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Restoration Project Volunteer Opportunity: Support for the Unhoused Community

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Restoration Project Volunteer Opportunity: Support for the Unhoused Community

 

The Restoration Project invites you Feb. 15 to join it in an initiative aimed at supporting the unhoused community in Wilmington. Your participation can make a significant impact on the lives of those in need. During this event clothing and hygiene kits will be distributed as well as the offering of hair washing, hair cuts, foot washing, a delicious breakfast, facilitating and access to resources and more. Your effort counts, and together we can create positive impact

How You Can Help:

  • Volunteer: Join us on the day of the event to lend a hand.
  • Donate: If you are unable to volunteer, consider donating financially so the Restoration Project can move closer to its dream of opening a community ‘Day Center,’ or donating items such as blankets, personal hygiene products, etc.https://therestorationproject.org/services/donating/
  • Spread the Word: Share this invitation with friends, family, and colleagues who may also want to get involved to help create a more compassionate community.

Time: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Feb. 15

Details: To RSVP sign up at: https://therestorationproject.wufoo.com/forms/zz7kzs211svvau/

Location: Port City Church, 24919 S Avalon Blvd, Wilmington

 

Port of Los Angeles, California Community Colleges Team Up on Workforce Development

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Port of Los Angeles, California Community Colleges Team Up on Workforce Development

LOS ANGELES — The Port of Los Angeles and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Feb. 4 signed an agreement to collaborate on initiatives to better prepare community college students for careers in the evolving goods movement industry. The Memorandum of Understanding or MOU brings together the resources of the port with a college system that is the largest provider of workforce training in the nation.

The MOU focuses on critical issues facing the maritime industry, including zero-emission operations, decarbonization, environmental stewardship and changing technologies.

“The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office partnership with the Port of Los Angeles, a large employer in the region, will help position our colleges to support students for good jobs and careers in the climate economy,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian. “This collaboration exemplifies Vision 2030’s focus on Workforce and Economic Development recognizing that employer engagement is an essential component.”

Partnership activities outlined in this MOU include:

  • Collaborating on how to create career path opportunities for community college students
  • Improved job-seeking processes for community college students and alumni, especially in high-demand job categories
  • More opportunities for community college students to participate in user experiences and research activities
  • Port informational sessions at community college career centers
  • Providing port experts for career and recruitment fairs on community college campuses

The agreement builds on the port’s ongoing efforts to promote workforce development and build clear connections between skills learned in today’s colleges with the skills in demand by employers in the goods movement industry. In November 2024, the port and UCLA signed an agreement to foster collaborations with neighborhoods and communities around the port, and create new learning, research and workforce opportunities for UCLA students and faculty.

Other workforce initiatives underway at the port include the opening of a new $16 million International Longshore and Warehouse Union or ILWU-Pacific Maritime Association or PMA Maintenance and Repair Training Center on Terminal Island, offering programs to reskill and up-skill ILWU workers. The Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, ILWU, PMA and California Workforce Development Board are also in the process of building a 20-acre training facility. When completed, it will be the only workforce training center in the U.S. dedicated solely to the goods movement sector.

The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation, composed of 73 districts and 116 colleges serving 2.1 million students per year. California community colleges provide career education and workforce training; guaranteed transfer to four-year universities; and degree and certificate pathways.

San Pedro Bay Cargo Forecast Study Underway

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San Pedro Bay Cargo Forecast Study Underway

 

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have commissioned a new long-term forecast to project the growth of containerized and noncontainerized cargo through 2050. The Tioga Group Inc. will conduct the study under a joint one-year contract with the two ports. The ports rely on long-term cargo forecasts for infrastructure planning, environmental analyses and identifying potential capacity constraints. Tioga’s work will involve reviewing existing cargo studies and forecasts, developing a new model based on foreseeable macroeconomic and global trade trends, evaluating competition from other ports and related market scenarios, and developing separate forecasts for containerized and noncontainerized cargo. To account for potential disruptions, Tioga’s model will have a new tracking feature that will allow the ports to adjust the forecast for unforeseen variables and emerging trends ahead of their impact whenever possible. Unexpected developments that have altered previous forecasts include routing and sourcing shifts, fluctuations in supply chain capacity, potential labor issues, global conflicts and security concerns, and crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The study and metrics tracking tool are due to be completed by year’s end. The ports are sharing the cost of the $224,000 contract.

