Chu demands answers after unannounced Army exercises through Pasadena
U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D – Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley) last week demanded greater coordination between federal military planners and local communities after the U.S. Army recently conducted unannounced nighttime training exercises in Pasadena and across Southern California.
Chu’s office reached out to both the U.S. Army and the FBI following a flood of constituent contacts expressing alarm. Federal officials confirmed the exercises were routine training operations designed to prepare personnel for overseas deployments, and were unrelated to preparations for the World Cup or 2028 Olympics.
“While these exercises may have been routine, residents and local leaders should have received more advance notice about activities that would have such a significant impact on the surrounding community,” said Chu. “For many Pasadena residents — particularly those in neighborhoods still recovering from the devastating Eaton Fire — the sounds of helicopters, simulated gunfire, and flash grenades late at night understandably caused alarm and distress.”
Chu stopped short of demanding the Army halt such exercises but made clear she intends to hold federal and military officials accountable for future coordination failures.
The congresswoman said she will continue to engage with federal, state, and local officials to ensure advance notice is provided before operations of this scale are conducted in residential communities. Federal officials indicated that similar exercises have not been approved in Pasadena in the near future.
Schiff demands Trump Administration Release $160 Million Withheld From California
U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff (D – CA) last week led a 21-member Senate coalition demanding the Trump administration release $160 million in federal highway funds withheld from California and reverse a new federal rule that could strip hundreds of thousands of commercial truck drivers of their licenses.
The $160 million in FY2027 National Highway Performance Program funds were withheld after California delayed the cancellation of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses. Simultaneously, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a final rule restricting drivers from obtaining a CDL unless they hold an H-2A, H-2B, or E-2 visa.
“Implementing a rule that effectively pauses or severely restricts nondomiciled CDL programs nationwide and withholding $160 million in FY2027 National Highway Performance Program funds from California — infrastructure dollars meant to maintain roads all Americans use — are punitive actions that undermine road safety and the integrity of our national supply chain and workforce,” the senators wrote.
California handles roughly 25 percent of the nation’s drayage capacity — the short-haul freight movement that carries goods from port to supply chain — with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach serving as the dominant gateway.
A workforce reduction of the scale described in the letter would create an immediate bottleneck at those ports, driving up shipping costs and raising prices on everyday consumer goods nationwide. Schiff and his colleagues urged the Department of Transportation to restore the withheld funds, rescind the CDL final rule, and reinstate non-domiciled CDL programs nationwide.
Hahn Champions Aphasia Awareness
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D – San Pedro, Long Beach, Compton, Carson, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, Cerritos) led the Board of Supervisors in proclaiming June 2026 as National Aphasia Awareness Month in Los Angeles County, elevating a communication disorder that affects more than two million Americans but remains largely unknown to the general public.
Aphasia is an acquired disorder that robs survivors of the ability to speak, understand language, read, or write, most commonly following a stroke or traumatic brain injury. It does not affect intelligence, but it can devastate a person’s ability to navigate healthcare systems, maintain employment, and connect with the people around them.
“Aphasia is devastating because it robs people of their ability to communicate with the world around them, but the lack of awareness about this disease makes living with it even more excruciating for those with aphasia and for those who love and care for them,” said Hahn. “Our hope is that as more and more people — employers, friends, neighbors, and first responders, among others — know about it, it will be easier for people with aphasia to get the support they need and deserve.”
The motion grew directly from Hahn’s office being contacted by Justin Chlowitz and his father Roger, co-hosts and creators of When Words Don’t Come Easy, a podcast and YouTube channel devoted to life after stroke and aphasia. Roger is himself a stroke survivor living with aphasia.
Hahn’s motion also recognized the contributions of speech-language pathologists, rehabilitation professionals, caregivers, and community organizations serving people living with aphasia.
Barger brings back more beach buses
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger (R – Palmdale, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, San Marino, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, portions of the San Gabriel Valley) announced the return of the Fifth District’s Beach Bus program for summer 2026, giving foothill community residents affordable direct transportation to Santa Monica Beach — and this year, the program includes an Altadena route for residents still grinding through Eaton Fire recovery.
The Beach Bus runs from now through Labor Day, September 7, 2026, with round-trip fares of $3.00 for adults and children. Seniors 60 and older and persons with disabilities ride for $1.50 with valid identification.
“With the Beach Bus, families from across Los Angeles County can affordably access cooler weather and one of our region’s most precious resources,” said Barger. “I’m proud to bring back this program for another summer to connect the foothill communities to our beaches.”
Three routes serve Fifth District communities on rotating days:
The Charter Oak/Duarte Route operates Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays beginning June 23; the La Crescenta/La Cañada Flintridge Route runs Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays beginning now; and the Altadena Route operates Thursdays and Saturdays, picking up at the southeast corner of Allen Avenue and Oakwood Street and in front of the Bob Lucas Memorial Library on Lincoln Avenue.
Reservations are strongly encouraged and can be made up to ten days in advance at LAGoBus.com, no later than 10:00 a.m. the day prior to travel. All buses depart Santa Monica Beach for the return trip at 3:30 p.m.
