Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue till they have resisted either with words or blows or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance those of whom they suppress. —Fredrick Douglass (1849)
Joe
W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media
California education leaders are pushing back against the Trump administration’s directive to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in its K-12 public schools — despite threats to take away billions in federal funding.
The conflict began on Feb. 14, when Craig Trainor, Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), issued a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that DEI-related programs in public schools could violate federal civil rights law. The letter, which cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which ended race-conscious admissions, ordered schools to eliminate racebased considerations in areas such as admissions, scholarships, hiring, discipline, and student programming.
According to Trainor, “DEI programs discriminate against one group of Americans to favor another.”
On April 3, the DOE escalated the pressure, sending a followup letter to states demanding that every local educational agency (LEA) certify –within 10 business days — that they were not using federal funds to support “illegal DEI.” The certification requirement, tied to continued federal aid, raised the stakes for California, which receives more than $16 billion annually in federal education funding.
So far, California has refused to comply with the DOE order.
“There is nothing in state or federal law that outlaws the broad concepts of ‘diversity,’ ‘equity,’ or ‘inclusion,’” wrote David Schapira, California’s Chief Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, in an April 4 letter to superintendents and charter school administrators. Schapira
noted that all of California’s more than 1,000 traditional public school districts submit Title VI compliance assurances annually and are subject to regular oversight by the state and the federal government. In a formal response to the DOE on April 11, the California Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond collectively rejected the certification demand, calling it vague, legally unsupported, and procedurally improper.
“California and its nearly 2,000 LEAs (including traditional public schools and charter schools) have already provided the requisite guarantee that its programs and services are, and will be, in compliance with Title VI and its implementing regulation,” the letter says. Thurmond added in a statement, “Today, California affirmed existing and continued compliance with federal laws while we stay the course to move the needle for all students. As our responses to the United States Department of Education state and as the plain text of state and federal laws affirm, there is nothing unlawful about broad core values such as diversity, equity and inclusion. I am proud of our students, educators
and school communities who continue to focus on teaching and learning, despite federal actions intended to distract and disrupt.”
California officials say that the federal government cannot change existing civil rights enforcement standards without going through formal rulemaking procedures, which require public notice and comment.
Other states are taking a similar approach. In a letter to the DOE, Daniel MortonBentley, deputy commissioner and counsel for the New York State Education Department, wrote, “We understand that the current administration seeks to censor anything it deems ‘diversity, equity & inclusion.’
But there are no federal or State laws prohibiting the principles of DEI.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has also condemned the directive, arguing that federal civil rights laws do not prohibit race-conscious initiatives designed to ensure inclusion and opportunity. Bonta reaffirmed that DEI efforts remain legal and essential for addressing systemic inequities in education.
Meanwhile, at least one local school board in California has decided to comply independently.
Chino Valley Unified School
District, led by “conservative” board president Sonja Shaw, bypassed the state and submitted the federal certification directly.
“This was a no-brainer for us,” Shaw said. “Our focus remains where it belongs — on reading, writing, math and achieving the best outcomes for our students… not in the ideologies and divisiveness that the state of California, [Gov.] Gavin Newsom and his cronies continue to push.”
While Chino Valley’s action is notable, there is currently no evidence that a number of California school boards have submitted certifications in defiance of state guidance.
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said his district receives more than $1 billion in federal funding each year, supporting vital services like free meals, mental health counselors, and classroom aides. While LAUSD welcomes oversight, he said the Trump administration’s directive conflicts with state rules on race and gender — and that educators are both legally and morally obligated to protect students’ rights.
“We are morally compelled and legally required,” Carvalho said, “to protect their rights.”
Legal observers expect the conflict to end up in court.
The NAACP and civil rights groups have already filed lawsuits against the DOE, arguing that the certification demand is unconstitutional and discriminates against schools serving students of color.
As the April 24 certification deadline approaches, California officials say they will uphold DEI values and challenge any federal attempt to condition funding on their removal.
By Stacy M. Brown
with double pneumonia, marking his longest hospitalization during his 12-year papacy. Despite his declining health, he finally appeared before thousands in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 17, 1936, Francis was the son of Italian immigrants. A former chemical technician, he entered the Jesuit order in 1958, was ordained in 1969, and rose through the ranks to become Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and Cardinal in 2001. Elected pope in 2013 following Benedict XVI’s resignation, Francis quickly distinguished himself with a reformist tone. He rejected the papal palace and wore simpler vestments. He condemned
economic exploitation, called for urgent action on climate change, and made the inclusion of migrants, the poor, and LGBTQ+ Catholics central to his mission. However, his papacy also deepened tensions within the Catholic Church, especially in the United States. While Francis urged compassion and social justice, many American Catholics—particularly white conservatives—supported political figures whose policies ran counter to the pope’s teachings.
In a February op-ed for the National Catholic Reporter, writer Alessandra Harris addressed the disconnect:
Dr. Kim Carter-Tillman Named 2025 National Remarkable Woman Of The Year
Inland Empire-Greater Los Angeles CA (April 2025)
- The 2025 Remarkable Women program celebrated an extraordinary milestone as Dr. Kimberly Carter-Tillman was named the National Remarkable Woman of the Year. Dr. CarterTillman, who represented KTLA as their local finalist, joined 124 other remarkable women from across the nation for a once-ina-lifetime trip to Los Angeles, where they experienced the glamour of Hollywood while being recognized for their contributions to their communities.
The finalists, selected from more than 200 Nexstar Media Group owned or partner stations across 116 U.S. markets, were treated to a special Hollywood experience. The group enjoyed accommodations at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, a poolside reception catered by Wolfgang Puck, and a special "Remarkable Women" presentation.
A highlight of the experience included a visit to Warner Bros. Studios, where the 125 Remarkable Women were invited as special guests to The Jennifer Hudson Show. The
women were welcomed warmly and had the opportunity to be part of the show's audience during a taping.
Dr. Carter-Tillman's exceptional work clearly stood out among the impressive group of finalists, specifically for what she is doing to transform women from economic dependents to economic leaders through entrepreneurship and supportive housing. She was first selected as one of the five regional finalists, each of whom received $5,000 towards a charity of their choice. Ultimately, Dr. Carter-Tillman was crowned the National Remarkable Woman of the Year, receiving the grand prize of $25,000 from the Nexstar Charitable Foundation for her designated charity.
The announcement was made during the one-hour "Remarkable Women" special which aired on The CW Network on Sunday, April 20, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET/ PT. Viewers who missed the special can find more information about Dr. Carter-Tillman's achievements and the program on their local Nexstar station websites.
Pope Francis Dies as Catholic Church’s Reckoning with Racism
“Trampling upon a person’s dignity is a serious sin,” Francis once said—a principle he lived by and preached consistently. Now, as the Church prepares for its next chapter, many are left wondering whether his vision of inclusion will take deeper root or fade with him. “His entire
was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of his Church,” said Cardinal Farrell.
“We are living in a time when self-professed Catholics are not only turning a blind eye to evil but have elected and are supporting President Donald Trump, who is against diversity, against immigrants, against the poor.” Harris cited a long history of racism in the Church, from segregation and exclusion in Catholic schools and neighborhoods to the silence of Church leaders during Jim Crow and beyond. She noted that 59% of white Catholics voted for Trump, writing that “the Catholic Church is once again siding with white supremacy or hoping to benefit from its proximity to whiteness at the expense of people who are Black, Native, noncitizens and LGBTQIA+.” Though Pope Francis spoke forcefully against racism, xenophobia, and exclusion, the institutional Church in the U.S. has often lagged behind his moral calls.
By Lauren Burke
On January 23, three days into his second term, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14176, called the Declassification of Records Concerning the Assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Since then, only the records of November 22, 1963, the assassination of John F. Kennedy has been made public. There had been year-long debates about whether the records should be released. The Kennedy records were deemed underwhelming by many who examined them, some of whom were joined to a six decades-long conspiracy theory that Lee Harvey Oswald was not the lone murderer of President Kennedy. But the long-classified documents on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., may spark a different set of issues. The civil rights icon’s personal life is likely to be reviewed when the documents are released. The files, compiled between the late 1950s and Dr. King’s assassination in 1968, are believed to include extensive surveillance records, wiretaps, and psychological profiles created during the height of the FBI and CIA’s covert monitoring of domestic activists as part of their COINTELPRO domestic surveillance program. Even though the January 2025 executive order in part reads that “the federal government has not released to the public all of its records related to those events.
Their families and the American people deserve transparency and truth,” some believe that all the release of documents will do damage to the public reputation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Even though Trump announced that transparency was the reason for the executive order, the King Family assured on January 24, the day after the executive order was signed, that the real goal was character assassination.
“The assassination of our father is a deeply personal family loss that we have endured over the last 56 years. We hope to be provided the opportunity to review the files as a family prior to its public release,” the family said in an Instagram post on Jan. 24, the day after Trump’s order. They know the right wing wants to smear Dr. King, and one way to do it is by putting these smears in public under the guise of transparency. If there are assassination records, release those. But smears are not assassination records,” a message on Instagram read. Reports suggest the file may include allegations of infidelity, associations with individuals once suspected of Communist ties, and efforts by intelligence agencies to destabilize King’s influence through covert means. Scholars warn that without context, such revelations could be easily misinterpreted or manipulated. Virgie Hoban,
a historian at Georgetown University, explained in 2021 that, “the intelligence community of the 1960s was deeply invested in discrediting King. These files may say more about Hoover’s FBI than about King himself.”
