LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — In June and July, the Lake County District Attorney’s Office Welfare Fraud Investigation Unit received multiple reports of CalFresh, or SNAP, and CalWORKs EBT card skimming.
The number of reports were unprecedented, as Lake County had not seen a significant amount of EBT skimming in previous months, officials said.
District Attorney Susan Krones said her welfare fraud investigators recognized this to be part of large scale criminal activity that has affected millions of individuals and families nationwide, who depend on these benefits for food and shelter.
During the last week of June, welfare fraud Investigators began going to Lake County’s grocery and retail stores to check for skimmers on point-of-sale card readers, and to show store employees how to identify skimming devices.
One of these contacts resulted in the discovery and removal of two skimming devices; another contact resulted in the recovery of a skimming device which had been previously discovered and removed by store personnel.
EBT skimming is a type of theft that involves placing a device on a point-of-sale card reader to collect card information and pin numbers.
Once placed, the devices can be difficult to detect. The thieves then use the stolen data to clone the EBT cards and use them to purchase food or withdraw cash from ATMs.
Card skimming can also happen to people using the magnetic stripe to make purchases with their credit, debit or gift cards.
Chip readers and contactless (tap) technology is much more difficult to skim and requires more sophisticated equipment.
Since EBT cards do not currently utilize advanced security technology they are a prime target.
Although July saw fewer skimming victims, Krones said investigators believe Lake County can get back to $0 skimming loss with the help of the community.
The Lake County District Attorney’s Office along with Lake County Department of Social Services and California Department of Social Services are proactive and committed to combat skimming in Lake County.
Investigators will continue to inspect point-of-sale locations for skimmers and EBT accounts will be monitored for unusual activity so EBT cards can be replaced, and clients notified before benefits are stolen.
Listed below are things you can do to protect yourself from skimming.
Community members can help by watching for and reporting any suspicious activity or skimming devices on a retailers point of sale card reader to the store manager and to Lake County District Attorney’s Office Welfare Fraud hotline 707-995-4302.
If you believe there is a skimmer on a point of sale terminal, do not use the terminal and notify a store employee immediately.
Do not try to remove the skimmer yourself or intervene if you observe someone placing a skimmer.
CalFresh and CalWORKs program recipients or anyone with a magnetic stripe credit/debit card can protect themselves by:
• Avoid the use of simple PIN numbers, keep your PIN number secret, and change your PIN number frequently. • Beware of phishing such as texts, emails or phone call requesting your EBT information or saying your account is frozen. Social Services will never call, text or email you with a request for your card and PIN number. • Change your pin number often so if you card is compromised, thieves will not have your current pin number. At a minimum, change your PIN each month the day before your benefits are issued. Changing your PIN is the most effective thing you can do to protect yourself from skimming. • Check your account regularly for charges, activity or balance inquiries you did not make.
If you believe you are the victim of skimming and your CalFresh or CalWORKs benefits were stolen, contact the Lake County Social Services office at 707-995-4200 or by going to 15975 Anderson Ranch Pkwy in Lower Lake.
Additionally, Welfare Fraud Division investigators encourage anyone who is a victim of skimming to file a police report, though this is not required.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — A popular Lakeport eatery is closed temporarily following a small fire that occurred on Monday afternoon.
The fire at Jimmy's Deli & Taqueria on Lakeport Boulevard was first reported just before 2:30 p.m. Monday.
Fire dispatch reported that the fire occurred in an electrical panel at the restaurant.
Shortly after 3 p.m., the Lakeport Police Department issued a Nixle alert reporting that there was one-lane traffic control in effect on Lakeport Boulevard from South Main Street to Larrecou Lane due to a structure fire.
Later on Monday, the restaurant reported on its Facebook page that they “unfortunately experienced a small fire at our building this afternoon. Thankfully, nobody was injured and there is no substantial damage. However, we are currently closed and without power.”
The restaurant management reported that they hope to reopen by Monday.
“A sincere thank you to Lakeport Police, Lakeport Fire, Lake County Sheriff, and PG&E for your diligent response and service. We would like to also extend gratitude to our patrons for your continued support and well wishes,” the restaurant said in its Facebook post. “Looking forward to serving you again soon!”
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. — The Board of Supervisors will discuss directing staff to create a policy for warming and cooling centers and continue its consideration of chief public defender candidates this week.
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting ID is 964 0344 8887, pass code 657950. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,96403448887#,,,,*657950#.
