LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — While storm damage repairs are still underway in the Mendocino National Forest, officials have lifted closure orders regarding off-highway vehicles and the Deer Valley campground.
The forest reported that the off-highway vehicle and Deer Valley campground closure order (Order No. 08-23-02) on the Upper Lake Ranger District are lifted effective at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16.
Agency and volunteer crews have been clearing trails after severe storm damage this winter. Fire-killed and fire-injured trees may continue to fall, so riders should be prepared and exercise caution.
Road access remains limited across the forest due to storm damage, though some temporary fixes are in place for emergency vehicles.
“Last week Lake County Department of Public Works crews completed temporary repairs to Elk Mountain Road (County Road 301) to provide quicker response time for first responders in the event of an incident,” said Upper Lake District Ranger Frank Aebly.
“This temporary fix is for emergency vehicles only,” said Aebly. “To access the OHV trail system or Deer Valley Campground, the public will need to take the longer alternate route via Potter Valley (Mendocino County Rd 240 / Lake County Rd 301). The gate above Middle Creek Campground will remain closed and locked.”
The public can also access Deer Valley campground and the trail system via Forest Roads 16N01 and 16N30 out of Sam Alley, but these roads are very narrow in many places and only drivable with a high-clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle. Officials advise the public not to haul trailers up these roads.
A timeframe for the permanent repair to Elk Mountain Road is not yet available. Officials ask the public to obey all posted signs and never drive around barriers or locked gates.
Alerts and conditions in the Mendocino National Forest are available online.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Board of Supervisors this week will consider a request from the Registrar of Voters Office to opt out of a requirement to list supporters and opponents of measures on the ballot.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 16, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 992 8581 4784, pass code 979559. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16694449171,,99285814784#,,,,*979559#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
In an untimed item, the board will consider a resolution electing not to list supporters and opponents for county city, district, and school measures on future county ballots.
The report from Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez explains that Assembly Bill 1416, passed by the State Legislature in 2022 with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2023, adds a requirement for statewide measures that a listing of the supporters and opponents of measures be listed on the ballot label or that a similar description be provided on the ballot.
“The bill gives counties the option of printing the list of supporters and opponents of local measures on the ballot,” Valadez said.
“Opting into the additional printing will result in cost increases for ballot production, printing, and postage. Including the supporters and opponents will increase the length of the ballot and potentially the number of ballot cards,” she wrote. “In addition, it could increase the possibility for electioneering and promotion of candidates who may be on the ballot and are also signers of the measure.”
Valadez said the requirement also would put the Registrar of Voters Office in the position of accepting or denying abbreviations of supporters/opponents that may not be clear due to the maximum character limit — 125 characters each — and in turn may result in challenges to perceived unfair determinations.
She said Elections Code section 9170 allows for a mechanism to opt out of printing the list of supporters and opponents of local measures.
“At this time, a majority of California counties have already opted out of this requirement or have indicated that they will be doing so in the future, including our neighboring counties. Remaining consistent with our neighboring counties who share districts with Lake County would be beneficial to voters who would receive identical information on the ballots,” Valadez said.
Valadez’s office is encouraging the board to accept the resolution and take the same action to opt out.
Also on Tuesday, the board will meet the pet of the week, and present proclamations for National Safe Boating Week, California Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, National Police Week, the 130th anniversary of the old Community Methodist Church in Middletown and Mental Health Matters Month.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Adopt proclamation of recognition of the 130 year old Community Methodist Church in Middletown.
5.2: Adopt proclamation recognizing May 2023 as Mental Health Matters Month in Lake County.
5.3: Adopt proclamation designating the week of May 20, through May 26, 2023, as National Safe Boating Week in Lake County.
5.4: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for April 25, 2023, and May 2, 2023.
5.5: Second reading, adopt ordinance amending Chapter 5, Section 6 of the Lake County Code, adding Section 6.25 relating to exempt agricultural building permitting for temporary hoop structures for commercial cannabis.
5.6: (a) Approve a side letter to Lake County Employee Association Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; (b) approve a side letter to Lake County Safety Employees Association Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; (c) approve a side letter to Lake County Correctional Officer Association; (d) approve a side letter to Lake County Deputy District Attorney Association Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; (e) adopt resolution amending Resolution 2021-122 establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to Confidential Unit, Section A, for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; (f) adopt resolution amending Resolution 2021-123 establishing salaries and benefits for employees assigned to Confidential Unit, Section B, for Oct. 21, 2021, to June 30, 2025; (g) adopt resolution amending Resolution 2021-124 establishing salaries and benefits for management employees for the period from Nov. 1, 2021, to June 30, 2025; (h) and authorize the chair to sign.
5.7: A) Adopt resolution approving the application for the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition of property for public outdoor recreation use in Cobb; B) adopt a resolution approving the application for grant funds from the Habitat Conservation Fund Program for Public Recreation Facilities in Cobb.
5.8: Adopt resolution expressing support for the Middletown Days Parade and events, and temporarily authorizing a road closure, prohibiting parking and authorizing removal of vehicles and ordering the Department of Public Works to post signs.
5.9: Adopt resolution expressing support for the Lower Lake Daze Parade and Street Fair, and temporarily authorizing a road closure, prohibiting parking and authorizing removal of vehicles and ordering the Department of Public Works to post signs.
5.10: Adopt proclamation designating May 15, 2023, as California Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and May 14 to 20, 2023, as National Police Week in Lake County.
5.11: Adopt resolution revising the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Adopted Budget of the County of Lake by canceling reserves in Fund 266 CSA #6 Finley Water System O & M Reserve Designation, in the amount of $30,000 to make appropriations in the Budget Unit 8466, Object Code 784.18-00 Maintenance — Buildings & Improvements, for the permanent repair of the Finley water mainline.
5.12: Approve request to waive 900 hour limit for extra-help water resources ramp monitors Wayne Moore, Anthony DeBolt, John MacDonald, Robert Dragness, Al Acrey and Lenard Christensen, and the two ramp monitor coordinators Edwin Scotton and Robert Valdez.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:08 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the week of May 20 through May 26, 2023, as National Safe Boating Week in Lake County.
6.4, 9:09 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating May 15, 2023, as California Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and May 14 to 20, 2023, as National Police Week in Lake County.
6.5, 9:10 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation of recognition of the 130 year old Community Methodist Church in Middletown.
6.6, 9:11 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation recognizing May 2023 as Mental Health Matters Month in Lake County.
6.7, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation on discharge of accountability.
6.8, 10:15 a.m.: Consideration of presentation of Lake County Food Production Program Concept.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of resolution of the Lake County Board of Supervisors, State of California, electing not to list supporters and opponents for county city, district, and school measures on future county ballots.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1: Conference with legal counsel: Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Gov. Code section 54956.9(d)(2), (e)(1) — One potential case.
8.2: Conference with legal counsel: Existing litigation pursuant to Gov. Code sec. 54956.9 (d)(1) — FERC Project No. 77, Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project.
8.3: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Interviews for Behavioral Health director; appointment of Behavioral Health director.
8.4: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Interviews for Child Support Services director; appointment of Child Support Services director.
8.5: Conference with labor negotiator: (a) County negotiators: S. Parker and P. Samac; and (b) Employee Organizations: LCDDAA, LCDSA, LCCOA, LCEA, LCSEA and LCSMA.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County Animal Care and Control has a group of big dogs waiting to go to new homes this week.
Dogs available for adoption this week include mixes of American bulldog, Anatolian shepherd, border collie, German shepherd, husky, pit bull, plott hound and terrier.
Dogs that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed, microchipped and, if old enough, given a rabies shot and county license before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.
The following dogs at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption.
Call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278 or visit the shelter online for information on visiting or adopting.
“Sparkles” is a 6-year-old female terrier in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-5116. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Sparkles’
“Sparkles” is a 6-year-old female terrier with a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 2, ID No. LCAC-A-5116.
“Max” is a 7-month-old male terrier mix in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-4248. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Max’
“Max” is a 7-month-old male terrier mix with a short black coat.
He is in kennel No. 5, ID No. LCAC-A-4248.
This 1-year-old male pit bull is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-5120. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull
This 1-year-old male pit bull has a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 8, ID No. LCAC-A-5120.
“Tux” is a 2-year-old male border collie-shepherd mix in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-5012. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Tux’
“Tux” is a 2-year-old male border collie-shepherd mix has a long black coat.
He is in kennel No. 9, ID No. LCAC-A-5012.
This one and a half year old male Anatolian shepherd is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-5036. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male Anatolian shepherd
This one and a half year old male Anatolian shepherd has a tan and black coat.
He is in kennel No. 12, ID No. LCAC-A-5036.
This 5-month-old female pit bull-shepherd puppy is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-5071. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull-shepherd puppy
This 5-month-old female pit bull-shepherd puppy has a short black and tan coat.
She is in kennel No. 13, ID No. LCAC-A-5071.
“Kyle Barkson” is a 5 and a half year old male pit bull in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-5039. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Kyle Barkson’
“Kyle Barkson” is a 5 and a half year old male pit bull with a black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 15, ID No. LCAC-A-5039.
This 9-month-old male German shepherd is in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-5054. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male German shepherd
This 9-month-old male German shepherd has a short black and tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 17, ID No. LCAC-A-5054.
This 2-year-old male plott hound is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-5143. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male plott hound
This 2-year-old male plott hound has a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 18, ID No. LCAC-A-5143.
This 4-year-old male American bulldog is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-5204.Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male American bulldog
This 4-year-old male American bulldog has a gray and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 19, ID No. LCAC-A-5204.
“Pluto” is a 2-year-old male pit bull terrier-hound mix in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-5052. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Pluto’
“Pluto” is a 2-year-old male pit bull terrier-hound mix with a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 20, ID No. LCAC-A-5052.
This 3-year-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-5076. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This 3-year-old male pit bull terrier has a short black and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 21, ID No. LCAC-A-5076.
This 2-year-old male shepherd is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-5223. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male shepherd
This 2-year-old male shepherd has a tan and white coat.
He is in kennel No. 22, ID No. LCAC-A-5223.
This 1-year-old male terrier mix is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-5110. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male terrier
This 1-year-old male terrier mix has a short brown coat.
He is in kennel No. 23, ID No. LCAC-A-5110.
This 1-year-old male terrier is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-5111. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male terrier
This 1-year-old male terrier has a short tan coat.
He is in kennel No. 24, ID No. LCAC-A-5111.
This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-5203. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male pit bull terrier
This 1-year-old male pit bull terrier has a black coat with white markings.
He is in kennel No. 27, ID No. LCAC-A-5203.
“Max” is a 13-year-old male terrier in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-5115. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. ‘Max’
“Max” is a 13-year-old male terrier with a long white coat.
He is in kennel No. 28, ID No. LCAC-A-5115.
This 2-year-old male husky-shepherd is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-5210. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Male husky-shepherd
This 2-year-old male husky-shepherd has a tricolor coat.
He is in kennel No. 30, ID No. LCAC-A-5210.
This 5-month-old female pit bull-shepherd puppy is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-5072. Photo courtesy of Lake County Animal Care and Control. Female pit bull-shepherd puppy
This 5-month-old female pit bull-shepherd puppy has a short tricolor coat.
She is in kennel No. 32, ID No. LCAC-A-5072.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
More than half of the nation’s citizen, voting-age population (CVAP) voted in 2022 — the second highest turnout for a congressional election in two decades.
The 52.2% voter turnout was just 1.2 percentage points lower than in 2018 (53.4%) and significantly higher than in 2014 (41.9%) and in 2010 (45.5%).
Despite lower turnout in 2022 than in 2018, the share of voting-age citizens who were registered to vote was 69.1% — the highest registration rate in a midterm election since at least 2002.
As a result, turnout as a share of those registered to vote in 2022 was down 4.4 percentage points from 2018 (Figure 1).
The newly released data are based on the Voting and Registration Supplement which surveyed non-institutionalized civilians about their voting and registration behavior in the 2022 congressional elections.
Due to the nature of survey responses, these estimates may differ from administrative reports and estimates from other data sources but provide a unique look at the characteristics of American voters.
Why did many who registered not vote?
The most common reasons reported for not voting in 2022: “Too busy, conflicting work or school schedule” (26.5%); “Not interested, felt my vote wouldn’t make a difference” (17.6%); and “Illness or disability,” (12.5%) (Figure 2).
The share that reported being “too busy” to vote did not change significantly from 2018 (Figure 2).
However, more registered nonvoters said they “forgot to vote” in 2022, up 2.2 percentage points from 2018. Those who said they were “not interested, felt my vote wouldn’t make a difference” also increased by 2.1 percentage points from 2018 to 2022. These increases did not differ statistically from one another.
The shares of White non-Hispanic and Black non-Hispanic registered nonvoters who were too busy to vote were not significantly different (Figure 3).
But these groups were less likely to report being “too busy” than Asian non-Hispanic and Hispanic nonvoters (these two groups’ rates also did not significantly differ). The share of “other race, non-Hispanic” voters who were too busy was not statistically different from any other group’s share.
The Census Bureau has asked registered nonvoters why they did not vote after every election since 1996, and from 1972 to 1980 before that.
A new voting supplement visualization, Questions on the Voting Supplement of the Current Population Survey (census.gov), shows how the survey questions have changed over time.
How did people vote?
The share of voters who voted early, by mail or a combination of both in 2022 remained high for a midterm election following record high rates in the 2020 presidential election (Figure 4).
Of those who voted, 49.8% used these voting methods — 10 percentage points higher than in 2018 (39.8%) and 18.7 percentage points higher than in 2014 (31.1%).
Nearly a third (31.8%) of all U.S. voters cast ballots by mail, up 8.6 percentage points from 2018 but down 11.2 percentage points from 2020.
Almost half (47.1%) of all voters voted early. While this was 20.4 percentage points lower than the early voting rate in 2020, it was 9.3 percentage points higher than the early voting rate in 2018.
The use of early and mail-in voting varied by race and ethnicity (Figure 5):
• Two-thirds (66.7%) of Asian non-Hispanic voters used these voting methods — the highest rate across race and ethnicity. • A majority of Hispanic voters (58.1%) voted either early or by mail. • White non-Hispanic (48.3%) and Black non-Hispanic voters (46.0%) — the lowest rates among all race/ethnic groups.
Geography of voting
There was significant variation in the 2022 turnout of registered voters at the state level (Figure 6).
For example, in Colorado 85.0% of registered voters cast their ballots, among the highest rates in the nation. In contrast, registered turnout in West Virginia was 61.4%.
In the South, Georgia stood out with 82.0% of registered voters voting — the highest turnout in the region.
Voting method also varied greatly by state because state mail-in and early voting laws differ (Figure 7).
The highest rates of early and mail-in voting were in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington, where 95% or more of those who voted did so by mail, before Election Day or both. (While rates were higher in Oregon and Washington, neither Oregon and Washington or Colorado and Hawaii differed statistically.)
The lowest rate of early and mail-in voting was in Alabama (3.6%). Other states with low (12% or lower) rates: Connecticut, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and New Hampshire (rates in these states did not differ statistically).
Tables with additional information about voters are available.
Note: More information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error and definitions is available in the technical documentation. All comparative statements in this story have undergone statistical testing, and, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 10 percent significance level.
Jacob Fabina is an economist in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week will consider a contract to replace hundreds of city signs and a resolution seeking state funding for city road projects.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, in the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The council chambers will be open to the public for the meeting. Masks are highly encouraged where 6-foot distancing cannot be maintained.
If you cannot attend in person, and would like to speak on an agenda item, you can access the Zoom meeting remotely at this link or join by phone by calling toll-free 669-900-9128 or 346-248-7799.
The webinar ID is 973 6820 1787, access code is 477973; the audio pin will be shown after joining the webinar. Those phoning in without using the web link will be in “listen mode” only and will not be able to participate or comment.
Comments can be submitted by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To give the city clerk adequate time to print out comments for consideration at the meeting, please submit written comments before 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16.
The council on Tuesday will present proclamations for Police Week, Safe Boating Week, the 50th anniversary of Mendocino College, California Tourism Month and Building Safety Month, will present a certification of police canine and handler, and receive a presentation on the Pavement Management Program.
Public Works Director Ron Ladd will ask the city to award a $85,336.56 public works contract to Square Signs LLC dba Front Signs.
Ladd’s report explained that the project is the result of the County Wide Sign Inventory Plan completed by consultant TJKM in November of 2019 under the direction of the Lake Area Planning Council.
“The plan included a complete inventory of all signs citywide with retroreflectivity standards evaluated for conformance with the California Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The plan provided a list of all signs that failed to meet the standards and were recommended to be replaced,” Ladd said.
Ladd said the project consists of the replacement of 574 signs throughout the city limits that were included in the replacement recommendations from the County Wide Sign Inventory Plan. “Signs include street name signs, guide signs, object markers, stop signs, regulatory and warning signs.”
Also on Tuesday, Ladd will present a proposed resolution approving the City of Lakeport SB 1 Project List for fiscal year 2023-24 and direct staff to submit to the California Transportation Commission.
The projects Ladd staff proposes for the funding are the South Main Rehabilitation Project, which includes the replacement of curb, gutter and sidewalk to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards on both sides of the road, and pavement mill and fill from Lakeport Boulevard to the southern edge of the intersection of South Main Street and First Street, as well as miscellaneous roadway maintenance activities from Lakeport Boulevard to 20th Street.
The council also will receive a presentation from the chief building official on the city’s weed abatement program.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on May 2; approval of application 2023-014, with staff recommendations, for the 2023 Sponsoring Survivorship Walk/Run; authorize the cancellation of the regular meeting of July 4; and receipt and filing of the third quarter report from the Community Development Department.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
A map of the United States plotted with significant climate events that occurred during April 2023. Please see the story below as well as the full climate report highlights at http://bit.ly/USClimate202304. So far, 2023 stands out for the remarkable warmth that covered many parts of the U.S., with some states seeing their warmest January–April period on record.
The first four months of the year have also been marked by seven separate billion-dollar disasters that have struck the nation, according to scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information.
Below are more takeaways from NOAA’s latest monthly U.S. climate report:
Climate by the numbers
April 2023
The average April temperature across the contiguous U.S. was 51.4 degrees F (0.3 of a degree above the 20th-century average), ranking the month in the middle third of the 129-year climate record.
Maryland and Delaware ranked second warmest on record for April while New Jersey ranked third warmest on record. Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia each saw their top-10 warmest Aprils on record.
Conversely, below-average temperatures covered the Northwest to the central Rockies and northern Plains, and parts of the southern Plains. North Dakota ranked 10th coldest on record for the month.
The average precipitation for the month was 2.40 inches — 0.12 of an inch below average, which places the month in the middle third of the historical record.
Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska and New Mexico saw their third-to-sixth driest Aprils on record, respectively. Meanwhile, Delaware ranked seventh wettest, North Carolina eighth wettest and New Jersey saw its 10th-wettest April on record.
Year to date | January through April 2023
The average U.S. temperature for the year to date (YTD) was 40.9 degrees F (1.8 degrees above average), ranking in the warmest third of the climate record.
Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia each had their warmest January–April YTD on record. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina and West Virginia each had their second-warmest such YTD, while 14 additional states ranked among their warmest 10 January-to-April periods on record.
The average precipitation for the first four months of 2023 was 10.22 inches (0.74 of an inch above normal), ranking in the wettest third of the January–April record.
Wisconsin saw its wettest such YTD on record, while Michigan ranked fourth wettest and Utah ranked seventh wettest. On the dry side, Maryland ranked 13th driest on record for this four-month period.
Other notable climate events in this report
Seven separate billion-dollar disasters struck this year: Through the end of April 2023, the U.S. was struck with seven separate weather and climate disasters, each with losses exceeding $1 billion, including:
• Five severe weather events. • A Northeastern winter storm/cold wave. • A California flooding event.
The total cost of these events exceeds $19 billion and resulted in 97 direct and indirect fatalities. The number of billion dollar disasters so far in 2023 is significant. Only 2017 and 2020 had more during this timeframe, with eight separate disasters recorded in the January-April period.
An active severe weather month: Several notable weather systems produced severe thunderstorms and a number of tornadoes that impacted portions of the U.S. in April 2023:
• April 1: A 700-yard-wide EF-3 tornado that touched down in Delaware was the widest tornado in the state's history. The same tornado was equal in strength to one that struck Delaware on April 28, 1961 — the strongest tornadoes recorded in the state. • April 19: A tornado outbreak occurred across areas of the southern and central Plains. A total of 29 tornadoes, including two EF-3 tornadoes, was confirmed by the National Weather Service, causing heavy damage and loss of life. • April 30: A state of emergency was declared after a rare EF-3 tornado touched down in Virginia Beach, destroying more than 100 structures.
Parts of Florida inundated with flooding: In less than a 24-hour period, more than 25 inches of rain fell at the Fort Lauderdale Airport on April 13. The event, deemed a 1,000-year event by the National Weather Service, smashed the previous one-day record of 14.59 inches of rain set on April 25, 1979.
This U.S. map is plotted with seven billion-dollar weather and climate disasters that occurred in the first four months of 2023. For details, please visit the website, ncdc.noaa.gov/billions. Image credit: NOAA/NCEI.
The vaccine, called Arexvy, made by the biopharmaceutical company GSK, is approved for use in adults ages 60 and over. Now that it is FDA-approved, it must still be endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a move that’s expected in summer 2023.
The Conversation asked Annette Regan, an epidemiologist and vaccine specialist, to discuss the significance of the first vaccine against RSV and the other RSV vaccine candidates that are in the pipeline.
1. How does the new vaccine protect against the virus?
The vaccine targets a protein known as RSV F glycoprotein, which is found on the surface of the virus. The F protein enables the RSV virus to enter host cells.
By stimulating antibodies against this protein, the vaccine should protect against infection. Clinical trial data suggests this is the case, since Arexvy was 80% effective at protecting against RSV-related disease and 94% effective at protecting against severe disease.
The RSV vaccine has been developed for and tested in adults age 60 and older. While the FDA has approved the vaccine – which means it has deemed it safe and effective – the shot will not be administered by health care professionals until it is reviewed by an independent expert group coordinated by the CDC called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice, which makes vaccine recommendations to the CDC.
The committee’s recommendations will cover how the vaccine should be used – including the ages at which the vaccine should be given – the number of doses needed, the time between doses and precautions and contraindications.
The committee is expected to meet in June 2023 to make a recommendation on the new RSV vaccine, after which the CDC would officially endorse it. The vaccine could be rolled out to the public as soon as late summer 2023, well before the typical RSV season, which usually starts in the fall and peaks in winter.
It’s hard to say what the committee’s recommendation will be. It could recommend the vaccine for all adults 60 and older, or a subset of older adults. While the clinical trial showed the vaccine was 81% effective among adults ages 60 to 69 and 94% effective among adults ages 70 to 79, it was only 34% effective among adults 80 and older. Given the lower efficacy for adults ages 80 and older, the committee could place an age cap on the recommendations.
More than 14,000 older adults die every year following RSV infection.
3. Why has the first RSV vaccine been so long in coming?
A vaccine against RSV has been in the works for decades. One problem that has plagued vaccine manufacturers is the difficulty of identifying an antigen – the piece of the virus that the vaccine targets – that doesn’t change, or shape-shift. The F protein of the RSV virus is notorious for changing its shape once it fuses with a host’s cell.
In 2013 and 2014, the National Institutes of Health worked out how to “freeze” the F protein into a fixed shape before fusing with a cell so that a vaccine could target it well. This was a game-changer that allowed the development of effective vaccines using this target.
In addition to challenges in identifying a good antigen, there were earlier setbacks. Early attempts to create an inactivated RSV vaccine in the 1960s were stalled after they caused an enhanced form of RSV disease. Children who had never had RSV before and received the vaccine experienced very severe illness when they encountered the virus in the community, and two children died. This tragic outcome sidetracked vaccine development for decades, as researchers needed to investigate the cause and ensure that the problem wouldn’t occur again for future vaccines.
4. What other RSV vaccine candidates are coming down the line?
In addition to Arexvy, many other promising RSV candidates are under development, some of which are likely to become available later this year or in early 2024.
The next RSV vaccine under review with the FDA is Pfizer’s RSV vaccine. It is similar to the recently approved vaccine except that it has no adjuvant and is bivalent, meaning that it targets both RSV A and RSV B – the two strains of RSV. This vaccine is meant not only for adults ages 60 and older, but also for pregnant people – with the aim of protecting young infants through maternal antibodies.
Data from a phase 3 clinical trial – the last stage of clinical trials before a company would apply for a license – shows that when given during pregnancy, the Pfizer vaccine was 82% effective in protecting infants less than 3 months old against severe RSV infection. The FDA will be making a determination on the Pfizer vaccine for older adults later in May 2023 and for pregnant people in August 2023. The CDC advisory committee is scheduled to discuss vaccine recommendations in October 2023, making this the likely next possible vaccine available.
A few other biopharmaceutical companies have developed alternative RSV vaccines, some of which are in phase 3 clinical trials. For example, Moderna has an mRNA vaccine against RSV with promising preliminary results. Regardless of which companies make it to the finish line next, it is clear that in the near future there will be a variety of new tools to help protect against RSV infection.
Heavy downpours and a thick snowpack in the Western mountains and Upper Midwest have put communities in several states at risk of flooding this spring – or already under water.
Flooding is the costliest type of natural disaster in the U.S., responsible for about 90% of the damage from natural disasters each year. It happens almost every day somewhere in the country.
Yet, much of the aging infrastructure meant to protect U.S. communities is in bad shape and, in some cases, failing. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s dams, levees and stormwater infrastructure a D grade in its latest report card, in 2021.
Help is coming. Congress authorized billions of dollars for infrastructure projects under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021. But there’s a problem: New infrastructure planning frequently relies on historical flood patterns for its benchmarks rather than forecasts of changing risks as the climate warms.
We study flood risks and mitigation strategies as civil and environmental engineers. As federal funding for infrastructure rolls in, communities run the risk of spending millions of dollars on systems that weren’t built to handle the flood risks ahead.
Infrastructure is failing
Much of the nation’s flood control infrastructure was designed for 20th century storms and flooding. And in many cases, stormwater systems, levees and dams are now approaching the end of their useful life, or are already well beyond it.
The nation’s river levees are 50 years old on average. Retention ponds are meant to last 20-30 years on average. Stormwater systems are also aging, and retrofits in cities like Chicago and Philadelphia are getting expensive.
Increasing damage like this has pushed federal flood insurance costs higher – more than three times higher in parts of coastal Louisiana and Florida under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s new risk-based premiums, newly released FEMA data show. At the same time, many of the people most at risk are low-income families who can least afford the costs of recovery without help.
And another problem arises when the money arrives.
Often, new infrastructure is designed using historical data, such as past high-water marks and storm intensity, to determine future flood risk. However, climate change is moving those baselines.
Years of satellite observations have shown that, globally, both extreme wet and extreme dry conditions have increased in extent, duration and severity. A warming atmosphere can hold more moisture, leading to stronger downpours. As heavy precipitation intensifies, more frequent and severe flooding events have hit the U.S.
Residents in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., were left with a mess after a powerful storm dropped 25 inches of rain in 24 hours on the city in early April 2023.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency currently estimates that approximately 13 million Americans – around 4% of the population – live in 100-year flood zones, meaning the area has at least a 1% chance of flooding in a given year. But FEMA’s maps often overlook smaller streams that frequently run through heavily populated areas.
Federal flood maps also take years to update. Many still rely on decades-old data and fail to consider the rising risks from climate change. That can lead to complacency for community leaders and residents – until it’s too late.
There are alternatives that communities can use to help align their planning with a more likely future.
Researchers working with the nonprofit First Street Foundation developed some of the first U.S. flood maps that account for future flood risk at the local level. They estimate that climate change alone will increase flood damage in the U.S. by 26% by 2050 and expand into areas that rarely saw severe flooding in the past. With people continuing to build in high-risk areas, the costs and number of people at risk rise even higher.
What can communities do?
Protecting communities starts with changing the status quo, including incorporating climate change into infrastructure planning and developing innovative policies for better flood management.
Stopping construction of new homes in flood-prone areas can help avoid future damage and the need for expensive infrastructure, though political pressure and housing shortages can make these measures difficult.
Buyouts of flood-prone homes to prevent rebuilding are expensive and slow, but they have been used in over 1,100 counties in almost every state to avoid repeated flooding. In some cases, moving away from coastlines and riversides is the only option. Known as managed retreat, it is gaining interest, particularly in communities at risk from sea level rise, but it’s also controversial. Success largely depends on whether the effort is community-led.
In the island town of Vinalhaven, Maine, sea level rise and future flood projections play into many of the community’s development decisions.
Nature-based solutions, such as bioswales, wetlands and rain gardens, can be relatively affordable methods to help capture and absorb rainwater, reducing the amount of runoff that flows into rivers and exacerbates flooding.
But for many communities to remain unchanged, building and maintaining large-scale infrastructure will be necessary. Designing structures like levees or seawalls so they can be expanded or raised in the future is one strategy that can ultimately save money.
Innovative and sustainable funding mechanisms will likely be needed to support flood resilience efforts. One option is establishing local dedicated funds to finance flood resilience initiatives, supported by government grants, private donations and small local taxes. Managed well, these funds could invest in long-term solutions and sustainable land practices that can reduce the frequency and severity of flooding.
Many communities are making an effort, often pushed by residents lobbying officials to prioritize flood initiatives and investments designed to stand up to the future. Changes won’t happen overnight, but taking proactive measures and supporting innovative solutions will benefit communities in the long run and is the fiscally responsible thing to do.
A JetBlue employee poses next to a Boston replica of London’s Big Ben before the launch of nonstop flights between Boston and London in 2022. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
The World Health Organization declared on May 5, 2023, that the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer a public health emergency. Although the virus is still causing hospitalizations and deaths, many travelers who were reluctant to go abroad because of the pandemic now feel freer to travel internationally again.
I’m among the many Americans who have had to cancel or delay trips because of the long wait times. I was hoping to fly to London for a weeklong break between teaching economics courses. Unfortunately, renewing my passport took so long I couldn’t go.
Passports have been around a long time. They became more widespread about four centuries ago during the reign of the French King Louis the XIV. The king gave people with royal connections letters asking foreign officials to let the traveler “passe port” – French for pass through – the port or border of another country safely.
You can find a similar statement in the front of every U.S. passport, which “requests all whom it may concern to permit the citizen/national of the United States named herein to pass without delay or hindrance.”
One reason for the passport bottleneck in the United States is a long-term increase in demand for those official blue booklets. Back in 1989, there were three valid passports for every 100 people in this country. Today there are more than 45 passports for every 100 Americans. More recently, many Americans who let their passports expire because they were avoiding international travel when the pandemic began are eager to travel again.
Part of the rising demand for passports followed a policy change in the early 2000s. Before then no passport was required for U.S. citizens to travel to Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean. A driver’s license or an official document like a birth certificate was suitable documentation to visit countries that shared a common border with the U.S. By 2009, however, a passport was needed to visit those nearby countries by air, land or sea.
But the new rules don’t fully account for the surge in passport issuance. In 2010, about 100 million people had valid U.S. passports. Today, over 150 million do.
Lost, stolen and damaged passports
Another reason for the passport boom is that the State Department is fielding more requests than before for reissued passports to replace lost or stolen documents.
If your passport is ever lost, destroyed or stolen, you need to file a DS-64 form with the State Department. Filing this form prevents a thief from using that passport. The data is not just kept in the U.S. but is also sent to Interpol’s Stolen/Lost Travel Document database, which prevents worldwide travel by someone posing as you when traveling with your stolen passport.
The states where residents are the least likely to apply for a passport are the low-income states of Mississippi and West Virginia. In those places only about 1 out every 65 residents applied on average each year.
What can be done?
One of the reasons passport processing times have gotten so long is that many people are taking trips they put off in the spring of 2020. What can be done?
Second, citizens with a current passport should be able to use it while waiting for a renewal. Right now old passports must be submitted with renewal forms, which blocks international travel. The State Department doesn’t really need the old documents. It recently ran a trial allowing people to renew passports online without asking for their current passport books.
Once a new passport is issued, the old one becomes invalid. This could present a problem for people traveling abroad while their passport renews. There is a simple solution for this. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic the State Department allowed U.S. citizens who were abroad when their passports expired to reenter the country.
Extending this policy would mean people could continue traveling no matter how long it takes to renew their passport.
Stable births, fewer deaths and a rebound in foreign immigration slowed California’s recent population decline in 2022, while Lake County’s number of residents dipped slightly, according to new data released by the California Department of Finance.
The state’s population is estimated at 38,940,231 people as of Jan. 1, 2023, the Department of Finance reported.
Over the same period, statewide housing growth increased to 0.85% — its highest level since 2008.
The report found that all but 12 of the state’s counties lost population, with Lake County, at a loss of 0.9%, being among the top 10 counties for the largest amount of lost population.
The report shows Lake County’s population declining over the year from 67,421 to 66,800.
The city of Clearlake’s population declined from 16,545 to 16,364, or 1.1%, while the city of Lakeport saw a 0.8% decrease, from 5,008 to 4,967 residents. The population of the balance of the county dropped from 45,868 to 45,469, or a 0.9% reduction.
California added 123,350 housing units on net, including 20,683 accessory dwelling Units — or ADUs — to bring total housing in the state to 14,707,698 units.
In Lake County, housing units saw a slight increase of 0.2 countywide, increasing from 34,294 to 34,354 units.
In Clearlake units increased by just one, 7,623 to 7,624, for a 0% increase. Lakeport increased from 2,501 to 2,508, or 0.3%, while the remainder of the county saw a 0.2% increase, from 24,170 to 24,222 units.
New construction represents 116,683 housing units with 63,423 single family housing units, 51,787 multifamily housing units, and 1,473 mobile homes.
The 0.35% population decline for 2022, roughly 138,400 persons, marks a slowdown compared to the recent decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Between 2021 and 2022, California’s population decreased 0.53% or 207,800 persons, due mainly to sharp declines in natural increase and foreign immigration.
For 2022, natural increase — the net amount of births minus deaths — increased from 87,400 in 2021 to 106,900 in 2022. Births decreased slightly from 420,800 in 2021 to 418,800 in 2022, while deaths declined gradually from 333,300 persons in 2021 to 311,900 persons in 2022, respectively.
Foreign immigration nearly tripled in 2022 compared to the prior year, with a net gain of 90,300 persons in 2022 compared to 31,300 in 2021. While foreign immigration to California has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, natural increase has not rebounded. Total births remain low due to fertility declines; while deaths have eased gradually from their pandemic peak, they remain elevated.
With slower domestic in-migration and increased domestic out-migration likely the result of work-from-home changes, declines in net domestic migration offset the population gains from natural increase and international migration.
The report contains preliminary year-over-year January 2023 and revised January 2021 and January 2022 population data for California cities, counties, and the state.
These estimates are based on information through Jan. 1, 2023.
Significant changes over the year include:
• Population growth slowed but remained positive in the interior counties of the Central Valley and the Inland Empire, while most counties saw declines, including every coastal county except San Benito (0.2%). • Only two counties had growth above a half of a percent: Madera (0.6%) and Yuba (0.6%), due to housing gains. The next largest in percentage growth were San Joaquin (0.4%), Merced (0.4%) and Imperial (0.4%) counties. • Forty-six of the state’s fifty-eight counties lost population. The 10 largest percentage decreases were: Lassen (-4.3%), Del Norte (-1.3%), Plumas (-1.2%), Santa Cruz (-1.0%), Marin (-1.0%), Tehama (-1.0%), Napa (-1.0 %), Lake (-0.9%), Monterey (-0.8%) and Los Angeles (-0.8%). • The state’s three most populous counties all experienced population loss: Los Angeles declined by 73,293 persons (-0.75%), San Diego by 5,680 persons (-0.2%) and Orange by 14,782 persons (-0.5%). • The top five cities where housing production drove population growth include: Paradise (24.1%) in Butte County, Lathrop (11.1%) in San Joaquin County, Duarte (6.6%) in Los Angeles County, Wheatland (4.6%) in Yuba County and Shafter (4.3%) in Kern County.
County housing highlights include:
• Yuba had the highest housing growth (2.3%) of all counties, followed by: Placer, Butte, Madera, San Joaquin, Yolo, Alameda, San Benito, Merced and Imperial. • Twelve counties gained housing at or above 1.0%. • One county lost housing: Mariposa due to a wildfire in 2022. • Ranked by net housing gains, Los Angeles (19,556), San Diego (7,034), Oakland (4,005), San Francisco (2,823), and unincorporated Riverside County (2,106) added the most housing units in 2022. • Larger densely populated urban areas built most of the multifamily housing throughout the state. Los Angeles led the state gaining 12,074 multifamily units, comprising 61.7% of their net housing growth, followed by San Diego (4,568 for 64.9%), Oakland (3,880 for 96.9%), and San Francisco (2,573 for 91.1%). • Conversely, single family housing is more likely to be built farther inland in typically more suburban cities. Cities with a high proportion of single family growth include: Roseville (100% single family), Santa Clarita (100% single family), Fresno (91.7% single family), and Irvine (71% single family).
Also of note in the report:
• 356 cities lost population, while 125 gained population and one had no change. • Of the 10 largest cities in California, only three gained population: Sacramento had the largest percentage gain in population (0.2%, or 1,203) followed by Bakersfield (0.2%, or 882) and Fresno (0.1%, or 599). • Accessory dwelling unit production increased by 60.6%, with the state adding 20,638 ADUs in 2022. • Group quarters represent 2.4% (926,000) of the total state population. This population includes those living in college dormitories (269,000) and in correctional facilities (168,000). In 2022, California’s group quarters population increased by 11,000 people or 1.2%. The college dormitory population grew by 16,000 (6.2%). Correctional facilities declined in population in 2022 by 4,200 people (-2.5%) across federal, state and local facilities. As college dormitory populations continue to return to a post-pandemic normal, several jurisdictions saw significant gains in population due to this population. The city of Arcata in Humboldt County grew by 4.1% due to a 45.1% increase at Cal Poly Humboldt. The city of Marina in Monterey County grew by 2.5% due to a 12.6% increase at California State University at Monterey Bay.
State prisons are generally located in remote areas; as a result, increases or decreases can account for significant changes in their respective area populations. For example, prison declines led to population decreases in Susanville (-9.5%) in Lassen County, Calipatria (-5.6%) in Imperial County, and Crescent City (-4.4%) in Del Norte County.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — For decades Clear Lake has been a popular spot for “flying boats” and seaplanes, and this fall the Museums of Lake County will feature an exhibit on that slice of aviation history.
In the video above, discover the fascinating history of flying boats on Clear Lake with museum curator Clark McAbee, a former brown shoe Airedale in Naval Aviation.
McAbee also offers a sneak peek into the upcoming fall exhibit, “Wings over Water — An Aviation History of Lake County.”
For more information, visit the Museums of Lake County website.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this scene at a location nicknamed “Skrinkle Haven." Scientists think that these bands of rocks may have been formed by a very fast, deep river – the first of its kind evidence has been found on Mars. NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this scene at a location nicknamed “Skrinkle Haven” using its Mastcam-Z camera between Feb. 28 and March 9, 2023. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS. New images taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover may show signs of what was once a rollicking river on Mars, one that was deeper and faster-moving than scientists have ever seen evidence for in the past.
The river was part of a network of waterways that flowed into Jezero Crater, the area the rover has been exploring since landing more than two years ago.
Understanding these watery environments could help scientists in their efforts to seek out signs of ancient microbial life that may have been preserved in Martian rock.
Perseverance is exploring the top of a fan-shaped pile of sedimentary rock that stands 820 feet (250 meters) tall and features curving layers suggestive of flowing water. One question scientists want to answer is whether that water flowed in relatively shallow streams – closer to what NASA’s Curiosity rover has found evidence of in Gale Crater – or a more powerful river system.
Stitched together from hundreds of images captured by Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z instrument, two new mosaics suggest the latter, revealing important clues: coarse sediment grains and cobbles.
“Those indicate a high-energy river that’s truckin’ and carrying a lot of debris. The more powerful the flow of water, the more easily it’s able to move larger pieces of material,” said Libby Ives, a postdoctoral researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, which operates the Perseverance rover. With a background in studying Earth-based rivers, Ives has spent the last six months analyzing images of the Red Planet’s surface. “It’s been a delight to look at rocks on another planet and see processes that are so familiar,” Ives said.
Following the curves
Years ago, scientists noticed a series of curving bands of layered rock within Jezero Crater that they dubbed “the curvilinear unit.” They could see these layers from space but are finally able to see them up close, thanks to Perseverance.
One location within the curvilinear unit, nicknamed “Skrinkle Haven,” is captured in one of the new Mastcam-Z mosaics. Scientists are sure the curved layers here were formed by powerfully flowing water, but Mastcam-Z’s detailed shots have left them debating what kind: a river such as the Mississippi, which winds snakelike across the landscape, or a braided river like Nebraska’s Platte, which forms small islands of sediment called sandbars.
When viewed from the ground, the curved layers appear arranged in rows that ripple out across the landscape. They could be the remnants of a river’s banks that shifted over time – or the remnants of sandbars that formed in the river. The layers were likely much taller in the past. Scientists suspect that after these piles of sediment turned to rock, they were sandblasted by wind over the eons and carved down to their present size.
“The wind has acted like a scalpel that has cut the tops off these deposits,” said Michael Lamb of Caltech, a river specialist and Perseverance science team collaborator. “We do see deposits like this on Earth, but they’re never as well exposed as they are here on Mars. Earth is covered in vegetation that hides these layers.”
A second mosaic captured by Perseverance shows a separate location that is part of the curvilinear unit and about a quarter mile (450 meters) from Skrinkle Haven. “Pinestand” is an isolated hill bearing sedimentary layers that curve skyward, some as high as 66 feet (20 meters). Scientists think these tall layers may also have been formed by a powerful river, although they’re exploring other explanations, as well.
“These layers are anomalously tall for rivers on Earth,” Ives said. “But at the same time, the most common way to create these kinds of landforms would be a river.”
The team is continuing to study Mastcam-Z’s images for additional clues. They’re also peering below the surface, using the ground-penetrating radar instrument on Perseverance called RIMFAX (short for Radar Imager for Mars’ Subsurface Experiment). What they learn from both instruments will contribute to an ever-expanding body of knowledge about Mars’ ancient, watery past.
“What’s exciting here is we’ve entered a new phase of Jezero’s history. And it’s the first time we’re seeing environments like this on Mars,” said Perseverance’s deputy project scientist, Katie Stack Morgan of JPL. “We’re thinking about rivers on a different scale than we have before.”
More about the mission
A key objective for Perseverance’s mission on Mars is astrobiology, including the search for signs of ancient microbial life. The rover will characterize the planet’s geology and past climate, pave the way for human exploration of the Red Planet, and be the first mission to collect and cache Martian rock and regolith (broken rock and dust).
Subsequent NASA missions, in cooperation with ESA (European Space Agency), would send spacecraft to Mars to collect these sealed samples from the surface and return them to Earth for in-depth analysis.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet.
JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, California, built and manages operations of the Perseverance rover.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover captured this mosaic of a hill nicknamed “Pinestand.” Scientists think the tall sedimentary layers stacked on top of one another here could have been formed by a deep, fast-moving river. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS.