County board declines to extend eviction protections; emergency rent program expands
Rosemead Reader
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16-FEBRUARY 22, 2026
LA County board puts sales tax hike for health care on June ballot
By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 4-1 to place a voter initiative on the June ballot seeking a half-cent increase in sales tax to fill funding gaps amid cutbacks from the state and federal governments.
The proposed temporary tax hike, introduced last month by Supervisors Holly Mitchell and Hilda Solis, is a half-cent general sales tax increase through Oct. 1, 2031.
An estimated $1 billion would be generated from the Essential Services Restoration Act, county officials reported.
The current sales tax of 9.75% would rise to 10.25% and take effect “the first day of the first calendar quarter commencing more than 110 days after” voter approval in the June 2 election, according to Mitchell and Solis’ motion for the proposed tax hike.
“The federal budget bill, (House Resolution 1), also known as the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act,’ proposed and signed into law by President Donald Trump, includes massive funding cuts,” the motion reports. “In Los Angeles County, these cuts most severely impact the County’s health care system. HR 1 cuts billions in federal Medicaid funding to California and imposes new eligibility requirements and copays, resulting in reduced care for patients.”
LA County has 3.3 million people who rely on Medi-Cal assistance, or 1 in 3 residents, including nearly a million children, according to the motion.
“In order to meet the urgent health care needs of the County’s residents and combat the looming potential closure of hospitals, clinics and the emergency room overcrowding crisis caused by
|
HR 1, this Board must place a temporary 0.5% sales tax on the ballot at the next available election,” Mitchell and Solis wrote.
District5Supervisor Kathryn Barger cast the dissenting vote after a hearing of more than four hours involving board members and the public.
“Backfillingfederal funding cuts on the backs of county taxpayers is not acceptable,” Barger said in a statement following the board’s decision. “Los Angeles County residents are already stretched thin. Last year, Bloomberg News reported that Los Angeles now has the highest sales tax rates of any major metropolitan region in the nation. This proposed half-cent increase would push us even higher, making our county less affordable for families and less appealing for consumers to shop and businesses to operate. We are risking imposing higher everyday costs and small businesses and employers
choosing to leave Los Angeles County altogether.”
Mitchell, who represents District 2, argued during the meeting that health care services in the county will face significant shortfalls without an infusion of funding.
“HR 1 pulled the rug out from under all of us. ... That’s how we got here,” Mitchell said, also noting that the bill included “the largest federal funding cut to Medicaid in our nation’s history.”
District 1 Supervisor Solis said, “Let us not forget ... and underscore how we got here — the Trump administration and congressional Republicans passed HR 1 that put the safety net, which we as board members are obligated to strengthen and make sure that it’s adaptable and flexible when we incur ... budget hits and crisis.”
Voters raised the county’s sales tax 0.5% in April after
voters approved Measure A to replace Measure H’s quartercent levy. The tax finances efforts to prevent and address homelessness.
Barger called for “stronger commitments” from state legislators and questioned the proposed ordinance’s accountability measures.
“Making things more expensive — especially for those who can least afford it — without real guarantees or accountability is not the answer,” she said following Tuesday’s vote. “Placing a burden on taxpayers, with no certainty that the dollars will be spent as intended, is not responsible fiscal policy.
“If the County is going to ask voters to approve a tax, it should be a special tax that provides clear purpose, enforceable accountability, and real transparency — not a general tax which can be used for other County needs,” Barger said.
LA County report: ICE raids result in $3.7M in business losses
AG opens civil rights probe into Eaton Fire response in West Altadena
By City News Service
ThestateAttorney General’sOffice
Thursday announced a civil rights investigation into the response to the January 2025 Eaton Fire, questioning whether race, age or disability discrimination contributed to delays in emergency notifications and evacuations in the historically black West Altadena area.
Attorney General Rob Bonta noted that the 14,000acre fire killed 19 people, all but one of whom lived in the West Altadena area, and the average age of the fire victims was 77 years old.
“The investigation we’ve launched is driven by one over-arching question — did the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s delay in notifying and evacuating the historically Black West Altadena community during the Eaton Fire violate state anti-discrimination and disability rights laws?” Bonta said at a Los Angeles news conference announcing the investigation. “Meaning, did unlawful race-, disability- or
age-based discrimination in the emergency response result in a delayed evacuation notification that disproportionately impacted West Altadena residents?
“That’s the question. We don’t know the answer. We don’t know what this investigation will turn up, which is the whole point — to pursue the facts, uncover, reveal the facts and follow the facts.
“We’re also not starting from a blank slate here. There are concerning circumstances surrounding the Eaton Fire that have raised questions, making this investigation necessary. The biggest of which is that there was indisputably a delayed emergency notification and evacuation of West Altadena. We’re here to ask why.”
Questions about the emergency response to the fire were raised shortly after the deadly blaze, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that evacuation alerts were issued in West Altadena only well after the fire was raging in the community, and fewer
Photo by MargJohnsonVA/Envato
One of the thousands of homes in Altadena destroyed in the Eaton Fire in January 2025. | Photo courtesy of Facsenator/ Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
County board declines to extend eviction protections; emergency rent program expands
By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com
Aproposaltofurther extend eviction protections for tenants in Los Angeles County failed to gain support from the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, following a more than $14 million expansion of the Emergency Rent Relief Program.
Last week, the board directed county attorneys to develop an ordinance requiring renters to be at least two months behind in fair market rent before landlords in unincorporated areas can initiate an eviction. The current threshold for starting the eviction process is one-month delinquency.
Attorneys were expected to present an ordinance to the board within a month.
Tenants’ rights advocates urged the board to raise the eviction threshold to three months of lapsed rent payments and extend the policy to include tenants in
both unincorporated areas as well as incorporated cities within the county.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath introduced a motion last week with those provisions, but that proposal failed Tuesday when none of her four colleagues would second the motion. A motion without a second supervisor’s OK cannot proceed to a vote.
A number of people in attendance at the board meeting booed the motion’s failure, with several speaking in favor of it. At one point the group of supporters repeatedly chanted “Cowards!”
As order failed to restore in the board’s meeting room in downtown Los Angeles, supervisors recessed into a nonpublic session to confer with attorneys about legal matters.
The board’s action last week to raise the threshold to two months for evictions
in unincorporated areas was a response to what Supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis said was increasing financial pressure on tenants in recent months. The supervisors pointed to widespread efforts by federal immigration agencies, which supervisors said have discouraged some county residents from going to work and harmed businesses that have lost customers and workers.
