Santa Barbara News-Press: June 13, 2023

White House calls for pistol regulation that would affect millions of Americans

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – The White House on Monday called for a controversial pistol regulation that would impact millions of Americans, requiring many more gun owners to register with the federal government.

President Joe Biden’s Office of Management and Budget released a statement backing new federal regulations for “stabilizing braces” for pistols. The White House also blasted a Republican Congressional effort to push back against the rule, making clear President Biden would veto Republicans’ bill if needed.

The fight over this issue kicked into high gear in January when the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives issued a final rule to put pistols with “stabilizing braces” into the category of short-barreled rifles, thus subjecting them to heavier regulations. Those braces allow users to fire pistols with one hand, and were initially designed to help people like disabled veterans to continue using firearms.

The new rule would require Americans to pay a fee and register their braces. Lawsuits were filed to challenge this rule, and in May a federal court temporarily blocked the rule until a final decision is reached.

The Firearms Policy Coalition, which challenged the Biden rule in court, said that it would have made “millions of peaceable people into felons overnight

Please see PISTOLS on A4

Trump indictment

Plurality of voters say case is ‘politically motivated,’ but also that former president should be charged - A3

More than meets the eye

Review: ‘Transformers’ sequel puts the right people with the right robots - B1

President Joe Biden

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2023

sB City Council on brink of adopting budget

BY NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

It’s almost over. The City Council today is poised to adopt the $667 million budget for Fiscal Year 2024, two months after the seemingly endless budget process began back in midApril.

That’s when City Administrator Rebecca Bjork released the proposed FY 2024 budget, followed the same day by Finance Director Keith DeMartini telling the council that the $222 General Fund budget contained a “structural deficit” as a result of insufficient revenue coming into city coffers from sales taxes and transient

occupancy taxes.

And that was followed by a series of budget meetings in May between department heads and the council who discussed proposed 2 percent budget cuts across the board to help cover the $3.8 million deficit, culminating in last Wednesday’s council meeting devoted to budget deliberations.

“This was a very challenging budget cycle,” Finance Director DeMartini told the News-Press Monday.

“Staff worked collaboratively to introduce the City Administrator’s Recommended Budget for FY2024, presented many details of the budget during department budget hearings and then supported the City

Council through the deliberation process.”

At that meeting, the council restored some of the recommended budget cuts, including taking $686,000 from the reserve fund to reopen the Central Library seven days a week and the Eastside Library to stay open six days a week.

In addition, council members restored funds to the Fire Department to pay for an inspector position, educational supplies and training; and funded the Monroe Elementary afterschool program and Parks and Recreation youth services.

“Most of the reductions are being restored by using General Fund reserves to pay for them in FY2024,” the finance director said.

All told, the council approved spending approximately $690,000 from the reserves during FY 24, he said.

“The use of reserves, after all other adjustments to the budget are taken into account, is approximately $651K,” he said.

After the dust settles, the General Fund “is projected to have $35.8M in reserves by the end of FY2024, given the budgeted revenues and expenditures, which is below the City Council reserve policy target,” the finance director said.

There’s already been talk on how the city can replenish the reserves. The council has approved a new cost-recovery policy for services provided by the city. And the

Moving on to summerland

Please see BUDGET on A4

Falcon!’

SpaceX launches Transporter-8 mission from Vandenberg

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

The applause and cheers in mission control kept getting louder from one special moment to the next during the successful SpaceX launch Monday afternoon from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

First came the cheers at 2:35 p.m., when the Falcon 9 rocket rose from Space Launch Complex 4E, carrying the Transporter 8-mission and its 72 payloads.

“Go, Falcon! Go, Transporter!” the Vandenberg announcer exclaimed.

Then at 2 minutes and 21 seconds into the flight, the stage separation was confirmed. Everyone cheered again, a bit louder, in mission control. Seven minutes and 53 seconds into the flight, the Stage 1 booster landed without a hitch on Landing Zone 4, leading to even louder cheers and applause.

While the first stage returned to Earth, the second stage brought the 72 payloads into low orbit. They included CubeSats, MicroSats, a re-entry capsule and orbital transfer vehicles carrying spacecraft to be deployed at a later time, according to SpaceX.

You could hear excitement about the mission in the voice of Jesse Anderson, a production engineering manager who narrated the live SpaceX. com webcast from SpaceX’s headquarters in Hawthorne. She noted SpaceX’s goal of providing competitive pricing for small satellite operators.

“Our customers come from all over the world, supporting teams in 21 different countries,” Ms. Anderson said.

She added that SpaceX’s clients vary from defense agencies to the Vatican.

The Vandenberg launch was the second one Monday for SpaceX.

A little after midnight Pacific time (3:10 a.m. Eastern time on Monday), a Falcon 9 rocket carried 52 Starlink satellites to low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

email: dmason@newspress.com

Finance Director Keith DeMartini

KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

A flock of sheep — first seen grazing last month at Elings Park in Santa Barbara as an eco-friendly fire prevention measure and a natural method of invasiveplant removal — now graze at the Ortega Hill area in Summerland. Here they are, grazing off Ortega Hill Road, under the watchful eye of a livestock guardian dog.

A Sunday at Santa Barbara Airport

Former Gaucho Aaron Chaney inducted into USA Water Polo Hall of Fame

By ERIC BOOSE UCSB SPORTS WRITER

Former UCSB men’s water polo player Aaron Chaney, who helped the Gauchos win the university’s first ever NCAA National Championship in 1979, was inducted into the USA Water Polo Hall of Fame Friday afternoon. He becomes the eighth Hall of Famer associated with UCSB men’s water polo, and the fourth member of the 1979 National Championship team to be enshrined. Chaney played three years in Santa Barbara, 1976, ‘78, and ‘79, reaching the mountaintop in his senior year as the Gauchos defeated UCLA, 11-3, to claim the National Championship that season. Chaney featured in the 1979 title match and was an important reserve player throughout his career at UCSB, but he goes into the Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport as a coach and referee.

Following his graduation from UCSB, Chaney returned to his native Hawaii and embarked on a 20-year career at Iolani School, guiding the boys’ team to three state championships and founding the girls’ water polo program. He returned to California and went a perfect 10-for-10, winning a league title in every year as the head girls water polo coach at Corona Del Mar High School, adding five consecutive CIF titles to boot.

