Glenn Michael Prasad, 35, of Colusa, California, was arrested on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, on firearms charges. Lake County Jail photo. LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Authorities took a Colusa man into custody this week after it was reported he was shooting at people with an assault rifle.
Glenn Michael Prasad, 35, was arrested Tuesday afternoon, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office reported.
At 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the Red and White Market in Clearlake Oaks for a report of shots fired, according to a report from sheriff’s public information officer Lauren Berlinn.
Berlinn said it was reported that a male subject had shot at transients in the area with a rifle.
The responding deputies arrived on scene and determined no one was injured, Berlinn said.
Berlinn said witnesses provided a vehicle description and deputies quickly located the vehicle at a nearby residence in the 12000 block of Shoreview Drive in Clearlake Oaks.
The suspect, later identified as Glenn Prasad, was located inside the residence and detained, Berlinn said.
Detectives from the Major Crimes Unit obtained a search warrant and upon searching the residence, found an unregistered AR-style rifle matching the description provided by witnesses, according to Berlinn’s report.
Berlinn said Prasad was arrested for felony willful discharge of a firearm in a gross negligent manner and felony illegal possession of an assault weapon.
Prasad was transported to the Lake County Correctional Facility, where he is currently in custody, with bail set at $10,000, according to jail records.
Jail records show Prasad is due for arraignment in Lake County Superior Court on Thursday.
An aerial photo of the new Xabatin Community Park in Lakeport, California. Photo courtesy of Frank Dollosso. LAKEPORT, Calif. — The city of Lakeport invites the community to the grand opening ceremonies for Xabatin Community Park on Thursday, Oct. 26.
The event will take pace beginning at 4 p.m. at the park, located at 800 N. Main St.
Parking will be available in lots adjacent to the park and at the Silveira Community Center and near the Fifth Street boat ramp.
Visitors are requested to admire the new grass from a short distance while it takes root to become a permanent amenity in the park.
The Clear Lake High School band, Lake County Military Honors Team and the Sweet Adelines will precede the welcome by Mayor Stacey Mattina, followed by the invocation and speakers representing Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire and the Office of Grants and Local Services of the California State Parks.
Xabatin “Big Water” Community Park is derived from the original Native American name for Clear Lake in the Pomo language.
The Lakeport City Council adopted the name to acknowledge the significance of the site to native peoples for centuries at its Oct. 17 meeting.
A land acknowledgement by City Manager Kevin M. Ingram and the blessing by Ron Montez of the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians will reflect the cultural heritage and importance of the site to Native peoples.
The dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony will be conducted by Mayor Mattina and councilmembers Kim Costa, Brandon Disney, Michael Froio and Kenny Parlet.
Activities during the evening will feature traditional native dance performances by the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians.
Professional skateboarders Eli Reams and Devin Bales will be joined by BMX rider Ethan Reams for an exhibition of skills in the new skatepark area.
Video footage taken during the park construction by Hobby Dave Noland will be available for viewing in the Amphitheatre while music is provided by DJ Larry Thompson.
The city of Lakeport is providing complimentary cotton candy, popcorn and snow cones at the concession stand while Big Eats Grill and Terped-Out Kitchen will offer food from their vending trucks.
The city thanks Building Solutions Inc., SSA Architects, Lake Event Designs, Lake County Chamber of Commerce and the California Department of Parks and Recreation for their respective roles with park construction and the opening ceremony event.
State grant funded park
The city of Lakeport was awarded a $5.9 million grant in April 2020, funded by the state of California Parks and Water Bond, Proposition 68, for the development of a new community park along the city’s lakefront.
The grant provided funding to purchase a seven-acre site from the Lakeport Unified School District and to construct the park with amenities identified through extensive public participation in outreach events.
The City Council awarded a contract to SSA Landscape Architects for planning, design, engineering and project management.
After preliminary work it was determined that the grant funding would not cover all of the features outlined in the plan adopted by the community.