Teressa Raiford, a civil rights activist, has pointed out that the FBI, “understood that the
civil rights movement was winning people’s hearts and minds through the circulation of photographs and videos of nonviolent, peaceful protests,” and that the reason that King’s image is so vital to the overall movement means that safeguarding it is vital.
Washington, DC — The American Historical Association has released a statement condemning “policies and practices that target international scholars.” The AHA deplores “the atmosphere of fear and repression created by the harassment of foreign-born students and scholars by government agencies.”
“International scholars are an integral part of the community of historians represented by the American Historical Association,” writes the AHA. “These students, staff, and faculty contribute to America’s public culture and prosperity through their research, teaching, and broader participation in the intellectual life of higher education. The current administration’s immigration policies and practices threaten the vitality of historical work through the targeting of international scholars for increased scrutiny and legal action.”
The statement emphasizes that
“it is imperative that all agencies of government respect the legal rights of international scholars presently in the United States and those who seek to come to study and work.”
The statement is reproduced below and available on our website. You are welcome to quote from the statement or to publish it in its entirety. AHA staff are available to discuss the statement; for interview requests, please contact press@ historians.org.
In recent weeks, the AHA has issued a statement defending the National Endowment for the Humanities, a statement defending the Smithsonian Institution, a statement condemning indiscriminate cuts to the federal government, a joint statement with the Organization of American Historians on federal censorship of American history, and an action alert urging our members to contact their congressional offices in support of the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
By Stacy M. Brown
Newly released data from the Jail Data Initiative have provided the first national look in more than 20 years at the offenses driving America’s massive jail churn, and the findings raise serious questions about the priorities of the criminal legal system. The last comprehensive offense data for local jails came in 2002, leaving researchers and policymakers in the dark. But the Jail Data Initiative, in partnership with the Prison Policy
Initiative, has now compiled data from 865 jail rosters across the
continued in next 2 columns
Cajon High's Richard Imbriani Named State Athletic Director of the Year, Plans for Retirement in 2026
High in the 1980s, where he lettered in multiple sports. “They teach discipline, teamwork and perseverance. Seeing students grow—not just as athletes but
Year
like walking into a living scrapbook of competitive achievement. The walls are lined with newspaper articles chronicling championship wins, standout athletes and memorable seasons. Trophies of all sizes are displayed on the wall, a testament to the countless hours of hard work put in by the student-athletes he has coached and mentored. It’s more than just an office—it’s a tribute to a career spent shaping young lives through sports.
“I’ve always believed that sports are about more than just competition,” said Imbriani, who graduated from Cajon
2025 Athletic Director of
as people—has been the most rewarding part of this journey.”
For more than three decades, Imbriani has been a fixture in Cajon High School athletics, leading with passion, dedication and an unwavering commitment to student success. Now, his contributions have been recognized on a grand scale, as the California State Athletic Directors Association has named him Athletic Director of the Year, an honor that speaks to his tireless advocacy for student-athletes and the programs that shape them.
For Imbriani, the recognition comes at a bittersweet moment— he has announced he will be retiring next year, closing out
a 38-year career that has left an indelible mark on countless young athletes, coaches and the Cajon community.
As athletic director, Imbriani has been a guiding force in developing programs that emphasize both excellence and equity in high school sports. Under his leadership, Cajon expanded opportunities for student-athletes, improved facilities and strengthened partnerships with local and regional sports organizations.
Colleagues and former athletes speak highly of his ability to inspire and mentor, whether through game-day preparation, advocacy for funding or simply a conversation in the hallway that turned into a life lesson.
Coach Imbriani didn’t just teach his players football, he taught them about life.
“He definitely was a father figure to the team,” said current Cajon head football coach Nick Rogers, who played for Imbriani while a Cowboy in the mid 1990s. “He instilled a lot of lifelong lessons in his players. He has always been tough, but fair.”
The lifelong San Bernardino native still lives by his father’s rule to be a good citizen and instills this principle in the student-athletes he mentors. He teaches them that being a great athlete isn’t just about skill and competition but also about character, integrity and respect for others. Whether on the field, in the classroom or in the community, he encourages
Cajon High's Richard Imbriani Named State Athletic Director of the Year, Plans for Retirement in 2026...continued
snack or a word of advice. He greets each one with the same enthusiasm, seamlessly balancing conversations about game schedules with reminders about academics.
For many students, his office is a safe space, a place where they know they’ll always find encouragement and support, even when it comes with a dose of tough love.
Imbriani’s recognition as California’s Athletic Director of the Year marks a continued legacy of excellence within SBCUSD, as he becomes the third athletic director in the District to receive this prestigious honor in the past several years. His achievement follows in the footsteps of Pacific High School’s Carmel Brand, now retired, and San Gorgonio High’s Matt Maeda, who have been celebrated with the same honor for their dedication to student-athletes and sports program development.
While Imbriani’s official
retirement won’t take effect until 2026, he says his focus remains on ensuring a smooth transition and setting up his successor for success. He hopes to leave behind a strong foundation so that the programs he helped build will continue to thrive long after he steps away from the sidelines. As for what’s next? Imbriani plans to spend more time with his wife, Saundra, who teaches PE at Paakuma’ K-8 School, travel and—of course—catch a few more Cajon games as a fan. “I may be retiring, but I’ll never stop being part of this community,” he said with a smile. “I’ll always be in the stands, cheering on the next generation.”
For now, the celebrations are well deserved. Imbriani’s career has been defined by a relentless dedication to student success, and his Athletic Director of the Year award is just the latest recognition of a legacy that will long be remembered.
country, offering a detailed portrait of who’s locked up — and for what.
The data shows that more than 7.6 million jail admissions occurred in 2023. One-third of those—over 2.7 million—were for misdemeanor offenses, charges often as minor as sitting on a sidewalk or jaywalking. That figure dwarfs the 20% captured in the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ single-day snapshot of jail populations, a discrepancy explained by shorter stays for people booked on misdemeanor charges. “This new dataset reveals what the single-day statistics can’t — that low-level offenses remain a dominant driver of incarceration,” said Emily Widra, the report’s lead author.
them to lead with kindness and responsibility. Through his guidance, they learn that true success comes not just from victories but from how they uplift their teammates, respect their opponents and contribute to the world around them.
Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, who has known Imbriani since their teenage years growing up in the city, said his devotion to students makes him a worthy honoree.
“I’m immensely proud to congratulate my friend, Rich Imbriani, on being named Athletic Director of the Year. Growing up together in San Bernardino, I’ve witnessed Rich’s unwavering dedication to athletics and our community. His passion and commitment have truly made a lasting impact on the lives of countless students.”
Imbriani has been fortunate to see some of his athletes reach the highest levels, including Heisman Trophy winner and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and basketball star Layshia Clarendon, who played 11 seasons in the WNBA. Their success is a testament to their talent, perseverance and character—qualities Imbriani has always preached.
Most days his office is a hub of activity. Throughout the day, student-athletes filter in and out, some needing a signature for eligibility paperwork, others just stopping by for a quick
The report also exposes how probation and parole violations — particularly technical ones — funnel people back into jail in staggering numbers. Of the 7.6 million bookings in 2023, nearly 1 million involved probation or parole violations. Astonishingly, almost half a million people were jailed for technical violations alone, meaning they were locked up not for new crimes, but for missing curfews, failing drug tests, or skipping supervision check-ins. Even more troubling, 75% of women in jail on any given day are facing nonviolent charges. And since women are more likely to be poor, they often remain in jail longer because they can’t afford bail. More than 90,000 women are incarcerated in local jails — many of them mothers, some pregnant — with consequences that ripple far beyond their cell walls. Across all detainees, about two-thirds were jailed for non-violent offenses. Public order charges were the most common top charge category, followed by property and drug offenses. Just
14% of jail detainees faced a drug charge as their most serious offense — yet many had multiple lower-level charges stacked against them. The regional breakdown also proves revealing. In the South, 16% of people in jail were there for drug charges — double the 8% in the Northeast, where drug possession is more often decriminalized or classified as a misdemeanor. The South also dominates jail expansion despite already holding more than half the nation’s jailed population. Jail size matters, too. Larger urban jails tend to detain people for more serious violent crimes, while smaller jails disproportionately hold people on low-level charges. In facilities with fewer than 250 detainees, 9% were held for supervision violations — nearly double the rate in jails with over 1,000 detainees. These findings come as counties nationwide continue to invest in jail expansion, pouring money into a system that often jails the poor for minor offenses, rather than addressing root causes like poverty, housing, and health care. Pretrial detention — locking up people who haven’t been convicted — remains the largest driver of jail growth. In 2023, 70% of people in jail were unconvicted. The Jail Data Initiative’s work offers a critical and updated view into a system still largely driven by outdated practices and draconian policies. For the first time in two decades, the public — and policymakers — can see clearly what too many Americans already know firsthand. “People are sitting in jails across the country not because they’re dangerous,” Widra wrote, “but because they’re poor, under supervision, or caught in a system that treats minor missteps as major offenses.”
