In the News
USPS says it’s too close to the election for most of Congress to inspect facilities
by Jacob Bogage
The U.S. Postal Service is blocking members of Congress from inspecting postal facilities despite questions about the handling of mail-in ballots to avoid putting its workforce at "unreasonable risk" of violating the Hatch Act, according to newly obtained emails between agency officials and congressional staff members. Three Democrats - Reps. Jared Huffman (Calif.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) and Bill Pascrell Jr. (N.J.) - have been denied access to postal buildings in their home … Continue Reading
October 05, 2020
Busy weekend on the Petaluma River from top to bottom
by Maggie Hohle
What's happening on the Petaluma River? A better question may be, "What ISN'T?" The COVID-19 health crisis has turned many things upside down and sent many people inside, but it's also sent many searching for wellness outside. Last weekend, at least 200 people found themselves either on or near the Petaluma River. Our beloved slough, specifically Petaluma Small Craft Center's Floathouse dock, was the setting for Renew Yoga's 19 Anniversary Celebration yoga class; teenage sprint kayakers from … Continue Reading
October 05, 2020
A Mother In Wonderland: Securing Services For My Blind Child
by Carla Keirns
It was my son's first Halloween. It turns out that 3 p.m. on October 31 is an excellent time to get in to see a high-demand pediatric specialist. He was fourteen weeks old to the day. We didn't have any reason to think there was anything wrong with my son's eyes except family history. I wore glasses as a little baby. Cute silver-wired ones with frames that wrapped around my ears. So did my sisters. My husband did, too, though his were heavy black plastic frames, a strong contrast with his … Continue Reading
October 05, 2020
Huffman amendment pressuring PacifiCorp to remove Klamath dams passes House, pending in Senate
by Lana Cohen
LITTLE RIVER 10/5//2020 - On September 24, the House passed the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, sending it on to the Senate where it is pending. The act included an amendment sponsored by United States Representative Jared Huffman to hold the PacifiCorp energy company (a subsidiary of the Warren Buffett Company Berkshire Hathaway) responsible for the negative impacts of four dams on the Klamath River. The Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement Tribal Fairness Amendment is also … Continue Reading
October 02, 2020
Democrats wish Trump a swift recovery from COVID-19, and hope it changes his policies on the virus
by David Choi
Democrats offered their support and criticism after President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus early Friday morning. The White House physician issued a letter confirming the diagnosis and that the Trumps "are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House." "Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any further … Continue Reading
October 02, 2020
Bipartisan agreement elusive on environmental justice bill
by Emma Dumain
A hearing yesterday on sweeping environmental justice legislation laid bare the fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans on how to craft new federal policies to help the most disadvantaged communities. It also illustrated the remoteness of the possibility that the Democrats' bill will have robust, if any, Republican support, as Democratic champions hope to advance the measure early in the next Congress on the assumption they will retain control of the House. The House … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Committee passes 19 bills in marathon markup
by Emma Dumain
In an hourslong markup characterized by fatigue and partisan finger-pointing, members of the House Natural Resources Committee last night approved 19 bills - a combination of land transfers, monument designations and major policy overhauls. There were moments of aisle-crossing comity, such as when Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) praised his retiring counterpart, ranking member Rob Bishop (R-Utah), as a lawmaker with the courage of his convictions. "While Mr. Bishop and I might … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
Contour retained for air services out of Del Norte County Regional Airport
by Hayes
Contour Airlines will continue to be the carrier of choice for round trip travel between Crescent City and Oakland. The U.S. Department of Transportation approved Border Coast Regional Airport Authority's (BCRAA) application for the continuation of service through an Alternate Essential Air Service (AEAS) grant. Del Norte County District 2 Supervisor Lori Cowan, who sits on the BCRAA board, said at the Supervisors' Sept. 8 meeting things were getting dicey with Contour Airlines, … Continue Reading
October 01, 2020
FEMA bill sparks fight over wildfires, congressional failures
by Hannah Northey
A House markup of disaster relief and water legislation erupted into a debate about the role of climate change in Western wildfires and Congress' role in thwarting disaster. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee yesterday approved a bundle of bipartisan bills by voice vote, including a measure tied to federal support in the wake of natural disasters and legislation on Western water. But House members clashed when it came time to approve H.R. 8266 from Chairman Peter DeFazio … Continue Reading
September 28, 2020
Virtual ‘listening session’ with fishery stakeholders precedes bill reathorization
by WABI News Desk
(WABI) - Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and other members of Congress hosted a virtual listening session today with leaders from New England's fisheries. The event was a chance to assess the needs of individuals who have a stake in the management of federal ocean and fisheries resources. The main goal of the listening session was to help inform California Congressman Jared Huffman's introduction of a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. It's the primary law governing fisheries … Continue Reading
September 24, 2020
Calif. Democrats decry federal inaction in Congress' first hearing on Salton Sea in 23 years
by Mark Olalde
In a congressional hearing Thursday that starkly illuminated partisan divides, California Democrats called on the federal government to provide greater assistance in remedying environmental and public health crises at the Salton Sea. All but one GOP members were absent, and the one who did attend criticized the organizers for holding the hearing. Hosted by a water-focused subcommittee of the House Committee on Natural Resources, it was the first hearing Congress has held on the matter in 23 … