Burbank Independent_6/1/2026 by Beacon Media News

RAND: ‘Rough sleeping’ homelessness spikes 20% in Hollywood, Skid Row, Venice

MONDAY, JUNE 01-JUNE 07, 2026

INDEPENDENT

Follow the money: Who’s backing California’s next governor — and why

By Jeanne Kuang and Jeremia Kimelman, CalMatters

Campaigndonations

are both a measure of popular support and a sign of which candidates special interests believe they can influence. CalMatters analyzed campaign finance data in the California governor’s race. Here are five takeaways on where the money is coming from and where it’s going.

Outside money is shattering records

It’s a record-breaking election when it comes to spending by corporations and special interest groups trying to influence who becomes the next governor.

Outside groups, which unlike candidates can receive unlimited donations, reported spending $79 million so far — more than double the amount spent through the November 2018 general election when Gavin Newsom won his first term.

Billionaire Tom Steyer is the biggest target: A political spending committee called California Is Not For Sale, funded by the state Realtors association, the California Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Gas & Electric and the state’s electrical workers’ union poured $32 million into ads opposing him.

Steyer has vowed to lower electricity bills by challenging PG&E’s monopoly in much of Northern California. He’s also promised to pursue a ballot measure that would raise revenue for public services by requiring more accurate property tax assessments on business properties, a move that could upend the commercial real estate market.

Some of the same groups spending against Steyer are running ads for Xavier Becerra. Those groups — along with organiza-

tions representing doctors, contractors and several labor unions — have spent $13 million through PACs to boost Becerra.

Chevron, McDonald’s, dialysis giant DaVita and one of the state’s largest oil drillers, California Resources Corp., are funding one of the largest pro-Becerra groups, with each of them contributing $500,000. Meta and AirBnB chipped in about $1 million each and health insurance corporation Centene, which runs California-based HealthNet, put in $100,000.

Steyer is reveling in the spending against him, pointing to it as proof he’d stand up to utilities and big business. A climate activist, Steyer has highlighted Becerra’s support from Chevron.

The progressive unions California Nurses Association and United Domestic Workers have spent a comparatively modest $1.4 million on mailers and digital media boosting Steyer. Outside groups have also spent $1.8 million opposing Republican frontrunner Steve Hilton, a

former Fox News host and British political strategist. Mahan fizzles out

Thesecond-highest outside spending went to boost Mahan, the San Jose mayor and moderate Democrat who entered the race late to much fanfare from Silicon Valley.

California’s tech billionaires urged Mahan to run and backed him with millions in donations and two independent spending committees. They were enamored with his platform of government efficiency and opposition to new taxes — positions that would shield them from the Legislature’s push to regulate tech and raise taxes on the wealthy.

Donors included venture capitalists Michael Moritz and Brian Singerman, DoorDash CEO Tony Xu, Intuit founder Scott Cook, Google co-founder Sergey Brin and Los Angeles developer and former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso.

The committees spent nearly $22 million on ads supporting Mahan, significantly more than the $9 million his campaign has spent. But the money wasn’t enough to overcome his significantdisadvantage in name recognition as the first-term mayor of a city that doesn’t get much attention. Strategists told the committees’ backers they needed at least $45 million to make a difference.

One of the PACs, California Back to Basics, last week returned $1 million from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings; Hastings cryptically posted on X that he hadn’t asked for the money back. The refund was an acknowledgement that the committee hadn’t succeeded in raking in a final $10 to $15 million the billionaire backers hoped to raise in the last weeks of the campaign, committee spokesperson Matt Rodriguez said.

Steyer spending breaking

LA council delays hotel, airport wage hikes as businesses withdraw tax repeal

Bass appointed as Metro board chair for 2026-27, receives Newsom’s endorsement in reelection campaign

The Metro Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to appoint Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as the board’s chair during fiscal year 2026-27, marking the second time she will serve in the role.

Bass will succeed Whittier City Councilman Fernando Dutra, who is expected to leave the board at the end of his term. The board appointed Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger as first vice chair and Pomona Mayor Tim Sandoval as second vice chair.

Bass previously served as chair in fiscal year 2023-24.

All three elected officials will have a one-year term, starting July 1. Metro is expected to formally pass the gavel to Bass as part of the transit organization’s annual State of the Agency event in the summer.

“We know the board would benefit from her (Bass) steady leadership as we prepare for transformative years ahead, from the World Cup in two weeks to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028,” Dutra said. “While most importantly continuing the daily work of improving safety, reliability, accessibility and equity across our system.”

Bass thanked Dutra for his leadership, citing his expertise in construction and business, and ability to navigate difficult meetings.

Bass emphasized that Metro is at a defining moment with the World Cup on the horizon.

“The fact is that it will impact the entire region and the very significant role that Metro will play, and I view it as a dress rehearsal

for 2028,” Bass said. “We have an opportunity to try a number of things, see what works, and be prepared for the Olympics and Paralympic Games.”

She said she looks forward to developing Metro’s new safety system, which involves the implementation of the agency’s new law enforcement department, as well as enhanced ambassador program.

The Metro Board in June 2024 agreed to establish an in-house public safety department and transition away from contracting with regional police agencies such as the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Long Beach Police Department.

Dutra will step down from the Metro Board in July, having lost his reelection bid in April. The Gateway Cities Council of Governments and the Los Angeles County City Selection Committee are in the process of selecting Dutra’s replacement.

The board has 13 voting members, which includes all five LA County supervisors; the mayor of Los Angeles, who picks three other members from the city; and four elected representatives from four smaller cities, each from different areas of the region. Those areas encompass North County/ San Fernando Valley, San Gabriel Valley, Gateway Cities, and South Bay/ Westside.

Dutra’s seat is open for any mayor and city council members of 27 cities of the Gateway Cities COG. Any locally elected official can be nominated for the Metro

City News Service

| Chart courtesy of Jeremia Kimelman/CalMatters

This story was originally published by CalMatters.

HEYSOCAL.COM

Animal advocates urge LA City Council to take up proposed rodeo ban

By Jose Herrera, City News Service

Agroup of animal advocates called on the City Council Tuesday to approve a proposed rodeo ban that has been stalled in committee for two years.

During Tuesday’s Arts, Parks, Libraries and Community Enrichment Committee meeting, advocates urged the three-member panel to take up the proposed ban before it expires July 18, and forward it to the full council for consideration.

“(Animal Defenders International’s) ongoing studies highlight the abuse, deprivation, and suffering of animals used in entertainment,” Kim Jett, executive director of ADI, said.

“Their mental and physical health are inevitably compromised. Bulls and horses tormented in the shoots prior to being released into the ring. Riders dig spurs into the animal’s flesh,” Jett added.

Eric Shabsis, for Last Chance for Animals, highlighted a letter signed by more than 40 animal rights organizations that was sent to committee members as a testament to their mission.

Matt Rossell, campaign manager for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, said rodeos terrify and provoke animals for entertainment.

“It’s all happening in public view. These violent events are called family friendly, but adults at rodeos should not be encouraging children to be confused about animal cruelty,” Rossell said.

He noted that Pasadena and Irvine have passed bans on rodeos, and its time for Los Angeles to step up.

In December 2023, the City Council approved a motion by City Councilman Bob Blumenfield. The motion directed the City Attorney’s Office to draft a proposed ban on rodeos.

The ordinance is expected to define a rodeo as an “exhibition, performance, or competition for live public entertainment.”

Specifically, any events that are outlined in the state’s law on the same issue, including bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, or other event or activity that involves physically taking down an animal, roping an animal, or attempting to ride a bucking animal.