By Stacy M. Brown
As the Democratic Party continues to search for a new identity and fresh leadership, attention is turning to Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who is rapidly emerging as a rising national figure — and a potential presidential contender. Moore, who gained national acclaim alongside Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott for their steady leadership following the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, has received praise for his charisma, military service, executive leadership, and ability to unite a fractured party. Hollywood heavyweight George Clooney, a vocal critic of President Joe Biden’s nowabandoned reelection bid, told CNN this week that Moore was “levitating” above the rest of the Democratic field. “There’s one person in particular I think is spectacular,” Clooney said in an interview, where he was also promoting his Broadway portrayal of legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow. “I think [Moore] is a guy that has handled this tragedy in Baltimore beautifully. He does two tours of duty in Afghanistan — active duty. He speaks beautifully. He’s smart. He ran a hedge fund — the Robin Hood Foundation. He’s a proper leader.”
Pamela Goodwine, Kentucky’s First Black Woman Supreme Court Justice, Takes Oath...continued
elected to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. With her election to the Supreme Court, she is now the first person in state history to serve at every level of the judiciary.
Her victory also gives the
Kentucky Supreme Court a female majority for the first time. Leaders, including Gov. Andy Beshear, called her story a powerful reminder of progress and representation in the legal system.
By Ben Jealous
Padilla, Luján Lead Colleagues Warning Against Trump’s Plan to Privatize Postal Service That Would Undermine Vote by Mail...continued
threatens to disenfranchise millions of eligible American citizens. Padilla also warned Secretaries of State, Lieutenant Governors, and Chief Election Officials across the country of the devastating potential impacts of Republicans’ SAVE Act, concerns that have been echoed by top election officials across the country. Padilla also led 11 Senators in introducing the Defending America’s Future
Elections Act to repeal Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order and prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive voter registration data and state records. Additionally, Padilla led 14 Democratic Senators in calling on Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order and issued a statement slamming the order when it was announced.
Another day, another deadly move that defies logic, morality, and economic common sense.
Still, admiration for Moore comes from across the country — and within his party. “The governor has been incredible and I’m proud to be working with him,” Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott told the Washington Informer at this week’s African American Mayors Conference in D.C. Najaa Rice, who traveled from Atlanta for the event, echoed that sentiment. “Wes Moore — President Wes Moore,” she said. “It’s not just because he’s Black. Sen. Tim Scott is Black and I wouldn’t dream of supporting him. Gov. Moore is what we all hoped a politician, a governor, and a civil servant would be. He’s the definition of ‘man of the people,’ and he’s not only the biggest hope Democrats have, but he’s the real hope this country has to right the ship.”
United Negro College Fund
President Michael Lomax also weighed in. “When our elected leaders not only talk the talk but also walk the walk, progress follows. Maryland Governor Wes Moore is doing just that,” Lomax said.
The Academy Award winner, whose July 2024 op-ed helped accelerate Biden’s decision to exit the race, praised other Democratic governors like Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. But his focus remained squarely on Moore. “We say Democrats fall in love and Republicans fall in line,” Clooney added. “I think he could be someone we could all join in behind. We have to find somebody rather soon.” Moore, 46, became Maryland’s first Black governor in 2023. While speculation about his national ambitions grows, he insists he remains focused on his state. “I am not focused on anything, except for making sure this is Maryland’s decade,” Moore said in a televised interview this week. He highlighted a new state tax cut and added, “I’m really proud of what Maryland is doing, and I’m focused on making sure we keep that progress going.”
Pamela Goodwine, Kentucky’s First Black Woman Supreme Court Justice,
Nationwide — Meet Pamela
Goodwine, who made history as the first African American woman to be elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court. She was officially sworn in as justice during a packed ceremony in Frankfort, marking another milestone in her long career in law.
Goodwine’s journey has been filled with personal challenges. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, she spent time in foster care before being adopted. In high school, she gave up a college scholarship to care for her adoptive father, who had lung cancer. After his death, her uncle murdered her mother.
At 24, Goodwine was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a painful and lifelong condition. She spent two months in the hospital, relearning how to eat and
walk. She later began working in the legal field as a secretary and court stenographer. She went on to earn her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kentucky.
“I always say I don’t give up on my dreams when life gets hard, I simply work harder to make my dreams come true,” Goodwine said, according to the Kentucky Lantern. “If there is one philosophy and action I would like to be known for and for you all to recognize and live by as well, that is it. No matter what life brings your way, keep dreaming, keep working for your goals.”
Goodwine became a district judge in 1999, then a circuit judge in 2003. In 2018, she became the first Black woman
Last week, the Trump administration granted nearly 70 coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards. The move allows them to emit increased levels of hazardous pollutants like mercury, arsenic, and lead. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, particularly harmful to children and pregnant women, that causes developmental disorders and other severe health issues. The standards established to
limit such emissions have been instrumental in reducing these toxins in our environment. Once all coal plants were brought into compliance, the EPA estimated the standards would prevent 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks, and 130,000 asthma attacks each year.
By rolling back the most recent update to those protections, the administration is senselessly prioritizing outdated, polluting energy sources over the wellbeing of American communities – maybe your community. The exempted power plants and coalburning units are in every region of the country – from Arizona to Pennsylvania, Wyoming to Alabama, from the Dakotas down to Texas, and in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and throughout the Midwest.
This decision is not only a public health concern but also an economic misstep. The energy market has been shifting away from coal for years, with cleaner and more cost-effective alternatives like renewables taking the lead. Attempting to revive the coal industry through
Padilla, Luján Lead Colleagues Warning Against Trump’s Plan to Privatize Postal Service That Would Undermine Vote by Mail
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, led six Senators in expressing serious concerns about the harmful impacts to American voters of the Trump Administration’s plans to privatize the United States Postal Service (USPS) and move it under the control of the Department of Commerce.
In their letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, the Senators emphasized that the move risks politicizing and imperiling vote by mail efforts across the nation, while violating the Postal Reauthorization Act.
“We write to express our grave concern over your statements and ongoing reports that the Trump Administration may soon attempt to bring the United States Postal Service (USPS) under the control of the Department of Commerce and potentially privatize services that are relied upon by millions of Americans,” wrote the Senators.
“Not only would such a move violate the Postal Reauthorization Act and harm Americans in many ways, but it would also have a very negative impact on our democracy by disrupting and undermining public confidence in the handling of election mail. We strongly urge you to stop your deeply misguided pursuit of this effort immediately.”
Millions of Americans rely on vote by mail as a safe and trustworthy method to vote in federal and state elections, the Senators noted. In the 2024
general election cycle, USPS securely and efficiently delivered more than 99 million ballots to and from voters, including free mail delivery to rural and remote communities. President Trump’s own U.S. postal system task force found that a “comprehensive delivery network that covers every address in the country is a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure that cannot be replicated by private actors[.]”
“Privatizing the Postal Service would put our democracy in the hands of corporations that are more focused on efficiency and profit than the public good,” continued the Senators.
“Bringing the Postal Service under the control of political appointees at the Department of Commerce and potentially private companies raises serious concerns that partisan and private actors would deprive eligible voters of the confidence that USPS will properly handle their ballot by disrupting the robust delivery routes that connect our country or by imposing a cost on ballot returns.”
In addition to Senators Padilla and Luján, the letter was also signed by Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
Senator Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump and Republicans’ reckless attempts to restrict the right to vote. Earlier this month, Padilla issued a statement condemning the House passage of Republicans’ Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which
By Teresa Huizar News outlets obsess
over
shocking, high-profile crimes -- from murders to violent carjackings. In response, politicians focus on preventing these tragic, but statistically rare, events.
Meanwhile, far more prevalent and costly crimes go unnoticed.
That's especially true when it comes to America's epidemic of child sexual abuse. A staggering 10% of American children experience sexual abuse before their 18th birthday. Less than one-tenth of 1% of Americans are robbed each year. An even tinier fraction -- 0.0075% -- are victims of homicide.
Child abuse inflicts scars that last a lifetime. The costs to the children and society are enormous.
That's why lawmakers who want to get tough on crime or rein in government spending should devote more resources to addressing child abuse.
Every dollar spent on preventing abuse pays for itself many times over. A year's worth of U.S. child maltreatment cases -- including physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, as well as neglect -- costs $428 billion over time, according to the CDC. Our healthcare, welfare, education, and criminal justice systems pay the bill.
The impact of child abuse doesn't end when police rescue the child. Survivors need years of support, which can include medical care, counseling, and more.
A network of Children's Advocacy Centers across the country take on this work, serving hundreds of thousands of children each year. CACs coordinate teams of medical professionals, law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers, and victim advocates who guide children and their families through every process to get justice and heal.
Law enforcement and prosecutors rely heavily on this evidence because prosecuting child abuse isn't a given. In one study, researchers examined 325 cases of child sexual abuse. More than half of cases stalled at the investigation stage and less than a quarter made it to trial. Unfortunately, CACs have had their financing slashed. For 40 years, the Victims of Crime Act supported victim services through a dedicated fund made up of fines from white-collar crimes -- not taxpayer dollars. But in recent years, the fund has plummeted, resulting in a $630 million shortfall in 2024. Without adequate funding, CACs will not be able to aid every child who needs help, and securing convictions for abusers will be more difficult.
Lawmakers can help by passing the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act. The bill would preserve funding by tapping into another non-taxpayer source -- penalties from false claims against the government. That would allow CACs to keep supporting law enforcement. Many elected officials have vowed to make our cities safer and hold criminals accountable. By addressing child abuse, lawmakers can make good on those promises.
Teresa Huizar is CEO of Washington, D.C.-based National Children's Alliance (NCA), the nation's network of nearly 1,000 Children's Advocacy Centers, providing justice and healing through services to child victims of abuse and their families. This piece originally ran in The Detroit News.
