Santa Barbara News-Press: December 21, 2022

Direct Relief continues to help Ukraine

Goleta-based nonprofit awards $7.9 million in grants - B1

Boost in funding for COVID-19 shots

State of emergency in El Paso

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

As other officials talked about COVID-19 and a possible holiday spike, Dr. Henning Ansorg made his point by quietly putting on a big mask at a news conference Tuesday morning.

The crowd of officials and journalists chuckled, but officials were serious about prevention.

“Even though masks are not required, they’re highly recommended,” U.S. Rep. Salud Carabajal said as he stood outside next to Dr. Ansorg, the Santa Barbara County public health officer, and others outside the Santa Barbara County Health Care Center.

They gathered at the Santa Barbara site to hear Rep. Carbajal’s announcement about four new grants totalling $1,634,218 to increase the number of Central Coast residents who have received the new bivalent COVID-19 booster shot. The booster is designed to combat more recent variants of the coronavirus.

“While we have made great strides at reducing COVID-19’s control over our lives on the Central Coast, the constantlyimproving tools that we have to keep this virus at bay won’t

help anyone if people fail to take the time to use them,” Rep. Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, told the small audience of local journalists. “In order to keep our communities and frontline workers protected from newer strains of COVID-19, and

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keep our hospitals from being overrun in this perfect storm of multiple infectious illnesses this winter, we need more people to get these boosters.

“I’m proud that the federal funding that I’ve supported for our federal health departments

are coming back to help our local health officials get these shots in arms as quickly as possible,” he said.

The $1.63 million breaks down to these four grants:

• $1,041, 493 for Community Health Centers for the Central Coast.

• $265,765 for Santa Barbara County.

• $214,258 for Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.

• $112,7902 for American Indian Health and Services.

The funding is made possible by a 12% increase in the annual Health and Human Services budget, for which Rep. Carbajal voted in March.

Nearly 70% of Santa Barbara County residents have had their primary series of COVID-19 shots, a County Public Health Department representative told the News-Press.

Dr. Ansorg would like to see the number take a dramatic jump.

“The sky’s the limit,” he said, answering a News-Press question about the ultimate goal. “We would love 95% or more to be vaccinated. Five percent probably can’t get vaccinated for medical reasons. We would like to have as many people vaccinated as possible.”

Jewish leaders call for unity against hate

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Jewish leaders are reacting with outrage after a fringe hate group threw antisemitic fliers on lawns of homes on the Mesa over the weekend marking the start of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.

The Santa Barbara Police Department received numerous calls for service over the weekend in regards to the antisemitic fliers being distributed in Santa Barbara neighborhoods. These fliers were discovered by residents on the Mesa on the first day of Hanukkah, and many of the fliers were turned over to police.

“This is very similar to what other cities across the country have experienced in recent months,” police said. “It does not appear that any one person or group of people were targeted in this distribution of fliers. The fliers have been described as ‘upsetting’ and ‘full of hate.’”

“Of course, my reaction is outrage,” Cyndi Silverman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara, told the NewsPress on Tuesday.

“This is unacceptable,” especially on Hanukkah, which started Sunday night, she said. “All leaders of all communities have to stand up against hate.”

Head Rabbi Stephen Cohen of Congregation B’nai B’rith in Santa Barbara cited the need “to encourage everyone Jewish and non-Jewish, all good people who are out there, to not allow this very small group — and we have every reason to believe it is a very, very small fringe group — to succeed in making us afraid, to not allow them to succeed in making us feel divided as a society.”

Jewish people have to stand up and be proud of who they are, he said. “We’re here, and we’re not going to hide. We’re in this together. American society in general and the Santa Barbara community are

Court sides with equestrians

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Superior Court Judge Thomas Anderle recently ruled that the Santa Barbara County violated environmental review laws after its efforts to expand use of Live Oak Trail to people besides equestrians.

Judge Anderle awarded equestrians who sued Santa Barbara County $300,000 in legal fees.

The ruling came after the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors sought to expand the use of the trail, which is on the north side of Lake Cachuma, to pedestrians, cyclists, hikers and joggers.

That prompted a group of equestrians to sue the county.

Santa Barbara County has a policy that trails should be open to all user groups, according to 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann.

“That said, as an equestrian, I know that horses can be easily spooked by dogs and bikes (neither of which were allowed at Live Oak) and now especially e-bikes (not allowed on county trails),” Supervisor Hartmann told the News-Press. “So I am eager to see sharing of some trails with different times and days blocked out for different

user groups.”

“I have been in ongoing discussions with the equestrians and hope that these discussions continue and that we can collaborate on some creative solutions to increase equestrian use at Live Oak, including a horse camp,” she said. “I am also eager to see a public process and environmental review that will allow for a wider range of people to enjoy the 3000 -acre wonder that is Live Oak.”

Kathy Rosenthal, president of Santa Ynez Valley Riders, told the News-Press that it’s unfortunate to see so much money put toward legal fees rather than the trails. But she added, “This ruling allows the public opportunity to take a hard look at any recreation uses that may be proposed at Live Oak Trail, and facilitates a transparent process as required by law to determine the future of the natural resources and level of recreational use on the grazing lands on the north shore of Cachuma Lake.

“The Live Oak Equestrian Trail, equestrian trail riding and grazing lease are all grandfathered uses at the camp and trail and have been compatible with the land use

LOTTERY RESULTS

Saturday’s SUPER LOTTO: 3-4-11-27-39 Meganumber: 22

Tuesday’s MEGA MILLIONS: N/A Meganumber: N/A

Tuesday’s DAILY DERBY: 12-01-08 Time: 1:47.73

Tuesday’s DAILY 3: 4-0-1 / Wednesday’s Midday 6-6-8

Tuesday’s DAILY 4: 1-1-6-1

Tuesday’s FANTASY 5: 1-7-28-29-39

Monday’s POWERBALL: 7-37-55-65-67 Meganumber: 12

DAVE MASON /NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department would love to see 95% of the population get the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Henning Ansorg, the county public health officer, told reporters Tuesday outside the county Health Care Center. Standing behind him are U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, and Dr. Susan Lawton, the new chief medical officer of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.

Gov. Abbott says President Biden created humanitarian crisis -

Community reacts after fringe group throws antisemitic fliers on the Mesa

$1.63

“It

is important, more than ever,

especially at the peak of the flu season and with an increase of in-person travel and loved ones coming together for the holidays that we continue to vaccinate those that can be vaccinated,” Scott Black, CEO of American Indian Health & Services, told reporters. Listening, from left, are Dr. Henning Ansorg, the Santa Barbara County public health officer; Dr. Noemi Doohan, the new director of the County Public Health Department; and U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal.

about ruling on Live Oak Trail

Carbajal: Congress can still govern

also included a new law that protects same-sex and interracial marriages.

U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal is optimistic that Congress can get things done despite a divided government.

On Jan. 3, the Republicans will take control of the House with a slim majority, while the Democrats keep control of the Senate, also with a slim majority. That could make it difficult to pass any legislation.

But Rep. Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, said there are bills that could gain bipartisan support.

“I’m hopeful we can work through our differences and govern,” the Santa Barbara Democrat told the News-Press Tuesday morning. “As long as we have a willing partner in my colleagues across the aisle in the House, you’ll see us govern.”

Specifically, the congressman said he feels there’s bipartisan support for reauthorizations for the FAA and the farm bill. “Both of those expire this year and need to be reauthorized.

