In the News
San Fernando Sun: Four Police Officers who Saved Whiteman Pilot Honored in Small Ceremony
Los Angeles officials and Montague Charter Academy faculty members came together to host an event to honor the four officers who saved a downed pilot from being struck by a train earlier this month. "We are delighted to host a ceremony for LAPD heroes Sgt. Jospeh Cavestany, officers Robert Sherock, Damian Castro and Christopher Aboyte," said Jose D. Salas, executive director and principal of Montague Charter Academy in Arleta, via telephone. "Our fifth-graders present today will have the … Continue Reading
January 26, 2022
LA Daily News: Van Nuys Airport to receive $763,000 in federal infrastructure funds
Van Nuys Airport will receive $763,000 in federal infrastructure funds to improve facilities and safety as well as update technology, Rep. Tony Cárdenas announced on Wednesday, Jan. 26. The grant "will help the busiest general aviation airport in the country, Van Nuys Airport, continue to serve our communities, drive our local economy and create jobs right here in the heart of the San Fernando Valley," Cardenas, a Democrat whose 29th Congressional District includes Van Nuys, said … Continue Reading
January 25, 2022
LA Daily News: In wake of crashes, could Pacoima’s Whiteman Airport close? LA County supervisors lay groundwork
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors directed the Department of Public Works to begin identifying what data and documents would be required to begin the process of requesting that the Federal Aviation Administration close Pacoima's Whiteman Airport. The county has not yet decided whether to initiate such a request, but the motion approved on Tuesday, introduced by Supervisors Sheila Kuehl, who represents the area, lays the groundwork for such an action should such a recommendation move … Continue Reading
January 20, 2022
ABC 7: Recent plane crash in Pacoima increases debate over safety of Whiteman Airport
PACOIMA, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Whiteman Airport has been serving the community of Pacoima for over 70 years, but residents and local leaders are concerned about its safety after a recent plane crash that occurred near the small airport in early January. The cause is still under investigation."Our community deserves respect and dignity," said Yesenia Cruz, the director of youth programs for the community organization Pacoima Beautiful. Those against the county-owned airport say there have been … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
LA Daily News: Lawmakers Call for Safety Review of Whiteman Airport in Pacoima Following Recent Crashes
U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas has issued a letter requesting a comprehensive safety review of Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, his office announced Wednesday, Jan. 12, three days after a plane crashed near the facility and was hit by a train. "The regularity of these incidents raises serious concerns for the safety of the communities and families surrounding Whiteman Airport, as well as the pilots, personnel and staff that have access to or are located at the airport," wrote Cardenas, a Democrat whose … Continue Reading
January 12, 2022
Spectrum News 1: Rep. Cárdenas Calls for Comprehensive Safety Review of Whiteman Airport
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Rep. Tony Cardenas has sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board requesting a comprehensive safety review of Whiteman Airport in Pacoima, his office announced Wednesday. The letter follows multiple plane crashes, including a single-engine aircraft that was struck by a Metrolink commuter train last week. "The regularity of these incidents raises serious concerns for the safety of the communities and families … Continue Reading
December 09, 2021
ABC 7: For 1st time, 2 Latinos from San Fernando Valley Presided Over both House, Senate on Same Day
WASHINGTON (KABC) -- There was a history-making moment in Congress this week.For the first time ever, two Latinos from the San Fernando Valley presided over both the U.S. House and Senate on the same day. Senator Alex Padilla and Congressman Tony Cárdenas led the historic moment on Tuesday.Both lawmakers grew up in Pacoima. They took to Twitter to share their excitement. "Such a meaningful moment that I am proud to have shared with my friend," wrote Padilla.Cárdenas … Continue Reading
November 23, 2021
LA Daily News: Van Nuys’ Central Lutheran Church Hosts Annual Thanksgiving Meal Giveaway
Boxes of turkeys, chickens, and game hens were stacked neatly in a vacant lot on the corner of Victory Blvd and Tyrone Ave in Van Nuys. People lined the street waiting for their opportunity to receive fixings for a Thanksgiving meal provided by the Central Lutheran Church in cooperation with Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Pastor Marsha Harris hurried around the tables giving directions to volunteers and explaining to people in line how the process would work. Food for 600 families and 375 … Continue Reading
November 22, 2021
The Hill: Legislators Look to Expand Health Care Access Through Telehealth, Biosimilars
Lawmakers are encouraging a reexamination of the health care industry to address social and economic factors to make it more accessible to the general public. Rep. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) both pointed to the expansion of telehealth amid the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of positive change during The Hill's "Future of Health Care Summit: Tackling Costs & Pathways to Care" event last week. Telehealth is convenient, saves costs and increases … Continue Reading
November 18, 2021
Los Angeles Times: Latinx Files: Facebook’s Latinx Disinformation Problem