These centers play a vital role in supporting law enforcement and prosecutors. CACs conduct medical examinations and forensic interviews with children, providing critical evidence. Victim advocates at assist in crafting victim impact statements, which have been shown to influence a perpetrator's sentencing when read aloud in court.
The Trump Administration's Dangerous Coal Exemptions... continued deregulation ignores market trends and the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions.
The administration’s shallow argument that this is about energy security, and even national security, does not pass the laugh test. True energy security lies in diversifying our energy sources and investing in resilient, clean technologies – not in propping up an industry in its death throes that if revived would only poison and cause the actual deaths of Americans by the tens of thousands.
Communities across the nation, especially those near these coal plants, will bear the brunt of increased pollution. This reckless regulatory rollback is just one of the latest moves in this administration’s efforts to undermine decades of progress in environmental and health protections.
So how do we hold our leaders accountable and pursue policies that prioritize the health of our people and our planet? One way is to work with the organizations
and community groups pushing tirelessly to move us towards a cleaner, healthier future. Civil society groups – those non-governmental organizations, associations, and institutions that advocate and fight for the causes Americans care about – play not just a vital role in our democracy, but a vital role in protecting our interests, our health, and even our lives. Take the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign as one example. A single campaign. Since 2010, that campaign has helped retire more than 380 coal-fired power plants. The energy from those plants has been and remains easily replaceable by other sources. And by reducing the burning of that dirtiest of dirty fossil fuels, we saved American lives and entire communities. In fact, the retirement of all that coal burning has now saved nearly 63,000 lives! And it has saved Americans $29 billion in health care costs. That is due
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Thursday, April 24, 2025
THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN NEWS - HEALTH/LIFESTYLE/ENTERTAINMENT/RELIGION
By Sunita Sohrabji
“Without HIV therapy, people get opportunistic infections. They get certain cancers and they die.” — Dr. Richard Sutton, Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and of Microbial Pathogenesis at the Yale School of Medicine.
AIDS activists in Sudan. (Hamid Abdulsalam photo/Creative Commons license)
Worldwide HIV/AIDS deaths are expected to rise by 1.5 million annually as the US terminates funding for research and its global prevention program.
The world will also experience a spike in HIV/AIDS-related opportunistic infections that take over the body of a person with a greatly-weakened immune system, said Dr. Richard Sutton, professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and of Microbial Pathogenesis at the Yale School of Medicine.
“Without HIV therapy, people get OIs — opportunistic infections— and they get certain cancers and they die,” said Sutton in an interview with American Community Media. “They get cryptococcal meningitis. They get pneumocystis pneumonia. They get all sorts of herpes virus infections. They get histoplasmosis. In California, they get coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever), which is nasty.”
”We’re going to be seeing millions more people with very high, dangerous viral loads and zero CD4 counts,” said Sutton.
CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell specifically called a T helper cell. They are crucial for the immune system’s ability to fight off infections.
Treatment Can Prevent Death
Dr. Richard Sutton, Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and of Microbial Pathogenesis at the Yale School of Medicine. Sutton’s lab is currently working on regulating CCR5 inhibitors, which essentially prevent HIV from entering CD4 cells, and thus slow down infections. His lab also works on novel HIV therapeutics. Sutton also serves as the chief of Infectious Diseases Research at the Veteran’s Administration in Connecticut — VACT. The West Haven VAMC oversees roughly 300 patients infected with HIV. “Their viral loads are undetectable, their CD4 count is okay, and they can live for decades,” said Sutton, making the point that HIV/AIDS need
continued in next 2 columns
By Preedar Oreggio, M.D., Family Medicine, with Optum
April is National Minority Health Month, a powerful reminder of the urgent need to confront health inequities impacting millions of lives nationwide. At its core, health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to live their healthiest life.
Unfortunately, systemic factors – ranging from access to quality health care, safe housing, and education – to underlying social and economic disparities – often place significant barriers before racial and ethnic minority groups.
The facts are clear, and they are startling. Black Californians had the shortest life expectancy at 74.6 years, while Asian Californians had the longest at 85.7 years. Health disparities extend across a variety of conditions, significantly impacting the quality and longevity of life for minority communities. Compared to other racial groups, Black and African American people are more likely to get cancer and have the highest rate of death for cancer overall.
Similarly, the Hispanic community faces distinct challenges. Hispanic adults were about 70% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes compared to non-Hispanic white adults, according to the CDC’s National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2021, age-adjusted data for 2019-2021. Hispanic people have the second highest rate of dying from liver cancer while Hispanic women have the second highest rate of dying from cervical cancer, after nonHispanic black women. Understanding these disparities demands that we understand the social determinants of health.
Factors such as education access and quality, neighborhood environment, economic stability,
social and community context and access to health care deeply influence health outcomes. For example, the prevalence of U.S. household food insecurity in 2023 was highest in Black and Hispanic communities with more than 21% of households’ food insecure.
Paying attention to these factors plays a vital role in ensuring every person has an opportunity to achieve their highest level of health.
Promoting health equity involves strategic efforts to dismantle barriers. It means tailoring health care services to meet diverse community needs.
National Minority Health Month challenges us to recommit to achieving genuine health equity. The data clearly shows where we've fallen short. We can – and must – do better. Let's embrace the opportunity to drive lasting change, ensuring health equity isn't just an aspiration but a lived reality for everyone, regardless of their racial or ethnic background.
Preedar Oreggio, MD, trained at the University of Southern California medical school and attended the UCLA/Santa Monica family medicine post graduate program. Dr. Oreggio has been a faculty member in the family medicine residency program at White Memorial Medical Center, on the medical staff at the Program for Torture Victims in Los Angeles, and a staff physician at Union Station Homeless Center. He has an interest in international health systems, wellness, and the health disparities in underserved communities. He has been featured on TV and radio programming as a local medical expert on various health-related topics.
World Faces Rise of New HIV/AIDS Infections as US Slashes Funding...continued not be a death sentence when treatment is available and administered.
On Feb. 27, the Trump Administration announced it was suspending funding to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. In 2023, the US was the largest contributor to the program, with a grant of $50 million. UNAIDS focuses primarily on treatment and prevention. In a statement, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said that countries in the developing world are scrambling to keep their programs going once funds are terminated in June. Many countries have already scaled back some or all of their AIDS prevention and treatment programs, noted an April 8 report.
PEPFAR
Separately, the Trump Administration shuttered the majority of programs under the US Agency for International Development. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief — PEPFAR — founded in 2003 by President George W. Bush, is
administered through USAID. The continuation of PEPFAR is uncertain.
No vaccine yet exists to prevent HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR, which works in 50 countries, primarily focuses on preexposure prophylaxis, providing treatment to people who are HIV seropositive — those with HIV antibodies in their bloodstream, indicating they have been exposed to HIV. PEPFAR also provides antiretroviral therapy to millions of people living with HIV/AIDS. It also provides supportive care for people living with HIV/ AIDS, including palliative care, nutritional support, and treatment for opportunistic infections.
”Does all this just disappear?” Sutton questioned. In 2004, there were 2.1 million global deaths from HIV/AIDS. By 2023, that number had dropped to 630,000. Sutton credited the huge drop in HIV/AIDS deaths to the success of PEPFAR and UNAIDS programs.
US Consequences “And so stopping all that
continued on page 6
The Trump Administration's Dangerous Coal Exemptions...continued from page 3
to all the heart attacks, cancer, asthma attacks and other lung disease, and heavy metal poisoning that the closure of these plants stopped in American communities from coast to coast.
So why on earth would we backslide? Why would we expose millions more Americans – especially the young children most at risk – to the irreversible effects of brain-damaging neurotoxins like mercury? Or developing fetuses to the risk
of the birth defects these toxins cause?
These are the questions we need to be asking. But even as they make our air less safe, don’t hold your own breath waiting for an honest answer from this administration – because it doesn't exist.
Ben Jealous is the Executive Director of the Sierra Club and a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.
“God’s FINAL Appeal!”
By: Lou K Coleman
God has sent an eagle to fly above the earth and send out ONE FINAL APPEAL! Get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW before the last three trumpet of judgments are released. [Revelation 8:6-12]. "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye REPENT, ye shall all likewise PERISH." [Luke 13:3].
The Book of Revelation depicts humanity being perched upon the threshold of the Great Tribulation when utter desolation will befall the world. But, in keeping with God’s grace, he will not permit mankind to walk blindly into the Apocalypse. Thus, [Revelation 14], shows how God does everything possible to save sinners and spare them from the coming wrath! This is God’s FINAL APPEAL to you sending his three angels to circumnavigate the globe and make a final proclamation to every living soul. Get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!
God has always sent a message to prepare people for significant events that affect their eternal destiny. When the world was going to be destroyed by water, as wickedness spread on the earth, the Lord called Noah to teach the gospel to his people. Noah warned the people that they must repent, or they would be destroyed by floods. Not only did the people refuse to follow Noah's counsel, but they also became angry and wanted to kill him. [Genesis 6:5; Moses 8:1826]. When the people would not repent, the Lord told Noah, " I am going to bring floodwater on the earth to destroy all life under the
“God’s FINAL Appeal!”...continued
who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me. [John 12:44-50].
God’s FINAL Appeal!
Listen, I don’t know how long God will continue this call to repentance and turning back to him, but there will come a day when the call will come to an end. The church will be gone and those left behind will be left to a world of delusion, lies and deception, where there will be little hope of survival.