However, Chaney built an even more venerable reputation as a referee, officiating at the highest level of the sport. He refereed at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games in Athens and Beijing, including calling the 2004 men’s semifinal. He also officiated at four World Aquatics Championships, highlighted by a women’s bronze medal match and the 2005 men’s gold medal match. Stateside, Chaney was named USA Water Polo Referee of the Year in 2004 and has officiated at 30 NCAA Championships, refereeing the National Championship match at 15 of them. He is the namesake for USA Water Polo’s annual Distinguished Referee Award.

Chaney joins 1979 UC Santa Barbara teammates Greg Boyer (inducted 1998), Craig Wilson (inducted 1999), and Guy Baker (inducted 2018) in the Hall of Fame, along with four other current or former Gaucho players and coaches, including Head Coach Wolf Wigo (inducted 2011). Chaney and the entire 1979 Men’s Water Polo team are also enshrined in the UCSB Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

Eric Boose is assistant director of athletic communications at UCSB. email: sports@newspress.com

Averting ‘fiscal cliff,’ California legislators come to late-night agreement

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - As California’s 2025 transit systems’ fiscal cliff approaches, its legislative leaders are working overtime to save the state’s transit systems in the hopes that ridership numbers recover enough to make the system sustainable on its own.

The Senate and Assembly worked late into Sunday night to come to a budget agreement to find billions in additional funding to keep the transit systems afloat as federal pandemic stimulus money comes to an end.

“The Legislature’s budget agreement is a very positive first step toward securing the future of public transportation in California. Though significant work remains to avoid our transit systems’ fiscal cliff — which was created by the end of federal pandemic emergency aid before transit ridership fully recovered,” Sen. Scott Weiner said.

The budget agreement restores $2 billion in transit capital funds cut by Gov. Gavin Newsom in his budget proposal of $4 billion allocated and adds $1.1 billion in cap-and-trade funding usually reserved for funding decarbonization programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - to be used as flexible funding. It is hoped that these subsidies to bay area transit agencies would stave off cuts to service.

“This budget agreement solves a significant portion of transit systems’ collective operating deficit. It does so by allocating $1.1 billion in largely cap-and-trade funds over three years to public transportation operations — allowing those funds to be flexible and thus eligible for transit operations. This is a very meaningful step in tackling the fiscal cliff, and we estimate that, over the next three years, this flexible funding eliminates as much as half of the Bay Area’s transit fiscal cliff,” Sen. Weiner said.

As part of a long-term strategy to cut greenhouse gasses, California has embarked on a program of eliminating gas-powered vehicles and designing communities where residents live close to transit stations or work closer to where they live to reduce long commutes. The state, therefore, cannot afford

to allow its transit agencies to go over the “fiscal cliff” or suffer long-term damage.

“Transit capital projects are critically important for our economy and climate goals,” Sen. Weiner stated. “For every dollar California invests in transit infrastructure, it will receive up to $10 in federal matching funds.”

That is if the agencies limit their use of flexible funding for operational costs and preserve most of the capital funding for infrastructure projects.

Sen. Wiener alluded to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed, which appropriated the largest federal investment in infrastructure, including transit infrastructure, in recent history. “It would be short-sighted to cannibalize significant transit capital funds and forfeit billions in federal matching funds.”

The late-night session averted service cuts expected as early as this fall, but a long-term plan is still to be created.

“It is also my hope — this year and next year — that the Legislature and governor will consider using a portion of California’s excess federal highway funds to fund transit operations,” Sen. Weiner offered. “California is receiving more than $1 billion each year for the next five years in federal highway funds, above and beyond what we anticipated. We should make at least a portion of these funds flexible to solve the remaining portion of the transit fiscal cliff.”

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An American Airlines passenger jet taxis to Gate 1 Sunday at the Santa Barbara Airport.

The Senate and Assembly worked late into Sunday night to come to a budget agreement to find billions in additional funding to keep the transit systems afloat as federal pandemic stimulus money comes to an end.

‘Kimberly Akimbo’ wins top Tony award

Plurality of voters say Trump indictment is ‘politically motivated’

Plurality also say he should be charged

By CASEY HARPER THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Nearly half of U.S. voters say the new federal indictment of former President Donald Trump is politically motivated.

The Department of Justice made public President Trump’s indictment last week, which included nearly 40 counts related to his alleged possession of classified documents from his time as president.

A new ABC/Ipsos poll found that 47% of those surveyed say the charges are “politically motivated” compared to 37% who do not. The rest are not sure.

“These views are mainly driven by Republicans, while Democrats want to see Trump charged and to suspend his campaign,” Ipsos said.

“Interestingly, independents are split, with roughly half agreeing with all three sentiments.”

Mr. Trump, who is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination and the most likely challenger to President Joe Biden, has cried foul, making the same claim of political motivation. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

“Hard to believe that the leading candidate, by far, of the opposition party, got indicted,”

Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“This is strictly Third World.”

Survey: Majority of Americans oppose trans athletes changing teams

By J.J. BRANNOCK THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Nearly 70% of surveyed Americans say transgender athletes “should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that conform with their birth gender,” a poll from Gallup published Monday shows.

A study from Gallup published Monday showed that 69% of surveyed Americans said transgender athletes “should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that conform with their birth gender.”

The poll shows a 7 percentage point rise in Americans who say that transgender athletes should only play on teams that match their birth gender. Notably, it also shows an 11 percentage point increase in those who personally know a transgender person, from 53% in 2021 to 64% in 2023.

The survey comes amid a wave of legislation across red states in recent years separating biologically male and female sports teams. For example, in Missouri lawmakers passed Senate Bill 39, which became law and prohibits any private or public school from allowing any student to compete in an athletic competition “designated for the student’s opposite biological sex.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on May 30 which would widely bar transgender athletes at public universities from competing in sports aligned with their new gender identity. President Joe Biden promised to veto the bill.

According to the poll, Democrats are split on the issue, with 47% of Democrats in favor of trans athletes playing on the teams that match their identity and 48% against. Democrats’ views have shifted since 2021 when 55% were

for and 41% were against.

Republicans’ opposition to allowing trans athletes to play on the team of their choice rose from 86% in 2021 to 93% in 2023, with Independents shifting from 63% to 67% over the past two years.

The only subgroup more supportive of gender-matching teams for trans athletes is young adults, who increased in support from 35% to 41%.

The survey also asked about Americans’ general views on whether changing one’s gender was morally acceptable, which saw a smaller and more split vote of 51% saying it was morally wrong in 2021 compared to 55% in 2023.