CityCouncilwoman Monica Rodriguez, who represents a portion of the Northeast San Fernando Valley, include predomi-

nantly Latino and equestrian communities, introduced an amendment for potential carve outs for cultural activities from the ban such as American Indian, Native American, Indigenous Rodeo, Mexican Charreria and Escaramuza events that do not involve the prohibited aforementioned rodeo activities.

For example, the trick roping that is performed by horse riders without lassoing animals or choreographed riding to music would not fit the definition of rodeo.

Since then, the matter has been on hold with supporters of the ban waiting on elected officials to take the next steps.

City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado, who was elected in 2024, serves as the chair of the Arts, Parks, Libraries and Community Enrichment Committee. The draft ordinance is expected to come to her committee first before moving to the full council.

“Because this item was introduced after Councilmember Jurado took office, our office has taken a thorough and deliberate approach to reviewing the proposal and meeting with community stakeholders to fully understand its history, cultural context and potential impacts,” according to a statement from Jurado’s office Tuesday.

“We do not have a confirmed meeting date for this item at this time,” the statement continued.

Meanwhile, Blumenfield reiterated that his goal is to prevent animal cruelty, as “has been known to happen at large rodeos.”

“Contrary to opponents’ mischaracterizations, this draft ordinance specifically has nothing to do with horses. It has been tailored to be narrow in scope, and the council unanimously approved directing the City Attorney to draft it,” Blumenfield said in a state-

ment.

Critics of the proposed rodeo ban include the Professional Bull Riders rodeo circuit, which has conducted events at downtown’s Crypto.com Arena.

PBR officials have said their event showcases the world’s best bull riders trying to hang onto the rankest bulls for eight “wild” seconds, a “mashup of athletic excitement wrapped into an amped-up, award-winning entertainment experience.”

Representatives for PBR have previously refuted criticisms about rodeos.

PBR CEO Sean Gleason said in a statement the organization is excited to return to Los Angeles in February for fans to witness “extraordinary human and animal athletes in a positive, unifying event.”

“Now more than ever, we should embrace the cowboy values of hard work, honesty, and respect -- not attempt to cancel cowboy culture and sports based on misinformation,” Gleason said in his statement.

“We look forward to returning to Los Angeles, bringing the community together and injecting millions of dollars into the city’s economy.”

RAND: ‘Rough sleeping’ homelessness spikes 20% in Hollywood, Skid Row, Venice

By Joe Taglieri joet@civicnewsgroup.com

The number of people living without homes in three Los Angeles neighborhoodsthatfor decades have had large homeless populations was flat last year, but those sleeping on the streets without encampments — “rough sleeping” — reached the highest amount in four years, the research organization RAND Corp. announced Friday.

The Santa Monica-based nonprofit released the 2025 Los Angeles Longitudinal Enumeration and Demographic Survey, or LA LEADS last week, reporting that the combined number of unsheltered residents in Hollywood, Skid Row and Venice remained statistically the same between December 2024 and January 2026.

However, researchers found that rough sleeping increased 20% to the highest level in four years. The term identifies the number of unhoused individuals who sleep on the streets without a tent, vehicle or other form of

shelter, according to RAND.

“The total count held steady in 2025, but the makeup of the population continued to shift substantially,” Louis Abramson, the study’s lead author and adjunct researcher at RAND, said in a statement.

“Compared to a year ago, more people are sleeping completely unsheltered, more spread out geographically, and with fewer connections to the systems that contributed to the prior year’s progress.”

The report indicated the number of tents and encampments has decreased in the three neighborhoods since 2021. Last year saw a 23% decrease, but reduction in tents and encampments has been offset by a surge in rough sleeping as well as more unhoused individuals living in vehicles.

Using vehicles for shelter increased 11% in 2025, RAND reported.

Nearly 90% of tents remained in Skid Row, an increase from 60% four years earlier, and Skid

Row’s homeless population increased again in 2025, reaching record-high numbers before decreasing late in the year. It was the only neighborhood with a continuous increase in the unhoused population in each year of the study, researchers reported.

Overall unhoused population numbers for Venice and Hollywood were for the most part flat because of “stalled progress,” according to RAND. Both communities posted a drop in homelessness in 2024.

The new survey data suggests that removing tents and encampments may be

contributing to the rise in rough sleeping, researchers said. Almost half of rough sleepers who participated in the survey reported losing their dwelling in the past year, and 46% said dwellings were confiscated or towed by government agencies or service providers.

“The continued increase in rough sleeping from 2024 to 2025 is concerning because our data show that this population can be harder to engage and often has greater clinical needs,” Sarah Hunter, LA LEADS co-author and a senior behavioral scientist at RAND, said in a statement. “It suggests encampment- based approaches may no longer be effective and that different strategies are needed.”

Researchers said Skid Row had the greatest concentration of need followed by Hollywood and Venice. Skid Row also received the majority of outreach and housing assistance from officials and service providers with city contracts.

In all three areas, RAND identified barriers to services and housing because job opportunities for residents were nearly nonexistent, their cash reserves extremely limited and the majority of homeless residents did not have a mobile phone or basic forms of identification.

RAND recommended that attempts to address homelessness should be customized to reflect neighborhood conditions and residents’ needs because strategies that focus on encampments are not equally effective for addressing rough sleeping or living in vehicles.

The survey took place throughout the year by RAND staff and concluded in January. It is the secondlargest point-in-time count of homelessness in the LA area next to the annual count conducted by officials from Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and volunteers.

The full report is on the organization’s website.

Los Angeles City Hall looms over a nearby homeless encampment. | Photo courtesy of Ron Reiring/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

| Photo courtesy of Daniel Lloyd Blunk-Fernández/Unsplash

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CLawmakers stripped the Board of Equalization of power. Now they’re ﬁghting to join it

By Cayla Mihalovich and Adam Ashton, CalMatters

alifornia’sBoard of Equalization is a coveted spot once again for state lawmakers looking for a new gig almost a decade after then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law gutting the organization of any serious governing responsibility.

This year, three current state lawmakers are competing for seats on the nation’s only elected tax board. They’re among some two dozen candidates on the ballot for its four elected positions, which are divided by geographic districts.

Submissions

The board has long been a launching pad to higher offices in California politics — Fiona Ma served on it before becoming state treasurer, as did Betty Yee and Malia Cohen before each being elected state controller.

The agency itself is a throwback to the 19th Century. It’s rooted in an 1879 constitutional amendment that created it and charged it with “equalizing” county property tax assessments statewide.

From that narrow mandate, it swelled to become a juggernaut that collected a third of the state’s tax revenue and provided a venue for people and businesses to contest their tax bills in front of the elected board. It survived numerous efforts by governors to kill it outright, including attempts by Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

That is until 2017, when a cascade of allegations about board members misusing the office to promote themselves led to an authoritative state audit that lawmakers could not ignore.

Brown signed a law stripping the agency of any powers beyond what voters gave it in 1879 and created two new departments that report to the governor instead of the elected board: one to collect sales and use taxes and another to hear taxpayer appeals.

After that, Board of Equalization elections tended to be lower profile contests. Ted Gaines, a former Republican state lawmaker from the Sacramento area, won a seat. Former Democratic Assemblymember Sally Lieber is up for reelection on the board this year. The other members had experience in local politics instead of inside the Capitol.

“We’re lean but we’re not mean,” said Lieber, the incumbent for District 2, which includes 19 counties centered

on the Bay Area. “I think the Board of Equalization is the right size in the system right now…I do really believe that the board has a role to play in being a forum for taxpayers to come forward to.”

This year voters will see more contentious elections for the tax board:

- In District 1 representing inland California, Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove of Bakersfield has more than $900,000 in a campaign account and name recognition from her representing the San Joaquin Valley in the Legislature since 2010. Democrats are putting up a fight for the district. Fresno City Councilmember Nelson Esparza is running with the party’s support.

- In District 2 representing coastal California north of Los Angeles, incumbent Lieber faces San Mateo Community College District Trustee John Pimentel. Lieber has the Democratic Party’s endorsement, but a number of Bay Area Democratic leaders are backing Pimentel, including state Treasurer Ma and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.

- In District 3 representing the Los Angeles area, former Monterey Park City Councilmember Yvonne Yiu put up $760,000 of her own money and has about $1 million on hand. The race has another heavyweight in Assemblymember Mike Gipson, a Democrat from Gardena who has served in the Legislature since 2014.

- District 4 representing the San Diego area has an especially crowded race with Democratic state Sen. Tom Umberg of Santa Ana, San Ysidro school board member Martín Arias, San Diego Unified School District board member Cody Peterson, and Denis Bilodeau, a Republican supported by San Diego Assemblymember Carl DeMaio’s Reform California

organization. A forum for California taxpayers

The board was always popular among taxpayer advocacy groups, who liked that it provided a forum to focus on tax issues in a capital where debates often center on labor and business.

“It’s a very useful elected body that answers to the voters,” said Susan Shelley, vice president of communications for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

Some of this year’s candidates are thinking of ways to make the most of the agency.

Arias believes the board could do more to assist homeowners and potential homeowners. As a taxpayer advocate in the San Diego County Assessor’s Office, he says he works with the Board of Equalization every day and has a front seat to how the system works.

“I think there’s a bigger opportunity here to make the Board of Equalization the constitutional office that it is — that it should be,” he said.

“There’s a clear opportunity here for us to start advocating at the state level for all of our taxpayers, including those that don’t speak English.”

Umberg said he’d like the board to have more investigative power and resources.

Citing instances in which San Bernardino and Los Angeles assessors have been arrested on felony charges, he said he’s most interested in the board’s oversight of property tax assessors.

“Although it’s not a high-profile job, it’s a critically important job, especially when we’ve got so many revenue challenges in California,” Umberg said in an interview with CalMatters.

Questioning BOE’s relevance

Advocating for the board’s expansion has drawn criticism from former board members

and employees. Yee, a board member from 2004 to 2014, has been vocal about abolishing the board entirely because she believes that its limited responsibilities could be easily transferred to another department or agency.

“I just really do question how this board continues to have relevance,” she told CalMatters. “I sometimes feel like the board is really doing a lot of work in search of finding problems to solve. …I know with each of the board members, they feel very strongly about being a taxpayer advocate. But frankly, every public official should be a taxpayer advocate. ”Democrats stopped short of killing the agency entirely because they would have had to put that question to voters.

“They should have just chopped the head of the snake off and done away with the Board of Equalization altogether,” said Mark DeSio, a former communications director for the board. “They didn’t do that. They left enough of the cancer to grow back.”

He cooperated with the audit that revealed misspending at the agency that appeared intended to promote its elected members as well as another that showed widespread nepotism in its hiring practices. He then lost his job in the reorganization and filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against the state.

DeSio believes lawmakers want seats on the Board of Equalization because it allows them to maintain a high profile until they can run for office again.

“That was the recipe for disaster a few years back,” he said. “Somebody better watch these guys. They’re not there for the policy. It’s for the exposure.”

Cayla

Mihalovich is a California Local News fellow.

This story was originally published by CalMatters.

The state Capitol on March 28, 2025. | Photo courtesy of Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters

Schedule for 2028 Paralympic Games revealed

By City News Service

LA28 unveiled its full Paralympic competition schedule Wednesday, outlining more than 1,100 hours of competition across 14 days during Los Angeles’ first-ever Paralympic Games in 2028.

The Games will feature a record 560 medal events across 23 sports and nearly 20 venues throughout the Los Angeles region, making it the largest Paralympic Games since Seoul 1988, according to organizers.

“The Paralympic Games are a must-see elite sporting event,” LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans said in a statement. “As the world’s third largest sporting event, they celebrate athletic excellence at the highest level, demonstrating relentless determination and the limitless potential and power of sport. With more sports and days of competition than ever before, LA28 is setting the stage for a legendary Paralympic Games.”

The Paralympic Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Aug. 15, 2028, at SoFi Stadium, with the Closing Ceremony set for Aug. 27.

LA28 officials said the Games will mark the Paralympic debut of Para Climbing, which was added to the sports program in 2024 and will feature 80 athletes competing across eight medal events.

Wheelchair Rugby competition will begin two days before the Opening Ceremony, marking the first time Paralympic competition will begin before the Games officially open, officials said. Boccia -- a precision ball sport -- is scheduled to begin one day before the ceremony.

LA28 also announced new medal events in Para Table Tennis, Para Triathlon

and Para Swimming aimed at improving gender parity and expanding opportunities for athletes with intellectual impairments.

The final weekend of competition is expected to be among the busiest in Paralympic history, with organizers planning more than 50 gold medal events across sports including wheelchair basketball, sitting volleyball, para swimming, para cycling, para archery and wheelchair tennis during the Aug. 26 “Super Saturday” competition schedule.

“We have the opportunity to break barriers and redefine what the Paralympic Movement and disability

representation can mean for the next generation,” said Ileana Rodriguez, LA28 vice president of Paralympic Strategy and Relations. “We have the chance to shine a brighter light on more Paralympians than ever before, and I cannot wait for fans everywhere to witness the extraordinary athleticism and unforgettable moments that their performances are sure to bring.”

Organizers also highlighted expanded women’s participation and improved gender parity, noting women will account for 45% of athlete quota places -- up from 42% at the 2024 Paris Games.

Queen Mary marks 90th anniversary with free event, lounge debut

The Queen Mary celebrated the 90th anniversary of its historic maiden voyage with a free, daylong celebration Wednesday, featuring special events, tours and the debut of a revived onboard lounge.

The event coincided with the exact date the iconic ocean liner first set sail in 1936 and is part of a broader, yearlong anniversary program honoring the ship’s legacy, according to organizers.

Festivities began at noon, when ship officers welcomed guests near the vessel’s bell, followed by access to exhibits, art displays, anniversary tours and interactive activities throughout the ship.

An official program was scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Queen’s Salon, featuring remarks from ship leadership, a Long Beach city representative and other speakers, along with a performance and award presentation, organizers said.

A lecture by maritime historian Dik Barton was planned for 3:30 p.m., with daytimeprogramming concluding at 5 p.m.

Organizers said the celebration also included a ceremonial christening of the ship to commemorate the milestone.

The day’s events lead into the debut of the Starlight Lounge, a one-night-only ticketed experience inspired by the ship’s original Star-

By City News Service

light Club, once a popular nightlife destination during its transatlantic voyages, organizers said. The revived venue, located in the former Verandah Grill, featured live music, dancing and a threecourse meal inspired by 1930s-era menus.

“Bringing back the Starlight Lounge for the 90th anniversary is a powerful way to celebrate this milestone year,” Steve Caloca, managing director of the

Queen Mary, said in an earlier statement.

“Giving guests a glimpse of this for the 90th allows us to honor that history while creating a new signature experience for today’s visitors as part of our anniversary,” he added.

First launched in 1936, the Queen Mary is now permanently docked in Long Beach and remains one of the most recognizable ocean liners in the world.

The White House intervened to get a $620M deal for a company tied to Donald Trump Jr.

By Robert Faturechi, ProPublica

This story was originally published by ProPublica. ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive their biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

When the Pentagon announceda $620 million loan last year to a small North Carolina startup linked to Donald Trump Jr., defense officials and the company tried to tamp down suspicions of cronyism.

