SB American News Week Ending 1/11

Legendary ‘Soccer King’ Pele Passes Away at 82

The man known to the world as Pele, born as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, passed away two days before New Year’s Eve in São Paulo at the age of 82. He lost his long battle with colon cancer after being admitted to a hospital in São Paulo last month.

One of his daughters, Kely Nascimento, announced his death on Instagram — showing a picture of his family’s hands holding his hand. “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.”

Pelé was soccer’s global face for decades and is regarded by many as its best player of all time. He rose from humble beginnings in rural Brazil to eternalize a powerful and creative style of play. A great number of people worldwide believe him to be the greatest soccer player who ever lived. Many, many others crowned a new Greatest of All Time less than two weeks ago, which makes it even harder today to talk about the legend.

“The whole world cares about football, and the biggest footballer was Brazilian,” says Brazilian sports commentator Marcelo Barreto. “I think we related to Pelé because of his creativity.”

During a career including three World Cup titles — more than any other player in history — and over 1,200 goals, Pelé became known for his flair and unpredictability. He would blow past his opponents by dribbling the ball off their shins. He was also a playmaker and one of the early pioneers of the bicycle kick, a leap upward at an airborne ball to rocket it backward.

He earned the nickname O Rei, “the King”, at age 17 while leading his country to its firstever World Cup title in 1958. He scored two goals in the final, which finished 5–2 in favor of Brazil over the hosts Sweden. But

it’s the nature of the goals that turned him into a global superstar while still a teenager.

During the championship game, Pele slides around an unsuspecting defender to take a cross from the left off his chest, then juggles the ball up and over the head of the next Swede before volleying it home without letting it hit the ground.

It is balletic, improvisational brilliance, happening at a speed decades ahead of Liedholm’s opener. Somewhere in between that game’s first and fourth goals, some even claim that the world would never be the same after that win.

The passing of actor Chadwick Boseman, the talented star best known for his portrayal of the superhero Black Panther, at the age of 43 to colon came as a shock to many but it also put colon cancer among Black men on the radar. Pele’s high profile passing has also led others to look more into colon cancer among Black men.

Colorectal cancer disproportionately affects the Black community, where the rates are the highest of any racial/ ethnic group in the US. African Americans are about 24% more likely to get colorectal cancer and

about 47% more likely to die from it than most other groups.

To drill down further as to why more black Americans are likely to die from colon cancer, the answers may come from diet, genetics, and lifestyle.

The diet of many black individuals includes more animal fat and less fiber which are risk factors for colon cancer.

Lifestyle factors include higher tobacco related illnesses, obesity, less physical activity, and lower intakes of Vitamin C and E all connected to developing colon cancer.Genetic factors include a high incidence of mutations in the KRAS gene. This affects a cell’s ability to repair errors in DNA which increases cancer growth.

Be Aware Of These Symptoms

See Colorectal Surgical Associates if you have any of the following symptoms for more than a few days:

Any change in bowel habits like constipation, diarrhea, or narrow stool

Rectal bleeding Blood in stool making it look dark brown or black Cramping or pain in the abdomen

Weakness and fatigue

Unexplained weight loss Feeling like you need to move your bowels, yet it is not relieved afterward

Screening, Early Detection, And Survival

The American Cancer Society recommends that those with a higher risk for colon cancer begin screening at age 45. There are several screening tools available including at-home kits and of course, colonoscopies.

Mourning Pele

The Brazilian coastal city of Santos started bidding goodbye to its hero on Monday with a 24-hour wake.

Mourners lined up to see Pele’s body in an open casket in the center of the field at the Vila Belmiro stadium, home of the Santos Football Club.

In the early hours of Monday, January 1st, his body arrived under fireworks in the city of about 430,000 people from Sao Paulo’s Albert Einstein Hospital.

“Pele leaves millions of Santos fans across our country. He was the creator of Brazilian soccer,” said Antonio da Paz, a fan outside the stadium for the memorial that began at 10 a.m. (1300 GMT).

FIFA President Gianni Infantino was among the first to arrive for the service and said he would ask every country to name a stadium after Pele, the only man to win the World Cup three times as a player.

“Pele is eternal,” Infantino told reporters. “FIFA will certainly honor the ‘king’ as he deserves. We have asked all football associations in the world to pay a minute of silence before every game and will also ask them, 211 countries, to name a stadium after Pele. Future generations must know and remember who Pele was.”

City of Hesperia, its Police Department, and San Bernardino County settle with DOJ after being found to have discriminated against Black and Latino Renters through its Crime-Free Rental Program ...continued

landlords to evict a tenant.

BENTSEN HPD SOLE AUTHORITY Link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=C86LipVvMDQ

According to HPD Captain Nils Bentsen, because it was a civil action, the Crime-Free Rental Program did not require an arrest, a prosecution, or conviction, to serve and enforce a three-day notice to vacate, requiring all occupants to move.

BENTSEN CIVIL PROCESS Link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CVTcPODJL3M

Hesperia cited HPD’s evaluation and finding the ordinance was needed based on a connection between increased crime, criminals, law enforcement calls and rental properties.

BENTSEN REDUCE CRIME RENTALS Link: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=wr4FCMW7kk

DOJ obtained and listened to Hesperia’s city council meetings videos where council members freely discussed Section 8 Housing concerns, and individuals from Los Angeles, Black and Latino tenants, relocating to Hesperia.

Late Hesperia City Council member Russ Blewett described the ordinance’s targets as, those kind of people who are of no value to this community, and “I want them the hell out of our town, and I don’t care where they go.”

BLEWETT STOP BAD PEOPLE Link: https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=doGmR_6w43w

DOJ quoted Hesperia Mayor Eric Schmidt observing, “People from Los Angeles County were moving to Hesperia as a cheap place to hide, bringing their tainted history, and aggravating Hesperia residents.”

“We are surgically going after

those elements that create an inordinate amount of the problem in every single neighborhood,” Mayor Pro Tem Bill Holland reasoned. DOJ recounted Holland explaining the goal was to require each landlord “to rid his rental…of that blight” similar to “call[ing] an exterminator out to kill roaches, same difference.”

HOLLAND SURGICAL APPROACH Link: https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=91FmKxSOEts

Hesperia City Council Member Mike Leonard declared, “We’ve had a lot of people from over the hill move up here that are not very friendly people, and we need to work on getting them out of here.”

LEONARD SECTION 8 Link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Uzr6rXKMpHY

At the meeting, HPD Captain Bentsen backed up council members’ negative views of Hesperia’s tenants, Latino, and Black residents making up 58% of Hesperia’s households, depicting them as threatening, unfriendly, and harming homeowners.

Bentsen and council members then spoke negatively of Hesperia’s Housing Choice (Section 8) Voucher holders, 75 percent being Black or Latino. Council member Leonard reasoned the ordinance would fix Hesperia's problems with Section 8 housing, claiming taxpayers pay more taxes to support these people.

Captain Bentsen remembered his past efforts to evict Section 8 renters, and how it took years to discover a criminal charge for which he could arrest them.

Under the ordinance’s authority, HPD broadly enforced the crime-free rental program targeting Black and Latino

Unlocking Our Fifth Freedom

By Dr. Gail C. Christopher

“As this settlement makes clear, the Justice Department will continue to fight discriminatory and unlawful ‘crime-free’

the country and work to ensure that everyone has fair and equal access to housing,” said Assistant Attorney General

the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

Gail Fry Contributor

On December 14, The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a December 14, press release obtained by the San Bernardino American News, announcing a landmark settlement was reached with the City of Hesperia (Hesperia), its police department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD) over allegations it targeted Black and Latino Renters through its CrimeFree Rental Program.

Those damaged by Hesperia’s “crime-free” program may be compensated under the settlement fund and are asked to contact the DOJ by calling 1-833-223-1571 or by applying online at Hesperia.

Investigation@usdoj.gov.

DOJ determined, the population of Latino residents in Hesperia increased by 140% during 2000 through 2010, from 18,400 to 44,091, while Black residents increased by 103% from 2,388 to 4,853. During years 2000 until 2016, White residents declined from 64.2% in 2000 to 35.8% by 2016.

DOJ believes, in response to the changing demographics, on November 17, 2015, Hesperia, with significant support from the Hesperia Police Department (HPD), adopted an ordinance for the purported purpose of reducing its crime rate through a CrimeFree Rental Program.

