Keeping it Real: Is It Safe to Drink the Water?

its use of PFAS.

According to Bonta the settlement offer fails to adequately hold accountable the 3M Company (3M) for what he declared is “contaminating Americans’ drinking water supply.”

Child Support Awareness Month begins with a Backpack Giveaway and Resources Event

could be impacted by certain provisions that could force the water providers to reimburse 3M for many costs. Isn’t that bizarre?

This case is currently pending judicial consideration. In the meantime, this is not Bonta’s first dance with 3M.

local parent resource packets, including school supplies. Enjoy free entertainment and light refreshments for the whole family!

“It is critical that we assess sources of PFAS exposure in environmental justice communities and resulting health risks to better inform equitable solutions to protect these communities,” said Max Aung, PhD, USC Keck School of Medicine. Credit: Chris Allen, BVN Among the many silent and invisible dangers lurking in our environment, PFAS stand out.

PFAS or Polyfluorinated Substances are a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. They can cause serious health impacts including cancers, developmental defects, infertility, diabetes and liver damage. What makes them most concerning is that they are frequently found in water systems and because water is something fundamental to life— well you can pretty much guess the rest.

In late June, it was announced that the USC Keck School of Medicine in partnership with the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC were awarded more than $433,000 to study what’s been defined as the “PFAS Drinking

Water Crisis in Southern California.”

Max Aung, PhD, and leader of the study in partnership with USC’s Lida Chatzi, MD, PhD. stated, “It is critical that we assess sources of PFAS exposure in environmental justice communities and resulting health risks to better inform equitable solutions to protect these communities.”

I’m grateful this work is being conducted but I also wonder how much damage has already been done to those living in these communities owed to PFAS.

The concerning health implications resulting from PFAS in water is one of the reasons CA Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading a coalition of 22 attorneys general in opposing a proposed class action settlement to hundreds of lawsuits filed by water suppliers against 3M over

Lenovo's Work For Humankind creates lasting impact in communities across the globe... continued from page 3 models on Lenovo's AI Edge Server. Now a data collection process that once took weeks only takes days. That's leaving the world better than you found it.

The island success prompted us to ask "What's next and where?" We landed on our home turf – North Carolina, USA.

For nearly two decades, North Carolina's Triangle Region has housed one of Lenovo's two global headquarters. In that time, we've earned a reputation for supporting education, diversity, innovation, and sustainability.

Bringing Work For Humankind to North Carolina easily matched with our vision and values.

So in April 2023, Lenovo partnered with Elizabeth City State University, a historically black university in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to demonstrate how students could use technology to complete their schoolwork from anywhere while giving back to the planet.

Fourteen Elizabeth City State students embarked on a life-impacting trip across North Carolina's Mountains to Sea Trail – the highest-elevation long-distance trail in the Eastern United States.

The students traveled more than 2,780 miles in a Sprinter van utilizing resources such as Lenovo Go Wired Speakerphones, Yoga 7i Laptops, and tablets. They completed school work while also helping further key conservation efforts across the state. Every student experienced a part of North Carolina that he or she had never visited before. And they left the world in a better place along the way.

Working alongside Lenovo employees and Friends of the Mountains to Sea Trail, the students focused on three regions of the state:

Outer Banks: The students spent a week doing a risk/ hazard analysis for different ocean surges using cloud-based software Lenovo developed for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The

Under the proposed settlement, water providers would be required to withdraw their lawsuits filed against 3M over its use of PFAS. These chemicals are found in a wide range of consumer products and firefighting foams. They are also referred to as “forever chemicals” because they are considered “stable in the environment, resistant to degradation, persistent in soil, and also known to leach into groundwater.”

I applaud Bonta’s opposition to the settlement because as he noted, in its current form it doesn’t “adequately account for the pernicious damage that 3M has done in so many of our communities.”

In the settlement 3M is proposing to pay $10.5 to $12.5 billion to water providers. Although on its face it appears to be a huge sum of money we must consider that nearly every public water provider in the United States would be entitled to a share including those that have not sued as well as those that have yet to even test for the presence of PFAS in their water supply. All of this in return, of course, for waiving their claims.

In addition, that amount work completed here will help to determine where new sections of the trail can be added.

Last November he filed a lawsuit against 20 PFAS manufacturers, including 3M, for endangering public health, causing irreparable harm to the state’s natural resources, and engaging in a widespread campaign to deceive the public in relation to their use of PFAS. The case is currently working its way through the judicial process.

As the climate changes, drought conditions worsen and jeopardize water imports (as noted by USC), the reality of it all is already having an unnerving impact on the state’s water supply. When you add to that the health dangers posed by PFAS polluting our tenuous water supply, the PFAS issue should serve as an important reminder that we must pay attention to what is happening in our environment and how important it is that environmental issues like PFAS and many others can no longer be ignored—as noted by Bonta, [T]he stakes could not be higher.” At some point, capitalism and the free market must take a back seat to human survival.

Of course this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.

Backpack giveaways contain backpack materials for ages 3-17.

Over 300,000 children in Riverside County are preparing to begin school this upcoming year. As families head out to buy school supplies for the upcoming school year, it can create a financial burden for many. RivCoDCSS is here to help!

This year's lead sponsor of the Backpack Giveaway is Food 4 Less, which generously donated over $5,000 for the pre-packaged children's snacks, food, water, school supplies, notebook paper, pencils, crayons, markers, and more. In addition, Community Action Partnership and Altura Credit Union provided additional backpacks and school supplies. Backpack giveaways contain backpack materials for ages 3-17.

"With many families struggling more than ever because of the pandemic or inflation, it is important that we come together.