The president’s eldest son said through a spokesperson that he wasn’t involved. The Pentagon said Trump Jr. played no role in the recordsetting deal. And the startup’s founder told reporters that his company, Vulcan Elements, received no political favoritism.

But interviews and Defense Department records reviewed by ProPublica show

that the request to loan hundreds of millions of dollars to the firm linked to Trump Jr. was made by Peter Navarro, a White House adviser to President Donald Trump and a friend of Trump Jr.’s.

Of the dozens of companies the Pentagon was considering funding at the time, Vulcan’s was the only deal initiated by a top aide to the president, said an official at the Pentagon who was not authorized to speak publicly.

After defense officials got the White House request, they asked Pentagon staff to move at an unusually rapid pace,

said another person who was involved in the deal at the Pentagon but not authorized to speak about it. The staff worked late nights and with little sleep to get the loan through in a matter of weeks, the source said.

“The call came from the White House: We have to get this done,” the person said. The deal is one of many actions by the Trump administration that have helped companies in which the Trump family holds stakes. Government contracts and other benefits have gone to various Trump-linked compa-

| Photo courtesy of LA28/Facebook

| Photo courtesy of The Queen Mary/Facebook

Visitors reported long lines, crowded trails and parking problems at Yosemite National Park over Memorial Day weekend after the National Park Service ended its reservation system.

Staff are having a hard time keeping up with the crowds after the Trump administration cut almost 25% of permanent jobs at the National Park Service since January of last year.

Mark Rose, Sierra Nevada senior program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, said the chaos is hurting the visitor experience and the environment.

“One- to two-hour-long lines to get into the parks and long lines to get on shuttle buses,” Rose said.

“A lot of people parking on

Yosemite overrun with tourists after reservation system scrapped

By Suzanne Potter, Public News Service

meadows, on roadsides, on tree roots, causing significant resource damage.” Rose said morale is down among park staff. He also

its own records

Yet despite his opponents’ deep-pocketed donors, no one has matched the $213 million Steyer has spent on his own campaign, allowing him to blanket the airwaves with ads, pay influencers to post videos with him and send billboard trucks to drive around gas stations highlighting Becerra’s Chevron support.

That makes his the most expensive primary campaign in California gubernatorial history, exceeding that of former eBay executive

Meg Whitman, a Republican who spent about $94 million in the June 2010 primary — about $142 million in today’s dollars — spending tens of millions more before losing to Jerry Brown in the general election.

Swalwell donors flocked to Becerra DaVita, the California Medical Association and the California Professional Firefighters Association all supported former Rep. Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial bid before he dropped out over sexual assault allegations.

worries the crush of vehicles could affect emergency response times.

Visitors reported overcrowding on trails, leading

some people to hike offtrail.

In February, the Department of the Interior announced it was eliminat-

Campaign donations

They were among the biggest Swalwell backers to quickly switch to Becerra, who has enjoyed surging support from social media and the Democratic establishment.

Small donors made a similar leap. The CalMatters analysis found that after Swalwell dropped out, more than 500 of his campaign donors went on to contribute to Becerra’s campaign. No other candidate received that much support from former Swalwell donors.

Swalwell, who has also

since resigned from Congress, continues to use his gubernatorial campaign to pay more than $313,000 to attorney Sara Azari, who is defending him against the allegations. He has also refunded about $250,000 to nearly 50 donors.

Republican Steve Hilton had the most donors

The Republican frontrunner amassed the highest number of campaign donors in the race: more than 20,000. Nearly a quarter of them live outside California.

The former Fox News

ing reservation systems at Yosemite, Arches and Glacier national parks to increase recreational access.

Rose said he suspects the

administration is ignoring environmental concerns to boost the tourism industry.

“Here under this administration,” Rose said, “they’re placing private interests of hotel owners who run the hotels outside of the park and letting them really dictate the management of parks like Yosemite.”

The Yosemite Conservancy advises people to consider visiting during the week and arriving early in the day. It also suggests parking only once and using the shuttle afterward, and visiting areas outside Yosemite Valley, including Wawona and Hetch Hetchy.

July and August are Yosemite’s busiest months, with an average of 600,000 visitors.

host seeks to slash state environmental regulations, build housing on undeveloped suburban land and cut income taxes for the middle class. He received a slight uptick in donations after President Donald Trump endorsed him on April 6.

Katie Porter, the Democratic former congressmember from Orange County and consumer protection attorney, had the secondhighest number of donors, with more than 15,000.

She also has the highest share of donors outside Cali-

USC researchers develop self-taught piano-playing robot

By City News Service

USCresearchers announced Wednesday they have developed a robotic hand capable of teaching itself to play simple piano melodies by ear after just minutes of practice, a breakthrough scientists say could eventually help improve rehabilitation technology and treatment for movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.

The system, dubbed the “Musician Hand,” was developed by researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering. The findings were published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

Unliketraditional robots that rely heavily on pre-programmed instructions and massive training datasets, the robotic hand learned through a process researchers compared to the way infants experiment with

movement while developing motor skills.

For roughly two minutes, the robot randomly pressed piano keys while recording the sounds produced and the finger movements needed to create them, according to USC researchers.

After the brief practice period, the hand was able to hear and reproduce an unfamiliar melody of about 30 notes without corrections or sheet music.

Researchers said the robotic system became advanced enough to perform before two music judges who listened blindly to recordings from the robot alongside performances by four human pianists.

“The Achilles’ heel of traditional robotics is the assumption that perfect information is necessary to act well,” Francisco Valero-Cuevas, a

USC professor of biomedical engineering, aerospace and mechanical engineering, said in a statement. “Animals don’t work that way. They perceive; they guess, usually correctly; and they adapt. We wanted to show a robot could do the same.”

The hand uses four tendon-driven fingers controlled by small electric motors designed to mimic the mechanics of the human hand, while neural networks analyze melodies and convert them into finger movements.

Researchers said the project could eventually lead to advances in prosthetics, wearable robotic exoskeletons and physical therapy systems capable of adapting to how individuals naturally move.

“Imagine if, when you were first diagnosed, you wore

fornia, reflecting her relative national fame from her headline-grabbing time grilling corporate CEOs in Congress. But fundraising stalled for the onetime progressive darling, who touts her reliance on grassroots donors and refusal to take corporate contributions. From April 18 through May 19 she brought in less money than Mahan. This article was originally published by CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialNoDerivatives license.

an exoskeleton -- a wearable robotic suit -- and it learned how you move with only a few days of training,” Valero-

Cuevas said in describing possible applications for Parkinson’s patients. The research was support-

ed by the National Science Foundation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

| Photo courtesy of Possessed Photography/Unsplash

Visitors crowd the Yosemite Valley overlook in February during the “Firefall” event. | Photo courtesy of Mark Rose/Public News Service

nies, prompting allegations of self-dealing by Democratic lawmakers and good government experts. But ProPublica’s reporting on the Vulcan loan represents the first time the awarding of a contract from a federal agency has been directly linked to White House intervention.

The loan was a massive financial commitment from the Pentagon in its effort to fund companies that could help the U.S. reduce dependence on China’s critical mineral supply chains. The deal was a dramatic win for Vulcan, a North Carolina rare-earth magnet company launched just two years earlier. Estimates of its valuation grew tenfold after the deal was announced. It was also a win for Trump Jr.’s venture capital firm, which took a stake of undisclosed size in Vulcan about three months before the Pentagon announced the deal.

And there may be more good news on the way for the president’s eldest son. Among other companies under review for a Pentagon loan was a drone parts manufacturer that Trump Jr. advises and owns a stake in, according to one of the defense officials who spoke to ProPublica.

