Mendocino County Today: Tuesday 7/2/2024

A VERY STRONG HEATWAVE will build in force today bringing Major to Extreme HeatRisk and near record breaking temperatures across the interior Wednesday through the weekend. Heat and very dry humidity will also enhance fire weather concerns, especially Tuesday and Wednesday. (NWS)

STEPHEN DUNLAP (Fort Bragg): 51F under clear skies this Tuesday morning on the coast. Our forecast high today is for 71F, but your temp depends largely on how far you are from the ocean. Hotter tomorrow then a slow cool down begins on Thursday lasting into the weekend. Too early to forecast skies for the fireworks this Saturday night.

ROBERT FROST FOUND DEAD OFF VAN DAMME STATE PARK BEACH

On Sunday, June 30, 2024 at around 2:14 PM, California State Park Rangers were dispatched to a missing person, who was last seen near the Pacific Ocean at Van Damme State Park in Little River. State Park Rangers arrived and contacted family members of 70-year-old Robert William Frost and learned that Frost was last seen on the beach, near the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

State Park Rangers began to search the immediate area for Frost, and he was not initially located. Mendocino Volunteer Fire Department personnel arrived to assist State Park Rangers, searching the ocean with their Jet-Skis. At approximately 3:35 PM, Frost was located under the surface of the water near the “outer reef,” which is around 3,000 feet southwest of the beach. Robert Frost was quickly transported to Big River Beach, where the time of death was declared by a Deputy Sheriff-Coroner at 3:48 PM.

Mr. Frost's family members and legal next-of-kin were contacted and notified of his death. There was nothing suspicious noted during this coroner's investigation that would be indicative of foul-play.

LOCAL EVENTS (this week)

ANDERSON VALLEY GRANGE #669 COMPLETES PROJECT FOR UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Anderson Valley, [July 2024] — The Anderson Valley Grange is proud to announce the completion of a critical project aimed at providing uninterrupted power supply during outages. This significant milestone has been achieved through a dedicated grants from the CA State Grange and the Community Foundation of Mendocino County. This project ensures that the Grange can function as a hub for community support offering a variety of support services during a power outage or disaster.

The newly installed propane generator is a key component of a comprehensive project designed to enhance community resilience. The project, Respite in a Time of Need, includes the provision of internet service, water supply, electronic device charging and for those dependent on medical devices, loaner charging batteries and a small generator. These efforts collectively ensure that the Anderson Valley Grange can be a vital resource for the community.

The initial phases of the project, including internet service and water supply enhancements, were made possible by generous funding from the Mendocino Community Foundation, Unspoken Word, and the local community.

With the completion of this multi-faceted project, the Anderson Valley Grange is now better equipped to serve as a reliable center for community support, providing essential services and resources during outages. The Grange extends its heartfelt gratitude to all contributors and partners who have made this achievement possible.

Community volunteers will be needed to staff the building when open, approximately 8am to 6pm. It will be a simple task of being a host and assisting persons with internet connection and device charging. If you are interested in potentially being of assistance, please contact the Grange at infoavgrange@gmail.com.

JIM JOHNSON has died.

Anderson Valley will remember him as an effective and highly regarded superintendent of our schools. Cindy and Jim Johnson are long-time residents of Elk.

PG&E PREPARES FOR EXTRAORDINARY HIGH TEMPERATURES AND POSSIBLE HEAT-RELATED OUTAGES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

As PG&E staff meteorologists closely track the weather, the company is reaching out to customers with resources to stay safe and cool.

OAKLAND, Calif. — With the Fourth of July holiday just days away, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) meteorologists are monitoring weather models that forecast a heat wave that will affect millions of Californians. Above-average temperatures are expected to begin on Tuesday and Wednesday and last through the July 4 holiday and weekend. In preparation for the heat event, PG&E has activated its Emergency Operations Center and all regional and local emergency centers; additionally, it is asking customers to have a plan for possible power outages and to take steps to stay safe during the long and brutal heat wave.

According to PG&E’s in-house meteorologists, who are tracking this week’s heat event from PG&E’s Emergency Operations Center, a strong high-pressure system will begin building today, resulting in triple-digit heat mid-week across the interior valleys, especially the Sacramento Valley, as the week continues. Along the coast, the marine layer will weaken, driving temperatures into the mid-90s and low 100s in coastal valleys and 80s in the Bay.  

“Widespread heat waves such as the one forecast for the July 4 week mean all hands on deck for PG&E. You will see crews and PG&E trucks throughout your hometown if the heat affects our equipment, and we’ll be working around the clock to restore customers safely and as quickly as possible,” said Rod Robinson, Vice President of Electric System Operations.

Our outage prediction models help determine potential timing, location and number of heat-related power outages to assign troubleworkers (PG&E first responders), crews and other resources to areas that need support. PG&E has pre-positioned crews and equipment, such as transformers, expected to be affected by heat-related outages and will mobilize equipment to other areas, as needed, based on real-time impacts.

During extended periods of high temperatures, energy use increases and electric grid equipment gets hotter. Equipment such as transformers need time to cool down during a heat wave. This usually happens overnight when temperatures and energy usage drop. Heat events with high overnight temperatures can put additional stress on equipment and cause heat-related outages.

“We are closely monitoring areas where abnormally high heat is forecasted and demand on the grid will be elevated, such as the Santa Clara Valley and other interior Bay valleys. This is in addition to the entire Central Valley where temperatures are projected to be the hottest,” said Scott Strenfel, Senior Director of Meteorology and Fire Science at PG&E.

Potential Targeted Public Safety Power Shutoff

PG&E Meteorology is also monitoring the potential for breezy to locally gusty winds from Monday night through Wednesday morning, peaking on Tuesday. While a strong wind event is not currently expected, wind gusts could reach up to 40 mph in the Northern and Western Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills. This, combined with high temperatures and low humidity, has increased the wildfire risk.

As a result, PG&E has informed approximately 12,000 customers that we may need to proactively turn off their power for safety starting on Tuesday morning. The customers potentially affected by the PSPS event are in targeted portions of the following ten counties: Shasta, Tehama, Glenn, Colusa, Lake, Yolo, Napa, Sonoma, Butte and Solano. A PSPS is a safety precaution of last resort to reduce the risk of wildfires during the forecasted high wind event.

Customers have been notified via text, email and automated phone calls prior to potential shutoffs. If customers enrolled in PG&E’s Medical Baseline Program do not verify that they have received these important safety communications, PG&E employees will conduct individual, in-person visits, when possible, with a primary focus on customers who rely on electricity for critical life-sustaining equipment.

Customers can look up their address online to find out if their location is being monitored for the potential safety shutoff at pge.com/pspsupdates.

Support for PG&E customers

We understand that being without power is difficult for our customers — especially in areas impacted by the heat wave. Numerous Community Resource Centers (CRC) will be available within the affected counties. To accommodate the heat, CRCs will be receiving additional ice to provide for customers. Additionally, each center offers ADA-accessible restrooms, device charging, Wi-Fi, blankets, air conditioning and bottled water, snacks and other supplies. Customers can find a CRC near them by visiting www.pge.com/crc.

If called, this would be the first PSPS event of 2024.

In case of heat-related outages, PG&E offers the following safety tips:

Use battery-operated flashlights, and not candles, due to the risk of fire.
Customers with generators should make sure they are properly installed by a licensed electrician in a well-ventilated area.
Freeze plastic containers filled with water to make blocks of ice that can be placed in your refrigerator/freezer during an outage to prevent foods from spoiling.
Customers can get updates on outages in their neighborhood through a variety of channels.
Contact PG&E's outage information line at 1-800-743-5002
Access the Electric Outage Map online at  online outage center
Customers can also log-in to their account through pge.com and sign up to receive proactive outage alerts through email, text or phone

PG&E reminds customers to update their contact information at www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts. For more tips on how to safely navigate summer recreational activities, visit PG&E's Summer Safety Guide. The guide is also available in Chinese and Spanish.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit pge.com and pge.com/news.

IT’S HOT — Mendocino County Declares

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning beginning 11 AM Tuesday, July 2nd through 8 PM Saturday, July 6 2024.

Public Health is issuing an Excessive Heat Advisory to the Ukiah and Redwood Valley areas, where high temperatures are forecast to exceed 110 degrees with limited overnight relief with lows near 70, although the rest of the county will also experience extreme heat away from the coast.

Mendocino County Public Health is coordinating with the City of Ukiah, the Mendocino County Office of Emergency Services, and the Mendocino County Department of Social Services to monitor the evolution of this Excessive Heat Event and open Cooling Centers as needed.

Mendocino County is not currently under a Red Flag Watch, nor scheduled for a PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff event.

Excessive heat poses a real health risk, particularly to those who work outdoors, the elderly, young children, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases. Mendocino County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Charles Evans is urging residents to make a plan to stay cool and look out for friends and neighbors:

“Keep in close contact with family, friends and neighbors, especially those who have preexisting medical conditions or work outdoors. It’s important to remind one another to seek shade, drink water and get medical assistance if signs of heat fatigue become visible.”

To protect yourself and your family when the weather is very hot, follow the tips below:

Never leave anyone including children or pets in a parked car, even briefly.
Don’t work outdoors alone.
Consider working a flex schedule to avoid the hottest time of day, 12-6 PM.
Use air-conditioning to cool down or go to an air-conditioned building.
Drink plenty of fluids. Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink more fluids.

Public Health will continue to monitor the situation and give updates as needed. For additional preparedness tips and tricks for any emergency, including heat, visit https://mendoready.org/

AS WILDFIRE SEASON HEATS UP, CLOVERDALE FIREWORKS SALES ARE ON

Cloverdale is the sole location in Sonoma, Napa or Mendocino counties where “Safe and Sane” fireworks are legal.

by Amie Windsor

Although extreme heat and a red flag warning are blanketing the North Bay this week, fireworks sales opened up Monday in Cloverdale, the sole location in Sonoma, Napa or Mendocino counties where fireworks of any type are legal.

Farther north, fireworks also are being sold at five locations in Lakeport. That’s the only community in Lake County where sales are allowed.

Cloverdale and Lakeport are two of nearly 300 California communities that allow the sale and use of what state officials call “Safe and Sane” fireworks, meaning the devices are less likely to cause injury because they do not explode or fly. Such fireworks are identified by a State of California or State Fire Marshal logo on the product.

TNT Fireworks has set up two sales points in Cloverdale, along Cloverdale Boulevard in front of Red Door Remedies at 1215 S. Cloverdale Blvd., and at the Ace Hardware Store at 750 S. Cloverdale Blvd. Sales are limited to Cloverdale residents and are allowed between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m., Monday, July 1, through those same hours on Thursday, July 4.

The only time Cloverdale residents will be allowed to use those fireworks will be July 4, between 11 a.m and midnight. Use is limited to private property, at least 10 feet away from other homes. The use of fireworks in public, such as parks, parking lots or vacant outdoor spaces, is not allowed.

The sales come at a time when Cal Fire officials are urging the public to avoid any activities that could ignite a fire. “If a fire were to start in these conditions, it has the potential to spread rapidly and exhibit extreme fire behavior,” Cal Fire Sonoma-Lake-Napa Deputy Chief Matt Ryan said in a June 30 press release.

