In the News
Several Lawmakers Denied Access to Postal Facilities
by Rebecca Smith
Efforts by some members of Congress to observe firsthand how mail is being processed at large facilities in the final weeks of the election have been blocked-a policy departure by the U.S. Postal Service for visits that were once routinely approved, the lawmakers said. It's unclear how many lawmakers have sought access to postal plants, but at least five, all Democrats, said they'd received inconsistent explanations for the denials. Rep. Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat, visited a … Continue Reading
October 20, 2020
Offshore wind research to continue with data collection
by Sonia Waraich
Humboldt State University's Schatz Energy Research Center has wrapped up its webinars on its first set of offshore wind research publications, and the state and federal government are continuing to supply funding to keep that research continuing into the coming years. "We are keen on having the best available science in all our of decision-making," Necy Sumait, chief of renewable energy in the Pacific region with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said at the final virtual webinar in the … Continue Reading
October 20, 2020
Democrats push expansion of offshore wind, block offshore drilling with ocean energy bill
by Rebecca Beitsch
A new bill from House Democrats turns to the oceans as a way to fight climate change, proposing to expand offshore wind while barring drilling along America's coasts. The more than 300-page legislation is broadly billed as a "blue carbon" bill - a way to harvest clean energy while protecting fisheries and resources like marshes and wetlands that can store carbon and protect eroding shorelines. The Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act, introduced Tuesday, comes as the ocean is rapidly warming … Continue Reading
October 20, 2020
Offshore wind research to continue with data collection
by Sonia Waraich
Humboldt State University's Schatz Energy Research Center has wrapped up its webinars on its first set of offshore wind research publications, and the state and federal government are continuing to supply funding to keep that research continuing into the coming years. "We are keen on having the best available science in all our of decision-making," Necy Sumait, chief of renewable energy in the Pacific region with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said at the final virtual webinar in the … Continue Reading
October 19, 2020
RBG and the 116th Congress: Dispatches from Mark Dann, FFRF’s rep on Capitol Hill
by Mark Dann
If there's a common thread in my thoughts from Capitol Hill this year, it's the combination of dark and light moments: pessimism and fear coupled with tangible examples of victories and reasons for optimism. Like many of you, I'm living this emotional conflict. On one side, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has died and a zealous ideologue, Amy Coney Barrett, has been nominated to "replace" her. On the other side, I'm optimistic because of the gains we have made in Congress and with the … Continue Reading
October 17, 2020
Yurok, Tolowa Dee-Ni’ tribes receive education grants
The U.S. Department of Education is awarding over $1.5 million in federal funding to the Yurok and Tolowa Dee-Ni' tribes in California's Second District. The Demonstration Grants have been awarded to evaluate and expand school services for Native children. Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), who represents the Tribes in California's Second District, said adequate funding is critical in ensuring the success of all students, especially Native American students who are often more … Continue Reading
October 16, 2020
Trump Administration Reverses Course and Approves California Wildfire Relief
by Associated Press and KQED
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday afternoon that President Trump has approved California's latest request for federal wildfire aid, reversing a Federal Emergency Management Agency decision this week to deny the funds, which could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars. The request for disaster relief is aimed at cleaning up the damage from six recent wildfires among the siege of deadly and destructive blazes that have … Continue Reading
October 16, 2020
Tribes, minorities ask panel for fair chance at green grants
by Rob Hotakainen
Tribal officials on the front lines of fighting the effects of climate change told a House Natural Resources subcommittee yesterday that they rarely get federal help because they are forced to compete for grants against wealthier states. "A tribal nation of 500 people, no matter the financial resources, will find it difficult to compete against a government body - county or state - with anywhere from a few thousand to millions of citizens and an active tax base," said Fawn Sharp, president of … Continue Reading
October 15, 2020
West Sonoma County sees lowest census participation as count comes to a close
by Kaylee Tornay
The 2020 census wrapped up Thursday, and though Sonoma County as a whole showed a higher self-response rate than 10 years ago, low participation in the west county will likely affect federal funding for education and health care in communities recovering from calamities such as wildfires and flooding. "That's a real problem," said U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, whose Northern California congressional district stretches along the coast from the San Francisco Bay to the Oregon border. He said numbers … Continue Reading
October 15, 2020
Jared Huffman announces $1.5M for tribal students
by Andrew Butler
The U.S. Department of Education is awarding over $1.5 million in federal funding to the Yurok Tribe and the Tolowa Dee-Ni' Nation to evaluate and expand school services for Native children, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced Wednesday. The Yurok Tribe's Native Educational Choices and Empowerment Project will receive $1,038,353 and the Tolowa Dee-Ni' Nation's California/Oregon Indian Student Services Program will receive $655,193. "Adequate funding is critical in ensuring the … Continue Reading
October 15, 2020
