Stimulus update: Direct payment worth $500 for more than 300 families to be sent in nine days

Brady Knox

May 08, 12:12 PM May 08, 12:12 PM

A program that will send $500 monthly to 305 families in Sonoma County, California, is set to send its next payment in nine days.

The Pathway to Income Equity pilot program selected 305 families out of 6,450 applicants. To be eligible, applicants had to have at least one child under 6 years of age, be affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic, and have a household income of no more than 185% above the federal poverty level, according to the Sonoma County Administrator's Office. Its first payment was issued in March, and its next payment will be on May 17.

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The program is partially an experiment to see how guaranteed income affects impoverished families.

“These payments will help families with young children who are often struggling under the double burden of the high costs of housing and child care — typically the two highest household expenses,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, the chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “The information we gain from this pilot program will help shape future efforts to improve the health and welfare of our community.”

Angie Dillon-Shore, the executive director of First 5 Sonoma County, an independent public agency focused on early childhood development, defended the program as essential to fighting familial poverty and preempted criticisms that it may incentivize laziness.

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“The number of applications we received speaks to the issue that so many in our community are struggling,” she said. “The idea that giving people cash is a disincentive to work is a myth. Most of our selected recipients are already working, many working more than one job or more than 40 hours a week just to survive. This extra income will allow them to spend more time with their families, find a better job, or improve their financial well-being, resulting in better outcomes for their kids.”

She told the Washington Examiner that the group is using an "external evaluator to conduct qualitative research (surveys, interviews, and focus groups) with the participants over the two years" and will publish a preliminary and final report in spring 2024 and early 2025, respectively.

California reparations task force votes to approve restitution plan

Asher Notheis

May 06, 08:55 PM May 06, 08:55 PM

California's reparations task force voted on Saturday in favor of a reparations program, the first of its kind in the United States.

The committee of nine members voted to give final approval a plan with detailed explanations for how restitution should be made to victims of systemic racism, housing discrimination, mass incarceration, and health care inequities. The plan now goes to state legislature for approval. If passed, it could mean hundreds of billions of dollars in payments to black residents of the Golden State.

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Calculations provided ahead of the vote showed that black residents who have lived in California their whole life and are 71 or older could receive up to $1.2 million in payments.

The proposed payments released on Wednesday revealed various alleged harms the committee seeks to atone for on behalf of the state of California, with all of the alleged harms varying depending on the time spent in California.

Those who have suffered from health-related harms would receive $13,619 for each year spent in California, with descendants eligible for the payments. Payments for those who were victims of alleged over-policing from 1971 through 2020, meanwhile would be entitled to $2,352 for each year living in California during that time, with a maximum amount of $115,260.

The task force's report is due to be released by July 1.

Ahead of Saturday's voting, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) applauded the recommendation of paying reparations to black residents in the state, calling the move a “human right” that has been “long overdue” for decades.

“Reparations are not a luxury for our people, but a human right long overdue for millions of Americans,” Lee said during a meeting with California's Reparations Task Force on Saturday. “The atrocities committed against black Americans are undeniable, and reparations are a tangible route to acknowledging and making amends to the glaring economic and social impacts of slavery and systemic racism. We must repair this damage.”

Stimulus check update: Direct payment worth $800 to be paid out to recipients in nine days

Asher Notheis

May 06, 10:00 AM May 06, 10:00 AM

Selected residents of Palm Springs, California, only need to wait nine days before a guaranteed income program begins paying $800 every month.

The program, which is being run by nonprofit organizations Queer Works and DAP Health, selected 30 recipients earlier this year in March and will begin the 18-month pay schedule on May 15. The recipients of this program will be free to spend this monthly payment in any way they see fit, according to Queer Works.

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To have been eligible for this program, applicants needed to have an income of no more than 30% of the median income of Riverside County, which is equal to $16,600. Additionally, applicants needed to be clients of either Queer Works and/or DAP Health and be considered primary residents of Palm Springs.

The funding for this program, which Queer Works described as universal basic income, comes from $500,000 from the city of Palm Springs.

As part of this guaranteed income program, recipients will be required to participate in a study by Queer Works, which will involve surveys taken each month. The data from this program will be made available every six months, with the final report expected in winter 2024.

Applications for this program opened on March 15 and closed on March 25. The selected recipients of the program were notified of their selection on March 30.

