Volume 53 No. 46
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)
The San Bernardino City Unified School District Board Appointed Mrs. Felicia Alexander on February 7, 2023, to fill a vacancy from a field of nine local applicants. The vacancy was created when Dr. Gwendolyn DowdyRogers won her bid to serve on the San Bernardino County School Board. As a provisional appointee, Mrs. Alexander will serve on the Board until the general election in November of 2024.
“I’m here in front of you because I’m passionate about our scholars, I’m passionate about the recourses and all that we can provide them because they are our future, “Mrs. Alexander said during her opening remarks to the Board.”
Mrs. Alexander said she is interested in getting back to the pre-COVID graduation rates, making sure middle schools have resources needed for after school programs, and growing the career pathways programs. She also said she has three grandchildren in San Bernardino City Schools, so she has a vested interest in the district.
Mrs. Alexander brings to the board her experience as Sector Director, Global Supply
Chain, where, where she leads global logistics efforts for an aeronautics and defense company. Mrs. Alexander is also an adjunct professor at California State University, Long Beach, teaching courses
in operations management, supply chain management, and reversed logistics modules. She has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in organizational developmental and leadership.
Mrs. Alexander was administered the oath of office by her husband San Bernardino Seventh Ward City Council Member Damon Alexander.
Gail Fry -Contributor
was admonished by the mayor followed by a series of events leading to her arrest, removal from the meeting, incarceration, and filing of criminal charges.
charges against her be dismissed immediately,” the letter from the California First Amendment Coalition demanded.
On February 21, 2023, Victorville City Council Member Blanca Gomez requested to speak during public comments as a member of the public, Gomez, addressing the council and the audience regarding a subject discussed in closed session,
Three days later, on February 24, 2023, according to a letter obtained by The San Bernardino American News, the California First Amendment Coalition (FAC) released a letter to the Victorville City Council, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, urging the district attorney to immediately drop the criminal charges.
“By copy of this letter to the San Bernardino County District Attorney, I am asking that the
“Abuse of such power threatens the fabric of democracy and open government,” Loy protested. In an interview with The San Bernardino American News, Loy charged, “That's a direct assault on freedom of speech, democracy and open government.”
“There are also serious questions whether it was lawful to arrest Council Member Gomez on the charges for which she was booked,” Loy voiced, adding that Penal Code section 403 requires that a person “willfully disturbs or breaks up” a lawful meeting.
The series of events, which ended in Gomez’ arrest on February 21, started when Gomez asked to speak, as a member of the public, during the public comment period. Gomez was at the podium when she turned to the audience and pointed to her cell phone, admonished by Mayor Debra Jones, Gomez turned to face the council pointing her finger at a council member Elizabeth Becerra while stating, “during closed session.”
Victorville Mayor Debra Jones instructed staff to mute the microphone while Becerra raised her portable device to cover
L/R Front: Joyce Smith (Social Lites), Dr. Gwendolyn DowdyRodgers, Kathryn Ervin, Twillea Evans-Carthen, Stan Futch (Westside Action Group), Kim Carter, Robie Madrigal. L/R Back: Cindy Black-Wyatt, Aaron Burgess, and Kiana Webb. Awardees Not in Photo: Prince Ogidikpe, Terrance Stone, Damon Alexander, and Kimberly Calvin.
Social Lites, Inc.
Westside Action Group
Black History Month
Celebration commenced at California State University, San Bernardino Campus with Black Faculty, Staff, and Student Association presenting scholarships to deserving students, honoring emerging leader Prince Ogidipke, presenting village awards to Kiana Webb, Dr. Gwendolyn DowdyRodgers, Kim Carter, Social Lites, Inc., Westside Action Group, Kimberly Calvin, and Terrance Stone. The Lorraine Frost Award presented to Robie Madrigal. The following Pioneer Honorees included, Aaron Burgess, Kathryn Ervin, Twillea Evans-Carthen and Cindy
Black-Wyatt. Scholarship awardees included Mustafaa Bell (Dr. Mildred Henry Scholarship), Lynn Brown-Summers (Ms. Belva Holder Memorial Scholarship), Vivian Osunde (Dr. Jean Peacock and Walter Hawkins Scholarship), Kya Ny’Ashia Necole Olive (John Overton Scholarship), Kuadwawashe Jonah Magwenz (Terrilyn Monette Memorial Scholarship), Shareen Mc Dade (Dr. Milton Clark Scholarship), Tyler Harris (Felix Family Scholarship), and a number of students received the John Futch Book Scholarship. Congratulations to all honorees!!!
Funding for the California Mortgage relief program comes from the Federal Government’s American Rescue Plan Act’s Homeowners Assistance Fund implemented in 2021, which allocated $1 billion for eligible homeowners across the country.
Tiena Johnson Hall(Courtesy photo)
Earlier this month, the California Housing Financing Agency (CalHFA) and the Sacramento branch of NeighborWorks held a press conference at the State Capitol to announce the expansion of California's mortgage relief program.
“Over the past year, the California Mortgage Relief program has been helping Californians that are most vulnerable to overcome the financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tiena Johnson Hall, Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency.
One of the major new changes to eligibility, CalHFA officials say, applies to those who own residences with up to four units. Those homeowners can now apply for assistance. Relief through the program has also extended to those with partialclaim second mortgages or loan deferrals from the beginning of 2020.
Additionally, for homeowners who have missed at least two mortgage payments or one property payment before March 1st of this year, the delinquency date for payments has been reset.
Previous beneficiaries of the program are now eligible for additional funds that could add up to $80,000 in total aid. Officials say the program is meant for those who have had trouble keeping up with housing payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to Hall, the program has distributed federal grants and funds to over 10,000 California homeowners.
Not only is applying to the program free, she says, homeowners do not have to worry about paying back the relief funds.
The program is provided to homeowners through the CalHFA Homeowner Relief Corporation.
During the press conference held in the first week of Black History Month, Hall made a point to mention that those who tend to struggle with homeownership in California and the nation at large are Black.
"Black communities have been shut out of homeownership by a variety of factors including discriminatory housing practices which equates to less generational wealth," said Hall.
Homeownership is an incredibly important tool in building generational wealth, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Volma Volcy, Founder and Executive Director of the Ring of Democracy, said it is important to secure the prosperity of neighborhoods where residents are at risk for foreclosure.
"When a family is displaced, a whole community is destroyed," said Volcy.
Volcy also said that the California Mortgage Relief Program has been successful so far in providing aid for those in fear of losing their homes due to pandemic-related financial hardships.
Visit the California Mortgage Relief website to assess your eligibility and apply for the program.
SACRAMENTO—State
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond today released the “Creating Equitable Early Learning Environments for Young Boys of Color: Disrupting Disproportionate Outcomes” publication.
This report was created by the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Early Education Division and is the fifth publication in a special topic series titled Best Practices for Planning Curriculum for Young Children.
The Young Boys of Color report highlights the critical need to disrupt disproportionate discipline patterns and create strength-based and equityoriented early childhood environments that help Black and Brown boys to thrive. Educators and program leaders are provided with a helpful roadmap for improving racial equity through strengthening racial awareness, addressing implicit bias, and creating culturally responsive environments that are safe, affirming, and engaging for boys of color and their families.
“This groundbreaking report provides an honest and comprehensive look at the inequitable experiences our youngest boys of color have in early learning programs,
including disproportionate rates of exclusionary discipline such as pushouts, suspensions, and expulsions,” Superintendent Thurmond said. “The report highlights the critical need to disrupt these patterns and create strength-based and equity-oriented early childhood environments that support boys of color to thrive.”
“Although the pandemic has impacted everyone, it has disproportionately affected our student groups that were already vulnerable—and who were made vulnerable due to historic and systemic inequities,” Thurmond added. “This is an urgent time for Black students, and in order to make sustainable and longterm changes, we must look to supports and actions that are backed and proven by research. We know that Black students— particularly Black boys—are one of the most vulnerable groups.”
This publication is part of broader efforts by Superintendent Thurmond to address issues of equity that include Education to End Hate Initiative grants and launching a series of town halls and webinars focusing on Black and Brown student achievement. Additional investments include professional development for
State Superintendent Tony Thurmond Releases New Publication on Equitable Learning Environments for Young Boys of Color...continued educators in anti-bias grants and launching the Black Student Achievement Task Force to implement a strategy to close the gap that persists (and is widening) between students of
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color and their white and Asian peers. For more information, visit the CDE Early Education Publications web page.
Volunteers Support Around-the-Clock Relief Effort
REDLANDS, Calif. —
February 27, 2023 — In response to mountain-area road closures caused by winter weather, the American Red Cross of San Bernardino County has opened a shelter at Redlands East Valley High School (31000 E Colton Ave). Volunteers are available to assist residents unable to return to their mountain-area homes with emergency lodging, meals, snacks, water and more.