Repent and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW! God loves you too much to allow you to go into judgment without giving you every opportunity to turn around.
God will use every means possible to warn mankind.
He uses the 144,000 Witnesses. He uses Moses and Elijah. He uses this trio of angels in [Revelation 14].
And he uses the witness of his Holy Word.
In so doing, God will have exhausted his grace, expended his mercy, and emptied his love in his final effort to redeem sinners. Thus, God will exhibit the fullness of his fairness and prove himself as faultless, in the least measure, from anyone facing him on Judgment Day and alleging they had insufficient opportunity to believe the Gospel. Repent and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!
Like road signs on the highway, every warning can be given, and every direction shown to get us to our final destination, but if we ignore the signs and end up lost, it’s not the fault of the signs, nor of the one who built the highway. The fault is our own. We fail to read, we fail to listen, we fail to heed the warning which leads to destruction. Please Take Heed! Repent and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!
The door was still open for any to come aboard. Nobody did. They watched as the Lord shut the door [Genesis 7:16]. The rain started. They all died!
God’s FINAL Appeal!
WITNESS FOR JUSTICE Issue #1252
"I am thirsty"
Peter Makari
Last March, when a child who was stuck under the rubble of a collapsed building in Gaza saw rescuers, he asked, “Where is my water? I am thirsty.”
heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.” [Genesis 6:17].
When Jesus was about to take up His ministry on earth as the promised Messiah, God sent John the Baptist with a message of repentance to prepare the way. [Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:2-16; Matthew 3:1-11].
God sent Jonah with a message to the people of Nineveh— “Repent or your city will be destroyed in forty days!” And the people repented. They responded to Jonah’s message, and their city was spared. [Jonah 3:1-5,10, Mark 1:14-20].
Every time there has been a major event affecting people’s spiritual destiny, God has had a message to prepare them to meet it by His grace. The three angels in [Revelation 14] proclaim messages of the greatest significance. They are God’s FINAL APPEAL to the inhabitants of earth. REPENT and get under the Umbrella of the Almighty God NOW!
Jesus crying out with tears in His voice: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. [Matthew 23:37].
That is the emotion God is feeling as He sends these urgent messages to earth. So many times, His Spirit has pled with men and women to turn to Him and be saved. Now the end is fast approaching, and God is doing everything He can to encourage you to come to Him. He has promised to be with you to the very end [Matthew 28:20].
And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him
continued in next 2 columns
As early as November 2023, the Bisan Center for Research and Development issued a report with the headline, “More than two million Palestinians face a risk of dying of thirst in the Gaza Strip.” The UN reported on April 8, 2025, that 91% of households in Gaza experienced water insecurity between February 24 and March 10, 2025. More than 90% of the Palestinians in Gaza face food insecurity, with prices of basic food sky high. The health of 60,000 children is currently at serious risk due to malnutrition.
Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza has continued through its military campaign, which resumed in full force in mid-March. Since then, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed. This past Sunday, Palm Sunday, Israeli missiles directly struck long-time United Church of Christ partner, al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. The 50,000 killed since October 2023 include medics, aid workers, journalists, and humanitarian responders, as well as almost 16,000 children. Almost all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been forcibly displaced, many of them several times.
UN Secretary General António Gutteres said last week, “More than an entire month has passed without a drop of aid into Gaza. No food. No fuel. No medicine. No commercial supplies. As aid has dried up, the floodgates of horror have reopened.” Israel has imposed a blockade in some form since 2007, and has occupied Gaza since 1967. It has also waged war in the West Bank, and continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon and large swathes south of Damascus, in Syria. This Sunday, Christians around the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, crucified on Good Friday and risen from the dead by Sunday morning. We are often reminded not to rush through Holy Week and the passion of Christ to get to the hope and joy of Easter,
but to slow down and reflect on Christ’s arrest and sentencing, and the agony he experienced on the cross. In his meditation, “Easter Amidst a Genocide,” offered during a vigil for Gaza on Holy Saturday last year, the Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, Palestinian Lutheran pastor, said that when he heard the words of the boy pulled from the rubble, he was “reminded … of the words of Jesus on the cross, when he cried out: ‘I am thirsty.’ He cried out ‘I am thirsty’ in solidarity with those being massacred by famine, siege, and bombardment. … It is the cry of everyone oppressed by the injustice of power and humanity’s silence and inability to put an end to tyranny and injustice. Jesus shouted, ‘I am thirsty,’ so they gave him vinegar to drink. They added more pain to his pain…. How cruel. Gaza is thirsty, and they [perhaps Roman soldiers or bystanders] gave Gaza vinegar.” More than a year and a half has passed since Hamas’s October 7 attacks and Israel’s brutal war. Gaza has been isolated by blockades for two decades, occupied for almost 57 years, and nearly three-quarters of its people are refugees from the time of the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” when 750,000 Palestinians were displaced and dispossessed of their homes and communities in 1948. Much of the world recognizes Israel’s injustice and violations of international law, and opposes it. In this country, people speak out at increasing personal risk, but the US continues its support of Israel. As the world’s people thirst for justice – for Palestinians and for many others – they get vinegar, but persevere in the struggle. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6). For Christians, the hope and liberation of Easter is at the center of our faith. Rev. Isaac concluded his reflection by stating, “Today the land of the resurrection calls you to act in hope and love. Together we are committed to end this genocide. Together we are committed to work for truth and justice.” In this season of hope, may it be so.
In a cancel culture where there's zero tolerance for prejudice, at least one form of discrimination appears to be alive and well: ageism. Whether you have personally experienced someone discounting you because of your age or you've felt the pressures to change your appearance as you age to appear younger (I'm talking to you gray hairs and antiaging beauty products), ageism is real and, as it turns out it can affect your health.
"We should be able to accept our wrinkles without trying to look like a younger person," Dr. Catherine Sarkisian, a geriatrician and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles says.
What is ageism?
Ageism involves prejudice based on people's advancing age. It can be as overt as not hiring someone because they are older, or as subtle as giving a loved one a meant-to-be funny "you're over the hill" birthday card.
And it turns out that nearly all older adults have experienced some form of ageism in their dayto-day lives, a new study shows.
"Ageism may be the most common form of discrimination and the most socially condoned form," says study author Julie Ober Allen, an assistant professor of health promotion at the University of Oklahoma.
"Awareness of how harmful racism, sexism, homophobia and other '-isms' can be has increased in the last 60 years, but ageism still gets overlooked and ignored," she adds.
How ageism can affect your health
Allen led the study as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.
For the study, she and her colleagues examined poll results from more than 2,000 people between 50 and 80 years of age about their everyday experiences. The participants received a score based on their answers to
10 questions about their own experiences and beliefs about aging.
The higher the score, the more likely folks were to be in poor physical or mental health, have chronic health conditions, and/or show signs of depression.
Fully 65% of respondents said they regularly see, hear or read jokes about older people, and 45% said they had more personal experiences, where others assumed they had trouble with technology, vision, hearing, or their memory because of their age.
However, all forms of ageism may not be inflicted by others. Some of it may be a result of your own worries and fears related to aging. In fact, some questions looked at internalized forms of ageism. Many people agreed that having health problems is part of getting older and that feeling lonely, depressed, sad or worried are part of it as well.
"Some older adults may laugh it off like it's no big deal, but they may internalize it, and these internalized ageism beliefs and stereotypes may be the most harmful," Allen shares. When internalized, ageism can affect mental and physical health, she adds.
"Like other -isms, ageism is a source of stress, and people have a stress response, so we expect the physical reactions will be the same," Allen says.
Stress, we've all been there, right? In most cases, stress isn't a huge cause of concern. However, once we start to internalize it and it becomes recurring, it can have an effect on our health.
Stress is known to increase heart rate, blood pressure, interfere with sleep, and dampen the immune system's ability to fight off viruses, among other negative consequences.
Flipping the script It's time to flip the script, Allen says. "We need to recognize
Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino
Riverside, CA, April 22, 2025—Feeding America
Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) is joining the Nourishing Neighbors Million Hour Volunteer Rally, an initiative led by the Albertsons Vons Companies Foundation to help end hunger in the community. The rally features a sweepstakes for volunteers who log their hours between now and May 15, 2025.
“Volunteers are the heart and soul of our mission to fight hunger,” said FARSB CEO, Carolyn Fajardo. “We’re excited to once again join the Million Hour Volunteer Rally and recognize those who are generously giving their time to nourish our community. This effort not only deepens volunteer engagement, but also celebrates the impact every hour makes.”
From March 1 through May 15, 2025, Nourishing Neighbors is rallying communities to help reach one million volunteer
hours. Volunteers who log their hours through this link will be entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes, including free groceries for an entire year. To qualify, each individual must log their own hours.
**Open to legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (excluding Albertsons United and Haggen divisions) who reside in states listed in Exhibit A in the Official Rules (“Eligibility Area”), including employees of Albertsons Companies Foundations or Albertsons Companies Inc., and their immediate families, who are 18 years and older. Void outside of the Eligibility Area and where prohibited. The Albertsons Companies Foundation Food Bank Volunteer Sweepstakes begins 9:00 AM PT on March 1, 2025 and ends 11:59 PM PT on May 15, 2025, see Official Rules. For more information about FARSB’s hunger-relief programs, please visit: FeedingIE.org
older adults as individuals, not stereotypes, and we should think about aging as another life stage as opposed to one marked by decline and demise," she says.