The program is one of several guaranteed income programs taking place in California. In the city of El Monte, a program paying 125 applicants $500 every month is expected to begin on June 1, and in Sonoma County, recipients of the Pathway to Income Equity pilot program, who receive $500 every month, will receive their next payment on May 17.

Stimulus check update: Direct payment worth $800 to be paid out to recipients in 10 days

Asher Notheis

May 05, 10:29 AM May 05, 10:29 AM

Selected residents of Palm Springs, California, only need to wait 10 days before a guaranteed income program begins paying $800 every month.

The program, which is being run by nonprofit organizations Queer Works and DAP Health, selected 30 recipients earlier this year in March and will begin the 18-month-long pay schedule on May 15. The recipients of this program will be free to spend this monthly payment in any way they see fit, according to Queer Works.

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Recipients will also be required to participate in a study by Queer Works, which will involve surveys taken each month. The data from this program will be made available every six months, with the final report expected in winter 2024.

To have been eligible for this program, applicants needed to have an income of no more than 30% of the median income of Riverside County, which is equal to $16,600. Additionally, applicants needed to be clients of either Queer Works and/or DAP Health and be considered primary residents of Palm Springs, California.

Applications for this program opened on March 15 and closed on March 25. The selected recipients of the program were notified of their selection on March 30.

The funding for this program, which Queer Works describes as universal basic income, comes from $500,000 from the city of Palm Springs.

The program is one of several guaranteed income programs taking place in California. In the city of El Monte, a program paying 125 applicants $500 every month is expected to begin on June 1, and in Sonoma County, recipients of the Pathway to Income Equity pilot program, who receive $500 every month, will receive their next payment on May 17.

Man who spent two decades in prison announces run for California House seat

Misty Severi

April 19, 07:53 PM April 19, 07:53 PM

Francisco Carrillo, who spent nearly two decades in prison before his wrongful conviction was overturned in 2011, announced his campaign for a congressional seat in California on Wednesday.

Carillo, who was featured on the Netflix documentary series The Innocence Files, is running to represent the 27th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.

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“I know what it feels like to be ignored, marginalized, forgotten about,” Carrillo said in his announcement video. “There are people who abuse their power and benefit from the system. Then there’s the rest of us. We play by the rules and get screwed by the same exact system. This is why I’m running for Congress against Rep. Mike Garcia [R-CA].”

Carrillo was arrested following a drive-by shooting at the age of 16 after police mistakenly identified him in a different case, according to the documentary. He was convicted of murder and six counts of attempted murder in 1992 and sentenced to life in prison. However, Carrillo was exonerated in 2011 because most of the witnesses recanted their testimonies and other men confessed to the crimes.

The 27th District is considered a battleground district after it went to President Joe Biden in 2020 but voted for the more conservative Garcia in 2022. The district is a target for Democrats in 2024 as they attempt to regain the House next year.

Carrillo, who is on the Probation Oversight Commission of Los Angeles County, said his campaign will focus on criminal justice reform and economic justice.

"[I want] to let them know that there are people who can endure, there are good people who will come to the aid of others," Carrillo told CNN. "And ultimately, there are people who have been wronged by systems, and social justice can prevail. We definitely have to think about this no longer as punishment but more reform and be more compassionate with those who made a momentary mistake in most cases."

Former NASA chief of staff George Whitesides has also announced a campaign for the Democratic nomination.

Dianne Feinstein's future could lay in the hands of McConnell

Jack Birle

April 17, 11:39 AM April 17, 11:39 AM

As Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) returns to the chamber after suffering a concussion from a fall in March, he may be a deciding factor in the fate of another senator in the midst of an extended absence.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has requested to be replaced temporarily on the Senate Judiciary Committee, but such a move would require 10 Republicans to approve the replacement.

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The 89-year-old has been out of the Senate since February due to a bout of shingles. She has missed 60 of the 82 votes taken in the Senate this year, and her absence on the committee has held up several of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees.

McConnell is not likely to whip Republicans to vote to allow Democrats to swap out Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee because of his legacy with judicial matters, per Politico.

“My instinct is he would do everything he could to keep Democrats from stacking the federal judiciary. It would be a little strange for him to grease the wheels to continue to churn out what heretofore has been a pretty high rate of confirmations,” a confidant to McConnell said.