Trained Red Cross volunteers and staff remain on call aroundthe-clock and are ready to assist in various aspects including sheltering, feeding, and more.
HOW TO FIND A SHELTER
If someone needs to find a shelter or other help, they should follow their local media or go to redcross.org and check the shelter map. People can also find a shelter by downloading the free Red Cross Emergency App, which also puts safety tips at their fingertips. The app is available in app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps. Everyone is welcome at Red Cross shelters.
A San Bernardino County call center will also operate at 909-387-3911, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to provide information.
For safety information, please visit redcross.org/winterstorm. Please follow @SoCal_RedCross on Twitter for the latest updates. About the American Red Cross
Southern California Region
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid, and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the public to perform its mission. The Red Cross Southern California Region proudly serves San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial Counties. In addition to carrying out disaster preparedness and response programs, blood collection, health and safety training, international services programs and supporting the military community, the Southern California Region provides nutritional counseling through its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in San Diego and helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters through its Prepare SoCal and Prepare San Diego initiatives. For more information, please visit redcross.org/ SoCal or cruzrojaamericana. org, or connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and YouTube.
meant to foster a love of reading in our students and their families, which in turn can help everyone achieve more.”
SBCUSD, and especially the Literacy Task Force, hopes that local families will embrace the importance of literacy by attending the Festival, taking home one or more of the hundreds of free books that will be available, and celebrating the District’s award-winning young readers.
San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is holding a free Literacy Day Festival on Saturday, March 4. Students, families, and the local community are invited to attend and celebrate their love of and the importance of literacy.
For the past several years, the SBCUSD Literacy Task Force, which includes preschool through high school educators, administrators, department leads, specialists, and community members, has planned virtual and in-person activities and programs to support in-class literacy instruction.
“The Literacy Day Festival is our big celebration of literacy,” said Director of Elementary Instruction Amy Coker. “It’s
select weekends. The closures will allow crews to safely perform paving operations on eastbound (EB) and westbound (WB) SR 210 at the on and off-ramp junctures of the San Bernardino Avenue interchange.
The directional freeway closures will take place during weekends from Friday at 10:00 p.m. to Monday at 5:00 a.m., and are expected to be scheduled for the following dates*: Friday, February 24 through
Monday, February 27 (WB)
Friday, March 3 through Monday, March 6 (WB)
Friday, March 10 through Monday, March 13 (WB)
Friday, March 24 through Monday, March 27 (EB)
Friday, April 14 through Monday, April 17 (EB)
Friday, April 21 through Monday, April 24 (EB) https://www.gosbcta.com/ project/sr-210-lane-additionbase-line-interchange/
Community News
for potential future aquifer storage and recovery in the Oxnard Plain and Santa Paula Basins.
The porous rock/sand/pebbles surface for this ephemeral stream in the Dunnigan area of Yolo County is well suited to water’s natural drainage, facilitating ground water recharge.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced grant awards to nine projects in six counties through the Urban Community Drought Relief Grant program. The $46 million in financial assistance will provide critical support to implement drought relief projects that build long-term drought and climate resilience in communities across the State, and help advance efforts outlined in Governor Newsom’s strategy to adapt California’s water supply for a hotter and drier future.
While recent storms have improved conditions and helped fill many of the state’s reservoirs to average or above average levels, California may see a return to dry conditions in the months ahead, and much of the state continues to experience drought impacts following the three driest years on record.
Yard Transformation: In Sacramento County, the Regional Water Authority received $3.1 million to fund an indoor fixture installment program for disadvantaged communities and a climate-resilient yard transformation program. The yard transformation program will reduce outdoor water use by providing rebates to residential, commercial and institutional properties, while the indoor fixture project will directly replace inefficient indoor fixtures in 5,060 multi-family and commercial/institutional properties.
In Riverside County, the Coachella Valley Water District received $5 million to support a regional yard transformation program that will provide lawn replacement rebates throughout the Coachella Valley for residential, multi-family commercial and municipal sites, as well as a direct installation of desert-friendly landscaping to replace lawns in the City of Indian Wells.
The Literacy Day Festival is set for Saturday, March 4, 2023, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., at San Gorgonio High School, 2299 Pacific Street in San Bernardino. Light refreshments, swag, and books will be available for free to attendees while supplies last.
If you plan to attend the Literacy Day Festival and require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the SBCUSD Affirmative Action Office at (909) 381-1122 or mike. medina@sbcusd.com at least 10 days before the event.
The District is expecting big crowds at San Gorgonio High that day, so families are encouraged to arrive early.
“California is facing the realtime impacts of a changing climate, as evidenced by our state’s historic drought and recent flood emergency. Preparing for a future impacted by climate change not only means supporting new water supply efforts, but also strategies that capture excess flows during extreme wet events,” said DWR Director Karla Nemeth. “Today’s funding – with more than half invested in underrepresented communities – will help strengthen water supply reliability across the state by supporting recycled water and groundwater recharge infrastructure while promoting wise water use.”
The $46 million in financial assistance will advance projects that support:
Recycled Water: In Monterey County, the City of Soledad received $17 million for recycled water infrastructure. The project will extend the recycled water system to irrigate public schools and parks, replacing 180 acrefeet of groundwater.
Flood Risk Management/ Groundwater Recharge: The Scotts Valley Water District received $1.6 million to recharge groundwater using treated stormwater. This project will help improve water supply reliability as well as reduce peak flows and flood risk in Carbonero Creek.
Improved Water Supply
Reliability: In Ventura County, the Calleguas Municipal Water District received $4 million to construct a pipeline connection between the City of Ventura and the District’s water distribution systems. The interconnection will provide valuable infrastructure for improving water supply reliability by facilitating projects
In San Diego County, the San Diego Water Authority also received $3 million to provide direct installation of high-efficiency toilets and smart irrigation controllers to underrepresented communities. Combined, these efforts are estimated to provide 1,323 acrefeet in water savings per year and transform up to 333,420 square feet to more water efficient landscapes.
The 2022 Urban Community Drought Relief program is designed to address drought impacts in California’s communities while furthering water conservation. Of the total funding announced today, $28 million will advance drought relief projects to improve water supply reliability in underrepresented communities. A full list of the today’s awarded projects and all projects funded through DWR’s drought relief programs is available.
As part of this program, the State expedited $1.2 million in emergency funding to the City of Coalinga in November 2022 for an emergency water transfer to supply the community through the winter months. The city, located in Fresno County, had previously notified the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that it could run out of water by December without additional supplies. DWR’s emergency funding helped eliminate the financial strain on the city and provided water for the community through February 2023, when further allocations from Reclamation will be available.
The program is one of several financial assistance programs under DWR’s emerging “Go Golden” program, which is a statewide effort designed to help large organizations, water agencies and communities build long-term water conservation and continued on page 3
SACRAMENTO, CA(2/27/23)
Assemblymember James C.
Ramos (D-San Bernardino) announced today he received the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association’s 2023 State Elected Official Award from the association at the group’s annual Board of Directors Awards Banquet.
“I am honored and proud to receive this award from the men and women who place their lives on the line to protect the public. I deeply appreciate this recognition and want to thank the Riverside Sheriffs’ Association membership and its president, William Young, as well as the Riverside County Sheriff Relief Foundation for this award.”
In presenting the award, Young said of Ramos, “He has been a
leader in demanding that we have the proper resources to be safe.” Young added, “He believes every neighborhood needs to be safe and free from danger.”
The association represents more than 3,500 members from the Sheriff's Department, the Coroner's office, the District Attorney's office, and the Probation Department.
Assemblymember James C. Ramos proudly represents the 45th Assembly district which includes Fontana, Highland, Mentone, Redlands, Rialto and San Bernardino. He is the first and only California Native American serving in the state’s legislature. Ramos chairs the Assembly Committees on Rules.
First Amendment Coalition urges the San Bernardino County District Attorney to immediately drop criminal charges brought against Victorville City Council Member Blanca Gomez ...continued from page 1 her face. Then Mayor Jones announced the meeting would be recessed for five minutes.
Video here- Blanca start https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=uiFCxbKNwlw
When the meeting was reconvened following the recess, Jones informed the audience that the meeting was interrupted because Gomez’s comments about closed session were in violation of the law.
As Gomez stood by and it appeared Becerra recorded, Jones advised that the City of Victorville has rules and policies and rules that everyone needs to follow when addressing the council, including Gomez and that Gomez would be allowed to continue with her comments subject to her adherence to its rules and policies.
Returning to the podium to speak, Gomez uttered a few words and realizing the mike was muted, Gomez turned to face the audience and continued speaking. Jones declared Gomez was out of order. When Gomez failed to quickly face the council, Jones announced Gomez had disrupted the meeting.