Jason Clay, a Cal Fire public information officer, said the July 4 holiday typically creates a spike in ignitions and fire calls as a result of fireworks use. “We don’t want to see your Fourth of July go up in smoke,” Clay said. “Any fireworks from outside the state are illegal. Only fireworks with the ‘Safe and Sane’ seal are allowed and can only be used in communities where they are legal.”

The Cloverdale Police Department warns residents that using, selling or possessing illegal fireworks, which include firecrackers, Roman candles and skyrockets, can result in a misdemeanor charge, a fine of $500 to $1,000 or up to one year in jail. Increased patrols should be expected during the holiday to ensure compliance with the city’s fireworks regulations.

Fireworks Safety Tips

– Keep a bucket of water and hose nearby when using fireworks;

– Remember that fireworks can remain hot for hours and should be soaked after being ignited;

– Completely submerge used fireworks in a non-combustible bucket (example: a metal bucket or pot) for 24 hours before discarding them;

– Keep the non-combustible container a safe distance away from structures, fences, overhangs or canopies while fireworks soak;

– Never leave used fireworks in the street. Take responsibility and follow safety disposal rules.

This year has already been one of the busiest fire seasons to date for the Sonoma-Lake-Napa unit, which has battled 125 fires totaling more than 20,600 acres between January and June. Clay said that Cal Fire is at peak staffing this week, with 32 engines on hand.

While he noted that all areas under the red flag warning are ripe for fire conditions, he pointed out the Sonoma Coastal ranges and northern part of the county, particularly around Geyserville are vulnerable to fire.

“We’re having extreme heat, combined with gusty winds and the grasses and shrubs have dried out,” Clay said. “The whole alignment can lead to extreme fire behavior.”

So far, Sonoma County cities with local firework shows continue to move forward with their planned community events.

What Fireworks Are Illegal?

In California, iIllegal fireworks include:

– Sky rockets

– Bottle rockets

– Roman candles

– Aerial shells

– Firecrackers

– Other fireworks that explode, go into the air, or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner

It is illegal to sell, transport, or use fireworks that do not carry the “Safe and Sane” seal, and it is illegal to possess or use any fireworks in a community where they are not permitted. If convicted, a violator could be fined up to $50,000, be sent to jail for up to one year, or both.

Parents are liable for any damage or injuries caused by their children using fireworks.

(Santa Rosa Press Democrat)

DONATING BOOKS TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY

The Yorkville Community wants your used BOOKS, CDs, DVDs for their annual Ice Cream Social coming up again this Labor Day. We appreciate your donations that help make our annual fundraiser a success. We have a drop box in front of the Yorkville Post Office. For larger donations email Casey Farber at cfarbs95@gmail.com we will arrange to pick them up.

(Bob Sites)

LAST MINUTE CHANGES TO THE JULY 1 UKIAH CONSTRUCTION FORECAST

In spite of our best efforts to predict construction timelines, things happen. Good news—paving crews are ahead of schedule and were able to complete all of the north section of State Street (Norton to Henry), as well as the section of South State between Mill and Gobbi last night. That means that they’ll complete the Gobbi to Cherry section tonight, starting at 8pm. There will be a complete closure of South State Street from Gobbi to Cherry; reopening before 6am. This is one day ahead of schedule.

Less good—we weren’t able to completely finish Scott Street, as a small sinkhole opened up near the intersection of Scott and School. Therefore, Scott Street remains closed to through traffic today. Work to repair the section will occur today, with final paving to occur tonight. We apologize for the change of plans and will work to reopen the street as quickly as possible.

Please note that the traffic signal at Norton/State has been removed, and now the stop sign on State is gone as well. Traffic coming from Norton will still need to stop, but this is now an “uncontrolled” intersection. Please proceed carefully as people adjust to the changed conditions.

Prepping for pavement on North State Street.

Thanks, as always, for your patience as we complete this project!

Shannon Riley, Deputy City Manager

UKIAH STILL SUCKS

Editor,

Here we are again visiting our old home and feeling even more saddened by the state of things.

More despair, more homeless, more shuttered storefronts. Now that we've been away for over two years the decay is really quite obvious.

I have a dear lifelong friend who is a winery owner and grape grower. He's in deep shit. He's had to cut staffing in both the field and winery to 3 days a week to try to save money.

Driving around with my eyes on vineyards…..which was my vocation for 43 years shows the same sad state. Although there aren't a ton of abandoned fields, almost all of them look in poor shape. I'm told MANY growers don't have fruit sold.

Driving down Perkins St yesterday. Dragons Lair, moved, Curry's furniture gone, Perkins St lounge gone, BBQ place next to Rainbow gone, a medical place that was once the Sizzler gone, Savings Bank building gone, Denny's restaurant gone. And a block away JC Penny gone. Hopefully that new courthouse will generate some business?

Lastly being here just a couple of days and the sad folks wandering the streets mumbling, filthy and desperate is hard to miss. My family moved to this area in 1972 when I was a teen. How far Ukiah has fallen is astonishing.

Casey Hartlip

Lakeside, Arizona

Wall Mural Detail, Fort Bragg (Jeff Goll)

A READER WRITES: There is a reason previous master tax sharing agreements never went anywhere. They were always to the disadvantage of the County because Ukiah always felt and proposed that “sharing” really meant taking — something the County is protected against by state law, unless the BOS waives that protection through a tax agreement. In this case, Ukiah also got a Master Tax Sharing Agreement, not for one specific annexation but for any and all future annexations. It’s out of the Board's hands and now onto LAFCo. The Board members don't even get what they've done. It appears that nobody looks out for or protects the County anymore. Mr. Locatelli from the Probation Department of all places at least showed up, but wasn't backed up by a single County voice other than the seemingly ineffective Haschak. The current Board is high on reserves, PG&E settlement money and other one time revenues. This high is going to wear off over the next 2-3 years when the bill starts to come due from all these tax giveaways, increasing labor costs and total lack of any economic development. All in combination with the contraction of Mendocino's weed revenue streams that have been a potent and obscure economic force since the 1970s. It’s gonna be bad, real bad, when this high wears off. The BOS really did it this time. The Dysfunction Junction known as Mendocino County is in a full on death spiral and the Board just made the spin ten times faster. I suggest moving out of the unincorporated areas of County as soon as possible.

ANNEXATION BAD DEAL FOR COUNTY

To the Editor:

Over these last years Mendocino County has been desperately suffering from a lack of financial ability to survive. Supervisors have been unpopularly merging many county operated service departments to reduce staffing/executive payrolls. Many service departments have been desperately under staffed due to budget restraints. This leaves the remaining staff in those departments overworked and stressed. The County has agreed to contracts that they cannot or are barely able to payout.

To agree to have parts of Mendocino County land be annexed by cities is a large financial loss to the County and seems to be a backward step for County finances. This is clearly exasperating for the County to survive and meet their obligations and legal requirements to citizens.

Whoever is creating this annexation fever for our County does not have the best interests of the citizens of Mendocino in mind. Whether it be an agency like LAFCO or just something off the top of someone’s head ideas, this is not good for the citizens of Mendocino County.

Even though the SEIU Representatives may have previously noted that $3 million is budget dust, it is an incredible loss to the County and could have provided County staffing payouts.

Ukiah Annexing part of County land has made the County Budget take an estimated $3,000,000 revenue loss transferred to the City of Ukiah.

Cheers for Ukiah. Tears for the County budget and County citizens.

Now it appears the City of Willits is working to create this same scenario for the County. Wanting to create a sphere of influence, which is a step toward eventual annexation of more County Land!

If the Board of Supervisors continues to reduce the financial abilities of the County: it may be up to the citizens of Mendocino County to create some sort of legal defense to prevent these backward steps which endanger county finances.

This also seems to endanger County worker contracts. So perhaps SEIU will need to speak up about Mendocino County Supervisors backward financial decisions to protect their County members. Perhaps they should take action now and not wait until the patient County workers’ contracts are in danger before they feel a need to strike in order to protect their members.

David Pollin

Willits

GROUNDBREAKING EEL RIVER RESTORATION PLAN RELEASED

CALTROUT:

A report released today outlines ambitious plans for the restoration and conservation of one of California’s largest and wildest rivers, the Eel River. The comprehensive report pulls together the best available scientific information to plan for native fish recovery, riparian corridor restoration, and conservation across the watershed. The Eel River Watershed Restoration and Conservation Plan is authored by nonprofit research and conservation organization California Trout (CalTrout), UC Berkeley, Applied River Sciences, and Stillwater Sciences. The effort is funded by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Plan recommends key recovery actions and an action prioritization framework across the seven major sub-watersheds of the Eel River basin. The Plan also proposes a management approach that is informed by a monitoring and assessment framework, all of which is built from existing restoration and monitoring efforts. The Plan concludes with a menu of recommendations and next steps needed to get this important work off the ground. The Plan is the first step in a new Eel River Restoration and Conservation Program and includes an interactive web map to share preliminary analyses to view landscape features across the watershed. An overview of the Plan can be viewed here.

“The Eel River is an incredibly large and diverse basin,” said Darren Mierau, CalTrout North Coast Regional Director. “If we want durable recovery of native fish in the watershed, a holistic, watershed-scale ecosystem restoration and conservation program is what’s needed to restore not just the habitats salmon rely on, but to promote the genetic diversity within populations needed to have resilient runs of wild fish in the face of a changing climate.”

Past and current land and water use practices have significantly impaired aquatic and riparian habitats in the Eel River. Dam construction, aggressive timber harvest, and road and railway construction, followed by large floods in the 1950s and 60s, resulted in extensive and long-lasting disturbances and impacts throughout the watershed.

Salmon and steelhead populations within the Eel River were once incredibly abundant, with combined runs reaching nearly a million adults in good years. However, these populations have substantially declined in response to land and water use practices. The drastic reduction in salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey abundance has impacted communities in the north coast region by reducing access to food, cultural resources, and economic opportunity.

“Despite the many challenges in this watershed, we believe the Eel presents a unique opportunity and there is substantial optimism for recovery,” said Curtis Knight, Executive Director of CalTrout. “In conjunction with other restoration efforts in the watershed, like removal of the two Potter Valley Project dams that CalTrout and our partners are moving forward, this plan defines a pathway for the rehabilitation of the Eel River corridor for the benefit of communities now, and for future generations.”

The decommissioning and removal of the two PG&E-owned Potter Valley Project dams will restore anadromous fish access to hundreds of miles of high-quality habitat in the upper Eel River. Coupled with federal and state recovery plans, and a strong community of regional partners who are implementing restoration actions throughout the basin, the Eel River is poised for transformative change. The Eel River Restoration and Conservation Plan enhances existing efforts and creates a roadmap of actions for collaborative, long-term, and holistic restoration and conservation that can revitalize the Eel River watershed and restore its fisheries.

“We’re trying to do something big here because we believe this is a place where wild salmon have a real chance at recovery,” said Christine Davis, CalTrout Project Manager “This level of planning and collaboration is hard and takes time, but we firmly believe that it’s the best way to achieve results that benefit the fish and people that call the Eel River basin home.”