In November 2020 the Council authorized $201,336 in one time funding to the city through the California Parks and Recreation Prop 68 Per Capita allocation and $805,570 from the city’s general fund reserve, for a total additional amount of $1,006,906 for the project.
A construction contract was awarded to Builders Solutions Inc., in August 2022 for $4,399,381.
The first working day for the park project was Oct. 17, 2022, with 150 working days in the contract.
The wet winter weather and time extensions for extra work contributed to schedule delays with fast progress made in the last two months.
Park offers wide variety of features
Amenities included in the park are the result of input from the public at multiple events conducted during 2020, resulting in high scoring on the grant application.
Special features include the extension of the promenade along the lakefront, basketball court, skatepark, Ninja gym, amphitheater, splash pad, public art, multi-use lawn area, sheltered picnic areas, and a bathroom/concession building.
Funding also includes a parking lot, landscaping and lighting throughout the park, and a dedicated area for a future boathouse.
Funding from the city made it possible to demolish and remove the remaining school district building on the site and open more space for future development.
Clearlake City Councilman Dirk Slooten, center, speaks about needs at Woodland Community College’s Lake County Campus as Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg and college staff look on during a meeting on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. Photo by John Jensen/Lake County News. CLEARLAKE, Calif. — A year ago this month, community members, staff and students — past and present — gathered at the Lake County Campus of Woodland Community College to celebrate 50 years of changing lives through education and the opportunities it brings.
Much can change in a year, and that was illustrated in a Monday afternoon gathering of local leaders who wanted to communicate to the new college chancellor their concerns about the future of the campus and their belief that it is headed for closure unless it gets the support it needs.
Listening to the group’s concerns and taking notes during a two-hour “open door” session was Dr. Shouan Pan, the new chancellor of the Yuba Community College District, which includes Woodland Community College.
The district board hired Pan in April. He began work in June, overseeing a district that crosses eight Northern California counties.
As he was preparing to sit down with the group, Pan told Lake County News that it was understandable that people are concerned. “There’s no question, it’s such an important campus for the county, for the city.”
Among those in the room for the discussion were Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg; Jill Ruzicka, the Lake County Office of Education’s director of communications and government affairs; District 2 Supervisor Bruno Sabatier; Dr. Annette Lee, a full-time faculty member in the Business and Management faculty who served as executive dean of the Colusa and Lake County Campuses of Woodland Community College from 2015 to 2018 and filled the job on an interim basis last year before Ingrid Larsen was hired; Clearlake City Councilman Dirk Slooten; Patricia Barba, director of special programs at the campus and its interim supervisor; Yuba Community College District Board Trustee Doug Harris, a former instructor; retired instructor and wife of Doug Harris, Sissa Nelson Harris; and Mary Wilson, student engagement and outreach specialist.
After just four months on the job, Pan is confronting a host of problems that have, in some cases, existed for decades, while others have intensified in recent years due to myriad issues.
The campus’ challenges include the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting impacts on education, legislative changes and a struggle to improve enrollment numbers.
Lee and Doug Harris both pointed to dropping numbers of staff, which Harris said now are “significantly less” than they have been. He said the campus has bled staff going back to the fires and COVID even before positions were cut.
However, Harris said shedding staff positions is a misdirection taken by the district due to dropping enrollment. “We need to rebuild the local infrastructure to engage the community more.”
Then there has been persistent turnover in key leadership positions.
Case in point: The job of executive dean of the Lake County Campus has increasingly become a revolving door.
Ingrid Larsen, who worked as an instructor and counselor at the campus for several years, was appointed dean by the board in December. She left the job Sept. 19 for a job at Mendocino College. Harris said her departure was unexpected.
Sources at the college reported that the Woodland Community College leadership had offered her more money to stay, when what she wanted was the support to do the job the best way possible.
“We know she did a good job,” Pan said of Larsen.
