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Fed raises interest rates by 0.75% It’s the highest hike since 1994 gains have been robust in recent months, and the unemployment rate has remained low. Inflation remains elevated, reflecting (The Center Square) — The supply and demand imbalances Federal Reserve announced related to the pandemic, higher a 0.75 percentage point rate energy prices and broader price hike Wednesday to help combat pressures.” soaring inflation, the largest The Federal Reserve rate increase since 1994. pointed to COVID-19 and The Fed said it raised the the ongoing war in Ukraine rates “to 1‑1/2 to 1-3/4 percent when referencing the nation’s and anticipates that ongoing economic difficulties. Experts increases in the target range have acknowledged those issues will be appropriate.” but also point to a major spike “The committee seeks to in the U.S. money supply and achieve maximum employment federal debt spending. and inflation at the rate of 2% “Since early over the longer 2020, the Federal run,” the Federal Reserve has Reserve said printed nearly in a statement. $5 trillion — “In addition, the using much of committee will Retail sales fall in May - A5 this to purchase continue reducing government debt its holdings of in addition to Treasury securities and agency mortgage backed securities debt and agency mortgageand other assets,” said Joel backed securities, as described Griffith, an economic expert in the Plans for Reducing the at the Heritage Foundation, as Size of the Federal Reserve’s the Center Square previously Balance Sheet that were issued reported. “As this cash was in May. The committee is strongly committed to returning injected into the economy, total money supply swelled by inflation to its 2% objective.” more than $75,000 per family The decision is expected to of four. The Federal Reserve’s curb inflation, but that comes at complicity in financing a cost to the economy. Federal Congress’ outrageous spending data shows consumer prices spree of the past two years is have risen at the fastest rate in largely to blame for the skydecades and producer prices high inflation, the new housing spiked 10.8% in the last year. bubble, and rampant speculation “Overall economic activity (in) the financial markets.” appears to have picked up Casey Harper works at The after edging down in the first Center Square’s Washington, quarter,” the Federal Reserve D.C., bureau. said in its announcement. “Job By CASEY HARPER
THE CENTER SQUARE SENIOR REPORTER
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Kids at Washington Elementary School in Santa Barbara attend the kickoff Wednesday for the Summer Meal Concert Series.
Free meals, great music for kids Summer Meal Concert Series starts at Washington Elementary School
California lawmakers rush on constitutional change to protect abortion rights By MADISON HIRNEISEN THE CENTER SQUARE STAFF REPORTER
At left, children enjoy their free lunch at Washington School. At right, Juan “Chino” Valladares, part of DJ Hecktik, plays music for the children during a free Summer Meal Concert Series at the school.
By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER
The Summer Meal Concert Series kicked off Wednesday in Santa Barbara County with the first program featuring DJ Hecktik at Washington Elementary School in Santa Barbara. That’s where about 200 kids were fed free meals. Today the series continues between 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. at Santa Maria Grogan Park, 155 W. Rancho Verde, Santa Maria, where people 18 and younger can get a
free, healthy meal. The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is sponsoring today’s event and is featuring the DJ from La Ley radio station. Childhood hunger spikes in the summer for many children in Santa Barbara County who rely on free and reduced meals during the school year. “It’s a time when they are not connected to their schools when they are offered two to three meals a day,” said Laura Capps, a consultant for No Kid Hungry, which supports the ninth annual Summer Meal Concert Series.
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She told the News-Press that the meals/concert series is a “way that they (kids) can keep their nutrition levels high and enjoy the summer.” Beginning this week and throughout the summer, local musicians and DJs will perform at various sites throughout Santa Barbara County. Additionally, local radio stations will broadcast live from the meal sites, helping to spread the word so that more kids have a happy, healthy summer. Ms. Capps stressed the need for the program, noting that Santa Barbara County is tied for the highest amount of childhood
hunger in California. “We have extremely high rates of poverty,” she told the NewsPress. “The pandemic has only exacerbated it.” For the past nine years, No Kid Hungry has supported a coalition of organizations such as the Santa Barbara Unified School District, the Lompoc Unified School District, the Goleta Union School District, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, United Way and the city of Santa Barbara. The summer series features six Please see MEALS on A6
(The Center Square) — Lawmakers hoping to enshrine abortion rights in the California Constitution are fast-tracking a proposal hoping to get it before voters on the ballot this November. The proposed constitutional amendment would put the right to an abortion and contraceptives explicitly in the state’s constitution by prohibiting the state from “denying or interfering with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions.” The bill states that this includes the right to choose an abortion and to choose or refuse contraceptives. The measure comes after a leaked draft majority opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court revealed that justices could be poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. The 1973 landmark ruling guaranteed constitutional protections for abortion. Fearing this potential overturn, California lawmakers stressed that now is the time to act to ensure Californians have access to abortion and contraceptives for years to come. “In California, we cannot
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Sen. Toni Atkins
stand by as women and families are left vulnerable as our highest court moves to strip away our rights and put countless people in harm’s way,” Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, told lawmakers on Tuesday. “We’ve introduced SCA 10 to ensure that the fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and to use Please see LAWMAKERS on A6
INSIDE
L O T T E RY RESULTS
Classified................. B4 Life...................... B1-2 Obituaries............... A6
Wednesday’s SUPER LOTTO: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Wednesday’s DAILY 4: 2-5-0-6
Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: 30-37-38-42-58 Meganumber: 22
Wednesday’s FANTASY 5: 2-11-22-26-34
Wednesday’s DAILY DERBY: 10-04-09 Time: 1:46.92
Wednesday’s POWERBALL: N/A Meganumber: N/A
Sudoku................... B3 Sports . .................... A3 Weather................. A6
Wednesday’s DAILY 3: 6-3-7 / Wednesday’s Midday 4-4-2