Navarro, who served as trade adviser in Trump’s first term, and Trump Jr. have formed a close bond in recent years. The president’s son visited Navarro in prison while he served time for defying a subpoena from lawmakers investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Trump Jr. was one of the small group of people Navarro dedicated his latest book to for having “my back when it was against the wall.” And a week before the Vulcan deal was announced, Trump Jr. hosted Navarro — now the president’s senior counselor for trade and manufacturing — on his streaming show, encouraging his nearly 2 million subscribers to buy Navarro’s book. That interview was not long after word came down from Navarro to Pentagon staff to make the massive loan to Vulcan, one of the defense officials involved in the deal said.

Navarro did not respond to questions from ProPublica sent to him directly. Neither did Vulcan. A White House spokesperson said in a statement that the administration is working “in the best interest of the American people,” adding, “The President’s entire team, including Senior Counselor Navarro and officials at the Department of War, is working together and with private industry to secure America’s critical mineral supply chain at Trump Speed.” Trump Jr.’s spokesperson said the president’s son does not discuss companies he

has invested in with federal government officials and did not speak to Navarro about Vulcan. He “has no knowledge about how this deal came together,” the spokesperson said. A spokesperson for 1789 Capital, the venture firm where Trump Jr. is a partner, said it also played no role in Vulcan getting the loan and did not learn about the deal before it was public.

“No company receives preferential treatment,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. “Outside affiliations, investors, or political connections play absolutely no role in the Department’s funding decisions.”

Richard Painter, the chief White House ethics lawyer during the George W. Bush administration, said aides to the president should not be intervening in contracting and lending decisions by agencies, particularly in matters that financially benefit the president’s family.

“This is our money they’re spending,” Painter said. “This is corruption we pay for.”

The Office of Strategic Capital, the Pentagon division that made the deal with Vulcan, aims to address a bipartisan concern: that China’s grip on rare-earth elements and other critical minerals threatens national security.

It is hard to overstate the country’s dominance in this arena. As of last year, for example, China produced the world’s entire supply of samarium, an obscure rareearth metal that is an essential component of magnets that help guide Tomahawk missiles and start the engines in F-35 fighter jets. Other rare earths are central to the manufacturing of a vast array of commercial and military products, from car parts and semiconductors to drones.

Finding the raw materials is generally not hard, but separating them from other materials they’re bonded to is, and it’s that process that China largely dominates. Virtually every advanced military in the world depends directly or indirectly on the country’s supply chain of rare earths. The danger of relying so heavily on a single supplier for these essential materials was underscored last year when China announced it was restricting exports of some rare-earth metals.

The Office of Strategic Capital, started under the Biden administration, funds private companies that are working in this space or developing certain military technologies so that the U.S. can stop relying on its top rival to equip its own military.

The Trump administration supersized the effort, expanding its lending authority from about $1 billion to

Trump

$200 billion. It also radically changed how the office operated, according to interviews with more than a dozen people who worked there or interacted with it from the private sector or other parts of the government.

The Biden administration had set up an open application process for interested companies, with each firm to be vetted methodically, a process meant to ensure good bets — but one that people involved acknowledged was set up to be slow and bureaucratic.

“The Trump administration is more interested in going out into the market and finding what it wants. We’re not going to wait for people to apply to us,” said one former Office of Strategic Capital official.

The Trump Pentagon handed the reins to hardcharging former Wall Street executives, who have been recruiting others to make the leap from finance to government. A leaked presentation from a headhunter seemed to suggest they could parlay their tour in government into future riches: “If you ever want to raise your own fund, you will gain access to fundraising channels that include royal families and foreign sovereign contacts.” (It’s unclear whether the Pentagon approved the presentation.)

The office’s new leaders aim to make as many deals as possible, including loans and investments in exchange for ownership stakes, people who have worked with the office say. They said the new officials are relying more on their own personal networks, not applications, to choose companies to fund. So far, outside of Vulcan, a small number of other companies have been selected, including Korea Zinc, a metal refiner; MP Materials, a Nevada rareearth mining company; and ReElement Technologies, an Indiana producer of rare-earth elements and battery metals that partners with Vulcan. The

on are needed for critical military technologies, including drones and satellites.

In August 2025, Vulcan announced $65 million in investments, including from 1789 Capital, the venture firm that Trump Jr. joined as a partner after his father was elected to a second term. Neither 1789 nor Vulcan has publicly disclosed how much of a stake the venture firm has taken.

wrongly imprisoned for not complying with a congressional subpoena because he was protected by executive privilege.)

Pentagon’s announcement said the loans to Vulcan and ReElement were conditional on the firms fulfilling certain legal and financial requirements but did not detail them.

Last month, Bloomberg reported that the Pentagon may ultimately not lend to ReElement because of concerns over the company’s revenue projections and ability to scale up its technology that were discovered after the conditional loan was announced.

Because of its size and connection to Trump Jr., the Vulcan deal has drawn the most scrutiny. A group of Democratic senators demanded that the Pentagon provide an accounting of how the company was awarded the loan, writing that the Trump family’s conflicts of interest could be “resulting in a waste of taxpayer dollars and a threat to national security.” (The Pentagon’s response did not address how Vulcan was selected, explaining only how the department addresses conflicts that arise from its employees’ financial holdings, not those of the president’s family.) Democrats in the House tried to subpoena Trump Jr. to testify on the Vulcan deal but were blocked by Republicans.

“Donald Trump Jr. must be made to answer whether the president’s son illegally profited from his father’s presidency,” Oregon Rep. Maxine Dexter said earlier this year.

Vulcan was launched in 2023 by a student at Harvard Business School. The private company quickly began securing a series of relatively small defense contracts, beginning during the Biden administration. Its first manufacturing facility opened in March 2025; according to an interview with its founder published that month, the firm’s funding around that time was less than $10 million. The kind of rare-earth magnets the company focuses

Staff in the Office of Strategic Capital learned of the White House request to give a loan to Vulcan around September or October, an official involved said. It’s unclear how the White House request was delivered or if it was presented as an order or a recommendation. Companies considered for funding are generally vetted for many months, the person said, but this deal was completed in a matter of weeks because they were told it was a White House priority.

Asked about the Vulcan deal being expedited, the Pentagon spokesperson said defense officials balance “lightning speed with rigorous diligence to close high-impact deals that directly strengthen America’s defense and empower our warfighters.”

In November, the Pentagon announced its plans to lend $620 million to the company and another $80 million to its partner, ReElement. The company would also get $50 million in incentives from the Commerce Department. In exchange, the government would take a $50 million stake in Vulcan with the right to buy more later.

Vulcan, which at the time had fewer than 50 employees, said it would use the windfall to build a large new facility that would churn out thousands of tons of magnets a year. It said it planned to ramp up in the coming years, adding hundreds of new jobs.

The deal was good news for Vulcan’s investors, including Trump Jr.’s firm. Estimates of Vulcan’s valuation went from around $200 million near the time 1789 Capital first invested, according to Bloomberg, to around $2 billion.

Navarro’s role in initiating the deal was not publicly disclosed. Even if he didn’t discuss it with Trump Jr., the loan represented a win for someone Navarro considered a dear friend. In an October episode of Trump Jr.’s streaming show, “Triggered,” the two showed a close bond. The president’s son called Navarro “my boy” and complimented him on the “jacked” physique he developed while in prison. Navarro called Trump Jr. “brother” and thanked him for his support “in my hardest of times.” (Navarro had argued he was

Although Vulcan was not mentioned, the two spoke about rare earths, a topic Navarro has frequently discussed publicly. “China has revealed itself with this rare-earth issue as a country which is using the weaponization of their manufacturing floor, their supply chains, to exert pressure, not just on the United States, but to every other country that might do something that gets in the way of the Chinese dream of world domination,” Navarro said. “That’s what we’re fighting now.”

