Legislation to Keep Your Facebook Password From Your Boss Introduced

The Password Protection Act of 2012 would the enhance current law to prohibit employers from compelling or coercing employees into providing access to their private accounts.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), along with eleven other co-sponsors, introduced the Password Protection Act Of 2012 last week to hopefully curb employers who require that employees provide access to password-protected accounts, like Facebook and Twitter.  Individual states, including Maryland and California, have already introduced legislation to ban the increasingly popular practice.  In a press release Thursday, Schiff explained why he's backing the Password Protection Act Of 2012, which would protect users across the country: This common sense legislation would prevent employers from mandating that job applicants or current employees disclose confidential passwords to their social networks, like Facebook. Someone's personal page should be just…

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Obama Backs Gay Marriage: Local Leader Reacts

Rep. Judy Chu, who is running in a newly drawn Congressional district that includes Altadena, as well as current representative Adam Schiff spoke in support of President Obama’s gay marriage views Wednesday.

President Barack Obama changed his tune and officially declared his support for same-sex marriage Wednesday, becoming the first sitting president to do so, according to ABC News. "I've always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally," Obama told ABC’s Robin Roberts in a sit-down interview that will air in its entirety on ABC's Good Morning America Thursday. See more about Obama’s same-sex marriage views in a video excerpt here. The President also emphasized that his stance on the issue is personal and he supports states deciding on their own where they stand on same-sex marriage, ABC News reported. Leaders on both sides of the aisle, the gay community, as well as citizens responded in full force to …

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Should We Regulate Helicopter Noise? (Discussion)

A bill to regulate helicopter noise in Los Angeles County has been introduced in the House and Senate and federal authorities are planning a study on the issue.

As anyone who lives within a few miles of Kinneloa Mesa can attest, Thursday's bear media circus included about six or seven hours of helicopter noise from media outlets taking aerial footage of the mama bear and cubs who climbed a tree in the area. Plainly, many people quickly became fed up with the racket; here are excerpts of some of the comments from our stories and Facebook feed yesterday: Helicopter noise is an issue all over Los Angeles County, and several local congress members sponsored a bill last summer that would instruct the Federal Aviation Administration to start regulating it.  One of them, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, also represents Altadena. The main sponsor of the bill, Rep. Howard Berman, D-Van Nuys, cited helicopter …

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Laura Monteros

8:08 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012

I hope this includes following high speed, low speed, mid speed chases for hours on end, as well. Helicopters are valuable in assisting law enforcement, traffic reporting, and yes, lost or stuck hikers. It's ridiculous to hover over a few poor bears who just want to be left in peace. Though the video of the guy with the cell phone running from the bear in Montrose was pretty funny....   more ›

JPL Mars Program Gains $88 Million in Funding

Representatives Adam Schiff and John Culberson help to restore funds to explore Mars and the outer planets that will go to programs at JPL.

On Wednesday, April 26, Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that $88 million more than President Barack Obama requested would be added to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Mars program by the House Appropriations Committee. Representatives Schiff and John Culberson (R-TX) worked together with the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee to restore funds to explore Mars and the outer planets. This is a breakthrough for both Congressmen, following months of uncertainty regarding cuts to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After the Appropriations Committee markup, Schiff, who also represents Altadena, where many JPL workers live,released a statement, thanking a number of supporters for helping push the request through…

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Carolyn Seitz, Ellen Snortland Named Women of the Year in 29th Congressional District

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, honored local Sheriff's Department volunteer Carolyn Seitz and author and performance artist Ellen Snortland on Friday.

Local Sheriff's Department volunteer Carolyn Seitz and local author and performance artist Ellen Snortland have been honored as Altadena's women of the year by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena. Schiff honored Seitz, Snortland and nine other women in his district at a ceremony on Friday in Pasadena.  He presented a tribute to each woman, all of which will be entered into the Congressional record. Below is the tribute for Seitz:  Not long after she moved into Altadena, Ms. Seitz became involved in the community, advocating for community safety, and working with the Altadena Sheriff’s Department and community members on neighborhood nuisance and other issues. She worked with her neighbors to form a neighborhood watch, and helped other …

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Schiff Criticizes Forest Service for Delaying Night Flight Decision

Altadena's representative in Congress took aim at the Forest Service this week for missing deadlines on completing a study on allowing fire crews to fly at night in Forest Service areas.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, released a statement Thursday criticizing the U.S. Forest Service for continuing to delay a decision on whether to allow night flights for fire crews during a brush fire emergency. The Forest Service's rules on night flying prevented federal aircraft from being used at night to help battle the 2009 Station Fire, the largest wildfire in L.A. County's history. Criticism over delays in making a decision are nothing new: Sen. Diane Feinstein publicly scolded the agency in September for missing an internal deadline to make a decision by August of 2011. Schiff noted that missed deadline in his press release and also scolded the Forest Service for missing a second deadline to make the decision by the end of 2011. “As…

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Supreme Court Health Care Hearings: Should They Have Been Televised?

Altadena's representative in Congres, Adam Schiff, argues that the Supreme Court hearings belong in the public eye.

This week the Supreme Court is hearing a case challenging the Affordabe Health Care Act, known to many as Obamacare. Depending on the outcome of the hearings, a central feature of that health care legislation, a mandate requiring people to purchase health insurance, could be invalidated by the Supreme Court.  This Slate article has more information on the possible outcomes of the hearings. Since the the health care hearings could have such a big impact on the public, some are arguing that it should be broadcast so people can hear the case.  Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, sent out the following argument in favor of broadcasting the hearings: “While we may disagree about the benefits of the health care law that passed more than two years ago…

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Dan Abendschein

10:19 am on Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Yeah I don't understand it either. I recall hearing that some of the current members of the court are absolutely opposed. It's easy to say they just want to avoid scrutiny but they've got journalists in there who are writing about whatever they do and they have to issue written opinions, so it is not as if anything extreme or ignorant they say or write will not be mentioned in public. It could …   more ›

Schiff Says No To 'Pink Slime' For Lunch

Pink slime is the popular term for a mixture meat trimmings that are forcefully removed from bones, and then exposed to ammonia gas in order to kill the bacteria. The result is a cheap product that can be mixed in with beef products.

Amidst a national outcry over the U.S. Department of Agriculture's plan to purchase ammonia-treated ground beef for national school lunch programs, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), who represents, Altadena called for the USDA to ban these "finely textured lean beef trimmings"—also known as “pink slime." Schiff issued the following statement: “As a father of two kids in public school, I am appalled that pink slime is being served in school cafeterias to our children. While the USDA quickly took action after hearing complaints from lawmakers, parents and students, their announcement earlier this week does not go far enough to protect school kids from this poor quality ‘food.’ “Pink slime should be banned from school cafeterias, and it's my hope…

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Schiff Grills NASA on Possible JPL Mars Program Cuts

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) began a heated discussion with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden about the proposed cuts to JPL'S Mars program during a House budget hearing Wednesday.

How Are You Affected by Potential JPL Budget Cuts? (Discussion)

JPL, a regional employer, could lay off as many as 300 people associated with the Mars program, according to local media reports.

If you live in a town adjacent to La Canada Flintridge, you are likely to know at least a few people who work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.  Certainly, there are Altadena Patch readers who work for or have their livelihoods in some way tied up with JPL. As reported recently on the Pasadena Sun, there could be up to 300 layoffs at JPL related to NASA budgets cuts in the Mars program. So we ask you readers, could these cuts affect you or someone you know?  If you work at JPL do you have concerns over the cuts?  Are you in the affected program or do you know people who are?  Do you think that the cuts are likely to happen?  Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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