The current fair market rent in LA County is $2,085 per month for a one-bedroom unit, and $2,601 for two bedrooms, officials said.
$14.6M expansion of Emergency Rent Relief Program
Tenants throughout LA County can submit applications for the second round of the Emergency Rent Relief Program, officials said Monday.
The application portal
Aopened Monday at 9 a.m., and will remain open until March 11 at 4:59 p.m, according to the LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, which oversees the program. Tenants, landlords and displaced homeowners who experienced emergencyrelated financial hardship were encouraged to apply.
The program offers grants for up to six months of assistance with a maximum grant of $15,000 per rental unit. Rent relief may include unpaid rental or mortgage debt, eligible utilities and other verified housing-related expenses.
Round 2 adds an additional $14.6 million, bringing the program’s total cost to more than $44.6 million, officials said.
The first round of the program was in December and ended in January. The DCBA received 4,644 applica-
tions during the first round, according to the department.
“This program exists because our county leadership understands how deeply a variety of emergencies have affected residents across the entire region,” said DCBA Director Rafael Carbajal said in a statement. “I encourage
tenants and landlords who need help to visit the portal and apply as soon as possible.” Tenants and landlords can apply at lacountyrentrelief. com. Tenants can also apply by phone through approved program partners, available in multiple languages, officials said.
Pasadena fire captain pleads not guilty to sexually abusing 3 children
Pasadena Fire Department captain pleaded not guilty Monday to allegations that he sexually abused three children in Los Angeles and Ventura counties for over 20 years.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has charged Christopher James Ramstead, 47, of Thousand Oaks, with nine felony counts of committing a lewd
act on a child during various time frames between March 2003 and July 2025.
Ramstead remains jailed without bail pending a bail review hearing set for Friday in Van Nuys.
“Theseallegations describe years of sexual abuse of children by someone who was repeatedly placed in positions of trust,” District Attorney
TBy Staff
Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “The harm alleged here is profound, and no title, badge or uniform places anyone above the law. We commend the courage of those who reported this abuse, request any others who have information about such abuse to come forward, and assure the public that our office will aggressively pursue justice and stand with survivors.”
Ramstead faces a maximum of 135 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, prosecutors said.
Pasadena officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Pasadena spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said in an email to HeySoCal.com, “The City is aware of the allegations and legal proceedings.
Christopher Ramstead is on unpaid administrative leave at this point.”
Investigators from the Los Angeles Police Department’s Juvenile Division are asking anyone who may be an alleged victim or who has additional information about Ramstead to call them at 818-374-5415 or 1-877LAPD-24-7 during nonbusiness hours or on weekends.
West Covina, former fire captain settle discrimination suit
he city of West Covina andaformerFire Departmentcaptain have reached a settlement in his lawsuit that alleged he was forced to resign in 2022 in the face of possibly losing his retirement medical benefits for complaining that the then-fire chief was not following coronavirus safety measures.
CurtisMcCart’sLos AngelesSuperiorCourt lawsuit allegations included disability and age discrimination as well as retaliation. He sought reinstatement along with unspecified compensatory damages.
McCourt’sattorneys filed court papers on Feb. 5 with Judge Peter A. Hernandez informing him that an
“unconditional” resolution of the case had been reached. No terms were divulged. In their previous court papers, attorneys for the city disputed McCart’s allegations, saying the plaintiff was unable to state any specific coronavirus regulation violated by thenFire Chief Vincent Capelle or others. The West Covina lawyers further maintained in their pleadings that McCart was put on paid administrative leave in July 2022, in part for allegedly stating in a conversation with colleagues that he blamed a deadly shooting at a Los Angeles County fire station on management. McCart also talked about “hitting, punching and/or laying out” Capelle or others, according to the city’s attor-
By City News Service
neys court papers, which further stated that McCart denied making the statements.
McCart, now 59, worked with the WCFD for more than 32 years and prior to his alleged forced retirement was the city’s most senior fire captain. Starting in March 2020 and continuing through 2022, McCart complained that Capelle refused to wear coronavirus masks and socially distance when indoors, the suit brought in June 2023 stated.
“Fire Chief Capelle led by example in breaking COVID-19 safety regulations,” according to the suit, which further alleged that in doing so, Capelle “created a culture at the department
that permitted employees to openly flout without consequence COVID-19 safety regulations.”
McCart also spoke out about other workplace issues, including what he believed to be the mistreatment of homeless persons by department members, the suit stated.
In early 2022, Capelle asked McCart if he had retirement plans, to which the plaintiff replied that he would consider that issue in the future, according to the suit. But in May of that year, Capelle sent McCart a memo stating that if the plaintiff did not retire, Capelle would transfer him to a busier and less desirable post despite the tradition of allowing employ-
ees with the most seniority to choose their assignments, the suit stated.
McCart subsequently relayed his concerns about coronavirus safety protocol to his supervisor, Assistant Fire Chief Jim Rudroff, as well as City Councilman Tony Wu and City Manager David Carmany, according to the complaint.
In July 2022, the city notified McCart of a job relocation and shift change that put him in a much busier station that had more calls and required him to work on most holidays, the suit stated. In their court papers, city attorneys state that McCart’s services were needed at the other station and had noting to do with his
age. McCart complained to his superiors and co-workers that Capelle allegedly was trying to force him to retire and renewed his concerns about the coronavirus safety protocol, the suit stated. The city notified the plaintiff in September 2022 of its intent to terminate him “based on McCart’s complaints and reports of noncompliance with regulations and unlawful conduct,” according to the suit, which further stated that officials told McCart that if he did not resign, he would lose his retiree medical benefits, forcing the plaintiff to decide to retire the next month. Capelle was fired in November 2024.
| Photo by formatoriginal/Envato
Christopher James Ramstead. | Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office
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AState DOJ reaches $2.75M accord with Disney over data sharing
settlement with the Walt Disney Co. in which the entertainment giant will pay $2.75 million to resolve allegations it failed to completely honor consumers’ requests to opt-out of the sale or sharing of their data was approved Wednesday by a judge.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Daniel M. Crowley’s order states that Disney also must implement methods that fully stop Disney’s sale or sharing of consumers’ personal information. The suit was filed Wednesday by the Attorney General’s Office and the resolution was made final during a hearing before Crowley.
“Consumers shouldn’t have to go to infinity and beyond to assert their privacy rights,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “Today, my office secured the largest settlement to date under the (California Consumer Protection Act)
State of California.