The Office of Strategic Capital is expected to deploy billions more in loans in the coming months to critical mineral and military technology companies.

Among the companies under review was Unusual Machines, a Florida drone parts maker, a Defense official said. Trump Jr. sits on the company’s advisory board and holds millions of dollars worth of shares. The Pentagon was accused of cronyism last year when it awarded the company a contract to make drone engines for the Army.

Executives at other companies hoping for Pentagon loans or other types of investments are scrambling to figure out how to get in front of the right people.

Brodie Sutherland, CEO of Nevada-based tungsten mining company Patriot Critical Minerals, said his firm hired a lobbyist. That person knew someone who was previously connected to the Office of Strategic Capital and was able to introduce the company to a current staffer.

“It’s like any industry: A lot of what it is,” Sutherland said, “is who you know.”

Speaking to ProPublica last month, he said his company had had conversations with Pentagon staff and he was optimistic the firm could get funding.

“Whether you need someone on the inside track to get it across the line I don’t know,” he said. “We’re hopeful you don’t need to be chums with Trump Jr. to get a project across.”

Defense Department records reviewed recently by ProPublica show Sutherland’s company had already been considered for a loan but was rejected. The records did not say why. Sutherland said he still hoped his company could secure some kind of Pentagon funding in the future.

Republished with Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Donald Trump Jr. speaks at the 2025 AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona. | Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr CC BY-SA 4.0

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Monrovia City Notices

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

MONROVIA PLANNING COMMISSION

This Notice is to inform you of a public hearing to determine whether or not the following project should be granted under Title 16 and/ or 17 of the Monrovia Municipal Code:

APPLICATION: Tentative Tract Map No. 85208 (TTM2026-0002)

REQUEST: Approve Tentative Tract Map No. 85208 (TTM2026-0002) to subdivide one lot into 6 airspace condominium units, in conjunction with a proposed 6-unit, two-story residential condominium project. The property is located in the RH (Residential High Density) zone.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

MONROVIA PLANNING COMMISSION

Additional information regarding this request may be found on the City’s website at https://www.monroviaca.gov/projectsunderreview

Austin Arnold, Assistant Planner

Publish June 1, 2026 MONROVIA WEEKLY

further information regarding this application, please contact the Planning Division at (626) 9325565, or by email at planning@ monroviaca.gov.

Este aviso es para informarle sobre una junta pública acerca de la propiedad indicada más arriba. Si necesita información adicional en español, favor de ponerse en contacto con el Departamento de Planificación al número (626) 932-5565 o planning@monroviaca.gov.

Initiative Measure to be Directly Submitted to the Voters

The City Attorney has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure: INITIATIVE MEASURE TO ADOPT A TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE

tenance;

4. Enforcement of the City’s tree protection regulations;

5. Urban forest planning, including developing and maintaining an Urban Forest Management Plan;

6. Ensuring that all work complies with certain professional standards and best practices; and

7. Providing technical guidance and promoting best practices in tree care and preservation.

The measure would require the review and written determination of the City Arborist or Urban Forester before the approval of a development permit affecting protected or significant trees.

The measure would also require the City Arborist to prepare an annual public report on tree removals and replacements, tree removal permits, tree canopy coverage trends, enforcement actions, and urban forest health recommendations. The proposed measure would require the City to provide the funding necessary to implement this measure.

Publish June 1, 2026

MONROVIA WEEKLY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE ARCADIA CITY COUNCIL

ENVIRONMENTAL

Notice is to inform you of a public hearing to determine whether or not the following project should be granted under Title 16 and/or 17 of the Monrovia Municipal Code:

APPLICATION: Tentative Tract Map No. 85208 (TTM2026-0002)

If adopted by the voters, this proposed ballot measure (“measure”) would replace the City of Monrovia’s existing Oak Tree Preservation Ordinance, which currently protects oak trees of 10 inches or more in diameter in multi-family, commercial, or industrial zones, as well as those in the front, or street-facing side, yards of single-family residential properties. The measure defines “Protected trees” as:

1. Specified oak species;

2. Other native trees with a trunk measured at 8 inches or more in diameter, or with multi-trunks of 12 inches or more combined, measured at 4 ½ feet above natural grade;

REQUEST: Approve Tentative Tract Map No. 85208 (TTM2026-0002) to subdivide one lot into 6 airspace condominium units, in conjunction with a proposed 6 unit, two story residential condominium project. The property is located in the RH (Residential High Density) zone.

ENVIRONMENTAL

DETERMINATION: This project is Categorically Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to § 15332 (Class 32 – In-Fill Development Projects), as it consists of an in-fill residential development project on a site less than five acres that is consistent with the applicable General Plan designation and zoning regulations, has no habitat value for sensitive species, creates no significant environmental effects related to traffic, noise, air quality, or water quality, and is adequately served by all required utilities and public services.

Additional information regarding this request may be found on the City’s website at https://www.monroviaca.gov/projectsunderreview

APPLICANT: Feng Xiao Architect, Inc. (Feng Xiao)

PROJECT ADDRESS: 1219 South Magnolia Avenue

3. “Landmark Trees,” which are those trees deemed to be of historic, cultural, ecological, or community significance based on criteria. “Landmark trees” could be designated by the City Council, or based on the petition of a property owner or community group. Designated “Landmark Trees,” regardless of species, would be protected in all areas of the City with the “highest level of protection,” and could not be removed except in cases of unavoidable public safety necessity or where no feasible alternative to removal exists;

4. “Legacy Trees,” which would be larger trees or stands of trees, regardless of species, based on size criteria;

5. City-owned trees; and

6. “[R]eplacement trees of any trunk diameter.”

NOTICE IS HEREBY given that on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. or soon thereafter, in the Arcadia City Council Chambers, 240 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia, California 91007, the City Council will hold a public hearing for the adoption of the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan in accordance with Government Code Section 6066 and Water Code Section 10642.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE ARCADIA CITY COUNCIL

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in a City Council meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (626) 574-5455 at least three (3) working days before the meeting or time when special services are needed. This notification will help City staff in making reasonable arrangements to provide you with access to the meeting.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in a City Council meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s office at (626) 5745455 at least three (3) working days before the meeting or time when special services are needed. This notification will help City staff in making reasonable arrangements to provide you with access to the meeting.

A draft is available for review on the City’s website at www.ArcadiaCA.gov/UWMP. Print copies are available at the Public Works Services Department located at 11800 Goldring Rd., Arcadia, CA 91006.

HEARING DATE AND TIME: Wednesday June 10, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

The measure would apply to all “Protected trees” on public or private property, trees on parkways, vacant lots, hillsides, commercial parcels, and institutional land, and to all development, grading, or construction activity, or any action that may damage or remove a “Protected tree.” A Tree Protection Permit would be required to remove a “Protected tree,” or for significant pruning or root mass removal, or construction, grading, trenching, or soil compaction within the “Tree Protection Zone.” The City could approve a Tree Protection Permit only if specified criteria are met. An arborist’s report is required with each permit application, and the burden of proof lies with the applicant. The measure also specifies certain tree-related activities that are prohibited.

HEARING DATE AND TIME: Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

The measure establishes ratios and standards for the replacement of “Protected trees” that are removed, as well as construction requirements and guidelines to protect trees during the development process. Certain activities and trees would be exempt from the measure, including trees that are determined to be a hazard, or threat to public safety or personal property, and specified nonnative trees. A tree posing an imminent danger could be removed without a permit only if the property owner notifies the City within 72 hours, a certified arborist provides a hazard report, and photographic evidence of the hazard is submitted.