The question divided the parties, with 84% of Republicans and 29% of Democrats saying it was morally wrong to change gender. Independents were split, with 50% arguing it was wrong and 46% saying it was morally acceptable.

The recently released federal indictment includes several allegations, including photos and documentation of what are allegedly classified documents potentially accessible to hundreds of people at Mr. Trump’s Florida estate.Mr. Trump also allegedly showed classified documents to someone and admitted he had not declassified them, according to the indictment.

Legal analysts immediately expressed that the charges are serious.

Mr. Trump has pushed back that his handling of classified documents is no different than that of President Biden, who kept documents in his garage at home and in an office building, saying this is proof positive of the indictment’s political motivation.

President Biden also faces mounting allegations and evidence

that he and his family benefited from millions of dollars in payments made from Chinese and Ukrainian entities in what Republicans are calling a “bribery scheme.”

Last week, House Republicans said they obtained an FBI document showing President Biden himself as well as his son Hunter were allegedly paid $5 million each by a Burisma executive to end a corruption probe.

President Biden has repeatedly dismissed questions from the media about these allegations, saying last week they are “malarkey.”

The Department of Justice also recently announced that it would not prosecute former Vice President Mike Pence, who also allegedly had classified documents at his home.

Mr. Trump’s critics point out that President Biden and Mr. Pence cooperated with authorities when asked to return the documents, unlike Mr. Trump. While all these details and prosecutorial discretion have likely fueled the concerns of those Americans sensing political motivation, Americans’ views are still largely split by their political affiliation.

The ABC/Ipsos poll, which surveyed 910 adults from June 9-10, still found that a plurality believe Mr. Trump should be charged.

“More believe that the former president should be charged in this case (48%) and suspend his campaign (46%) than believe he should not (35%, 38%, respectively),” Ipsos said. “Overall, roughly half believe Trump should be charged, and should suspend his campaign (48% and 46%, respectively).”

COURTESY PHOTO

Former President Donald Trump

MICHELE CROWE / CBS

The cast of “Kimberly Akimbo” gathers on stage after their production wins best musical at the 76th annual Tony Awards Sunday night at the United Palace in New York City. The musical is about Kimberly (Tony winner Victoria Clark), who’s about to turn 16 and moves with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. Kimberly deals with a lot, from a dysfunctional family to a rare genetic condition, but manages to be optimistic. “Kimberly Akimbo” won a total of five Tonys during the awards show, which proceeded without a script because of the current writers’ strike. The program, which aired on CBS, was hosted by Oscar winner and Tony nominee Ariana DeBose. In addition to the awards for “Kimberly Akimbo,” “Leopoldstadt,” which follows Vienna’s Jewish community, won the Tony for best play.

Senator presses for neighborhood cleanup following Exide plant contamination

By RIA ROEBUCK JOSEPH THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) - U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, D-Calif., has called on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate an area in Southeast Los Angeles County as a Superfund site. He also urged the Department of Justice to enforce environmental laws and clarify policy allowing the use of non-prosecution agreements that spare corporate polluters of criminal liability.

Superfund sites fall under the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and are sites contaminated by hazardous waste created through improper management or disposal. The declaration will provide critical resources and expertise for a proper clean-up.

The identified area in Southeast Los Angeles County was close to the former site of the Vernon battery recycling plant under energy giant Exide Technologies. The company filed for bankruptcy on May 19 2020 following Covid-19 when operations were shuttered in Europe and US plants slowed productivity.

The plant began operations in California in 1922 but became an Exide entity in 2000 as part of an acquisition within the state of California. It has been accused of dumping lead and other hazardous contaminants into the air, soil and water surrounding their Vernon battery recycling plant, adversely

Federal SNAP spending shrinks to December 2020 levels

By LEONARD ROBINSON THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) –Federal funding for food stamps has reached its lowest point since December 2020 as COVID-19 federal emergency supplements have been discontinued.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, overall federal spending on food stamps reached $8.6 billion in March, down from $10.5 billion in February. March is the latest month available and was the first month since the extra COVID supplement was discontinued.

The latest report shows that the average monthly benefits rests at $386.17 per household, a decline from $470.96 per household in February. Federal spending for SNAP benefits peaked in December 2022 at $10.9 billion, with an average household receiving $488.89 per month in benefits.

There are currently 42.3 million SNAP recipients across the United States. California has the largest number at 5.2 million recipients while Alaska has the fewest at 29,000 recipients.

The identified area in Southeast Los Angeles County was close to the former site of the Vernon battery recycling plant under energy giant Exide Technologies.

The company filed for bankruptcy on May 19 2020 following Covid-19 when operations were shuttered in Europe and US plants slowed productivity.

affecting the environment and the health of nearby communities.

“For decades, Exide dumped lead and hazardous contaminants into these communities without consequence, and it’s clear to me that this community of neighbors, friends, and families has been neglected by just about everyone involved,” said Sen. Padilla.

Exide recycled lead acid and lithium ion batteries and created new ones from the recycling. These were used in a number of systems: railways, motive power systems, cars, golf carts, boats and independent systems of energy storage for hospitals and telecommunication companies. In the US they ceased battery recycling 13 years ago and all lead recycling in 2013.

This is the second trip to bankruptcy court for the company, having emerged from a June 2013 bankruptcy filing with a reorganized structure and “legacy debt” burdens. A Los Angeles Times report noted that in 2015,

Further budget cuts possible in Fiscal Year 2025

BUDGET

Continued from Page A1

Exide Technologies under an agreement with the U.S. attorney’s office would avoid criminal prosecution by permanently closing the Vernon Plant.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state budget proposal included $454 million to clean up the contaminated neighborhoods of the Bell, Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles and Vernon communities, about 10,000 homes in all, contaminated by the plant. A report in 2020 said the company had spent upward of $150 million in remediation for a “former plant in California.”

Sen. Padilla said, “There’s been misstep after misstep and it’s time to finally put an end to that and provide justice. I’m calling on the EPA to formally designate these impacted neighborhoods as a federal Superfund site to provide critical federal resources and expertise to make sure Southeast Los Angeles can count on a thorough clean up that prioritizes the health and safety of everyone who lives here.”

Small business owners concerned about inflation and labor quality

By J.J. BRANNOCK THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) –

The National Federation of Independent Business released their Small Business Optimism Index Monday, which remained below the 49-year average for the 17th month in a row.

Inflation and labor quality made up about half of small business owners’ biggest concern, with 25% naming inflation as their biggest problem and 24% saying the same about labor quality.