West Sonoma County sees lowest census participation as count comes to a close
by Kaylee Tornay
The 2020 census wrapped up Thursday, and though Sonoma County as a whole showed a higher self-response rate than 10 years ago, low participation in the west county will likely affect federal funding for education and health care in communities recovering from calamities such as wildfires and flooding. "That's a real problem," said U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman, whose Northern California congressional district stretches along the coast from the San Francisco Bay to the Oregon border. He said numbers … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
Petaluma River dredged for first time in 17 years
by Kathryn Palmer and Matt Brown
Local leaders this week celebrated the final days of the Petaluma River dredge project, marking the end of a protracted effort to clear the central waterway of a 17-year silty entombment blamed for declining tourism and river recreation. The nearly six-week long project is set to end Thursday, leaving the city with a rejuvenated river cleared of silt and debris as the electric-powered Sandpiper dredging barge and its San Diego-based Pacific Dredge & Construction crew make their way back … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
2020 Census Deadline Tomorrow
by Iridian Casarez
If you haven't filled out the 2020 U.S. Census, you still have time. The last day for the 2020 census is tomorrow, Oct. 15 at 11:59 p.m. Hawaii time (2:59 a.m. on Oct. 16 in California).The census is a data collection of the U.S. population that's administered every 10 years, it's used to determine the number of seats each state holds in the U.S. House of Representatives and how much federal funding communities will receive for roads, schools, housing and social services.In a release sent by … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
Republicans were thumbs-down at hearing for “Environmental Justice for All” bill
by Meteor Blades
It would mandate that federal agencies must take into account community health impacts when deciding on permits, codify federal environmental justice initiative, impose new fees on fossil fuel companies to fund local transitions to a greener economy, and reverse a two-decade-old Supreme Court that made it more difficult for private citizens to sue when they are hurt by actions disproportionately affecting poor communities of color. A number of Republicans argued that the bill would hurt the … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
Huffman Announces Education Grants for Native Communities
San Rafael, CA - Today, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced that the U.S. Department of Education is awarding over 1.5 million dollars in Federal funding to Tribes in California's Second District. Demonstration Grants have been awarded to the Yurok Tribe and the Tolowa Dee-Ni' Nation to evaluate and expand school services for Native children. "Adequate funding is critical in ensuring the success of all students, especially Native American students who are often more likely … Continue Reading
October 14, 2020
The Sandpiper completes Petaluma River dredging
by Eldin Ganic
To celebrate the long-awaited milestone, the City of Petaluma hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday. Around-the-clock dredging started September 5 with The Sandpiper, an all-electric cutter-head suction dredger owned by Pacific Dredge & Construction. With the dredger in the background, San Francisco District Commander Lt. Col. John Cunningham, Congressman Jared Huffman and Petaluma Mayor Teresa Barrett provided remarks to a small, socially-distanced crowd before snipping the … Continue Reading
October 12, 2020
Haaland, Fellow Congressional Native American Caucus Members Call for Federal Holiday Designation for Indigenous Peoples’ Day
by Rep. Deb Haaland
Albuquerque, New Mexico - U.S. Representatives Deb Haaland, Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Tom Cole (R-OK), Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Betty McCollum (D-MN) today introduced a bipartisan Congressional Resolution [H.Res.627] calling for the official designation of the second Monday of October as Indigenous Peoples' Day in place of Columbus Day as a federal holiday. Last year, the New Mexico Legislature passed and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill officially recognizing Indigenous People's … Continue Reading
October 10, 2020
FORUM 2: Man-made policies are fueling wildfires
by Myron Ebell
THE CATASTROPHIC wildfires that raged up and down the West Coast should force a radical reversal of 30 years of disastrous government policies. Instead, the politicians and environmental pressure groups who gave us these policies are using climate change as a smokescreen to avoid blame, and to prevent the change of direction in management needed to restore health to our forests and thereby reduce fire risks. We might be able to forgive those who, like Democratic presidential nominee … Continue Reading
October 07, 2020
Government officials offer comfort, safety tools to Glass fire victims
by Nashelly Chavez AND Ethan Varian
As firefighters continued to inch closer Wednesday toward full containment of the Glass fire, local and state officials discussed the road to recovery that lies ahead for hundreds of families dealing with damage and destruction left behind by the blaze in Sonoma County. Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chair Susan Gorin, whose Oakmont home was destroyed by the 2017 Tubbs fire, encouraged people who have lost their homes and businesses to ready themselves both emotionally and physically as … Continue Reading
October 06, 2020
Al acercarse el fin del Censo, una tercera parte de los habitantes de North Coast no han sido contados
by Guy Kovner
En una carrera contra el tiempo, el congresista de North Coast, Jared Huffman, está pidiendo a sus constituyentes que participen en el censo mientras la administración Trump buscaba terminar con el conteo de población que se realiza una vez cada década; dicho plan se evitó hasta al menos a finales de octubre por decisión de un juez federal. "Tenemos mucho trabajo por hacer", dijo el demócrata de San Rafael en una sesión de Facebook Live … Continue Reading