Proclamation Due to Immigration Raids

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The county Board of Supervisors declared a local state of emergency Tuesday in response to ongoing federal immigration enforcement raids, alleging the actions are preventing people from going to work and forcing some businesses to close.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath introduced the motion calling for the drafting of the emergency proclamation in response to a report presented to the board last week by county attorneys on options for possibly enacting an eviction moratorium or other protections for people impacted by the raids.

The Los Angeles Tenants Union advocacy group has been pushing the board for weeks to enact such a moratorium, saying the raids are creating enough fear to prevent people from going to work, or prompting businesses to temporarily close, leaving their employees unable to work.

The county attorney’s report noted that an eviction moratorium could be enacted during a declared local emergency, but it would have to be “temporary and narrowly tailored” to address impacts of the emergency,

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Powerball Winner Edwin Castro Buys Fire-Damaged Lots to Help Rebuild Altadena

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Nearly a year after wildfires devastated Altadena, Powerball winner Edwin Castro is putting millions toward rebuilding his hometown

Nearly a year after wildfires devastated Altadena, Powerball winner Edwin Castro is putting millions toward rebuilding his hometown.

Castro, who won the record $2 billion jackpot in 2022, has spent about $10 million to buy 15 fire-scorched lots in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills, The Wall Street Journal reported. The 33-year-old, who bought his winning ticket at an Altadena gas station at Woodbury Road and Fair Oaks Avenue, has become one of the area’s largest post-fire land buyers.

The Eaton Fire killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,000 structures. More than 14,000 acres were charred by the blaze.

“I want to rebuild this place for families who want to live here.”

He said he is not constructing homes to “give them away,” but added that “profit margin should not be egregious.”

The son of a construction worker,

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

California Senator Proposes State Research Funding After JPL Layoffs

Pérez co-authors bond measure seeking voter-approved funding for research institutions amid federal cuts

Senator Sasha Renée Pérez is responding to massive layoffs at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory by proposing state-level investment in scientific research. The Pasadena Democrat announced her co-authorship of legislation that would ask California voters to fund research institutions as federal support becomes unstable.

“The recent layoffs underscore the broader instability of federal funding, especially at a time when the Trump Administration is implementing severe cuts to essential research programs and highlight the need for California to take decisive action in protecting its research environment,” Pérez stated.

JPL announced it is laying off 550 skilled and talented employees, representing 11% of its workforce at the La Cañada Flintridge facility. The cuts come just months after many employees were evacuated during the Eaton fire, with some losing their homes.

Pérez called the layoffs “both shocking and deeply concerning.” She highlighted JPL’s role as a global leader in scientific research where teams of scientists and support staff enable groundbreaking work vital to the community,

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

LA Fire Justice Cuts Attorney Fees for Fire Survivors, Launches Oral History Project

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

The law firm’s new fee reduction applies to all Eaton Fire survivor clients

LA Fire Justice, the law firm representing hundreds of victims of the Eaton Fire, announced Thursday that it is reducing its attorneys’ fees to 25 percent for all current and future clients—a move intended to return more of survivors’ settlements directly to those rebuilding their lives.

The announcement came during the firm’s annual Client Appreciation Dinner, where leadership underscored their commitment to transparency and community partnership.

“Promises made, promises kept,” said former Councilmember and LA Fire Justice CEO Chris Holden in a statement. “Starting now, we are reducing our attorneys’ fees to 25 percent. This fee reduction applies to all current and future clients—those who signed prior to today and any who sign up after today.”

Clients do not need to take any immediate action. According to the firm, staff members will contact each client in the coming weeks to execute new contracts reflecting the updated fee schedule.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Newsom Signs Controversial Bill Letting Relatives Care For Kids If Parents Are Deported

By Jeanne Kuang, CALMATTERS

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday signed a bill allowing a broad range of relatives to step in as children’s caregivers if their parents are deported, a measure that had provoked a firestorm of conservative criticism.

Assembly Bill 495 will also bar daycare providers from collecting immigration information about a child or their parents, and allow parents to nominate a temporary legal guardian for their child in family court.

“We are putting on record that we stand by our families and their right to keep their private information safe, maintain parental rights and help families prepare in case of emergencies,” Newsom said in a press release.

It was one of several measures the Democratic-dominated Legislature pushed this year in response to the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation crackdown in Los Angeles and across California. Newsom, a Democrat, signed several of those other bills — banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks in the state and requiring schools and hospitals to require warrants when officers show up — in a ceremony in L.A.

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Storm System Brings Heavy Rain, Flood Risk to Pasadena and Altadena Tuesday

A strong storm system is bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds to Pasadena Tuesday morning, prompting a flash flood watch for burn scar areas, according to the National Weather Service.

The cold front entered Los Angeles County around 6:00 a.m. and is expected to exit by 10:00 a.m., with showers and thunderstorms continuing for several hours afterward. Forecasters said rainfall totals in Pasadena could reach between 1 and 2 inches, with peak rates of up to 1 inch per hour.

The NWS warned of debris flows and road flooding, especially near first- and second-year burn scars. Residents in affected areas were urged to monitor weather alerts and follow instructions from emergency officials.

Winds ahead of the front could gust up to 20 mph in Pasadena, with stronger gusts of 45 to 55 mph reported in mountain and desert areas. Temperatures are significantly below normal, with a high near 61 degrees forecast for Tuesday.

Rain chances diminish by late afternoon and early evening,

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Congresswoman Chu Condemns JPL Layoffs, Warns of Impact on Pasadena Workforce and U.S. Space Leadership

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory announced Monday it will lay off 550 employees, approximately 11% of its workforce, marking the third round of staff reductions at the Pasadena-based NASA center in two years.

JPL, which is administered by the California Institute of Technology, did not immediately release details about which departments or missions would be affected. The announcement was made in a public statement issued by the lab.

Rep. Judy Chu, who represents California’s 28th Congressional District including Pasadena, issued a statement calling the layoffs “an absolute tragedy” and expressing concern for the local impact.

“My thoughts are with all the impacted workers and their families,” Chu said. “These layoffs are an absolute tragedy, especially as they come at a time when our community is still recovering from the Eaton Fire that destroyed thousands of homes and disrupted so many lives and livelihoods just nine months ago.”

Chu’s statement emphasized that the latest round follows two previous waves of layoffs last year that affected more than 850 JPL employees.