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By City News Service
over Disney’s failure to stop selling and sharing the data of consumers that explicitly asked it to.”
California law is clear that a customer’s opt-out right applies wherever and however a business sells data, said Bonta, who added that asking a business to stop selling one’s data should not be “complicated or cumbersome.”
The Department of Justice’s investigation into Disney stems from a January 2024 investigative sweep
of streaming services for potential CCPA violations.
Effective ways to get out of the sale or sharing of a person’s information is one of the “bare necessities” of complying with the CCPA, according to the department, which alleged that Disney’s opt-out processes did not allow a consumer even when logged into their account to completely stop all sale or sharing of their data.
The department’s probe uncovered methods Disney provided allegedly had key
gaps that allowed Disney to continue to sell and share consumer data, including that Disney only applied an opt-out request to the specific streaming service the user was watching and often only the specific device the consumer was using.
If a user pulled out using Disney’s webform, the company stopped the sharing of personal data through the company’s own advertising platform and offering, but allegedly continued to sell and share consumer data with specific third-party ad-tech companies whose code Disney embedded in its websites and apps, according to the department.
Disney also failed to provide an in-app, opt-out method in many of its connected TV streaming apps, instead directing consumers to its webform, effectively leaving consumers with no way to stop Disney’s selling and sharing from the apps, the department further alleged.
LA28 executive board backs Wasserman amid calls for his resignation
By City News Service
Despite calls for his resignation, the LA28 Executive Committee Board Wednesday supported Casey Wasserman to continue in his role as chair of the Olympic organizing effort, citing an independent investigation that examined his past interactions with Ghislaine Maxwell, who’s been convicted of sex trafficking for her role in a widespread sexual abuse scandal involving the late Jeffrey Epstein.
The Board -- the leaders responsible for planning and executing the preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles -- said in a statement that the organization takes allegations of misconduct seriously, and is committed to thoroughly reviewing any concerns related to the organization’s leadership.
LA28 hired outside counsel O’Melveny & Myers LLP to conduct a review of Wasserman’s past interactions with Maxwell and Epstein. The board said Wasserman fully cooperated with the review.
“We found Mr. Wasserman’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell did not
go beyond what has already been publicly documented,” the board said in a statement.
“Twenty-three years ago, before Mr. Wasserman or the public knew of Epstein and Maxwell’s deplorable crimes, Mr. Wasserman and his then-wife flew on a humanitarian mission to Africa on Epstein’s plane at the invitation of the Clinton Foundation. This was his single interaction with Epstein. Shortly after, he traded the publicly known emails with Maxwell,” the board said in its statement.
The executive committee determined that based on these facts, and Wasserman’s “strong leadership” exhibited over the past 10 years, that he should continue to lead LA28 and deliver the 2028 Games.
Earlier this month, three Los Angeles City Council members and County Supervisor Janice Hahn, among other elected officials, called on Wasserman to resign from LA28 over a string of racy emails with Maxwell, and his alleged connection with Epstein.
Wasserman’s name
surfaced when the latest batch of Epstein documents were made public late January by the U.S. Department of Justice as part of its investigation into Epstein, who died in a jail cell in August 2019 of a reported suicide as he awaited trial on federal charges.
The former financier was accused of procuring underage girls to perform sexual favors for various highly influential millionaires and billionaires at a private island.
The documents revealed multiple salacious email exchanges between Wasserman and Maxwell, Epstein’s associate who was convicted in 2021 on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy for helping Epstein procure girls and young women.
The newly released emails are from 2003. They feature flirtatious remarks from both parties, including Wasserman writing that he wanted to see Maxwell in a “tight leather outfit,” and Maxwell offering to give him a massage that can “drive a man wild.”
The 51-year-old Wasserman is the founder and CEO of Wasserman, a sports marketing and talent agency, and grandson of legendary Hollywood agent Lew Wasserman.
Wassermanrecently traveled to Milan, Italy, with the LA28 delegation for the Winter Olympics.
In a statement to various media outlets, Wasserman said, “I deeply regret my correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell which took place over two decades ago, long before her horrific crimes came to light. I never had a personal or business relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. As is well documented, I went on a humanitarian trip as part of a delegation with the Clinton Foundation in 2002 on the Epstein plane. I am terribly sorry for having any association with either of them.”
| Photo courtesy of BoliviaInteligente/Unsplash
| Image courtesy of LA28
CSULB, state officials to study veteran suicides
By City News Service
CalStateLongBeach
is partnering with the California Department of Veteran Affairs to support a research initiative aimed at reducing veteran deaths by suicide, officials announced last week.
The initiative will focus on enhancing data collection, analysis, and reporting to better understand and address underlying risk factors for suicides.
“This collaboration represents a new chapter in how data and public service can work hand in hand. By building an integrated, county- and state- level view of veteran health, we are creating datadriven solutions that turn information into meaningful impact for practitioners, policymakers, and veterans alike,” said Jeremy Ramirez, principal investigator for the CSULB Research Foundation.
The project aims to produce recommendations on standardizing the system for collecting and reporting veteran suicide data in all 58 California counties. Those recommendations will be
designed to provide coroner and medical examiner offices with clear steps to consider following when classifying, reporting and analyzing such cases.
“This innovative partnership positions California as a national leader in providing the most accurate, comprehensive, and action-
able reporting on veteran suicides,” CalVet Deputy Secretary Roberto Herrera said. “We are grateful for our partnership with CSU Long Beach and look forward to this research making a difference in the lives of veterans and their families.”
UC Berkeley is also a partner in the project.
South Coast AQMD approves $30M for non-polluting school buses
By City News Service
South Coast Air Quality Management District governorshave approved $30 million to help communities disproportionately impacted by air pollution replace older school buses with new, zero-emission models, the agency announced Tuesday.
The initiative is expected to significantly reduce air pollution, including smogforming nitrogen oxides and particulate matter -- tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs. Reducing exposure to these pollutants is especially critical for children, whose lungs are still developing and who are more vulnerable to respiratory illnesses such as asthma.
Zero-emission school
buses help create cleaner air around schools and along bus routes, improving longterm health outcomes for students and surrounding communities, according to the SCAQMD.
Eligible existing school buses must be dieselcompressed natural gas- or propane-fueled, have a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 8,501 pounds, be currently registered with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and comply with the California Air Resources Board’s Truck and Bus Regulations.