“In addition to those two reauthorizations, Congress has just passed a whole bunch of new extraordinary laws,” Rep. Carbajal said. He added he would work to make certain those laws are implemented.

He cited the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, the Smart Cities and Communities Act, the PACT act to help veterans, the Marine Shipping Reform Act and the CHIPS Act. Legislation

“I think this Congress has been one of the most productive Congresses since the ’60s in the number of extraordinary bills,” Rep. Carbajal said.

Congress, though, was not able to pass another bill that Rep. Carbajal supported: codification of Roe v. Wade in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that abortion laws should be left to the states. The bill passed in the House, but there weren’t enough votes in the Senate.

“We’re going to continue to work on that and keep it on the front burner,” Rep. Carbajal said. “There was legislation to bring an amendment to the Constitution, but we know that’s not going to happen with a divided government.”

The congressman also talked to the News-Press about the House’s Jan. 6 Committee and its decision to recommend the Department of Justice file criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. The committee accused Mr. Trump of inciting an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol.

Rep. Carbajal said it’s up to the Department of Justice to determine if the evidence meets the threshold to indict Mr. Trump. “If it rises to the threshold, then absolutely, but they have to make that determination. No one’s above the law.”

email: dmason@newspress.com

Foodbank plans holiday distributions

SANTA BARBARA/SANTA MARIA — The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County will be doing a holiday food distribution at two locations Friday.

Food distributions will take place at Franklin School, 1111 E. Mason St., Santa Barbara, and the Foodbank warehouse, 490 W.

Foster Road, Santa Maria. Both locations will distribute food from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. while supplies last.

Distributions the day before Thanksgiving had residents lined up in cars in Santa Maria beginning at 5 a.m. In a span of three hours, 1,050 families were

served across two sites, but over 200 more families had to be turned away because supplies ran out.

Special volunteer guests in Santa Barbara will include State Assembly member Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann, and Santa Barbara City

Council members Kristin Sneddon and Mike Jordan.

Santa Maria special guest volunteers will include Guadalupe Mayor Ariston Julian and Santa Maria City Council members Etta Waterfield and Carlos Escobar.

— Katherine Zehnder

Gavin Newsom pleased to see gun control bill he signed into law struck down

By TOM JOYCE THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — A U.S. District Court judge deemed a California gun control law unconstitutional on Tuesday.

U.S. District Court Judge Roger Benitez determined that Senate Bill 1327, signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom earlier this year, is unconstitutional — an outcome Gov. Newsom welcomed as it puts a spotlight on similar provisions in Texas law.

The law allows private citizens to sue firearms manufacturers. California modeled the law after the Texas abortion bill, known as SB 8. It allows private citizens to sue abortionists and those who aid and abet in abortions.

Judge Benitez blasted the law in his decision, calling the “fee-shifting” provisions an “unprecedented attempt to thwart

judicial review.”

“’It is cynical.’ ‘It is an abomination.’ ‘It is outrageous and objectionable.’ ‘There is no dispute that it raises serious constitutional questions,’” Judge Benitez wrote in the decision. He was quoting Gov. Newsom’s vocal opposition to the Texas abortion law at the beginning of the quote.

This California law would have allowed private citizens to sue the manufacturers for up to $10,000, the same amount allowed under the Texas abortion law.

When the Supreme Court ruled that the Texas law could stay in effect earlier this year, Gov. Newsom called on the California legislature to create a similar law about guns.

In a statement issued by his office following the gun law ruling, Newsom thanked the judge for declaring the bill he signed into law unconstitutional.

“I want to thank Judge Benitez,” Gov. Newsom said in the release. “We have been saying all along that Texas’ antiabortion law is outrageous. Judge Benitez just confirmed it is also unconstitutional. The provision in California’s law that he struck down is a replica of what Texas did, and his explanation of why this part of SB 1327 unfairly blocks access to the courts applies equally to Texas’ SB 8. There is no longer any doubt that Texas’ cruel anti-abortion law should also be struck down.”

“With today’s ruling, it is hypocritical to let Texas use procedural rules to shield its laws from review and then say that California cannot enact the very same rules in its laws,” his office wrote. “As the Supreme Court has recognized, ‘in the law, what is sauce for the goose is normally sauce for the gander.’”

Wells Fargo agrees to $3.7 billion settlement with consumer bureau

By TOM JOYCE THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — A San Francisco-based financial services company now owes the federal government billions of dollars.

Wells Fargo agreed to a $3.7 billion settlement with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau due to legal violations of rules concerning checking accounts, mortgages and auto loans.

The bureau ordered the company to pay a $1.7 billion civil penalty and repay more than $2 billion combined to more than 16 million customers, the CFPB said in a news release.

“The bank’s illegal conduct led to billions of dollars in financial harm to its customers and, for thousands of customers, the loss of their vehicles and homes,” the agency said in the release.

“Consumers were illegally assessed fees and interest charges on auto and mortgage loans, had their cars wrongly repossessed, and had payments to auto and mortgage loans misapplied by the bank.”

The CFPB says that Wells Fargo has harmed millions of consumers over the past several years.

In detail, the bureau contends Wells Fargo:

• Unlawfully repossessed vehicles and bungled handling of auto loans that resulted in $1.3 billion in harm across more than 11 million accounts. The bank incorrectly applied borrowers’ payments, improperly charged fees and interest, and wrongfully repossessed borrowers’ vehicles, according to the consumer bureau.

In addition, the bureau said the bank failed to ensure that borrowers received a refund for certain fees on add-on products when a loan ended early.

• Improperly denied mortgage modifications: During at least a seven-year period, the bank improperly denied thousands of mortgage loan modifications, which in some cases led to Wells Fargo customers losing their homes to wrongful foreclosures, according to the bureau. The bank was aware of the problem for years before it ultimately addressed the issue.

• Illegally charged surprise overdraft fees: For years, the bureau said, Wells Fargo unfairly charged surprise overdraft fees — fees charged even though consumers had enough money in their account to cover the

transaction at the time the bank authorized it — on debit card transactions and ATM withdrawals. As early as 2015, the CFPB, as well as other federal regulators, including the Federal Reserve, began cautioning financial institutions against this practice, known as “authorized positive fees.”

• Unlawfully froze consumer accounts and misrepresented fee waivers. The bureau said the bank froze more than 1 million consumer accounts based on a faulty automated filter’s determination that there may have been a fraudulent deposit, even when it could have taken other actions that would have not harmed customers. Customers affected by these account freezes were unable to access any of their money in accounts at the bank for an average of at least two weeks.

The bank also made deceptive claims as to the availability of waivers for a monthly service fee.

Wells Fargo has violated consumer finance law in the past, according to the CFPB.

It says some of those previous illegal practices included, “faulty student loan servicing, mortgage kickbacks, fake accounts and harmful auto loan practices.”

Of the more than $2 billion that Wells Fargo will spend to redress its consumers, more than $1.3 billion will go to those with auto lending accounts. More than $500 million will go to those with affected deposit accounts, and nearly $200 million will go to those with affected mortgage servicing accounts.

Wells Fargo said in a separate news release that it will comply with the CFPB’s demands, even though it will result in the company losing money in the final quarter of 2022.

“As we have said before, we and our regulators have identified a series of unacceptable practices that we have been working systematically to change and provide customer remediation where warranted. This far-reaching agreement is an important milestone in our work to transform the operating practices at Wells Fargo and to put these issues behind us,” Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said in the release. “Our top priority is to continue to build a risk and control infrastructure that reflects the size and complexity of Wells Fargo and run the company in a more controlled, disciplined way.”