HEARING LOCATION: Monrovia City Hall (Council Chambers), 415 South Ivy Avenue, Monrovia, California 91016

AVAILABILITY: The Staff Report for this project will be available online after 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the following hyperlink: https://www.monroviaca.gov/your-government/boards-andcommissions/planning-commission/agendas-minutes

AVAILABILITY: The Staff Report for this project will be available online after 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the following hyperlink: https://www. monroviaca.gov/your-government/ boards-and-commissions/planningcommission/agendas-minutes .

PUBLIC COMMENTS: Public comments regarding this item may be stated in person at the hearing, or submitted in writing. Written comments must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on June 10, 2026, to ensure that the Planning Commissioners have time to review.

If you challenge this application in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Planning Division at, or prior to, the public hearing.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This application will not alter the zoning status of your property. For

The measure includes appeal and enforcement authority, and establishes new penalties and remedies for violations. It establishes an “Urban Forest Fund” to support replacement tree planting, maintenance, community education, and monitoring. “In-lieu fees” and penalties would be deposited into that Fund. The measure would require the City to publish an annual public report.

Publish June 1, 2026

MONROVIA WEEKLY

Initiative Measure to be Directly Submitted to the Voters

The City Attorney has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure:

INITIATIVE MEASURE TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ESTABLISHING A CITY ARBORIST OR URBAN FORESTER POSITION IN THE CITY OF MONROVIA

If adopted by the voters, this proposed ballot measure (“measure”) would adopt an ordinance requiring the City of Monrovia to establish and maintain a City Arborist or Urban Forester position. The measure would provide the City Arborist or Urban Forester with certain duties as part of the City’s existing administrative and development review processes, including:

1. The review and approval of tree-related permits, such as permits for the removal of protected or significant trees;

2. Development oversight regarding tree protection, including the review of development applications for tree impacts and the approval of tree protection plans;

3. Public tree management, including selection, planting and main-

For further information, contact the City of Arcadia Public Works Services Department at (626) 254-2700 Monday through Thursday between the hours of 6:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and alternate Fridays 6:45 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., closed alternate Fridays.

City Clerk

Date: May 28, 2026

Publish Date: June 1, 2026

Publish Date: June 1, 2026 ARCADIA WEEKLY

Probate Notices

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: BARBARA SUSAN ASMUNDSON CASE NO. 26STPB05556

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the WILL or estate, or both of BARBARA SUSAN ASMUNDSON.

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by CHRISTOPHER L. WALKER in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES. THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that CHRISTOPHER L. WALKER be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

THE PETITION requests the decedent’s WILL and codicils, if any, be admitted to probate. The WILL and any codicils are available for examination in the file kept by the court.

THE PETITION requests authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.)

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: 06/17/26 at 8:30AM in Dept. 614 located at 111 N. HILL ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012

IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.

IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner PAULA M. TAN - SBN 306773 GIFFORD, DEARING & ABERNATHY,

515 S. FIGUEROA

Arcadia City Notices

LEGALS

Glendale City Notices

www.Notiecfiling.

quire a re-zoning of the project site from Open Space to High Density Multi-Family Residential (R-3) and a change in land use designation from Public Facilities to Multi-Family Residential (MFR).

Hazardous Materials Statement

The project site is not listed on any of the lists enumerated under Section 65962.5 of the Government Code including, but not limited to lists of hazardous waste facilities, land designated as hazardous waste property, and hazardous waste disposal sites.

Extended Comment Period

The City of Baldwin Park Planning Department invites written comments on issues related to potential environmental impacts during the extended public comment period, which started on May 4, 2026, and will now conclude on June 30, 2026. Due to the time limits mandated by State law, responses must be sent at the earliest possible time but no later than 5:00 PM on June 30, 2026. Please send written/typed comments (including a name, telephone number, email, and any other contact information) to the following:

Nick Baldwin, City Planner

City of Baldwin Park, Planning Division, Department of Community Development 14403 East Pacific Avenue, 2nd Floor Baldwin Park, California 91706

Responses may also be emailed to nbaldwin@baldwinparkca.gov. For public agency comments, please provide the name of a contact person. A physical copy of the environmental document and its appendices will be available for public review at Baldwin Park City Hall located at 14403 East Pacific Avenue, 2nd Floor, Baldwin Park, California 91706. A digital version of the environmental document is available on the Planning page of the City’s website at https://www.baldwinpark.com/DocumentCenter/View/4688/20264-29-Bassett-Villas-1314-Le-Borgne-Public-Draft-Review-ISMND

Public Hearing

The Planning Commission of the City of Baldwin Park intends to hold a public hearing on Wednesday July 22, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. held at the City Hall Council Chambers located at: 14403 East Pacific Avenue, Baldwin Park, California 91706. The purpose of the public hearing is to consider adoption of an IS-MND for the Bassett Villas Project pursuant to CEQA.

Publish June 1, 2026

BALDWIN PARK PRESS

Probate Notices

HOME funds through a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) to support the rehabilitation and expansion of an existing affordable housing facility in Glendale into permanent supportive housing for low-income residents.

With Phases 1 and 2 of the rehabilitation project being fully incorporated into the upcoming Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Annual Action Plan, effective July 1, 2026, a substantial amendment to the prior year plan is not required.

The funding appropriation for Phase 3 of the project will instead be considered as a separate item at a rescheduled Joint Housing Authority and City Council hearing on June 30, 2026.

All written comments received during the public comment period for this Substantial Amendment have been recorded by staff and will be maintained as part of the official administrative record for the project. Publish June 1, 2026 GLENDALE INDEPENDENT

City of Baldwin Park

Notice of Public Hearing and Notice of Intent to Adopt an Initial Study-Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Bassett Villas Project

In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the CEQA Guidelines, City Staff prepared a Draft Initial StudyMitigated Negative Declaration (IS-MND) that identifies and evaluates the environmental impacts of the Bassett Villas Project. The purpose of this notice is to announce that the public review and comment period for the Draft IS-MND has been extended. The original review and comment period was set to end on June 3, 2026. The review and comment period has been extended to June 30, 2026, and the new public hearing date is July 22, 2026.

Project Location

The project site is located at 1314 Le Borgne Avenue in the City of Baldwin Park. The project site includes three parcels, identified by Assessor Parcel Numbers (APNs) 8558-023-905, -910, and 8558015-900.

Project Description

Storm Properties, Inc. (Applicant) is requesting approval of the development of the Bassett Villas Project. The City of Baldwin Park is the Lead Agency for this project, which involves the development of 20 two-story, 27-foot tall, multi-family residential buildings, totaling 104 townhome units with private two-car garages on the vacant portion of the project site. The project would not involve demolition of any existing buildings on the project site. The project also involves the development of a leasing office and recreational building that would include a pool and jacuzzi. Other amenities would include barbeque areas, a privately owned public park, dog park, common open spaces, and guest surface parking. The proposed project would provide a total of 37,693 square feet of open space, consisting of both private, common, and public space. Specifically, the proposed project would include 10,000 square feet of private open space, 27,693 square feet of common open space, a 3,384 square foot recreation area, an 11,080 square foot privately owned public park, an 8,891 square foot main paseo and barbeque area, and 4,338 square feet of miscellaneous open space. The project site would be landscaped to include ground cover, shrubs, and trees. The public park would include trellis, benches, and usable landscape.

