Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Four Pasadena-Area Scientist Deaths or Disappearances Among Those Under Federal Review, Officials Say

FBI, White House and House Oversight Committee are examining cases tied to JPL and Caltech

Three researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and a Caltech astrophysicist shot to death at his Antelope Valley home are among at least 10 U.S. scientists whose deaths or disappearances are now under coordinated federal review, officials announced this week.

The FBI, the White House and the House Oversight Committee have opened parallel inquiries into the cases, which date to 2023, to determine whether any of them are connected or represent a national security concern.

NASA said in a statement that nothing related to the agency indicates a national security threat.

The Pasadena-area cases involve three researchers who worked at JPL — Michael David Hicks, Frank Maiwald and Monica Reza — and Carl Grillmair, a Caltech astrophysicist. JPL is managed by Caltech for NASA.

On April 17, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on X that the administration was working with federal agencies on a review of the cases.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Altadena Campus Will Host Pasadena Unified’s State of Schools Event Tonight

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver her first State of Schools address Wednesday at a fire-impacted Altadena campus as the district weighs possible closures and deep budget cuts

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver Pasadena Unified’s State of Schools address in Altadena tonight.

The selection of Altadena as the setting reflects the extent to which the Eaton Fire has reshaped the District’s landscape. The January 2025 fire damaged or destroyed five public or charter school campuses in the District’s service area, and displaced families connected to more than 1,100 students in the District.

In the months that followed, enrollment declined further as families relocated, with approximately 500 students leaving the District following the fire. The losses compounded a longer-term trend: enrollment in Pasadena Unified, which serves Pasadena, Altadena and Sierra Madre, has fallen to fewer than 14,000 students, a decline of about 23 percent over the past decade.

Because California’s school funding model is tied to average daily attendance, the decline in enrollment has translated directly into financial strain.

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

He Left Saigon as a Child. More Than Two Decades Later, the Show Follows Him to the San Gabriel Valley

Alex Xander Luu’s one-man show about a family’s escape from Vietnam comes to Sierra Madre Playhouse this month

On April 30, 1975, a young child left Saigon aboard an American military helicopter under enemy fire. He has spent the decades since making theater out of that day — and the years that followed.

Three Lives, Alex Xander Luu’s one-man show about the family he carried out of Vietnam, has been touring American stages for more than two decades. It arrives this month at Sierra Madre Playhouse — an intimate 99-seat venue that serves Pasadena and Altadena audiences and that survived the January 2025 Eaton Fire — for four performances beginning May 22. Luu, who is Chinese-Vietnamese American and a longtime teaching artist in San Gabriel Valley schools, traces the experiences of father, son, and grandson as they navigate the distance between the country they left and the one they found.

The show is the work of one man onstage — but it fills the space with generations.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

PUSD’s State of Schools Address Set for Wednesday in Altadena

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver her first annual address as the district faces layoffs, a multimillion-dollar deficit, and a review of 14 campuses

The Pasadena Unified School District will hold conduct the annual State of Schools 2026 address Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary School Auditorium at 593 W. Woodbury Road in Altadena.

Board President Tina Fredericks will deliver the address — her first State of Schools since the Board elected her president on Dec. 8.

The address comes during a period of Board actions on District finances and structure. In November, the Board voted to cut $24.5 million from the 2026-27 budget. On Feb. 26, trustees approved layoff resolutions that would eliminate more than 160 certificated positions, along with classified positions. The District has said it faces a structural budget deficit of $30 million to $35 million for the coming fiscal year.

On Jan. 22, the Board also approved a planning process that will determine whether the Pasadena Unified School District closes or consolidates some campuses.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

City, PUSD Highlight Joint Push for Solar Expansion and Clean Energy Goals by 2030

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

Pasadena city and school officials highlighted a growing partnership on clean energy initiatives Monday during a joint meeting, outlining plans to expand solar power, improve energy efficiency and collaborate on long-term sustainability goals.

Leaders from the Pasadena City Council and the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) stressed the importance of working together to meet ambitious targets, including the city’s goal of achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030.

Pasadena Water and Power (PWP) officials presented a wide-ranging overview of programs aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including investments in solar energy, battery storage and energy efficiency. The city has committed $20 million toward an initial phase of municipal solar projects at multiple sites, including libraries and utility facilities.

“Partnering with PUSD is going to be really helpful to meeting our goals and challenges,” PWP General Manager David Reyes told officials, noting that collaboration will be key to scaling renewable energy efforts across the city.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

State Mortgage Relief for Eaton Fire Survivors Now Reaches $100,000. A May 9 Workshop in Altadena Can Help Them Access It.