COURTESY PHOTO

Gov. Gavin Newsom

COURTESY PHOTO

Rep. Salud Carbajal

The Wardholme Torrey Pine, a 134 year-old, 126-foot tall tree with a 130-foot branch spread, stands tall on Carpinteria Avenue in Carpinteria. The tree, which was planted as a seedling by local Carpinteria resident Judge Thomas Ward in 1888, is recognized as the world’s largest Torrey Pine tree. That’s an unusual recognition considering the tree is universally associated with San Diego County and the multitude of places that bear its name there. (There’s a historical marker at the base of the tree.)

Westmont Warriors clash with Utah Tech. Trailblazers in St. George

By JACOB NORLING WESTMONT SPORTS WRITER

St. GEORGE, Utah. — In an exhibition against NCAA Div.I Utah Tech (7-5), the Westmont men’s basketball (8-5) dropped the contest Monday night to the Trailblazers by a score of 80-53.

Early on, Utah Tech’s defense held Westmont at bay, allowing the Trailblazers to take control of the night’s tempo.

In the second half, Westmont’s defense improved significantly, but Utah Tech never allowed the Warriors the chance to put a dent in the early deficit.

“Utah Tech was a really good team,” said Westmont Head Coach Landon Boucher. “They’ve played a real Division I schedule. They’ve played Arizona and Washington close, and they haven’t played any ‘gimmes.’

“They were tough and made us work for everything we got. They gave us a lot of different defensive looks in the first half, and it was tough to get going. With that, in the past month we’ve lost games where at halftime we weren’t able to adjust.

“Tonight, the guys adjusted and put up a fight in the second half,”

Boucher said Monday. “There was no sign of giving up, and it was worth our while to come all this way to play a quality Division I team.”

In the first four minutes of the contest, Utah Tech opened the night with a 13-4 run.

Moments later, the Blazers led the Warriors 22-9 with 13:00 remaining. Then, in the next minute, a floater from Kyler Warren and a 3-pointer from Cly Griffith highlighted a five-point swing to pull the Warriors within reach at 22-14.

Unfortunately for Westmont, UT held the Warriors to only two more field goals for the rest of the half, due to the constantlyactive Blazer defense. During the period, Utah Tech forced 14 turnovers, and following Griffith’s three, the home team closed out the half on a 28-9 run. Ultimately, the Trailblazers went into the locker room with a 50-23 advantage.

In the second half, Westmont’s defense held the Trailblazers to only 30 points, a significant dropoff in comparison to the 50 scored in the first period. Westmont’s offense improved as well, putting up 30 of their own to finish the

half in a 30-30 tie.

After allowing UT to shoot 51.6% in the first half, Westmont lowered their opponents mark to 37.9% in the second.

“Collectively, and individually, we can build off that second half,” noted Boucher. “Tone Patton is a guy who had one of his better defensive halves in the second. Our bench gave us a lot, and Cly had a good game as well where he played a lot of minutes.

“Hopefully, we can build off those positives in the second. To be down at half and then able to tie in the second was a much better way to go out.”

Offensively, the Warriors did not yet break out of their slump from 3-point range, making only one of 14 3-pointers in the second half, and three of 23 in total.

“We started the year at an unrealistically high percentage from three,” offered Boucher.

“No basketball team was going to shoot that well all year. Now I feel like we’re on the other end of that, where it’s unrealistically low. At some point, I just want to be in the middle.

“I thought we got a lot of good shots tonight, and I hope we can continue to get those looks and

eventually make them.”

Senior Cade Roth led Westmont with 12 points, with eight of them coming in the second half, while also leading Westmont with five rebounds. Amir Davis scored nine points with four rebounds, while Jalen Townsell scored eight points as well.

Westmont will now break for Christmas before returning to action on Dec. 29 for the 45th annual Tom Byron Classic. Westmont will take on Carroll (Mont.) at 7:30 p.m., and on Dec. 30, the Warriors will play British Columbia at the same time.

“Everyone is excited to go home and spend time with family,” said Boucher. “With that, there’s a sense around the team where we know we have a lot of work to do. We’ll enjoy Christmas with our families, and then we’re excited to get back together and go to work.”

Links to tickets and live coverage for the Tom Byron Classic are available at athletics. westmont.edu.

Jacob Norling is the sports information assistant at Westmont College.

email: sports@newspress.com

SBCC splits women’s basketball games at ECC Christmas Crossover

By MICHAEL JORGENSON SBCC SPORTS WRITER

The Santa Barbara City College women’s basketball team went 1-1 at the El Camino Christmas Crossover this past weekend, falling to Riverside 74-62 on Friday before defeating Santa Ana 67-50 on Saturday.

With just one game left before the start of Western State Conference play, Santa Barbara now owns a 7-6 record.

The Vaqueros never trailed in their win over Santa Ana (5-7), getting out to a 12-0 lead right off the opening tip. Freshman Eva Carrejo helped spur the hot start with back-to-back three-pointers, beginning what would turn into her hottest shooting performance of the season.

Carrejo went on to hit at

least one three in each quarter, finishing 7-of-13 for a team-high 21 points, her first 20-point outing of the year. She became the first Vaquero in the last decade to knock down seven triples in a single game.

She wasn’t the only Vaquero to have a big day, as Isabella Jensen Williams continued to put up incredible numbers. Besides putting up 14 points (6-12 FG) and tying her career-high shooting percentage, the sophomore pulled down a personal-best 18 rebounds and flirted with a quadrupledouble, tallying nine assists and seven steals. Jensen Williams continues to lead the WSC-North in assists (4.1) and steals (4.2) per game while ranking third in points (14.7) and second in rebounds (10.6).

After leading 18-4 through one,

the Vaquero advantage wouldn’t go below 13 points the rest of the way. Leila Chisholm’s layup in the fourth quarter put them up by 26 points, their largest lead of the day.

Sophomore point guard Brianna Jacobs showed her consistency once again, reaching doublefigures for the fifth straight game with 11 points and hitting two threes for the fourth time in a row.

Freshman center Paityn Persson scored nine and just missed out on a double-double with a seasonbest 12 boards to go with three blocks for the third straight game.

Santa Barbara’s first game of the weekend followed a similar script, but unfortunately for the Vaqueros, they were on the wrong end of it. Riverside (112) won its seventh straight game after jumping out to a 14-2 lead

on 53.8% shooting in the first and never looking.

Jensen Williams reached the 20-point mark for the third straight game, leading the Vaqueros with 22 points, seven boards and five steals. She went 3-of-7 from three-point range making her 7-of-13 over a twogame stretch, the best of her career.

Persson notched her first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. She also added four steals and another three blocks. Jacobs finished with 13 points and three assists on an efficient 5-of8 from the field and 3-of-5 from deep.

Michael Jorgenson works in communications/media relations at Santa Barbara City College. email: sports@newspress.com

KENNETH SONG /NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

SHOTS

He and others noted that vaccinations and boosters, including the shots covering the latest variants, prevent serious illness and hospitalizations.

“All those people who didn’t get vaccinated need to get vaccinated because they’re the ones who are getting seriously ill, and they’re the ones who are dying,” Rep. Carbajal told the News-Press after the press conference.

Officials also stressed the importance of people getting the boosters that cover the latest variants.

According to Rep. Carbajal’s office, less than 20% of the eligible Santa Barbara County residents have received that booster.

Officials at Tuesday’s press conference said people can get their COVID-19 and flu shots at the same time. Officials reminded people about the elevated rates of COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus.

