Friday, June 20, 2025

Latino Parents Challenge Pasadena School Closures in Ongoing Lawsuit

Civil rights group alleges discrimination in 2019 shuttering of three majority-Latino elementary schools

A status conference is scheduled for Friday in a discrimination lawsuit against the Pasadena Unified School District pursued by seven Latino parents over the 2019 closure of three elementary schools with predominantly Latino student populations.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in January 2023 on behalf of parents Luz Becerra, Jose Flores, David Chavez, Belen Cid-Garcia, Carla Ponce, Jess Mancia and Danae Tapia, according to MALDEF.

The lawsuit challenges the district’s September 2019 decision to close Roosevelt, Jefferson and Franklin elementary schools. Roosevelt Elementary was 88 percent Latino, Jefferson was 86 percent Latino and Franklin was 76 percent Latino during the 2019-20 school year, according to state Department of Education data cited in Yahoo News.

“Pasadena Unified School District failed to take into account basic racial equity when it decided to close three majority-Latino schools,”

Friday, June 20, 2025

Home Prices Rise Slightly in LA Metro Area

CITY NEWS SERVICE

Home prices continued to rise slightly in the Los Angeles metro area and in Orange County last month, as May’s sales pace fell 5.1% statewide, the California Association of Realtors announced Thursday.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 254,190 in May. Last month’s sales pace fell 5.1% from the 267,710 homes sold in April and was down 4.0% from a year ago, when 264,850 homes were sold on an annualized basis.

May’s sales level was the lowest in four months. The year-over-year decline was the largest since December 2023, and the monthly decline was the first in 17 months. Year-to-date sales barely exceeded the same time frame in 2024 and could dip below last year’s level in June if the market continues to lose momentum.

“With home prices leveling off and more homes coming onto the market, it’s a great time for well-qualified buyers to enter the market,”

Friday, June 20, 2025

California Politicians Agree On School Money, But Poor Test Scores Need Attention

By Dan Walters, CALMATTERS

Historically, the annual process of writing a state budget has often stumbled over how much money California should spend on its public school system and its nearly 6 million students.

However, as Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders negotiate a final budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, dealing with a multi-billion-dollar deficit, they have only small disagreements on school finance.

Both Newsom’s latest budget and the Legislature’s alternative draft would peg state spending on schools at $80.5 billion, including transitional kindergarten, a new education subcategory.

That’s $4.5 billion less than the current budget allocates, but with anticipated increases in education’s share of local property taxes, total spending would remain roughly even.

With schools off the table, politically, Newsom and legislators are wrangling over more contentious issues, particularly the reductions in medical and social services for poor, elderly and disabled Californians that Newsom seeks to close the budget gap.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Pasadena Assemblymember Launches Audit of LA Wildfire Response

STAFF REPORT

Assemblymember Harabedian seeks accountability after fires killed thirty, destroyed 18,000 buildings

A California assemblymember has initiated a state audit of prevention and response efforts related to the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that killed 30 people and destroyed more than 18,000 buildings in Los Angeles County.

Assemblymember John Harabedian, a Pasadena Democrat who chairs the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, announced the audit request has been approved and will be conducted by the California State Auditor.

“Eighteen of my neighbors lost their lives in Altadena and countless more had their livelihoods upended in the Los Angeles Fires,” Harabedian said. “They and their families deserve the truth about what happened.”

The audit will examine multiple aspects of the fire response, including identifying destroyed homes, death locations and impacts on vulnerable populations. It will analyze the timeline of the fires, evacuation orders and emergency responses to assess whether systems functioned properly and in a timely manner.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Leader of Local Day Laborer Coalition Says ICE Agents Aren’t Respecting Rule of Law

By ANDRÈ COLEMAN, Managing Editor

After immigration agents detained six people and allegedly brandished a gun on a bystander, the leader of a local day laborer coalition told Pasadena Now that the law enforcement officials carrying out immigration raids are not respecting the rule of law.

“They’re not even respecting the US Constitution,” said Jose Madera, director of the Pasadena Community Job Center. “That’s the terror that people are living with right now.”

The six people detained were waiting at a bus stop on Orange Grove Avenue near Los Robles Boulevard early Wednesday when agents approached and began chasing people.

Activists held a vigil at that location at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

The congresswoman represents parts of Los Angeles County including Pasadena, where some of the people were detained today.