A free full-day event at The Collaboratory brings housing grants, estate planning and construction services to homeowners still rebuilding after the January 2025 fire

In February, California raised the ceiling on its wildfire mortgage relief program from $20,000 to $100,000 — more than a year after the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of Altadena homes. On May 9, residents who may not know they qualify can find out in one place.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Los Angeles County and the Restore the Legacy LA Coalition are co-hosting a free Rebuilding & Recovery Workshop at The Collaboratory, 540 W. Woodbury Road, Altadena, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. According to NHS, the event will offer on-site access to the CalAssist Mortgage Grant Program, NHS grants and lending services, free estate planning legal services, low-cost construction management, and technical support for selecting a general contractor or architect.

The workshop serves survivors of the January 2025 Eaton Fire, which burned 14,021 acres and destroyed at least 9,414 structures in Altadena and adjacent areas,

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Racial Justice Practitioner Takes His Work to Sunday’s Church Pew

Center for Restorative Justice director brings nearly 30 years of Pasadena-rooted reconciliation work to First United Methodist this week

For nearly 30 years, John M. Williams Jr. has made his living in the space where most people don’t want to sit — the uncomfortable, unresolved middle of conversations about race.

His Pasadena-based organization, the Center for Restorative Justice, calls it creating “soft places for hard conversations.” The phrase sounds gentle. The work is not.

Williams has consulted with churches, universities, and nonprofits on becoming more equitable organizations, according to a church press release. He teaches at Azusa Pacific University and Life Pacific College. According to a church press release, he also serves on the board of Greenline Housing Foundation, the Pasadena-based nonprofit that has been working to keep families of color from losing land and homes in the wake of the Eaton Fire. And in recent months, he has been part of the coalition pushing Pasadena to formally reckon with the families displaced decades ago to make way for a freeway that was never built.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Lagging in Polls and Fundraising, Betty Yee Drops Out of California Governor’s Race

By Jeanne Kuang, CALMATTERS

Former state Controller Betty Yee dropped out of the governor’s race on Monday, saying she couldn’t see a path to get donors and additional support from undecided voters with six weeks left before the primary.

“It was becoming clear that the donors were not going to be there,” she said. “Even some of my former supporters just felt like they needed to move on as well.”

She did not immediately endorse another candidate, but said she would do so in the next few days. Six Democrats and two Republicans are leading in polling ahead of the June 2 election.

Yee was one of the earliest to enter the race, announcing her candidacy more than two years ago. She ran on her experience handling the state budget and her family’s middle-class, immigrant background.

A progressive who supported continuing the state’s greenhouse gas reduction mandates, Yee also emphasized her ability to balance the budget and spoke often about the importance of growing the state’s economy and auditing state programs for fraud.

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

Preservation Group Urges Caution as PUSD School Closures Are Weighed

Pasadena Heritage asks the school district to consider historic value and community impact as officials weigh campus closures

A local historic preservation organization urged the Pasadena Unified School District to consider the architectural and community significance of its campuses as officials weigh possible school closures and consolidations driven by fiscal and staffing challenges.

In a statement, Pasadena Heritage said it had “watched with concern the ongoing discussions” by the District and called on officials to acknowledge and embrace the historical, architectural and cultural value of school properties, many of which were designed by architects “among the most notable practitioners of their generation.”

The group acknowledged the financial and operational challenges facing the District, including long-term attendance, fiscal and staffing constraints, and described the broader role campuses play in their communities.

“These campuses are more than educational centers, as they are communal gathering places, sources of information and recreation, and character-defining elements of the neighborhoods they serve,” the organization said.

Pasadena Heritage urged the District to explore the potential for protection,

Monday, April 20, 2026

Eaton Fire Litigation Gains Momentum as the Trial Date Approaches

Momentum is building in the Eaton Fire litigation, as the January 25, 2027 trial date approaches. Recent developments in the litigation signal that the case is moving into a more defined phase — one that could shape how and when survivors recover damages.

For many impacted families, this shift represents more than just legal progress. It marks a point where the path forward is becoming clearer, and where important decisions may soon need to be made.

The lead Eaton Fire case was filed by Bridgford, Gleason & Artinian, entitled Gursey v. So. Cal. Edison. Southern California Edison, the defendant in the case, has not been found liable, and the claims remain subject to court proceedings.

As the case continues to advance, attention is turning toward how large-scale wildfire claims like these are typically resolved.

Legal experts from the firm Bridgford, Gleason and Artinian point to two common pathways: a mediation protocol, or the establishment of a settlement fund.

A mediation protocol is a structured negotiation process where claims are resolved through a phased mediation process.