Officials stressed the importance of frequent hand

FLIERS

strongest when we have a sense of our common destiny.”

Ms. Silverman praised Santa Barbara residents and city leaders, including Mayor Randy Rowse, for responding in support of the Jewish community. Mayor Rowse declined to comment on this story. Santa Barbara City Council member Mike Jordan, who represents the Mesa, did not respond to a request for comment.

The 8 by 11-inch fliers were delivered in clear plastic sandwich baggies and left in the front yards of homes in Santa Barbara, police said.

According to Ms. Silverman, the baggies, which contained rice and beans to weigh them down so they wouldn’t blow away, were left Sunday on sidewalks, driveways and lawns of homes on the west side of the Mesa, in particular Flora Vista, West Valerio, Shoreline Drive “and as far away as Hidden Valley.”

She said a different 5-by7 card containing antisemitic comments was left in an envelope on a Mesa doorstep. She said her group just received it and that it hadn’t been turned

EQUESTRIANS

and have protected natural resources in the area for over 30 years,” she said.

The Live Oak issue comes on the heels of recent contention between the Board of Supervisors and the Community Association for the Modoc Preserve, concerning the Modoc Multi-Use Path. As proposed by the county, the path would require the removal of popular trees in the area.

The debate has led to CAMP’s lawsuit against the county and the Board of Supervisors for “violating California state laws governing environmental review under the provisions of the

washing, wearing a face covering in indoor settings and covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.

“It is important, more than ever, especially at the peak of the flu season and with an increase of inperson travel and loved ones coming together for the holidays that we continue to vaccinate those that can be vaccinated,” Scott Black, CEO of American Indian Health & Services, told reporters.

Dr. Susan Lawton, the new chief medical officer for Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, said preventative health is a key pillar of health care. “Immunizations, known for decades to be safe and effective, are an important but underutilized part of preventative care. Our primary care, family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics providers all focus on keeping our seen patients up to date on recommended vaccines for their age.”

Dr. Noemi Doohan, the

FYI

new director of the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, said pharmacies have proven to be helpful in administering vaccines. And she said that as COVID-19 changes from a pandemic to an endemic, more and more people will get vaccinated when they visit their primary care provider.

“As we said earlier, you can get your flu and COVID-19 vaccine together,” she said.

“It’s bringing that care into the clinics that we hope will move the needle on COVID-19.”

She also suggested that people take advantage of Santa Barbara County’s great weather and have their holiday gatherings outside, which reduces the risk of getting COVID-19.

“And it would be really wise for people to test themselves on the morning before they gather with their family members and isolate themselves if they’re positive (for COVID-19) or if they symptoms,” Dr. Doohan said.

Rep. Carbajal said healthcare

professionals have learned what works in persuading people to get the COVID-19 shots. “They’re now trying to build on those successes and implement strategies.”

Dr. Ansorg noted the County Public Health Department has developed good partnerships with community-based organizations, particularly in North County. “Over time, this collaboration has really strengthened the outreach that we can achieve.”

The News-Press asked the officials about efforts to get shots to young children, in light of recent FDA and CDC approval of bivalent vaccines and boosters for ages as young as 6 months. Like the bivalent shots for adults, these shots cover the latest variants of COVID-19.

“We are going to encourage the vaccination of children through the primary care visit,” Dr. Doohan said. “When children come in, they usually have a schedule of vaccinations. It can include the COVID vaccinations along with other routine vaccinations.”

email: dmason@newspress.com

about a Jewish Mafia that has hijacked our country!”

Ms. Silverman said the fringe hate group that left the fliers loves publicity. “It is not a Santa Barbara hate group,” she said, but is in fact the same national group that hung banners on an Interstate 405 overpass a month ago in Los Angeles, proclaiming “Kanye was right.” That was a reference to antisemitic comments made by rapper Kanye West.

According to the Anti Defamation League, group members target neighborhoods close to the freeway, “go in, throw a lot of fliers out and move on,” Ms. Silverman said.

She said she did not want to name the group because “I don’t want to give them credibility.”

email: nhartsteinnewspress@ gmail.com

FYI

Governors cite Medicaid costs in asking Biden to end COVID public health emergency

By KIM JARRETT THE CENTER SQUARE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

(The Center Square) — Twentyfive governors signed a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to end the federal public health emergency in April, saying Medicaid costs are costing their states millions.

States received more money for Medicaid during the emergency but cannot remove anyone from the program’s rolls until either one month before the emergency ends, the month it ends or the month after it ends, according to Medicaid.gov.

President Biden extended the public health emergency to January and has not indicated when it will end. The governors said they assume the emergency will continue at least until April.

The governors asked President Biden for an indication as to when he would end the public health emergency. Twenty million people have joined the Medicaid program since the state of emergency began nearly three years ago, and the states are faced with additional costs, they said.

“While the enhanced federal match provides some assistance to blunt the increasing costs due to higher enrollment numbers in our Medicaid programs, states are required to increase our nonfederal match to adequately cover

all enrollees and cannot disenroll members from the program unless they do so voluntarily,” the governors said in their letter. “Making the situation worse, we know that a considerable number of individuals have returned to employer-sponsored coverage or are receiving coverage through the individual market, and yet states still must still account and pay for their Medicaid enrollment in our non-federal share.”

The governors said they have the “tools and information” to protect their citizens against COVID-19.

“You recognized this yourself in a ‘60 Minutes’ interview in September when you said, ‘The pandemic is over,’” the governors said. “Additionally, the United States Senate passed a bipartisan resolution, 61-37, to terminate the national emergency on November 15, 2022. We agree with both your statement and the Senate’s resolution — it is time we move on from the pandemic and get back to life as normal.”

The letter was signed by the governors of New Hampshire, Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming.

over yet to police.

The flier proclaimed boldly that “every single aspect of the Biden administration is Jewish” and went on to name several top officials.

“You don’t think we should spread this information? You don’t support free speech? YOU ARE NOT AN AMERICAN.

California Environmental Quality Act,” CAMP co-founder Warren Thomas told the News-Press.

“CAMP challenges the county’s failure to conduct complete and accurate environmental review, prepare an Environmental Impact Report, as well as other procedural and substantive violations of the California Environmental Quality Act, “CAMP members and volunteers are encouraged with the ruling of Judge Anderle in favor of the SYVR over the Santa Barbara County supervisors because there are a number of similarities between their lawsuit and ours,” Mr. Thomas said.

“Judge Anderle’s ruling sets legal precedent for other path / trail / open space development projects in Santa Barbara County such as

“You think we are targeting anyone with these flyers? We have distributed thousands and thousands of these informationals, indiscriminately, across the whole of America. Our only target is the uninformed and the deceived.

“We disavow violence. This is not intimidation. This is a PSA

the Modoc Multi-Use Path at the Modoc Preserve.

“Judge Anderle is very experienced in environmental law and CEQA. He is known for fairness, and for the record, is the judge in our lawsuit,” Mr. Thomas said.

Ms. Rosenthal told the NewsPress that equestrians support safe trails for all and that “the county should adopt an overriding goal to ensure safety on our trails before considering how much recreation activity can be exploited from an area.

“We believe the preferred option for the Live Oak area is to create a public, non-politically appointed committee to plan, develop consensus and mitigation for a master plan that will allow continued safe equestrian

Anyone with information about the fliers with antisemitic comments or in possession of surveillance footage of their distribution in their neighborhood is encouraged to contact Lt. A. Baker, Santa Barbara Police Department Investigative Division, at 805-897-3754 or abaker@ sbpd.com.

trail riding and determine if appropriate recreational uses should be expanded at the Live Oak Camp/Trail in the future.