Hesperia contracts with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for its police services, providing those services through the HPD.

Hesperia predicted the ordinance would decrease crime. DOJ found otherwise, determining Hesperia’s real goal was to reverse demographic changes by evicting Black and Latino tenants, and discouraging others from moving to Hesperia.

Hesperia’s new CrimeFree Rental Program required landlords register their rental properties, rental units be annually inspected, submit tenant applications to HPD for criminal background checks,

and instituting a fee schedule, fines up to $500, and criminal penalties for landlords.

The ordinance required landlords include a Hesperia adopted “Crime-free Lease Addendum” (Addendum) in residential leases. The Addendum had provisions that if any occupant, guest, or others under the tenant’s control was implicated in one incident of criminal activity, near the premises, a Three-Day Notice to Quit could issue.

The ordinance gave authority to HPD to determine what was so-called criminal activity and the power to notify, and order

WASHINGTON

While

Why is there a need to protect a fundamental human right and freedom for adults to love and marry interracially or to a person of the same gender? I think the answer is because America is a nation and a democracy that is yet becoming. We are, in the global context, still a young nation learning how to be a multiracial, multi-ethnic, diverse, self-governing democracy. We still have a lot of work to do. Congressional and presidential leadership are a vital part of this important work. I am reminded of the leadership of President Franklin D Roosevelt, who galvanized and lifted the consciousness of the American people by reminding them of the meaning of democracy in a time when the Great Depression was limiting hope. In his 1941 State of the Union address, President Roosevelt articulated four freedoms - the freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom to be free from want

City of Hesperia, its Police Department, and San Bernardino County settle with DOJ after being found to have discriminated against Black and Latino Renters through its Crime-Free Rental Program

ordinances across

Kristen Clarke of

- President Joe Biden recently signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act. This landmark United States federal law passed by the 117th U.S. Congress repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), requires the U.S. federal government and all U.S. states and territories to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial civil marriages in the U.S., and protects religious liberty.

we must all applaud this amazing bi-partisan breakthrough, we should all be appalled that such a law was needed in this democratic nation, in this the 21st-century.

Hahn Releases Statement on Bruce Family's Decision to Sell Bruce’s Beach

NFL Player Damar Hamlin In Critical Condition After Frightening Monday Night Football Incident...continued

to a player injury. Ironically, the setting for Monday night’s incident was the same as another on-field tragedy. Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier was left paralyzed after tackling a Bengals receiver on a Monday Night Football game in December 2017 in the same stadium. Shazier never

played football again, but after extensive rehabilitation regained the ability to walk.

Donations to Hamlin’s foundation, which hosts a toy drive every year, have been pouring in. Reports are that more than $3 million has been raised thus far.

340B doesn’t solve health inequities...continued

a disproportionately high percentage of uninsured or lowincome patients.

Congress hoped the legislation would help hospitals provide better, less expensive care. But the enabling legislation and subsequent implementing regulations did too little to ensure that outcome. Instead, hospitals and clinics are wielding 340B against the very people lawmakers wanted to help.

That's because federal law doesn't require hospitals to reinvest their 340B savings in vulnerable communities. Instead, many of these facilities charge patients top dollar while keeping the discounts for themselves.

means wealthy communities are benefiting from a program intended for the underprivileged.

As of 2021, uninsured patients made up about 9% of the U.S. population. These are exactly the marginalized groups, often racial minorities, the 340B discounts were supposed to help. Instead, these patients face the prospect of hospital bills of hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a single drug.

Los Angeles, CA—The Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Janice Hahn has released the following statement regarding the Bruce Family’s decision to sell the Bruce’s Beach property back to the County of Los Angeles for nearly $20 million, the estimated value of the property. This decision comes nearly six months after Supervisor Hahn successfully fought to return Bruce’s Beach to the Bruce Family and nearly a century after the property was taken from Willa and Charles Bruce by the City of Manhattan Beach.

“The Bruce Family has informed the County of Los Angeles that they have decided to sell the Bruce’s Beach property

back to the County. The seizure of Bruce’s Beach nearly a century ago was an injustice inflicted upon not just Willa and Charles Bruce but generations of their descendants who almost certainly would have been millionaires. I fought to return Bruce’s Beach because I wanted to right this wrong. This fight has always been about what is best for the Bruce family, and they feel what is best for them is selling this property back to the County for nearly $20 million and finally rebuilding the generational wealth they were denied for nearly a century. This is what reparations look like and it is a model that I hope governments across the country will follow.”

Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Killed by Convicted Felon

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif. – On December 29, 2022, William Shea McKay was identified as the shooter that killed Deputy Isaiah Cordero with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department during a traffic stop in Jurupa Valley.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office prosecuted McKay, who was convicted of his third strike in November 2021. Despite our requests at that time to set bail at No Bail, his bail was reduced by the judge to $500,00.00 and his sentencing was continued. McKay posted bail in March of 2022, and unfortunately in July was granted another continuance for sentencing, which our Office also objected. Lastly, McKay failed to appear to his sentencing

in October 2022 and was issued a bench warrant.

“Our Office is saddened to learn of the death of Riverside County Sheriff's Deputy Isaiah Cordero,” says District Attorney Jason Anderson. “Our Office upheld our oath of pursuing justice by prosecuting convicted felon McKay in November of 2021, however a failure in the process to separate McKay from society and hold him accountable for his crimes has resulted in the tragic loss of a law enforcement deputy. Our prayers are with Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and particularly the family and loved ones of Deputy Isaiah Cordero, who paid the ultimate sacrifice ensuring the safety of his community.”

NFL Player Damar Hamlin In Critical Condition After Frightening Monday Night Football Incident

By Keith Reed

On Monday night the NFL made the unprecedented decision to suspend a prime-time football game after a frightening incident involving a player.

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, 24, collapsed seconds after making a tackle early in the first quarter of the Bills’ Monday Night Football road game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin’s injury, which we now know was cardiac arrest, happened at 8:55 p.m., according to ESPN, which was broadcasting the game live. As Hamlin lay motionless, paramedics came to the field and administered CPR for almost 10 minutes to restart his heart, after which an ambulance was driven onto the field to transport Hamlin to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center at 9:25 p.m. He was reported to be in critical condition.

By 10 p.m., the NFL had issued a statement announcing that the game was being suspended. The organization later had a conference call overnight to explain their decision.

The scenario unfolded during

what started as a routine play in a game between two teams jockeying for position in the NFL’s AFC playoffs. The Bills and Bengals went into the game among the top seeds in the conference and the outcome of the game was supposed to clarify the playoff picture.

With the Bengals driving, quarterback Joe Burrow hit receiver Tee Higgins with a short pass, after which Higgins collided with Hamlin, both men falling to the ground. After the tackle, Hamlin stood for a second, before falling back to the ground, his body going limp. Players and officials frantically motioned to the sidelines for medical attention.

As medical officials tended to Hamlin, performing CPR, Bills and Bengals players were emotional. Many cried; others knelt in prayer or held hands.

There is no recent precedent, and perhaps none in the history of the NFL, for the suspension or cancellation of a game that was already being played due

340B doesn’t solve health inequities

By Amy Hinojosa

Take for example, Bon Secours Mercy Health -- a nonprofit hospital chain -- that raked in almost $1 billion in profits last year, according to a recent New York Times report.

Federal law actually makes it easy for hospitals to rip off their most vulnerable patients while directing inordinate resources to high-income, largely white communities. It's time for Congress to put an end to this flourishing scam by revising the law that makes it possible.

Congress must address the fact that numerous facilities that don't actually serve lowincome communities qualify for 340B. Clinics belonging to the same hospital chain as a disproportionate-share facility can often register for the program -- even if their clientele is generally well-off, with good insurance.

Unsurprisingly, hospitals and clinics have signed up in droves for the free money. The total number of participating facilities surged from 8,100 to 50,000 between 2000 and 2020. More and more of them are located in high-income areas -- which

Cancer treatment, for example, has become a massive money-maker. According to a recent analysis from the Community Oncology Alliance, disproportionate-share hospitals often sell their top oncology drugs at 4.9 times the discounted 340B acquisition price. For one drug, the average markup was 11.3 times the discounted cost.

Meanwhile, about three quarters of private nonprofit hospitals earn more through tax breaks than they expend in charity and community investment. The Lown Institute Hospitals Index found that in 2019, the value of the nonprofit tax breaks enjoyed by 227 private nonprofit hospital systems totaled $18.4 billion more than those systems spent on "charity care and community investment."