One of the biggest achievements Republicans cite when it comes to McConnell's leadership in the Senate was his decision to hold open the seat vacated by Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016 until then-President Donald Trump was sworn in the next year, allowing a Republican president rather than a Democratic president appoint the successor to the influential conservative justice. McConnell's other major legacy points include the vast number of federal judges the Senate approved under Trump.

The advisory role of the Senate has become a cornerstone of McConnell's legacy as GOP leader, and if the Senate allows a Democrat to replace Feinstein on the committee, it would likely mean Biden would be able to appoint and confirm a number of federal judges.

The California Democrat's absence on the powerful committee has been one of the top reasons some Democrats, including Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), want her to resign from office.

Feinstein has vowed to return to the Senate. So far, her promise has been enough to quell concerns from most of her colleagues. If her absence continues, however, Democrats may become restless, as the party has a 51-49 Senate majority.

"If this goes on month after month after month, she will need to make a decision with her family and her friends about what the future holds. This isn’t just about California. It’s also about the nation. We just can’t, with a one-vote margin, expect every other person to be there every single time. It could become an issue as the months go by, but I’m taking her at her word that she’s going to return," Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said on ABC's This Week on Sunday.

Feinstein has already said she will not seek another term for her Senate seat, which she was first elected to in 1992. The race for her seat in 2024 is set to be a fierce battle between Golden State Democrats.

If she were to resign, it would mean Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) would get to appoint a replacement until an election is held for the seat. Newsom appointed Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) to fill the vacancy left by then-Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) when she resigned to become vice president in 2021. Having to appoint Feinstein's successor could be a political nightmare for Newsom amid the hotly contested primary for the seat.

Stimulus update: Direct payments worth $500 for more than 300 families to be sent in three days

Asher Notheis

April 16, 10:00 AM April 16, 10:01 AM

In three days, a guaranteed income payment will be sent to 305 families in Sonoma County, California.

The Pathway to Income Equity pilot program selected 305 out of 6,450 applicants. To be eligible, applicants had to have at least one child under age 6, be affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic, and have a household income of no more than 185% above the federal poverty level, according to the Sonoma County Administrator's Office.

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"These payments will help families with young children who are often struggling under the double burden of the high costs of housing and child care — typically the two highest household expenses," said Chris Coursey, the chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors.

"The information we gain from this pilot program will help shape future efforts to improve the health and welfare of our community," he added.

Officials said the payments are delivered on the third Wednesday of each month, which for this month will be April 19. The final payment for this program will be issued in December 2024.

Sonoma County officials will study what effect this additional monthly income has on reducing poverty and promoting economic mobility for families with young children, according to the Sonoma County Administrator's Office.

"Most of our selected recipients are already working — many working more than one job or more than 40 hours a week just to survive," said Angie Dillon-Shore, the director of the nonprofit group First 5 Sonoma County.

"This extra income will allow them to spend more time with their families, find a better job, or improve their financial well-being, resulting in better outcomes for their kids," she said.

The program accepted applications for the payments last year, and 6,450 applications were submitted online. Officials said that of all the applications, 2,383 met the eligibility requirements. The application period was from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31.

Stimulus update: Deadline to apply for $500 Sacramento guaranteed income program is in two days

Asher Notheis

April 12, 03:55 PM April 12, 03:55 PM

Residents of Sacramento, California, only have a couple days left to apply for a guaranteed income program that will give recipients $500 every month for a year.

The program, which is a partnership between the city and the nonprofit United Way, has already given 100 families in Sacramento County $300 every month since June 2021 and will select 80 applicants to receive this new $500 monthly payment. As part of this program, the California State University will conduct an evaluation on the experiences of participants who are receiving this money, according to United Way.

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Applications for this program opened on March 15 and will remain open through 11:59 p.m. on Friday.

To be eligible for this program, applicants must earn an income below certain limits regarding household size, with a household of one adult earning no more than $28,205 and a household of two earning $43,201; this income limit will go up slightly with every child a household has, regardless of whether the house has one or two adults. Additionally, applicants must have a residential address within Sacramento.

The first payment is set to go out to recipients on July 1.

Recipients of this program will also receive surveys from the California State University in Sacramento, the first of which is mandatory and the second and third being optional, with the second being issued at the end of the program and the third being issued six months after the program's end. However, applicants who complete these optional surveys will be given $25 for both surveys completed.