The Eel River Restoration and Conservation Plan was developed by CalTrout, Applied River Sciences, and Stillwater Sciences in partnership with the Round Valley Indian Tribes and the Wiyot Tribe fisheries programs. It was also supported by a technical advisory committee consisting of representatives from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Assocation (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), UC Berkeley, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and the Wiyot Tribe. The Project Team also expresses their appreciation to the Eel River Forum participants who supported the development and refinement of Eel River Program goals for the restoration and conservation future of this watershed.

On Line Comments:

(1) Dams replaced by pumping stations… to fuel the continued growth of the Russian Valley. The dams weren’t really the issue with the Eel River Salmon. Big issue was the creation of the Coyote Reservoir which enabled massive diversion of the Eel… was then coupled with the periodic droughts over the last 50 years. Of course, can’t forget the introduction of the Pike Minnow either. Now spread over most of the Pacific Northwest. British Columbia has a $10 bounty for them. Folks are making a living out of the bounty. Oh well.

(2) The dams were a huge issue for Eel River salmon because Scott Dam blocked access to hundreds of miles of high quality spawning grounds – but that impact took place more than 100 years ago – which means there are many more things besides the dams which are negatively impacting Eel River fisheries. That said, removal of the dams has the potential to play a huge role in restoration of the Eel.

(3) Except, Lake and Humboldt Counties will have no seat at the table or any say about who, what, why, when and where anything happens in this watershed restoration and conservation plan…

(4) Well, during the last 100 years… up till the droughts ensued, the Eel had some good spawning runs. Maybe not a ‘million fish’ but maybe a hundred thousand. People were lined up at the 12th st hole (Fortuna)… catching huge, blackened, pre-spawn fish. I remember the photos of anglers showing a 60+ lb fish. Somebody might have a photo around. Only thing the caught fish were ‘good for’ was being taken home and buried in the garden. I thought it was a shame back then. If it rains… there will be fish. (But it needs years of ‘normal’ rain.) Future generations will see what happens.

THE ELK VFD ANNUAL SUMMER BBQ

The Elk Volunteer Fire Department celebrates 68 years of service at its 18th Annual Summer BBQ on Saturday, August 3, noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Greenwood Community Center in downtown Elk.

Savory tri-tip, chicken or polenta and mushroom entrees plus sides, dessert and coffee.

Donation: $30 for adults, $15 for kids 7-12; 6 and under are free.

Enjoy a no-host bar featuring Elk’s famous Margaritas, live music with Bryn and Blue Souls, a silent auction, a raffle, and activities for kids. Gather wildfire and emergency preparation resources.

Come out and support the firefighters who serve Elk and provide mutual aid to and share projects with Anderson Valley.

Kindly leave the dogs at home.

For more information, contact Sarah Penrod at 877-1607.

GENERAL WASTE DISCHARGE REQUIREMENTS FOR WINERY PROCESS WATER

Join Water Board staff this summer for webinars on implementation of the General Waste Discharge Requirements for Winery Process Water, Order No. WQ 2021-0002-DWQ (Winery Order).

The webinar details and access links can be found in the Public Notice: Webinar details

No registration is required

First come first serve basis (~500 spots per webinar)

Webinar will include live Q&A: It is also encouraged to submit questions prior to attending a webinar. Email questions to the State Board winery mailbox (DWQ-Winery@waterboards.ca.gov) and include the region-specific webinar in the subject heading of the email (for example “Region 2 webinar question”)

Questions: Please direct questions to the State Board winery mailbox: DWQ-Winery@waterboards.ca.gov

ANNE FASHAUER:

Our Good Friends Jerry and Stephanie are leaving the Valley for the bright lights of New York. I'm lucky enough to be able to help them by listing their lovely Boonville home for sale.

13400 Ornbaun Road, Boonville, CA - $800,000 — North Country Real Estate

Nestled in the foothills just outside of central Boonville, this beautiful cedar home offers serene living on a highly desirable small parcel of land.

ED NOTES

LAWMAKERS looking to win the support of irate voters are getting extra mileage out of assailing 401(k) retirement account abuses by corporate bosses. But do these politicians really know what it’s like to see retirement savings turn to rubble? Capitol Hill pensions, you see, are uncommonly generous — shielding politicians from much of the 401(k) anxiety that plagues their constituents. According to the nonpartisan National Taxpayers Union, a lawmaker retiring at age 60 who has 15 to 20 years of service can expect to pocket at least $1 million in lifetime pension benefits. All told, congressional pensions are typically two to three times more generous than those in the private sector. Plus, the benefit is inflation-protected with a cost-of-living adjustment. (Less than 10% of private plans have that.) But for all their outrage at rogue executives over neglected employee retirement plans, lawmakers still extend pension benefits to politicians in jail. James Traficant, the ex-congressman from Ohio who went to jail on corruption charges, remains eligible for an annual pension beginning at $37,120.

AMONG the edu-spending abuses prevalent in Mendocino County, the most harmful in its way, is Mendocino College's "travel/study" program. College faculty get free trips to foreign spas for acting as tour guides for well-heeled retirees. No way a student could afford two weeks abroad. But the wealthy junketeers who take advantage of Mendo College's tax-supported jaunts to foreign lands get college credits for learning they ought to do on their own time and at their own expense. The credits seem to be the hook on which the trips are hung as "educational."

THE ORIGINAL purpose of the community college system was to help the victims of California's high schools get the instruction they didn't get during the first twelve years of their educations. The community colleges were supposed to provide the catch-up instruction free. They were also supposed to be an inexpensive way for young people to get a couple of years of inexpensive college courses before transferring to a four-year school from which they would graduate. No more. Fees go up and up while real deal students of the young person type the system was designed to serve find it more and more difficult to afford higher learning as Mendocino College offers rich senior citizens tax-subsidized winter trips to, among other cold weather destinations, Oaxaca.

FROM the October 23rd, 1922 edition of the Fort Bragg Advocate News: “A man going by the name of Kid Limp was arrested here Monday evening by Deputy Sheriff Ward Ries on a charge of being a dope peddler. He had five packages of cocaine on his person.”

MEMORIES. I REMEMBER a guy handing me a flier that said Mendocino County was mobilizing for peace at the Philo Grange. By the time I'd finished reading the announcement I was fully mobilized for war, having noted that that the Philo mobilization would "gather in a rainbow circle in order to empower those that wish to speak to the group” and, then, from 5 to 8pm, another “rainbow circle of love will explore tactics of resistance to war.” The mobilizers also planned to “revisit the effective tactic of establishing ourselves into Affinity Groups in order to avoid being infiltrated by agent provocateurs that would work to discredit this movement for peace.” No clue, of course, that they were self-infiltrated.

HISTORICAL ASIDE: David Colfax and I called the first Greens meeting in Mendocino County in, I think, 1985. We assembled at the Anderson Valley Elementary School but, when every lunatic on the Northcoast showed up, we realized we'd created a monster and withdrew a few months later. I left when I found myself wrestling for a fern whose possession allowed the possessor to speak. At that particular gathering of the clinically deluded, a tiny fascist from Willits had appointed himself "vibes watcher," announcing he'd tootle his flute if he heard "inappropriate" or "abusive" speech. When I finally got full possession of the empowering fern, I was immediately tootled into silence.

A READER WRITES: “Regarding that family camping trip to Hendy Woods last August, we were surprised with the campground, which was in good order and remarkably quiet, even though every space appeared to be occupied. An attentive Campground Host may be responsible. The most curious aspect of our campout was the Hendy Woods Reserve itself. We chose the middle of Friday morning to walk down to it, and could hardly believe that we were the only — the only — people in the entire grove! My son noticed that neither did we see a single bird, ground squirrel or deer in which the nearby campground abounds. The thick, fibrous bark of the mature redwood is also an excellent sound absorber, so we were privileged to have one of the quietest walks I've ever experienced. Boonville was a good stop to make on the way home. I have nothing but raves for the Mosswood Cafe where we enjoyed the food, the decor, the service, and our fellow customers, all of them friendly.”

Baby Swallow Contemplating First Flight (mk)

FRED GARDNER

Orlando Cepeda was busted in ’75 at the San Juan airport when he tried to retrieve 170 lbs of marijuana shipped from Colombia. He was sentenced to five years in prison, released on probation after 10 months… Ostracized by MLB until 1987… Busted again for pot after getting stopped for speeding in Solano County. CHP also found a tiny amount of a “white substance” in his car. No jail time, just another round of having to grovel in public.

From Olympedia.com: “Although he competed in sailing for Venezuela (with his father), Peter Camejo is one of the few Olympians to have run for President of the United States. Born to a wealthy Venezuelan family, his mother had Peter born in New York, because of the better health care… He attended MIT but dropped out to pursue civil rights work in the American south. He returned to school at U Cal Berkeley but was expelled in the 1960s, amazingly for Berkeley, for his vocal criticism of the Vietnam War. In 1968, while still a student he was placed on Governor Ronald Reagan’s list of the 10 most dangerous Californians.”

Dashiell Hammett didn’t exactly “die in poverty.” He was a permanent house guest of Lillian Hellman’s on the East Side of Manhattan and on Martha’s Vineyard.

To avoid claustrophobia during an MRI, Close your eyes before they slide you in and keep them closed throughout. (I learned the hard way.)

Carl Erskine made it to 97 – last of the boys of summer. When he was pitching, you knew we had a good chance of winning.

CATCH OF THE DAY, Monday, July 1, 2024

ELOY CHOLULA-RAMIREZ, Nice/Ukiah. DUI.

MATTHEW FAUST, Ukiah. Battery with serious injury. (Frequent flyer.)

CHRISTOPHER GONZALES, Ukiah. Controlled substance, paraphernalia, carelessly starting a fire, vandalism.

PEDRO GUZMAN-MARTINEZ, Fort Bragg. Vandalism, probation revocation.

JOSEPH HART, Ukiah. Parole violation, resisting.

COLE ICKES, Fort Bragg. Vandalism, parole violation.

MICHAEL LUCAS, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, county parole violation.

DARREL PIKE JR., Hopland. County parole violation.

GILDA REAL, Fresno/Laytonville. Suspended license, probation violation, failure to appear.

TRISTAN RICE, Yuba City/Ukiah. Probation revocation.

JOSE ROSAS, Boonville. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

RIORDAN WILHELM, Mendocino. Failure to appear.

THE HIKER WHO WAS FOUND INJURED ON THE LOST COAST TRAIL LAST WEEK IS RECOVERING AND THANKFUL FOR HIS RESCUERS

by Jacquelyn Opalach

Almost a week after being discovered with severe injuries and memory loss along the Lost Coast Trail, Sashank Upadhyayula is still trying to piece together what happened to him.

Upadhyayula, a 34-year-old first-time backpacker from San Jose, was found hypothermic and covered in blood by a group of six teens and two camp counselors on the morning of June 25th. The two adults dressed some of his wounds and called for helicopter rescue by satellite phone, and Upadhyayula was taken to a hospital and released the same day.

