By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
Lancaster awarded $33.2 million for Avenue M Interchange Project
The City of Lancaster announced on Friday it has secured a $33.2 million grant award from the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) to advance the Highway Equity Corridor Improvements Program – Avenue M Interchange Project.
Located between 20th Street West and 10th Street West, the Avenue M Interchange serves as a major gateway linking Lancaster residents to employment centers, health services, military installations, airports, and regional destinations. The project will address longstanding safety and connectivity challenges created by outdated on- and off-ramp configurations.
Approved through the SCAG Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG) for Federal Fiscal Years 2027–2028, the award includes $29,428,257 in federal grant funds, $3,812,743 in toll credits, and zero local match required, with Lancaster leveraging prior investments and toll credits to maximize competitiveness
“This project has been decades in the making, and today’s approval ensures that our community finally receives the safe, modern transportation infrastructure it deserves,” said Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris. “These improvements reconnect neighborhoods that were divided, reduce dangerous conditions, and create a stronger, more equitable future for Lancaster.”
The Avenue M project lies within an area that serves communities that have historically experienced underinvestment and limited access to public amenities, employment, and health services. Enhancing multimodal access directly benefits residents traveling to nearby job centers, schools, and Antelope Valley Medical Center, the region’s only public hospital.
“This is a major win for the entire Antelope Valley,” said Lancaster Vice Mayor Marvin Crist. “These interchanges serve tens of thousands of people every day—from workers and families to freight and emergency responders. Modernizing them will reduce collisions, improve traffic flow, and ensure our residents have the safe, reliable access they depend on. Lancaster continues to fight for investments that improve quality of life. This project is proof that persistence pays off.”
Lieu announces winners of 2025 Congressional App Challenge
U.S. Rep. Ted W. Lieu (D-Santa Monica, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Manhattan Beach) announced on Friday that El Segundo High School senior Agrima Bhutani was the winner of his congressional district’s 10th annual Congressional App Challenge reception.
Bhutani’s app entitled “MemoryLane” is a comprehensive memory care companion designed for elderly individuals living with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The app addresses three major challenges these patients face: cognitive decline, health management, and safety risks. The judges believed that this app was unique in concept, had a great design, and showed impressive technical skill.
Twenty-one students from 13 schools submitted 18 apps for this year’s competition, and Lieu said he was impressed by the talented, creative students who participated.
“STEAM education and innovation are incredibly important, especially in our district, which is home to Silicon Beach, UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Monica College, and the LA Air Force Base. Thank you to everyone who submitted their amazing app ideas and congratulations to our winners,” said Lieu.
Below are the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge:
- 1st Place: “MemoryLane”, submitted by Agrima Bhutani – El Segundo High School
- 2nd Place: “Sheet Scan”, submitted by Asher Zacepinski – Santa Monica High School
- 3rd Place: “ClearVoice AI”, submitted by Akshobh Karthik – Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
- Honorable Mention: “reTeach”, submitted by Dennis Freyman and Hao Lin – Mira Costa High School
The Congressional App Challenge, a competition that encourages U.S. students to learn to code by creating their own applications, is open to all middle and high school students who reside in or attend school in California’s 36th Congressional District.
Hahn Collects 289 Firearms at Gun Buyback in South Whittier
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn (D-Southeastern LA County including Long Beach, San Pedro, Diamond Bar, Whittier, Cerritos, Downey, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hacienda Heights) in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Saturday, collected 289 guns at a gun buyback event in South Whittier.
This is the sixteenth gun buyback Hahn has held in her district since 2022 and brings the total amount of unwanted guns her office has helped collect and destroy to 2,967.
“I do these gun buybacks because I know that there are people who have guns that they do not want in their homes but don’t know how to get rid of them. This provides an opportunity for people to do that safely and legally,” said Hahn. “This was one of our more successful gun buyback events. We collected ghost guns, assault rifles and handguns, which drive violent crime and cause real problems for our deputies. I am grateful to have these off the street and out of our neighborhoods and I appreciate everyone who took the time to turn in a gun today.”
The 289 functioning guns collected included 129 pistols, 85 rifles, 41 shotguns, 21 ghost guns, and 13 assault rifles.
The event took place in the parking lot of the South Whittier Community Resource Center, with cars wrapped around the block for much of the day. Many people participating in the event told Hahn they have long had guns they did not want but did not know how to safely and legally get rid of them.
Participants received Amazon gift cards in exchange for their guns. The dollar amount varied by firearm type.
Friedman rallies against Trump’s policy that worsens nurse shortage
U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Burbank, Glendale, West Hollywood, Hollywood) joined frontline nurses, healthcare professionals and labor leaders at Glendale Memorial Hospital yesterday to rally against a Trump Administration policy that threatens to deepen California’s nurse shortage and drive up healthcare costs for patients and families.
The new rule stems from the Trump-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which strips graduate healthcare programs like nursing, physical therapy, and mental health care of their “professional” designation, slashing access to federal student loans. This change makes it harder for future providers to afford the training needed to enter the healthcare workforce.
“When you make it harder for people to become nurses, you make it harder and more expensive for families to get care,” said Friedman. “This policy doesn’t just hurt students — it hurts every Angeleno who one day may need to rely on our healthcare system. Every empty hospital bed, every closed clinic, every delayed diagnosis, that’s the cost of this Trump policy.”
The rally came as California is projected to be short 61,000 nurses by 2033, and nearly 60% of counties statewide already face nursing shortages.
Friedman said she is committed to working on federal legislation that would permanently fix the definition of “professional degrees” to include nursing, therapy, and other frontline healthcare programs.