Up to 44% of small business owners reported that “job openings were hard to fill, down one point from April and

remaining historically very high.”

The net percentage of owners raising their average prices decreased one point this month to a net 32%, showing a downward but still significant inflationary trend.

The NFIB Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg said that “supply chain disruptions and labor shortages will continue to limit the ability of many small firms to meet the demand for their products and services, while less severe than last year’s experience.”

The number of small business owners expecting better conditions over the next six months declined by one point from April to May, showing overall optimism for the future economy

as 50% lower than the average. A net negative 8% of all owners reported higher nominal sales in the past three months, with the net percent of owners expecting higher real sales lowering to a net negative 21%.

The Small Business Optimism Index increased by 0.4 points in May, giving it an index of 89.4, almost nine points lower than the average of 98. Optimism has improved slightly overall since April, but small business owners are still concerned about future conditions.

The NFIB index serves as an indicator of the small business economy by collecting data on sales and the concerns and problems of owners.

Washington study: ineligible voter registration ‘reduced but not eliminated’

By TJ MARTINELL THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) - Numerous pieces of legislation enacted by the Washington Legislature this session made modifications to the state voter registration system and were introduced at the request of the Office of the Secretary of State. The requested legislation came after SOS released a study in December on improving automatic voter registration that includes eliminating the risk of ineligible registration.

In Washington state, there is a presumptive right to vote when a person is registering, in which they need only provide their name, residence, and date of birth, along with affirming they are eligible to register. People can register with SOS through the Department of Licensing when registering for a driver’s license. If a resident is registering for an enhanced driver’s license, they are required to show proof of citizenship. Residents can also register with the Department of Social and Health Services if they’re seeking services that require citizenship.

One of the bills introduced and enacted this session at the request of SOS was Senate Bill 5112, which automatically registers a person when they obtain an enhanced state ID or driver’s license. However, the SOS report also recommended that the state adopt a process similar to that of Colorado and Oregon, both of which allow non-

citizens to obtain a REAL ID compliance license and automatically register citizens to vote. In Washington, only citizens can obtain enhanced driver’s licenses or state ID cards. Also, in Colorado, the standard driver’s license is REAL ID compliant.

“The REAL-ID compliance process is a rigorous review of the applicant’s identification and clarifies whether an applicant is a citizen or has legal presence in the country,” the report states. “The standard license does not involve proof of citizenship and therefore does not establish voter eligibility.”

Because of the way Washington’s voter registration system is arranged, the SOS report states that “a small number of people ineligible to be voters are inadvertently registered at a DOL office” because “statutory amendments to Washington law have reduced but not eliminated the potential for registering an ineligible person. The problem is usually discovered when an ineligible person receives a ballot and realizes that something has gone wrong. To correct this problem, the ineligible person must contact election administrators and cancel their voter registration. If the ineligible person discovers the error when in the process of seeking naturalization, they may face a significant barrier1 on their path to becoming a United States citizen.”

The report further states: “Given the impact on a person who is inadvertently registered, extreme diligence in the process is necessary.”

Not registering guns with stabilizing braces could lead to fines, imprisonment

pisTols

Continued from Page A1

simply for owning a firearm that has been lawful to own for a decade, unless they either destroy their constitutionally protected property or comply with the NFA’s onerous and unconstitutional requirements.”

According to ATF, there are about 3 million guns with stabilizing braces in the U.S. Failing to register could lead to fines and even imprisonment.

The White House pointed out that some

mass shooters have used stabilizing braces and argue the braces make pistols more like short barrel rifles, which are much more heavily regulated.

“The rationale is clear: short-barreled rifles are more concealable than long guns, yet more dangerous and accurate at a distance than traditional pistols,” the White House said. “For these reasons, they are particularly lethal, which is why Congress has deemed them to be dangerous and unusual weapons subject to strict regulation since 1934.”

U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., introduce

a resolution in March to overturn the federal rule change via the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to block federal rule changes.

The White House, though, has blasted the Republican effort.

“Even though Congressional Republicans should take additional action to keep these and other dangerous weapons off our streets, they are instead pushing a resolution to reverse this rule and the progress we have made to enforce existing statutory requirements on these dangerous weapons,” OMB said.

Finance Department has said it will unveil a series of new revenue-generating ideas during the year. Then there’s the anticipated increase in sales taxes and transient occupancy taxes during the summer as locals and visitors alike flock to Santa Barbara to, among other things, spend money eating and dining.

“All of these options would likely have a positive impact on General Fund reserves,” Mr. DeMartini said.

Councilmember Kristen Sneddon, for one, is confident that tax revenues will increase beyond what she termed the conservative estimates made by the Finance Department.

“Revenue is exceeding expectations,” she said during last week’s budget deliberations.

“We’re rebounding.”

She said historical data supports her optimistic outlook.

“I believe the sun is going to shine and the budget is going to shine,” she said. After the council adopts the FY ‘24 budget, the Finance Department will be moving on to address the $8.9 million deficit being projected in FY 25. Already, staff is calling for an additional 3% in budget cuts – or $4.9 million – to help cover the deficit.

“The $8.9M deficit being projected in FY2025 was the amount before any expenditure reductions are implemented,” Mr. DeMartini said. “After expenditure reductions are implemented in FY2025, the deficit is reduced down to $4.9M. “Next budget cycle, the city will produce a mid-year update to the FY2025 budget to review how revenues are coming in and update expenditure projections to evaluate what adjustments may be necessary in order to balance the budget.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

Overall federal spending on food stamps reached $8.6 billion in March, down from $10.5 billion in February.

Life theArts

CALENDAR

Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen) is determined to protect his fellow Autobots and save the world in “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.”

‘Transformers’ at its best

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

ransformers: Rise of the Beasts” is easily the best film in the franchise since the first “Transformers” movie.

It has everything fans could want: humor by the beloved Bumblebee, great leadership by Optimus Prime (voice of Peter Cullen), some fun irreverence by Mirage (Peter Davidson) and nasty villainy courtesy of Scourge (voice of Peter Dinklage of “Games of Throne” fame). Of course, the robots/ sentient cars in “Transformers” are always more interesting when you

have the right people interacting with them, and that’s the case with Noah (Anthony Ramos) and Elena (Dominique Fishback), two individuals who suddenly find the fate of the world on their shoulders. No pressure.

Steven Caple Jr. does a great job of directing this film, which is set in the 1990s and shows the heroes, the Autobots, in exciting battles with the evil Decepticons, led by Scourge.