Jones then concluded that Gomez had refused to return to order as a member of the public, and explained Gomez was to be removed from the meeting.
“Deputies she is to be removed,” Jones exclaimed.
Gomez, a member of the public, walked behind the dais, retaking her position and seat as a member of the city council, and assembling her belongings. Seconds went by when Jones instructed, “Deputies remove Gomez from the meeting until she agrees to follow the rules.”
Victorville City Attorney Andre De Bortnowsky then verbally issued an opinion that Gomez, either as a member of the public or as a city council member, had definitely disrupted the meeting. Deputies were then seen approaching Gomez and arresting her, and accompanying her from the building.
Video here – Gomez arrest https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=e67nz8aqRIE
During the time deputies were removing Gomez from Victorville City Hall, Jones assured the audience, “Ms. Gomez is not being hurt in any measure.” Following Gomez’ removal from the city hall, Jones reopened the city council meeting, apologized to the audience members, explaining
The First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the winners of its 2022 Free Speech and Open Government Award: three journalists who strategically used public records to expose government misconduct and accountability failures. Some of this work resulted in significant government reforms.
Through more than 50 public records requests, 15,000 pages of documents, and a California Public Records Act lawsuit filed by her newsroom, Laurence Du Sault of Open Vallejo revealed years-long, systemic delays by the Vallejo Police Department investigating deaths caused by its officers. Du Sault’s analysis of police records found it took the department an average of nearly two years to review fatal officer shootings. Six officers used deadly force again while still under investigation for a prior killing. Her investigation led to the discovery of nearly 50 investigative errors across 17 police killings since 2011, including mishandling evidence and failing to interview eyewitnesses. Following the publication of her investigation, the department released a proposal to modify how it investigates shootings, and the police chief resigned.
Federal privacy law should be the “floor, not a ceiling”
that this was not how their meetings were conducted, that their meetings are conducted in a professional manner.
Video here – Focus Jones https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jrDaUtIDaG0
The San Bernardino County District Attorney filed misdemeanor charges against Gomez for allegedly violating Penal Code Section 403, disturbing a public meeting, and 602.1 for allegedly for refusing to leave after intentionally interfering with lawful business being conducted by a business open to the public by obstructing or intimidating those individuals who were attempting to conduct business.
As an example of what would be considered disrupting a public meeting, where a speaker exceeds their time limit, or is overly irrelevant and unduly repetitious, to the point where it prevented the council from accomplishing its business in a reasonable manner or where the conduct interfered with the rights of other speakers. Source is Renne Public Law Group, more information can be viewed at: https://rennepubliclawgroup. com/dealing-with-disruptionsat-public-meetings-legal-andpractical-considerations/
First Amendment Coalition Legal Director David Loy determined that Council Member Gomez was within her allotted time to speak, was addressing matters within the jurisdiction of the city council, and her conduct was not ‘that actually disrupts, disturbs, impedes, or renders infeasible the orderly conduct of the meeting,’ as required to provide a legal basis to arrest, and remove her from the meeting.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department’s Inmate Locator, Blanca Gomez was arrested, taken to West Valley Detention Center where she was bailed out on $100,000 bail on Sunday, February 26.
During her incarceration, anyone attempting to locate Blanca Gomez by looking her up by her name, and date of birth, were unsuccessful. To locate Blanca Gomez, her booking number was required. The San Bernardino American News has no direct knowledge of how Gomez’ $100,000 bail was determined having not attended
constitutional rights.
Fred Schulte of Kaiser Health News last year wrenched loose a trove of 90 audits conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services revealing the government overpaid insurance companies participating in Medicare Advantage by approximately $650 million from 2011-2013. The audits, finally released after a threeyear Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, “check medical records to make sure patients have the diseases that health plans are being paid to treat,” or are indeed as sick as the insurance companies claim they are. Schulte found through his analysis that in many cases, claims of illness or severity of illness are not supported by documentation provided by insurers, some of whom were overbilling the government $1,000 or more per patient, per year. Schulte’s reporting also revealed the government has largely failed to recoup these funds from the companies. Schulte’s reporting has led to calls for greater accountability from CMS by members of the Senate Committee on Finance.
SACRAMENTO — Today, Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) sent a joint letter to Congress opposing preemption language in H.R. 8152, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA). The ADPPA, introduced in the last Congressional session, sought to replace California’s landmark law with weaker protections and could compromise the ability of the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) to fulfill its mandate to protect the privacy of Californians. California today calls on Congress to set the floor and not the ceiling in any federal privacy law, and to allow states to provide additional protections in response to changing technology and data privacy protection practices.
Director of the CPPA, said: “Federal privacy protections cannot come at the expense of Californians and residents of other states that have adopted innovative privacy protections. In the last year alone, California added key new children’s privacy and reproductive privacy legislation to its existing privacy laws. But if ADPPA is adopted in its current form, not only could existing privacy protections be weakened, but it could prevent California legislators, and Californians through the ballot initiative, from passing new protections to address changes in technology. We urge federal legislators to ensure that any federal privacy law allows states to continue to innovate on privacy.”
Attorney-client privilege is a bedrock right in the U.S. Constitution. Yet “Eavesdropping in Maine Jails,” a series by Samantha Hogan of The Maine Monitor, revealed that in six county jails across the state, the phone calls between individuals who are incarcerated and their attorneys were improperly recorded and sometimes shared with prosecutors and law enforcement, who listened to parts of those recordings. Hogan submitted more than 100 public records requests, brought a lawsuit to enforce access to information, and traveled throughout the state to visit county courthouses to review case files. She uncovered how nearly 1,000 of these calls were recorded, then indexed this trove of information in a publicly available database. Hogan interviewed dozens of attorneys, law enforcement officials, and defendants to support her findings further.
Following Hogan’s reporting, policy changes have or will be proposed at the Maine Attorney General’s office, the state’s criminal justice academy, the state Department of Corrections, and several county sheriff’s offices to protect defendants’
“The work of Samantha, Laurence, and Fred exemplifies some of the best public interest journalism today,” said David Snyder, Executive Director of the First Amendment Coalition. “Their dogged determination to unearth the truth, through countless interviews, publicrecords requests, and even litigation where necessary, demonstrates how a free press empowered by the law of access to public information is the lifeblood of our democracy.”
The 2022 honorees were selected by Snyder and FAC Awards Committee, composed of members of FAC's board of directors: Scott Lindlaw, Jim Newton, Dick Rogers, and Katherine Rowlands, Board President. Snyder is an advisory board member of Open Vallejo and did not participate in the final vote.
The First Amendment Coalition’s annual Free Speech and Open Government Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of free expression or the people’s right to know about their government. Each honoree will receive a $1,000 prize.
To learn more about FAC and its programs advancing government transparency, free speech, and a free press, go to firstamendmentcoalition.org.
“National data privacy laws passed by Congress should strengthen, not weaken our existing laws here in California,” said Governor Newsom. “As personal data is routinely bought and sold it is critical that consumers have the ability to consent to the sharing of this information, especially in an era where Roe v. Wade has been overturned and access to personal data can be used in legal proceedings. California has been on the leading edge when it comes to creating new digital technology, but we have also coupled these advances with stronger consumer protections. The rest of the nation should follow our lead.”
“There is no doubt that stronger federal action is needed to protect the privacy of Americans, but these actions must not preempt existing protections in place,” said California Attorney General Bonta. “California is at the forefront of privacy in response to quickly changing technology. We urge Congress not to undercut the important protections that have been established through efforts by the states. Any federal law should set the floor, not the ceiling for privacy law.”
Ashkan Soltani, ExecutiveThe joint letter was submitted to the House Energy & Commerce Committee in advance of the Committee’s March 1 hearing, "Promoting U.S. Innovation and Individual Liberty through a National Standard for Data Privacy.” The Committee is expected to reintroduce ADPPA in the new legislative session. California continues to lead on data privacy, and to adopt laws in response to rapidly evolving technology, with the strongest and most groundbreaking data protections in the nation. Californians currently have robust protections and rights to manage and control the use of their data through the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). As Congress considers adopting ADPPA, California urges changes to the proposed law as the ADPPA in its current form would undermine the CCPA and would hamper state efforts to keep up with and adapt laws to changing technology.
The path forward to a robust data privacy law is one that sets a federal floor, not a ceiling, to allow states to continue to innovate and be nimble in protecting their residents.
In the letter, Governor Newsom, Attorney General
First Amendment Coalition urges the San Bernardino County District Attorney to immediately drop criminal charges brought against Victorville City Council Member Blanca Gomez ...continued
Gomez’ arraignment, however, a review of the San Bernardino County Felony-MisdemeanorBail-Schedule-2023, found no information on the bail amount required for the criminal charges Gomez faced.