Upadhyayula told the Outpost in an email that he has wounds on his arms, torso and throat, and shared what he can remember of the moments before and after he was injured.

Around 10 p.m. on Monday, June 24, “I remember hearing something, being scared and removing my bear spray, my two knives, water reservoir and my electronics,” Upadhyayula said. Next he can recall, Upadhyayula woke up in the surf. “[I] made my way to the trail and collapsed after getting my mylar blanket. I covered my torso with the blanket and assumed fetal position to retain heat.”

He was found around 9 a.m. the next morning.

“The doctors believe that it was a knife [or] bladed weapon,” Upadhyayula said. “With my lack of memory and because my knives are missing and how I was separated from my pack and found quite a distance away […] it all points towards me being attacked.”

Upadhyayula reported the incident to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) King Range National Conservation Area Office.

BLM King Range Area Manager Paul Sever told the Outpost that the Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation. But at this time, there is “no reason to believe that there is any threat to public health or safety” along the Lost Coast Trail, Sever said.

The Sheriff’s Office sent us this response, which slipped through our inbox this morning.

The HCSO is continuing to investigate this incident but there is currently no information to suggest there is any current/on-going threat to safety of the public along the Lost Coast Trail. As with any such remote/rural area, we encourage people to make sure they are adequately prepared for the rugged terrain of that area (adequate food, clothing, maps, GPS enabled location/emergency notification device) and as with anywhere, people should always be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity/behavior to law enforcement.

“I just want to thank the people that helped rescue me and I want the other hikers in that area just to be aware of their surroundings and to make sure that nothing like this happens ever again,” Upadhyayula said.

To his rescuers, Upadhyayula added: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I cannot express my gratitude, you are doing God’s work. I hope you achieve your dreams. Happy trails!”

(Lost Coast Outpost)

HEAT WAVE: WHY MORE AMERICANS DIE FROM HOT WEATHER than other extreme climate events

by Catherine Ho

More Americans die each year from heat than any other weather events, including floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, according to the National Weather Service.

In the last decade, an average of 188 people died each year from heat — representing nearly half of all weather-related deaths, and far surpassing the 103 deaths from floods, 74 from rip currents and 57 from wind, the agency’s figures show.

In California alone, extreme heat has cost $7.7 billion over the last decade and killed nearly 460 people, according to an analysis released Monday from the state insurance commissioner.

Heat-related deaths aren’t just from heatstroke, but also include heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, said Dr. Gina Solomon, chief of the Division of Occupational, Environmental and Climate Medicine at UCSF.

Heat harms more people than other extreme weather events because many people tend to underestimate its impact and don’t take precautions, Solomon said, and because heat can affect millions of people at the same time.

“Heat waves affect enormous geographical areas,” she said. “You can have millions in the path of a heat wave, like we’re going to have on the West Coast, so when you’re exposing that many people to the risk, and a fraction of the people get sick or die, that’s still a lot of people.”

Those who live along the coast, like millions of Bay Area residents, also face an additional risk because many houses and buildings don’t have air conditioning and people aren’t as acclimated to extreme heat, she said. In fact, a study led by Solomon on the unprecedented July 2006 California heat wave found that coastal regions reported greater upticks in emergency department visits from the heat than Southern and Central California — for kidney failure, heart diseases, diabetes, electrolyte imbalances and nephritis. There was also a rise in accidents and violence, suggesting that heat affects people’s behavior as well.

With meteorologists predicting the hottest weather in years hitting the Bay Area this week, health experts are warning the public to be on the lookout for signs of heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses — especially among elderly residents who are most vulnerable to extreme heat.

“We get deaths most every heat wave,” said Dr. Christopher Colwell, an emergency physician at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.

During the most recent record-breaking Bay Area heat wave in September 2022, four people died in Santa Clara County; they were between ages 39 and 78, according to NWS. Prior to that, in September 2017, three San Mateo County residents died from shock due to heatstroke, as did three San Francisco residents; all six were elderly.

Heatstroke is the most life-threatening heat-related illness and can be hard to spot until it’s too late, Colwell said. The main symptom of heatstroke is altered mental status. For the most vulnerable populations, like elderly residents in nursing homes, this may go unnoticed because those with dementia or cognitive decline may not be able to communicate to their caretakers that they are unwell. Other signs of heatstroke include headache, dizziness, confusion, high body temperature, no sweating, fast pulse and nausea.

Colwell has seen scenarios when, over a summer holiday, nursing home staff changes and they aren’t as familiar with a patient’s behavior as the regular staff.

“They may not recognize they’re more altered than usual, and it can sometimes go hours or days before it’s picked up,” he said. “The longer it goes, the more devastating the impact is.”

Young, healthy people can also be affected by heatstroke and other heat-related ailments that are less life-threatening, like heat exhaustion, heat syncope, weakness and dehydration. A number of collegiate, high school and professional football players have suffered heatstroke during hot practices in the summer, and at least 11 died between 2018 and 2022, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.

“We don’t always sense that heat is impacting us until later,” Colwell said. “If you’re out for a few hours, you might feel OK. But then, boom, you don’t. You lose a lot of fluids by obvious sweating but also by evaporation you might not notice. You might be dehydrated more quickly.”

Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, weakness and cool, clammy skin. If you notice these symptoms, move to a cooler place, hydrate and consider seeking medical care if symptoms worsen or last longer than an hour.

(sfchronicle.com)

Performers in a Pride parade, San Francisco, 1982 (Nicholas Blair)

Editor:

The American flag is a symbol of unity, not divisiveness. This Fourth of July I will be flying the flag in front of my house with pride and without an agenda. I will not be flying the flag because I am a patriot or affiliated with a particular group or cause, but to show that I am a proud American. I am proud of the document our founders signed 248 years ago, setting into motion an extraordinary and courageous set of events leading to the establishment of a new and great nation called America.

The path to greatness was not always easy or just, but one of struggles, setbacks and inequities. Through wars and internal strife that threatened to rip this country apart, Americans have always pulled together to overcome any challenge and to persevere.

Our forebears in the original 13 colonies overcame vast cultural and geographic differences to unite in a common cause. I believe Americans remain united in our common humanity and still cherish the notion that we are endowed with certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. That is why I will be flying the flag on the Fourth of July.

Kurt Dunphy

Santa Rosa

TRUMP UNVEILS ‘RED, WHITE AND BLUE ZONES’ Ahead of July Fourth

Critics Denounce White Nationalist Agenda

by Andrew Lutsky

Washington, D.C. – Emboldened by his strong and virtually fact-free showing in last week’s debate and with Independence Day nearly here, the former president announced on Monday a new honorary status for U.S. locales whose residents excel in pride of country. He calls them Red, White and Blue Zones, and he’s inviting Americans to celebrate “these outstanding freedom-loving communities.”

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung issued a statement somewhat cryptically describing Mr. Trump’s newly discovered zones as “places where being American is a source of pride, and we all know what that means.” He then revealed the identity of eleven locales that satisfy the former president’s Red, White and Blue Zone criteria.

Critics quickly noted that the regions Cheung identified match precisely the eleven states which seceded from the United States in 1860 to protect the practice of slavery and formed the Confederate States of America: Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

The campaign did not respond immediately to questions about the apparent coincidence, but at a press conference later that day Cheung stated, “It sounds like some people have a problem with national pride. Just because the most patriotic Americans live in regions where people risked everything in a struggle for freedom, states’ rights and long-standing traditions, does not mean these population zones are racist.”

“That’s a false and disgusting if not surprising claim that comes from the unhinged radical left,” Cheung added. “No, the President’s recognition of these eleven Red, White and Blue Zones does not signify his endorsement or embrace of American white nationalist ideology.” The Trump campaign acknowledged that its RW&B Zones had been “inspired by” the work of Dan Buettner, the journalist whose 2010 National Geographic story identified five population centers, so-called Blue Zones, which he claimed lead the world in human longevity.

In 2021 Buettner sold the Blue Zones concept to the hospital corporation Adventist Health for $78 million, and despite the fact that the existence of such zones has been roundly debunked by reputable scientists and health experts– who point out that his longevity claims depend on fraudulent vital records, among other errors– he continues to promote the idea that members of certain communities around the world, through their commitment to various lifestyle traits, diet and strong community connections, have achieved significantly longer lifespans on average, in many cases defying the well-documented effects of poverty.

Today Buettner travels around the world marketing that idea– selling books and giving paid speeches– and the Blue Zones entity he spawned has metastasized to take on roles not typically associated with lifestyle brands. Blue Zones, LLC, has secured lucrative contracts with local municipalities like Ukiah, California, to redesign its streets by promoting the construction of traffic circles, for example.

Buettner himself became ensnared in a controversy over the methodology the Trump campaign would employ to locate RW&B Zones in the U.S. with precision.

In early May a campaign representative, Richard Burke, contacted Buettner to solicit his guidance on the criteria and metrics they would adopt. Buettner, who assumed the outreach might presage his inclusion on Trump’s shortlist of running mates, told Burke that to convey the appearance of objectivity, a committee of outside observers– i.e. non-Americans– must be formed to evaluate U.S. regions for levels of patriotic fervor.

“Obviously bias will creep in when you’re talking about pride of country, so demographers insist that [Trump] ought to enlist neutral arbiters, meaning non-U.S. citizens,” Buettner told the campaign.

In response, the former president and convicted felon reportedly said, “Dan’s a nice guy who had a good idea– and he certainly knows how to make a lot of money, I’ll give him that– but we’re not going to allow foreigners to pick winners in the U.S. of A.”

“That’s not going to happen, folks. Not on my watch,” he added, apparently extinguishing Buettner’s short-lived bid to become Mr. Trump’s running mate.

While the former president has not identified any objective standards or measures of patriotism he relied upon to isolate the eleven zones, his adviser and former golf caddie Dan Scavino stated that the data “obviously involves the display of the flag– we look at size and number– and the playing and honoring of the national anthem.”

Scavino created a brief moment of confusion by adding what appeared to be a non sequitur: “By the way, the boss is not going to leave under any circumstances. We are just going to stay in power.”

The former president raised the topic of the national anthem two weeks ago in an exchange with a Newsmax reporter, who quoted him as saying, “I don’t think we should allow Marxists like Jose Feliciano, Jimi Hendrix and Colin Kaepernick to desecrate our great anthem. They know how it’s supposed to sound and what you’re supposed to do when you hear it played correctly.” “That’s unforgivable what they did, it’s obscene, and when I take back the presidency– which I never gave up quite frankly– I’ll make sure that type of disrespect doesn’t happen anymore. Believe me I will.”

When a reporter for The Intercept noted that the author of The Star-Spangled Banner, Francis Scott Key, owned slaves and that he composed lyrics for a lesser-known verse of the song which celebrates the capture and punishment of people who had escaped slavery, Trump replied: “Says you.”

He then turned to Mr. Scavino and remarked, “Guy hates the anthem. Who let the Communist in here?”

https://truezonesolution.substack.com

NEW CALIFORNIA LAWS

by Andrew Chamings & Katie Dowd

Numerous new California laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom are set to go into effect on July 1. They include a rental deposit cap and date-rape drug testing kits in bars. Here’s a rundown of the laws that will impact the lives of California residents.