“It’s a very special and wild place, but once it’s gone, it’s gone forever,” said Ms. Rosenthal

Mr. Thomas said CAMP looks forward “to joining forces to save our precious open spaces with folks like Kathy Rosenthal and the Santa Ynez Valley Riders, Ted Rhodes and Citizens for Carpinteria Bluffs, and other groups that are currently forming to help save open spaces in the Goleta Valley and elsewhere from succumbing to urbanization creep.

“Once open space is gone, it’s gone forever.”

email: kzehnder@newspress.com

Obituary notices are published daily in the Santa Barbara News-Press and also appear on our website www.newspress.com To place an obituary,

cost will be emailed back for review and approval. The minimum obituary cost to print one time is $150.00 for up to 1.5” in length -- includes 1 photo and up to 12 lines of text, approximately 630 characters; up to approximately 930 characters without a photo. Add $60.00 for each additional inch or partial inch after the first 1.5”; up to approximately 700 characters per additional inch. All Obituaries must be reviewed, approved, and prepaid by deadline. We accept all major credit cards by phone; check or cash payments may be brought into our office located at 715 Anacapa Street. The deadline for Weekend and Monday’s editions is at 10a.m. on Thursdays; Tuesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Fridays; Wednesday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Mondays; Thursday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Tuesdays; Friday’s edition deadlines at 10a.m. on Wednesdays (Pacific Time). Free Death Notices must be directly emailed by the mortuary to our newsroom at news@newspress.com. The News-Press cannot accept Death Notices from individuals.

Today

Thu.

City Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W

Cuyama 58/34/s 56/34/pc

Goleta 66/42/s 62/41/pc

Lompoc 69/39/s 66/40/pc

Pismo Beach 69/43/s 64/44/pc

Santa Maria 69/43/s 63/44/pc

Santa Ynez 70/39/s 65/39/pc

Vandenberg 66/46/s 63/45/pc

59/41/pc 57/45/c

Escondido 72/40/s 71/42/s

Eureka 56/46/c 57/52/sh Fresno 54/39/c 56/40/pc

Los Angeles 71/49/s 69/46/s

Mammoth Lakes 44/15/pc 41/18/pc

Modesto 55/39/c 52/43/pc

Monterey 62/45/s 60/46/pc

Napa 59/40/pc 56/45/c

Oakland 59/45/c 58/47/c

Ojai 71/45/s 68/43/pc

Oxnard 65/47/s 62/46/pc

Palm Springs 74/50/s 71/51/s

Pasadena 71/47/s 70/48/s

Paso Robles 61/37/s 61/37/pc

Sacramento 55/40/c 54/44/pc

San Diego 67/45/s 66/47/s

San Francisco 60/48/pc 57/48/c

San Jose 62/45/pc 58/47/c

San Luis Obispo 70/45/s 66/44/pc

Santa Monica 69/47/s 67/46/s

Tahoe Valley 46/24/c 48/30/c

Atlanta 48/39/c 48/19/c Boston 40/30/s 44/42/c Chicago 31/29/c 34/-6/sn

Dallas 51/33/pc 39/8/c

Denver 49/-21/sn -8/-19/pc

Houston 58/46/c 63/16/pc

Miami 81/70/c 82/69/pc

Minneapolis 2/-6/sn -1/-11/sn

New York City 41/35/s 47/45/r

Philadelphia 44/32/s 48/46/r

Phoenix 65/41/s 66/45/s

Portland, Ore. 39/18/c 21/19/sn

St. Louis 38/30/c 35/-7/sn

Salt Lake City 42/20/sn 26/18/c Seattle 33/18/c 26/23/sn

Washington, D.C. 47/34/s 51/43/r

Beijing 31/18/c 29/13/s Berlin 46/40/r 45/40/c Cairo 67/56/s 67/56/s

Cancun 84/70/pc 83/70/c London 52/42/sh 53/48/sh

Mexico City 70/52/pc 72/54/s Montreal 33/15/c 29/27/c

New Delhi 70/46/pc 69/44/pc

Paris 53/51/sh 57/54/r

Rio de Janeiro 77/71/r 77/69/r

Rome 60/48/pc 62/45/pc

Sydney 71/59/pc 70/64/c Tokyo 52/41/c 56/43/r

DAVE MASON /NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

At left, Dr. Susan Lawton, the new chief medical officer of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, tells reporters she has been able to persuade reluctant patients to get vaccinated against COVID-19. At right, as Dr. Noemi Doohan answers a question about a possible holiday spike in COVID-19 cases, Dr. Henning Ansorg quietly makes a point about prevention by suddenly donning a mask.

To find a COVID-19 booster shot or flu shot near you, visit vaccines.gov.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Head Rabbi Stephen Cohen, left, of Congregation B’nai B’rith in Santa Barbara cited the need “to encourage everyone Jewish and non-Jewish, all good people who are out there, to not allow this very small group — and we have every reason to believe it is a very, very small fringe group — to succeed in making us afraid, to not allow them to succeed in making us feel divided as a society.” “All leaders of all communities have to stand up against hate,” said Cyndi Silverman, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara.

Managing Editor Dave Mason dmason@newspress.com

Life theArts

CALENDAR

Direct Relief’s aid for Ukraine

Goleta-based nonprofit awards $7.9 million in grants assisting health services and facilities

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. “Interlopings: Colors in the Warp and Weft of Ecological Entanglements” is an exhibit that runs through March 12 at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Road, Santa Barbara. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The exhibit features weavings dyed with pigments from non-native plants on Santa Cruz Island. The weavings were created by artists Helen Svensson and Lisa Jevbratt. For more information, see sbbotanicgarden.org. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The exhibit

“Parliament of Owls” runs through Feb. 5 at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, see sbma.net.

DEC. 31 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its annual New Year’s Eve concert, featuring music varying from The Beatles to James Bond to Broadway, at The Granada, 1214 State St., Santa Barbara. Pops conductor Bob Bernhardt will conduct the concert, which will feature renowned soprano Mela Sarajane Dailey. There will also be champagne, noise-makers and, of course, party hats. To purchase tickets, go to thesymphony.org or thegranadasb.org or call the symphony at 805-893-9386.

9 p.m. The Boogie Knights and Spazmatics will perform during the New Year’s Eve Disco Boogie Ball at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez. Tickets cost $50. To purchase, go to chumashcasino.com/entertainment.

JAN. 3

7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present the North American tour of “R.E.S.P.E.C.T,” a theatrical concert celebrating the music of Aretha Franklin, at The Granada, 1214 State St. Tickets cost $59 to $114. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

JAN. 4

7:30 p.m. The American Theatre Guild will present the North American tour of “R.E.S.P.E.C.T,” a theatrical concert celebrating the music of Aretha Franklin, at The Granada, 1214 State St. Tickets cost $59 to $114. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

By DAVE MASON NEWS-PRESS MANAGING EDITOR

Direct Relief has announced a $7.9 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine.

So far, it’s the Goleta nonprofit’s largest single financial package for medical aid to Ukraine.

And it brings Direct Relief’s total amount of cash aid for Ukraine and Ukrainians to $29.4 million, said Tony Morain, the nonprofit’s vice president of communications.

That’s adding to the more than 1,000 tons and $640 million of medical material aid Direct Relief has provided at the request of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and other healthcare providers since Russia started the invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Morain told the News-Press.

