SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers returned to work on Monday to tackle a daunting list of challenges that include climate concerns and a growing homeless population — problems magnified by election-year politics. Members of the state Assembly's Democratic majority kicked off the second year of the two-year legislative session by announcing...
Hello to the Roaring 2020s. California Soon Will Be Reborn.
January 1, 2030 To my three sons: I’m so proud of you. I especially appreciate that, now that you’re 21, 18, and 16 years old, you no longer fight with each other constantly. You’re doing well in school, and have bright futures. But please never forget how lucky you’ve been...
Anonymous Donor Doubles Sethi Family's $50K Gift to CRMC
Talk about good timing. A week after an anonymous donor pledged to match gifts up to $500,000 at Community Regional Medical Center, the trust of the late Mohan and Sushila Sethi donated $50,000 Monday. With the anonymous donor match, the Sethi gift for homeless aftercare for patients discharged from the...
'Tough Year' for Measles and Other Infectious Diseases in US
NEW YORK — This year, the germs roared back. Measles tripled. Hepatitis A mushroomed. A rare but deadly mosquito-borne disease increased. And that was just the United States. Globally, there was an explosion of measles in many countries, an unrelenting Ebola outbreak in Africa and a surge in dengue fever...
This Holiday Season, Help End Veteran Homelessness
In 1830, nearly 50 years after the end of the Revolutionary War, the artist John Neagle painted a haunting portrait of a homeless veteran named Joseph Winter. Winter was an immigrant from Germany who volunteered to help deliver American independence. After risking his life to defend a nation that became...
Donor Gives $500K to CRMC Homeless After-Care. How You Can Help.
Levi Hamilton would be back on the streets if it weren't for the after-care help Community Regional Medical Center provided him. Commemorating a year of sobriety, Hamilton says CRMC provided such help as transportation to and from appointments, access to medical devices, and assistance getting him to and from his current...
California Needs to Treat Homelessness Like the Disaster It Is. Let’s Provide Housing First
For the past 23 years, I have led a statewide homeless services and housing development agency. In Los Angeles, I have interacted with four mayors, three cycles of county supervisors, and dozens of city council members. During this period, the approach to the growing issue of homelessness has been predictable....
HUD Reporting 2.7% Percent Uptick in Homeless Population
WASHINGTON — The federal government is reporting a 2.7% increase in the nation’s homeless population driven by a spike in California, according to an annual count that took place in January 2019. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is reporting its third consecutive uptick in its homelessness projection, based on a...
Supreme Court Declines Review of Homeless Anti-Camping Laws
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will not review an appellate decision that makes it harder for cities to keep homeless people from sleeping on the streets. The justices on Monday did not comment as they left in place a ruling that struck down a Boise, Idaho, ordinance. The ruling by...
Who Steals From Homeless Youth? This Former Fresno IRS Worker.
What kind of thief steals from homeless people and at-risk youth? A federal jury in Fresno decided Thursday that 46-year-old former IRS employee Marcela Heredia is exactly that kind of thief. Now, the former Fresno resident faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine after her convictions...