The SCAQMD’s AB 617 Clean Community School Initiative is an incentive program supporting schoolrelated projects in overburdened communities identified through the program. Applicants must be the operators of privately owned school buses contracted with and servicing public school districts within the identified communities.
The application deadline is April 7. Applications may be made on the agency’s AB 617 Community Action Plan Incentives page at aqmd.gov/cleancommunityschools.
Buses must also have a valid California Highway Patrol certificate at the time of application, with continuous CHP safety certificates for at least the past two years. Existing buses must be crushed or dismantled upon replacement, the agency said.
| Photo courtesy of sydney Rae/Unsplash
| Photo courtesy of Pedro Gandra/Unsplash
Firefighters wore gear containing ‘forever chemicals.’ The Forest Service knew and stayed silent for years.
By Abe Streep, ProPublica
This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up for Dispatches, a newsletter that spotlights wrongdoing around the country, to receive our stories in your inbox every week.
Officials at the U.S. Forest Service knew gear worn by wildland firefighters contained potentially dangerous “forever chemicals” years before the agency publicly acknowledged the issue, according to internal correspondence obtained by ProPublica.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, have been linked to negative health impacts, including certain cancers and delayed development in children. For years, PFAS chemicals were commonly used to treat the heavy gear worn by municipal firefighters to help it repel water and oil.
Federal agencies have said little about whether the compounds were also found in the lighter heatresistant clothing worn by wildland firefighters. In February 2024, when ProPublica was reporting on the dangers of wildland firefighting — including the risk of cancer — the news organization asked both the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior if federal wildland firefighting gear contained PFAS. Both agencies gave nearly identical answers, writing that they did not have “specific measured concentration data showing that PFAS is contained in protective clothing and gear.”
But email correspondence obtained by ProPublica shows that government officials were alerted to the presence of PFAS in pants used by wildland firefighters as early as 2021. In April 2022, a senior Forest Service official asked colleagues if they had an obligation to tell firefighters that PFAS had been found in their gear.
According to the emails, the agency decided not to immediately share the information, instead waiting for the results of a study into whether PFAS can be absorbed through the skin.
The Forest Service declined to answer questions about the records, PFAS chemicals in its gear, and firefighter health. In 2024, the agency said in a statement to ProPublica, “The Forest Service is deeply committed to not only understanding occupational risks to employees but mitigating these risks.”
The Department of the Interior did not answer questions about PFAS.
By 2021, public awareness of the ubiquity and risks of PFAS was rising.
At the beginning of that year, Congress ordered the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a subagency of the Department of Commerce, to find out if firefighting gear contained PFAS. Researchers from the agency began collecting hoods and gloves worn by municipal firefighters — who tackle building fires — as well as various samples of wildland firefighting gear.
In April, according to the documents, a Forest Service equipment specialist emailed one of its suppliers, TenCate, which produces fabric used in wildland firefighting gear. At the time, the company’s “Advance” fabric, a Kevlar blend used in some pants, was treated with a finishing product called Shelltite. “Question,” asked the Forest Service specialist. “Does the Shelltite finish on the Advance fabric have any PFAS presence?”
A TenCate manager quickly responded by attaching a document confirming that one of its finishes contained a form of PFAS that had been applied to repel hydrocarbons and gasoline. The manager also said that TenCate was “in the final stages of developing” a finish without the compound.
TenCate did not respond to repeated requests for comment from ProPublica. PFAS is a broad class of chemicals. According to emails sent from TenCate to the Forest Service, the company’s finish used a form of PFAS with six or fewer fluorinated carbon atoms. According to experts, these “short-chain” PFAS chemicals are less harmful than other ones, but some can linger in the environment for years and in the
The emails were released last week in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed in 2022 by George Broyles, a former Forest Service employee who for years studied smoke exposure among firefighters, and who has repeatedly raised concerns about the agency’s reluctance to acknowledge cancer among its workforce. “They just obfuscate,” said Broyles. “It’s just a continuation of the same thing: ‘We’re going to stick our heads in the sand and hope that nobody notices.’”
human body for months. Their full impact on human health is not known.
All firefighters have significantly higher cancer risks than the general population, but less is understood about the health of wildland firefighters than of their counterparts who battle blazes in buildings and other structures. This is largely the fault of the government: As ProPublica has reported, the Forest Service has known of carcinogenic elements in wildfire smoke for decades but the government dragged its heels in studying the impacts on wildland firefighters. Researchers have found elevated levels of some PFAS in the blood of structural firefighters, but less is known about these chemicals in their wildland peers.
While structural firefighting departments often require garments that repel oil and water, experts say it is not always necessary for wildland firefighters, who often wear the same gear for weeks in remote locations.
“From the wildland firefighting perspective, I don’t see any reason to have the PFAS treatments in their gear. They don’t really need the oil repellency,” said Bryan Ormond, an associate professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at North Carolina State University, in an email. “It would be a safer option to not have the PFAS treatment.”
According to a former fire service official with direct knowledge of the dynamic, the presence of PFAS in pants was a topic of discussion around 2021 by a risk management committee made up of senior officials from multiple agencies, including the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. The official said that committee members wanted to know: “Is it a big deal, little deal, or no deal?”
In April 2022, a full year after TenCate told the Forest Service about the PFAS treatment used on its fabric, a senior agency official named David Haston raised the issue again. An assistant director of operations at the Forest Service at the time, Haston emailed colleagues asking whether TenCate’s fabric was “still coming with PFAS in the finish? Can Tencate tell us whether or not this is hazardous to people that
wear these garments? Do we have a duty to notify employees?”
The email was forwarded to a Forest Service equipment specialist named David Maclay-Schulte who said he’d asked the company if its PFAS-free fabric was ready. “They said they will look into it and get back to me,” wrote the specialist. “I am hopeful it’s sooner rather than later.”
Five months later, in September, Maclay-Schulte wrote to Forest Service officials that he still hadn’t heard back from TenCate. In the email, Maclay-Schulte said he would contact the company again, but added that the Forest Service had decided to wait until the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health had completed studies, including one about whether PFAS can be absorbed through skin, “before any decisions would be made.” In the same email, he asked colleagues whether he should respond to questions about PFAS that Broyles had asked on behalf of a labor advocacy group called Grassroots Wildland Firefighters. The other officials all agreed that they would not immediately tell Grassroots about the PFAS. “They need to send the FS an official request asking for this information,” wrote a physiologist for the agency.