All 80 of these eligible recipients will be randomly selected among applicants. These applicants will be informed that they have been selected through email sometime between late April and early May.

Jerry Brown cautions Biden 2024 is not a 'slam dunk'

Ryan King

April 06, 01:33 PM April 06, 01:33 PM

A prominent California Democrat doesn't think that President Joe Biden will be a shoo-in for the 2024 election.

Former Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) said Biden was the most formidable Democratic presidential contender but cautioned that challengers to Biden could run a tight race.

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"Well, you know, it depends on what the alternatives are," Brown told Politico. "I’d say this it’s not a slam dunk any way you look at it."

“There’s no doubt Biden is the strongest,” Brown insisted, referring to the 2024 field.

Biden is widely considered the Democratic front-runner. Top Democrats have left a clear field for him, with some lower-tier challengers such as bestselling spiritual author Marianne Williamson and recently anti-vaxxer and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mounting a challenge against him.

The president has not yet declared his reelection bid, with rumors circulating that an announcement could come as late as the fall. Brown, 84, mused that he could handle the duties of commander in chief but lamented that age might not bode well for him politically.

“I can handle the job but I don’t think the politics can handle my age,” he continued. “We’re not like the old Soviet Union, where they had all those men in the Politburo, people want some fresher faces.”

Brown dipped his toes in presidential races unsuccessfully in 1976, 1980, and 1992. Biden, who similarly lost multiple presidential races in the past, is the oldest president at 80 and would be 82 at the start of a hypothetical second term in office and 86 by the end of it.

Given whispers of consternation about Biden's age, there has been heightened scrutiny of his partner, Vice President Kamala Harris.

“I don’t think vice presidents are ever ready,” Brown said, before noting he had a "good relationship" with the fellow Californian. “People thought John Kennedy was kind of a lightweight but he rose to the occasion.”

Biden has consistently said that he intends to seek reelection. Meanwhile, Republicans are poised for an all-out primary brawl over who will be their standard bearer to face him.

Brown governed the Golden State for roughly 16 years.

Stimulus update: Deadline to apply for $500 guaranteed income program in 13 days

Asher Notheis

April 02, 07:46 AM April 02, 07:46 AM

A guaranteed income program in the city of El Monte, California, is accepting applications for another 13 days. Recipients of the program will get $500 every month for a year.

A total of 125 applicants will be selected, and the program is intended for mothers in the city. Applications for the program opened on Monday and will remain open until April 15, according to the city.

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"Individuals selected to participate in the program will be issued a debit card," a representative with the city manager's office told the Washington Examiner. "Every month, the city will load $500 on the debit card. Individuals can use it to pay for goods and services at any location that accepts debit cards. The city will provide training on how to use the debit card for participants."

The recipients of this program will be selected by April 26, and the city anticipates the first payment will be sent out on June 1, the representative said.

To be eligible, an applicant must live within the city limits of El Monte, be a single female head of household with no spouse or partner in the house, and have children younger than 17. Additionally, applicants must have a verified income at or below the federal poverty line, be able to show a need for financial assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic, and be able to submit documents verifying school enrollment, proof of residency, proof of income, and a government-issued ID.

Those interested in applying for this program can do so either in person at the city manager's office, online, or by mail. Anyone submitting an application by mail should address the application to:

City of El Monte

City Hall East

Attn: GI Program

11333 Valley Boulevard

El Monte, CA 91731

Stimulus update: Deadline to apply for $500 guaranteed income program in 15 days

Asher Notheis

March 31, 11:49 AM March 31, 11:49 AM

A guaranteed income program in the city of El Monte, California, is accepting applications for another 15 days, with recipients of the program getting $500 every month for a year.

A total of 125 applicants will be selected to receive this income from the program, which is intended for mothers in the city. Applications for the program opened on Monday and will remain open until April 15, according to the city.

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"Individuals selected to participate in the program will be issued a debit card," a representative with the city manager's office told the Washington Examiner. "Every month, the city will load $500 on the debit card. Individuals can use it to pay for goods and services at any location that accepts debit cards. The city will provide training on how to use the debit card for participants."

The recipients of this program will be selected by April 26, and the city anticipates the first payment will be sent out on June 1, the representative said.