Disparities like these won't end until Congress enforces its supposed intention to create a program that actually helps lowincome communities. Today, the 340B program does no such thing.

Amy Hinojosa is the president and CEO of MANA, a national Latina organization, the oldest and largest Latina membership organization in the United States and founding member of the Health Equity Collaborative. A longer version of this piece originally ran in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

City of Hesperia, its Police Department, and San Bernardino County settle with DOJ after being found to have discriminated against Black and Latino Renters through its Crime-Free Rental Program ...continued from page 1

tenants residing in neighborhoods where mostly minorities lived, the DOJ determined.

Before the ordinance was adopted, DOJ determined HPD, through captain Bentsen, currently Hesperia’s City Manager, contributed substantial resources and support to assist Hesperia in preparing to implement the program.

DOJ established HPD Captain Nils Bentsen manipulated the data to justify the need for the City of Hesperia’s “crime free” rental program. Former Hesperia City Manager Mike Podegracz recalled since 2014, captain Bentsen promoted the ordinance.

BENTSEN NEW STRATEGY Link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=KZhHmx96TlQ

Bentsen testified in uniform at meetings over a six-month period, where he promoted the program, claiming a third of 911 calls and a large percentage of multiple response citations originated at rental properties, and from 2012 through 2014, nine out of 10 homicides transpired at rental properties.

DOJ determined Bentsen intentionally exaggerated crime statistics by adding alarm calls to falsely claim 80 percent of multiple response citations, and inflated homicide statistics for rental properties.

DOJ found HPD took affirmative action prior to the adoption of the ordinance, planning an internal enforcement unit, and purchasing crime-free tracking software.

A property manager cautioned the crime-free program would infringe on civil rights. Realtors expressed concern the program would divert resources from law enforcement’s protection of the public.

A representative of Fair Housing Council of Riverside opined the ordinance would

diminish law enforcement’s effectiveness, unfairly impact landlords, clash with Hesperia’s fair housing requirements, and harm tenants most in need of police services.

The California Apartment Association complained ordinance provisions were unconstitutional, conflicted with state law, and placed landlords at risk of fair housing violations and unwarranted evictions.

Landlords questioned the legality of the addendum, citing inadequate tenant protections, and appeared to discriminate against the city’s unwanted renters.

Despite concerns, the Hesperia City Council adopted the CrimeFree Rental Ordinance, placing its enforcement in the hands of HPD to determine which tenants would be evicted.

DOJ concluded HPD regularly evicted tenants without conviction or court judgment, even a 911-call for service, a negative law enforcement action, multiple response citation, or multiple calls for a noise disturbance resulted in evictions.

HPD insisted entire families be evicted over conduct of one individual, evicted victims of domestic violence protected under law, and tenants with no evidence of criminal activity, DOJ discovered.

BENTSEN RESPONSE FAIR HOUSING Link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YQicEaYmvs8

DOJ cited the eviction of a woman and her three children after she reported her husband beating her. HPD asserted it was a violation If the domestic partner reappeared.

DOJ calculated under the ordinance, HPD evicted 96.3% of tenants and 96.9% of households located in Census blocks with the most minority residents,

representing 79% of rental households in Hesperia.

DOJ concluded Hesperia and HPD knowingly evicted mostly Black and Latino tenants, discriminated based on national origin, and deprived minority tenants of their right to reside in Hesperia.

In their answer, SBC, SBCSD and the City of Hesperia (Defendants) denied DOJ’s claim their objective was discriminatory, or that their remarks revealed their goal to revert demographic percentages.

They acknowledged remarks by Blewett, Leonard, Schmidt, and Holland, as depicted by DOJ, were correct, that Bentson was present at the meeting, and testimony about renters moving to Hesperia from the 323 area code.

They conceded council member Leonard’s remarks claiming the ordinance would fix Hesperia’s Section 8 housing and Captain Bentson’s recall of efforts to find criminal charges to evict people from Section 8 housing.

While denying Bentson and city council members degraded minority tenants or recipients of Section 8 rental assistance.

SBC, SBCSD, and Hesperia rejected claims Hesperia was the recipient of resources and assistance from SBCSD ahead of time to prepare for the ordinance, or HPD Captain Bentson promoted the ordinance, while admitting Bentson testified in uniform in support prior to adoption.

The Defendants refuted Bentson exaggerated the number of 911 calls, while acknowledging Bentson skewed statistics of homicides at rental properties.

Court documents showed the Defendants admitted the Hesperia City Council assigned

enforcement of the ordinance to HPD, and responsibility to the police chief (SBCSD staff) to determine when to notify landlords to evict, while denying HPD had sole authority to evict.

The Defendants refuted assisting landlords in evictions, or spurring landlords to evict whole households, or directing landlords to evict domestic violence victims.

DOJ, SBC, SBCSD, and Hesperia held settlement discussions on October 14, 2021, and August 24, 2022, without reaching an agreement. On October 5, the parties informed the court a proposed settlement was reached. The settlement (consent order) was announced on December 14, 2022, and is awaiting approval by a federal judge.

The settlement places Hesperia and HPD under a fiveyear consent order promising substantial court-ordered relief to address the impacts of the “crime-free” and business license programs, including: a $670,000 settlement fund to restore those devastated by the program; $100,000 in civil penalties; $95,000 in funding to promote fair housing in Hesperia; $85,000 in funding for partnerships with community-based organizations, totaling $950,000.

The settlement requires notifications of ordinance changes and fee schedule to landlords and property managers; DOJ’s review and approval before adoption of certain policies, procedures and ordinances; the adoption of non-discrimination policies and complaint procedures; the designation of civil rights coordinators; anti-discrimination training; a fair housing needs assessment; regular reporting to the court and the DOJ during the order’s five-year term.

Community /Education

Advocates have long fought for federal funding to reach people in most need. Back in 1992, Congress established the

340B drug pricing program, which guaranteed drug discounts to hospitals serving

Anthony Bruce holds up deed to Bruce's Beach property at ceremony in July 2022

COMMENTARY: Tis a Time for Political Change

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Although we have millions of dollars here in California allocated to the issue of homelessness, one unanswered question is how do we reduce or eliminate homelessness without addressing the issues of “rent control?”

By Dr. John E. Warren, Publisher | San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

Unlocking Our Fifth Freedom...continued

and repair the vestiges of past wrongs, and create and sustain equitable communities.

The immediate care that our national body politic requires is an investment to create and support a new cultural infrastructure, a psychological emotional infrastructure of love and caring that is strong enough to withstand and repel the attacks of false narratives and hate, driven by nefarious motives for power and control.

The good news is that communities and college campuses are doing this work all across America. Philanthropy is supporting their efforts. But the original sin was committed by this federal government and enforced for centuries by all branches of our government.

and H.R.40 - Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, introduced by Congresswoman Barber Lee and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Both H.Con. Res.19 and H.R.40 have significant co-sponsorships –168 and 196, respectively in the 117th Congress. In this time of increasing and expanding polarization, congressional and presidential leadership are critically needed to further these efforts to assure the viability of our democracy by building our capacity to love one another equally as human beings.

For America, freedom to love is the beginning of our transformation.

Dollar General Is Now Open In Victorville

County/Business News

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. –January 3, 2023 – Dollar General is excited to announce its store at 15363 Village Dr in Victorville is now open! Normal hours of operation may be found through the Dollar General app.

be part of a planned donation of more than 60,000 books in fiscal 2022 across the country to celebrate new DG store openings.

Locally in the State of California, we have a first with an African American woman as the first female Mayor of the City of Los Angeles. The significance of this is not that she is a woman, but that she is qualified for the position.

A former member of the U.S. Congress and chairperson of The Congressional Black Caucus; former member of the California Legislature where she served as the first woman to ever become Speaker of the Assembly; and member of the Legislative Black Caucus in the Assembly with a string of achievements.

But perhaps the most important thing about the new Mayor, which represents a change, is her stated commitment to attack the problem of the 40,000 individuals in the City of Los Angeles who are homeless.

Although we have millions of dollars here in California allocated to the issue of homelessness, one unanswered question is how do we reduce or eliminate homelessness without addressing the issues of “rent control?”