Security Deposits Are Getting Cheaper

Renters in the state no longer need to save up more than two months’ rent to put down a security deposit. Assembly Bill 12 limits landlords of unfurnished residential properties to asking for one month’s rent as the deposit. Landlords with one or two rental properties, totaling no more than four rental units, are exempt from the law.

Junk Fees Are (Mostly) Going Away

A concert ticket that suddenly doubles in price when you click through to the payment screen should soon be a nuisance of the past in California. The high-profile Senate Bill 478 prohibits “hidden fees” from being added to the advertised cost of hotel reservations, sports tickets, car rentals and more.

“The days of bait-and-switch pricing practices are over,” state Sen. Nancy Skinner, who co-authored the bill, said in a statement. “… Californians will know up front how much they’re being asked to pay.”

There has been some confusion and controversy over the interpretation of the law when it comes to restaurants, and a separate bill that would make restaurants exempt from SB 478 is under review.

New Tax On Guns And Ammo

An 11% state tax is about to be added to the sale of all firearms and ammunition in California. The Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act will direct that money into gun violence prevention and education programs. The passing of Assembly Bill 28 is a significant win for Democrats, who had seen numerous previous attempts to enact a similar tax fail.

“AB 28 is based on a straightforward premise — that we should prioritize the safety of our kids over gun industry profits,” Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, the author of the bill, said in a statement. Gabriel estimates that the tax will generate $160 million a year for gun violence prevention causes.

Keeping Students In School

Senate Bill 274 will prohibit the suspension of students from kindergarten through 12th grade for reasons of “disruption or willful defiance.” The American Civil Liberties Union says that the category of disruption/defiance was overly broad, and led to suspensions for minor infractions such as dancing or not paying attention in class. “This catch-all category punishes students with disabilities and students of color — particularly Black and Indigenous students — at alarmingly disparate rates and must stop,” the ACLU said in a statement.

Date-Rape Drug Kit Testing In Bars

In an effort to make nightlife safer, new signs are required in all California bars and nightclubs with Type 48 licenses (restaurants that serve alcohol and food and admit minors aren’t in this category). According to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, the signs must be in a “prominent and conspicuous location” informing drinkers that drug-testing kits are available at the business. The tests, which businesses must also provide, can detect date-rape drugs like GHB and rohypnol, commonly known as roofies.

Menstrual Products In Schools

California public schools already need to stock free menstrual products for students in grades 6 through 12, but on July 1, the requirement expands to grades 3 through 5 with the passing of AB 230. The products must be stocked in every women’s and all-gender restrooms, as well as in at least one men’s restroom per campus. The law also applies to charter schools.

Right To Repair Act

California is one of a handful of states with “right to repair” laws, regulations that strive to protect consumers from expensive repair costs. The law requires manufacturers of devices priced at more than $100 to have tools, parts, software and documentation available to consumers, which means you could conceivably fix some of your broken devices at home. Those assets must be provided for seven years after the item is produced.

Workplace Violence Prevention

SB 553 mandates formal workplace violence protocols for businesses. Employers must create violence prevention plans and implement training, as well as document every instance of workplace violence. According to a fact sheet provided by Cal OSHA, the plan must have “workplace violence hazard assessments,” emergency protocols and employee training.

MAJOR INSURER GIVES BRUTAL ULTIMATUM TO ENTIRE STATE: Let us put up prices by 50 percent or we will leave

by Alex Hammer

A prominent insurance provider has aired an ultimatum to the entire state of California. The firm, State Farm General, asked the state’s Department of Insurance Thursday to let them raise residential insurance rates for millions of citizens, or see them move out.

The move indicates financial trouble for the insurance giant, which currently covers homes razed by wildfires. State Farm disclosed it is seeking a 30 percent rate hike for homeowners, a 36 percent increase for condo owners, and a 52 percent increase for renters as a result - a move that would only worsen the state’s already present housing crisis.

'This has the potential to affect millions of California consumers and the integrity of our residential property insurance market,' insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement - as the filings make their way through the proper channels. He added how he was now keen to 'get to the bottom' of the company’s financial situation - and will conduct an extensive review before deciding on the applications as a result. 'State Farm General’s latest rate filings raise serious questions about its financial condition,' he said of the number one insurance firm in the US.

He added how a rate hearing may even necessary, offering his commission an opportunity to hear from the public about the proposed rate changes. Only then, he said, would officials make a decision on whether to approve the requests - a process that could end up taking months.

As it stands, the department is averaging 180 days per rate review, with some cases taking even longer, a department spokesperson confirmed to the LA Times. This is largely due to the outsized amount of fires Californians have seen in recent year, with this year's wildfire season now underway.

The California Department of Insurance had already approved two State Farm requests that saw citizens home insurance rise drastically, including a 6.9 percent hike at the start of last year and a 20 percent rise that began this past March. Mere months later, the company is going to the state hat-in-hand again, after being pegged to have an approximate $143.2 billion net worth as recently as 2021. At the time, the firm was generating some $87.6 billion in yearly revenue, and this past February, it issued a statement saying its net income for the previous year was an impressive $1.2 billion.

That was up more than 100 percent from the year before, when the Illinois based insurance provider raked in $588 million in income. Still, such a move usually signals an insurance carrier is struggling - something that remains unseen as of writing. However, State Farm said in one of its filings that the purpose of its request was to restore its financial condition - offering the telling statement, 'If the variance is denied, further deterioration of surplus is anticipated.'

The insurer went on to add that it was 'working toward its long-term sustainability in California', indicating a potential problem spot amongst the places it covers. Back in March, State Farm said it had decided to drop 72,000 customers in the Golden State because of a crisis it said was occurring in all of California's insurance market, the week after it raised home insurance rates for California customers by 20 percent.

Lara, at the time, introduced new policies to address the 'catastrophic modeling' the industry appeared to be in desperate need of due to the outsized wildfire risk and climate change seen in the state. The move allowed insurers like State Farm to use a more forward-looking modeling around its pricing policies instead of basing them solely on past trends - and while it was at first welcomed by the industry, companies stopped short of committing to returning to the state. State Farm, however, is the first to pushback on the concept of automatic coverage in the state, which was subjected to 7,127 fires in 2023.

That was slightly down from the year before when 7,667 fires ravaged California - a relative 'quiet' year according to officials in terms of acreage. In 2021, a total of 8,835 fires were recorded - one of the most-ever on record. Then facing 'unprecedented fire conditions' in the words of officials, the state saw multiple fires such as the Dixie Fire, McFarland Fire, Caldor Fire, and more. In October, some respite was offered especially to especially susceptible Northern regions, when the state received its first rain in over 200 days. That finally reduced the wildfire risk for much of the state, where wildfires occur at a rate well above average when compared with the rest of the country. 'Rate changes are driven by increased costs and risk and are necessary for State Farm General to deliver on the promises the company makes every day to its customers,' the company said in a statement last week following its requests. 'We continue to look for ways to maintain competitive rates,' the company added, days after this years wildfire season officially went into effect.

The company previously chalked its earlier hikes to a combination of wildfires and inflation - contributors it said has raised its reconstruction costs along with the prices they pay for reinsurance bought to boost their balance sheets. Such plans are purchased to protect the firm from the astronomical costs created by climate catastrophes as well as outdated state regulations. State Farm cited these risk-makers when announcing the more than 70,000 non-renewals earlier this year, joining Farmers, Allstate and other firms in either not writing or limiting new policies in the famously volatile state. Consumer advocates have disputed the claims - paving the way for a painstaking probe over the next few months from the state's insurance department.

(dailymail.co.uk)

A street scene on Castro Street in San Francisco, 1983 (Nicholas Blair)

NEWSOM WANTS CALIFORNIA TO BE A BASTION OF DEMOCRACY. EXCEPT WHERE PROP 47 IS CONCERNED

by Emily Hoeven

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders really, really don’t want California voters to approve a November ballot measure to roll back parts of Proposition 47, the controversial 2014 initiative that reduced some theft and drug crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.

In fact, they’re so desperate to prevent the measure from succeeding that they’re willing to subvert and twist the very process they claim to revere more than anything else — democracy — to achieve their aims.

Newsom and Democratic leaders’ first attempt to keep Prop 47 reform off the ballot backfired last month. To try to force the Californians for Safer Communities Coalition — led by local district attorneys — to withdraw their initiative, legislative leaders cooked up a last-minute scheme to kill many of the bills in their own ambitious public safety package if voters approved the ballot measure. But the sketchy maneuver alienated both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, forcing Newsom and legislative leaders to backtrack on the amendments and instead go to Plan B.

That Plan B is to propose their own ballot measure to reform Prop 47 — even though Newsom, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas have all repeatedly said that they oppose overhauling the initiative.

The text of this ballot measure was published late Sunday night, giving lawmakers just a few days to consider it before Wednesday’s deadline for inclusion in the official state voter guide. The initiative would, among other things, make it a felony to knowingly sell drugs laced with fentanyl without disclosing the deadly synthetic opioid’s presence to the purchaser and make it easier for prosecutors to aggregate multiple low-level thefts when charging defendants. (The district attorneys’ measure, by contrast, encompasses a wider range of offenses and could lead to tougher penalties.)

In a statement, Newsom called the measure a “balanced approach (that) cracks down on crime and protects our communities — without reverting to ineffective and costly policies of the past.” But it will likely be a tough sell in the supermajority-Democratic Legislature, where many lawmakers have expressed wariness about returning to a War on Drugs approach.

This helps explain why the proposed ballot measure calls for a “special election” to be consolidated with the Nov. 5 general election.

This “special election” would have no noticeable impact on voters; the new measure would appear on the normal general election ballot.

But framing the measure “as an act calling an election” would allow it to take effect immediately with a simple majority vote — as opposed to an urgency clause, which requires a two-thirds vote. (The urgency is necessary to ensure the measures actually end up on the November ballot after lawmakers blew past the original Thursday deadline for inclusion.)

“It leads to a legal question — can you have all these substantive changes in law and declare this a special election, and therefore that trumps everything else?” longtime Capitol lobbyist and legal expert Chris Micheli asked me, adding that he isn’t aware of any appellate court ruling on this issue.

Newsom and Democratic leaders are clearly trying to exploit this legal gray area to avoid a perilous two-thirds vote, which could sink their measure. In other words, they’re gaming election procedures for their own political aims.

And that isn’t the only way they’re stacking the ballot.

The proposed measure states that if it receives more votes than the district attorneys’ rival Prop 47 initiative, the latter will be declared “null and void,” as opposed to having both go into effect. And another Sunday night bill, which would add two general obligation bond measures to the ballot, specifies that the crime initiative will be the first to appear on the ballot — as Prop 2 — increasing its visibility for voters.

If all this seems designed to confuse voters, that may very well be the ultimate goal of Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders. They’ve been very clear that they don’t want any significant Prop 47 reforms, and research shows that when voters are confused by a ballot measure, they’re more likely to vote against it.