To be eligible, an applicant must live within the city limits of El Monte, be a single female head of household with no spouse or partner in the house, and have children younger than 17. Additionally, applicants must have a verified income at or below the federal poverty line, be able to show a need for financial assistance due to the coronavirus pandemic, and be able to submit documents verifying school enrollment, proof of residency, proof of income, and a government-issued ID.

Those interested in applying for this program can do so either in person at the city manager's office, online, or by mail. Anyone submitting an application by mail should address the application to:

City of El Monte

City Hall East

Attn: GI Program

11333 Valley Boulevard

El Monte, CA 91731

California looks to spend some Medicaid money on housing

March 26, 02:13 PM March 26, 02:18 PM

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (WHD) — At the start of 2022, Thomas Marshall weighed 311 pounds. He had been hospitalized 10 times in five years, including six surgeries. He had an open wound on his left leg that refused to heal — made worse by living in a dirty, moldy house with five other people, two ball pythons, four Chihuahuas and a cage full of rats.

More than a year later, Marshall has lost nearly 100 pounds. His wound has healed. His blood pressure has returned to normal levels. His foot, which had nerve damage, has improved to the point he goes on regular walks to the park.

Lots of factors are at play in Marshall’s dramatic turnaround, but the one he credits the most is finally having stable housing, after the nonprofit Sacramento Covered helped him get a one-bedroom, 500 square-foot (46.4-square-meter) apartment in a downtown high rise. He has hardwood floors, white pine cabinets and a glass jar on the counter filled with Bit-O-Honeys.

“To me it’s the most important 500 square feet I’ve ever had,” he said. “Living here has just improved my well-being in every possible way.”

Marshall’s story is part of a radical rethinking of the relationship between housing and health care in the U.S. For decades, Medicaid, the joint state and federal health insurance program for people with disabilities or low incomes, would only pay for medical expenses. But last year the Biden administration gave Arizona and Oregon permission to use Medicaid money for housing — a nod to reams of research showing people in stable housing are healthier.

Now California wants to join those states, building on the success of programs like the one that got Marshall housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed spending more than $100 million per year in the state’s Medicaid program to pay for up to six months of housing for people who are or risk becoming homeless; are coming out of prison or foster care; or are at risk for hospitalization or emergency room visits.

It would be the biggest test yet of using Medicaid money for housing. California has the nation’s largest Medicaid program, with more than 13 million patients — or about a third of the state’s population. California also has nearly a third of the nation’s homeless population, according to federal data.

“It’s a huge step toward breaking down the silos that have gotten in the way of taking care of the whole person rather than limb by limb and illness by illness,” said Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, a consumer advocacy group.

It would also be an expensive step. California is expected to have a $22.5 billion budget deficit this year, and it could get bigger in years to come. Meanwhile the state’s Medicaid spending is projected to increase by $2.5 billion over the next three years, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

“What we’re really doing is expanding the welfare state, which is going to become just a huge financial problem,” said Wayne Winegarden, senior fellow at the Pacific Research Institute, a group that advocates for free-market policies.

California experimented with using Medicaid money for some housing-related expenses in 2016 when it launched a pilot project in 26 counties. While Medicaid did not pay for rent, it paid for things like security deposits and furniture.

In Marshall’s case, he pays his own rent, using some of the $1,153 per month he gets from Social Security and Supplemental Security Income. But Medicaid paid for his security deposit, bed, sofa, table, chairs and nearly 3 1/2 gallons of Pine Sol. Marshall said keeping his apartment clean is one thing that helped his leg wound to finally heal.

Over five years the program has reduced expensive hospital stays and emergency room visits for people on Medicaid, saving taxpayers an average of $383 per patient per year, according to an analysis by researchers at UCLA.

Now California wants to go further by using Medicaid money to directly pay some people’s rent. Democratic Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, who chairs the budget subcommittee that will vet Newsom’s proposal, said lawmakers are supportive. Arambula spent a decade as an emergency room doctor.

“I became very good at being able to get cockroaches out of people’s ears,” Arambula said. “The living conditions of many of our communities, especially in our rural communities, really can affect a person’s ability to get adequate sleep, to be prepared for the next day and to stay healthy.”

Advocates for homeless people say they welcome such programs but spending more money on rent isn’t enough, noting the state still has a massive shortage of affordable housing.