Sarkisian says the study calls attention to a persistent problem.
"The amount of ageism that is still tolerated is horrible," she notes.
Older adults are the one group people are still allowed to make fun of, and this is not OK, Sarkisian adds. An older adult may internalize this prejudice and discrimination and that can affect his or her quality of life, she says.
Unfortunately, as we age we are at a higher risk for more health conditions. However, that doesn't mean it's a direct reflection of something you didn't do right in your life when you were younger.
"Despite best efforts, people are going to develop health conditions with advancing age, and we don't want people to feel like they failed at aging if they do," she says.
The good news is despite the obstacles thrown your way, you can thrive in life at any age.
Many older people lead full and active lives despite their health conditions, Sarkisian says.
The next time you have any negative thoughts about your age or appearance, think about all you've accomplished in your life.
Aging is a blessing and a sign of wisdom. In this short life, many people don't have the luxury of aging.
Proposed Frontwave Credit Union-Community Valley Bank acquisition would eliminate federal lending obligations; the move highlights the urgent need for a California-specific Community Reinvestment Act.
Thirty-five California-based nonprofit organizations have formerly opposed the proposed acquisition of Community Valley Bank (CVB) by Frontwave Credit Union, warning that the deal would erase critical community reinvestments.
moderate-income communities.
Credit unions are not subject to the CRA —which Frontwave notes four times in its merger application, saying “Frontwave, the resultant institution, is not subject to the CRA.” Frontwave Credit Union has $1.4 billion in assets and operates 13 branches in San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. CVB is a $316 million asset bank and has five branches in Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties.
who understand the science.
“Everything we do is relatively straightforward. And our protocols are written down. So could they do this in Uganda or elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa?
World Faces Rise of New HIV/AIDS Infections as US Slashes Funding...continued from page 4 funding, the number of deaths from HIV will just go up again,” he stated. Numbers of infections and deaths from HIV and related opportunistic infections will also rise in the US, as residents travel to countries with fewer resources for treatment and prevention.
Critics of the PEPFAR program say countries must “own their epidemics.” In South Africa, for example, 83% of funding for HIV/AIDS programs and services comes from the government’s own coffers. But Sutton said the economics of most countries in the developing world would prevent them from creating and maintaining HIV/ AIDS prevention and treatment programs. He gave the example of Uganda, in which almost 6% of the population — 1.4 million people — live with AIDS.
“I was just Zooming with folks in Uganda this week, and they said the cuts in funding are going to hit them really hard, because a lot of their patients get their anti-retroviral drugs from the PEPFAR program. And boom, it’s gone,” he said.
Sutton noted he has hosted several postdoctoral researchers from Uganda in his lab,
Yes, they could, if they had the money. But they don’t. And so it is up to the US and the Western world to fill in here.”
NIH Funding
The researcher also noted that the National Institutes of Health has cut funding for 230 grants related to HIV/ AIDS research, particularly in the area of vaccines. His lab has received a 2-year grant to study HIV-Rev, a protein that is essential to regulating HIV expression. He will soon be required to submit a progress report. In ordinary times, 99.9% of progress reports are approved and funding continues. However, Sutton said he has heard through the grapevine that roughly half of progress reports are being rejected this year.
”This will crush the research enterprise, for several years on.
It’s not just about the research that’s being done now,” he said.
In a letter filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) this month, Rise Economy—a statewide coalition of over 300 organizations advocating to break down barriers to BIPOC wealth creation in California— and 34 partner groups urged regulators to block the takeover.
“This merger provides no public benefit, will harm communities by extinguishing CVB’s reinvestment obligation and exposing more Californians to Frontwave’s onerous overdraft fees, and sets a terrible precedent for California. This merger is exhibit A in the case for a state Community Reinvestment Act that will require credit unions to finally serve our communities, as banks do, and that will give the state greater authority to scrutinize and deny bad mergers, like this one,” said Kevin Stein, Chief of Legal and Strategy at Rise Economy.
The acquisition would mark a first-of-its-kind transaction in California, where a credit union acquires a federally regulated bank. Outside of California, this has become a growing trend, with at least 22 credit unions taking over banks in 2024.
If successful, the merger will extinguish CVB’s obligations to serve the community under the federal Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). The CRA creates an obligation on the part of banks to lend, invest and provide financial services in all of their communities, including low and
An analysis from Rise Economy found that in 2023, Frontwave Credit Union relied on overdraft fees for a larger portion of its revenue than all but three financial institutions in California. Rise Economy analysis also has revealed that Frontwave’s record has worsened, according to newly released data from the state Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. Specifically, Frontwave charged its customers over $8 million in overdraft and non-sufficient fund (NSF) fees, which accounted for nearly 9 percent of its total income, placing it higher than all but three state-chartered financial institutions.
The acquisition not only represents a first-of-its-kind deal in California, it also signals the loss of a bank with a positive track record in California communities. CVB achieved a rare “Outstanding” rating for its CRA activities from the FDIC. Frontwave, meanwhile, was the subject of a KPBS exposé that revealed the credit union had charged millions of dollars in overdraft fees to its member customers who are Marines.
"As a Navy veteran, I’m deeply concerned by the idea of an institution with a track record like Frontwave’s taking
over a bank that actually serves its community well. I remember when young Marines were getting hit with excessive overdraft fees from Frontwave—that kind of predatory behavior goes against the mission of supporting service members and working families,” said Ebony James, Chief Operating Officer, Logan Heights CDC. Losing Community Valley Bank—a rare institution with an Outstanding CRA rating— means fewer resources, fewer small business loans, and fewer homeownership opportunities for communities like ours. If you’re removing the rules that require you to invest in the community, what’s to stop you from turning your back on the people who need access most? This merger isn’t just a bad deal—it’s a step backward for equity and economic justice in our region."
More safeguards like AB801, introduced by Asm. Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), are needed to shield California communities as federal regulations are being rolled back under the Trump Administration and as the credit union-bank merger trend becomes more commonplace. AB801, also known as the CA-CRA, would require credit unions, independent mortgage companies and fintech companies that offer bank-like products to serve their communities, as banks are required to do. The bill, a priority of the California Legislative Black Caucus, would generate billions of dollars in small business lending and community development investment in California communities.
The FDIC has denied Rise Economy’s request for an extension of the comment period and for public hearings. A decision on the merger is expected soon.
A S S I F I E D S
Thursday, April 24, 2025
By Sunita Sohrabji
If the justices rule in favor of the plaintiffs, preventive services and screenings would be
and deductibles, disincentivizing people from getting them.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments April 21 in a case that could upend free preventive screenings and services for people insured via the Affordable Care Act.
The ACA covers a raft of free preventive services recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force. Such services include free screenings for various cancers, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, depression, dementia, reproductive care, flu shots and more.
If the justices rule in favor of the plaintiffs, these services and screenings would be subject to co-pays and deductibles.
”Prior to the ACA, the cost of basic screenings disincentivized people from getting them,” said
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association. “It is important to maintain these free services. If we don’t, we’re going to see more heart disease, more cancers, more preventable deaths,” said Benjamin at an April 17 press conference.
Disproportionate Impact to Women ”Women are more cost sensitive, and are more likely to deny care for themselves,” said Dorianne Mason, director of health equity at the National Women’s Law Center. “Women will suffer disproportionately if there is a cost for screenings. Disparities will deepen if there is a cost associated with screenings,” she said.
The ACA currently covers free contraceptives, Mason noted.
County Officials Warn Taxpayers Of Deceptive Letters Soliciting Payment For Liens
County/World News
San Bernardino, CA — San Bernardino County AssessorRecorder-County Clerk Josie Gonzales, Auditor-Controller/ Treasurer/Tax Collector (ATC) Ensen Mason, and District Attorney Jason Anderson are alerting the public to a solicitation involving misleading letters claiming that recipients must pay off liens recorded against them. These letters often appear official and may reference legitimate public records to deceive individuals into sending money to third-party solicitors.
Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk Gonzales issued the following warning:
Kathy Hempstead, senior policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, noted that fewer women got mammographies when they had to pay for the screening. “The use of preventive care has increased dramatically since the ACA,” she said. For example, statins are provided free to folks at increased risk for heart disease, noted Hempstead. She added that colorectal screenings for young adults and screenings for Type 2 diabetes have also increased.
”The US spends almost $5 trillion a year on health care, but we’re at the bottom of the wellness list for industrialized nations,” said Benjamin. “We believe strongly in preventive health screenings for improving the overall quality of life.”
HIV/AIDS Prevention
The ACA also mandates health care providers to offer HIV/ AIDS prevention screenings and distribution of pre-exposure prophylaxis. The plaintiffs, Braidwood Management, argue that covering PrEP violates their religious freedom and creates an undue financial burden. They also contend that the USPSTF violates the Constitution’s Appointment Clause, since its members are not appointed by the President nor confirmed by the Senate. Thus, the task force cannot make recommendations for preventive services, contends
Braidwood.
The case puts the Trump Administration in the unusual position of having to defend the Affordable Care Act. President Donald Trump had repeatedly attempted to dismantle the ACA during his 1st term. Filed in 2022, the lawsuit initially named former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, but now names HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
HHS Oversight
In court April 21, justices debated whether task force members are “principle officers” who must be appointed by the President. Attorney Hashim Mooppan, arguing for the Trump Administration, told the court that the HHS secretary can remove task force members at will. He can also review their recommendations and prevent them from taking effect.