The first part of “Rise of the Beasts” focuses on the people. Noah, a veteran, is trying to get a job and help his sick younger brother and their mother. Elena is an intern who’s far smarter than the woman she works for at an

archaeological museum but gets no credit for making her boss look good. Both are underdogs, the kind of human characters who are ideal for “Transformers” movies, and Mr. Caple gives the audience time to develop empathy for them.

In fact, this writer expected the big “Transformers” battles to begin sooner, but soon realized that Mr. Caple timed it just right. Waiting a bit allows the Autobots to develop a relationship with Elena and Noah, and the plot points on that won’t be spoiled here.

“Rise of the Beasts” adds a fun element to the “Transformers” legacy with the introduction of robotic beasts — the Maximals, who turn out to be allies for the Autobots.

SKYDANCE

Sequel puts the right people with the right robots

The creatures’ great looks are complemented by the talented genre actors who are the voices, including Michelle Yeoh as the voice of the flying Airazor and none other than Ron Perlman as the voice of Optimus Primal.

As you’d expect, the effects are great in the movie. The action will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you’ll enjoy the surprises.

Ultimately, “Transformers” movies are about compassion, loyalty and courage, and those virtues shine brightly in the Autobots and Primals and the people who become their friends. It’s all about putting the right people with the right robots.

email: dmason@newspress.com

FYI

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” is screening at Camino Real Cinemas in Goleta and Fiesta Five in downtown Santa Barbara. See metrotheatres.com for times.

The Skydance/Paramount Pictures release is also playing at Movies Lompoc (playingtoday.com) and Regal Edwards Santa Maria & RPX (regmovies.com.)

“Transformers” has a running time of 2 hours and seven minutes. The movie is rated PG-13 for language, intense sci-fi action and violence.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

‘Transformers’ is No. 1 movie in its rst weekend

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

The summer movie season is in full swing with another new movie in the No. 1 spot at the box office.

“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” knocked “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” off its top perch. The sequel grossed $60.5 million.

The new “Spider-Man” animated movie, which had the No. 1 slot for just one weekend, placed second with $55.4 million.

“Little Mermaid,” which, like “Spider-Man,” was the No. 1 movie for only one weekend, dropped from second place to third with $22.8 million.

“Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3” stayed in fourth place with $7 million. Right behind it was “The Boogeyman,” which fell to fifth

place from third with $6.9 million.

“Fast X” slowed down again, dropping to sixth place from fifth with $5.17 million.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” fell to seventh place from sixth with $2.12 million.

“About My Father” — a comedy starring Robert De Niro as the eccentric dad of a man trying to impress his fiancée’s rich family — went to eighth place from seventh with $845,000.

“The Machine” — the comedy about Bert and his father being kidnapped by people whom Bert wronged 20 years ago while drunk in Russia — fell to ninth place from eighth. The film grossed $575,000.

“Past Lives” — about two childhood friends from South Korea who are reunited 20 years later — jumped to 10th place from 12th with $520,772.

email: dmason@newspress.com

PHOTO

ZACH MENDEZ

The calendar appears Mondays through Saturdays in the “Life & the Arts” section. Items are welcome. Please email them a full week before the event to Managing Editor Dave Mason at dmason@newspress.com.

TODAY 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol Road, has reopened its permanent mineral exhibit of rocks and crystals that is on view in the small hall off the museum’s central courtyard. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays. The exhibit, which opened April 22, is included in museum admission. Members are always admitted free. For others, prices vary from $14 to $19. For more information, visit sbnature. org/minerals.

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The James Castle exhibit is on display at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Admission is free from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. For more information, see sbma.net.

JUNE 14

7 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

7:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company is performing “Seared,” a comedy/drama about a restaurant, through June 25 at The New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Ticket prices range from $40 to $84. To purchase, call the ETC box office at 805-965-5400 or visit etcsb.org. Prices are subject to change.

JUNE 15

7 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony and vocalist Tony DeSare will perform Frank Sinatra’s hits at The Granada, 1214 State St. Tickets for “An Evening with Sinatra” can be purchased at granadasb.org.

7:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company is performing “Seared,” a comedy/drama about a restaurant, through June 25 at The New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Ticket prices range from $40 to $84. To purchase, call the ETC box office at 805-965-5400 or visit etcsb.org. Prices are subject to change.

JUNE 16 4 and 7:30 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its shows through June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

8 p.m. Ensemble Theatre Company is performing “Seared,” a comedy/drama about a restaurant, through June 25 at The New Vic Theatre, 33 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Ticket prices range from $40 to $84. To purchase, call the ETC box office at 805-965-5400 or visit etcsb.org. Prices are subject to change.

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 2023

Andrew Elvis Miller (“Dexter,” “NCIS” and “Halston”) plays the head chef Harry in “Seared.” Ensemble Theatre Company is performing the comedy/drama, which includes Mr. Miller actually cooking on stage, through June 25 at The New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara.

SONY PICTURES ANIMATION

Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) are friends from different universes in “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” which placed second at the box office last weekend.

By ANNIKA BAHNSEN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Cindy Wehlander, who directed the bands and instrumental music program at Pioneer Valley High School, is retiring after spending more than 30 years helping Santa Maria Valley students create music.

Ms. Wehlander has taught

Wehlander retires from Pioneer Valley High School

Marching Band, Jazz Band, Concert Band, Beginning Band, Guitar, Beginning Piano and a slew of other music courses at Pioneer Valley since 2013.

Prior to that, Ms. Wehlander worked at Righetti High School, another high school located in Santa Maria. She specifically helped with the drumline, color guard and dance team and was the

director of bands and instrumental music for seven years. She was also a music teacher at Patterson Elementary School located in Orcutt during her career. In her closing remarks to Pioneer Valley High School before she left, Ms. Wehlander said, “Being a music educator has enriched my life in ways I never

imagined. I have had the privilege of sharing my love and passion for music with countless young people ages 5-18.

“I hope to have given them a space to have always felt safe, welcome, accepted, silly, cared for, loved, challenged to be their best self, and to see the best in others.” email: abahnsen@newspress.com

SBCC received Equal Employment Opportunities grant

The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office recently announced that Santa Barbara City College has received an Equal Employment Opportunities Innovative Best Practices Grant of $299,995.

The SBCC grant is specifically earmarked for programs that disrupt institutional racism and foster equitable hiring and belongingness on campus, according to a city college news release.