The absence of rent control means that landlords can raise

rents almost at will, force people out of their homes because they complain about the lack of repairs or other problems with their dwellings and not experience any real problems under the very laws that call such actions “Retaliatory Evictions.” In the City of San Diego, we added one new council member, with those running for office, re-elected. We also experienced redistricting, with changes in the areas now being represented by people reelected to office.

We also have new mayors in the cities of Chula Vista and National City, California cities connecting with the City of San Diego. All of this represents elements of change and new opportunities for governance for those who see such possibilities. The question here is where do you stand? Do you see the opportunities? Are you concerned about the mounting problem of homelessness and making tough decisions beyond how much money is available to tackle the problem?

Let us hear from you on these issues and opportunities as we confront the changes before us.

America’s national, state, and local governments organized and institutionalized lovelessness throughout history. People were lynched and brutalized, families were destroyed, women were raped and children were taken. All this was done in the name of a belief in a false hierarchy of human value. A unified and robust correction is long overdue.

Congressional efforts are currently underway through H.Con.Res.19 - Urging the establishment of a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation

(Dr. Gail C. Christopher is the Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, Senior Scholar at the Center for Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University, former Senior Advisor and Vice President of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. Her new book, RX-Racial Healing is available HERE. Follow Dr. Christopher on Twitter @drgcchristopher. To schedule print or broadcast interviews, contact Michael K. Frisby at 202-625-4328 or mike@frisbyassociates.com)

Census Bureau Projects U.S. and World Populations for Jan. 1, 2023

County/Business News

For Jan. 1, 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau projected the U.S. population would be 334,233,854. This represents an increase of 1,571,393 (0.47%) from New Year’s Day 2022, and 2,784,573 (0.84%) since Census Day (April 1) 2020.

In January 2023, the United States is expected to experience one birth every 9 seconds and one death every 10 seconds. Meanwhile, net international migration is expected to add one person to the U.S. population every 32 seconds.

The combination of births, deaths and net international migration increases the U.S. population by one person every 27 seconds.

The projected world population on Jan. 1, 2023, is 7,942,645,086, an increase of 73,772,634 (0.94%) from New Year’s Day 2022. During January 2023, 4.3 births and 2.0 deaths are expected worldwide every second.

The Census Bureau’s Population Clock displays simulated real-time growth of the U.S. and world populations.

BOE Welcomes New and Returning Members to the Board

County/Business News

DG stores are proud to provide area residents with an affordable and convenient store location to purchase household essentials including food, cleaning supplies, paper products, overthe-counter medicines, hygiene products, baby items and more through its mission of Serving Others. In addition to the national and private branded products customers trust Dollar General to carry, the new Victorville location includes the Company’s new stylish, on-trend home décor and an expanded party preparation selection.

The new store also features a curated assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables including lettuce, tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, limes, salad mixes, and more. The produce set offers the top 20 items typically sold in traditional grocery stores and covers approximately 80% of produce categories most grocery stores carry.

“At Dollar General, we believe the addition of each new store provides positive economic growth for the communities we proudly serve, and the addition of our new Victorville store highlights our commitment to deliver a pleasant shopping experience that includes great prices on quality products in a convenient location, ” said Matthew Simonsen, Dollar General’s senior vice president of real estate and store development. “We look forward to welcoming customers to our new store and hope they will enjoy shopping at our new location.”

To commemorate the opening of DG’s new Victorville location, Dollar General plans to donate 100 new books to a nearby elementary school to benefit students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade. In partnership with the Kellogg Company, the donation will

Furthermore, DG strives to be a good neighbor and is committed to the communities it proudly calls home, evidenced by unwavering support of literacy and education initiatives through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The addition of the Victorville store opens the opportunity for schools, nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of the store to apply for Dollar General Literacy Foundation grants. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $219 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 16.1 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education. For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www. dgliteracy.com.

Dollar General plans to create new jobs in the Victorville community as the store is expected to employ approximately six to 10 people, depending on the individual needs of the store. The Company provides employees with competitive wages, worldclass and award-winning training and development programs and benefits including day-one telemedicine eligibility and Dollar General’s Employee Assistance Foundation, as well as health insurance coverage options, 401K savings and retirement plans, tuition reimbursement, paid parental leave and adoption assistance to eligible employees. Interested candidates can review and apply for available positions here.

For additional information, photographs or items to supplement a story, please visit the DG Newsroom by clicking here or contact the Media Relations Department at 1-877-944-DGPR (3477) or via email at dgpr@dg.com. Updated stock footage and logos are also available on Dollar General’s newsroom.

Unlocking Our

and freedom from fear.

Fifth

Freedom...continued from page 1

It was another iteration of our founding principles, every person’s right to life, to liberty, and to the pursuit of happiness. But here we are in 2022, still needing to codify into law a fifth freedom - a freedom to love. I believe this is our most important freedom. And although it was not articulated by then President Roosevelt or by the founding fathers, freedom to love is the required element in a lasting democracy. By signing this legislation, President Biden affirmed this truth.

It is also meaningful that this freedom became law during the same week that the White House hosted a summit of leaders from 49 African countries. During this summit, President Biden spoke directly about what he described as America’s original sin of slavery: "We remember the stolen men and women and children were brought to our shores in chains…My nation’s original sin was that period." There is a clear relationship and through line from this original sin and the present day need for the

landmark Respect for Marriage Act. Denial of a person’s freedom to love and marry is a denial of a person’s humanity. The institution of enslavement of Africans and the decimation of Native American people could only have been justified by denying our humanity.

It is time for America to begin the real work of seeding and growing a democracy capable of valuing the humanity of all people. This requires developing the skills and the capacities to begin to see ourselves in one another, to develop automatic responses of empathy and compassion needed to build bridges of trust that are required for carrying the weight of the truth of our nation’s inhumane and horrific past acts. While laudable, the Respect for Marriage Act is like a tourniquet applied to the bleeding limb of a wounded soldier; it will only be lifesaving if the body receives the care it needs immediately. For America, that care is the will to move forward, to heal

Sacramento – The California State Board of Equalization (BOE) welcomes new and returning Members to the Board as they have officially begun their term effective yesterday, Monday, January 2, 2023.

Board Member Sally J. Lieber starts her first term on the Board representing the Second Equalization District, which includes 19 counties extending from Del Norte County in the north to Ventura County in the south. She is a former member of the California State Assembly, previously serving on the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee and most recently serving on the Mountain View City Council.

Returning to the Board for their second terms are Board Members Ted Gaines representing the First Equalization District, Antonio Vazquez representing the Third Equalization District, and Mike Schaefer representing the Fourth Equalization District.

Board Member Gaines was first elected to the BOE in November 2018, representing the First Equalization District, which includes all or parts of 34 counties extending from Siskiyou and Modoc Counties in the north to San Bernardino County in the south. He has served 12 years in both the California State Assembly and State Senate, and as a member

of the Placer County Board of Supervisors for eight years.

Board Member Vazquez was first elected to the BOE in November 2018, representing the Third Equalization District, which covers all of Los Angeles County. He is the first Latino ever elected to the BOE since its inception and has over 20 years of business and government experience, including serving as Mayor of the City of Santa Monica.

Board Member Schaefer was first elected to the BOE in November 2018, representing the Fourth Equalization District, which includes the counties of San Diego, Orange, Riverside, Imperial, and a portion of San Bernardino. He is the oldest freshman constitutional officer in state history and served as the youngest person ever elected to the San Diego City Council at 27 years old.

State Controller Malia M. Cohen previously represented the Second Equalization District and will continue to serve on the Board as an ex officio member. Elected in November 2022 as the 33rd State Controller, her prior public service includes serving as President of the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco.

Additional information on the Board can be found on the BOE website.

Subscribe online to The San Bernardino AMERICAN News and get your newspaper Weekly! ($59 a year) Visit our website: sb-american or Mail check or money order to: PO Box 837 Victorville, CA 92393

Dr. John E. Warren

Looking back at California in 2022, in photos

BY CALMATTERS PHOTO TEAM DECEMBER 28, 2022

climate change. And, yes, COVID still hovered over daily life, including schools.

The new: More activism was organized by labor, wage theft gained more attention and abortion politics took center stage after the U.S. Supreme Court took away the federal constitutional guarantee. And the election brought the most diverse Legislature ever. Here’s a look back, through the work of CalMatters photojournalists and freelance photographers.

