Wait is over: Vacaville teen receives a new kidney A3
Rodriguez picks up win over Cordova in playoff debut B1
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DAILYREPUBLIC.COM | Well said. Well read.
Biden says pandemic, war caused inflation Tribune Content Agency WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden blamed high inflation on pandemic disruptions to the economy and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, acknowledging that rising prices are “hurting” American families ahead of the November midterms. In remarks at the White House on Tuesday, Biden again criticized Republican tax and economic proposals, saying his plans to fight inflation will lower costs while the GOP seeks to raise taxes on many Americans and “let companies off the hook.” Biden said that his economic policies had helped slash unemployment and raise wages and that his administration was considering dropping Trump-era tariffs to combat rising prices. “We’re discussing that right now,” he said in response to a reporter’s question after his speech. “We’re looking at what would have the most positive impact.” But he acknowledged the harm rising prices are inflicting on many U.S. families. “For every worker I met who’s gained a little bit of breathing room to seek out a better-paying job, for every entrepreneur who has gained the confidence to pursue their small business dreams, I know that families all across America are hurting because of inflation,” he said. Solutions, he said, begin with the Federal Reserve, and he noted that he’s made several nominations for the central bank’s board of governors. “While I’ll never interfere with the Fed’s judgments, decisions or tell them what they have to do – they’re independent, they’re independent – I believe that inflation is our top economic challenge right now,” Biden said. “I think they do too.” With inflation at a four-decade high ahead of midterm elections in November that will decide control of Congress, Biden’s top aides have concluded that their best electoral strategy is to try See Biden, Page A8
UKRAINE | RUSSIA CRISIS
Russians fire missiles at city of Odesa Tribune Content Agency
Susan Hiland/Daily Republic
Leonard Menke of Rockville Terrace Senior Living in Fairfield was given the opportunity to fly in a vintage biplane piloted
by Andrew Lohmar from Dream Flights at the Yolo County Airport in Davis, Tuesday.
Solano County senior veterans get Dreams Flight experience Susan Hiland
SHILAND@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
WOODLAND — Leonard Menke was the first senior veteran to take to the air Tuesday in the vintage Spirit of Wisconsin. The 90-year-old was excited to be a part of the Dream Flights experience. "I was a ground agitator (aka foot soldier) in the Korean War," the veteran said. Menke was joined by six other fellow veterans on a breezy day at the Yolo County Airport near Woodland. Taking a plane ride in a vintage 1940s airplane was part of a special opportunity for veteran seniors at the Rockville Terrace Senior Living in Fairfield. Menke remembers his father flying small Piper aircraft for crop dusting when he was a child but oth-
erwise this was a first for him. "I am just so excited; I get to go first," he said. Madison Lewis, activities director for Rockville Terrace, saw another senior care facility had done the Dream Flights and wanted to do it for the seniors at the Fairfield site. She put together the group of seniors based on who was most interested in taking part. All were older men who served in the military but were not necessarily war veterans. George Daum wore a World War II baseball cap and jacket for the day. He is 99 years young and was determined to go on a flight once he heard about it. "We weren't sure how he was going to get in the plane, but one way or another he is going up," Lewis said. Gordon Daum is George's son. The younger Daum said he had some reservations about how they
were going to get his dad into the biplane. "I called them yesterday because I just couldn't figure how this would work," he said. With the help of the pilot Andrew Lohmar and flight support Grace Jesensky, they managed to get each of the participants into the plane without a problem. Dream Flights offers free flights in vintage planes throughout the country. The organization focuses veterans in senior living communities, Jesensky said. The organization focused last year on just World War II veterans and this year opened it up to all veterans. "Our mission is to give back to those who gave," she said. Jesensky describes her job as barn storming but for See Flight, Page A8
Board of Supervisors debate ‘next step’ in homeless response Todd R. Hansen
LVIV, Ukraine — Russia’s ambitions to overtake southern Ukraine appeared to grow Tuesday as authorities reported the use of hypersonic missiles on the Black Sea city of Odesa. Ukraine said firefighters were battling blazes in Odesa early Tuesday after seven missiles struck targets including a shopping center and a warehouse, killing at least one person and injuring five. Video posted on Facebook by the Ukrainian army showed rescue groups surrounded by smoking rubble. Sergey Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odesa regional military, said in an update that a separate strike by three Kinzhal hypersonic missiles had also hit “tourism” locations in Odesa. The Kinzhal is more destructive than conventional missiles because its speed – several times that of sound – enables it to better evade anti-missile systems. Its use on Odesa could not be verified, though Russia first claimed to unleash the new weapons in March on targets in western Ukraine. Pentagon analysts have noticed an uptick in Russian manpower and sorties by fight jets deployed in Ukraine since Monday. A senior defense official said Tuesday an estimated 2,000 additional Russian troops were moved into the battlefield, probably by air. He could not say what part of the country they were deployed to but noted most Russian offensive attacks remain concentrated in the Donbas region and the ports of Mariupol and Odesa. Air sorties, which have averaged 200 to 300 per See Odesa, Page A8
THANSEN@DAILYREPUBLIC.NET
FAIRFIELD — Supervisor Erin Hannigan called on the county to establish a Housing Department with oversight of homeless housing needs, a proposal Supervisor Mitch Mashburn suggested would be better if part of CAP Solano. The Community Action Partnership of Solano JPA is undergoing a governance remodel, including having elected council members from the member cities and supervisors from the county sitting as the board of directors. The Board of Supervisors has approved the concept, but has yet to appoint its members. Fairfield, Suisun City and Rio Vista also have approved the remake, with Vacaville, Vallejo and Benicia scheduled to consider the matter soon. Dixon remains the only city that does not participate in CAP Solano.
HANIGAN
MASHBURN
The idea of a Housing Department was raised during a discussion on funding homeless response needs with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. No action was taken on any of the specific projects and programs that were presented by a workgroup formed to study the options. Instead, the supervisors again bandied about the need for housing and other services, and lamented the difficulty of getting a grip on how much housing is needed, the kind of housing and where it needs to be located. Having a central agency to address those issues is why Mashburn and Supervisor
SPERING
VASQUEZ
Jim Spering have been pushing for the restructuring of CAP Solano, so elected policymakers will be in the same room. To that end, a second housing summit – this one open to the public – will take place at 6:30 p.m.
WEATHER 71 | 44 Sunny, mostly clear night. Five-day forecast on B10.
See Supervisors, Page A8
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May 19 in Multipurpose Room 1600 of the county government center, 675 Texas St., in Fairfield. The board was confronted by the need to do something. “I’m going to be honest. If I became homeless tomorrow, I wouldn’t want to be homeless in Solano County,” Eboni Robinson, a county social worker who works out of the Alternate Public
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