Other concerns raised by staff in conversations with Lake County News — which were echoed and confirmed at Monday’s meeting — included the unilateral dismantling by an administrator of a remedial education program, failure to backfill or to fill empty positions, lack of resources for the Lake County Campus, the loss of its bookstore and no staffing for its library, and microaggressions from district leadership at the main campus.
They also pointed to a pervasive and toxic attitude that Lake County students, staff and residents are not as deserving or worthy of investment and resources.
District staff at the meeting said they have felt “handicapped” in doing their job, and Harris and Lee, along with Pan, confirmed there is no specific strategic plan specifically for the campus.
Lee and others also raised issues with the district alignment process completed several years ago that placed the Lake County Campus under the leadership of Woodland Community College rather than Yuba College.
They say that realignment has been a failure, and one that has damaged the campus. Lee said it has resulted in years of neglect for the Lake County Campus, which has a student population that already is underserved.
“It feels like Woodland had made their decisions without consultation with the community,” said Falkenberg.
Part of that misalignment comes from where Lake County residents travel for work. It’s not to the valley; Falkenberg said one third of Lake County’s workforce goes out of county each day, primarily to Napa and Sonoma counties.
It also was pointed out to Pan that the college campus has long enjoyed broad community support. The group met in one of the campus’ state-of-the-art buildings, funded by the 2006 Measure J bond that raised $190 million for the district’s campuses across the eight-county coverage area.
The Lake County Campus received $9 million in investment in the form of three new buildings which house the library, media center and student services, culinary arts and the multipurpose room, and biology and chemistry rooms. Harris pointed out that Lake County voters strongly supported the bond.
Slooten, who in 2021, worked to establish the city of Clearlake’s “Promise Program” to help city residents get an education, made clear throughout the discussion that Pan needs to address changes of culture and morale at the college in order to stop turnover of key positions and keep the campus operating.
During the course of the discussion, Pan assured those who came to speak with him that he recognized their concerns.
“I’m committed to this campus,” Pan said.
Yuba Community College District Chancellor Dr. Shouan Pan during a meeting with community members on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. Photo by John Jensen/Lake County News. Pan’s perspective
During the Monday discussion, Pan explained a key focus of his in the near term — recruitment of key leadership positions.
“We do have a major retention problem at the dean level and above,” Pan explained.
Pan said, for the most part, higher education is having the same retention problems as other professions.
He said that the district’s deans are not well paid. Slooten replied that money “is an important part, but it’s not the most important part,” adding the work atmosphere is key as well.
“I don’t disagree,” Pan said, adding, “We have to look at morale issues.”
In addition to the Lake County Campus dean — both the interim and permanent positions — Pan is now overseeing the hiring of a new Woodland Community College president.
He said a nationwide search yielded 36 applicants. Pan believes it’s a “very viable” group of candidates, which have been narrowed to 11 semifinalists who are going through additional interviews this week.
By month’s end, the finalists should be selected, Pan said, and they will be presented to the district’s communities through online Zoom forums. In December, he expects to make a hiring recommendation to the board of trustees, with the new president to be in place early in 2024.
At the same time, Pan hopes to have an interim dean for the Lake County Campus in place by November.
The drop in overall staffing was a key point of concern during the Monday meeting.
“That is why there is a perception the district wants to close this campus,” Slooten told Pan. “How are you going to change that?”
Pan explained that Harris has raised that issue with him, and that’s why he believes leadership is so important in order to support and keep staff in place.
Pan added that he wasn’t there to defend what had happened before, but that he couldn’t make promises that lost positions would be restored.
Drops in enrollment have changed the district’s finances. “To keep a campus open, you need a minimum level of resources,” Pan said.
That’s where he said he comes in, adding he knows how important the campus is to the community.
The college president’s job is clearly important to the campus’ future. Lee said it was well known that the former president didn’t hold the Lake County Campus as a priority and was willing to sacrifice it.
Lee — who said during the meeting that she was now at the point of taking the gloves off to fight for the campus — recounted being told by district leadership that campus staff were not working hard enough to improve enrollment and the overall conditions there.
“Morale is really low at the Lake County Campus,” she said.
She said that if Caltrans suddenly stopped paving roads, you wouldn’t expect the guy holding the traffic signs to fix the situation; likewise, college staff can’t be expected to fix all of the campus’ problems or fight the battle alone.
Rather, Lee and others during the meeting communicated that the entire community needs to be engaged in saving the campus.
Sabatier, who was concerned about the amount of changes that have taken place and how long it will take to build relationships with new leadership staff, also expressed frustration at efforts to bring in new courses and programs that are in demand and would benefit the campus and the community.
Specifically, he recounted efforts to add a new emergency medical technician course that is being headed by the Lake County Fire Protection District. The campus previously had such a program.
However, when Sabatier — a graduate of the Lake County Campus who also worked there — tried to get Woodland Community College about adding the course, he was told no.
“All I want is parity,” Sabatier said.
An opportunity to speak to the board
Pan had some good news to report during the meeting.
He said enrollment is up districtwide by about 8% percent. However, enrollment numbers have not quite returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The Yuba Community College District’s 8% enrollment rebound puts it in about the middle of the pack for community colleges across California, which Pan said also are seeing improved student numbers.
He said they are also seeing some interesting phenomena when it comes to what students want when they enroll.
More students are wanting face-to-face interaction, Pan said. “That’s a very encouraging thing.”
At the same time, online courses tend to fill up first, he said.
As questions were raised about leadership and its intentions, Harris made clear that it “would be a mistake to believe there is little or no support for this campus on the board.”
He said he doesn’t think the board of trustees understands the extent to which staff attrition has impacted the campus.
Harris urged the community to attend the board’s next meeting, which will take place at the Lake County Campus on Nov. 9.
Pan agreed. “Speak up. I think the whole board needs to hear your concerns,” as well as the ideas the community has.
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 Police Department is participating in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 28, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
The event will be held at the front lobby entrance of the police station at 2025 S. Main St.
Items that will be accepted are all over-the-counter or prescription medication in pill, tablet, liquid, cream or capsule form, including schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled substances.
Pills need to be emptied out of their containers and placed in a zip lock plastic bag — not paper — so they can easily see the contents to make sure there is nothing in the bag they cannot take.
They will collect vape pens or other e-cigarette devices from individual consumers only after the batteries are removed from the devices. The department stressed that we will not be responsible for removing the batteries from the devices.
Not accepted are illegal drugs, needles, inhalers or aerosol cans.
Since the department started participating with the prescription Take Back Program in January of 2019, it has collected over 1,269 pounds of prescription drugs, many of which were dangerous narcotics including opioids.
“This protects our community by keeping these drugs from being diverted to illegal use and keeps it out of our environment and water,” the department said.
NORTH COAST, Calif. — The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the discovery of human remains near Covelo.
A Mendocino County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, to contact a person who had located potential human skeletal remains in Covelo, said Capt. Gregory Van Patten.
Van Patten said the deputy learned that the man who found the remains had been hunting on his property, located in the 45000 block of Bauer Ranch Road in the vicinity of Mendocino Pass Road, when he discovered several scattered bones that are suspected to be human.
The man also found out-of-state photo identifications belonging to an adult male which was in the general area of the bones, Van Patten said.
Due to darkness and an impending rainstorm, Van Patten said it was decided a search of the property would be delayed for the safety of Sheriff's Office searchers.
Just before 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s deputies and members of the Mendocino County Search and Rescue Team conducted search efforts for the bones, which resulted in the discovery and recovery of several human skeletal remains, Van Patten said.
Investigations into the identity of the human skeletal remains are ongoing at this time and Van Patten said investigators have requested the assistance of the Anthropology Department at California State University, Chico in an effort to determine a cause and classification of death.
Anyone with information that may assist investigators in this coroner's investigation are urged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Tipline by calling 707-234-2100 or the WeTip Anonymous Crime Reporting Hotline by calling 800-782-7463.
During Flood Preparedness Week, Gov. Gavin Newsom highlighted the state’s ongoing work to prepare for another potential wet winter, including more flood fighting materials prepositioned in vulnerable communities and $95 million in funding recently made available for various projects to repair levees, enhance flood diversion and recharge capacity, and support communities impacted by record flooding this year.
This funding is in addition to the $40 million that was previously provided to the communities of Pajaro and Planada for flood relief this summer, including direct relief to residents and workers regardless of documentation and citizenship status.
The Governor, in partnership with the Legislature, invested a total of $436 million in the most recent budget to support flood response and projects to protect communities from future flooding.
“As we head into another wet season, the state is moving quickly to shore up protections for at-risk communities, continue supporting impacted residents, and invest in the tools needed to meet the challenges of extreme weather across the state,” Newsom said.
The $95 million in funding highlighted Wednesday includes:
• $67 million for DWR to support critical repair of levees impacted by the storms and flood diversion and recharge enhancements. • $14 million to the State Water Resources Control Board to support domestic wells impacted by flooding. • $11.7 million in additional funding for the Storm Assistance for Immigrants project to support direct assistance to Californians experiencing hardship due to the storms from December 2022 through April 2023 and who are ineligible for federal assistance due to immigration status. • $2.3 million to begin the next phase of a project to repair damage to the Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Tulare County operated by the University of California.
Here’s what else the state is doing:
• The Department of Water Resources, or DWR, has more flood fighting materials pre-positioned at more locations, including 2.4 million more sandbags this water year. • The State-Federal Flood Operations Center is supporting pre-season emergency response coordination across the state to give local counties and communities the resources and training needed to respond to potential flooding. • DWR and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation are closely coordinating to ensure the state’s reservoirs have flood space available under a second year of flood conditions, and store as much water as possible. • Earlier this month, the governor signed AB 876 by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, an urgency measure to expedite critical levee upgrades and speed up construction of the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, while maintaining important environmental and water quality protections. The Governor previously signed legislation in 2021 and 2022 to advance funds for the project and cover up to 100 percent of non-federal costs. • DWR supports forecast-informed reservoir operations (FIRO) assessments, which use improved weather and water forecasts to help reservoir operators decide when to release or hold water. Forecasting and warning data from tools and research developed by DWR and academic partners this year help keep partner agencies and the public up to date on potential flood threats during storms and inform emergency response efforts.
DWR is participating in events this week to raise public awareness of flood risk and highlight the work by state, federal and local partners to protect communities. More information can be found here.
New data show California has built out more than 6,600 megawatts, or MW, of battery storage, enough electricity to power 6.6 million homes for up to four hours.
The total resource is up from 770 MW four years ago and double the amount installed just two years ago, significant progress towards California’s goal of a 100% clean electric grid by 2045.
As greenhouse gas emissions accelerate climate change, energy storage is a critical part of California’s strategy to cut pollution and create a cleaner, more reliable grid — storing excess power from solar, wind and other renewable sources generated during the day to meet demand in the evening when the sun sets.
“The more homes and businesses we can power with clean energy, the more we can clean our air and cut pollution. California — 40 million people strong and the 5th biggest economy in the world — is showing the rest of the globe how to fight climate change while making the grid more reliable and creating new jobs. This is essential to how we fight climate change and protect Californians,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Gov. Newsom has streamlined clean energy infrastructure and invest billions of dollars to build more faster.
Another 1,900 MW of energy storage projects are expected to be online by the end of the year, for a total of 8,500 MW.
The state is projected to need 52,000 megawatts of energy storage capacity by 2045 to meet clean energy goals.
