Barger lowers County flags honoring victims of Minneapolis tragedy
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger (R-Northern LA County including Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, San Marino, Pasadena, La Cañada-Flintridge, portions of the San Gabriel Valley) announced yesterday that all County facilities will lower their flags to half-staff in accordance with the Presidential Proclamation, in solemn remembrance of the victims of the mass shooting that took place in Minneapolis.
The shooting took place on Wednesday morning, when Robin Westman, 23, opened fire on the Annunciation Catholic Church and School while students were praying at Mass, killing two kids and wounding 18 others before taking his own life.
“Los Angeles County stands in solidarity with the people of Minneapolis as they grieve this horrific act of violence,” said Barger. “Lowering our flags is a symbol of our collective mourning and compassion for the victims, their families, and a community shaken by unimaginable loss. Our hearts are with them during this painful time.”
Flags will remain lowered at all County buildings until funeral services for the victims conclude.
McKinnor, Durazo lead call for countywide transit needs
Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale), Chair and Senator Maria Elena Durazo (D – East Hollywood, East Los Angeles, Highland Park, Los Angeles, Pico Union, South Montebello, Vernon), Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation (Delegation) yesterday announced that 30 Members of the Delegation called for the reauthorization of the state’s historic Cap-and-Trade Program to include an investment of $3.3 billion to support and expand transit across Los Angeles County.
The call for more transit funding comes as Los Angeles County communities—especially in the San Fernando Valley, South Los Angeles, and along goods-movement corridors—bear the brunt of pollution from vehicles and freight. The answer to these challenges is a sustained commitment to transit investment for communities across Los Angeles County.
Millions of Los Angeles County residents already depend on LA Metro bus and rail, Metrolink, and municipal operators. Yet service has not kept pace with need: transit ridership is still 25–30% below pre-pandemic levels, even as freeway traffic has nearly fully rebounded. Without significant investment, super-commuters from the Valley, South LA, and the Inland Empire remain locked into long, expensive car trips.
“A continued reliance on vehicle-based transportation will not help us achieve our climate goals, will not improve air quality, will not create good-paying union jobs and will not address generational inequities that have disproportionately impacted vulnerable communities across the county,” said McKinnor and Durazo.
The $3.3 billion request will support operations to increase bus and rail service frequency, improve reliability, and restore transit as a competitive option for daily commuters; fund capital improvements, including regional connectors to high speed rail, bus rapid transit corridors, electrification of bus and rail fleets, first/last-mile safety and grade separations that reduce delays; and advance equity mandates, by prioritizing projects with high road labor standards and community benefits that serve disadvantaged communities.
Rivas Introduces bill after detained constituent transferred out of state
U.S. Rep. Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley (portions), including Pacoima, Panorama City) this week introduced the Immigration Notification for Facility Oversight and Relocation Management (INFORM) Act to require Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to notify detainees’ immediate family when transferred between detention facilities.
Rivas introduced the INFORM Act after Benjamin Guerrero-Cruz, a Reseda High School senior, was moved from the Adelanto Detention Facility to a holding facility across state lines in Arizona on August 26 – without ICE notifying his family.
“I dropped everything and rushed to the Adelanto Detention Center to demand answers from ICE after my office received word that ICE transferred Benjamin Guerrero-Cruz from Adelanto to a holding facility in Arizona without notifying his family,” said Rivas.“Benjamin’s family deserves to know when he is transferred and why ICE would move a high school student to the middle of a desert in Arizona.”
Following Rivas’ visit, Guerrero-Cruz was moved back to California.
“The nightmare for him, his family, and thousands in similar situations is not over yet. I will not accept the current reality that ICE shuffles and transfers detainees without notifying their family to inflict psychological pain for all of those involved,” said Rivas.
“Benjamin and his family deserve answers behind ICE’s inconsistent and chaotic decision-making process, including why Benjamin was initially transferred to Arizona, why he was slated to be transferred to Louisiana afterward, and why his family wasn’t notified of his whereabouts by ICE throughout this process,” he added.
Sherman marks final Pacific Palisades Fire debris removal
U.S. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City, Valley Village) joined federal, state, and local leaders this week to commemorate the final debris removal operation in the Pacific Palisades Fire recovery area — a major milestone in the aftermath of one of the most destructive fires in recent California history.
Standing alongside representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, Cal OES, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Los Angeles, Sherman honored the completion of a months-long effort to remove hazardous debris left behind by the Pacific Palisades fire, which began on January 7th.
“For residents like Noland West, whose home once stood here, what we now call ‘debris’ was once sanctuary, neighborhood, and the cherished mementos of lives well-lived,” said Sherman. “This is more than a cleanup milestone — it’s a moment of progress and perseverance for a community that’s been through hell and is fighting its way back.”
The final debris removal site in Pacific Palisades is the last of the opt-in properties cleared under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ debris removal program. Under FEMA’s direction and in coordination with local partners, the Corps removed over 1 million tons of hazardous material from 4,010 properties — completing the mission several months ahead of schedule.
The federal government has allocated over $2.1 billion to the debris removal mission. Sherman has pushed for full funding and strong oversight throughout the process, advocating for comprehensive soil testing and liability protections for residents.