FAC Legal Director David Loy told The San Bernardino American New that free speech and open government require the people have the right to address their elected officials on issues within their jurisdiction, and speak within their allotted time.
her rights.”
“To be clear, I think this would be true whether this is a city council member or just any member of the public,” Loy confirmed.
“And I don't see any basis to have been arrested, much less prosecuted, charged with a crime, and incarcerated,” Loy concluded, testifying, “But I mean, the video speaks for itself.”
DWR Awards $46 Million to Help Communities Statewide Improve Water Supply Reliability, Groundwater Recharge and Water Use Efficiency...continued from page 2 water resilience planning. The “Go Golden” program includes projects previously funded such as the Small Community Drought Relief program, and Integrated Regional Water Management program. Interested parties can stay up to date with the latest Go Golden announcements, updates and news through DWR’s email subscription list.
With a shifting climate making swings between drought and flood more extreme, California must continue to implement new programs to manage water in our
new climate reality. Californians should continue to use water wisely indoors and outdoors so that our economy, community and environment will continue to thrive.
The second phase of awards will be announced in spring 2023. For tips on how to conserve water, visit SaveOurWater.com. For information about other DWR and State of California drought response efforts and funding programs, visit drought. ca.gov.
“She never got anywhere close to the time on it,” Loy objected, declaring, “She was essentially interrupted twice and shut down because of alleged decorum violations, and I can't see that she violated any decorum rules to the house or genuinely disrupted the meeting, other than by saying things that the mayor didn't like or fair on the face the audience, which the mayor apparently didn't like.”
“But, you know, there's nothing I could see in the city's decorum rules, which prohibits that,” Loy observed explaining there was nothing that would justify removing or arresting her while she stays within her time limit, which she clearly was speaking about matters that are germane to the city's official functions, but she clearly was, you know, she was well within
Loy shared that what he saw on the video of the February 21, Victorville City Council Meeting was very troubling because it raises very significant concerns that the mayor was abusing official power to silence a critic.
“I very strongly request that the district attorney's office dropped these charges immediately,” Loy protested.
In response to The San Bernardino American New regarding law enforcement officers’ responsibility to follow the constitution, Loy explained law enforcement is subject to the same rules as other citizens, and are to follow the constitution.
Loy shared that FAC’s letter was directed to the San Bernardino County Sheriff to inform the sheriff of FAC’s opinion that the arrest was unlawful and without probable cause.
Ohio Train Derailment Becomes Focus of Chinese Misinformation
The flood of hyperbolic and histrionic messaging on Chinese social media around events in the US has left many Chinese Americans feeling frustrated and confused.
Alternative versions of this narrative have been taken up by both hawkish Chinese in China and conservative Chinese American supporters of Trump, a rare moment of convergence between these otherwise mutually contentious groups.
Still, amongst the noise and misdirection are rare moments of clarity and even insight, such as when one person openly admitted they were exaggerating reports of the derailment in order to highlight how U.S. media often reports on incidents in China. “I wrote a story about the Ohio leak incident in the American style,” the headline read. It quickly gathered more than 100,000 views, a threshold on WeChat for a post going viral.
As Part of Implementing the Bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, Department of Commerce Seeks Applications to Revitalize Domestic Semiconductor Industry and Bring Supply Chains Back to the U.S.
National/Political News
WASHINGTON – The Biden-Harris Administration through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology today launched the first CHIPS for America funding opportunity for manufacturing incentives to restore U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, support good-paying jobs across the semiconductor supply chain, and advance U.S. economic and national security.
China in 2018.
In mid-February, Sharon Xue received a message on WeChat from a worried cousin in China. Wear a mask and only drink bottled water, the message read.
“I thought there was another epidemic outbreak,” said Xue, who came to the U.S. to study eight years ago and now works for a nonprofit organization in New York.
But when Xue flipped through her updates, the reason for the alarming warning became clear. The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio that took place 11 days before had sparked a flurry of apocalyptic headlines on the popular Chinese social media platform. “New York Is Gravely Hit” or, “Epic Tragedy in U.S. Ten Thousand Tons of Cancer Causing Substance Leaked. Animals Dead. Sky Covered by Toxic Smoke.”
“I don’t believe it. But clearly some others do,” Xue said.
The February 3 derailment in East Palestine has become a major political headache for both the Biden administration and former President Trump – who cut safety and other regulations governing the rail industry during his presidency. It has led to the die-off of surrounding wildlife and has raised serious concerns around long-term health impacts for area residents.
But China’s propaganda
apparatus and the sensationchasing blog-like public accounts on WeChat known as “self-media” have painted the accident in biblical proportions, warning of devastation for all Americans and even for the future of humanity.
Barely a week after the accident, state-owned and individual accounts began churning out warnings of possible cancer outbreaks for residents as far away as New York and Canada’s Ottawa.
The chemicals on the train were not radioactive but that didn’t stop some from comparing the accident to the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl in the former Soviet Union in 1986.
Given the backdrop of surging tensions between the U.S. and China – tensions that were exacerbated by the Chinese surveillance balloon saga –the flood of hyperbolic and histrionic messaging has left many Chinese living in the U.S. feeling frustrated and confused.
But this isn’t the first time that headlines from the U.S. have been warped or distorted and then thrown back at American audiences. The mis- and disinformation campaign now being waged between the two nations ratcheted up considerably following Trump’s trade war with
At the height of the Covid pandemic, WeChat and Douyin, the Chinese counterpart to TikTok, were inundated with false or misleading stories about the disease. Themes included allegations that U.S. hospitals were throwing critically ill Covid patients out on the street, that riots had gotten out of control in the U.S., and that many large U.S. cities had become overrun by homeless people and drug addicts.
What’s different in this latest flare up is the timing. There is speculation among some online users that coverage of the Chinese spy balloon incident – which consumed headlines for days in early February – was meant to distract the public’s attention away from the disaster in East Palestine. For some, this line of reasoning fuels the belief that mainstream media in the U.S. is working in concert with the so-called “deep state.”
At a press conference on February 17, Chinese government spokesman Wang Wenbin essentially said as much, questioning why the U.S. “is able to see the balloon 18,000 meters above the ground, but seems to have been blind to the toxic mushroom cloud of vinyl chloride over Ohio?”
Andrew H. Chen is chief learning officer of WholeRen Education, a Pittsburgh-based educational consulting company serving Chinese international students. Chen, who lives close to the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio, said he didn’t see any sign of the aftermath of the derailment, but received several messages from friends and parents of students in China concerned for his safety.
“Chinese media always exaggerate” whenever negative news breaks in the U.S. “because they are restrained from talking about China’s own domestic incidents,” Chen said.
He added the phenomenon has led to a widening chasm between Chinese students studying in the U.S. and their parents in China. “Parents think the U.S. is a very dangerous place and call for their children to go back to China immediately after graduation. But many students know it’s not true, and they would like to work in the U.S. at least for a few years to gain some experience,” said Chen. “It gets increasingly harder for Chinese students to communicate with their parents.” That is also Xue’s frustration.
“My family members in China, it’s like they see a different U.S. from the one in front of my eyes,” Xue said. “When I correct them, they say I am brainwashed. I don’t know what to say.”
By Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens
Atlanta has a proud legacy as the cradle of the civil rights movement. Throughout our history, Atlantans from Martin Luther King, Jr. to the trailblazers of Sweet Auburn not only helped birth the modern movement to create justice for all but had a laser focus on economic empowerment for everyone
When I ran for mayor, I made a commitment to end the tale of two cities in Atlanta. I promised to fight for an economy that grew in a balanced way, so that workers could get trained for family-sustaining jobs, small businesses could participate in our city’s growth and all of Atlanta could rise together. More plainly, I wanted to ensure that Atlantans from all backgrounds have a shot at fully participating in Atlanta’s economy.
Atlanta is one of the most diverse cities in America, so the economic mobility of all Atlantans is of extraordinary importance to me. It matters to President Joe Biden, too.
In fact, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have proven this time and again by delivering federal resources. Thanks to the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Inflation Reduction Act, American Rescue Plan, and executive orders signed by the president, historic investments are being made in cities like Atlanta – and everybody has a shot at participating and benefiting from these investments.
This month, Vice President Harris joined me in Atlanta to celebrate federal dollars coming to electrify Atlanta-area school
buses. We’re moving away from the hazardous fumes of diesel school buses, which are disproportionately used in underserved communities, toward cleaner energy that’s better for the environment and better for our children’s health. And with these investments, we’re ensuring Atlantans in all zip codes have access to apprenticeships and good-paying job opportunities. These investments are just the beginning when it comes to ensuring all of Atlanta participates in our economy. Within days of taking office, President Biden signed an executive order which requires the federal government to live up to the Justice 40 Initiative. Justice 40 is an effort to ensure that at least 40 percent of certain federal investments go to communities that have faced a disproportionate burden of environmental harms and pollution. That means more improvements and more jobs in our communities.