Initial costs of upkeep were higher for new owners of older homes than for those who had lived in their homes for at least 10 years, according to recently released Census Bureau data.
The 2021 American Housing Survey (AHS) shows that in 2021, the median age of all owned homes was 41 years. Older homes — those built before 1950 — made up about 17% of homes and their owners spent a median of $1,800 a year on upkeep.
Upkeep includes both home improvement projects such as remodeling a kitchen or installing a security system and routine maintenance such as painting, plumbing, roofing and other minor repairs.
The AHS asks homeowners how much they spent on home improvements over the previous two years, or since they moved in if they had lived in the home less than two years.
Owners of older homes who had moved in within the past two years tended to spend more on overall upkeep. These new owners spent a median of $3,900 per year, while longtime owners who had lived in older homes for at least 10 years spent about $1,500 annually.
To estimate annual spending, the amount reported was averaged over the time the owner lived in the home between 2019 and 2021:
About 61% of owners of older homes started a home improvement project between 2019 and 2021, spending a median of $4,100 on all their home improvement projects during that time.
Median annual spending on maintenance alone was around $540 for owners of older homes.
Types of home improvement
Regardless of the home’s age, the most common type of projects were interior improvements. Nationwide, 47% of homeowners undertook such projects. The percentage of owners of older homes with interior projects did not differ from this national percentage.
Among owners of older homes, 59% of new owners who had moved in within the last two years did interior projects, compared to 46% of longtime owners who had lived in the home at least 10 years.
The most common types of interior improvements in older homes were additions or replacements of plumbing fixtures; flooring, drywall, paneling or ceiling tiles; and water heaters.
About 27% of owners of older homes made exterior improvements. The most common types of projects were window and door replacements; replacing the roof; and adding or replacing a porch, deck, patio or terrace.
About 21% of owners of older homes made land improvements, which was not statistically different from the share of all homeowners.
The top land improvement projects among owners of older homes were landscaping; adding or replacing fencing; and adding or replacing a driveway or walkway.
New owners of older homes were more likely (32%) than longtime owners (18%) to undertake land improvements.
Spending by home size
Older homes tend to be smaller, with a median of 1,290 square feet of living space compared to around 1,500 square feet for all homes.
Owners of older homes spent a median of $200 per 500 square feet of living space on routine maintenance annually.
Those who undertook at least one home improvement project spent a median of about $700 for each 500 square feet of living space on their projects.
Spending by home value
More than half of owners of older homes spent less than 1% of their home’s value annually on home improvement and maintenance.
New owners spent more than longtime owners: a median of 1.5% of the home’s value, compared to 0.6%.
Characteristics of owners of older homes in 2021
The median age of owners of older homes was 58 and 26% of their households had children.
Nationwide, 15% of homeowners lived in an older home. For householders who were Black, Hispanic, White, or Two or More Races, the percentage of homeowners in an older home was not statistically different from the national percentage.
About 10% of homes owned by Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) householders and 7% of homes owned by American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) householders were built before 1950.
More housing data
The AHS Table Creator has further information on home improvement from the 2021 AHS and on topics such as maintenance needs, physical characteristics of homes, neighborhood features and household demographics.
The AHS is conducted by the Census Bureau and sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It provides up-to-date information on the quality and cost of housing in the United States and major metropolitan areas. The 2021 American Housing Survey page provides related definitions and information on sampling and nonsampling error.
All comparative statements in this article have undergone statistical testing and, unless otherwise noted, are statistically significant at the 10% significance level.
Katie Gustafson is a statistician in the Census Bureau’s Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division.
On Wednesday, Gun Violence Prevention Task Force Chair Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) and 90 members of the Task Force delivered a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging him to take action on gun violence prevention.
“Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America. Parents across our country now live with the reality that if their child dies, the most common reason for that death is not because of cancer or a car crash, but a bullet,” the members wrote. “As you assume the responsibility of Speaker of the House, we stand ready to work with you on legislation that will reduce gun violence and urge you to commit to putting gun violence prevention legislation on the floor as soon as possible.”