According to multiple wildland firefighters and governmentofficials familiar with contracting and purchasing, the Forest Service never told rank-and-
file wildland firefighters that their pants might contain PFAS.
“To me it demonstrates that managers high up in the agency over several years have never really prioritized the health and well-being of the actual firefighters,” said Riva Duncan, the president of Grassroots and a former Forest Service fire chief. Duncan noted that many wildland firefighters wear their pants even in the offseason. “They’ve known about this. They’ve known about other threats to health and well-being yet they have chosen to not be proactive and share the information with employees. It seems it’s only when they’re forced to provide information that we find out about it.”
In the past few years, under pressure from labor groups and lawmakers, the federal government has begun to acknowledge cancer in the workforce, and the Forest Service last year made masks available to wildland firefighters in response to reporting from The New York Times. But a full accounting of the risks is still not available; the government’s preparedness guide for incoming wildland firefighters, produced in 2022, makes no mention of cancer. When ProPublica asked the Department of the Interior if it planned to update the guide, a spokesperson directed the news organization to a blog post about research into workplace hazards that does not mention cancer.
In January 2023, almost
two years after the Forest Service learned of the PFAS treatments, TenCate finally responded to MaclaySchulte. “To the best of our knowledge wearing ADVANCE with Shelltite or Supershelltite has not caused deleterious health impacts,” wrote a senior director at the company. But the company also informed the agency that it was now producing its PFAS-free finish for the pant fabric. It is unclear if the government began purchasing pants with the new finish or if it continued to purchase the pants with PFAS.
In 2024, NIST released the study of PFAS in firefighting gear that Congress had mandated in 2021. The study found that some wildland firefighting gear contained PFAS. Most of it had modest amounts of the chemicals. But, NIST wrote, in a summary of the study, “there were some cases that had notably high levels.” According to Heather Stapleton, an exposure scientist and professor at Duke University, the study showed levels in certain samples “similar to what has been reported in structural firefighting gear.”
The study did not specify the companies it had sourced its gear from, and NIST did not respond to questions from ProPublica. The NIOSH study that the Forest Service officials had been waiting on when deciding how to act, however, is still ongoing. Republished with Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Firefighter sprays hotspot at the Rim Fire in the Stanislaus National Forest in California. | Photo courtesy of Mike McMillan/U.S. Forest Service/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
accordance with Section 2924m(e) of the California Civil Code, use file number CA25-1025213-NJ and call (866) 645-7711 or login to: http://www.qualityloan.com.
The above statutorily mandated notices to Tenant, Prospective Owner-Occupant, and Prospective Post-Sale Over Bidders are brief summaries of what may be required under Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. Compliance with all relevant provisions will be required. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the property address or other common designation, if any, shown herein. If no street address or other common designation is shown, directions to the location of the property may be obtained by sending a written request to the beneficiary within 10 days of the date of first publication of this Notice of Sale. If the sale is set aside for any reason, including if the Trustee is unable to convey title, the Purchaser at the sale shall be entitled only to a return of the monies paid to the Trustee. This shall be the Purchaser’s sole and exclusive remedy. The purchaser shall have no further recourse against the Trustor, the Trustee, the Beneficiary, the Beneficiary’s Agent, or the Beneficiary’s Attorney. If you have previously been discharged through bankruptcy, you may have been released of personal liability for this loan in which case this letter is intended to exercise the note holders right’s against the real property only. Date: QUALITY LOAN SERVICE CORPORATION 2763 Camino Del Rio S San Diego, CA 92108 619645-7711 For NON SALE information only Sale Line: 916-939-0772 Or Login to: http://www.qualityloan.com Post-Sale Information (CCC 2924m(e)): (866) 6457711 Reinstatement or Payoff Line: (866) 645-7711 Ext 5318 QUALITY LOAN SERVICE CORPORATION TS No.: CA-25-1025213-NJ IDSPub #0292729 2/2/2026 2/9/2026 2/16/2026 BURBANK INDEPENDENT
Trustee Sale No. 187278 Title No. 250535099 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, DATED 01/19/2007. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. On 02/18/2026 at 11:00 AM, PRIME RECON LLC, as duly appointed Trustee under and pursuant to Deed of Trust recorded 02/02/2007, as Instrument No. 20070227455, in book xx, page xx, of Official Records in the office of the County Recorder of LOS ANGELES County, State of CALIFORNIA, executed by LUIS PONCE, AND MARY A HORTON, HUSBAND AND WIFE AS JOINT TENANTS, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER’S CHECK/CASH EQUIVALENT or other form of payment authorized by 2924h(b), (payable at time of sale in lawful money of the United States), AT THE COURTYARD LOCATED AT 400 CIVIC CENTER PLAZA, POMONA, CA 91766. All right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it under said Deed of Trust in the property situated in said County and State, described as: FULLY DESCRIBED IN THE ABOVE DEED OF TRUST. APN 5610-008-053 The street address and other common designation, if any, of the real property described above is purported to be: 3071 MANHATTAN AVE, CITY OF GLENDALE, CA 91214. The undersigned Trustee disclaims any liability for any incorrectness of the street address and other common designation, if any, shown herein. Said sale will be made, but without covenant or warranty, expressed or implied, regarding title, possession, or encumbrances, to pay the remaining principal sum of the note(s) secured by said Deed of Trust, with interest thereon, as provided in said note(s), advances, if any, under the terms of said Deed of Trust, fees, charges and expenses of the Trustee and of the trusts created by said Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reasonable estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $468,628.51 IF THE TRUSTEE IS UNABLE TO CONVEY TITLE FOR ANY REASON, THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY SHALL BE THE RETURN OF MONIES PAID TO THE TRUSTEE, AND THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER SHALL HAVE NO FURTHER RECOURSE. The beneficiary under said Deed of Trust heretofore executed and delivered to the undersigned a written Declaration of Default and Demand for Sale, and written Notice of Default and Election to Sell. The undersigned caused a Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real property is located. Dated: 1/20/2026 PRIME RECON LLC By: Josh Bermudez, Authorized Signer PRIME RECON
der at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (844) 901-0998 for information regarding the trustee’s sale or visit this internet website - HTTPS:// SALESINFORMATION.PRIME-RECON. COM - for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case: TS#187278. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the internet website. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. NOTICE TO TENANT: You may have a right to purchase this property after the trustee auction pursuant to Section 2924m of the California Civil Code. If you are an “eligible tenant buyer,” you can purchase the property if you match the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. If you are an “eligible bidder,” you may be able to purchase the property if you exceed the last and highest bid placed at the trustee auction. There are three steps to exercising this right of purchase. First, 48 hours after the date of the trustee sale, you can call (844) 901-0998 for information regarding the trustee’s sale, or visit this internet website HTTPS://SALESINFORMATION.PRIME-RECON.COM for information regarding the sale of this property, using the file number assigned to this case TS#187278 to find the date on which the trustee’s sale was held, the amount of the last and highest bid, and the address of the trustee. Second, you must send a written notice of intent to place a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 15 days after the trustee’s sale. Third, you must submit a bid so that the trustee receives it no more than 45 days after the trustee’s sale. If you think you may qualify as an “eligible tenant buyer” or “eligible bidder,” you should consider contacting an attorney or appropriate real estate professional immediately for advice regarding this potential right to purchase. NPP0484385 To: GLENDALE INDEPENDENT 02/02/2026, 02/09/2026, 02/16/2026 GLENDALE INDEPENDENT