Plus, thanks to the BidenHarris Administration working alongside Sen. Ossoff, Sen. Warnock and Rep. Williams, Atlanta will receive $30 million to improve safety along Pryor Street and Center Avenue through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Program. This program will
As part of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce is overseeing $50 billion to revitalize the U.S. semiconductor industry, including $39 billion in semiconductor incentives. The first funding opportunity seeks applications for projects to construct, expand, or modernize commercial facilities for the production of leadingedge, current-generation, and mature-node semiconductors. This includes both front-end wafer fabrication and back-end packaging. The Department will also be releasing a funding opportunity for semiconductor materials and equipment facilities in the late spring, and
one for research and development facilities in the fall.
“The CHIPS and Science Act presents a historic opportunity to unleash the next generation of American innovation, protect our national security, and preserve our global economic competitiveness,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo. “When we have finished implementing CHIPS for America, we will be the premier destination in the world where new leadingedge chip architectures can be invented in our research labs, designed for every end-use application, manufactured at scale and packaged with the most advanced technologies. Throughout our work, we are committed to protecting taxpayer dollars, strengthening America’s workforce and giving America’s businesses a platform to do what they do best: innovate, scale and compete.”
The CHIPS and Science Act is part of President Biden’s economic plan to invest in America, stimulating private sector investment, creating goodpaying jobs, making more in the continued on page 7
from page 3
allow the city to hire workers from our communities to build protected bike lanes and pedestrian facilities, making the area safer and more accessible while connecting the Southside and the Southside Beltline. This is in addition to $40 million delivered to upgrade HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport and millions of American Rescue Plan funds the City has already put to work on pre-arrest diversion services, combatting homelessness, job training and so much more.
We have a lot more work to do before every family in Atlanta has the same access to economic mobility, but change is happening right now – and a lot of that progress is due in large part to the priorities of the BidenHarris Administration.
Here’s the bottom line: as mayor, my job is to show up and deliver. President Biden and Vice President Harris make that job easier – they are providing the resources to create jobs, contract with women and minority-owned firms, and make real improvements in our communities. In the cradle of the civil rights movement, we’re benefitting from allies in the White House who are laser focused on economic empowerment.
Bonta, and CPPA urge Congress to make changes to the ADPPA proposal that: Allow states to respond to changes in technology and data collection practices to allow rigorous enforcement in those areas most affecting residents, and; Ensure that the ADPPA is passed without a preemption clause in order to protect critical data privacy protections in state law and preserve California’s authority to establish and enforce those protections.
Last fall, then-United States House Speaker Nancy Pelosi released comments outlining her concerns with ADPPA’s limits on state privacy protections. Governor Newsom, Attorney General Bonta, Assembly Speaker Rendon, and members of the California Senate have also previously released letters raising concerns about ADPPA.
On July 19, 2022, Attorney General Bonta led a multistate coalition calling on Congress in its consideration of ADPPA to respect the role of states to enforce and provide for strong consumer privacy laws while
advancing legislation enacting long-overdue privacy protections nationwide.
The California Privacy Protection Agency released a letter opposing H.R. 8152 last year, and in September, Agency Chairperson Jennifer Urban published an opinion piece in the San Francisco Chronicle highlighting how the ADPPA could remove existing protections from California consumers.
The California Privacy Protection Agency’s mission is to protect the consumer privacy of Californians. Established in 2020, the Agency is governed by a five-member board that consists of experts in privacy, technology, and consumer rights. The Agency has several responsibilities, such as promoting public awareness of consumers’ rights and businesses’ responsibilities under the CCPA; adopting regulations in furtherance of the CCPA; and beginning July 1, 2023, the Agency is tasked with enforcing the CCPA through administrative enforcement actions. It will share CCPA enforcement authority with the Attorney General.
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NEW YORK (February 27, 2023) —Black Public Media
(BPM) will hold its sixth PitchBLACK Forum — the largest pitch competition for Black, independent filmmakers and creative technologists in the United States — on April 25 and 26. Winners of up to $150,000 in project funding for new documentary filmmaking and immersive media projects will be announced at the PitchBLACK Awards on April 27, honoring award-winning filmmaker and educator Yoruba Richen and emceed by Baltimore-based comedian Sir Alex. PitchBLACK and the PitchBLACK Awards will take place at The Green Space in Manhattan.
PitchBLACK will be supported in 2023 and 2024 by Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity, a dedicated effort to help build new opportunities for underrepresented communities within entertainment. This new
“We are so happy to have Netflix continue its work with our organization through this partnership,” said Leslie FieldsCruz, executive director of BPM.
“Just as Netflix helped change the way audiences find and consume their entertainment, we at BPM are confident that this partnership will help us continue our work to help Black and independent storytellers and creative technologists forge new paths.”
Since it launched PitchBLACK in 2015, BPM has awarded more than $1.5 million to 17 different projects, some of which have premiered on PBS, WORLD
Channel, Create and PBS Digital. Program alumni have produced for PBS, CNN, Showtime, Netflix, HBO, BET, NBC, The CW and more.
The PitchBLACK Forum is a high-stakes funding competition for documentary and immersive media producers/directors developing new projects about the Black experience. Producers and technologists vie for awards of up to $150,000 in funding in front of a panel of media professionals and an in-person and virtual audience of funders, distributors and industry leaders.
This year’s forum culminates BPM’s 360 Incubator+ program, an intensive three-month fellowship under the mentorship of veteran producers offering participants an opportunity to develop a film, web series or engagement project. The event includes the PitchBLACK Film Forum on Tuesday, April 25; and the PitchBLACK Immersive Forum on Wednesday, April 26. Winners will be announced the evening of Thursday, April 27, during the PitchBLACK Awards honoring Richen, whose works have captured the joys and trials of Black life, with films about
Rosa Parks, Harry Belafonte, the killing of Breonna Taylor, and more. With the honor, Richen joins the ranks of other BPM Trailblazer Award winners Orlando Bagwell, Joe Brewster, Michèle Stephenson and Marco Williams.
BPM also will present the Nonso Christian Ugbode Fellowship to a yet-to-be announced recipient. The fellowship is named after BPM’s late director of digital initiatives.
The PitchBLACK Immersive Forum and PitchBLACK Awards will stream live on BPM’s social media channels.
The PitchBLACK Film Forum is invitation-only.
Hosted by comedian Sir Alex and supported by Netflix, the PitchBLACK Awards will honor prolific documentary filmmaker Yoruba Richen grant from Netflix builds on previous support awarded in 2020 to BPM, a major funder for and champion of Black filmmaking, and helped make the formerly biyearly event an annual industry opportunity for Black creatives.
Additional sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting Alisa Norris, BPM’s fund development and corporate partnerships manager, at alisa@blackpublicmedia. org. Entertainment industry executives and funders wishing to attend the PitchBLACK Forum in person may request access at https://forms.gle/ XpcR5MUWEzL667zS8.
PitchBLACK 2023 is sponsored by Netflix and Gimlet Media, with additional support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
For more information on BPM, visit blackpublicmedia. org. Follow the organization and watch the events at @blackpublicmedia on Instagram and Facebook and @ BLKPublicMedia on Twitter.
Jay-Z, himself a billionaire entertainer, described Rihanna as a “generational talent who has exceeded all expectations in every instance. (Photo: Rihanna at the Met Gala in 2017 / Danilo Lauria / Wikimedia Commons)
When Rihanna, the Barbadianmegastar and successful cosmetics and lingerie executive, took the Super Bowl LVII stage a week ago, approximately 100 million television viewers witnessed the wealthiest halftime performer in the history of the annual event.
With a net worth of $1.7 billion, Rihanna, who was born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, sits at the pinnacle of a Super Bowl list that includes Dolly Parton, Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Beyonce, Madonna, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Gloria Estefan, Alicia Keys, Bono, Dr. Dre, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks and numerous other world-famous performers, according to Forbes.
Jay-Z, himself a billionaire entertainer, described Rihanna as a “generational talent who has exceeded all expectations in every instance. She is one of the industry’s most prominent artists,” he said. This year’s Super Bowl was played on February 12th in Glendale, AZ. The event, held at State Farm
Stadium, was the first time that both teams were led by an African American quarterback.
“It is awesome that Rhianna has accomplished so much at such a young age,” said Yolanda Frazier Gills, the founder of Frazier Gills, a certified tax resolution firm in Dallas, a former chairperson of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce. “She is an example of wealth building, and of controlling her own destiny. We need more role models like her.”