The letter’s statistics on shootings do not include the number of dead and injured in a Wednesday night shooting in Maine.
The full letter can be read below.
Dear Speaker Johnson,
As Members of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, we write with a somber update about the lives lost to gun violence while the U.S. Congress has been paralyzed without an elected Speaker of the House.
Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children and teenagers in America. Parents across our country now live with the reality that if their child dies, the most common reason for that death is not because of cancer or a car crash, but a bullet.
Since former Speaker McCarthy was removed from his leadership role on October 3rd 1,030 people have died from gun violence including 15 children and 60 teenagers. Another 2,072 people were injured by gun violence and our country was traumatized by 33 more mass shootings.
Although we can never get back the time that was wasted by the chaos caused by the lack of leadership in the House of Representatives, we must not let that dysfunction prevent us from working together to address the gun violence crisis moving forward. We suggest that the House first start by considering the numerous gun violence prevention bills that are supported by a majority of Democrats, Independents and Republicans.
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force sent multiple letters to former Speaker McCarthy with the earnest request that the House take action on gun violence which is the largest killer of children. As you assume the responsibility of Speaker of the House, we stand ready to work with you on legislation that will reduce gun violence and urge you to commit to putting gun violence prevention legislation on the floor as soon as possible.
Thompson represents California’s Fifth Congressional District, which includes all or part of Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday today co-led a bipartisan coalition of 33 attorneys general in filing a federal lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc. and affiliates.
Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the lawsuit alleges that Meta, among other things, designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children and teens to their mental and physical detriment.
The attorneys general are seeking injunctive and monetary relief to address Meta’s misconduct.
As part of this coordinated effort, eight attorneys general announced filing lawsuits against Meta today in their respective state courts.
The federal and state complaints are the result of a nationwide investigation that Attorney General Bonta announced on Nov. 18, 2021.
“Our bipartisan investigation has arrived at a solemn conclusion: Meta has been harming our children and teens, cultivating addiction to boost corporate profits,” said Bonta. “With today’s lawsuit, we are drawing the line. We must protect our children and we will not back down from this fight. I am grateful for the collaboration of my fellow state attorneys general in standing up for our children and holding Meta accountable."
In Tuesday’s lawsuit, Bonta alleges that Meta violated federal and state laws, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA; California's False Advertising Law, or FAL; and California’s Unfair Competition Law, or UCL.
COPPA is a federal law that protects the online privacy of children under 13 years old. California's FAL prohibits false and misleading advertising. California's UCL prohibits unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent business practices.
According to the federal complaint, Meta’s misconduct included the following:
• Creating a business model focused on maximizing young users’ time on its platforms. • Employing harmful and psychologically manipulative platform features while misleading the public about the safety of those features. • Publishing reports purporting to show misleadingly low rates of user harms. • In spite of the overwhelming evidence linking its platforms to young user harms, refusing to address those harms while continuing to conceal and downplay its platforms’ adverse effects.
While much of the complaint includes information conditionally under seal as part of the investigation by the attorneys general, publicly available sources — including evidence disclosed by former Meta employees — also detail Meta’s efforts to attract young users and make its platforms addictive to children and teens.
For example, the Wall Street Journal published an internal Facebook document in 2021 that said the following about young users: “They are a valuable but untapped audience.”
In addition to the lawsuit filed today against Meta, Attorney General Bonta has an ongoing investigation into TikTok for harms to youth associated with the use of its platform.
On March 5, 2023, Attorney General Bonta filed an amicus brief supporting efforts to compel TikTok to produce subpoenaed materials and evidence. The TikTok investigation remains ongoing.
States joining today’s federal lawsuit against Meta are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Florida is filing its own federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. They are joined by the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont, which have filed related actions in state court.