First: Sacramento firefighters respond to a fire at a homeless encampment under Highway 80 near 14th Street and X Street in February. Last: John Vasquez, 61, sorts through the remains of the fire at the homeless encampment. The first snapshot of the crisis since the pandemic hit reveals that the number of people without a stable place to call home increased by at least 22,500 over the past three years, to 173,800. Photos by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Starlyn Darby and her 8-month-old son Zelimir Quarles at Memorial Park in San Leandro. Darby doesn’t produce enough breast milk to feed Zelimir, who is underweight and relies on formula. When a nationwide shortage began, California couldn’t quickly expand its list of approved formula brands due to federal restrictions, leaving low-income families scrambling to find formula. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

Namirah Jones, at home with her mom Mia Costley, in Corona in May. Jones has severe autism, as well as an intellectual disability. Tens of thousands of Californians with disabilities require special accommodations for dental care, but only 14 centers in the state can treat them. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

First: 1,000 flags representing 10,000 deaths from menthol cigarette use are laid out at a Sacramento park, during an event organized by supporters of Proposition 31 to uphold a state ban on flavored tobacco products. Next: Nursing home workers and supporters gathered at the state Capitol in memory of residents and colleagues who have died during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last: Seriyah Harris, 11, organizes candles at a memorial for her father Sergio Harris, 38, who was killed in a mass shooting in Sacramento in April. Photos by Rahul Lal and Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Kavon Ward, CEO and founder of Where is My Land, at home in Marina Del Rey in November. For decades Black families have borne the brunt of eminent domain, with many saying they had little or no recourse. Eminent domain still poses barriers to Black homeownership today, contributing to the wealth gap. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters

Striking UC academic workers picket on the UCLA campus in Los Angeles in November.

Photo by Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters

Lord is Speaking!”

By: Lou K. Coleman-Yeboah Lou K. Coleman-Yeboah

That many are not discerning what the enemy is doing in this season. The rat has come in, hiding itself, as though what is being given to the people is wholesome and good, but not so, the rat is deceptive. Mass, unbridled deception is taken place. Wake up! For the many empty promises, peace, and security, in reality, is the yoking of humanity. Force is now the only rule remaining in Satancontrolled world. Gird your loins! Because soon and very soon, the Antichrist himself will take his position as the leader of the New World Order, and in less than three years, he will attempt to destroy the world. Know that we are no longer waiting for the fulfillment of this prophecy; it has come to pass for the deception that slithered into the Garden now infiltrates the earth.

Satan has succeeded in casting his spell of humanism, evolution, and universalism—principles that contradict Scripture and reject the preeminence of Jesus Christ. [1 John 4:3].

So, hear this, you foolish and senseless people, who have eyes but do not see, who have ears but do not hear. [Jeremiah 5:21]

The End is Near! This is the last hour. As you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have come” [1 John 2:18]. Wake Up!

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. And they worshipped

the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshipped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. Also, it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain. If anyone has an ear, let him hear…” [Revelation 13: 1-8].

“Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, and it spoke like a dragon. It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. Also, it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.” [Revelation 13:9-18].

“The Lord is speaking but many aren’t discerning!”

We Keep Us Safe: A New Year’s Resolution for the Body of Christ

Sharon Fennema

One of the things I love about this time on the cusp of a new year is the plethora of year-end lists that circulate. Lists of the best movies and music of 2022 abound, as well as retrospectives of significant moments in our common life. I appreciate the opportunity these lists afford us to take stock of where we have been and to be present to what has been our experience of a year. There is something generative about this liminal time, these moments between year-end reflection and year-beginning possibilities.

As fun as it can be to relive a year through pop culture, art, and fashion trends, other year-end retrospectives are a little more sobering. As cultural observers and social and political analysts reflect on 2022, the rise in acts of violence based on white Christian nationalisms and farright extremist views consistently surfaces as one of the key components of our common experience. As Susan Corke, Intelligence Project Director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, noted in her testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security, “White supremacy has gone mainstream, which increasingly threatens people of color, our communities, our education system and democracy

itself.” (See below for more resources about this trend).

The year-end analysis of the rise in white nationalist violence is both terrifying and important for us to face. And it is understandable that facing this reality gives rise to fear in progressive Christian communities and faith communities in general. The possibility that we will face violence for our stances on social justice issues, our embrace of LGBTQIA+ individuals as beloved ones of the Holy One, and our antiracism and decolonial work feels real and present. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that as we face these realities and come to terms with a culture of violence and fear, we turn toward the institutions and structures that our culture forms us to associate with safety. In the midst of our very real fears, we find ourselves turning to police to keep us safe.

The reality is, however, that the very people we are seeking to protect when we turn to police to keep us safe from white nationalist violence are actually further endangered by the presence of policing. We know that policing has disproportionately negative impacts on people of color, queer,

We Keep Us Safe: A New Year’s Resolution for the Body of Christ...continued

trans and nonbinary people, people in mental health crises, disabled people, undocumented people, and poor or unhoused people, oftentimes resulting in violence against us, rather than protection of us. We know that policing is a white supremacist system aimed at protecting property and preserving white privilege. So where do we turn when the rise of white Christian nationalism and hate-based violence are on the rise?

In truth, people of faith have been developing ways to create safety without police for generations. We have practiced de-escalation and conflict resolution with our neighbors. We have met needs and fought for social justice so that our communities can thrive. We have found creative and prophetic ways to interrupt violence. And, what is more, thanks to contemporary abolition movements, we have more tools at our disposal to develop alternatives to policing than we have ever had before. While it may feel daunting to imagine safety for our churches without police, we can and must lean into this challenge and prepare ourselves to invest in the true safety of each invaluable member of the Body of Christ, because we need each part of the body to thrive. So, in this new year, how might you commit to building your capacity for building true community safety? What practical steps will you and your church take to reduce your reliance on police and build beloved community? The flourishing of the Body of Christ demands it.

More Resources:

To build your capacity for community safety:

SURJ-Faith’s Community Safety for All Toolkit has tons of resources for developing understanding, including spiritual

and theological foundations, and concrete steps toward reducing our reliance on police.

Prayer and Preparation: An Introduction to Rapid Response and Embodiment Practices with Rev. Tracy Howe and Rev. Brittany Caine-Conley, offered for free on the UCC’s Frontline Faith learning portal, helps local church members prepare for and respond to violence.

Defund Fear: Safety without Policing, Prisons and Punishment by Zach Norris offers a groundbreaking vision for public safety through social analysis and storytelling.

No More Prisons: A Case for Abolition by Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie centers survivors of state violence and community-based solutions to build a new world of safety.

For more information on the rise of white Christian nationalism:

A recent New York Times editorial argues that right-wing extremist violence in the United States is actually part of a global phenomenon and suggests ways to respond.

The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project highlights one of the unique aspects of this year’s hate-based violence: the way in which anti-LGBTIQA+ mobilization has fueled the largest increase in far-right protest activity this year, combining with white supremacy to drive violence toward individuals, groups, and communities.

A fact sheet from the Center for American Progress shows that when combined with easy access to guns, white nationalist violence often becomes deadly, as we have seen from Buffalo to Uvalde to Colorado Springs. Find Susan Corke’s full testimony to congress here.

Dr. Sharon R. Fennema is the Join the Movement Toward Racial Justice Curator for the United Church of Christ.

Ready for Our Earth Shot

By Ben Jealous Ben Jealous

As we greet 2023, I’m feeling more than the typical seasonal optimism. America is primed once again for a historic achievement, call it our “Earth shot.”

In the 1960s and early 1970s, the United States spent the current dollar equivalent of just under $300 billion on “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth” as President Kennedy proposed in 1961. Ever since, that combination of aspiration and expenditure has made us call any well-financed goal that seems improbable, if not impossible, a “moonshot.”

President Biden and Congress committed almost $700 billion in the next 10 years to reducing pollution, particularly in marginalized communities most likely to suffer, and to making the transportation and energy sectors cleaner to preserve the climate. We need to appreciate the investment to save our fragile planet made in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act as our Earth shot.

This is a moment of

unprecedented opportunity to combat the climate crisis, lessen the impact of environmental decay in communities that unfairly bear its brunt, and build a cleaner economy. We need to come together to seize it. It’s a moment long awaited by people of color in particular, who always have been strong voices for environmental protection and who have been the most demanding of political leaders on these issues at the ballot box.

What’s behind this optimistic outlook? First, the landmark investment since 2021 moves us beyond the point of simply imagining what could be done to handing us the tools to build what it will take to avert climate catastrophe and environmental decay. It’s up to us now to take up those tools and get to work. We can accelerate the arrival of a green economy. We can rebuild our manufacturing sector, not just our roads and bridges. We can create good jobs for people who need them and have struggled to find them. And we can do it all at once. In fact, we must do it all at once.

Second, that historic investment comes at a particularly opportune moment for changing the course of our climate and environment. It’s a moment when innovation is matching our resolve to make change. From batteries to LED lights to energy production, we have better, cleaner options across the economy.

This intersection of investment and innovation means we can move past the old either-or thinking that has held us back for

Ready for Our Earth Shot...continued

too long, the mistaken notion that the only way to have a flourishing economy is to force some people in some places to pay the cost of prosperity. The new reality of this time is that we can have thriving businesses and good jobs without sacrificing the planet. Getting to the moon led to everything from the silicon chip to more PhDs in science and engineering. Our Earth shot can have the same spillover effect. While the federal government has set the stage for unprecedented progress, the work of implementation will play out in every state and community. There were no corporate lobbyists fighting to keep the Apollo rockets grounded, but we can expect fights everywhere to divert investment in a cleaner environment or to minimize its impact. We need to match those opponents in statehouses and city halls with our people power.

Environmental, labor and civil rights advocates need to come

together as all our interests align in this cause.

As we close out this holiday season, let’s give ourselves the gift of belief. Let’s believe that we can do this, we can save the planet. Let’s believe that we can figure out tough challenges that our inspiration has yet to crack. And let’s believe we can move beyond old, harmful patterns of division and discrimination to ensure everyone enjoys a livable planet.

Happy New Year.

Ben Jealous is incoming executive director of the Sierra Club, America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, and professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania. A New York Times best-selling author, his next book “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free” will be published by Harper Collins in January 2023.

CCA Urges IL Lawmakers To Fix Controversial New Law

"We cannot allow this radical experiment in ‘Woke’ justice to become a precedent for other states.”

Lifestyle News

Washington, D.C./January 3, 2023 – Today, Concerned Communities for America (CCA) Executive Director DaQuawn Bruce issued the following statement applauding the Illinois Supreme Court for taking emergency action to temporarily prevent a new law from ending cash bail and pre-trial detention for a variety of serious criminal offenses.

“The Supreme Court made the correct decision to prevent this particularly harmful provision of the misleadingly named ‘SAFE-T Act’ from taking effect. Without their action, murderers, arsonists, kidnappers, and other violent criminals would have been allowed back onto the streets while awaiting trial, putting local communities in danger.

“Illinois lawmakers should use the court’s temporary stay as an opportunity to revisit this misguided law and eliminate this dangerous provision once and for

all. This is a misguided approach to criminal justice reform, because there is no justice in a soft on crime posture that releases individuals who have committed crimes for them to go out and commit them again. The victims of this policy are disproportionately likely to be Black and Brown citizens living in the City of Chicago and the surrounding communities.

“I have seen firsthand the devastation that violent crime can cause to families and communities, and I implore Illinois lawmakers to take immediate action to avert this preventable tragedy. We cannot allow this radical experiment in ‘Woke’ justice to become a precedent for other states.”

To learn more about Concerned Communities for America, please visit concernedcommunities.org. You can follow CCA on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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A legally adjudicated newspaper of general circulation on September 30, 1971, case number 15313 by the Superior Court of San Bernardino County.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News subscription rate is $59.00 per year.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News is committed to serving its readers by presenting news unbiased and objective, trusting in the mature judgment of the readers and, in so doing, strive to achieve a united community.

News releases appearing in the San Bernardino AMERICAN News do not necessarily express the policy nor the opinion of the publishers.

The San Bernardino AMERICAN News reserves the right to edit or rewrite all news releases.

“The

Mental Health Is Major Hurdle to Solving California’s Homelessness Crisis

Aldon Thomas Stiles | California Black Media

Aaliyah Muhammad is a member of the civil rights group All of Us or None and a pillar of her community in Sacramento. She works tirelessly to help the homeless population along Market Street, a thoroughfare in the Sacramento County community of Walnut Grove.

She also is a mother to a son suffering from severe mental illness.

Muhammad fears that she might be the one thing standing between her son and a life on the streets.

"He told them one day he didn't want their services anymore and so they stopped coming and that's when he started going downhill," Muhammad said of the social workers who were handling his case. "But I feel that they shouldn't have just quit. They should have tried to talk with him or find some other group that he might work with."

For many Californians this is not an unfamiliar story. For a lot of families with homeless relatives – or loved ones on the verge of becoming unhoused – it is that one intervention or strategic assistance at the right time that prevented that person battling mental illness or other life challenges from losing their stable housing.

About 161,548 people in the state experience homelessness on any given day, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) reports the number of homeless people

in the state increased 42% from 2014 to 2020.

About 25% of the adult homeless population in Los Angeles County deal with severe mental health issues according to a report from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

According to a survey conducted by the California Health Care Foundation, 43% of the Black Californians interviewed reported that someone close to them has experienced homelessness – a rate much higher than any other racial group in the survey.

Experts attribute California’s homelessness crisis to a few key historical factors.

La Tina Jackson, a licensed clinical social worker and a deputy with the L.A. County Department of Mental Health, explained that a person can become homeless due to struggles with severe mental illness and vice versa.

"A person with severe mental illness may experience delusions or hallucinations that might result in bizarre, irrational, impulsive, or disorganized behavior. In a minority of cases, even aggressive behavior," Jackson said.

Alex Visotyzky, Senior California Policy Fellow at the National Alliance to End Homelessness, claims that this crisis has been decades in the making.

"We've seen the federal government slowly, over the last 50 years, disinvest from

Food Safety Alert: CDC warns of Salmonella infections linked to raw alfalfa sprouts

A CDC food safety alert regarding a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium infections has been posted at https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/ typhimurium-12-22/index.html.

Key points:

Fifteen people infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella have been reported from Oklahoma, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Two people have been hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

Interviews with 12 sick people and traceback data show that raw alfalfa sprouts from SunSprout Enterprises of Fremont, Nebraska, may be making people sick.

All 12 people interviewed so far report eating alfalfa sprouts, either purchased from a grocery store or eaten at a restaurant.

On December 29, SunSprout Enterprises recalled four lots of raw alfalfa sprouts sold to food service and grocery stores between late November and midDecember 2022.

Recalled sprouts were packaged in 4-ounce plastic clamshell containers and labeled with lot numbers 4211, 5211, 3212, or 4212. Best-by dates are

between 12/10/22 and 1/7/23.

The true number of sick people in this outbreak is likely higher than the number reported, and the outbreak may not be limited to the states with known illnesses. This is because some people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.

What You Should Do: Do not eat, sell, or serve recalled alfalfa sprouts. Throw them away or return them to where you bought them.

Wash surfaces and containers that may have touched the recalled alfalfa sprouts using hot soapy water or a dishwasher.

Contact a healthcare provider if you have any of these severe Salmonella symptoms: Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F

Diarrhea for more than 3 days that is not improving Bloody diarrhea

So much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down

Signs of dehydration, such as: Not peeing much Dry mouth and throat Feeling dizzy when standing up

affordable housing in major ways," he said.

The Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) Act of 1967 was signed into law by Gov. Ronald Reagan to provide guidelines for handling involuntary civil commitment of individuals to mental health institutions in the State of California. Its intent was to move away from locked mental institutions in favor of more community-based treatment.

LPS also implemented 72-hour holds to limit involuntary and indefinite institutionalization.

Jackson – who, much like Muhammad, is intimately familiar with the subject of mental illness in her own personal life – claims that while the legislation was born from the best intentions, the LPS Act has not worked as well in practice.

"I've yet to see someone who truly is having a psychotic break completely reconstituted 72 hours," she said. "They might be better because you get medication, but I've yet to see somebody completely reconstitute."

Visotyzky argues that the LPS Act led to a lack of adequate investments due to the lack of alternatives. The LPS Act resulted in many individuals being released from state hospitals to live in the community.

In the 1980s, under Pres. Reagan there was a disinvestment from the health care systems most American families relied on to provide care and shelter

for mentally challenged relatives or those dealing with other behavioral issues. It came in the form of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 (MHSA), according to Vonya Quarles, the Executive Director of Starting Over Inc.

"That shut down mental health facilities and led to the increase in the prison system." Quarles said.