Fictitious Business Name Filings
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Royal IV Hydration Incorporated 1749 South Euclid Avenue, suite A Ontario, CA 91764 San Bernardino County Royal IV Hydration Incorporated (CA, 1749 South Euclid Avenue Ste A, Ontario, CA 91764 San Bernardino County
LEGALS
Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202510323 Pub. 10/16/2025, 10/23/2025, 10/30/2025, 11/06/2025 Riverside Independent
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT
File No. FBN20260000577
The following persons are doing business as: GummiByte, 12760 Golden Leaf Dr, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739. Mailing Address, 12760 Golden Leaf Dr, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739 . # of Employees 1. Steven Tran. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ Steven Tran. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on January 26, 2026 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20260000577 Pub: 02/02/2026, 02/09/2026, 02/16/2026, 02/23/2026 San Bernardino Press
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS
NAME STATEMENT File No. FBN20250012120
eral, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et seq., Business and Professions Code) File#: FBN20250012120 Pub: 02/02/2026, 02/09/2026, 02/16/2026, 02/23/2026
San Bernardino Press
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as ROBERTO VAZQUEZ TRUCKING 24935 McPherson Rd Perris, CA 92570
Riverside County Roberto Vazquez Matias, 24935 McPherson Rd, Perris, CA 92570
Riverside County
This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on 2006. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).)
s. Roberto Vazquez Matias
Statement filed with the County of Riverside on February 3, 2026
NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.
Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202601573 Pub. 02/09/2026, 02/16/2026, 02/23/2026, 03/02/2026 Riverside Independent
ment is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).)
s. Anthony Espinoza Cuevas Statement filed with the County of Riverside on February 3, 2026 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.
Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202601539 Pub. 02/09/2026, 02/16/2026, 02/23/2026, 03/02/2026 Riverside Independent
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as The Goddard School 2490 River Road Norco, CA 92860
subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202602010 Pub. 02/16/2026, 02/23/2026, 03/02/2026, 03/09/2026 Riverside Independent
entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bid-
This business is conducted by: a corporation. Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on December 20, 2023. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).) s. Ky-Anne Faith Roye, CFO Statement filed with the County of Riverside on August 20, 2025 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office.
The following persons are doing business as: Families First 1, 12376 Reche Canyon Rd, Colton, CA 92324. Mailing Address, 30 N Gould Ste N, Sheridan, WY 82801. # of Employees 1. Inter Axis Holdings LLC (WY-B20250438399, 30 N Gould St Ste N, Sheridan, WY 82801; james gibbs, Managing Member. County of Principal Place of Business: San Bernardino This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein on November 21, 2025. By signing below, I declare that I have read and understand the reverse side of this form and that all information in this statement is true and correct. A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code that the registrant knows to be false is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). I am also aware that all information on this statement becomes Public Record upon filing pursuant to the California Public Records Act (Government Code Sections 6250- 6277). /s/ james gibbs, Managing Member. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of San Bernardino on December 30, 2025 Notice- In accordance with subdivision (a) of Section 17920. A Fictitious Name Statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the County Clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to Section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under fed -
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as CUTZ N STYLES 1683 7th street Coachella, CA 92236 Riverside County Anthony Espinoza Cuevas, 1683 7th Street, Coachella, CA 92236 Riverside County
This business is conducted by: a individual. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this state -
Riverside County Mailing Address, 51 Monte Vista, Laguna Hills, CA 92653. Riverside County Meena Norco LLC (CA, 51 Monte Vista, Laguna Hills, CA 92653 Riverside County This business is conducted by: a limited liability company (llc). Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).) s. Jesal Mehta, Member Statement filed with the County of Riverside on February 11, 2026 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in
Starting
The following person(s) is (are) doing business as Kissprom 2785 Cabot Dr # 7-165 Corona, CA 92883 Riverside County Medon Inc (CA, 2785 Cabot Dr # 7-165, Corona, CA 92883 Riverside County This business is conducted by: a corporation. Registrant has not yet begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. I declare that all the information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true any material matter pursuant to Section 17913 of the Business and Professions Code, that the registrant knows to be false, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed one thousands dollars ($1000).) s. Chuanrong Zhang, CEO Statement filed with the County of Riverside on February 2, 2026 NOTICE: In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920, a fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of the five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except, as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920, where it expires 40 days after any changes in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new Fictitious Business Name Statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 Et Seq., business and professions code). I hereby certify that this copy is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Peter Aldana, County, Clerk File# R-202601482 Pub. 02/16/2026, 02/23/2026, 03/02/2026, 03/09/2026 Riverside Independent
Hochman: Lunar New Year could be target for crime
By City News Service
Next week’s Lunar New Year could be a prime target for criminals that watch for bank customers who withdraw large amounts of cash, officials warned last week.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman and other law enforcement officials from across the county urged the public to stay vigilant, especially when withdrawing and depositing money at banks and ATMs.
“Individuals visiting banks and ATMs are prime targets for criminal opportunists, especially during major holidays such as the upcoming Lunar New Year,” Hochman said in a statement.
“I urge the public to remain aware of their surroundings when conducting banking business. Trust your instincts -- if you believe something appears suspicious, report it immediately. Let me be clear: To those thinking of engaging in criminal conduct, please heed this warning that you
Astate mortgage relief program that has provided $20,000 in financial support to fire survivors in Southern California will be expanded to provide a full year of assistance up
will be arrested, prosecuted, and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, falls on Tuesday. This is the year of the Horse, the Chinese zodiac animal symbolizing success, strength, stability and elegance.