ICE operations in the district have raised concerns about potential violations of law enforcement protocols. Congresswoman Chu said video footage suggests agents may have committed serious legal violations during the raids.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Juneteenth Closures: What’s Open and Closed in Los Angeles County

City of Pasadena departments and services remain open as usual, but PUSD is closed

Los Angeles County residents will experience a mix of closures and continued services today for Juneteenth, with government offices, banks, and courts shutting down while most private businesses remain open.

All City of Pasadena departments and services operate as usual. However, the Pasadena Unified School District observes Juneteenth as an official holiday, meaning all district offices are closed and no regular school activities are taking place Summer school programs are also affected by the Juneteenth holiday closure

Federal and county services will see service interruptions. All Los Angeles County offices are closed, with emergency filings available from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Vital Records Headquarters Office. County libraries and some community centers are also closed for the holiday.

Major banks, including Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and TD Bank, will be closed. However, online banking services and ATMs will continue to operate normally.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

LA County Supervisors to Review Sewer Fees, Garbage Rates, and Community Investment Plan

Countywide meeting will address critical infrastructure, emergency response, and community funding efforts

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will convene a public hearing on Tuesday, June 24, at 9:30 a.m. to address a series of critical financial and infrastructure decisions affecting residents across the county.

The meeting’s most significant discussions will center on proposed increases in sewer and garbage collection service fees. The Athens/Woodcrest/Olivita Garbage Disposal District is proposing a rate increase, escalating from $177 to $225 per refuse unit in Fiscal Year 2025-26, with further increments planned through Fiscal Year 2029-30 up to $392 per refuse unit.

The Lennox Garbage Disposal District seeks similar rate adjustments, proposing to raise fees from $545 to $572 per refuse unit, with planned increases to $671 per refuse unit by Fiscal Year 2029-30.

A comprehensive public hearing will also review the Sewer Service Charge Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26, which includes proposed ordinance amendments for the Consolidated Sewer Maintenance District and Marina Sewer Maintenance District.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

Local Elected Officials Denied Access to LA Detention Center After ICE Arrests in Pasadena

The trio had sought to check on constituents arrested during early morning raids in Pasadena

Federal immigration authorities denied three elected officials access to a Los Angeles detention center Wednesday where they sought to check on constituents arrested during early morning raids in Pasadena, despite laws guaranteeing congressional oversight of such facilities, according to the officials.

Congresswoman Judy Chu, Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and State Senator Sasha Renée Pérez attempted to visit the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles Wednesday afternoon following Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations that resulted in at least six arrests.

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo told Pasadena Now’s Eddie Rivera that ICE agents denied the trio access to the facility.

The denial comes despite federal law under P.L. 118-47 that guarantees Members of Congress access to Department of Homeland Security facilities for oversight purposes without prior notice.

ICE agents detained six people at a bus stop near Orange Grove Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue in Pasadena at approximately 6:30 a.m.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

New Study By Pasadena Research Institute Uncovers Hidden Heart Risks from Vaping

How Nicotine Harms Young Hearts — and What Might Stop It

As youth vaping surges during the summer months, researchers at Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) in Pasadena have uncovered a surprising new danger: Nicotine may be quietly damaging the heart, not just the lungs. A newly published study reveals how the substance found in both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes triggers harmful cellular changes in the heart—and points to promising paths for treatment.

The study, led by Dr. Khaja Shameem Mohammed Abdul, a postdoctoral research scholar in HMRI’s Cardiovascular Signaling Laboratory, appears in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology. It details how nicotine activates a stress pathway in heart cells, causing a spike in a protein called PHLPP1. This surge increases oxidative stress—a toxic process that can impair energy production, damage heart cells, and even lead to cell death.

“While many people associate vaping with lung damage or addiction,” said Dr. Mohammed Abdul, “our research shows that nicotine also stresses the heart at a cellular level.

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Pasadena Immigration Enforcement Raids Draw Condemnation from State Senator

Sen. Pérez demands answers after federal agents detain people at bus stop

State Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez condemned federal immigration enforcement actions that took place Wednesday morning in Pasadena, where agents detained people at a bus stop.

The Democratic senator, who represents Pasadena, issued a statement criticizing what she described as “The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions this morning in Pasadena paint another troubling picture of unidentifiable federal agents terrorizing and snatching vulnerable people off the street.”

“All indications show these raids targeted decent, hard-working community members at a bus stop who are simply trying to make a living and support their families,” Pérez said in the statement.

The senator said she has contacted federal agencies seeking information about the status of those detained and questioning the agents’ conduct.

“I want to know the status of the people detained this morning, and why the agents are conducting themselves like kidnappers,” Pérez said.

She plans to visit a detention center Wednesday alongside Rep.