Direct Relief announced the grants last week at events in Ukraine and Slovakia. Those attending included Direct Relief leaders such as President and CEO Thomas Tighe, as well as

leaders from the city of Lviv, the Ukrainian organization Unbroken, the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia, the Slovakia Ministry of Health and Crisis Management Department, and Slovakian organizations such as the League for Mental Health and FIre Medical.

Mr. Morain told the NewsPress that the $7.9 million humanitarian aid package includes:

• $2 million to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. The money will help medical logistics operations through December 2023.

• $1.5 million to the League for Mental Health in Slovakia to extend mental health services to Ukrainian refugees living in Slovakia. The focus will be on Ukrainians living in shared housing facilities.

• $1 million to the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center. The money will go toward rehabilitation equipment and training for personnel. The center treats patients from frontline hospitals, and the treatment includes surgeries, orthopedic surgery, prosthetics and longterm rehabilitation.

• $800,000 to purchase 10 refurbished ambulances for

nonprofits in Ukraine. When Russia started its invasion of Ukraine, the nation’s usual medical emergency ambulance fleet was reassigned for military use.

• $500,000 to Dobrobut, the largest network of private medical facilities in Ukraine. The network helps patients with war injuries, as well as those needing highly specialized oncology, cardiovascular or surgical services.

• $320,000 to Hromada, which provides humanitarian aid to medical facilities throughout Ukraine.

• $300,000 to Ukraine Brokers without Borders. The funds will cover generators and similar heating equipment for 15 hospitals.

• $300,000 to help Fire Medical, a Slovakian nonprofit that provides ambulatory services. The funds are designed to help sustain operations through March. Fire Medical operates free hospital transportation services for the 1,000 Ukrainian refugees living at the Gab�íkovo humanitarian center outside of Bratislava.

• $120,000 to help Motanka,

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, more than 750 Direct Relief emergency medical backpacks have been distributed to paramedics and healthcare providers working near the frontlines. The packs contain trauma care products, personal protective equipment, tourniquets and more to treat war-injured patients or evacuees.

JAN. 21

7:30 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St. The concert includes Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime” (El viaje de una vida) with violin soloist Guillermo Figueroa and the concert world premiere of Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toy Trains.” The orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

JAN. 22

3 p.m. The Santa Barbara Symphony will perform its “Plains, Trains & Violins” concert at The Granada, 1214 State St. The concert includes Miguel del Aguila’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, “The Journey of a Lifetime (El viaje de una vida)” with violin soloist Guillermo Figueroa and the concert world premiere of Elmer Bernstein’s “Toccata for Toy Trains.” The orchestra will also perform Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). Tickets cost $35 to $175. To purchase, go to granadasb.org.

4 to 5 p.m. “Roy Dunn: Capturing Imagery of Our Wild Neighbors” will take place at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511-B Mission Drive, Solvang.

COURTESY PHOTO

Photographer Roy Dunn sets his remote camera traps for pictures of wildlife. The presentation “Roy Dunn: Capturing Imagery of Our Wild Neighbors” will take place Jan. 22 at the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, 1511-B Mission Drive, Solvang.

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on two local nonprofits helping Ukraine.

COURTESY UNBROKEN NATIONAL REHABILITATION CENTER

Thomas Tighe, president and CEO of Direct Relief, right, signs an agreement in Lviv, Ukraine, for a $1 million grant to Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center. The money will go toward rehabilitation equipment and training for personnel.

PHOTOS COURTESY HELP UKRAINE ROMANIA

A fi eld hospital donated by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is received by Help Ukraine Romania for distribution to a rehabilitation center in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.

Photographer to discuss Channel Islands experiences

SANTA BARBARA — Carpinteria freelance writer and photographer Chuck Graham will share his kayaking and hiking adventures in the Channel Islands during a talk at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.

The “Paddling into a Natural Balance” program, which will feature Mr. Graham’s photos, will take place at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at the museum, 113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara.

A pre-lecture reception for

members only is scheduled for 6:15 to 6:45 p.m.

In addition to being a writer and photographer, Mr. Graham is an island guide who has led kayaking tours and backpacking trips for more than 20 years at Channel Islands National Park.

The Santa Monica native moved in 1975 with his family to Carpinteria. He studied at Santa Barbara City College, Westmont College in Montecito and the Institute for Children’s

Literature. He holds an honorary master’s degree from the Brooks Institute of Photography.

Tickets for Mr. Graham’s talk cost $20 for general admission. Admission is free for the museum’s Navigator Circle members and $10 for all other museum members.

To purchase, go to sbmm.org/ santa-barbara-event/ and become a member at https://sbmm.org.

— Dave Mason

Fitness with Rachel offers exercise programs for cancer patients

GOLETA — Fitness with Rachel, a Goleta personal training studio, now offers innovative exercise programs for cancer patients.

Personal trainer Rachel McDonald, who is a certified cancer exercise specialist, is scheduling new clients for oneon-one and small group exercise sessions to support healing and recovery, as well as to address the very specific mental and physical stresses of cancer.

Ms. McDonald received her specialized training through the Cancer Exercise Training Institute.

The Goleta native has participated in the Barbara Ireland Walk for Breast Cancer since 2000 and has been an event sponsor for the past six years, raising more than $36,000.00 to support the cause.

“Cancer is a diagnosis that touches almost every family, including my own. I have seen the

RELIEF

devastation in people’s faces when they learn of their diagnosis and the courage they find to battle back against this tough disease,”

Ms. McDonald said in a news release. “I want to do my part to support people on their cancer journey, particularly by helping them stay active and strong, so they can take charge through exercise.”

Through her Cancer Treatment and Recovery program, Ms. McDonald meets privately with clients to perform a comprehensive assessment identifying any physical limitations, painful conditions, and swelling or lymphedema a person may be experiencing. She then designs a program to optimize strength, flexibility, balance and function.

“When cancer occurs, life can feel out of control. Working with patients to build themselves back is such an honor for me,” she said. “My clients inspire me to keep going.”

For more information, visit www. fitnessrachel.com.

— Dave Mason

FYI

• $80,000 to the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital, nongovernmental organization of civilian healthcare professionals. They treat and evacuate injured Ukrainians on the frontlines. The money will go toward an armored all-terrain vehicle, which will be a mobile, heated and sheltered stabilization point for surgeries in the field.

Back in the U.S., Direct Relief recently announced it’s awarding $22 million in grants to 71 nonprofits focused on health equity.

And Mr. Morain noted Direct Relief was ranked the fifth largest charity by Forbes in its annual list of the top 100 U.S. charities. The top four charities were, in order from No. 1 to No. 4, Feeding America, United Way Worldwide, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the Salvation Army.

There were five Californiabased charities on the Forbes list, and Direct Relief was the largest of them. The other California charities, in order of size for donations, are the Entertainment Industry Foundation, City of Hope, the Cedars-Sinai Health System and the Educational Media Foundation.

According to the Forbes list, Direct Relief received $2.21 billion in private donations in 2022.

“Forbes awarded Direct Relief a score of 100% for both charitable commitment (how much of a charity’s total expenses go directly to the charitable purpose) and 100% on fundraising efficiency (the percent of private donations remaining after deducting fundraising costs),” Mr. Morain told the News-Press.

In fact, the Forbes list shows

Direct Relief was more efficient than any of the top four charities. Feeding America was the closest to matching Direct Relief’s efficiency with scores of 99% for both charitable commitment and fundraising efficiency.