The SBCC endowment is one of a number of EEO IBP grants totalling $5,651,806 to be distributed among a total of 21 California Community college districts. The funding will aid institutions that pilot or create innovative DEIA-minded practices related to EEO in the categories of pre- and post-hiring interventions as well as diversity interventions.

“I was humbled and inspired to collaborate with an amazing group of coworkers who understand the importance of approaching our DEIA work with intentionality,” said SBCC Interim Vice President of Human Resources Deneatrice Lewis. “Everyone was focused on creating and sustaining an

environment where new employees and those who have been here for awhile feel welcomed as a part of this community and inspired to pay it forward and build lasting cultural change,” The funding will support programs to provide SBCC

Honoring fifth-graders

NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

students with the necessary skills in t he medical, science and CTE areas, and increase the interest of all students — particularly students of color — in STEM fields, according to SBCC. The grant will also assist in creating structures that aim to support

students at a younger age to further explore non-traditional areas of study.

“As a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), proactively and collectively, I am committed to hiring individuals who understand and value the cultural diversity of our student demographics,” said Dr. Maria Villagómez, the SBCC vice president of academic affairs. “It is imperative that our students of color see themselves reflected in our faculty and staff. It sends them an invaluable message: you too can be a college professor one day, you belong in higher education and you have the right to pursue your dreams at SBCC.

“Most importantly, I think that a staff that is diverse and understands and values diversity is part of the infrastructure necessary to support our students holistically.”

For more information on the EEO grant, see cccco.edu/AboutUs/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/ General-Counsel/Programs/EEOEqual-Employment-Opportunity/ innovative-best-practices-grants. — Staff reports

UCSB seniors, faculty member receive awards

Several graduating UCSB seniors and one faculty member recently were honored for their contributions to undergraduate research.

Chancellor Henry T. Yang and the UCSB Library have each announced their award winners for the academic year.

The Chancellor’s Award for Excellence for Undergraduate Research goes to four students: Matthew Ho (computer science), Elayna Maquinales (history), Elizabeth “Liz” Munday (sociology), and Lindsey Washiashi (biology).

Jarett Henderson, a lecturer in the Department of History, received the Chancellor’s Faculty Award for Undergraduate Research Mentoring.

In nominating Mr. Ho for the computer science award,

CALENDAR

Continued from Page B1

Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

JUNE 19 6:30 p.m. Circus Vargas will present its final show June 19 at Earl Warren Showgrounds, 3400 Calle Real, Santa Barbara. Tickets cost $19 to $49 for general admission and $49 to $75 for special seating. To purchase, go to circusvargas.com.

computer science professor William Wang, wrote, “Matthew stands out as one of the most exceptional and innovative researchers I have had the pleasure of encountering.”

Dr. Wang described Mr. Ho’s oral paper for the prestigious International Conference on Learning Representation, a rare achievement for an undergraduate, as a “testament to his brilliance, dedication and problem-solving capabilities.”

Mr. Ho’s research in the AI realm — in particular his work to enhance AI’s ability to provide explanatory, cause-and-effect responses, Dr. Wang said, has the potential to revolutionize the field and impact industry.

JUNE 22

7:30 p.m. The Takács Quartet will perform at the Lobero Theatre,

Cindy Wehlander, far left in the first row, has directed the Marching Band at Pioneer Valley High School in Santa Maria since 2013.

A grant for Santa Barbara City College is earmarked for programs that disrupt institutional racism and foster equitable hiring and belongingness on campus, according to a city college news release.

COURTESY PHOTO

From left are fifth grader Jonah Wyben; Diana Rigby, superintendent of the Carpinteria Unified School DIstrict; Bonnie Yonker Hammett and fifth-grader Everest Atkens. Ms. Hammet, who represents the Noon Rotary Club of Carpinteria, recently presented Jonah and Everest awards for their success with the Rotary Foundation Four-Way Test. They were among the fifthgraders who were recently honored by the club.

— Dave Mason

KENNETH SONG /NEWS-PRESS FILE PHOTO

Awards have been presented to seven UCSB undergraduates and one faculty member for their contributions to research.

Diversions

Thought for Today

“Parents were invented to make children happy by giving them something to ignore.”

Ogden Nash

SUDOKU

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

ARIES — Overdue apologies can be made today, Aries. It isn’t easy to admit you’re wrong, but the planetary aspects can boost your courage. Rather than stew with regret, meet with the person to make amends. Regardless of any discomfort, you will definitely find that you feel a lot better afterward.

TAURUS — Your dreams are more than just random firings of neurons, Taurus. They can indicate unresolved issues, stress, deep desires, and lost memories. They can prove instrumental to understanding yourself and solving problems. Keep a dream journal and you can access the power within your subconscious and all you can learn from it.

Examine your recent dreams.

GEMINI — If you’ve been tired lately, Gemini, it may be due to stress. Today’s aspects bring an added energy to communication. It would be wise to talk about some of the stress. Worry, anxiety, and fear are huge drains on physical and emotional health. Exercise can alleviate some of these.

CANCER — It’s a good day to express your thoughts and feelings, Cancer. Whether it’s a loved one who’d appreciate affectionate words or a colleague who requires instruction, communication will come more easily than usual. You have a practical nature. Often you say what you think is required and not much else. Yet others may need you to say a lot more.

LEO — Spread goodwill and affection today, Leo. It’s been a while since you let people know that you care about and appreciate them. Cards, phone calls, letters, flowers, and hugs are ways to express your feelings. Consider surprising someone with lunch, or making something special for a friend. Make time for emotional as well as intellectual expression.

VIRGO — If a problem comes your way today, Virgo, look for the simplest solution. Not every problem is complicated. Often the most obvious answer is the best one. Try to keep your emotions out of problems that require calculation and thought. They can obscure the view and keep you from seeing what’s right in front of you. Draw strength from your common sense. LIBRA — It’s a good day to speak your mind, Libra. Not

CODEWORD PUZZLE

that you generally have much trouble with this. But even you can face situations where you feel intimidated and hesitant to speak up. Not today. There aren’t going to be any circumstances you can’t handle, because the astral energy will boost your abilities. If there’s someone you’ve been reluctant to approach, make a move to talk to him or her.

SCORPIO — Expect a boost to your communication skills today, Scorpio. If you often experience difficulty expressing your true feelings, this will be a welcome change for you. Consider talking things over with anyone you have unresolved issues with. With added strength and confidence, you should be able to work the problems out quickly and relatively painlessly.