Pender County: Using Lenovo technology, the students captured visuals, personal interviews, and other content to build a web page about the area's rich but near forgotten Black history. The information will be published on the Mountains to Sea Trail's inclusion page, "MST for All," and through a permanent digital trail marker in the center of town for all visitors to see.

Cherokee Region: Students camped alongside the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians. While there, students documented key characteristics of the trail to be translated via a mobile app into the Eastern Band's native language – a near-extinct language – that will be accessible to trail hikers.

The North Carolina Trail success prompted us to ask "What's next and where?" So now, Lenovo teamed up with BirdLife International to create a one-of-a-kind 5G-connected super van – a mobile tech lab and living space. As I type, these "citizen scientists'' are driving the van across the U.S. gathering essential birdsong data to support the organization's wildlife protection strategies.

And later this year, our Work For Humankind initiative will extend to India where Lenovo employees and student volunteers will work with community members in Kanthalloor, Kerala, to improve the productivity, opportunities, and lives of millet farmers.

There is no end to the positive world impact we can make one step at a time. It's my hope we leave a lasting legacy through the power of kindness and collaboration, fueled by technology, and embraced by people across the globe. What work for humankind can you do today?

By Gerald Youngblood, Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo North America

HUD Issues Invitation for Public Housing Agencies to Join Moving to Work Demonstration Program...continued from page 3 needs in innovative ways. MTW allows PHAs the flexibility to create customized solutions to their community’s specific challenges. With the addition of the 14 PHAs selected for this cohort, HUD will have added a total of 100 PHAs to the MTW Demonstration Program since January 2021. MTW PHAs are now in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

MTW encourages an entrepreneurial spirit to think of and create solutions in a new way. MTW agencies have directly influenced national policy for over 25 years, paving the way for the future delivery of federally assisted housing. PHAs in the MTW demonstration have pioneered several innovative policy interventions that have been successful at the local level, and subsequently rolled out to the rest of the country’s PHAs. Examples include requiring less frequent recertifications for those on a fixed income, increasing payment standards for the reasonable accommodation of persons with disabilities, and allowing the owners to maintain site-based waiting lists for project-based vouchers.

PACT ACT Deadline Approaching for Veterans Exposed to Toxic Chemicals to Receive Retroactive Benefits

Riverside County to Hold Information Session on August 3

The deadline for veterans exposed to toxic substances to apply for back pay from the PACT Act is approaching on August 9. The law helps provide generations of veterans and their survivors with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.

Veterans and residents interested in more information are invited to attend an information session on Thursday, August 3 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The Riverside County Veterans Services and Housing Workforce Solutions departments are hosting the session at 1325 Spruce St, Riverside, CA 92507.

The PACT Act was signed into law in 2022 and expands Veterans Administration (VA) health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. The PACT Act adds to the list of health conditions that are presumed to be caused by exposure to these substances.

The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, known as the PACT Act, will bring these changes: Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for veterans with toxic exposures resulting from the Vietnam War, Gulf War, and post 9/11 eras.

Adds more than 20 presumptive conditions for burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic exposures. Adds more presumptiveexposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation. Requires the VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every veteran enrolled in VA health care.

Helps improve research, staff education and treatment related to toxic exposures.

Veterans can file a claim for PACT Act-related disability compensation online at https:// www.va.gov/disability/filedisability-claim-form-21526ez/introduction or get more information by calling 800-6982411.

On Saturday, August 5th, 2023, we will be open from 8 am to 12 pm at our Riverside branch office (2081 Iowa Ave, Riverside, CA). If you are a parent looking for resources and support, we invite you to join us for a day of education, information, and community. We can work towards a brighter future for our children and families. During this event, we will feature various presentations and educational sessions about child support services, community resources, and employment opportunities for ready-to-hire candidates. Each attendee will receive a bag containing Riverside County and

We are committed to partnering with both parents to provide essential child support services to families," said Kimberly Britt, Director of Riverside County Child Support Services. This community event celebrates August as Child Support Awareness Month. RivCoDCSS serves more than 83,000 children and families throughout Riverside County. Last year, RivCoDCSS collected and redistributed over $185 million for families in the community.

All backpacks and school supplies will be on a first-come, first-serve bases. To register and learn about this event or any other upcoming events we have in Riverside County, please visit: www.RivCoDCSS.com

Jazz in Pink Live!

Jazz in Pink

Soul Food Sundays, comin' at ya with R&R Breakfast Spot collab and our EPIC Summer Sundays Brunch Series.

Greetings!!

Brace yourself for the dopest Sunday brunch experience in the Inland Empire!

Presented by Epic Events Center and featuring soulful melodic tunes by Jazz in Pink, this event promises to deliver an unforgettable fusion of smooth jazz and Soul Food Sunday Brunch Vibes. It's the perfect opportunity to indulge in good food, good music, and good company!

DJ Wen will be providing the sounds and if you don't know... You are about to find out!

Here are the event details you need to know:

�� Date: August 6, 2023

�� Time: Doors Open 12 PM | Start Time 1 PM

�� Location: Epic Events Center [Map]

To secure your spot and make sure you don't miss out on this sensational experience, purchase your tickets in advance. Simply click on the button below to access our ticketing platform

For more info Call: 909-353-7596

Get your Summer Jazz Brunch Series Tickets Now, and join us at the Inland Empires’ Premiere Event Center in Rancho Cucamonga [Map] Facebook | Instagram

Soul Food Sunday Brought To You By R&R Breakfast Spot Facebook | Instagram

Epic Events Center - Where Epic Events Happen ��