Hahn Pushes to Strengthen Incentives for Mental Health Field Team Recruitment

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Hahn Pushes to Strengthen Incentives for Mental Health Field Team Recruitment

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Feb. 4 approved a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn which aims to preserve and expand the hiring incentives that have helped the county to more than double the number of mental health field teams responding directly to people in mental health crises.

LA County has set out to expand its alternative crisis response system where mental health professionals can be reached through 9-8-8 or the county Help Line and sent to anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, de-escalate the situation, and connect a person in crisis with immediate treatment and long-term care.

Historically, these mental health field team positions have been difficult to fill. In 2023, the board approved a proposal by Supervisor Hahn to incentivize hiring including increased pay for field positions, signing bonuses, retention bonuses, and loan forgiveness. The incentives worked and the county was able to more than double the number of mental health field teams from 33 to 71 teams. At the same time, the county was also able to cut the average response time from six hours to two hours.

Now, one-time-funding for the hiring incentives is set to run out this year. If the incentives expire, the County Department of Mental Health will have a difficult time filling the 40 new field team positions currently vacant and further cutting response times.

“We are building up a system in LA County so that when someone has a serious mental health crisis, anyone can pick up the phone, dial 9-8-8 and expect help at their door,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “These incentives have already helped us hire a record number of mental health professionals, but we have more work to do and we should keep them in place until our response times are down to 30 minutes or less.”

Today’s motion directs the Department of Mental Health to report back in 60 days with funding options to continue and build on existing hiring incentives after the current funding runs out this June.

Details: Read full motion here.

Los Angeles County Moves to Create Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force

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Los Angeles County Moves to Create Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Feb. 4 approved a motion authored by Chair Pro Tem Hilda L. Solis and co-authored by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath to move forward with a feasibility study for the establishment of a countywide human trafficking prevention coordinating body in order to advance Los Angeles County’s efforts to reimagine its approach in addressing human trafficking.

Human trafficking continues to be an ongoing local, national, and worldwide issue, impacting people from various ethnicities, age groups, immigration statuses, gender identities, and sexual orientations. Here in Los Angeles County, cities like Monterey Park and its communities have become a centralized location for vulnerable immigrants, who often do not have English proficiency, financial stability, or legal immigration status.

In 2017, at the direction of Chair Pro Tem Solis, a sex trafficking symposium in the City of Pomona brought together county and community agencies to discuss victim services and ongoing community and law enforcement efforts to prevent human trafficking. In 2023, the Board adopted a motion, “Reimagining LA County’s Approach to Human Trafficking”, which directed the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs or DCBA through its Office of Immigrant Affairs or OIA and Office of Labor Equity or OLE, and in consultation with other departments, to report back on the state of affairs on human trafficking in the county. This report back, received in 2024, recommended a feasibility study on the establishment of a countywide coordinating body for preventing human trafficking, and establishing a collaborative and systemic human trafficking data collection.

“Human trafficking is a crisis that demands a bold, coordinated response. Survivors deserve a system that prioritizes their safety, dignity, and access to support,” said Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath. “By establishing a dedicated coordinating body and a thoughtful data-sharing system, LA County is taking a critical step toward a survivor-centered approach that ensures resources reach those who need them most. We must continue working together to prevent exploitation, protect vulnerable communities, and hold traffickers accountable.”

The approved motion will direct the Chief Executive Office or CEO, in collaboration with Chief Information Office or CIO, Department of Public Health, and other relevant county departments and agencies, to conduct a feasibility study on the establishment of a collaborative and systemic human trafficking data collection and sharing system by and among county departments, agencies, and community-based organizations.

Details: Read the full motion here.

LA Fire Justice Announces Lawsuit Against Southern California Edison

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LA Fire Justice Announces Lawsuit Against Southern California Edison

 

LOS ANGELES — The Law Office Douglas Boxer and the Watts Law Firm, attorneys working with LA Fire Justice, Feb. 4 filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison Company and Edison International for the catastrophic consequences of a fire ignited by their equipment in conditions of high wind. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Walt Butler, and Luis Gonzalez and Denise Diaz, who lost their Altadena homes in the fire.