The project would include a total of 243 parking spaces (208 private garage spaces, 11 parallel parking spaces, and 24, 90-degree parking spaces, including two ADA accessible spaces and 104 low power Level 2 EV charging receptacles). Project ingress and egress would be provided through the driveway on the southern portion of the project site. In addition to incorporating an internal roadway network, the project would modify the existing private driveway, Le Borgne Avenue, which transverses the southwestern portion of the project site. Upon implementation of the proposed project, Le Borgne Avenue would include three speed cushions approved by Los Angeles County Fire Department, 28 parallel parking spaces and 25, 90-degree parking spaces, including one ADA accessible space.

Construction activities would include demolition, site preparation, grading, building construction, asphalt paving, and architectural coating. Construction of the proposed project is anticipated to occur in two phases over an approximately 19 month-period from November 2026 to June 2028. The project would demolish and export approximately 15,340 square feet of asphalt and 1,600 square feet of concrete. Construction would typically occur Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. pursuant to the Baldwin Park Municipal Code construction standards. Construction work could occasionally occur on Saturdays as well, dependent on scheduling and specific demands. The proposed project would re-

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF WILLIAM WAI LUN TSUI aka WILLIAM TSU aka WILLIAM WAI TSUI

Case No. 26STPB05409

To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of WILLIAM WAI LUN TSUI aka WILLIAM TSU aka WILLIAM WAI TSUI

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by County of Los Angeles Public Administrator in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS ANGELES.

THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that County of Los Angeles Public Administrator be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent.

The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority.

A HEARING on the petition will be held on July 10, 2026 at 8:30 AM in Dept. No. 236 located at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012.

ance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legal authority may affect your rights as a creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law.

YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for petitioner: DEBORAH P MOGIL DEP CO COUNSEL OFFICE OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY COUNSEL 500 WEST TEMPLE ST 6TH FL LOS ANGELES CA 90012 CN127474 TSUI May 28, Jun 1,4, 2026 MONTEREY PARK PRESS

NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF: KING LAU CASE NO. 26STPB05592 To

A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by WING LAU in the Superior Court of California, County of LOS

Baldwin Park City Notices

LA council delays hotel, airport wage hikes as businesses withdraw tax repeal

By Jose Herrera, City News Service

TheLosAngelesCityCouncilTuesday approved an ordinance to delay wage increases for certain hotel and airport workersasproponents withdrew a ballot initiative aimed at eliminating the city’s business tax.

The council finalized changes to the so-called Olympic Wage Ordinance in an 11-3 vote Tuesday. The city formally altered the schedule for when future raises take place, with workers expected to earn $25 per hour starting on July 1, 2027, then $27.50 by July 1, 2028, $29 by July 1, 2029, and $30 by July 1, 2030.

Under the original ordinance, workers were expected to reach $30 per hour by the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In exchange for the delay, the council also unanimously approved a resolution, which served as formal notification that a ballot initiative to repeal the $800 million-plus business tax has been withdrawn.

The council’s most liberal bloc — Eunisses Hernandez, Hugo Soto-

Martinez and Ysabel Jurado — voted against the wagehike delay. Councilman Tim McOsker was absent during the meeting.

It was approved with no prior council discussion.

Last week, council members gave preliminary approval and several of them had plenty to say.

“To be in this place, it is sad. It is enraging,” SotoMartinez said on May 19. He led the effort to approve the Olympic Wage Ordinance in 2025, which also enshrined other worker protections and boosted health care credits.

Members of Unite Here Local 11, who advocated for the wage increase, criticized the council and business leaders for delaying pay increases they fought so hard to secure. Several union members called the decision a “betrayal.”

Councilwoman Imelda Padilla addressed the crowd in Spanish, criticizing the labor union for “creating” the issue in the first place.

“The business community has us by the neck,” Padilla said on May 19. She

said the entire situation could have been avoided

LA County Public Health unveils heat-related illness dashboard

By City News Service

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Healthannounced

Wednesday the launch of a new dashboard tracking heatrelated illnesses and deaths across the county as officials prepare for the region’s hottest months of the year.

The Heat-Related Illness and Mortality Dashboard provides data on emergency department visits and deaths linked to heat exposure, allowing public health officials and communities to monitor the effects of extreme heat by region and demographic group, according to the department.

“Extreme heat is becoming

more frequent and severe, making heatrelated illness an increasing concern especially for older adults, young children, outdoor workers, and people with underlying health conditions,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. “This dashboard gives us timely, local insight into who is most affected and where, helping Public Health and our partners take targeted action.”

The dashboard includes daily emergency department visit rates during heat season from May through October, along with daily high temperatures recorded in downtown Los Angeles. Heat-related

deaths based on death certificates are displayed monthly.

Officials said the data can be sorted by age, sex, race and ethnicity and Service Planning Area to help identify which communities are most impacted.

According to the department, extreme heat causes more deaths annually than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined, with risks expected to increase as temperatures continue rising.

The dashboard is available through the Office of Environmental Justice and Climate Health webpage at https:// admin.publichealth.lacounty. gov.

ask questions and negotiate better.

Meanwhile, Central City Association President Nella McOsker, Tim McOsker’s daughter, insisted the success of business owners and workers is linked. She said it is possible to ensure the expansion of wages and benefits while realizing the economic realities of hotels being empty and closing.

“It is reasonable to ask us to partner together, and to be on the other side of the table and negotiate, but it is not OK to do so without that process,” McOsker said on May 19.

In response to the city approving the ordinance last year, a coalition of businesses called The LA Alliance for Tourism, Jobs and Progress collected and submitted more than 73,000 signatures for their ballot initiative in February, seeking to eliminate the city’s business tax.

In late March, the Los Angeles County RegistrarRecorder/CountyClerk announced that the measure had qualified for the ballot.

if the union would have allowed council members to

The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research’s Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Data Policy Lab has received a $1 million grant from The California Endowment, it was announced Tuesday.

The two-year grant will support the lab’s Project Mahealani initiative, which focuses on expanding data access and data disaggregation for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities across California, according to UCLA officials.

The funding will also support the lab’s efforts to incorporate feedback from Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities to help shape how research and data projects are developed and presented, officials said.

Launched in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the lab was created to address gaps in public health data affecting Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities and to make information more accessible to community groups, researchers and policymakers.

The lab has since devel-

The effort was also backed by United Airlines and the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Top city analysts said if voters approved the ballot initiative it would have devastated Los Angeles. But critics of the Olympic Wage Ordinance argued it would force businesses to eliminate jobs, reduce hours and increase prices to cover the new wages. They also claimed it would further impact tourism as costs would dissuade travelers from shopping or traveling.

“This proposal is a common sense solution. No one is saying repeal the wage, just asking it to be spread out a little longer to help businesses be able to brace for that impact,” said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commercial Association.

The coalition includes all three major Los Angeles business groups — the Central City Association, LA Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry Commerce Association — along with other organizations and individuals representing trade associations, small businesses and others.

Grant to support Native Hawaiian, Paciﬁc Islander data lab

By City News Service

oped free public data tools, training programs and county-level profiles using information from the California Health Interview Survey, American Community Survey and U.S. Census, officials said.

The profiles allow users to compare health and social data among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander subgroups, including CHamorros, Fijians, Native Hawaiians, Samoans and Tongans.

In 2024, the Asian &

American Health Forum recognized the lab with its inaugural Narrative Change Award for work focused on elevating Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community voices. The grant announcement came ahead of Thursday’s launch of the lab’s updated Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Social Determinants of Health dashboard during a noon webinar.

| Graphs courtesy of LA County Public Health

Pacific Islander

| Photo courtesy of Vijesh Datt/Unsplash

| Photo courtesy of David Barera/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)