The end game of two initiatives to reform Prop 47 could be no Prop 47 reform at all — as we saw in San Francisco in 2022, when progressive members of the Board of Supervisors successfully sabotaged Mayor London Breed’s housing measure with a rival measure, confusing voters and causing both measures to fail.

This is not the first time Newsom and Democrats have gamed the ballot for their own gain. In 2021, Newsom signed a law moving up the date of his recall election amid arguments from political pundits that doing so could help him stay in office. Ironically, that was made possible after Democrats waived rules they wrote in 2017, when they added more steps to California’s recall process in a failed attempt to defeat the recall of Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman.

This cynical, callous changing of election procedures to advance a political agenda diminishes trust in government and the integrity of elections. And it makes Newsom’s State of the State speech last week, in which he upheld California as a bastion of democracy and freedom in a darkened and divided nation, ring hollow.

Manipulating the ballot for your political aims doesn’t further democracy. It undermines it. And it certainly doesn’t make California a model for the nation.

(SF Chronicle)

WARRIORS GUARD KLAY THOMPSON LEAVING FOR DALLAS MAVERICKS AS A FREE AGENT

by Sam Gordon

Golden State Warriors icon turned unrestricted free agent Klay Thompson intends to join the Dallas Mavericks, a league source confirmed Monday to the Chronicle.

A five-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion, Thompson is getting a three-year, $50 million contract in what’s expected to be a sign-and-trade transaction, according to ESPN. The trade the Mavericks will make to create room for the shooting guard has not been finalized, per multiple reports.

When it is, and once Thompson formally signs his new contract, it will conclude an incomparable era for Golden State.

Thompson’s departure ends a 13-year tenure in the Bay Area that began in 2011 when he was picked No. 11 in the NBA draft. With the Warriors, he joined Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr to form the foundation of the franchise’s dynastic run. Thompson quickly developed into one of the best two-way players in the NBA.

In 11 seasons over 13 years, Thompson averaged 19.6 points while making 41.3% of his 3-point attempts. In 158 playoff games, he averaged 19.2 points on 40.5% 3-point shooting. At his peak, Thompson paired all-time great 3-point shooting with rugged defense on the perimeter, where he routinely faced top guards.

His peak ended abruptly in the 2019 NBA Finals, when he tore the ACL in his left knee. While training before the 2020-21 season, he tore his right Achilles tendon. The injuries cost him two consecutive seasons in which the Warriors weren’t NBA championship contenders. When he returned midway through the 2021-22 season, he helped Golden State win its fourth championship in eight seasons.

Last summer, Thompson reportedly rejected a two-year contract extension worth roughly $48 million, setting the stage for what proved to be an uneven 2023-24 season with Golden State. He slumped offensively and was benched midseason, operating as a reserve for 14 games.

By season’s end, he had steadied his play and helped the Warriors contend for a postseason berth. In 77 games, he averaged 17.9 points while making 38.7% of his 3-point shots. In his final 28 games, as the Warriors rallied to reach a play-in game, Thompson averaged 19.4 points and shot 41.8% from 3-point range. But in the play-in game at Sacramento, he was 0-for-10 shooting in a 118-94 loss.

During what amounted to his final public appearance on behalf of Golden State the following day, Thompson reflected on what he accomplished with the Warriors.

“We’ve been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. Whether it’s losing a championship, winning a championship, missing the playoffs, we’ve been through everything together. So that does mean a lot. … That was pretty historic stuff,” he said.

Thompson remains one of the league’s most prolific 3-point threats. In Dallas, he’ll play off guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who powered the Mavericks to this season’s NBA Finals, where they fell to the Boston Celtics in five games. His shooting should open more space for them to drive, and their drives should create uncontested shots for Thompson.

As for the Warriors, they’ll face a future without one of the franchise’s best and most popular players.

(SF Chronicle)

16-YEAR-OLD QUINCY WILSON has been selected to run the 4x400m at the Paris 2024 Olympics! When he does, he will be the youngest US man ever to run the 4x400m at the Olympic Games. He set a World Under-18 400m Record of 44.59s at the just concluded US Olympic Trials.

WHO YOU GONNA BELIEVE, BIDEN LOYALISTS OR YOUR OWN EYES & EARS?

by Norman Solomon

Almost as appalling as President Biden’s debate performance are the efforts of his loyalists to pretend that what 50 million viewers saw and heard didn’t happen or didn’t really matter. What has unfolded in the last few days amounts to a political gaslighting operation by the Biden campaign and supportive pretenders who’ve been trying to erase history as soon as it happened.

Apparently, Biden’s ego has proven to be much more resilient than his cognition, while loved ones and sycophants in concentric inner and outer circles cling desperately to talking points that are patently dishonest, often preposterous, and virulently dangerous for prospects of preventing a second Trump presidency.

By whistling past the graveyard of Biden’s credibility as a viable candidate in 2024, the pretenders are doing a huge disservice to all who want to avert a full takeover of the U.S. government by the fascistic Republican Party.

Let’s start with the innermost circle -- the First Couple. The day after the debate, both sidestepped what it had shown, instead striving to make it about one man’s quest to show individual resilience.

“I know like millions of Americans know -- when you get knocked down, you get back up,” the president told rallygoers in North Carolina. Meeting in New York with donors, Jill Biden said: “When Joe gets knocked down, Joe gets back up, and that’s what we’re doing today.”

Jill Biden’s role goes far beyond the personal with her husband. After Biden became president, Vogue described his wife as “a key player in her husband’s administration, a West Wing surrogate and policy advocate.”

But it’s worth asking what kind of “key player” could tell President Biden immediately after his disastrous debate performance, as Jill Biden did late Thursday night: “Joe, you did such a great job! You answered every question! You knew all the facts!”

Party leadership was worse than dubious when, following the debate, House Democratic power broker Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina intoned: “Let’s just stay the course.” And when a former Democratic president, Barack Obama, dismissively declared on X: “Bad debate nights happen.”

A master class in evasion and obfuscation came moments after the debate ended when California Gov. Gavin Newsom went on MSNBC to exhibit his damage-control skills. The damage was beyond repair, but he did his best.

“On the signature issue the Democrats have, which is abortion, the president’s response was garbled and undirected at best,” a reporter pointed out. “Do you feel like he did what he needed to do on an issue that could motivate voters?”

“I think it’s significantly insignificant, because it’s de minimis, because the American people have made up their minds,” Newsom replied. “They don’t support the policies of Donald Trump” on abortion.

Newsom went on: “We have the opportunity to universally have the back of this president, who’s had our back. You don’t turn your back, you go home with the one that brought you to the dance. A hundred percent. All in. And I was very very proud that he was able to articulate the work that he has done, and lay a foundation of understanding of the lies and the deceit that continue to come out of Donald Trump’s mouth.”

The day after the debate, interviewed by Al Sharpton on MSNBC, the Democratic National Committee’s chair Jamie Harrison -- who serves at Biden’s pleasure -- echoed Newsom’s carefully obtuse rhetoric, proclaiming that “Joe Biden has always had our back, and we’re gonna have his.”

Meanwhile, liberal mega-substacker Heather Cox Richardson absurdly extended her longstanding record as a scholarly shill for President Biden by writing: “Biden needed to demonstrate that his mental capacity is strong in order to push back on the Republicans’ insistence that he is incapable of being president. That, he did, thoroughly. Biden began with a weak start but hit his stride as the evening wore on. Indeed, he covered his bases too thoroughly, listing the many accomplishments of his administration in such a hurry that he was sometimes hard to understand.”

But such intellectually disingenuous claims have suddenly worn thin in a wide range of media. Habitual supporters of Biden, such as Joe Scarborough at MSNBC and Thomas Friedman at the New York Times, responded to his abysmal effort in the debate by calling for him to drop out of the race. The Times editorial board did the same. During the last few days, a vast array of mainstream outlets featured urgent calls for Biden to withdraw as a candidate.

But the prominent Democrats now refusing to acknowledge that Biden was awful in the debate also refuse to acknowledge that he has been directly aiding mass murder of Palestinians in Gaza. That’s what happens when deference to a leader substitutes fealty for humanity.

Last weekend, my colleague Sam Rosenthal wrote about his experience of flyering for RootsAction’s Step Aside Joe campaign at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee in early 2023: “How did DNC members, staffers, and media attendees react to our open display of dissent? About how you would expect -- most ignored us, a few others mocked us, one or two even angrily confronted our ragtag group.”

On Sunday, USA Today described the results of a new poll: “72 percent of voters do not believe Biden has the mental or cognitive health to serve as president, as well as nearly half of his own party. That’s up seven points from the beginning of June.”

But at the same time those poll results were released, former Biden White House chief of staff Ron Klain “said that it was 100 percent certain the president would stay in the race,” the New York Times reported. Fingers stuck firmly in his ears, Klain commented: “He is the choice of the Democratic voters. We are seeing record levels of support from grassroots donors. We had a bad debate night. But you win campaigns by fighting -- not quitting -- in the face of adversity.”

Now, to challenge such lockstep conformity among Democratic Party officials who continue to serve as Biden 2024 enablers despite his debate implosion, RootsAction has launched a campaign for constituents to send Democrats in Congress a direct message: “Tell Joe Biden -- privately and publicly -- that he should voluntarily be a one-term president. The debate shows clearly that he’s not up to the imperative task of defeating Trump in the fall.”

(Norman Solomon is the national director of RootsAction.org and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of many books including "War Made Easy." His latest book, "War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine," was published in 2023 by The New Press.)

BIDEN-TRUMP ‘DEBATE’ — FIASCOS FOR BOTH

by Ralph Nader

It was, of course, not a presidential debate. Not a surprise. Trump came in ready to repeat what he tells audiences at his rallies – raging, lying by the microminute, promising perfection and spewing hate at Biden. Biden – flustered, bumbling at times, stumbling over facts, at least tried to answer specific questions from the moderators – Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. At least eight times, Trump brushed aside their questions and repeated his previous flailing tirades against Biden. It is a wonder Trump didn’t slurp saliva along with his sneering arrogance.

Democratic operatives were aghast during and after the merciful end of this 90-minute look/see by an estimated 51 million viewers. Biden prepared for over a week with his debate advisors and probably was so overprepared as to be tightly wound. Also, he had a cold which he should have noted at the outset to explain his weak tone of voice.

The moderators were forewarned about Trump trying to take over the show. They cut the mics of each candidate while the other was talking. Trump adjusted. He leapfrogged their questions and bellowed without ever being told: “Mr. Trump, you are not answering the questions just addressed to you.”

CNN correctly said beforehand that the moderators were not going to interrupt with any fact-checking, no matter how wild and crazy. As a result, the unfurled, unstable, disjointed man from Mar-a-Largo kept doing himself in, mitigating Biden’s staggering failure to deliver the most obvious rebuttals, especially on the issues of “democracy” and “climate.”

All the questions asked by the moderators were predictable by the candidates and their staff. That is how deep is the ditto nature of the mass media. Earlier the Washington Post asked sixteen of its opinion columnists to offer one policy question for the presidential debate. The moderators pretty much covered the questions asked. None of the sixteen columnists mentioned the corporate crime wave, the plight of worker exploitation (e.g., frozen minimum wage, workplace health/safety casualties, and anti-labor laws), massive corporate welfare giveaways, corporate tax reform, the global arms race or widespread abuses of consumers in many marketplace sectors.