Using a technique called photogrammetry, LA Fire Justice’s team of wildfire investigators, world-class fire origin and causation experts, and digital mappers created a 3D model of Eaton Canyon to pinpoint the fire’s exact point of origin. This technique takes videos obtained from surveillance footage and witnesses, and stitches them together to recreate the canyon’s shape and details in an exact digital model. The video can be viewed/ downloaded here.

“In my career, I’ve worked on twenty-two wildfires, representing 21,000 fire survivors in six different states,” said Trial Attorney Mikal Watts. “This is the clearest evidence that I’ve ever seen of utilities’ equipment being the start of a fire.”

As part of LA Fire Justice’s commitment to best-in-class work, the team waited until this video analysis was completed to be certain of the origin of the fire before filing the lawsuit. Few organizations are as experienced in wildfire litigation and are as qualified to bring this lawsuit against Edison.

Walt Butler, LA Fire Justice’s first client, has been the heart and soul of Altadena and Pasadena for decades. Known for his dedication to the community, he built a legacy through his beloved shoe store and endless support for local youth. A social media post of Walt describing his loss in the fire went viral with over 17 million views, prompting an outpouring of support. His GoFundMe has raised over $900,000, which he has pledged to use to help his beloved community as he has done his entire life.

Denise Diaz Gonzalez and Luis Gonzalez were drawn to Altadena’s close-knit community, vibrant history, and rich traditions when they recently purchased their home that was completely lost in the fire. Denise is a Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Women’s Commission, and Luis works in Philanthropy.

In addition, LA Fire Justice announced it has taken out a five-year lease on an office in Pasadena, and hired ten local staff to work full-time on community engagement with plans to hire more. Their mission is to partner with families and communities in their recovery, providing guidance, pursuing accountability, and securing the financial recovery needed to rebuild. We also plan to host weekly events covering topics such as insurance, income loss, and mental health.

“We care deeply about our work and the communities we serve,” said Attorney Doug Boxer. “We understand that no one is more qualified than those at the heart of impacted neighborhoods and that is why our local office is staffed with folks from these communities.”

For residents affected by the Eaton fires, LA Fire Justice will be hosting two Town Halls with Consumer Advocate Erin Brockovich, Attorney Doug Boxer, and Trial Attorney Mikal Watts. The Town Halls are free and open to the public.

The flyer can be downloaded here

Town Hall #1

Time: 7:30 p.m., PT, Feb. 7

Town Hall #2

Time: 10 a.m., PT, Feb. 8

Venue: Pasadena Masonic Temple, 200 S Euclid Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101

Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

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Padilla, Schiff, Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats Demand Answers From Trump Administration on Purging of DOJ and FBI Officials

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) Feb. 3 joined U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and all other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in demanding answers from Trump Administration nominees and acting officials on the removal or reassignment of career law enforcement officials across the Department of Justice or DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI.

Last week, the Trump Administration reportedly purged dozens of DOJ and FBI officials involved in prosecuting Donald Trump and the Jan. 6 rioters, and they are now threatening additional action against thousands of employees across the country who worked on investigations related to the attack on the Capitol. The Senators wrote to Pam Bondi, President Trump’s nominee to be the Attorney General of DOJ; Kash Patel, nominee to be the Director of the FBI; Todd Blanche, nominee to be Deputy Attorney General; Acting Attorney General James McHenry; and Acting FBI Director Brian Driscoll regarding the mass purging.

“We have grave concerns about the removal or reassignment across the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of senior career civil servants who have served honorably under multiple administrations, regardless of the President’s party,” wrote the Senators. “The removals and reassignments from their positions of a significant number of experienced, nonpartisan Department officials with invaluable national security expertise without any comparable replacements one day into the second Trump Administration presents an alarming threat to national security.”