SAGITTARIUS — If something has been bothering you, Sagittarius, today is a good time to work it out. Your excellent communicative ability will be even stronger with today’s energy. Whether your problems have to do with a colleague, boss, spouse, friend, or relative, you will find the words to effectively communicate your thoughts and feelings.

CAPRICORN — You can be quiet and reclusive when it comes to expressing feelings, Capricorn. Today may be the exception. The aspects can bring real strength to your communication abilities. You’d be wise to seize the opportunity. Take steps to express your feelings by initiating conversations. Words will come much more easily than usual. If there are problems to handle, you will likely find resolutions.

AQUARIUS — When did you last spend real quality time with your family - not counting regular chores? If it’s been a while, today is a good day to do it. If you have children, play with them or go to the park or zoo. If you’re single, consider visiting a parent or sibling. Communication is accentuated today. Talk will come readily and easily.

PISCES — How do you preserve your family history, Pisces? Do you keep mementos in a box, display heirlooms, or make scrapbooks? You most likely realize the value of family history, but you might not preserve it as well as you should. Take steps to record and save precious items and memories from parents, grandparents, siblings, and others. Don’t forget your own history, too.

DAILY BRIDGE

By FRANK STEWART

Tribune Content Agency

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

A loser-on-loser play is a “buy-oneget-one-free” deal — and everyone likes those. You lose an unnecessary trick but are trading one loser for another. In the process you develop an extra winner.

Such plays gain in many situations.

Today’s West leads the ace of diamonds against four hearts. Say South ruffs, draws trumps and leads a spade to dummy’s ten. East takes the queen and leads the jack of clubs, and the defense gets three clubs. Down one.

FIRST TRICK

South has the material for 10 tricks — seven winners in trumps and three in spades — but he must not let East get in for a club shift. At the first trick, declarer discards a spade, trading a diamond loser for a possible spade loser.

If West shifts to a trump, South wins, takes the A-K of spades and leads the jack. If East covers, South ruffs, leads a trump to dummy and discards a club on the high ten of spades. If instead East follows low, South pitches a club. He loses at most three tricks however the cards lie.

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every 3-by-3 grid contains the digits 1 through 9. that means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Sudoku puzzles appear on the Diversions page Monday through Saturday.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answers to previous CODEWORD

How to play Codeword

Codeword is a fun game with simple rules, and a great way to test your knowledge of the English language. Every number in the codeword grid is ‘code’ for a letter of the alphabet. Thus, the number 2 may correspond to the letter L, for instance. All puzzles come with a few letters to start. Your first move should be to enter these letters in the puzzle grid. If the letter S is in the box at the bottom of the page underneath the number 2, your first move should be to find all cells numbered 2 in the grid and enter the letter S. Cross the letter S off the list at the bottom of the grid. Remember that at the end you should have a different letter of the alphabet in each of the numbered boxes 1- 26, and a word in English in each of the horizontal and vertical runs on the codeword grid.

PUZZLE

What do you say?

ANSWER: In an unfamiliar partnership, with no special bidding agreements, you would have to bid five diamonds or 3NT. Regular tournament partnerships would have a way to look for the best contract. For instance, responder might start with a bid of two spades as a “transfer” to 2NT, then bid three diamonds to suggest a strong, unbalanced hand.

dealer

The next player passes.

Your partner deals and opens

DeWine continues to push for parental consent for social media

By J.D. DAVIDSON

CENTER SQUARE

THE

(The Center Square) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine continues to push for legislation to be included in the state budget requiring parental consent for youngsters to use social media platforms.

Gov. DeWine, Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and mental health leaders called the proposed consent law one of the state’s mental health priorities on Monday.

“The evidence is building that social media platforms can have a negative impact on kids’ mental health and well-being,” Gov. DeWine said. “In addition, social media platforms can expose kids to predators who want to exploit them. If teens must get parental consent when they see an R-rated movie because of exposure to inappropriate content, it only makes sense that parents give kids permission to have social media accounts.”

Lt. Gov. Husted first pushed for the consent law in February, and Gov. DeWine included The Social Media Parental Notification Act in his proposed budget in March. It would require social media companies to create a method to determine whether the user is under 16, get verifiable parental or legal guardian consent if the user is under 16, and send written confirmation to the parent or legal guardian.

The legislation would include social media and online gaming companies such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat, along with online shopping sites.

“The surgeon general and children’s health experts have concluded that these platforms are responsible for negative physical and mental health outcomes for a generation of our children and it is our responsibility to protect them by holding social media companies accountable for the consequences of what happens on their platforms,” Lt. Gov. Husted said.

If a parent or legal guardian refuses to consent, the company would have to deny the child access or use of the website, service, product or online feature.

As previously reported by The Center Square, half of parents believe their children have suffered because of social media use over the past year, and more and more parents say they are uncomfortable talking with their children about mental health, according to a new report.

The survey of parents, conducted by The Harris Poll for The On Our Sleeves Movement for Children’s Mental Health, questioned parents with children younger than 18 years about how they feel social media use has impacted their children’s mental health.

The poll showed 50% felt their child’s mental health has suffered because of social media use over the past year.

“Social media is largely seen by teens as a place for connecting and socializing with their peers, but research shows that nearly a quarter of teens say these platforms make them feel worse about their own life,” Ohio Mental Health and Addiction Services Director Lori Criss said.

Cuban-Floridians sound alarm over Chinese spies operating out of Cuba

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) – Cuban-American Republican U.S. representatives from Miami are sounding the alarm about a Chinese spy base in Cuba, roughly 100 miles from the American city in which many Cuban-Americans live.

U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez, the former mayor of Miami-Dade County, sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying the spy base represents an “imminent threat” to Americans. Rep. Giménez, the only sitting Congressman born in Cuba, arrived in Miami in 1960 with his parents, who fled Cuba after the Cuban Revolution. U.S. Rep. Maria Salazar, whose parents also fled Cuba, was born in Miami’s “Little Havana,” and is also warning Americans about the spy base.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Chinese government has spent billions of dollars on a spy base to create an electronic eavesdropping scheme targeting Americans in Florida. U.S. officials said “the base would enable China to conduct signals intelligence, known in the espionage world as sigint [signals intelligence], which could include the monitoring of a range of communications, including emails, phone calls and satellite transmissions,” the WSJ reported.

Politico also reported senior U.S. officials confirmed, “China is in talks with Cuba to establish a foothold there to spy on the United States.”