Kelly Bennett, founder and CEO of Sacramento Covered, said that during California’s first experiment with using Medicaid money for housing services, it would often take up to eight months for workers to place a patient in an apartment. In some cases, people have waited for years to find a place.

“Even when you have the deposit money and you have some rental subsidy, it’s still very, very challenging to find units — and to find units where the landlords will lease to our clients,” Bennett said.

Marshall said he grew up in Sacramento and got a degree in dietic technology and culinary arts. But a 30-year addiction to meth landed him on the streets from the late 1990s through about 2006. He camped at an old landfill, often eating leftovers from people’s picnics at a nearby park.

He applied for apartments at multiple subsidized housing buildings, but never made it off the wait list. It took him about a year to get his current apartment, where he pays $186 per month with the help of a subsidy.

“I feel like I’m electric. ... I have power and ability to do things that I could not do for a very long time,” Marshall, 64, said. “Whatever years I’ve got left now, I’m going to spend them up here in the glass tower.”

Stimulus update: Direct $500 payments for more than 300 families to be sent in 24 days

Asher Notheis

March 26, 06:10 AM March 26, 06:10 AM

Families receiving money from a guaranteed income program in California will receive their next payment of $500 in 24 days.

Sonoma County selected 305 families to receive $500 every month for two years as part of its Pathway to Income Equity program, and the next payment is scheduled for April 19.

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Officials will study what effect the additional income has on reducing poverty and promoting economic mobility for families with young children, according to the Sonoma County Administrator's Office.

Angie Dillon-Shore, director of the nonprofit group First 5 Sonoma County, told the Washington Examiner these payments would go out to recipients on the third Wednesday of every month and that the final payment would be issued in December 2024.

“These payments will help families with young children who are often struggling under the double burden of the high costs of housing and child care — typically the two highest household expenses,” said Chris Coursey, chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “The information we gain from this pilot program will help shape future efforts to improve the health and welfare of our community.”

Applications for the program were only open to applicants who met specific criteria like being a resident of Sonoma County. Other criteria included being pregnant and/or the parent of a child no older than 5, being affected by COVID-19, and making an income of less than 185% of the federal poverty level. The federal poverty level is $42,606 for a family of three.

A total of 6,450 online applications were submitted for review, and 2,383 met the eligibility requirements. Applications for the program opened on Sept. 1 and closed on Oct. 31 of last year.

Critical race theory meeting in California school district turns chaotic

Jeremiah Poff

March 24, 05:18 PM March 24, 05:18 PM

Two individuals were removed from a critical race theory workshop meeting in a California school district on Wednesday after a woman reportedly told a black man that he should leave the country.

The incident took place at a meeting in Temecula Valley Unified School District southeast of Los Angeles, where the school board had previously voted to ban critical race theory. The meeting was organized as a workshop to explain why the board had banned the theory from schools in December.

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The tenor of the meeting turned sour when Deon Hairston, a black man, told the school board that the ban on critical race theory was "asinine" because it wasn't taught in schools.

Critical race theory is an academic theory that posits that U.S. institutions and culture are systemically racist and oppressive to racial minorities, especially black people. The incorporation of critical race theory-linked concepts in public schools, such as white privilege and systemic racism, have been a major touchstone of controversy in recent years. Multiple states have banned the theory from public school classrooms.

“It is widely recognized by the vast majority of experts that bringing CRT into the K-12 classrooms is just as outlandish as bringing calculus to the first-grade classroom,” Hairston said. “Therefore, it is asinine to ban CRT when it isn’t even taught in any classroom in the United States of America.”

Hairston, who was at this point shouting at the board, said that a woman in the audience had told him he should leave the country if he felt as he did.

"My family has been here since Aug. 16, 1619," he pronounced angrily after a member of the school board warned him that he could be removed from the venue.

As Hairston continued to yell at the board, saying, "we've been slaves for 400 years," board President Joseph Komrosky asked security to escort him out of the building.

In response, the crowd could be heard heckling the board, prompting Komrosky to say, "if you like, the whole auditorium can leave."

The woman who heckled Hairston was reportedly asked to leave following the incident, according to Newsweek.

SVB collapse: Pension funds lose millions after bank failure

Jack Birle

March 14, 09:22 AM March 14, 09:25 AM

Various pension funds that invested in Silicon Valley Bank have lost millions in the aftermath of the collapse of the California-based bank.