The District Attorney’s Office prosecutes hundreds of robberies every year, including a case in Van Nuys against a trio accused of participating in an armed robbery spree last summer at ATMs outside multiple bank branches. The defendants face nine to 37 years in state prison depending on their level of involvement.
“Lunar New Year is a time to celebrate heritage, family, and tradition for many across our county, and we want every member of our diverse communities to do so safely,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna said. “Unfortunately, criminals sometimes exploit this season by targeting individuals who may be
withdrawing larger amounts of cash to honor cultural customs. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department remains committed to protecting our residents, raising awareness, and collaborating with our community partners to prevent these crimes and hold offenders accountable.”
Officials emphasize such crimes are not limited to specific cities, banks or populations.
“As a matter of good practice, always be aware of your surroundings and keep safety in mind when visiting banking institutions or ATMs,” Pasadena Police Chief Gene Harris said.
Law enforcement officials and the banking community advise members of the public to take the following precautions at banks and ATMs:
-- Be aware and vigilant of surroundings;
-- Trust your instincts: If something appears suspicious, leave the location or call 911;
-- Park in well-lit areas
close to entrances or heavy foot traffic;
-- Lock vehicle doors as soon as you enter it;
-- If being followed, call 911 or drive to the nearest police station;
-- Avoid carrying large bags, wearing expensive jewelry or displaying large amounts of cash; and
-- Look out for common distraction tactics by strangers who approach to compli-
ment attire or jewelry, return your “dropped cash” or inspect your vehicle for mechanical defects.
“Lunar New Year is a time of joy, connection and new beginnings,” said Renee Sun, East West Bank managing director of retail banking for SoCal.
“As we enter the Year of the Horse, our message is simple: pause before you pay. Always know exactly
California expands mortgage relief program for fire survivors
By City News Service
who you are sending money to, and be cautious of unexpected texts, emails or links requesting payment, especially those that pressure you to act quickly. Never rush a payment simply because someone creates a sense of urgency. If you are ever unsure about a message, a transaction or a request for money, contact your bank. You don’t have to figure it out alone.”
Mitchell worked with a coalition of health care organizations and workers on the proposed ballot measure. Members of the coalition Restore Healthcare for Angelenos have said that if county supervisors had not approved the proposal, the organization would have initiated a campaign to gather signatures to qualify the measure for the upcoming ballot.
Mitchell and Solis’ motion says the tax increase aims to address the immediate need to provide financial support to the county’s health care system.
to $100,000 that will not need to be repaid, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
Launched in June 2025 by the California Housing Finance Agency, the CalAssist Mortgage Fund initially provided up to $20,000 in grants to homeowners whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
Homeowners whose
homes were impacted by natural disasters and were issued a “State of Emergency proclamation” or a “Major Disaster Declaration” between January 2023 and January 2025 were eligible to apply for assistance.
The grant program has been increased fourfold, and eligibility will be expanded to cover more survivors, according to Newsom’s office.
Health tax
In Los Angeles County, households with a combined annual income of up to $281,400 now qualify. This
“The county’s most impacted departments face projected losses totaling $2.4 billion over the next three years,” Mitchell and Solis wrote. “Due to funding losses, county officials have already initiated hiring freezes and are contemplating service consolidations, potential layoffs of 5,000 staff, and facility closures in the coming years.”
The federal budget bill approved last year slashed billions in funding to state health care programs. County officials anticipate those cuts to Medi-Cal along with more stringent eligibility requirements will cause residents to lose health coverage and access to medical care.
To qualify for Medi-Cal assistance, an individual must earn less than $21,597 of taxable income annually,
“Unfortunately, after exhausting every existing alternative, this temporary emergency measure is the only option that can be implemented quickly enough to prevent hospital closures and the loss of health care access for at least hundreds of thousands of residents,” according to the motion.
according to the DHCS. A family of four must not bring in more than $44,367.
During Tuesday’s debate, supervisors advanced an amendment by 3rd District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath to change the allocation of money generated by the proposed tax:
- up to 45% for the county Department of Health Services;
- about 22% to DHS to safeguard public hospitals and clinics;
- 10% for the county Department of Public Health and its core public health functions;
- 5% distributed based on patient visits to nonprofit health care providers serving low-income and underserved populations;
- approximately 5% to support nonprofit “safetynet” hospitals in the county and entities that serve
underrepresented populations;
- about 4% would be used for school-based health needs and programs as determined by the governing board of the L.A. Care Health Plan;
- about 3% would be allocated to the county Department of Public Social Services to support Medicaid outreach and enrollment efforts as well as volunteer programs;
- 2.5% would fund Correctional Health Services;
- another 2.5% would fund in-home supportive services for seniors and county residents with disabilities;
- around 1% would support the cities of Pasadena and Long Beach, which have their own Public Health Departments; and
- any remaining funds would be disbursed in a “need-based manner” mainly based on “Medicaid
emergency department volume,” according to the motion.
The proposed measure would establish a ninemember citizens’ oversight committee to ensure fiscal accountability for any revenue raised. The committee would do annual independent audits and recommend how to distribute the funding.
Committee members would serve three-year terms and they would be eligible for reappointment by the Board of Supervisors, according to the motion.
Several cities in LA County submitted letters opposing the tax hike, including Glendale, Pico Rivera, Commerce, Cerritos and Bellflower.
A letter to the board from Glendale Mayor Ara Najarian and City Manager Roubik Golanian said the proposed tax increase “fails to recognize the extremely
limited revenue tools available to cities to fund essential municipal services. The County’s action would consume the remaining local sales tax capacity that cities like Glendale rely upon to address their own fiscal challenges and meet the needs of their residents.”
Glendale officials added that the board’s “approach mirrors the growing pattern we have experienced from Sacramento — where state mandates dictate local priorities on housing, homelessness, transportation, and public safety without providing adequate funding or preserving local decisionmaking authority. Now, this same erosion of local control is occurring at the County level.”
The proposed taxincrease ordinance is available on the county’s website via tinyurl.com/3af7f529.
| Photo courtesy of Supervisor Andrew Do / Facebook
LA County report: ICE raids result in $3.7M in business losses
By City News Service
Approximately$3.7 millioninbusiness
losses occurred between July to September 2025 due to federal immigration raids in Los Angeles County, according to a report released Monday.
County Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn commissioned the report, and the action was approved by the full Board of Supervisors in June 2025, following the start of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration in the Southland.