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 a matter timed for 9:30 a.m., the board will consider giving staff direction regarding the crafting of a policy or plan for warming and cooling centers.
Supervisor Bruno Sabatier, who requested the item be brought before the board, said in his memo that during extreme weather events, “our most vulnerable are impacted in ways that could be hazardous to their health and safety. While emergencies such as last year's winter snow event are rare and requires us to react in similar ways to a fire, extreme heat and extreme cold without the emergency shouldn't be reactionary, it should be planned.”
He pointed out that the county “does not have a specific plan to pull off the shelf each time we get a weather advisory. Too often entire days, especially Sunday, are without assistance to our vulnerable community members to provide respite from the extreme weather. With a plan of action, our staff and our community members can predict what actions will be taken for these events rather than waiting to see what we have been able to pull together.”
He’s requesting that the Behavioral Health, Library, Office of Emergency Services, Public Health and Social Services departments meet to formulate a plan for extreme heat and extreme cold weather events that will come back for approval by the Board of Supervisors.
“This will allow for public input and public knowledge that this is our plan of action for future events,” Sabatier wrote.
During a closed session scheduled for 1:30 p.m., the board will continue its consideration of chief public defender candidates.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: Sitting as the Lake County Air Quality Management District Board of Directors, authorize the air pollution control officer to extend the memorandum of understanding by and between county of Mendocino and the Lake County Air Quality Management District for air pollution control officer duties through Oct. 1, 2023.
5.2: Approve Amendment No. 2 for Public Health officer professional services contract to extend an additional month for an amount not to exceed $6,000 a month for the term of the agreement and authorize chair to sign.
5.3: Approve agreement between the county of Lake and Kings View Professional Services for MIS support services in the amount of $93,168 for Fiscal Year 2023-24 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.4: Approve Amendment No. 1 to the agreement between county of Lake and Redwood Community Services Inc. for the Tule House residential substance use disorder treatment services, ASAM Level 3.1 with no change to the contract maximum for FY 2022-23 and authorize the board chair to sign.
5.5: Approve Board of Supervisors minutes for July 11, 2023.
5.6: Second Reading of Ordinance Amending Chapter 5 of the Lake County Code and adopting by reference Appendices C and J of the 2022 California Building Code, Part 2 of the California Code of Regulations, Title 24.
5.7: Adopt proclamation designating the month of August 2023 as Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
5.8: Approve side Letter to In-Home Supportive Services memorandum of understanding ratified through Dec. 31, 2023, to allow use of REVA software system for provider enrollment and authorize the chair to sign.
5.9: Approve the first amendment to contract between the county of Lake and Tennyson Center for Children, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:07 a.m.: Pet of the Week.
6.3, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation of proclamation designating the month of August 2023 as Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
6.4, 9:30 a.m. Discussion and direction to staff regarding crafting a policy/plan for warming and cooling centers.
CLOSED SESSION
8.1, 1:30 p.m.: Public employee appointment pursuant to Gov. Code Section 54957(b) (1): Interviews for chief public defender, appointment of chief public defender.
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. — As part of her continued efforts to help her constituents in Lake County, Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) secured $1.88 million in the California State Budget for the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake, or BRC.
The funds include $780,000 to the Natural Resources Agency and $1.1 million to the University of California, Davis for BRC-approved projects critical to Lake County’s economy, ecosystem, and heritage.
“I am truly grateful for the continued support by Gov. Newsom for the rehabilitation of Clear Lake,” said Aguiar-Curry. “I commend Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot and the Members of the Committee for their continued dedication toward improving the health of the Lake and the surrounding communities. The work we began with AB 707 in 2017 continues to gather momentum as we work on this critical resource for Lake County and Northern California. My heart is warmed by the local leadership of the BRC. This ongoing effort is the best example of what we can accomplish when state officials work in true collaboration with residents from the local community.”
“We are deeply grateful to Assembly Speaker pro Tempore, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, for her constant support of Lake County’s Natural Resources-focused needs and priorities,” said Lake County Supervisor Eddie Crandell.
As the author of the legislation, 2017’s AB 707, that created the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake and our legislative partner in securing $15 million for the land acquisition phase of the Middle Creek Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project, no one has done more to support sustainable environmental quality in Lake County than Aguiar-Curry, Crandell said.
“Thanks to Gov. Newsom and our Legislature, new investments of nearly $2 million will be made to improve the health of Clear Lake,” California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot said. “These funds build on $3 million of state funding already invested in lake improvements, and this new funding will help deliver more locally designed projects to improve water quality. This marks the third straight year of substantial investment to restore Clear Lake, California’s largest and oldest natural lake.”
“The investments included in the 2023 Budget Act will not only benefit the health of Clear Lake but also improve the habitat for the threatened Clear Lake hitch and the cultural and economic prosperity of the local tribes and community,” California Natural Resources Agency Deputy Secretary for Tribal Affairs Geneva E. B. Thompson said. “We are grateful to the members of the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Rehabilitation of Clear Lake for their tireless advocacy and continued collaborative efforts to protect this critical resource.”
These approved projects will bring great value to Lake County as it tries to rehabilitate Clear Lake and prepare for future droughts.
These projects are:
• Adobe Creek Hydrology and Groundwater Monitoring with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians: This project is to better understand discharge in Adobe Creek, which carries nutrients and sediment that decrease water quality in Clear Lake. This information is vital to understanding how nutrients that cause Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) enter Clear Lake and how the surface water interacts with groundwater.
• Airborne Electromagnetic Survey of Lake County Groundwater Basins with the County of Lake Watershed Protection District: This project will utilize the same technology used previously by the California Department of Water Resources (CADWR) to study at-risk groundwater basins of Lake County to ensure sustainable growth and prepare for the uncertain climatic future.
• Scotts Valley Aquifer Evaluation with the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians: This project will evaluate the local aquifer conditions and storage potential in Scotts Valley. Future development of groundwater supplies may be required to provide water security for the residents of Scotts Valley and maintain stream flow to benefit the environment of Clear Lake.
• Web-based Clearinghouse for Data and Reports and Expansion of the Bay Area Council Citizen Science App and Dashboard with the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians: This project seeks to create a web-based clearing house for reports and links to data sets that span all entities collecting water quality and Chi/Hitch data on Clear Lake and tributaries. This project will also build off the existing Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians citizen science-monitoring program for fish kills to include HAB and expand outreach, manage data, and share data with other state and federal agencies.
“Lake County has, in many respects, experienced some of the leading effects of Climate Change,” said Crandell. “Repeated wildfires and profound drought have brought renewed urgency to better understanding all of Lake County’s water resources. Many will be aware that the chi/Clear Lake hitch, which is culturally significant to Lake County’s sovereign Tribal Nations, has been severely threatened, in recent years, by insufficient water to support their spawning runs. Despite the relatively wet winter of 2022-23, we must remain vigilant and take action.”
“We greatly appreciate the California Department of Water Resources’ previous investments in Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys of medium and above priority groundwater basins, including the Big Valley basin in Lake County,” said Marina Deligiannis, deputy water resources director for the county of Lake. “This AEM project will further that vital work and promote responsible natural resource management and sustainable growth as we face an uncertain climatic future.”
In addition to the projects, UC Davis’ Tahoe Environmental Research Center, or TERC, will develop a hypolimnetic oxygenation pilot project to design, construct, and implement monitoring, water testing, and scenario testing of hypolimnetic oxygenation, or HO, in the Oaks Arm of Clear Lake.
This site is the smallest basin affected by long-term mercury issues. It is also the site for many of the largest harmful algal blooms. HO will use a device to add oxygen back into the lake to improve water quality. The research on the HO process has empirically shown to improve HABs and methyl-mercury production significantly.
“UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s Hypolimnetic Oxygenation Pilot Project in the Oaks Arm of Clear Lake also carries the potential to be a very positive step forward for Lake County,” said Deligiannis. “Cyanobacteria has affected tourism and recreation on Clear Lake, and reducing Harmful Algal Blooms to the maximum extent possible and mitigating their effects will promote both greater economic activity and public health in our region. We appreciate the Legislature and Governor’s thoughtful investment.”
An additional $3 million from Proposition 68 funds for direct restoration projects covers nearly all of the requested funding for projects approved by BRC in 2022, further demonstrating the efficacy of this collective.
AB 707 outlines the Blue Ribbon Committee members, including significant participation from local officials, Lake County tribal nations, local experts and community members.
Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Yolo, Napa, Colusa, Lake counties, and parts of Sonoma County.
Comments and questions can be submitted in writing for City Council consideration by sending them to City Clerk Melissa Swanson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To give the council adequate time to review your questions and comments, please submit your written comments before 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3.
Under council business, council members will consider offering support for an affordable housing project by Chelsea Investment Corp.
The council also will consider authorizing the sale or disposal of surplus equipment, namely, a 1994 John Deere motor grader.
The council also will consider selecting its voting delegate and up to two alternates for the League of California Cities annual conference in September, and will get a presentation on the 2022 Lake County Tourism District Annual Report.
On the meeting's consent agenda — items that are considered routine in nature and usually adopted on a single vote — are warrants and City Council minutes, the minutes of the June 14 Lake County Vector Control District Board meeting, authorization for the Main Street Project agreement with Citizens Caring 4 Clearlake; consideration of Resolution 2023-34 approving a temporary road closure for the Move Lake County 5K Race and Wellness Fair; and receive and file notification of expiring committee appointments.
The council also will hold a closed session after the meeting for negotiations with the Clearlake Municipal Employees Association and to discuss two cases of existing litigation against the city by the Ko Nation of Northern California.
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.
LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Lakeport City Council this week will meet a new department head and get an update from staff on the development of the city’s newest park.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 1, 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, Aug. 1.
On Tuesday, the council will get a presentation from Brian Fisher of the Lake County Tourism Improvement District on the district’s activities and meet new Community Development Director Joey Hejnowicz.
Under council business, council members will get updates on the 2023 Lakeport Splash-In at Clear Lake and Taste In Lakeport events and consider approving applications for both.
Public Works Director Ron Ladd also will give the council the latest on the Lakefront Park project.
On the consent agenda — items considered noncontroversial and usually accepted as a slate on one vote — are warrants; ordinances; minutes of the regular council meeting on July 18; approval of the designated temporary disabled parking on C and D Streets, between South Forbes Street and the respective fairgrounds entrance gates from 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31, to midnight on Sunday, Sept. 3, for the Lake County Fair; approval of the military Use Policy and City Ordinance, as drafted, and setting of this matter for public hearing and adoption at the Aug. 15 Lakeport City Council meeting.
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.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced the appointment of Tai Milder as the first director of the Division of Petroleum Market Oversight within the California Energy Commission, or CEC, which Newsom’s office said is a major milestone in the state’s efforts to hold Big Oil accountable following last year’s record gasoline price spikes.
Milder, of Oakland, is a seasoned prosecutor and antitrust expert who most recently served the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division as counsel to the assistant attorney general.
He has successfully investigated and prosecuted companies and individuals that tried to rip off consumers by engaging in price-fixing, bid-rigging and bribery.
Milder also worked at California’s Department of Justice enforcing state antitrust laws against oil and gas companies.
The new oil watchdog office is a key part of Gov. Newsom’s gas price gouging law, which was approved during a special session of the Legislature earlier this year and took effect in June.
The division will closely monitor the industry on a daily basis to identify irregular or illegal behavior, and will refer any violation of law – including industry misconduct or market manipulation — to the attorney general for prosecution.
“California is serious about holding Big Oil accountable,” Newsom said. “Tai Milder has an impressive record of going after companies that rip off consumers, and that’s exactly what he’ll be doing — serving as a watchdog over the oil and gas industry and protecting Californians.”
“I’m looking forward to leading the nation’s first independent oil and gas watchdog,” Milder said. “Transparency and accountability are essential to protecting California consumers and those principles will guide the work of this division every day.”
Tuesday’s announcement comes as the CEC is unveiling a new interactive dashboard to increase transparency within the oil and gas industry.
The dashboard, which has data from January 1999 to present, has a detailed price breakdown of costs, taxes and fees for a gallon of gasoline. It also has estimated gross margins for refiners and distributors, which is one of many indicators that can be used to look at how the petroleum market in California is operating.
In recent months, the CEC has also hosted several public workshops to ensure that industry has no excuse for failing to comply with the law.
Milder has served as counsel to the assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division at the U.S. Department of Justice since 2022, where he also served as a trial attorney from 2009 to 2017 and again in 2021.
Milder served as a deputy attorney general in the Antitrust Law Section at the California Department of Justice from 2019 to 2021. He was counsel at Robins Kaplan LLP from 2017 to 2019.
Milder served as a special assistant U.S. attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice from 2014 to 2015.
He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in plitical science from the University of California, Berkeley.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $199,740. Milder is a Democrat.
New federal legislation is aiming to ban unlicensed and difficult-to-trace “ghost” guns.
Last week, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chairman Rep. Mike Thompson joined Representative Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), along with Representatives Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and Brad Schneider (D-IL) as co-leads, to reintroduce the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act (H.R. 4992), legislation to ban dangerous “ghost” guns.
These weapons, which are easily assembled with a 3-D printer or a do-it-yourself gun making kit purchased from an unlicensed seller, can be obtained without passing a background check and have become the weapon of choice for criminals.
Without a unique serial number, these guns are often untraceable and impede investigations by law enforcement.
Such guns have been seized in Lake County, such as happened in May of 2022 when the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it arrested a Northshore man in possession of a ghost gun and other firearms, along with enough fentanyl to kill the entire population of the county. That defendant is now the subject of a federal court case.
The new bill would require online and other sellers of gun-making kits to comply with federal firearm safety regulations.
“Untraceable ghost guns are the fastest growing gun violence threat in our country, and they pose a significant risk to our communities and law enforcement,” said Thompson. “The Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act will help us crack down on the proliferation of ghost guns and keep these untraceable guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals. Gun violence is the leading cause of death for American children, and we must put measures like this in place to help save lives and keep our kids safe.”
“Gun violence has taken far too many lives and affected countless families around our nation,” said Congressman Espaillat. “Ghost guns are propelling this crisis, as these weapons are self-assembled, untraceable, and can allow criminals to evade firearm background checks. This has presented an ever-growing challenge for law enforcement agencies, as the number of ghost guns recovered at crime scenes has increased exponentially over the past few years alone. Our bill, the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act, would codify the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ (ATF’s) authority to regulate and track these deadly weapons. We cannot ignore the public health implications facing the country as a direct result of ghost guns and our bill would implement commonsense solutions to help combat this crisis.”
“Ghost guns are a major threat to public safety and law enforcement’s ability to protect our communities,” said Senator Blumenthal. “Without serial numbers and readily available for anyone to assemble, these untraceable weapons are a convenient tool for those that hope to cause harm. Our measure closes the gaping loopholes that allow domestic abusers, criminals, and terrorists to bypass background checks. A homemade gun is still a gun. Subjecting these weapons to the same safety measures and requirements will save lives.”
“If someone cannot pass a federal background check, they should not be allowed to possess a firearm under any circumstances,” said Rep. Brad Schneider. “They especially should not be able to circumvent the background check process entirely by purchasing the requisite parts online to assemble their own, often untraceable, firearm. The growing gun violence in our communities is at the top of the list of concerns for our local police – particularly, violence from ghost guns. I am proud to help introduce the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act with Representatives Espaillat, Dean, Thompson, and Senator Blumenthal to close this dangerous loophole and prevent more lives lost to preventable gun violence.”
“We cannot solve our gun violence problem without tackling untraceable ghost guns that are devastating our inner cities, suburbs, and rural communities – and are a threat to our police who work to protect us,” Congresswoman Madeleine Dean said. “Slowing and stopping the circulation of these untraceable weapons must be a priority – and the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act will help us crack down on the spread of ghost guns and stop these weapons from terrorizing our communities.”
The use of ghost guns across the country has been dramatically increasing. According to ATF, the number of ghost guns recovered and traced by law enforcement went from 1,629 in 2016 to 19,273 in 2021 – a more than 1000% increase.
Amongst other measures, the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act would permanently include the core building blocks of ghost guns – unfinished frames and receivers – in the definition of “firearm” under federal law.
In doing so, online sellers and other gun kit manufacturers and distributors selling frames and receivers that can “readily” be converted into fully functional weapons would be required to comply with the same federal regulations that govern the production and distribution of completed firearms.
It also includes a requirement that ghost gun sellers have a manufacturer’s license and put a serial number on the frame or receiver included in each gun making kit, and that purchasers of ghost guns undergo a background check.
In the Senate, the Ghost Guns and Untraceable Firearms Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
The legislation is endorsed by Everytown for Gun Safety, Brady: United Against Gun Violence, Giffords, Newtown Action Alliance, and Sandy Hook Promise.
Thompson represents California’s Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The East Region Town Hall, or ERTH, will meet on Wednesday, Aug. 2.
The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. at the Moose Lodge, located at 15900 Moose Lodge Lane in Clearlake Oaks.
The meeting will be available via Zoom. The meeting ID is 986 3245 2684, pass code is 666827.
This meeting’s guest speaker is Dianna Mann, general manager of the Clearlake Oaks County Water District.
Also on the agenda is the latest on commercial cannabis cultivation projects and a cannabis ordinance task force update and a report from Supervisor EJ Crandell.
The group’s next meeting will take place on Sept. 6.
ERTH’s members are Denise Loustalot, Jim Burton, Tony Morris and Pamela Kicenski.
For more information visit the group’s Facebook page.
Kathleen Sexsmith, Penn State; Francisco Alfredo Reyes, Penn State, and Megan A. M. Griffin, Connecticut College
Television crime shows often are set in cities, but in its third season, ABC’s “American Crime” took a different tack. It opened on a tomato farm in North Carolina, where it showed a young woman being brutally raped in a field by her supervisor.
“People die all the time on that farm. Nobody cares. Women get raped, regular,” another character tells a police interrogator.
In a recent report, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization called for transformative changes to the formal and informal social systems that disempower women who work on farms and in the food sector around the world. While violence against women in agriculture may seem like an issue mainly experienced in developing countries, the truth is that it also happens all too often to women and girls on farms in the U.S.
As we see it, sexual exploitation perpetrated by men in positions of power instills fear that keeps farm laborers obedient, despite precarious working conditions – and keeps fruits and vegetables cheap.
According to the U.N., violence against women and girls includes “any gender-based act that creates sexual, psychological, or physical harm or suffering.” Men and boys can, of course, experience gender-based violence on U.S. farms, but to our knowledge no corroborating research exists.
Most often, sexual violence against women is committed by men in positions of power, such as foremen, farm labor contractors, farm owners and co-workers. Unfortunately, farm workers often buy into the myth that women bring sexual harassment on themselves. This belief makes it difficult for victims to get support.
Immigrant women farm workers are vulnerable because of power imbalances in their male-dominated workplaces. Women represent 28% of the nation’s farm workers, making them a minority on many farms. Most are immigrants from Latin America, and many are undocumented.
Female farm workers also face a gender wage gap of about 6%, partly because of parenting responsibilities that limit the number of hours they can work. Researchers have documented how men in positions of power take advantage of this vulnerability by offering hours and job perks in exchange for sexual favors and threatening to fire women if they refuse.
The role of child labor
Girls under the age of 18 are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment and abuse on farms. While much-needed reporting has generated a public outcry against arduous work conditions for migrant child laborers, migrant children have worked in agriculture in the U.S. for decades – legally.
Agriculture holds a special status under federal labor laws, which permit farm owners to hire children as young as 12. Facing low wages and high poverty rates, farm worker families often rely on income from children’s work.
Experts say young girls may be especially vulnerable to sexual harassment and violence on farms because they are less likely to recognize and report abuse. Currently, children as young as 12 can be hired on farms without a cap on the number of hours they work, as long as they don’t miss school.
Since one major driver of the threat of violence against female farm workers is the fact that many of them are undocumented, could expanding the national H-2A agricultural guest worker visa program be a solution?
The H-2A program has exploded in popularity among farmers as a way to address agricultural labor shortages. The number of U.S. farm jobs certified for H-2A workers increased from 48,000 in 2005 to 371,000 in 2022 as farmers pressed Congress to allow more foreign nationals into the U.S. to fill temporary agricultural jobs.
This program, at least in theory, addresses several of the structural vulnerabilities of female farm workers. A visa confers a legal right to enter the country, alleviating the severe risk of sexual assault during clandestine border crossings. Legal status should also eliminate fear of deportation, which would bolster women’s courage to speak up against sexual violence in the workplace.
When female farm workers are few in number, they have less collective capacity to protest or report sexually abusive conditions. Moreover, one 2020 report on labor conditions among H-2A workers found that 12% of participants – including women and men – had experienced sexual harassment. The authors believed this figure represented a gross undercount.
Guest worker visa programs can actually make workers more likely to tolerate abusive situations, because the workers’ legal status in the U.S. by definition is tied to their employment. Guest workers are often particularly fearful of employer retaliation if they complain about sexual abuse. In our view, guest worker visa programs institutionalize workers’ uncertain position instead of solving it.
A path forward
We agree with the U.N. that sweeping change is needed to empower women, raise farm productivity and promote human rights in the global food system. As U.S. lawmakers craft the next farm bill, they could do enormous good for women around the world by setting an example in American fields and farms.
As a first step, we believe lawmakers should pass the CARE Act, which would raise the legal working age on farms to 14, reducing the number of young girls who are vulnerable to abuse.
Second, legalizing the nation’s approximately 283,000 unauthorized farm workers would make those workers less vulnerable to sexual abuse by expanding employment opportunities outside of the agricultural sector.
Third, in our view, efforts to legalize farm workers – most recently through the Farm Workforce Modernization Act – should strengthen labor law enforcement and provide well-funded channels for reporting abuses and changing jobs when abuse occurs.
Bills proposing a pathway to legalization for agricultural workers have focused on providing enough labor for farm employers. For example, some proposals would expand the H-2A program and require workers already in the U.S. to continue working in agriculture for a number of years to receive a green card.
But without steps to improve labor protection systems, such changes could make workers even more vulnerable to sexual and other labor abuses, and have the counterproductive result of making them more likely to want to leave agriculture as soon as they can.
More than 124 million children across the world are currently considered to be obese. In children under age 5, obesity used to be nearly unheard of. Now, more than 38 million young children live with this condition.
I am a public health researcher who studies and teaches about the factors underlying the obesity epidemic. My research seeks to understand what is driving these trends. Why are more and more people, including children, becoming obese?
The standard measure used to determine obesity in children and adolescents has long been the body mass index, or BMI. This is a measure of an individual’s height as compared to their weight. Children whose BMI is a set threshold above the mean, or average, are considered obese. The role of BMI in defining obesity in children and adults may be changing, however.
Although BMI remains a low-cost and practical method for assessing obesity across populations – such as estimating the percentage of children in a particular nation who are obese – growing evidence has shed light on its limitations for use at the individual and clinical level. Leading medical organizations and researchers are encouraging physicians to consider the use of alternative measures, which may change the way children are screened for health risks related to their weight at the doctor’s office.
Critical role of parents and caregivers
In essence, childhood obesity is the result of kids eating and drinking more calories than they are burning off through play, movement and growth. Because of this, researchers have largely focused on understanding the individual eating and physical activity habits of these kids.
In the case of childhood obesity, researchers like me also know that parental figures play critical roles in both mirroring and creating opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating.
However, attempts to address childhood obesity have often focused excessively on individual behaviors of parents and children and too little on the environment where children and their families live. Research and statistics make it clear that this approach has failed and that new strategies are needed to understand and address why more children are becoming obese.
Social determinants of childhood obesity
Social determinants of health refer to the conditions where people live, learn, work, play and worship that affect health and quality of life.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has described five broad categories of social determinants of health. These include:
economic stability
education access and quality
health care access and quality
neighborhood and the built environment, such as access to sidewalks and playgrounds
social and community context
Social determinants can promote health. For example, neighborhoods with access to safe parks and green spaces and healthy food retailers may support healthy eating and physical activity for families.
But social determinants can also facilitate or encourage unhealthy behaviors. Because of their underlying role in contributing to health outcomes like childhood obesity, social determinants have been described as the “causes of the causes.” In other words, if poor diet is one of the causes of childhood obesity, then the social determinants that shape a child and their family’s food environment – such as lack of neighborhood grocery stores or limited income to purchase healthy foods – would be a cause of that poor diet.
Role of processed foods and physical inactivity
Globally, people are spending more time in cars and less time walking – one of the most basic forms of physical activity. Even in the poorest nations, private car ownership rates are skyrocketing. Kids who would inadvertently be engaging in physical activity just by walking or biking to school are more likely to be taking cars and buses to school instead.
But for working parents with long hours or those who are unable to afford healthy groceries, these are often the easiest or affordable options for feeding their children. In fact, poor families are more likely to live in communities designated as “food deserts,” areas where there are few or no grocery stores and a high concentration of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores.
And children’s lifestyles have changed drastically, shifting away from outdoor physical activity into an increasingly sedentary way of life, in large part due to social media and screen time. The role of screen time in the childhood obesity epidemic is a significant and growing area of concern and research.
In my own research in Peruvian communities, parents identified many of these same factors as barriers to their children being physically active. Mothers complained about the lack of safe spaces for their kids to play. Local parks were full of crime, and yards were congested with traffic and other safety hazards. Mothers felt it was safer for their young children to be inside watching TV than outside playing.
This example is not unique to Peru. Parents around the world are contending with these challenges.
Addressing the underlying causes
The field of public health prioritizes making the healthy choice the easy choice. Combating the childhood obesity epidemic means making healthy eating an easier choice for children and families than staying inside and eating processed foods.
However, the reality is that much of the world’s population now lives, works, plays and worships in places that make it more difficult to choose healthy behaviors.
Policies and programs that address the social determinants of health are a critical part of curbing the childhood obesity epidemic. These include investing in community resources like playgrounds and free programs that get kids outside.
In my view, every kid should be able to swim in the safe and accessible community pool rather than relying on their living room TVs to escape the blistering summer heat, or access fresh and affordable produce in their neighborhood instead of having to rely on fast food as the only close food resource. Childhood obesity is a preventable condition that communities can reduce most effectively by increasing access to resources that will allow them to live healthy lives.
July 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of the national launch of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Currently, more than 200 call centers throughout the U.S. are responding to 988 calls. But few people know it exists. SciLine interviewed Dr. Emmy Betz, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado, who discussed the critical need to raise awareness about 988, the increasing numbers of suicide deaths in the U.S. and the signs that someone is thinking about suicide.
Below are some highlights from the discussion. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Can you share some statistics about suicide in the U.S.?
Emmy Betz: Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, it’s the 12th-leading cause of death among all ages. We had been seeing suicide rates rise from about 2000, up until around the COVID era. There was a small dip in rates during those COVID years, which was great, but unfortunately we’ve now seen rates increase again. In 2021, there were 48,000 suicide deaths in the U.S., which is about one every 11 minutes.
What about youth suicide?
Emmy Betz: Suicide rates among youth in particular have increased. Between 2011 and 2021, suicide rates for youth rose 60%. Particularly concerning are increases in suicide rates among young individuals of color, where there have traditionally been lower suicide rates.
Who should call 988, and when?
Emmy Betz: 988 is the suicide and crisis lifeline. I want to really emphasize, it’s not just for suicide. It’s for anyone who’s experiencing substance abuse, mental health crisis, emotional distress or suicidal thoughts. You can call for yourself. You can call for someone in your family or a friend. It’s available 24/7, and it’s free and confidential.
How has the first year of the 988 hotline gone?
Emmy Betz: In the first year, 988 answered nearly 5 million calls, chats or texts. That’s great news. But one thing that I think is concerning: There was a Pew Charitable Trusts survey published in April 2023. Only 13% of respondents said they knew both about 988 and what it was for. So I think we still have a ways to go in terms of raising awareness among people about what the hotline is, when you should call and then what happens when you do call.
What are warning signs that a person is thinking about suicide?
Emmy Betz: It can vary. Sometimes, it can look like what we think of classically as depression – somebody who might seem sad, seems withdrawn and not doing the things that they previously have been wanting to do.
Certainly anything like talking a lot about death, mentioning suicide, mentioning not wanting to be around anymore – those are all very concerning. Some people, though, can seem angry or sort of ramped up or different.
And perhaps the most important thing to know – it’s OK to ask. If you’re ever worried that someone might be having thoughts of suicide, it’s fine to ask them directly. You’re not going to prompt suicidal thoughts by asking that question.
What are some prevention strategies for firearm suicides?
Emmy Betz: Here at the University of Colorado, I lead the firearm injury prevention initiative, which is a new program funded through the medical school that hopes to reduce all sorts of firearm injuries and deaths, including suicide.
Where I live in Colorado, 73% of our gun deaths are by suicide. It’s a critical problem in our state. And these deaths are preventable.
Suicide typically occurs in the context of some kind of crisis, whether it’s related to a job, or a recent breakup with a romantic partner, or something else. Prevention is all about getting people through that high-risk period, to get the treatment or resources they need.
We know that if a person uses a firearm in a suicide attempt, about 90% of the time they die. So my work and the work of our initiative really focuses on how can we reduce firearm access when someone is in that high-risk period.
And importantly, it’s not about confiscation. It’s not about legislation. It’s about engaging with communities, educating communities and educating health care providers about what we can do to reduce firearm access – specifically, encouraging people to take steps to lock up guns differently, such as changing the locks or changing the password so the at-risk person can’t access the gun.
When someone has suicide risk, it can be a good idea to move firearms out of the home temporarily. We’ve been working with gun ranges, retailers and other locations that offer voluntary and temporary firearm storage as a solution for people – to make the home safer while someone’s getting better.
There are things we can do that don’t conflict with views on Second Amendment rights. I’m thrilled to see firearm rights organizations working with large organizations like the Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense and medical organizations.
What is suicide contagion, and what should journalists know about covering suicide without contributing to it?
Emmy Betz: Suicide contagion is the phenomenon whereby hearing about one suicide – in particular, the methods – leads to additional individuals attempting or dying by suicide using the same methods.
It’s really important that journalists talk about suicide, and that we raise awareness, and we get these messages out. But there are guidelines about how to reduce contagion. There are guidelines from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and other large organizations that really spell out best practices for journalists.
Watch the full interview to hear more about the 988 hotline and suicide prevention.
SciLine is a free service based at the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science that helps journalists include scientific evidence and experts in their news stories.
This article was corrected to fix the attribution for the April 2023 survey.