The 57th Super Bowl took place on February 12th at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Apple Music partnered with the National Football League in producing the event, according to league officials. “Rihanna has been a cultural force throughout her career,” said Seth Dudowsky, an awarding-winning music executive, who is also the director of music for the NFL. “We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime stage” Mr. Dudowsky said.
WITNESS FOR JUSTICE #1140
Yan Searcy, dean of California State University, Northridge’s College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, truly believes that one person can change the world.
“One professor can inspire students and communities,” Searcy said. “One professor can be the role model that sparks global change.”
To that end, Searcy is working to create a “CommunityEndowed Professorship in Africana Studies.” The individual selected for the position will split their time between teaching at the university and hosting “office hours,” as well other activities in the community to ensure that voices of the people who live in Los Angeles’ underrepresented neighborhoods are heard.
“Yes, by virtue of being out in the community, there will be some outreach and recruitment,” Searcy said. “But this person will be out in the community, listening to community members, finding out what they see their needs are and serving as a bridge builder to bring resources that the university has to our external stakeholders.
I want to decrease the distance between the university and the community, and have them working together for the benefit of everyone involved.”
Searcy noted that there has been a growing distrust of higher education “and those who have the power of critical thought” among the American public.
“When we turn on the television, we see people making predictions or comments, but they are not experts,” he said.
“The experts are here, in higher education, but you’re not seeing them on television. And when younger people go on social media, they’ll find even fewer experts offering commentary
without any real research to back up their opinions. There are experts at colleges and universities across the country, including CSUN, who have dedicated their careers and spent years studying these topics, yet they aren’t being heard.
“We need to make what we do at universities more accessible, and demonstrate through our presence that we truly care about the communities our students come from,” Searcy said.
Searcy sees the holder of community-endowed professorship, who will be housed in CSUN’s Department of Africana Studies, facilitating a partnership between the university and the community.
“So many times, people and organizations will go into a community and tell its residents what they need,” Searcy said.
“This professor’s role will be different. They will be there to listen — that’s why it’s so important they hold ‘office hours’ in the community — and work with the community to address their needs as an active liaison. Maybe it’s helping to advocate for affordable housing, addressing food insecurity by hosting sessions with the campus’ freight farming experts or setting up a college-track afterschool program for kids.
What community members identify as their needs will be the driving force. This professor will be working with our students, their fellow faculty and community members to come up with solutions.”
At the same time, Searcy said, the professor also will be modeling the positive impact a college education can have, reiterating, “One person can indeed change the world, especially with CSUN behind them.”
For information about the Community-Endowed Professorship in Africana Studies, contact Tracy Baum at tracy.baum@csun.edu.
Your life is about to change!
Your world is about to be turned upside down! Total chaos and upheaval is right around the corner. The One World Government, One World Currency, and One World Religion is coming like a freight train. Bank Closures, Riots, Cities Burning, Starvation, Martial Law, FEMA Camps, Constitutional Rights Obliterated, Globalist Takeovers, Disease, Despair, Lawlessness, Crime, World War III, you name it, will soon be unfolding. Buckle your seat belts and hang on tight, the ride is about to get rough. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying, because all that Bible prophecy said would happen is happening right before your eyes. Yes, the New World Order is about to launch into full swing. Plans are moving along the “fast track” as the corrupt, criminal regimes currently occupying the highest political, financial, and religious positions in the world, who are being driven by the New World Order evil demonic influence, are about to go to allout war in attempts to maintain control. Listen to what the Holy spirit is saying! There’s not much time left. The handwriting is on the wall! The world is about to DRAMATICALLY CHANGE. A cataclysm of unprecedented proportions is coming upon the world in which you live. Do not ignore, neglect, or cast aside God’s offer of mercy. Respond
to it NOW! For NOW, is the acceptable time, NOW is the day of salvation! [Romans 13:11]. For if there was ever a time for you to “make your calling and election sure,” and be sure that you are saved, it is NOW, because only those who have heard and heeded the warning will be spared. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying! End times prophecy is fast being fulfilled. The hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try all that dwell upon the earth [Revelations 3:10] will soon be upon you, and all who are not firmly established upon God's Word and the righteousness of Jesus Christ will be deceived and overcome. Understand Satan "works with all power and signs and lying wonders, with all deceivableness of unrighteousness" [2 Thessalonians 2:9-10] to gain control of mankind, and his deceptions will increase right up to the very end. So, please surrender your life to Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because this will be the worst time of suffering since the beginning of the world, and nothing this terrible will ever happen again." [Matthew 24:21]. The signs are fulfilling, and the final end time events of prophecy are upon you. Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying!
The people were warned by Noah. For 120 years, as he built the ark, he was preaching about the coming cataclysm, but the people just ignored his warnings. They did the things they always did. They ate, they drank, and they married and lived it up. They ignored all the warning signs, and they paid an eternal price for doing so! They “knew not” until it was too late. [Matthew 24:39].
More than you might know, you may be the kind spiritual expert needed in the face of the climate crisis. If you have ever had the experience of moving from despair to hope, you likely have invaluable insights that come from reflecting on whatever faith, family, church, or community helped you grab hold of a lifeline for renewed sanity and strength. I would not put myself on the lofty pedestal of being a “hope expert,” but I have been surprised at what I have learned from my own experiences—far as they may be from cinema-worthy inspiration. This past year I began keeping a “Hope Journal” with the idea that the reflective process itself would help me place my hands on a lifeline. It has indeed done that. A key insight for me has been to reframe the matter of climate despair and hope as not simply two opposing states of being but as two poles on a continuum. A broad swath of that continuum I would categorize under the descriptor of “coping.” Most of my everyday life is filled with neither tearful despair nor exuberant hope, but some form of coping that is tinged with a bit of one or the other depending upon what I am confronting or doing in that moment. To see myself as moving on a continuum inherently keeps me from feeling perpetually stuck in climate funk.
Another important part of reframing my outlook so as not to feel stuck in an emotional quagmire is to see myself as often moving through stages from outright despair to a place of healthy coping and some degree of hope. In my journal, I identified five stages of hope:
Stage #1: The Car Crash of Climate Doom—the emotional turmoil that is a sane response to the climate crisis. The despair in this stage can easily become mixed with anger or strong indignation.
Stage #2: The Roadblock of Frustration—the sense of frustration and hopelessness in not immediately seeing what can be done to remedy or mitigate the crisis.
Stage #3: Lost without a Map—the active, persistent, even if desperate, search for a direction to take while coping with continued frustration.
Stage #4: Mapping with a Friend—when the search for direction leads to others. The idea that others might have some answers represents at least a modicum sense of possibility. “The others” might be colleagues or friends, but they might also be historians of movements or writers of online resources. Whatever the case may be, some initial sketches of a map can be drawn with their help.
Stage #5: The Midway Point— The journey has not ended, and it might never end, but the mapping has led to a golden nugget of knowledge or inspiration or achievement that offers the hope needed to continue onward.
In working with churches on how they might confront the climate crisis, I encourage them to find ways to create opportunities for members to start mapping together. That might mean forming a book group, going through a green church program, or finding ways to join a larger campaign for change. All of these can be a starting point on a journey of hope in which each of us brings to the table an expertise born of experience.
The Rev. Dr. Brooks Berndt is the Environmental Justice Minister for the United Church of Christ and the author of Cathedral on Fire: A Church Handbook for the Climate Crisis.
“ListenCSUN Endowed Professor to Serve as Liaison with the Community carmen.chandler@csun.edu
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recently flagged an alarming increase in teen dating violence, with some surveys showing rates as high as 1 in 3 relationships.
progress,” she said.
Maya Henry said she will never feel safe on public transit. “I ride the bus every day. That is a place where I have been a target of sexual assaulted more than once.
“The thing about it is that it robs you of your innocence forever, and I don’t know if that’s something that you could ever really give back or take back, and I hope one day that’ll happen,” she said.
Young people are coming of age without knowing how to create a loving relationship or what the warning signs are that maybe they’re not in a good one.
So says Ana Campos, 17, who was blinded by “fake love” and thought everything was fine. Her sister recognized the red flags Ana was ignoring.
“He was very manipulative. He would constantly like, check my phone without my permission, and just be angry over the smallest things,” Campos recalled. She has been in therapy for two years. Campos is slowly leaving her toxic relationship behind.
She is one of a growing number of teenage activists dedicated to educating their peers about the dangers of teen dating violence and how to prevent it. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recently flagged an alarming increase in teen dating violence, up from the one out of 12 teens who reported having experienced it in 2021. Some youth surveys report the number of victims at one out of three.
Ana Campos shares the red flags she missed early on in a relationship that became abusive. She says schools should provide education on relationships, including recognizing ‘red flags’ and ‘green flags’, so that teens understand what constitute a safe and healthy relationship and can break the cycle of violence.
An EMS briefing marking February as Teen Dating Violence Prevention month featured four
high school students who work with the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence.
“It’s valuable to have youth speaking out on these issues because they are able to give you an inside peak as to what relationships, both intimate and friends and peers, look like today,” said Megan Tanahashi, communications analyst for the Partnership.
Isha Raheja started working with the House of Ruth women’s shelter last year. She promoted the Awareness through Art Showcase against teen dating violence at her school but it was a hard sell to some of her classmates. Many of the fliers she posted around campus were torn down.
“It’s no surprise to me that teen dating violence can be regarded as taboo by some,” she said. Now a senior, Raheja leads a sex education reform club at her school and she recruited one reluctant classmate whose parents had opted her out of sex education.
When Raheja first talked to her about dating violence, her classmate was taken aback and said it might not be an appropriate subject. But she came back the next day and they kept talking. Soon the girl was regularly attending club meetings.
“Speaking on a personal level with individuals to turn apathy amongst students to empathy helped me build a group of likeminded individuals and further
She volunteers at Peace Over Violence, a youth violence prevention center headquartered in Los Angeles. She says her friends have a buddy system whenever anyone goes out so they can track each other’s whereabouts.
Healing requires unlearning certain behaviors, attitudes, and stigmas, Henry said.
“It starts with making the conscious effort to not judge yourself or others… but to actually sit down with someone who may have inflicted violence on someone else and try and find a place where instead of looking at them and thinking about the violence they caused, think about the potential they have to unfurl that violence and apologize and learn and make right their wrong.”
Restorative justice can’t make the trauma disappear but it can help both victim and perpetrator get beyond it. Henry noted that it’s hard to be joyful without feeling safe but there are places she feels very safe and comfortable.
Armaan Sharma is a sophomore at a small private school in Fremont, a Bay Area suburb with a 60% Asian population.
An open and respectful dialogue on dating and relationships between parents and teens is key to keeping kids safe in their relationships, says Armaan Sharma.
In his freshman year, Sharma took a class called Choices that briefly mentioned relationships. “Why don’t we teach about relationships more?
Everyone thinks that developing relationships it’s an natural skill that all humans have. If that were true, why do we see 1 in 3 teens in America experience some sort of dating violence, whether physical, sexual, emotional or psychological?”
Sharma noted that underregulated social media is posing a greater threat to youth with each passing day. Instagram is a platform where perpetrators of violence or predators have easy access to a whole lot of youth, he says.
“Netflix has movies like 365 days, which quite literally romanticize rape.”
Sharma says teen dating violence can affect everyone, including men, and, in fact, marginalized groups like the LGBTQ community, often experience much higher rates of such violence but they are underrepresented in the movement to end it. “It makes no sense because we can’t attempt to solve a problem that affects everyone if everyone isn’t involved,” he said.
The conversation should begin at home, says Kandee Lewis, CEO/President of Positive Results Center and Founder of Black Women Leaders of Los Angeles. The Board of Supervisors named Lewis Woman of The Year in 2017. She works with youth and parents on domestic violence, sexual assault, and suicide prevention.
“It’s important to talk to our children about what a healthy relationship is, what is acceptable behavior and what is unacceptable behavior,” says Lewis.
“We all want to be loved and we want to be accepted. And so, if we’re not getting the kind of attention that we need, we will go and seek that negative attention. It’s still attention and we’re gonna get it from wherever we can find it,” Lewis said.
“Your child really wants to know that you care, because if you don’t take the time to talk to your child, someone else will. And that other person could be the abuser.”.
Dr. Lenore A. Tate | Special to California Black Media Partners
fatal, health consequences. In addition, the daily struggles of coping with racism and sexism further exacerbate mental and emotional stress,” the write-up on the website reports.
When these intersecting issues go unaddressed, they can compound and adversely affect individuals.
On January 11, 2023, the California Supreme Court declined to hear the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Petition for review on the issue of whether San Bernardino County could indefinitely seal search warrants, when a confidential informant was at its source.
warrant, one of nine search warrants released, to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) during their legal dispute, EFF gave a copy of the search warrant to The San Bernardino American News.
In a legal dispute between the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the San Bernardino Superior Court, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office that went to the California Supreme Court, the County alleged it had to secure the safety of confidential informants, now The San Bernardino American News has discovered an unsealed search warrant that reveals the identity of a confidential informant and a victim of domestic violence.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney (SBCDA) released the unsealed search
When they were arguing in front of the 4th District Court of Appeal (Appellate Court), the San Bernardino Superior Court (SBSC) through attorneys for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD) and District Attorney (The County), the County defended its position that the search warrants needed to be sealed indefinitely to protect any confidential informants and official information. Official information is described as information, that was not open, or officially disclosed to the public, obtained in confidence
Opinion -- Black, Unhoused and Mentally Challenged: The Case for Housing and Health Care...continued
Across the board – from prevention and early intervention to strategically providing housing and chronic care -- we need to do more in the Golden State across the board.
Medical professionals need to be provided cultural sensitivity training and more needs to be done to destigmatize mental health care in the Black community. Social support systems must be strengthened, and more resources need to be committed to outreach and research so that both care and information can be targeted to serve the needs of Black Californians.
We need a combination of solutions working at the policy level, within the health care delivery system and among our social and community networks
that attack the problems from various angles. Committing to funding, decreasing hurdles in zoning, working collaboratively with public and private sectors, and creating space for ingenuity would be steps towards solving these crises. Recognizing that Black and Brown communities, children, families and seniors are unhoused as well as those that carry the weight of mental illness, leads us to act and consider prioritizing vulnerable populations of unhoused. We must utilize all our available resources so that every Californian will be afforded the right to have housing and a ‘home’ and adequate mental health care, allowing for security, safety, and comfort.
Biden-Harris Administration Launches First CHIPS for America Funding Opportunity... continued from page 4
United States, and revitalizing communities left behind.
Numerous studies have confirmed that homelessness and behavioral and mental health problems affect African Americans at disproportionate rates in California and around the United States.
On a very primary and personal level, homelessness affects an individual’s mental health. Looking at the data: approximately 30% of people who are chronically unhoused have a mental health condition, about 50% have a co-occurring substance use problem and 42% have a disabling condition such as a developmental disability, HIV/AIDS or injuries from combat such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
In California, 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, according to a survey conducted by the California Health Care Foundation, Black women in particular –are at a higher risk for exposure to mental health stresses.
“A variety of circumstances put Black women at high risk for mental and emotional stress - economic insecurity, responsibilities of caregiving, neighborhood violence, lack of social support and physical illness or disability,” reads the website of the California Black Women’s Health Project.
“As a result, many are plagued by tension, anxiety, worry and fear. Because of the powerful and complex links between the mind, emotions and body, chronic states of stress and anxiety can have dangerous and sometime
Black people make up 13.6% of the population in the United States and account for approximately 21% of those living in poverty. Blacks in California comprise 6.5% of the population but are more than 40% of the homeless/unhoused population! In fact, in most shelters, food banks, drop-in centers for the unhoused, the majority of those served are from Black or Brown communities. Black people outnumber White people 12 to 1 among the homeless population.
California has more unhoused than any other state. Seventy percent of California’s homeless are living on the streets and in tents, etc. while in New York, data reflects that only 5% of their homeless are living on the streets. California has instituted several policies and passed a series of laws to address the mental health and homeless crises. Last year, during his annual budget proposal, Gov. Gavin Newsom connected the challenge of
solving homelessness in the state with inadequate approaches the state has taken so far to address mental health.
Among different approaches taken to address the state’s mental health challenges and, consequently, the homelessness crisis is the passage of the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act (CARE) Act in California last year. This law, which Newsom signed into law, establishes CARE Court, an alternative to the Criminal Justice System for people who are mentally ill.
But more needs to be done if we are to address the mountainous monumental challenges of our mental health and homelessness crises, particularly as it affects minorities. The resources and programs the state has made available have simply not kept up with the demand for services.
California was the first state in the country to propose housing as a human right under Assembly Constitutional Amendment 10 (ACA-10) (Bonta 2020). This amendment would ensure shelter for the unhoused and recognize that housing as a human right. However, after more than 70 years, housing still appears to be treated as a commodity rather than a human right.
CHIPS for America also today released a “Vision for Success,” laying out strategic objectives building on the vision Secretary Raimondo shared in her speech last week at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. To advance U.S. economic and national security, the Department aims to reach the following goals by the end of the decade: (1) make the U.S. home to at least two, new large-scale clusters of leading-edge logic chip fabs, (2) make the U.S. home to multiple, high-volume advanced packaging facilities, (3) produce high-volume leadingedge memory chips, and (4) increase production capacity for current-generation and maturenode chips, especially for critical domestic industries. Read more about these goals in the Vision for Success paper here.