It's no secret that Facebook has a misinformation problem in Spanish and English, but just how much did the company know about how that disinformation was spreading in Latinx communities? According to a troubling new report from my colleagues Brian Contreras and Maloy Moore, it turns out Facebook knew a lot more than it let on. "Facebook has not been transparent at all," Jacobo Licona, a disinformation researcher at Equis Labs, told The Times. Also, he said, the company "has not been … Continue Reading
November 15, 2021
CBS News: Planning Gets underway for New National Museum of the American Latino
Late last year, Congress approved plans for a new Smithsonian museum: the National Museum of the American Latino. Ed O'Keefe takes a look at how a modern museum is built from the ground up. He dives into the debate of how to represent the diversity of Latino cultures in one space, and the importance of where it will be located in Washington, … Continue Reading
November 04, 2021
MSNBC: Latino Vote Key to Democrats Keeping Control of Congress
Rep. Tony Cárdenas speaks on the impact of the Latino … Continue Reading
November 02, 2021
LA Times: Column: As Trump Bashing Comes Up Short, a Lawmaker Offers Ideas for Wooing Latino Vote
Tony Cárdenas thinks Democrats have a Latino problem. Every election yields complaints that the party is taking that key constituency for granted, applying a one-size-fits-all strategy, spending too little on advertising and turnout, relying on the same clique of Washington consultants and bypassing knowledgeable strategists with closer ties to Latino communities. Like so much in politics, it's a fight over money and power. But the stakes have increased as Latinos have become one of … Continue Reading
October 25, 2021
The Washington Post: For the First Latino Senator from California, Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Is Personal
LOS ANGELES - In the neighborhood where Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) grew up, undocumented immigrants have long occupied the aging bungalows and faded campers that jam up against roaring freeways."Ilegales," his father, Santos Padilla, now 80 and a naturalized U.S. citizen, said with a sweep of his hand following Mass one recent Sunday when asked how he and his late wife arrived in the United States. "Like everyone." Alex Padilla became the first Latino senator from California in January when … Continue Reading
October 25, 2021
The Washington Post: For the First Latino Senator from California, Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants Is Personal
LOS ANGELES - In the neighborhood where Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) grew up, undocumented immigrants have long occupied the aging bungalows and faded campers that jam up against roaring freeways. "Ilegales," his father, Santos Padilla, now 80 and a naturalized U.S. citizen, said with a sweep of his hand following Mass one recent Sunday when asked how he and his late wife arrived in the United States. "Like everyone." Alex Padilla became the first Latino senator from California in … Continue Reading
October 23, 2021
NPR: There's Bipartisan Cooperation Brewing on Capitol Hill ... Over Beer
A lot "ales" Congress these days - with members clashing over President Biden's domestic agenda and continued fallout from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. But on Wednesday night, bipartisan cooperation was on full display during the fourth annual Anheuser-Busch Brew Across America Congressional Brewing Competition, where five pairs of lawmakers work with breweries across the country to create new small batch beers and bring them back to Washington, D.C., to find out whose concoction … Continue Reading
October 19, 2021
Roll Call: A Competition for Beer Supremacy Is Brewing Again in Washington
Beers (and friendly rivalries) are once again flowing in Congress, as members compete at the annual Brew Across America event set for Wednesday night. The contest pushes lawmakers to become alchemists for a day, creating small batch runs at Anheuser-Busch plants. It's a chance to brew, brag and indulge in the grand old tradition of mixing beer-drinking with politics. "There was absolutely sampling going on the entire time," Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack said of her experience at the … Continue Reading
October 16, 2021
LA Times: What Facebook Knew About Its Latino-aimed Disinformation Problem
It was October 2020, election conspiracy theories threatened to pull America apart at its seams, and Jessica González was trying to get one of the most powerful companies in the world to listen to her. It wasn't going well. After months of trying to get on their calendar, González - the co-chief executive of media advocacy group Free Press - had finally managed to secure a meeting with some of the Facebook employees responsible for enforcing the social platform's community … Continue Reading
September 28, 2021
Insider: AOC Joins Cárdenas and Other Top Lawmakers in Calling on Biden's Labor Department to Revolutionize Oversight of Unpaid Internships
Nearly 40 lawmakers are calling on the Department of Labor to track unpaid internships and help crack down on internship violations. Congressional leaders from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Rep. Ayanna Pressley signed on to a letter organized by Rep. Tony Cárdenas of California and activist group Pay Our Interns. The letter calls on the DOL to enact more reporting requirements around unpaid internships and track them, as well as collect data on intern pay. It's a push to both create … Continue Reading
July 30, 2021
The Hill: Democrats Urge Tech CEOs to Combat Spanish Disinformation
A coalition of congressional Democrats is pressuring the CEOs of four social media companies to combat the spread of Spanish and other non-English language disinformation on their platforms. Democratic Sens. Ben Ray Luján (N.M.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Rep. Tony Cárdenas (Calif.) led 23 colleagues in sending letters to the CEOs of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Nextdoor requesting detailed information on content moderation policies for the top five languages users on the … Continue Reading