Most prominently, the super-dominant power of giant corporations over our government, politics, economy, culture, and our children’s future never occurred to these savvy observers of what’s really going on in America.

Back to Biden’s collapse. Long-time Democratic Party loyalist, exhorter and critic, Robert Kuttner repeated his demand that Biden step aside. He elaborated: “With Biden heading the ticket, Democrats will likely lose the House, Senate, state legislatures and governorships, and down-ballot races all the way to school board, as well as the presidency.” I’ve known Kuttner for years. He rarely panics to this extent. He added that, “In coming days, the media echo chamber, which for once has it right, will keep reinforcing the depth of Biden’s defeat and the story of utter panic among Democratic officials, strategists, and donors. That will be self-enforcing.”

The vast majority of actual voters have already made up their minds. The rest will be treated with billions of dollars of advertising featuring selections from both Biden and Trump’s deliveries. What may save Biden, whose team asked for this early Debate, were the ravings and pathological lying of dangerous, dictatorial Donald.

There was little daylight between Biden and Trump on militarism, Empire, genocide and a devouring, bloated military budget. But domestically, Biden could have exposed Trump as an abject tool of the worst of Big Business and Wall Street over Main Street, contrasting his record in the process. Here is one salvo that Biden could have delivered crisply and deliberately:

“Let’s look at your record, Mr. Trump.

Children – You blocked extending the child tax credit in January 2022, which was delivering $300 a month to over 60 million children;

Women – You’re opposed to their reproductive rights and want to punish them for their choice, not to mention your long history of abusing women;

Workers – You and your Republicans in Congress have long opposed raising the paltry federal minimum wage frozen at $7.25 an hour. As President, you displayed your hatred of Unions and weakened job safety protections;

Immigration – You single-handedly demanded your Party in Congress abandon a bipartisan immigration reform bill that the Congress was ready to send for my signature earlier this year;

Consumers – You weakened enforcement of life-saving health and safety laws and shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that worked to make Wall Street accountable;

Environmental Health – You think climate disruption is a hoax and tell the main fossil fuel polluters to “Drill, baby, drill” instead of backing planet-saving solar energy and wind power;

Patients – You want to end Obamacare and oppose the expansion of Medicaid in Southern Republican states, taking away healthcare for tens of millions of Americans;

Public Lands – Belong to all Americans and their descendants. You want to turn over big chunks of this land to corporations;

Taxpayers – In 2017, you gave under-taxed super-profitable corporations and the very rich another giant tax cut which greatly increased the federal deficit; and

Your hatred for the well-being of America shows how phony is your MAGA slogan. That’s just some of what you’ve done to the American people.”

ON-LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

Biden is dementia incoherent. Trump is ADHD incoherent.

Trying to follow either of them is a mind exercise that should keep us all either sharp, or drive us into insanity.

I can picture people curled up into the fetal position, crying and repeating over and over “What did they say? I can’t figure it out. Am I crazy, or are they?”

BIDEN IS NOT ‘SHARP AS A TACK’

No matter how bad you think the press lies and exaggerations about Joe Biden's condition have been, trust us. They were worse

by Matt Taibbi

A new video by Matt Orfalea contains no manipulated imagery. Uncomfortable pauses were not stretched. None of the commentators using terms like, “He’s as sharp as a tack” or “He’s totally focused… and the proof is in the performance” were taken out of context. He didn’t make up the line about him being like “Eminem in his famous 8 Mile rap battle.” It all happened. “If anything, he looks better in my video than the actual debate,” Orfalea says.

The press coverup about Joe Biden’s cognitive state has been comprehensive, starting before his 2020 run. As Orfalea shows, the lie ballooned in scale, with what began as mere denial of the problem expanding in the space of four years to far more aggressive deceptions, eventually landing on maximalist go-to lines compiled above: “Sharp as a tack,” “On top of his game,” “On the ball,” etc. These descriptions are even more damning in the context of the long overall campaign to cover up the obvious…

racket.news/p/biden-is-not-sharp-as-a-tack

IMPAIRED PRESIDENT, IMPERILED PLANET

Members of the Democratic Party elite melt down over Biden's ability to defeat Trump -- not his leadership of a bipartisan agenda fueling carnage in Ukraine and Gaza.

by Aaron Mate

President Biden’s shambolic debate performance against Donald Trump has sent elements of the Democratic Party establishment into a panic. After long dismissing concerns about Biden’s cognitive decline, party donors and media pundits are now fulminating over his capacity to defeat Trump in November.

While suddenly doubting Biden’s suitability as a candidate for an election months away, the Beltway has yet to question his suitability for the job he currently he holds: commander-in-chief of the world’s top superpower and its vast nuclear arsenal.

Biden’s deficiencies would be dangerous even under peaceful circumstances. Yet he now finds himself overseeing – and fueling – two devastating and increasingly dangerous military crises.…

aaronmate.net/p/impaired-president-imperiled-planet

DAVID HALLAM:

From what I've seen during 77 years of watching, transfiguration only happens in a few exceptional cases. Most on this planet are understandably, and with no moral laxity at all, crushed by 'suffering, disappointments and melancholy'. They are so deprived of the relative luxury enjoyed even by the poor in 'the West', that our moral intentions ought to be directed toward alleviating that suffering, not lionizing the few who mange to be transfigured by it. By way of example, only a moral bankrupt could have expected a Jew in Auschwitz in 1944 to be transfigured in any way at all by the horror they were facing; though a few seem to have been. Exactly analogous is the plight of a mother in Gaza this very day burying her child in the face of another genocide. Of her we might say 'transfigured by grief', not an opportunity for transfiguration that I could ever extol. If anyone doubts the facts behind these opinions, I'll be happy to provide a list of places in Africa where what I am saying is self-evidently true. And I'm certain that others can give locales in other places where the same holds.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE!

by James Kunstler

“Joe Biden is the walking embodiment of the exhausted American Establishment. More and more people have simply lost their faith in our Ruling Class. You could scarcely have a more potent symbol of its impotence.” — Rod Dreher

Just before the weekend, a political prairie fire raced across a nation buffaloed, blind-sided, and buried deeply in bullshit, and the little critters who inhabit the landscape are still running around with their fur smoldering. What a surprise that “Joe Biden,” the mentally-disabled pretend-president, fell apart in the debate spotlight for all to see, like Captain Queeg in his fateful witness chair, or William Jennings Bryan at the Scopes trial (1925), or the Wizard of Oz when little Toto drew the curtain back — a brutal revelation of stark truth about how things actually are.

Since his hiding-in-the-basement campaign in 2020 “Joe Biden’s” Party of Chaos has pretended that he is fit and alert for the job and now all of sudden they pretend to be shocked to see how far gone in the head he really is. The bullshit shovelers of the mainstream news media were especially rocked, not by the truth of the situation per se, but at being unmasked as the contemptible, confabulating tools that they’ve become. The New York Times wheeled around on a dime from their servile lionizing of the presidential hologram they helped create to its editorial board abjectly yelling for him to drop out and get gone. They were joined instantly by a long list of other opinion-shapers, campaign donors, political celebs, and Beltway players.

Right after the debate, First lady Dr. Jill led a cheerleading session before a roomful of partisans that went beyond cringeworthy into uncharted territory of mortification. (“You were great, Joe! You answered all the questions!”). By the time the entourage moved to a pre-planned event at a nearby Atlanta Waffle House, “JB” had gone full-on zombie. If all that was intended to be reassuring, the effect was the opposite. Someone handed the blank-faced old grifter a milkshake and they beat it out of there.

The Bidens flew off to the Hamptons Saturday to milk the showbiz cows and hedge-funders for a campaign that might not still exist. “Everyone paid in advance. . .so it could be an opportunity to encourage him to drop out,” an invited guest told a New York Post reporter. “I wanted to go and see the train wreck,” another donor said. “I’d rather choose someone from a phone book than have Biden.” That was generally the tone among the woke-gay-communist echelons all over the land — surprisingly vehement, considering that just forty-eight hours before they were all in on re-election. Some could probably see their lucrative hustles whirling around the drain, and others might fret about just how far and wide prosecutions under a Trump Attorney General might loom.

“JB” and his family circle attempted to regroup over the weekend at Camp David where first son, Hunter (“the smartest man I know,” the president often says), led the buoying-up session, perhaps mindful of the many bank accounts set up by his lawyers in the name of Biden family members (including little grandchildren) for receipt of influence-peddling revenue gathered sedulously from entities abroad during “Joe Biden’s” post-veep high-earning years. The family emerged from that meet-up triumphantly, ready to forget the one bad evening and jump back into the election game.

Next, the biggest Dem dawgs — Obama, Schumer, Pelosi — stepped up with fulsome support for “Joe Biden” continuing to steer the party’s war canoe straight over Niagara Falls on November 5th. What possesses them? Misguided love for the monster they created? Fear of being called out as traitorous liars? Desperation to preserve the gigantic racketeering operation of the party they lead, with consideration for their big cuts of the action? Or are they just determined to complete the job of wrecking our country?

And where was She-Whose-Turn-It-Is, HRC, the only possible replacement candidate with name-recognition and no ruined state hanging over her as is the case with Newsom, Pritzker, and Whitmer (California, Illinois, Michigan)? Mrs. Clinton has so far stayed out of it, laying low, probably thinking that the party poohbahs will eventually have to come around to seeing she’s the obvious viable alternative. Since the Clinton Foundation bought and paid for the DNC some time ago, she might be able to get the nominating machinery lined up in her direction. There are myriad problems, for sure, with many state election laws that discourage switching-out a nominee who has already captured a winning share of party convention delegates — but Norm Eisen, Marc Elias, and the Lawfare gang are already tasked to that set of problems now that their work is done cobbling together all those janky court cases to hamstring Mr. Trump.

We enter high summer with countless consequential things afoot. A grand new momentum is expressing itself throughout Western Civ against the Globalist insanity. Sunday, Marine LePen’s National Rally (RN) thrashed President Macron’s Renaissance Party, a shock equal to the “Joe Biden” debate fiasco here. British elections follow Thursday July 4, with PM Rishi Sunak sucking wind and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Party ascending rapidly. Sunday July 7 France’s runoff election happens. A widened war threatens the Middle East as Iran and Turkey line up with Hezbollah in Lebanon against Israel. Ukraine cries for a negotiated settlement with no help from our own State Department. ISIS terrorists (among many other dangerous cadres) circulate on-the-loose around the USA, ready and able to perp atrocities.

Still hanging over the “Joe Biden” crisis — and it is a crisis — is the question as to how somebody no longer capable of leading a party in an election can also be capable of leading the executive branch of the USA as Commander-in-Chief. That quandary has been shoved aside for the moment but it still lurks ominously in the background.