“Given these collective powers of supervision, the task force cannot issue final recommendations that bind the public unless the secretary permits them to do so,” said Mooppan, as reported by Reuters.
The SCOTUS Blog reported that the majority of justices — including Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh — appear to support leaving the task force in place.
County Officials Warn Taxpayers Of Deceptive Letters Soliciting Payment For Liens...continued
documents coming from a government entity will be on official letterhead, will reference government websites and contact information.
Check Public Official Records – You can review liens filed against you through the Recorder’s office at https://arc. sbcounty.gov/official-records/ or by visiting either the San Bernardino or Hesperia Recorder offices.
Beware of urgent payment demands – Scammers often use threats or deadlines to pressure victims.
Never reveal personal or financial information – Do not share sensitive information with unverified sources.
Residents who have received such letters or suspect fraud should be cautious before paying demands. If you require further assistance, please visit the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk’s website at arc.sbcounty. gov or contact 909-387-8306, or the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/ Tax Collector at mytaxcollector. com or 909-387-8308.
CEO Meets With Rev. Sharpton as Pastor Jamal Bryant Plans Next Phase
BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO | Associated Press
Target CEO Meets With Rev. Sharpton as Pastor Jamal Bryant Plans Next Phase of Boycott...continued
for comment.
Target is among a slew of companies, including Walmart, Amazon and PepsiCo, that have eliminated policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity among their employees and reducing discrimination against members of minority groups, women and LGBTQ+ people.
After returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump moved to end DEI programs within the federal government. He has warned schools to do the same or risk losing federal money.
The National Action Network said Sharpton met last week with PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta and Steven Williams, the CEO of PepsiCo North America, to “get clarity on its stance on DEI, whether they were shutting down their commitments due to pressure from Trump and rightwing activists, and the path moving forward.”
Earlier this month, Sharpton gave PepsiCo three weeks to meet with him — or suffer a boycott — to discuss reversing the company’s recent move to do away with its DEI initiatives. The National Action Network said last week that Sharpton planned to consult the organization’s board members over the Easter holiday “to determine any next steps with Target, PepsiCo, and other companies that have scaled back their DEI programs or pledges.” Target announced on Jan. 24 that it would conclude the DEI goals it had set to increase Black employees’ representation and advancement, improve Black shoppers’ experiences and promote Black-owned businesses. The company also said it planned to stop submitting reports for external diversity surveys. It is also “further evaluating our corporate partnerships to ensure they are directly connected to our roadmap for growth,” according to a memo posted on its website. A number of other boycotts were launched of retailers that have pulled back on DEI.
In January 2024, Andrew Espinoza was appointed Interim City Manager while still serving as Police Chief—a rare dual role and a high-stakes position. Espinoza, with over 26 years in the police department, said his motivation was rooted in service, not politics.
When speaking with Espinoza, there was no hesitation, no stuttering, no evasion. He was grounded, clear, and direct— anchored in awareness and guided by principle.
After two months of research and interviews with both former and current City of Barstow employees, a consistent picture began to emerge: Barbara Rose appeared to harbor escalating personal vendettas against city staff.
“This creates an environment of fear that discourages staff from speaking up, further perpetuating a cycle of toxicity.”
By November 2024, Espinoza informed city officials he no longer wanted the Interim City Manager role and preferred to return to his position as Police Chief. When asked why, he pointed to a pattern of office conflicts and growing dysfunction.
“Taxpayers should always use caution when sending money to someone claiming to be a public agency, especially if they use threats or pressure tactics,” cautioned Mason. “While ATC and other government agencies send out collection letters and lien notices, be alert for bills or letters that are unusual or unfamiliar. If you receive something from our office that appears suspicious, please reach out to us before making a payment.”
“The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is aware of deceiving notices coming from a third party made to appear to have come from a government organization,” stated Anderson. “If you believe you are a victim of a scam or theft, we urge you to contact your local law enforcement agency to make a report.”
If you receive a letter requesting payment for a lien, take the following precautions: Verify the source – Any
“Third-party solicitors are preying on our residents by sending deceptive letters that misrepresent legitimately recorded liens and demand immediate payment. While liens are a financial or legal obligation, these scam letters are designed to mislead and intimidate recipients into paying thirdparty companies that pass off as government entities. I urge all our residents to carefully verify any such correspondence before acting.”
NEW YORK — Target’s chief executive officer met last week with the Rev. Al Sharpton, whose civil rights organization has encouraged consumers to avoid U.S. retailers that scaled backed their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
The Rev. Al Sharpton
Sharpton called the meeting with Target CEO Brian Cornell “very constructive and candid,” according to an update from his National Action Network. Two other NAN representatives, National Board Chair Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson and Senior Advisor Carra Wallace, also attended the meeting at the organization’s New York headquarters.
“I am going to inform our allies, including Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, of our discussion, what my feelings are, and we will go from there,” Sharpton said in a statement.
Bryant, an Atlanta area pastor, organized a website called targetfast.org to recruit Christians for a 40-day Target boycott.
Other faith leaders endorsed the protest, which started with the
beginning of Lent on March 5.
Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant Bryant, who leads the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, shared in a Facebook post Wednesday that phase two of the boycott, which started on March 5 and ended last week, will be revealed on Sunday.
“Almost 200k have joined the movement and the momentum is still growing! They’ve lost billions, stock has dropped, foot traffic is silent and @target still hasn’t budged,” Bryant said in his post. “This weekend 100 vendors are coming to @newbirthmbc to set up the Bullseye Black market. We need you to pull up. Sunday I announce next steps!”
A National Action Network spokesperson confirmed earlier last week that Sharpton, the group’s founder and president, planned to meet Cornell in New York. The news was first reported by CNBC.
A Target spokesperson couldn’t immediately be reached
One city employee recalled a telling moment: “I remember walking into City Hall and seeing a group of employees gathered in one office. And they said, ‘It’s the day she comes in. We don’t want to be here.’” Staff would reportedly open their blinds to watch for Rose’s car, then quietly exit the building as soon as she arrived. “They didn’t want to interact with her,” the employee explained. “They were afraid she’d try to boss them around or give them orders.”
In September 2024, former Assistant City Manager Kody Tompkins’s leaked exit interview revealed how unbearable it had become working under Council Member (now Mayor Pro Tem) Barbara Rose. He described her behavior toward city staff as “consistently toxic, rude, and disrespectful,” creating a hostile work environment that undermined professionalism and caused unnecessary stress.
“Her behavior toward City staff — including myself, the City Manager, and others presenting items — has been consistently toxic... damaging morale and risking the loss of valuable employees who can no longer tolerate this mistreatment.”
Tompkins also raised a serious concern about potential retaliation, noting that Rose’s HR background could be weaponized against whistleblowers:
There appears to be a double standard: when leadership fails within the council, blame is scattered, avoided, or ignored entirely. This lack of accountability directly contradicts Barstow’s own municipal code. Section 2.08.070 outlines the council-manager form of governance, clearly stating: “Councilmembers may only engage with city operations through the city manager and cannot direct staff or give instructions outside of official meetings.” Yet, by multiple accounts, certain council members repeatedly violated this rule, bypassing the city manager and overstepping their legal boundaries. Their intent wasn’t to promote good governance—it was to exert control.
Unnamed sources in the Sentinel accused Espinoza of misconduct, but insiders dismissed the claims as baseless. With no evidence, investigation, or formal complaint, the accusations read more like character assassination than credible reporting. Specific council members allegedly fueled the tension, threatening Espinoza’s position and warning him not to get too comfortable as Interim City Manager. Despite occasional verbal apologies, the hostile tone persisted.
In December 2024, Council Member Rose took a subtle jab at Espinoza while questioning his contract and salary. She claimed she was unaware of any pay increase related to him holding both titles. Former Mayor Paul Courtney defended Espinoza’s qualifications, but Rose remained skeptical, saying, “There’s just
Thursday, April 24, 2025
THE SAN BERNARDINO AMERICAN NEWS - LOCAL/NATIONAL /FINANCIAL NEWS
Opinion: ‘Leave Now.’ Deportation emails, the delayed military report, and the dangerous
“It is time for you to leave the United States.” — Department of Homeland Security mass email, April 2025
This is not a warning from the past. It’s not a quote from 1942. It’s not fiction.
It’s the opening line of a message received by thousands of immigrants this weekend, sent directly by the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown. The email was blunt, cold and unmistakably threatening:
“Unless it expires sooner, your parole will terminate 7 days from the date of this notice… If you do not depart the United States immediately, you will be subject to potential law enforcement actions that will result in your removal.”
These emails, citing 8 U.S.C.
§ 1182(d)(5)(A) and 8 C.F.R. § 212.5(e), part of the Immigration and Nationality Act, were delivered en masse to migrants across the country—many of them lawfully paroled, some still awaiting asylum decisions, others with no clear recourse.
On April 19, the Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling temporarily blocking these removals, halting enforcement while the justices considered the legality of using the Alien Enemies Act—a 226-year-old wartime law—to deport migrants en masse.
But the court’s move, while significant, is only one piece of a much larger—and more dangerous—campaign.
The bigger picture: militarization, deportation and delay as strategy
The deportation email blitz wasn’t a bureaucratic mistake. It was a strategic test—a pressure tactic designed to instill fear, provoke self-deportation, and trigger legal ambiguity. It came just days before another deadline: the expected release of a joint report from the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense, evaluating whether to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807.