“As America faces a heightened threat landscape, these shocking removals and reassignments deprive DOJ and the FBI of experienced, senior leadership and decades of experience fighting violent crime, espionage, and terrorism,” continued the Senators. “As the FBI Agents Association stated in response to reports about the removal of FBI officials: ‘Dismissing potentially hundreds of Agents would severely weaken the Bureau’s ability to protect the country from national security and criminal threats and will ultimately risk setting up the Bureau and its new leadership for failure.’ Moreover, the firing of dozens of federal prosecutors and hundreds of agents will cripple FBI field offices and U.S. Attorney’s offices across the country. We can only assume these decisions are intended to prevent the Department from investigating national security and public corruption, while also serving as political retribution against the President’s perceived enemies and stoking fear among the dedicated and talented workforce in our nation’s premier law enforcement agency.”

As many as 20 senior DOJ officials were reassigned or removed, including the veteran career deputy assistant attorneys general in the Department’s National Security Division.

Over the weekend, thousands of FBI personnel across the country were asked to complete a questionnaire by today, Monday, February 3, at 3 p.m. The survey asks for their job title, whether they worked on a case related to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, “if they were involved in the arrest of a Jan. 6 suspect, if they testified at a trial, if they interviewed witnesses, if they conducted surveillance on suspects and more.” It has also been reported that the Acting FBI Director is being advised by an advisory committee comprised of partisan political operators, including an Elon Musk affiliate. This is a stark departure from the longstanding tradition that the FBI Director is the only political appointee in the Bureau.

The purge of experienced career prosecutors and agents has recently expanded to include the removal or forced retirement of all six executive assistant directors (EADs), including the EADs who oversee the National Security Branch, Intelligence Branch, and the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. It also includes the assistant Directors and the Special Agents in charge of at least four major field offices. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered these actions in a January 31, 2025 memo, stating, “I do not believe the current leadership of the Justice Department can trust these FBI employees to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

Additionally, over a dozen senior DOJ prosecutors were fired after receiving memos from Acting Attorney General McHenry, stating “Given your significant role in prosecuting the President, I do not believe that the leadership of the Department can trust you to assist in implementing the President’s agenda faithfully.”

The Senators emphasized that the Senate Judiciary Committee has a constitutional obligation to perform oversight over the Department and its components, and to provide advice and consent on the nominations of officers to lead it. To that end, they requested information to be returned to the committee in response to the removal of FBI and DOJ officials. They also requested answers from these individuals about their involvement.

In addition to Senators Padilla, Schiff, and Durbin, the letters were signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

Full text of the letter to Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi is available here.

Full text of the letter to FBI Director nominee Kash Patel is available here.

Full text of the letter to Deputy Attorney General nominee Todd Blanche is available here

Full text of the letter to Acting Attorney General McHenry and Acting FBI Director Driscoll is available here.

To view the release online, click here.

Re Rivas Hosts Listening Session with Community Health Leaders on Impacts of Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze

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Re Rivas Hosts Listening Session with Community Health Leaders on Impacts of Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze

 

LOS ANGELES — Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29) Jan. 31 met with community leaders in the healthcare industry to discuss how President Trump’s halt on federal funding for grants, loans, and assistance would impact their organizations and the people they serve.

“The stories, perspectives, and fears community healthcare leaders shared with me today is proof that President Trump’s Executive Order is nothing more than a power grab that will freeze funding for critical services and drive up healthcare costs for families across America,” said Congresswoman Luz Rivas. “These groups provide critical care, resources, and support for marginalized communities to access care and close the healthcare gap. Many of the people these groups serve rely heavily on federally funded services and grant programs – including Community health centers, CDC grants, WIC, and Head Start and Early Start grants – are at risk of being halted by President Trump. Long story short, President Trump’s federal funding freeze will be a disaster for Americans’ healthcare.”

Background

Listening Session

On Jan. 31, Rep. Luz Rivas and community leaders discussed the potential impacts of the freeze on critical services, programs, and operations.

President Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze

On Jan. 27 the Trump Administration’s Office of Management and Budget or OMB issued a Memorandum following an Executive Order to halt federal funding that will hurt hardworking Americans.

The Trump Memorandum directed harmful actions, including mandating federal agencies to temporarily pause all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance, and other relevant agency activities that may be implicated by the executive orders, including, but not limited to, financial assistance for foreign aid, non-governmental organizations, DEI, woke gender ideology, and the green new deal.

Additional information, including a list of impacted programs, can be found here.