Initially, the Biden administration denied the reports, saying they were “inaccurate.” It later reversed course, telling Politico that the People’s Republic of China had “intelligence collection facilities” already established in Cuba and the

administration’s “diplomatic efforts” had “slowed the PRC down.”

“The PRC will keep trying to enhance its presence in Cuba, and we will keep working to disrupt it,” the official told Politico.

The news broke two months after a nonprofit organization exposed PRC “police stations” illegally operating in the U.S., prompting the Department of Justice to file criminal complaints and members of Congress demanding answers.

In the letter first reported by Fox News Digital, Rep. Gimenez expressed his “profound concern regarding several reports confirming that the Communist Party of China and the murderous Castro regime in Cuba have agreed to establish an espionage base just 90 miles away from America’s shores.

“This action poses an imminent threat to the United States of America. The Castro regime in Cuba is a listed State Sponsor of Terrorism that actively pursues opportunities to undermine the United States and threaten the safety and wellbeing of our citizens. Allowing Communist China to establish a base in Cuba is only the latest example of the Castro regime’s long history of coercive, antiAmerican pursuits.”

Rep. Gimenez’ district, which includes the Florida Keys, where Chinese nationals are continuing to illegally enter the U.S., is only 90 nautical miles from Cuba. The Chinese-Cuban espionage base “poses a direct threat to my constituents and to the millions of tourists who visit South Florida every year,” he said.

“Communist China is proactively undermining the United States across the Western Hemisphere and I urge this Administration to build a robust, comprehensive, and expedient strategy to counter the CCP’s malign influence with neighboring states.”

Salazar tweeted several warnings in English and

Spanish, saying, “The Cuban regime is auctioning off land to the Russians, hosting the Iranians, and letting the Chinese open a base to spy on the U.S.”

She warned, “Castro/Díaz-Canel choose the bad guys as friends. They will ground the Russians, host the president of Iran, and allow the Chinese to spy on us. The regime is a risk to the National Security of this country.”

She also posted a video explaining how “the Chinese communists are now going to spy on us from Cuba,” including through email, phone calls, texts and radio.

Prior to the news of the spy base, Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida legislature took measures to safeguard Floridians from Chinese aggression. In 2020, Florida began cracking down on companies owned by the Communist Party of China in Florida and implemented policies to divest state financial investments in China. In 2021, Florida changed its retirement system fund strategy to divest from any Chinese companies and Gov. DeSantis signed into law bills to protect trade secrets and require greater disclosure for sources of funding for university, medical and high-tech researchers in Florida.

In late 2022, Gov. DeSantis signed an executive order prohibiting government entities from procuring technology products and services from companies owned by, controlled by or domiciled in the seven foreign countries of concern, with China at the top of the list. Within months, the legislature passed three bills prohibiting Chinese agents from purchasing farmland and land near military bases in Florida, to prevent Americans’ digital data from being stored in China, and to stop CCP influence in its education system.

When signing the bills into law, Gov. DeSantis said, “Florida is taking action to stand against the United States’ greatest geopolitical threat – the Chinese Communist Party. We don’t want the CCP in the Sunshine State.”

Employees of federally-contracted call center go on strike

By MORGAN SWEENEY THE CENTER SQUARE

(The Center Square) – Hundreds of employees of the country’s largest federally-contracted call center went on strike in Virginia last week to protest claims of “unfair layoffs,” poor pay, lack of career advancement opportunities and racial inequality in the workplace.

Maximus is contracted with the Department of Health and Human Services to supply call center services for the federally-mandated health care marketplace, Medicaid and Medicare enrollees, and the CDC-INFO line.

Maximus employees handle millions of calls on behalf of HHS every year.

Workers and former employees gathered in response to the latest round of layoffs that put more than 700 employees out of work just before Mother’s Day.

Employees gathered to protest outside their workplaces in Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi, and former employee Keaira Mark hosted a virtual town hall that afternoon. She and others believe there were unspoken reasons for the layoff.

“I believe the real reason I was laid off was in retaliation for speaking out about Maximus’ working conditions, and to scare my co-workers from supporting a union,” said Daija Arrington, who worked at Maximus

handling calls for the CDC for three years. “That’s why we’re calling on HHS to hold Maximus accountable for mistreating workers, help us keep our jobs, and make sure we’re paid the fair wages we deserve.”

The strikers also called for a minimum of a $25-per-hour wage for entry level positions, arguing their current base pay of $16.20 is not a living wage, and questioned the company’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Maximus’ 2021 workforce data indicates only 5% of company executives are Black and Latina women, though they comprise nearly half of Maximus’ American workforce.

Maximus has responded to each of these claims, arguing that the layoffs were due to overstaffing, in part because open enrollment season has passed; that raising wages would require government approval as the government determines minimum wage for employees of federal contractors; and, according to reporting done by the Washinton Post, that “80 percent of Maximus employees [have] a favorable view of

diversity efforts.”

The company, in a statement, said, “Maximus welcomes the opportunity to engage directly with our employees and work together to resolve their concerns. We respect our employees’ legal right to attempt to organize, and any information we provide is designed to help them make an informed decision about union representation. Maximus follows all labor laws and regulations, and we strive to treat all employees equally with respect and sensitivity.”

The Communications Workers of America union also issued a statement in support of last week’s strike.

“This is a critical period for Affordable Care Act enrollment, just as millions of Americans may be pushed off of Medicaid and will need help maintaining their health coverage through the federal marketplace that is staffed by the call center workers at Maximus,” the union said.

A pandemic provision from 2020 allowing Americans to stay on Medicaid without routine checks for eligibility has ended, resulting in

millions losing Medicaid coverage.

Maximus employees have been attempting to unionize since at least 2018. Other issues they’ve had include breaks, attendance and severance policies, and a layoff that occurred earlier this year. To date, they have been unsuccessful.

Maximus argues that, despite the claims of dissatisfied employees and former employees, the data shows that many Maximus employees are happy with their jobs.

“Our employees are engaged and motivated to deliver high-quality customer service to millions of Americans. We know this because we have historically lower attrition rates than normal,” the statement said.

“Additionally, our most recent employee engagement survey shows that 84% of our employees plan to stay with the company for at least another 12 months.”

The states involved in last week’s strike are right-to-work states, which, according to the National Right to Work Foundation, offer some protections to employees who do not want to engage in union activity.

The legislation would include social media and online gaming companies such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat, along with online shopping sites.

Workers and former employees gathered in response to the latest round of layoffs that put more than 700 employees out of work just before Mother’s Day.