That report, required by Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order, was originally due on April 20. Now, according to CNN, its release has been delayed until next week, as internal disagreements and public backlash mount.
But while that report stalls in Washington, the deportation machinery has already been activated.
The People Behind the Report
The report will be authored by two of Trump’s most loyal and ideologically extreme cabinet officials:
Secretary of Homeland Security
Kristi Noem
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Kristi Noem
Earlier this year, Noem traveled to El Salvador to film a political ad in front of Tecoluca, one of the most notorious prison complexes in the world, where tens of thousands of men are held without trial or legal counsel. Human rights organizations have condemned the prison as a symbol of state violence and authoritarian overreach. Noem didn’t go to condemn the practice. She went to praise it.
Pete Hegseth
A former Fox News personality with no federal command experience, Hegseth has repeatedly advocated for using the U.S. military to enforce order domestically—particularly in cities with large Black and Brown populations. His appointment as Secretary of Defense was not about leadership, but loyalty.
With Noem and Hegseth driving the analysis, there is little reason to expect restraint.
The Insurrection Act and the Architecture of Force
The Insurrection Act, first passed in 1807, allows a president to deploy active-duty military forces on U.S. soil without state consent. It was originally intended for rare emergencies. Its use in 2025 would represent a radical departure from democratic norms.
These delays allow the administration to maintain psychological pressure while avoiding immediate legal defeat. It’s a cooling strategy—not deescalation.
While the courts process appeals and the public waits for answers, the Trump administration is already deploying executive authority in shadow form—via digital notices, bureaucratic weaponization, and headline-choking tactics.
Who Is Being Targeted?
If the military is deployed or removals resume, they will not be felt in gated communities or luxury towers.
They will be felt in:
Brownsville and El Paso, Texas South Los Angeles and the Central Valley Jackson, Miss. and Detroit, Mich.
The Bronx, N.Y. and East Oakland, Calif.
Black, Brown, immigrant, Indigenous, and low-income communities are the intended targets—not only of immigration raids but of the larger political narrative: disorder must be controlled. Outsiders must be removed. Dissent must be crushed.
Voices of Alarm
Progressive columnist Jason Sattler wrote in an April 20 USA Today op-ed: “Deploying troops domestically to counter a migrant ‘invasion’ is not just legally dubious—it would be historically unprecedented.”
The alarm is not ideological. It’s structural. Even conservative legal scholars have expressed concern that Trump’s team is testing the Constitution’s weak points—to see which ones snap without resistance.
Emergency Housing Voucher Program Faces Collapse, Threatening Tens of Thousands Escaping Homelessness and Abuse
By Stacy M. Brown
due to war. Subsidies used to help with rent and homeowners expenses to purchase a home.
A federal housing program credited with stabilizing the lives of tens of thousands of Americans fleeing homelessness, domestic violence, or human trafficking is running out of time and money. The Emergency Housing Voucher (EHV) program, which supports more than 60,000 households across the country, is expected to exhaust its funding by the end of 2025, according to a letter from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The potential loss of this support could drive many back into unsafe living conditions, shelters, or the streets. “To have it stop would completely upend all the progress that they’ve made,” said Sonya Acosta, a policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
“And then you multiply that by 59,000 households.” Launched in 2021 under President Joe Biden’s
American Rescue Plan Act, the program was seeded with $5 billion to help individuals and families exit crises. From New York to Florida to Texas, the EHV program has placed thousands in safe, stable housing—many of them seniors, children, and veterans. The program was intended to last through the decade, but rising rent prices have accelerated its depletion.
Last month, HUD formally advised public housing agencies to prepare for the worst.
“Manage your EHV program with the expectation that no additional funding from HUD will be forthcoming,” HUD officials wrote. The message is clear: without Congressional intervention, the program will end. Representative Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who championed the initiative in Congress, is calling for an
What Must Be Done Now
The delay in troop deployment and the Supreme Court’s pause on deportations are temporary wins—not long-term protections. We must act now:
Legislative
Congress must reform the Insurrection Act and Alien Enemies Act with judicial review and sunset clauses.
Legal
Expand rapid legal response networks to defend migrants receiving DHS removal notices.
Local
Governors, attorneys general, and mayors must pledge noncooperation with unlawful federal military or deportation orders.
Grassroots
Know-your-rights campaigns, safe community hubs, and watch networks must be expanded.
Final word: “Leave now” was not just a sentence—it was a strategy
The email began with, “It is time for you to leave the United States.”
But let us say this clearly: It is not time for any of us to leave. It is time for all of us to stand.
For our neighbors. For our democracy. For the very idea of citizenship as a right—not a privilege to be revoked by executive fiat.
Drawing inspiration from the original authors of the Federalist papers’ use of “Publius” (referring to Publius Valerius Publicola, a founder of the Roman Republic), we use “Civitas” as our pseudonym.“Civitas” is Latin for “citizenship” or “community of citizens,” emphasizing both the rights and responsibilities of citizens in maintaining a constitutional republic. This pseudonym reflects our focus on civic engagement and the collective effort required to preserve democratic institutions in the face of current challenges.
Secretary Rollins Statement on Dairy Industry Voluntarily Removing Artificial Colors from National School Lunch Program
State/National News
$8 billion funding boost. But advocates are warning that the request faces strong headwinds in a Republican-led Congress focused on cutting spending. GOP lawmakers steering budget talks have so far declined to comment. “We’ve been told it’s very much going to be an uphill fight,” said Kim Johnson of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. For people like Daniris Espinal, the end of the program could be devastating.
Espinal and her daughters, aged 4 and 19, live in a threebedroom apartment in Brooklyn, paying over $3,000 a month—a cost made possible only through the voucher. Her journey to that home began with an escape from an abusive marriage in which she was isolated, manipulated, and financially controlled. She quit her job at her husband’s urging. He stopped paying the rent. When eviction notices arrived in early 2021, she owed $12,000 with no way to pay. It was the Emergency Housing Voucher program that gave her and her daughters a second chance. “I gained my worth, my sense of peace, and I was able to rebuild my identity,” Espinal told the Associated Press. She now works and sets aside what she can. But if the funding disappears, she fears losing everything she fought to reclaim. “That’s my fear,” she said, “losing control of everything that I’ve worked so hard for.”
(Washington, D.C., April 22, 2025) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins applauded the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) announcement on the IDFA Healthy Dairy in Schools Commitment, a voluntary, proactive pledge to eliminate Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 in milk, cheese, and yogurt products sold to K-12 schools for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs beginning during the 2026-2027 school year: “America’s dairy farmers and The Last Of Andrew Espinoza...continued from page 7
too many things here that we have not been given to make an informed decision.”
City Attorney Matthew Summers stepped in, attempting to clarify. “None of this came from me alone. I want to make that very clear to the council… I’m not disclosing the outcome— only that the direction was for this contract to come forward to the council.”
Rose fired back, visibly frustrated: “I don’t want to discuss any closed sessions—as you just disclosed. We cannot do that, Matthew. You’re our attorney. You need to protect us. Please.”
The exchange left many in the room confused, as her argument seemed to contradict itself and deflect from the main issue.
Complicating matters further is the lack of clear documentation— some records exist, but many interactions go unrecorded or are withheld from public view for legal reasons. Meanwhile, online narratives remain heavily one-sided. Calls for fairness and accountability are often drowned out by political agendas and power plays.
For a time, that unchecked authority may have gone unnoticed—especially in the absence of a permanent City Manager. But when Espinoza stepped in and began asking
milk processors have always led the way in providing our families and schoolchildren with healthy, nutritious, and delicious milk products. While I look forward to getting whole milk back into our schools, today’s announcement shows how the dairy industry is voluntarily driving change and giving consumers what they want, without government mandates,” said Secretary Brooke Rollins. “I thank IDFA and the dairy industry for leading the way and look forward to other industries thinking about how together, we can Make America Healthy Again.”
questions, resistance was swift and severe. Council members weren’t used to being challenged—and it showed. There’s a pattern of performative politics in Barstow: council members appearing at local events and ribbon-cuttings while their past behavior is quietly overlooked. Residents are expected to smile and play along. But behind the scenes, people are asking: What’s really going on?
If everything is above board, why hasn’t the City of Barstow released a public statement or press release to clarify? Why do the same few voices dominate every meeting, recycling the same narrative?
Through a combination of interviews, document reviews, and tips from anonymous sources, a disturbing picture of Barstow’s leadership has begun to emerge: personal vendettas overriding public interest, city staff carrying out unofficial agendas, and a lack of accountability from those in power. Espinoza’s words were measured—rooted in reason and directed toward solutions. The goal wasn’t justice. It was intimidation. Plain and simple. I report local news and I am here to assist in facial, informative and investigative news pieces. Dispatchdeebarstow@gmail.com
Victorville Senior Citizens Club 14874 S. Mojave St. Victorville CA 92395 760-245-5018
Mother’s Day Tea Party
May 9, 2025
Open to Public BINGO
April 26
May 10 & May 24, EVERY 2ND & 4TH SATURDAY
PAY OUT $75 to $200
Open to Public
Bid Whist Tournament
May 31, 2025
$10 in Advance and $12 at Door
Open to Public
Call to for information how to become a member
Exercise: Monday-Thursday 10am-11am
Line Dance: Monday & Thursday 11:15am-1:30pm
Poker: Tuesday 10am -3am / Soul Line Dance: Monday & Wednesday 9:15am Bid Whist: Thursday 11am-2pm /Pinochle: Friday 10am-3pm