These are the first six of 36 programs that are subject to freeze:

  • Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children or WIC
  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP
  • Adult Job Training grants
  • Rural Electric Cooperatives and Rural Energy for America Program or REAP
  • Rural Utilities Service
  • Emergency Food Assistance Program or TEFAP Reach and Resiliency

City Council to Address Landslide Updates and PVDS Bicycle/Motorcycle Ban, Feb. 4

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City Council to Address Landslide Updates and PVDS Bicycle/Motorcycle Ban, Feb. 4

On Feb. 4 Rancho Palos Verdes city council will receive the latest updates on geologic conditions in the landslide area, the city’s stabilization efforts, and how winterization measures have performed during recent rainfall.

The council will review a conceptual plan from the Abalone Cove Landslide Abatement District or ACLAD to drill 8-10 new deep dewatering wells in its boundaries using financial assistance from the city. The Council previously approved providing a $1.6 million loan and in-kind services to ACLAD for landslide mitigation work. Additional financial assistance that may be needed for the new dewatering wells could be considered at a future meeting when more information on costs and the project timeline is available.

The council will also consider extending by 60 days the temporary prohibition of bicycles, motorcycles, and other similar wheeled vehicles from an approximately two-mile stretch of Palos Verdes Drive South from Wayfarers Chapel to Schooner Drive. Although ground movement in the area has decreased since the temporary prohibition was put in place in June 2024, the land is still moving up to 4 inches per week in certain areas along the roadway and pavement conditions remain poor. If the temporary prohibition is extended, the council will revisit it in two months.

Whether or not the council extends the prohibition, bicyclists and motorcyclists should consider voluntarily avoiding this stretch of Palos Verdes Drive South out of an abundance of caution.

Finally, the council will consider extending the local emergency declarations in the landslide area that were put in place to bolster the city’s response to the land movement and utility shutoffs. Both declarations must be extended every 60 days to remain in effect.

A staff report (PDF) with more information is available on the City website.

Meeting Info: Watch live on RPVtv’s YouTube channel, at rpvca.gov, or on Cox 33/FiOS 38. To participate in public comment during the meeting, fill out a speaker slip if you are attending in person, or complete a form online at rpvca.gov/participate to participate virtually or leave a pre-recorded voice message. Email your comments on this topic to cc@rpvca.gov.

Time: 7 p.m., Feb. 4

Venue: McTaggart Hall at Hesse Park, 29301 Hawthorne Boulevard Rancho Palos Verdes and via Zoom.

Sen. Padilla Challenges Trump Administration Over Unscheduled, Dangerous Central Valley Dam Releases

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Sen. Padilla Challenges Trump Administration Over Unscheduled, Dangerous Central Valley Dam Releases

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen.Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, Jan. 31 questioned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the United States Army Corps of Engineers or the Corps directed unscheduled water releases from Lake Kaweah and Success Lake in Tulare County, purportedly to assist in fighting Los Angeles County fires that are already almost fully contained.

Local officials warned the Corps that releasing water at the levels the Corps planned to would have flooded both the Kaweah and Tule rivers, posing a flood risk to communities and farms down river and wasting water that could have been used for irrigation over the summer. The decision followed President Trump’s Executive Order directing federal agencies to maximize water deliveries in the state, falsely claiming that statewide water policy was to blame for the devastating Los Angeles County fires.

“Unscheduled water releases require close coordination with local officials and safety personnel, as well as downstream agricultural water users, in order to reduce flood risks to communities and farms. Based on the urgent concerns I have heard from my constituents, as well as recent reporting, it appears that gravely insufficient notification was given, recklessly endangering residents downstream,” wrote Senator Padilla.

Padilla asked Secretary Hegseth the following four clarifying questions in response to Trump’s post:

  1. Who directed that these releases be made?

  2. If the purpose of these releases is to help fight wildfires in Los Angeles County (which are already almost fully contained), what is the plan to transport this water to Los Angeles rather than let the water simply be discharged into Tulare Lake where it will evaporate?
  1. What type of notification, and how much advanced notice, was given to irrigation districts and public safety personnel to prepare for these increased flows?

  2. What impact will these releases have on Tulare Lake communities, including private landowners?

Full text of the letter is available here.

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