In the last couple of years California announced a $3 billion investment to provide affordable housing options and services for those suffering from severe mental illness or substance abuse issues.

This included funds for the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Act – or Senate Bill (SB) 1338 – which is designed to provide several points of intervention and alternatives before facing more severe outcomes.

The CARE Act includes Care Court, which aims to divert homeless people with severe mental illness away from correctional facilities in favor of mandatory treatment.

"CARE Court has the potential to change the lives of thousands of families across the state," said Harold Turner, Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Urban Los Angeles. "Organizations like NAMI urgently need this support so we can quickly begin helping our loved ones who are struggling with untreated mental and behavioral issues."

While Care Court has its fair share of criticisms, Muhammad believes that this program is exactly what her son needs.

Muhammad continues to work for those who are not as fortunate while her son is being treated through the Care program in the Napa State Hospital.

"We'll all go pick up dinners and take them to different encampments and pass them out," she said. "We hand them all out. We never come back with any dinner."

California Black Media’s coverage of Mental Health in California is supported by the California Health Care Foundation

Food Safety Alert: CDC warns of Salmonella infections linked to raw alfalfa sprouts...continued

About Salmonella: Most people infected with Salmonella develop diarrhea, fever, and stomach cramps 6 hours to 6 days after being exposed to the bacteria.

The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most people recover without treatment.

In some people, the illness may be so severe that the patient is hospitalized. Salmonella infection may spread from the

intestines to the bloodstream and then to other parts of the body.

Children younger than 5, adults 65 and older, and people with weakened immune systems are more likely to have severe illness.

If you have questions about cases in a particular state, please call that state’s health department.

Bruce Family to sell Manhattan Beach Property, Senator Bradford Issues Statement

SACRAMENTO – Following the Bruce family’s decision to sell their property to the County of Los Angeles, Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) released the following statement:

“I fully support the decision made by the Bruce family to sell the property to the County of LA. They are exercising a right that should have never been taken away from them. I understand why the Bruce family would want to sell the property. The

current zoning regulations would prevent the Bruce family from developing the property in any economically beneficial manner. Based on that fact it leaves LA County as the only logical purchaser of the property.

“The Manhattan Beach City Council stole the land under false pretenses nearly one hundred years ago and deprived the Bruce’s of generations of wealth.

I am proud to have authored the legislation (SB 796) and to help descendants of the Bruce family reclaim their land and to have the deed transferred back to its rightful owners.

“In no way does selling the property diminish the powerful example that the return of Bruce’s Beach represents in America. They were able to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.”

Senate Bill 796, authored by

Senator Bradford in 2021, cleared the way for the beachfront land to be returned to the Bruce family. In June of last year, the County of Los Angeles Transfer Documents detailed a 24-month lease agreement with the Bruce family and rented the property from them. The Lease Agreement also included the Bruce’s right to sell the property to the County for a purchase price not to exceed $20 million.

8 Ways To Walk Off The Weight…Fast!

World /Health News

Have you tried walking for weight loss? There are so many health advantages to simply taking a walk. It can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and improve the efficiency of both the heart and lungs.

Walking also helps combat anxiety and depression, and recent research suggests that as little as 8 miles a week can help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, walking is a great exercise to do to lose weight fast! Below are 8 ways to boost your calorie-burn big time—without much extra effort:

8. Skip killer hills Don’t assume the biggest inclines are the best for burning fat. It’s actually better to maintain your speed on a moderate hill than to slow down substantially on a steeper one.

7. Use your arms Vigorously pumping your bent arms helps you go faster—and burn more calories.

6. Set goals you can see Choose markers (stop sign, park bench, etc.) and speed up until you reach them. Slow down for the same distance.

5. Wipe the pavement Roll through from heel to toe. When you get to the ball of your foot, push off as if wiping gum

off your sole. This will get your calf, hamstring, and glute muscles involved—and the more muscle you use, the more calories you burn.

4. Go shoe shopping To get the most power from your push-off, opt for a shoe with minimum cushioning and maximum flexibility in the front of the shoe.

3. Stand straight When your body’s aligned, your back and butt muscles are able to work more powerfully, so you walk faster and torch more calories.

Stand tall with a straight spine, keeping your ears and shoulders aligned over your hips.

2. Raise your rate Wearing a heart-rate monitor is like having your own coach keeping you at optimal fattorching pace.

It’ll give you a push if you’re slowing down too much, but also get you to ease up if you’re pushing too hard.

1. Add strength Simple moves like push-ups and lunges get more muscles involved for a major burn.

When you walk, stop every five minutes and do one minute of moves. This will help up your metabolism over the long term, too.

California Can Solve Homelessness By 2035 If We Invest $8.1 Billion Annually For Housing & Services

California Homeless Housing Needs Assessment by Corporation for Supportive Housing puts a first-of-its-kind dollar figure on the investments needed to solve homelessness by 2035.

World/Health News

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) and the California Housing Partnership, with the support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, collaborated with multiple stakeholders to determine the level of public investment that would solve homelessness in California through the first ever California Homeless Housing Needs Assessment.

With data provided in part by the Homeless Data Integration System and the most recent U.S. Census, the Needs Assessment concludes that California must invest an average of $8.1 billion every year for the next 12 years to create the housing, shelter and supportive services needed to adequately address and solve homelessness.

“Solving homelessness in California is possible if we quantify the need for housing and are clear about the purpose of our investments,” said Debbie Thiele, Western Region Managing Director, Corporation for Supportive Housing. “This needs assessment provides policymakers with a better understanding of the total need and acts as a foundation for future investment and policy decisions across the state.”

Drawing from an enormous body of practical evidence and a process that validated and adjusted base assumptions through stakeholder engagement, the analysis concludes that

a problem as complex as homelessness, requires a comprehensive approach and the funding investments to match. The analysis found that California needs to build 112,527 affordable homes, fund operating and rental subsidies to 225,053 households, provide supportive services for 62,966 individuals and families, and fund interim interventions like shelters for 32,235 Californians experiencing homelessness.

“The California Housing Partnership is proud to have assisted CSH with the research behind The California Homeless Housing Needs Assessment,” said Matt Schwartz, President & CEO, California Housing Partnership. “The findings in The Assessment add to the findings in the 2021 publication of California’s Roadmap Home 2030 and deserve the attention of state leaders tasked with addressing the state’s on-going crisis of homelessness.”

Until now, policymakers have never been able to draw on a comprehensive assessment of the investment necessary to end homelessness in California, and proposed spending has accordingly been incomplete or based on available resources instead of need. Consensus on the data can form the basis of a statewide plan that establishes an ongoing and consistent source of funding.

“Homelessness has long

La Tina Jackson, a licensed clinical social worker and a deputy with the L.A. County

Bruce Family to sell Manhattan Beach Property, Senator Bradford Issues Statement...continued

How California Is Pulling Racism and Hate Crimes Out Into the Open

Black Californians are most affected by criminal offenses based on prejudice

McKenzie Jackson| California Black Media

Officials and advocates across California are pouring resources into pointing out that racism and racial intolerance impact public health -- major factors, they say, behind the substantial increase in hate crimes and hate incidents in the Golden State. In Stop the Hate, a 2021 report focused on hate crimes in Los Angeles County researchers reached several revealing conclusions that line up with trends reported across the state.

Among the findings that stood out in the LA County report were: Black Californians are still most impacted by hate crimes; hate crimes are significantly underreported to law enforcement (by as much 50 %); and they violate human rights as defined by 177 nations around the world in the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

Although African Americans in Los Angeles County make up only 9% of the population, they accounted for 46 % of the victims of hate crimes in 2021, according to the Stop the Hate Report.

Statewide in 2021, Black Californians accounted for a disproportionate 44% of the victims of documented hate crimes although African Americans make up about 6% of the state’s population, according to statistics released by the California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office in June.

The Los Angeles County study was spearheaded by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Rights and research for it was conducted in an area encompassing Central and South Los Angeles, neighborhoods in

the San Fernando Valley, West Hollywood and Hollywood.

In nearby Orange County (OC), officials there joined a growing chorus of other Golden State cities and counties that have declared racism a public health crisis.

At their Dec. 6 public meeting, the Orange County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved “A Resolution of The Board of Supervisors of the County of Orange Declaring Racism and Inequity as a Public Health Crisis.”