The county Department of Economic Opportunity in partnership with the LA County Economic Development Corporation analyzed the economic impact of the crackdown on small businesses, workers and communities across the region.
Some 311 individual respondents participated in a survey to share how federal immigration enforcement impacted their businesses, with the following results:
- 90% of business interview respondents perceived growing distrust across
federal and local governments;
- 82% of businesses surveyed reported negative impacts from immigration enforcement, with 44% losing over half of their revenue;
- 52% experienced reduced daily sales/revenue, and 51% reported decreased customer traffic; and
- Business owners who were surveyed, whose operations were located in curfew and protest-affected areas, reported more than $200,000 in property damage.
Of the survey respondents, 59% of employers expressed concern about maintaining their current workforce, 70% of businesses experienced staffing shortages following enforcement action, and 33% of employers said workers were afraid to report to work.
Findings also showed that bus ridership on highvulnerability lines declined by approximately 17,000 monthly riders compared to baseline levels. In downtown Los Angeles, a curfew was
enacted between June 10-16 due to anti-ICE protests, which resulted in $840 million in output losses, the report said.
The report said those here illegally or with various types of legal status contribute an estimated $253.9 billion in total economic output, equivalent to 17% of the county’s gross domestic product.
“This report confirms what so many small businesses, workers, and families have experienced firsthand,” said Kelly LoBianco, director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, in a statement.
“Immigration enforcement has caused widespread disruption, but LA County is responding with urgency, investing in sharing critical information and technical assistance to workers and employers, disbursing cash relief to small businesses, and offering paid work for youth and impacted families to help stabilize our communities and rebuild economic
in ICE activity, saying aggressive enforcement was needed after former
reflects a $70,000 increase from the previous limit.
Income limits vary by county, in places like Butte County, income limits are now $255,000.
A full list of income eligibility by county can be found at www.calassistmortgagefund.org/program-details.
Individuals who have already received three months of assistance through the program can apply to reach a full 12 months of aid. Funds are paid directly to
awardees’ mortgage servicers.
“As these communities continue rebuilding, we’re not going anywhere. The state of California is a committed partner every step of the way on the road to recovery. This disaster was unprecedented and demanded flexibility and real-time action,” Newsom said in a statement.
“We’ve been on the ground, listening and adjusting to meet people’s evolving needs. That’s why we’re expanding this program -- to
close the gap between relief and long-term recovery, and make sure folks get the help they need to move forward,” Newsom added.
So far, California has issued $6.5 million to 793 recipients, a vast majority of which are survivors of the Palisades and Eaton fires, according to Newsom’s office.
“This expansion is about lifting weight off families who have lost so much,” Rebecca Franklin, CalHFA
chief deputy director, said in a statement. “The timing here is critical. Many families affected by the LA fires have been on forbearance for a year now, and haven’t made a mortgage payment since the fires started.”
Sonia Linares, an Altadena resident who lost her home in January 2025, received a grant from the program and encouraged others to apply.
dent Joe Biden presided over a period of lax security at the U.S.-Mexico border that saw tens of thousands of people enter the country with no screening.
“The help I received eased a huge amount of stress during an incredibly difficult time. Knowing that more support is now available gives families like mine a real chance to keep moving forward while we rebuild,” Linares said in a statement.
firefighting resources were deployed into the area, as compared to the eastern portion of the area.
The Times reports noted that residents living east of Lake Avenue received evacuation notices within an hour of the fire erupting on Jan. 7, 2025, but residents west of Lake were not notified for nearly nine hours. An evacuation order was not issued in West Altadena until roughly 3:30 a.m. Jan. 8, with some residents not receiving evacuation orders until nearly three hours after that, The Times reported.
West Altadena resident groups have been pressing the state to conduct an investigation into the issue.
A group called Altadena for Accountability issued a statement Thursday hailing Bonta’s announcement.
“Amidstincreasing climate change catastrophes, this investigation is expected to enforce a high standard of equity in the dispensation of emergency services during a disaster for all communities regardless of race, disability, or socioeconomic status,” according to the group.
The organization pointed to reports that “sheriff and fire personnel failed to conduct timely door-knocks, adequate in-person evacuation support, and described that a shortage of LASD duty vehicles hindered coverage across all impacted neighbor-
hoods, while a Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that only one county fire patrol was deployed to West Altadena during the fire’s first 12 hours and 911 calls for help also went ignored.”
“While there have been prior efforts to analyze and audit the fires in Los Angeles, none rose to the level of investigation. In a time where climate change injustices are increasing, this move by Attorney General Rob Bonta marks a distinct and consequential path forward for fire survivors in search of accountability and justice,” according to the group.
The county Board of Supervisors last year ordered
an independent review of the fire response. The resulting report, released in September by the McChrystal Group pointed to a series of outdated policies, weaknesses and systemic vulnerabilities that hampered emergency notifications and evacuation orders during the early onset of the Eaton and Palisades fires.
The consultant group found “no single point of failure” relating to lapses in public alerts, warnings and notifications, referring instead to widespread weaknesses in the overall system.
“Beyond alerting and evacuation operations, this review identified systemic issues that impacted
the alert and evacuation response,” the report stated.
“Outdated and inconsistent policies, protocols and standard operating procedures created ambiguity around evacuation authority and responsibilities. In many cases, decisionmaking roles were unclear, and pre-incident public messaging responsibilities lacked standardization across agencies. These gaps contributed to nonuniform preparedness strategies across jurisdictions and slowed coordinated efforts.”
In response to the report, Sheriff Robert Luna said last year: “The Palisades and Eaton Fires were the worst natural disaster
in our county’s history, and it tested us and our community in every possible way. This After- Action Report is not only a reflection about the past, but it’s a tool for building a stronger emergency response. It highlights what went well and identifies where we can improve, with a focus on enhanced cross training and better technology to strengthen our preparedness. I’m deeply proud of how our deputy sheriffs performed with professionalism and dedication under dangerous and extraordinary circumstances, which exemplifies the strength and resilience of our department, and how we serve our communities.”
security,” LoBianco added. Trump administration officials have defended the surge
Presi-
Administration officials have also touted the arrest by ICE agents of many undocumented immigrants with long criminal rap sheets.
National Guard soldiers guard the federal building downtown as a group of protesters gather in response to immigration enforcement activity. | Photo courtesy of U.S. Northern Command
| Photo courtesy of Kostiantyn Li/Unsplash