The first funding opportunity details the application process and outlines how the Department will evaluate applications, including a primary focus on how projects advance U.S. economic and national security. Applications will also be evaluated for commercial viability, financial strength, technical feasibility and readiness, workforce development, and efforts to spur inclusive economic growth.
Starting today, the Department strongly encourages all potential applicants, including those for future funding opportunities, to submit statements of interest so it may gauge interest across the semiconductor ecosystem and begin preparing for application
review. Read more about the application and evaluation process here. Awards will take the form of direct funding, federal loans, and/or federal guarantees of third-party loans. Awards are designed to complement—not replace—private investment and other sources of funding, and applicants are strongly encouraged to bring capital to the table. CHIPS for America awards will be made as soon as applications can be rigorously evaluated and negotiated.
Applicants are also encouraged to claim the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (Investment Tax Credit) administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service.
The Investment Tax Credit is a federal income tax credit for qualifying investments in facilities manufacturing semiconductors or semiconductor manufacturing equipment and a critical component of the suite of incentives provided by the CHIPS and Science Act. The Department of Commerce and the Department of the Treasury are coordinating closely on CHIPS funding and the Investment Tax Credit to ensure these incentives work together to further the Administration’s economic and national security goals. The Department of the Treasury expects to publish guidance on the Investment Tax Credit in March, in addition with forthcoming Department of Commerce guidance on national security guardrails. Visit https:// www.chips.gov to learn more
Confidential Informant is exposed by the
County Sheriff
the search warrants to protect them ...continued from page 7 by a public employee while doing their duty as a public employee.
EFF wanted to obtain copies of search warrants where law enforcement used a cell-site simulator, known as a “Stingray” device, which acts like a cell tower, re-routing the Wifi for people’s cell phones to its cell tower, where it can then capture data from cell phones of criminal targets, and all cell phones in range. Additional information can be found at: https://www.eff.
org/document/cell-site-simulators
SBCSD got EFF’s attention by having the most search warrant applications seeking electronic records per resident in the state, and that the San Bernardino Superior Court was granting SBCSD’s requests to indefinitely seal those search warrants from public view.
EFF argued that the public should have a right to see these search warrants, that the county can redact sensitive information, allowing the public some oversight over what EFF views as highly invasive surveillance tools used by law enforcement that gain electronic data from both the criminal and innocent people. The public has the right to know how law enforcement is using these devices and whether their cell phone data had been captured in a surveillance, and what happened to their data. EFF explained these search warrants raise privacy concerns.
During the lawsuit, the County released nine search warrants to EFF, all authorizing the use of Stingrays, while withholding 80 out of 120 pages of search warrant material leaving those 80 pages sealed.
One of those search warrants released by the county was never
sealed. A review of the search warrant by The San Bernardino American News found SBSC Judge Gregory Tavill denied sheriff deputy Rudy Delgado’s request for sealing because it appears he failed to check the boxes “official information” and/or “informant protection” the grounds required for sealing.
The San Bernardino American News noticed under SEALING ORDER/SERVICE OF WARRANT the words “Add addition information to HOBBS the PROBABLE CAUSE” were written on page 7 of the search warrant. Hobbs is a 1994 California Supreme Court decision in a case where a defendant sought the identity of a confidential informant to challenge a search warrant. The Yuba County Superior Court denied the defendant’s motion, and it was appealed.
The Appellate Court upheld the defendant’s due process rights to access information needed to challenge a search warrant’s validity. The California Supreme Court overruled the Appellate Court’s decision finding Yuba County Superior Court’s examination and basis of the warrant sufficient.
The San Bernardino American News is releasing the unsealed search warrant and all the cell phone number in the warrants that were released to inform the public and ask whether the targets of the surveillance were ever notified as legally required.
The cell phone numbers were: (760) 541-6617, (909) 534-1881, (909) 499-7934, (909) 645-4771, (909) 709-9719, (909) 787-9285, (626) 755-8234, (909) 486-1227, (657) 227-6016, (701) 260-9947
The SBCSD asks the court for a 90-day delay in notifying the targets claiming otherwise it would endanger an individual; cause the target to flee prosecution, allow the target to destroy evidence, or intimidate potential witnesses, or jeopardize an investigation or delay trial or result in an adverse result.
Notification of the criminal target is required at the execution of a warrant, unless ordered by the court.
In the unsealed search warrant, the criminal, Ameno Bun, was accused of stabbing his girlfriend in the back numerous times, and had a felony warrant.
The unsealed search warrant although redacted, did not have any redactions on page 6 of 9, where there were at least five words that reveal the name of the victim and reveal the confidential informant.
To protect the confidential informant, and his girlfriend’s identity, The San Bernardino American News is redacting fifteen words, otherwise, we are releasing this search warrant to the public.
Link to document
Image of front page of search
warrant
EFF Attorney Mackey told The San Bernardino American News that the court could make the search warrant available to the public by redacting the informant and victim’s names, while the public could learn about law enforcement’s investigation from the unredacted pages of the search warrant material.
“We believe the warrant you identified is an example of how that is possible,” Mackey reasoned, explaining, “I agree it raises questions about why the
majority of the affidavits had to be sealed in full when this affidavit was fully public.”
The Appeals Court found the San Bernardino Superior Court had a valid basis for their indefinite sealing of these search warrants, Mackey voiced.
In an interview with The San Bernardino American News, SBCSD PIO Public Affairs Division Mara Rodriguez explained, “Sheriff Dicus/ the Sheriff’s Department has commented on this matter multiple times in the past and has no additional comment at this time.” Rodriguez continued, “I can share with you that our policy information on Cell-Site Simulators is available on our public website.” Link to website: https://atlasofsurveillance.org/a/ aos2603-san-bernardino-countysheriff-s-department-cell-sitesimulator “Also, the warrants which were withheld in this case were ordered sealed and related to an active case,” Rodriguez reasoned, countering, “The Sheriff’s Department provided EEF an example of an unsealed warrant, which authorized the use of the cell cite simulator.” San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office public affairs officer Jacqueline Rodriguez explained, “In regards to the warrant in question SW18 0850, our Office did not object to the release of the search warrant, as there was never a sealing order for the warrant or it’s material from the Court.”
EFF’s complaint against San Bernardino County, its sheriff, and its district attorney sought public access to search warrants involving the use of the Stingray
started on October 23, 2018. EFF obtained a few of the warrants, dismissed the lawsuit, and filed a new lawsuit on October 8, 2019, against the SBSC, the County of San Bernardino, and its district attorney.
SBSC Judge Dwight Moore ruled against EFF’s petition, on January 15, 2021, reasoning these particular warrants involve a multi-defendant gang murder case and two others, making these warrants public would impede state interests, sources and methods, and endanger confidential informants.
EFF appealed to the 4th District Court of Appeal in March of 2021.
EFF explained “When courts authorize law enforcement’s use of surveillance technologies to sweep up innocent people’s private data, the public’s rights of access to judicial records is critical.”
Video 73 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=euJJBeJ7_0w
Attorney Aaron Mackey shares the importance for the public to view search warrants that involve the use of Stingray devices.
The County claimed the search warrants and affidavits, characterize them as so-called “Hobbs affidavits,” which contain confidential informants and official information, therefore, should remain sealed indefinitely.
Video 64 https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=9IKz7TfAiog
Attorney Aaron Mackey described the county’s arguments for the warrants to remain sealed.
After hearing from the parties, the Appellate Court ruled in favor of The County determining the public, while having a right to
court documents, does not have that right when a search warrant affidavit includes a confidential informant, then the affidavit can be sealed.
The court determined a “line-byline redaction” of the affidavits is “not practicable.” The Court reasoned that the injury to the criminal investigatory process, overrides the rights of the public to access search warrants and affidavits, or their ability to have better public oversight of law enforcement.
Following the Appellate Court opinion in support of the San Bernardino Superior Court, EFF submitted a Petition for Review to the California Supreme Court seeking clarity on conflicting Appellate Court opinions and/ or to de-publish the Appellate Court’s decision.
EFF believed the lower court’s decision conflicted with the public’s basic rights of access to warrants, affidavits, and returns under Penal Code Section 1534(a), California Rules of Court 2.550-2.551 covering the sealing of records, the common law, and the California Constitution, which call for siding on transparency.
On January 11, 2023, the California Supreme Court declined EFF’s Petition.
When the California Supreme Court rejected EFF’s petition, EFF attorney Aaron Macky worried, “[I]t it will make it harder for the public to understand when and how law enforcement uses invasive surveillance technology.” (source: eff.org). “This ends our case and lets the appellate court’s decision stand, so unfortunately, there is no next step, as the case is over,” Mackey confirmed.
San Bernardino
Department after it argued it needed to indefinitely seal