The resolution is based on the premise that systemic racism causes persistent discriminatory policies and evidence cited in numerous studies linking racism to negative health outcomes. In it, the OC Board of Supervisors vowed to promote an inclusive and racial equity justice-oriented governmental organization that is aware of “unfairness through robust trainings and continuing education to expand the understanding of how racial discrimination affects individuals and communities most impacted by inequities.”

Orange County Human Relations Council Director of Operations Don Han applauded the Southern California county board’s move.

“This signified that we are serious about stopping hate,” said Han, whose nonprofit is geared toward combatting discrimination in the Southern California county. “That is our goal.”

Han said there is evidence that systematic racism has existed in Orange County -- which is 70 % White — like most of the U.S.,

for generations.

Within the last two years, the cities of Coachella, Goleta, Long Beach, and Los Angeles and counties such as Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Diego, and Santa Barbara passed resolutions categorizing racism as a public health distress.

The Oakland City Council deemed racism a public health crisis in June and promised to work to advance racial equity.

At the time, Seema Rupani of the Oakland City Attorney’s Office, said the government had a responsibility to address the health problem racism has caused.

“Structural racism has existed for centuries, and it has always impacted communities of color here, but during the pandemic the inequities became more pronounced,” she said. “They were growing. They were becoming more exposed particularly with COVID and housing and homelessness and economic disparities and there was just a responsibility to acknowledge what was happening and to take steps to address it.”

Oakland’s resolution directed $350,000 in the city budget for data analyst and consulting services to aid the city and its department of race and equity to enhance “improvements in systems for collection and processing data to track performance and equity progress,” reads the council’s resolution.

The OC supervisors did not attach a dollar amount to what the county will do to combat discrimination but indicated

they will support diversity and inclusion as a core component to the delivery of health and human services for underserved populations, including appropriate allocation of resource to personnel training and public education.

Over 200 governmental bodies in 37 states have passed declarations concerning racism's impact on public health.

U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky called racism a public health danger in 2021.

She pointed to how the pandemic impacted communities of color in terms of case numbers, deaths, and social consequences.

“What we know is this: racism is a serious public health threat that directly affects the wellbeing of millions of Americans,” Walensky said. "Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin or their race or ethnicity, but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives, where they work, where their children play, and where they worship and gather in community.”

In Orange County, hate crimes and related incidents were up 165 percent in 2021 compared to five years ago, according to OC Human Relations Council’s “2021 Orange County Hate Crimes Report.”

Black people were the target of 24 reported hate incidents and 16 hate crimes in 2021, while there were 153 hate incidents and 10 hate crimes committed against Asian/Pacific Islanders.

Han touched on how systematic racism can be traced back to slavery -- citing, for example, the U.S. Government never honoring Union General William T. Sherman’s promise to grant formerly enslaved Black people land they after they were freed. He added that people who do not understand history fear what the OC resolution could mean legally.

“There are a number of folks who have a lack of knowledge on this, and they lash out,” Han said. “But they don’t represent a majority of the county. The resolution signified that we are serious about stopping hate. We are seeing a shining light at the end of the tunnel.”

Rose Parade

all in attendance.

"People are looking for happiness and answers, and want to make changes. They are hoping that the next year might be better than the last," said Gene Beltran, local spokesman for Jehovah's Witnesses in California.

"We're finding that a lot of people are just excited to get back to some normalcy," said Mark Plomaritis of Lake Forest. "People are eager, more eager than ever, to hear something positive," adds Kathryn Plomaritis.

a real hope that these problems are just temporary," he added.

In September 2022, Jehovah's Witnesses resumed their public ministry. Out of concern for the health and safety of the community Witnesses had suspended their activity in March 2020.

"The pandemic gave people the opportunity to reorganize their priorities in life. Many feel it's important to get in touch with their spirituality," said Zila Rodriguez of Los Angeles.

California Can Solve Homelessness By 2035 If We Invest $8.1 Billion Annually For Housing & Services...continued from page 7

been neglected in our state, and it has reached a tipping point that cannot be ignored,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, chair, Assembly Housing Committee. "Our budget is a reflection of our values, and it’s time to make solving this issue a priority."

“The Needs Assessment spells out what we need to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-reoccurring in Los Angeles and in California,” said Peter Laugharn, President and CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

“By answering a fundamental question – how much housing do we need to help our unhoused neighbors? – we have the information we need to create a statewide plan that we can collectively tackle together with public and private resources.”

The Needs Assessment is a result of a collaborative stakeholder engagement process that included multiple publicly available data sets, focus groups of people with lived experience, interviews with experts and service providers, and two widereaching convenings engaging over 125 stakeholders.

“Homelessness is a statewide crisis. But it is a crisis that we can solve by providing housing and services for those in need,” said Chione Lucina Muñoz Flegal, Executive Director, Housing California. “Nearly one-fourth of the people experiencing homelessness in this country are in our Golden State. The 2022 point-in-time count found more than 170,000 Californians are unhoused on any given day. Solving our crisis requires that we understand the true needs of households experiencing or expected to experience homelessness. And that is what has been done through this Needs Assessment. Housing California is proud to support its goals and findings.”

The Needs Assessment estimates federal and state resources will offer resources of $1.2 billion for housing people experiencing homelessness, lowering the remaining need to $6.9 billion each year through 2035. This amounts to about 2.7 percent of the 2022-23 California Budget.

The current approach has historically focused on reactive, short-term and uncoordinated solutions often drawn from

one-time budget surpluses. The Needs Assessment provides foundational data to support investments that effectively houses Californians experiencing homelessness.

“California can solve homelessness and be a model for the rest of the nation,” said Ann Oliva, Chief Executive Officer, National Alliance to End Homelessness. “The centralized, long-term approach outlined in this assessment is what it will take to turn public investments into tangible results for our communities in need. We look forward to seeing these recommendations in action.”

Assessing data, as in this needs assessment, and matching resources to meet identified need has proven effective in realworld applications. Examples from Houston to Finland to U.S. veteran homelessness show that a data-informed, committed, cohesive approach to ongoing funding of housing leads to major reductions in homelessness. The federal government has been able to reduce homelessness among veterans by 55% since 2010 by funding ongoing rental subsidies and services based on data-informed goals.

Houston saw a 63% reduction in homelessness after implementing these strategies, and Finland is estimated to end homelessness in the country for good by 2027.

“This analysis makes clear that the pathway to ending homelessness across California is clear and attainable. The annual investment is less than the cost of a new aircraft carrier,” said Tommy Newman, Vice President of Engagement & Activation, United Way of Greater Los Angeles. “This assessment helps state leaders understand both the level and the type of investment needed to solve homelessness, it analyzes the current impact of state-funded programs, and it demonstrates a realistic and coordinated approach to solving homelessness permanently. It should be in every briefing book in the Capitol.”

“This is a really important effort to quantify the need for more investments into housing and services for people experiencing homelessness in California,” remarked Carolina Reid, Faculty Research Advisor, Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.

For more than a century, families and spectators from all over the world line the streets of Pasadena to view the Rose Parade at the start of each new year. It is a family tradition that fills the air with optimism and hope.

Another tradition is also returning this year. For the first time since 2020, Jehovah's Witnesses will again be seen along the parade route, standing next to mobile carts displaying positive and hopeful messages

for families.

The theme of this year's Rose Parade is "Turning the Corner."

Parade organizers are hopeful that the nearly 800,000 expected attendees will mark this event as a fresh start for the community.

Many attendees are hoping for a better future. At 35 locations along the 5 ½ mile parade route, more than 250 Jehovah's Witnesses have been preparing to share a positive message with

Along the sidewalks, families bundle up against the early morning cold. Some camp out overnight, make s'mores and secure their best spot to view the breathtaking floats. Despite the heightened excitement, there remains a lingering mindfulness of safety, security and the way times have changed.

"People are now very sensitive to what has happened, said James Villanueva, who assists in organizing this volunteer event for Jehovah's Witnesses. ”I think our presence at the parade will be instrumental in giving people

Returning volunteer, Crystal Jones from Carson said, "The carts are like a cup of coffee on a cold day. They are so warm and inviting."

Volunteers stand beside mobile display carts welcoming people from all walks of life and cultures. The featured website jw.org is currently available in 1070 languages, including sign language and some nearly extinct indigenous languages.

The message of hope that Jehovah's Witnesses extend worldwide is what is needed most as we now "turn the corner" toward a new year.

State/Local

Jehovah's Witnesses Return to the 2023 Rose Parade