And Forbes ranked Direct Relief as the largest charity in the International Needs category. The others in the top five are, in order from No. 2 to No. 5, Americares, Good 360, Habitat for Humanity and Compassion International.

Mr. Morain said Direct Relief earned a four-star rating for the 12th consecutive year from Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator.

And Mr. Morain noted that during fiscal year 2022, Direct Relief provided more than $2 billion in medical aid and $58.2 million in financial assistance to healthcare providers and other local organizations in 98 countries and 52 U.S. states and territories.

email: dmason@newspress.com

IN THURSDAY’S NEWS-PRESS: Santa Barbara-based ShelterBox U.S.A. continues its efforts in Ukraine.

At left, Chuck Graham received an honorary degree from Brooks Institute of Photography in recognition of his photographic work. At right, Mr. Graham photographed this bald eagle flying near Santa Cruz Island.

PHOTOS COURTESY CHUCK GRAHAM

Chuck Graham, who’s speaking in January at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, took this photo of Santa Cruz Passage, Santa Cruz Island.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Rachel McDonald works one on one with a client at Fitness with Rachel in Goleta. She has added innovative exercise programs for cancer patients.

Rachel McDonald received her specialized training through the Cancer Exercise Training Institute.

LARA COOPER/DIRECT RELIEF

Forty-four tons of medical aid bound for Ukraine departed on June 17 from Direct Relief’s warehouse in Goleta. The shipment was transported to Ukraine on the second charter flight donated by FedEx in response to the Russian invasion.

Goleta-based Direct Relief provides medical/health aid around the world and throughout the U.S. To learn more about Direct Relief or donate, go to directrelief.org.

Thought for Today

HOROSCOPE

Horoscope.com Wednesday, December 21, 2022

ARIES — Something is urging you to act, Aries. You may feel a restlessness in the air that makes you want to get up and go. The problem is the place you need to go may not be obvious at first. Tender emotions may get in the way of decisive action. Realize that your destination is inside your heart. We all go through moody periods.

TAURUS — You will find that your emotions are much more under control today, Taurus. You’re able to strike a happy balance and avoid extraordinary extremes that scare others away. In fact, quite the opposite is true. People will be attracted to you as you provide a life raft on turbulent waters.

GEMINI — Things may seem a little cloudy today, Gemini, but this is no reason to be blue. It could be that you need to adjust before you can smoothly relate to others. Take this opportunity to attend to things that you normally wouldn’t think of. See things from the perspective of someone in another walk of life.

CANCER — Try not to see the negative in everything today, Cancer. Concentrate on the positive. You will pick up subtle signals from others that can be very helpful as you gather data throughout the day. As you proceed through it, keep in mind that everything need not be a race to the finish line. Enjoy where you are now.

LEO — Try to curb your tongue today, Leo. There’s no reason to lash out. You will find that the more sensitive your approach, the farther you will get in your pursuit of your goals. Today might find you feeling moody, and your emotions could be running away with you. Get in touch with your feelings rather than push them away.

VIRGO — Your thinking is clear today, Virgo, and you will find that generally things are running smoothly. Your perspective on everything is very much in line with where you need to be at this time. In other words, you’re doing everything exactly right. Be yourself and let other people adapt to your way of thinking.

LIBRA — Listen to what other people say to you today, Libra.

There are valuable experiences waiting around the corner. The important thing to do now is recognize opportunities when they arise. The road to success isn’t always well marked. Take a chance on the road with no signs at all.

SCORPIO — Your emotions may be more in tune with the world around you today, Scorpio. You could even feel a bit psychic. Go with your hunches. You will find that rational thinking may not be the best way to handle situations right now. Be the sensitive one who feels things before acting. Discuss the issues with others and combine your resources for a more powerful alliance.

SAGITTARIUS — You might second-guess yourself today, Sagittarius. Voices in your head are louder than usual, and you could be the one putting the brakes on your own train. Your intuition is trying to break through. See what you can do to slow down the chatter that continues to dictate the narrative throughout the day.

CAPRICORN — Today is excellent for you, Capricorn. You will find that things flow naturally in the very way you’ve visualized. You might even find that things actually go much better than you had envisioned! Go about your endeavors confidently. The whole world isn’t out to get you. In fact, people are probably too concerned with themselves to even bother with what you’re doing.

AQUARIUS — Be careful about the way your words come across to others, Aquarius. You might not realize how much other people’s feelings are affected until it’s too late.

Consider backing off for a while and taking a break from your normal performance. Practice your lines at home. You may be in a bit of a funk, but the good news is that you will snap out of it very soon.

PISCES — Today could be the day you’ve been waiting for, Pisces. Realize that you have the gentle, sincere nature necessary to sweet-talk your way through any situation. Indeed, if there is something that needs resolution, now would be a good time to smooth things over. People will be more receptive to your good nature and nurturing qualities.

SUDOKU

CODEWORD PUZZLE

By FRANK STEWART Tribune Content Agency

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Cy the Cynic says that opportunity no longer knocks; instead it calls you on the phone in the middle of your dinner.

Cy missed an opportunity as today’s declarer. Against six spades, West led a trump, and Cy played low from dummy and won with the nine.

If he continued with the ace and a low heart, West would lead a second trump, leaving Cy with a second heart to lose.

So Cy took his ace of trumps and next tried the A-K-Q of diamonds. If West had followed, Cy would have led to the king of trumps and cashed two more diamonds for 12 tricks. But West ruffed the third diamond, and the Cynic had to lose a heart.

SECOND TRUMP

Cy can win the first trump with the ten. (As the cards lie, he succeeds by winning with the nine and leading to the ten.) Cy then leads a club from dummy — and discards the ace of diamonds.

If East wins and leads a heart, Cy takes the ace and cashes the ace of trumps and K-Q of diamonds. He leads a trump to dummy and discards three hearts on the good diamonds.

QUESTION You hold: 6 Q 9 5 4 9 7 3 A Q 10 8 2. Neither side vulnerable. Your partner deals

and opens one club. The next player doubles. What do you say?

ANSWER: If your opponent had passed, you would have bid one heart, looking for a fit in the major. But the double suggests heart length and strength, and even if partner has hearts, the opponents may have a fit in spades. Give partner a description of your hand. Bid three clubs, preemptive.

South dealer N-S vulnerable

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.

“Those who have knowledge, don’t predict. Those who predict, don’t have knowledge.” — Lao Tzu

Mayor declares state of emergency in El Paso as Border Patrol reports record illegal entries

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) —

Blanketed babies in car seats on the sidewalk. People lying in blankets and sleeping bags on the ground. Hundreds pouring into downtown El Paso at a time.

In November alone, more than 53,500 illegal foreign nationals were apprehended, and an additional 24,000 who evaded capture by law enforcement in the Customs and Border Patrol sector that includes El Paso.

El Paso’s Democratic Mayor Oscar Leeser declared a state of emergency Saturday, saying once the public health authority Title 42 is lifted, illegal entries will increase from 2,400 to 6,000 a day. When he asked the federal government if it could handle the volume of illegal entries, the response he got was, “no,” he said at a recent news conference.

“That’s when I realized we needed to do something and right away,” he said.

Declaring a state of emergency prompts a legal response by the state, meaning more Texas taxpayer dollars will be on the hook to help the border town of

nearly 900,000 residents.

