Heilman thanks LADWP crews for fast Sunset Boulevard reopening
West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman on Friday expressed the city’s gratitude to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) crews who worked around the clock to reopen Sunset Boulevard after a major 36-inch water transmission trunk line ruptured beneath the street the day before, flooding local streets.
LADWP confirmed drinking water remained safe throughout the incident, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported no injuries.
“We know this incident caused significant hardship for many people, particularly those whose homes, businesses, and daily routines were directly impacted. While reopening Sunset is an important milestone, we still have a lot to do to help our residents and businesses recover from this incident,” said Heilman.
Residents and businesses with property damage from the flooding can file claims through LADWP at www.ladwp.com/claims.
Residents can reach the city at safety@weho.org and businesses at business@weho.org; updates on permanent restoration work are posted at www.weho.org/watermainbreak.
Fong lands $350M for student housing in statewide bond measure
Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra, Arcadia, El Monte, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San Marino, South Pasadena, Temple City) announced last week that $350 million for affordable student housing at University of California and California State University campuses was included in the Veterans and Affordable Housing Bond Act of 2026 (SB 417), which heads to the November 3 ballot.
“Across California, students at our UC and CSU campuses continue to be priced out of affordable housing, with many students forced into longer commutes, increased financial stress, and housing insecurity that ultimately undermines their academic success,” said Fong. “SB 417 provides the UC and CSU systems a $350 million investment to expand the supply of affordable, on campus housing, ensuring students have access to address one of the most consistent barriers to student success.”
Beyond student housing, the broader bond includes $1.25 billion in revenue bonds for the CalVet Home Loan Program, expected to provide mortgages for nearly 5,000 veterans and military families, and $10 billion in general obligation bonds to support construction, rehabilitation, purchase, and preservation of affordable housing for lower-income Californians.
It also targets support for farmworkers, tribal members, at-risk youth, and lower- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers, and provides matching funds for local housing trust funds, including the San Gabriel Valley Housing Trust.
Torres secures $15.6M to restart California manufacturing center
U.S. Rep. Norma Torres (D-Pomona, San Bernardino County) announced last week that the Department of Commerce is restoring California’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center after leading a congressional push demanding the state receive its share of federal manufacturing investment.
The newly released Notice of Funding Opportunity will provide up to $15.6 million to establish a California MEP Center, giving manufacturers across the Inland Empire and the state access to technical expertise and resources to compete, innovate, and grow. Applications are due August 21.
“The Inland Empire is helping build America’s future. Restoring an MEP Center in California will help manufacturers innovate, expand production, strengthen our supply chains, and create more good-paying jobs right here in our communities. I encourage eligible applicants in the Inland Empire to apply,” said Torres.
The announcement follows a June letter Torres led with California appropriators pressing Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to restore the state’s MEP Center immediately, arguing California — the nation’s largest manufacturing state — should not be left without one after its previous center closed in October 2025.
California was one of only two states without an MEP center, even as the state’s more than 35,000 manufacturers contribute over $391 billion to the U.S. economy. Manufacturing employment nationally has fallen by 75,000 jobs since President Trump took office.
“California is the manufacturing powerhouse of America, and our workers and small manufacturers deserve the same federal support as every other state,” said Torres.
Cisneros leads 63 colleagues demanding action on DREAMER protections
U.S. Rep. Gil Cisneros (D-Covina, West Covina, Baldwin Park, El Monte, Azusa, La Puente) led 63 House colleagues in a letter to Republican leadership urging them not to obstruct legislation protecting Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients from work authorization lapses and the threat of deportation, including through a permanent, codified legal status.
The letter comes amid what Cisneros described as significant processing delays for DACA renewal applications tied to administrative inefficiencies at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), delays he says are pushing Dreamers out of the workforce and putting them at risk of deportation.
“Our country’s Dreamers are hard-working members of our communities that want to make an impact in the only home they have ever known. Right now, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) renewal applications are facing significant processing delays due to administrative inefficiencies at USCIS. This failure of leadership is forcing Dreamers out of the workforce and placing them at risk of deportation,” said Cisneros.
“It is cruel and unjust, and it needs to end now. My colleagues and I have previously introduced legislation to support Dreamers, but they’ve all been blocked by Republicans. It is past time for Republican leadership to do what’s right and protect Dreamers by ensuring timely renewals and working toward permanent status, for the stability of our workforce, and for the security of families nationwide.”
Cisneros previously co-led the reintroduction of legislation to allow DACA recipients to serve in the U.S. military and provide them with a pathway to citizenship after service, and joined colleagues in introducing the American Dream and Promise Act. He has also signed the discharge petition to force a vote on the House floor.