(kunstler.com)

OCCLUDED FRONTS IN FRANCE

by Jeremy Harding

Marine Le Pen has been working for years to build a credible position for her party, the Rassemblement National (formerly the Front National), in respectable right-wing nativism. With its success in the European elections and Macron’s dissolution of the French parliament, the RN may at last be a party of government. In round one of the snap legislative elections yesterday it has taken roughly 33 per cent of the vote (including 4 per cent for its allies in the Union de l’extrême droite), compared to 18.7 per cent in the first round in 2022. Behind the RN is the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire coalition, with roughly 28 per cent. Macron’s centrist grouping Ensemble is trailing both at 21 per cent. With a second round to come on 7 July, it is very hard to know how these figures will translate into seats. In a 577-member National Assembly, Le Pen’s party needs 289 for an absolute majority. A projection from Ipsos gives them anywhere between 230 and 280, enough to enjoy a relative majority. That would triple the number of RN seats in the last Assembly (89, up from eight in 2017 and two in 2012).

It was Macron who raised the curtain on this distressing scene by calling snap elections in the first place. Perhaps he calculated that if he didn’t, it would be ripped to shreds by a gale of support for Le Pen in the presidential election in 2027. As his divisive pensions reform last year confirms, he doesn’t like to let sleeping dogs lie. Yet he and his entourage would surely have known that the French media landscape has never been more propitious for a far-right breakthrough.

Le Pen’s protégé Jordan Bardella, who may become the first far-right prime minister of the Fifth Republic, has caught the imagination of his followers on TikTok. Four out of ten French users with a moderate TikTok dependency – roughly 9.5 million across all age groups – are between 18 and 24. In a historic shift in France, voting intentions in that age group have been spread more or less evenly between the NFP and the RN. It’s true that Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of La France Insoumise, has more TikTok followers than Bardella but Mélenchon, whose time seemed to have come in 2016 with the founding of LFI, has lost ground since the collapse last year of the left’s electoral bloc NUPES. He is demonized by his enemies as a Hamas spokesperson and discouraged by his allies (and rivals) in the NFP – which is a NUPES retread – from taking center-stage in the current campaign.

Crucially, the left and the remains of the center have had to reckon with the media titan Vincent Bolloré, a thoroughbred entrepreneur whose family’s money came from the paper industry and much of his own from maritime freight and port infrastructure. Bolloré became fascinated by the media industry in the early 2000s. It has taken roughly twenty years for his two key companies, the Bolloré Group and Vivendi, to overrun a swathe of French media, including Groupe Canal+, which started out as a private pay-TV channel, and more recently the Largardère media empire, which includes Paris Match, Hachette books, three radio stations and Le Journal du Dimanche.

In 2011 the Bolloré Group sold two free-TV channels to Groupe Canal+, which Vivendi had already acquired a decade earlier. One of them was rebaptized C8 and went on to provide a platform for the talk show host Cyril Hanouna, who has since morphed into a right-wing shock jock. Hanouna runs a media production company with one of Bolloré’s sons, Yannick. (Yannick heads Vivendi’s supervisory board and runs the marketing and PR company Havas, another of Bolloré’s assets. His brother Cyrille runs the Bolloré group.) Bolloré’s 2011 sale to Canal+ came under scrutiny by the French equivalent of the monopolies commission but eventually passed muster. The takeover of Lagardère in 2019 was the subject of a lengthy inquiry in Brussels – it appeared to contravene the EU’s rules on fair competition – but it, too, was approved at the end of last year, after Bolloré agreed to sell off a smattering of media assets.

Bolloré has courted two former presidents, Nicolas Sarkozy (center-right) and François Hollande (center-left), and almost every figure in Les Républicains, the remnants of de Gaulle’s emaciated party. According to Le Monde, it was Bolloré who persuaded Eric Ciotti, the president of LR, to form an electoral alliance with Le Pen and Bardella. (In June, LR’s politburo dethroned Ciotti as a consequence, but he fought the decision in the courts, which ruled that it was invalid.) Macron, who is said to loathe Bolloré’s project, agreed to meet him as his first presidential term was coming to a close. You’re buying up ‘everything’, Macron is rumored to have told him.

C8 isn’t the only destabilizing channel in Bolloré’s sheaf of acquisitions. There is also CNews, a free 24-hour news offer reinvented from a dusty Canal+ strand. After the relaunch in 2017 CNews rapidly became one of the three most popular news outlets in the country. It was Bolloré’s answer to Fox News: in-your-face, truculent and increasingly sure that it could make the case for a government of the far-right. Then there is a radio station, Europe 1, where Hanouna also has a gig. Bolloré acquired it as part of his Lagardère takeover and reconfigured it as a far-right agitprop outlet (just shy of two million listeners in 2023).

In this election campaign, Europe 1 has given Hanouna free rein: he and his guests have done their best to take France to the cleaners. The day before campaigning closed for round one, the French media watchdog Arcom warned Europe 1 that Hounana’s ‘virulent’ attitudes towards LFI and the NFP were beyond the pale. It was the second warning in a week. There have been heavy sanctions on Bolloré’s content in the past. In 2021 CNews was fined €200,000 by Arcom after Eric Zemmour, the head of the ultra-far-right party Reconquête – and a regular CNews commentator at the time – was found to have incited racial hatred. Last year Hanouna incurred a swinging fine of €3.5 million for C8 when he slandered an LFI deputy to his face. And Arcom has just imposed a €50,000 fine on C8 for another of Hanouna’s extravagant turns last year, when he treated his audience to a video clip claiming to show two people out of their heads on the ‘zombie’ drug xylazine. It later emerged that they were disabled. But the Bolloré empire can afford these slaps on the wrist. It can also bear down on editorial content and bully its staff. Days after the Lagardère takeover, Bolloré appointed a young far-right editor at Le Journal du Dimanche. After a five-week strike, a deal was cut on severance pay and Bolloré’s ideologue was firmly at the helm.

For years, in round after round of elections, the far right have been treated by French public broadcasters as dangerous animals, caged by skillful moderators and prodded through the bars by political opponents. But it may no longer matter. Le Pen’s party now has a wealthy patron who has let it loose in his vast private media domain, where it roams at leisure as his favorite charismatic species. Each stalking action is recorded and revered by Bolloré’s team of presenters, in an unwitting parody of mainstream nature programming. Bardella, meanwhile, has discovered his eager youth-following on a Chinese-owned multilingual smartphone app. These dramatic changes in the French media have been incremental. Everyone noticed them, including Macron’s team in the Elysée, but no one could have told you when the tipping point would come.

The best hope now is for candidates in next Sunday’s three-way run-offs between RN, NFP and Ensemble – which will involve nearly 250 constituencies – to step away in favor of the likeliest winner against an RN rival. Mélenchon has already said that an LFI candidate in third position in a constituency where the RN is in the lead should withdraw. The prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has said much the same for trailing Macronist candidates, though the finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, disagrees. Macronism is over and so, by the look of it, is Attal. But the parties must still decide how to play out the game and whether some kind of front – whether it’s ‘republican’ or ‘popular’, or a little of both – can eat into the RN’s success on 7 July.

Why are we worn out? Why do we, who start out so passionate, brave, noble, believing, become totally bankrupt by the age of thirty or thirty-five? Why is it that one is extinguished by consumption, another puts a bullet in his head, a third seeks oblivion in vodka, cards, a fourth, in order to stifle fear and anguish, cynically tramples underfoot the portrait of his pure, beautiful youth? Why is it that, once fallen, we do not try to rise, and, having lost one thing, we do not seek another? Why?

— Anton Chekhov

TUESDAY'S LEAD STORIES, NYT

CRAIG MURRAY:

Gaza represents the dislocation of the political class from the people. The people want to stop it, certainly here in the U.K., but they have no leverage. The political class is no longer connected to the people. It is connected to the arms industry, to the lobbyists, particularly the Zionist lobby. That’s where the interests of the political class lie. They don’t care about the people. That’s true of both of the main parties. They suffer no hardship because there’s nobody else likely to be elected. Western democracy has become meaningless. The political class is homogeneous. All of them could move from one of the main parties to the other main party without changing anything. If we’re going to save democracy, we have to offer an actual democratic alternative. Gaza brought that home to people.

chrishedges.substack.com/p/craig-murrays-campaign-against-empire

10 Comments

Justine Frederiksen July 2, 2024

I get Mrs. CMC’s reasons for wanting to get married, but what are his? Why not take the Aaron Rodgers route of bachelorhood?

BRICK IN THE WALL July 2, 2024

What a great read.
And thanks for Bodkins

MAGA Marmon July 2, 2024

RE: MINUTES AGO

“We’ve invested billions to enhance our power grid, expand energy shortages.” -Joe Biden

MAGA Marmon

Kirk Vodopals July 2, 2024

Status update: Both mouths of th Navarro River and Elk Creek are still open! Is anyone keeping track of this? Mr Beacon, I presume?

MAGA Marmon July 2, 2024

RE: MO TOWN’S FUTURE

“I’ve had several people reach out about the Supreme Court decision and what comes next, the answer is… I’m not sure yet. There will need to be some round table convos with advocacy groups/service providers and law enforcement/public safety so we can come up with a game plan that we can all work with. We have a homeless strategic plan and maybe updating it is a good first step. There will be more information and community feedback as we work through what this decision means for Mendocino County.”

-Maureen “Mo” Mulheren – Mendocino Second District Supervisor

MAGA Marmon

- Mazie Malone July 2, 2024
  
  lol..🤣✌️………….the round table………..just goes round and around. I would be interested in the solutions they come up to address it. Playing with fire.
  
  mm 💕
  
D. Merit July 2, 2024

I call my marriages, events.

Steve Bannon.
What a guy, Trump..he’s thrown each one of his former people under the bus.
What a guy, Trump..he gave us covid.
What a guy, Trump..he eliminated Toe v. Wade (🤫).
What a guy, Trump..he stacked the SCourt AGAINST us.
What a guy, Trump..men are dying in record numbers.
What a guy, Trump..he’ll eliminate Dreamers.
What a guy Trump..he’ll cause daily life to feel like an I.C.U.

Everything bad he accuses others of being HE IS.

And the people who support him…………..

Stephen Rosenthal July 2, 2024

Klay Thompson is not the superstar he was prior to his two devastating injuries, but he’s still a much better fit and offers more than Wiggins and Green. It’s too bad Klay had to be sacrificed because of the horrible contracts (two of the worst in the NBA) the Warriors doled out to them.

- Lazarus July 2, 2024
  
  The championship years have ended for Golden State. They are a team of old-core players. Granted, some new players are on the rise, but the big ride is over…At least currently.
  Have a nice day,
  Laz
  
Craig Stehr July 2, 2024

Sitting here at the Mendocino County Library in sunny Ukiah, California, digesting today’s perusal of the New York Times. This is the weirdest possible national social situation, playing out in postmodern America. I mean, this is irrationality on steroids. And the international situation is more dangerous! Direct the mind inward to its center located in the “cave of the heart”, and then perform whatever spiritual practice is appropriate in order to keep the mind united with its source. That is all. Problem solved.
Craig Louis Stehr
Royal Motel
750 S. State Street, Ukiah, CA 95482
(707) 462-7536, Room 206
Email: craiglouisstehr@gmail.com
July 2, 2024 Anno Domini

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