Illegal foreign nationals who were apprehended and evaded capture in November alone in the El Paso Sector, which includes all of New Mexico and two west Texas counties, including El Paso, was greater than the individual populations of all but four New Mexico cities and all but five of its counties, according to Census data analyzed by The Center Square.

Despite Title 42 enforcing being temporarily left in place by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, a Border Patrol agent at the southern border in Texas told The Center Square, “Looking at current numbers, it is projected that El Paso Sector will apprehend over 60,000 illegal aliens in December. This is before Title 42 ends. It will also be another record gotaways month.”

The agent spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

El Paso Deputy City Manager Mario D’Agostino began the city’s busing strategy in August, first sending nine to 14 busloads of people a day from El Paso to New York City. In October, New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared a state of emergency, blaming Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Gov. Abbott said Mayor Adams’ criticism was misdirected, arguing President Joe Biden created a humanitarian crisis and a crime and drug epidemic at the border and in American cities.

He said at the time, “Sanctuary cities like New York City experience a fraction of what Texas border communities face every day.” Texas will continue to bus people north, he said, “to relieve our overwhelmed border towns until Biden does his job to secure the border.”

As of Friday, Texas had bused more than 8,600 people to Washington, D.C., since April; over 4,200 to New York City since Aug. 5; more than 1,400 to Chicago since Aug. 31; and more than 380 to Philadelphia since Nov. 15.

Through Gov. Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, law enforcement officers are aggressively pursuing Mexican cartel and gang-related criminal activity emboldened by Biden administration policies, Gov. Abbott argued.

As of Friday,, they’ve apprehended more than 333,000 illegal foreign nationals and made more than 22,000 criminal arrests, with more than 20,000 felony

charges reported. DPS officers have seized more than 354 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill more than the entire population of America.

“Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden administration’s refusal to secure the border,” Gov. Abbott said. “Every individual who is

apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden’s open border policies.”

In response to the humanitarian crisis in El Paso, Gov. Abbott directed the Texas National Guard to deploy more resources.

On Monday, it activated and deployed airlift assets from the 136th Airlift Wing in Fort Worth to El Paso. Four C-130J cargo aircraft moved 400 soldiers and equipment there Monday afternoon.

Their deployment includes a Security Response Force composed of elements of the 606th Military Police Battalion, the Texas Military Department said, “trained in Civil Disturbance Operations and Mass Migration Response, used to safeguard the border and repel and turn-back illegal immigrants.”

Since November 2021, 6,128 Texas National Guardsmen and women have been placed along the Texas-Mexico border; another 3,700 are also deployed elsewhere as part of OLS. There are also 1,600 state troopers at the border working with hundreds of officers

from local sheriff’s offices and police departments thwarting cartel and gang-related criminal activity stemming from the border, also through OLS.

The legislature initially allocated $3 billion to OLS efforts and has since allocated more.

“While Biden abandons his duty to defend America, Texas is taking unprecedented action to decrease the influx of dangerous criminals, illegal weapons, and deadly drugs into the U.S.,” Gov. Abbott said.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas maintains that “the border is secure” and the administration is committed to overseeing a “safe and orderly process.”

President Biden has yet to visit the border since he’s been in office, most recently arguing he “has better things to do.” He also has not responded to any invitations from Gov. Abbott or Democratic officials to visit the border. He also has not responded to Gov. Abbott’s request to declare two Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations or to increase border security to stop the record amounts of illicit fentanyl being brought in through the southern border.

AG Moody: ICE deposition video is evidence of Biden’s immigration plan

By BETHANY BLANKLEY THE CENTER SQUARE CONTRIBUTOR

(The Center Square) — Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody made public an ICE training video obtained by her office as part of the litigation process in a lawsuit the state filed against the Biden administration in September.

The partially redacted video, she said, is “evidence of President Joe Biden’s intentional destruction of the nation’s immigration system.”

“Since day one of his administration, President Biden has purposefully broken down the structure and law enforcement at our nation’s border with Mexico — all while confusing and misleading the nation about this devious, reckless scheme,” she said. “If Title 42 ends, the administration may blame the mass surge of unvetted migrants on this rule’s remission, but don’t be fooled. They’re playing fast and loose with the lives of Americans to advance an absurd political agenda.”

Title 42 is a Trump-era public health policy that allowed border agents to immediately expel some

illegal crossers over concerns they could spread COVID-19. The Biden administration planned to end enforcement of Title 42 on Wednesday, but that’s been put on hold by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“As our litigation uncovered, this has been this administration’s plan all along. They’ve let in and lost track of hundreds of thousands of inadmissible immigrants, and it will get worse if Title 42 expires,” Attorney General Moody said. “We will continue our litigation efforts to force Biden to follow the law and try to mitigate this national disaster.”

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement training videos describe the logistical problems resulting from Border Patrol agents releasing illegal foreign nationals into the U.S. without charging documents. Without a charging document, it becomes nearly impossible for ICE agents in the future to locate and remove people in the U.S. illegally.

Excerpts from the redacted training videos include a male official explaining that since March 2021, Customs and Border

Protection officials released noncitizens at the border “under prosecutorial discretion or humanitarian parole, directing them to report to the nearest ICE office where they intend to reside.

“This process does not address the underlying challenges

regarding ICE’s congressionallymandated responsibility to locate, arrest and place into removal proceedings those noncitizens who are not in possession of a valid, unexpired entry document,” the official continued. “Under Operation Horizon, ICE law enforcement officers will identify, locate and place into removal proceedings those noncitizens who CBP released into the United States after March 15, 2021.”

On how Operation Horizon has been conducted, another ICE official said, “you know over the summer, we had well over 150,000 folks come in. They were issued a piece of paper that said, ‘Find somebody in ICE,’ and that was pretty much it. There was no processing. I know this isn’t something that you guys asked for, and I can assure you that no one in the criminal alien program asked for it either.”

The video, which is now on YouTube, was released after Attorney General Moody previously released videos and transcripts of sworn depositions of U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul

Ortiz, who testified in August that the border was in a crisis, and of an ICE official who testified that ICE agents were removing seven times fewer people who were in the U.S. illegally than they did 10 years ago.

Her office also uncovered a plan by BP to release foreign nationals into the U.S. illegally once the public health authority Title 42 ended.

Her case was filed after CBP agents encountered more than 2.76 million people entering the U.S. illegally, including 98 who were on the terrorist watchlist, in fiscal 2022.

Tom Homan, former acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told The Center Square, “The Biden administration has consistently violated their responsibility to secure our border. It has long been clear that our borders are open. Now these numbers should erase any remaining doubt. We have simply never seen these numbers before in our history, and the Biden open-borders policies are the reason.”

Former COO and acting

Commissioner of CBP Mark Morgan told The Center Square the administration’s policies are endangering Americans’ lives and Congress must act.

Because of “the overwhelming numbers of illegal aliens and otherwise inadmissible aliens flooding our border,” he said, Border Patrol agents and resources “have been pulled off the front line, away from their national security mission. This has left the border wide open for the cartels to exploit – pushing deadly drugs, criminals, and potential national security threats across our borders.

“It’s time for Congress to step up and do their job by holding this administration accountable for the chaos and carnage they have unleashed on our southwest border. Their first action should be to impeach Secretary Mayorkas, who has served as the administration’s chief architect of their open-border policies and continues to lie to the American people about it. How many more Americans have to die and suffer before we say enough is enough?”

with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara County on 11/22/2022 12/7, 12/14, 12/21, 12/28/22 CNS-3648713# SANTA BARBARA NEWS-PRESS

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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody

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Gov. Greg Abbott