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
How many hours does the average American spend on devices each year? – Maxwell P., age 10
Think about your favorite devices – your smartphone, laptop, tablet, computer or console – the things you use to play cool games, watch hilarious videos and connect and chat with friends.
Many young people spend a lot of free time looking at them. Turns out that teens spend an average of 8½ hours on screens per day, and tweens – that’s ages 8 to 12 – are not far behind, at 5½ hours daily.
What’s more, much of the time taken up by social media and texting is apparently not even enjoyable, much less productive. A 2017 study of teens ages 13 to 18 suggests they spend most of those hours on the phone in their bedroom, alone and distressed.
These lonely feelings correlate with the rise in the use of digital media. In 2022, 95% of teens had smartphones compared with only 23% in 2011. And 46% of today’s teens say they use the internet almost constantly, compared with 24% of teenagers who said the same in 2014 and 2015.
Our team of psychiatrists who treat young people with digital addiction have many patients who spend over 40 hours per week on screens – and some, up to 80 hours.
Think about it: If you spend “just” an average of 50 hours per week on devices from ages 13 to 18 – the total time you will spend on screens equates to more than 12 years of school!
The U.S. surgeon general says too much screen time can increase anxiety and depression in teens and tweens.
Find the right balance
All this is not to say that everything about devices is bad. In this digital age, people embark on exciting journeys through the screens of their devices. Sometimes, screens are the windows to a magical adventure.
But too much screen time can lead to problems. As human beings, we function best when we’re in a state of balance. That happens when we eat well, exercise regularly and get enough sleep.
But spending too much time using digital devices can cause changes in the way you think and behave. Many teens and tweens developed the “fear of missing out” – known as FOMO. And one study shows some people develop nomophobia, which is the fear of being without your phone, or feeling anxious when you can’t use it.
Getting hooked on screens means missing out on healthy activities. To achieve a better balance, some experts recommend the following: Turn off all screens during family meals and outings. Don’t complain when your parents use parental controls. And turn off all the screens in your bedroom 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime – this step will improve sleep.
Feel uneasy or grumpy when you can’t use your device.
Don’t take breaks while spending hours on your device.
Ignore other fun activities you enjoy, like going outside or reading a book.
Have trouble sleeping, or falling asleep, because your screen time is too close to bedtime.
Experience eye, lower back and neck strain.
Struggle with weight gain or obesity because you’re inactive.
Have difficulty with real-life, face-to-face social interactions.
If you notice these signs, do not dismiss them. But also realize you’re not alone and help is out there. You can find balance again.
A kid breaks his addiction to gaming and social media.
A healthy approach
Exercise – riding a bike, playing sports, lifting weights or going for a jog or walk – keeps your brain healthy and protects it against depression and anxiety, as well as limiting your screen time.
Another way to be happier and healthier is to spend time with people – face to face, not via a screen. Seeing people live and in person is the best way to bond with others, and it may be even better for life span than exercise.
Creative hobbies are good, too. Cooking, playing an instrument, dancing, any arts and crafts, and thousands of other fun things make people happier and more creative. What’s more, hobbies make you well rounded and more attractive to others – which leads to more face-to-face interactions.
It’s also critical for parents to practice healthy screen habits. But about one-third of adults say they use screens “constantly.” This is not exactly a great example for kids; when adults take responsibility to minimize their own screen time, the whole family gets better.
Our research team used magnetic resonance imaging, also known as MRI, to scan the brains of teens who had digital addiction. We found impairment in the brain’s decision-making, processing and reward centers. But after a digital fast – meaning the addicted teens unplugged for two weeks – those brain abnormalities reversed, and the damage was undone.
Our findings also showed that kids with a desire to overcome digital addiction did better with a digital fast than those who were less willing or who denied their addiction.
A balanced lifestyle in the digital age is all about finding joy in screenless activities – being active, connecting with others and exploring your offline interests.
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