The California Public Employees Retirement Fund had invested $67 million into Silicon Valley Bank and roughly $11 million into Signature Bank, which also failed, per Newsweek.

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A spokesperson for the state's pension fund, which has more than 1.5 million members, told the outlet the investments in the two banks made up "a small percentage of our overall portfolio."

Other pension funds with investments included the Employee Retirement System of Rhode Island, which helps retired state and municipal workers. The Rhode Island pension fund had just over $2.6 million invested in both of the failed banks and two other at-risk banks: First Republic and Silvergate Capital.

However, the funds invested in the failed banks only included a small portion of the state's total pension fund, which is estimated at $10.3 billion.

Pension funds from different countries also had some investments in the banks, including Swedish pension fund Alecta and South Korea's National Pension Service. The Korean pension fund had tens of millions of dollars invested, and the Swedish pension fund had hundreds of millions of dollars invested in the failed banks.

The California-based Silicon Valley Bank was shut down by state regulators on Friday, while the New York-based Signature Bank was closed on Sunday.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, along with other institutions such as Signature Bank, caused shares of several regional banks to tank Monday morning as the fallout from the collapse continues. First Republic Bank, which is also based in California, opened down 73% Monday morning, and other financial institutions saw shares take a dive.

President Joe Biden addressed the recent banking failures Monday by attempting to reassure the country that the "banking system is safe."

Stimulus update: Direct $500 payment to be sent to more than 300 families in eight days

Asher Notheis

March 07, 11:09 AM March 07, 11:09 AM

Families that were selected to receive money from California's guaranteed income program will receive their next $500 payment in only eight days.

Sonoma County selected 305 families to receive $500 every month for two years as part of its Pathway to Income Equity program. Officials will study the effect of the additional income concerning reducing poverty and promoting economic mobility for families with young children, according to the Sonoma County Administrator's Office.

CALIFORNIA'S HIGH-SPEED RAIL PRICE TAG CONTINUES TO BALLOON WITH NO DEADLINES IN SIGHT

“These payments will help families with young children who are often struggling under the double burden of the high costs of housing and child care — typically the two highest household expenses,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “The information we gain from this pilot program will help shape future efforts to improve the health and welfare of our community.”

Angie Dillon-Shore, the director of the nonprofit group First 5 Sonoma County, told the Washington Examiner these payments will go out to recipients on the third Wednesday of every month and that the final payment will be issued in December 2024.

Applications for the program were only open to applicants who met specific criteria, including being a resident of Sonoma County. Other criteria included being pregnant and/or the parent of a child no older than 5, being affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and making an income of less than 185% of the federal poverty level. The federal poverty level is $42,606 for a family of three.

A total of 6,450 online applications were submitted for review, with 2,383 meeting the eligibility requirements. Applications for the program opened on Sept. 1 and closed on Oct. 31 of last year.

Gavin Newsom criticized for traveling out of state amid record California snowstorm

Asher Notheis

March 04, 01:31 PM March 04, 01:31 PM

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is away from his state for "personal travel" amid a record snowfall in some regions, a decision several have criticized.

It is unknown where Newsom has traveled over the past week, though it is reported that he left the state on Wednesday after visiting the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in Avila Beach in California. Newsom had announced on Wednesday a state of emergency in 13 different state counties in response to the severe winter storms slamming the state, the same day he traveled out of state, according to WHD News.

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"Californians are trapped in their homes without power," Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) wrote on social media on Thursday. "More storms are on the way. And Governor Newsom has just left the state for “personal travel.”

Emily Hoeven, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, shared an article on Friday about how state residents are in need of food and snow plows, writing that it "may not have been the best timing" for Newsom to travel out of state.

Mike Netter, one of the leaders in the failed Recall Gavin Newsom campaign that took place in 2021, took to social media himself to comment on the governor's absence.

The 13 counties Newsom declared a state of emergency over include Amador, Kern, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Mono, Nevada, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Sonoma, and Tulare. In addition, Newsom activated the State Operations Center to bring state support to county-led emergency response efforts to help combat the severe weather affecting the state.

San Bernardino County Fire spokesman Mike McClintock said structure fires have been a big problem in the mountain communities, which is surprising and unusual, per KTLA. One couple's home exploded due to a gas leak.

Further north, communities brace for more storms this weekend as several feet of snow have already landed. The National Weather Service has predicted between 1 to 5 feet of snow to fall in the Sierra Nevadas above 2,500 feet between Saturday morning and Monday morning, with anywhere from 4 to 18 inches possible at elevations above 1,000 feet, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Stimulus update: Direct $500 payment to be sent to more than 300 families in 11 days

Asher Notheis

March 04, 05:39 AM March 04, 05:39 AM

In 11 days, select California families will receive a payment of $500 from a guaranteed income program.

The program, Pathway to Income Equity, gives $500 to 305 families in Sonoma County every month over the course of two years. Officials will study the impact of this additional income concerning reducing poverty and promoting economic mobility for families with young children, according to the Sonoma County Administrator's Office.

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“These payments will help families with young children who are often struggling under the double burden of the high costs of housing and child care — typically the two highest household expenses,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, chairman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “The information we gain from this pilot program will help shape future efforts to improve the health and welfare of our community.”

Angie Dillon-Shore, the director of the nonprofit group First 5 Sonoma County, told the Washington Examiner these payments will go out to recipients on the third Wednesday of every month and that the final payment will be issued in December 2024.

Applications for this program were open to applicants who met specific criteria, including being a resident of Sonoma County, being pregnant and/or the parent of a child no older than 5, being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and making an income of less than 185% of the federal poverty level, which would be $42,606 for a family of three. Applications for this program opened on Sept. 1 and closed on Oct. 31, according to First 5 Sonoma County.

A total of 6,450 online applications were submitted for review, and 2,383 of those met eligibility requirements.

Additional information regarding this program can be found online.

Tesla to move engineering HQ to Silicon Valley in reversal for Musk on California

Breanne Deppisch

February 22, 04:18 PM February 22, 04:18 PM

Tesla will make its new global engineering headquarters in Silicon Valley, California, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced Wednesday, with plans to take over the Palo Alto office space formerly occupied by Hewlett Packard.

The news represents an about-face for Musk, whose relationship with the state of California, and with Newsom, by extension, had grown increasingly strained in recent years.

Speaking outside the former HP headquarters, Newsom touted the announcement as "another proof point of the renewable energy vibrancy that is California.” Tesla is "a huge part" of "our success, both California [and] America's success — and I'm here because we don't take that for granted," he said, turning to Musk. "And we appreciate the investments you're making here today."

Neither offered much in the way of details, and they did not specify how many, if any, jobs the new engineering headquarters would create. They did not take questions.

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Tesla was founded in San Carlos, California, in 2003 and until recently had called the state home to its entire operation.

But long-simmering tensions reached a head in 2020 when early state measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 forced Tesla to close its Fremont factory temporarily.

In December 2021, Musk announced he would relocate Tesla’s headquarters to Austin, Texas, citing frustrations with California’s pandemic response as one of the main reasons.

“California used to be the land of opportunity, and now it is ... becoming more so the land of sort of overregulation, overlitigation, overtaxation,” Musk said at the time, adding that it had become “increasingly difficult to get things done” in California.

Still, Tesla maintains a large business presence in the Golden State, which is home to a hardware and engineering facility in Palo Alto, its Fremont auto plant, and a battery development and testing facility in San Diego.

California is now home to 44 manufacturing headquartered companies in the electric vehicle space, Newsom noted Wednesday, "but none that dominate like Tesla."

"And so it's a point of pride always has been for me that Tesla is a California company started here," he said.

Earthquake rocks Northern California weeks after different strong quake

Jack Birle

January 01, 04:41 PM January 01, 04:47 PM

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Humboldt County, California, nearly two weeks after another strong quake hit the same area.

The earthquake had an epicenter approximately nine miles southeast of Rio Dell, California, at 10:35 a.m. PST.

TWO DEAD AFTER 6.4 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE IN CALIFORNIA

Authorities have not reported any injuries from the earthquake. The California Department of Transportation temporarily shut down the Fernbridge on state route 211 to search for any damage.

The earthquake comes weeks after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake caused damage to the area and was blamed for two deaths as the result of a "medical emergency" at the time of the quake.

Several aftershocks came after the Dec. 20 earthquake, but it is currently unknown if Sunday's quake was an aftershock from the earlier earthquake.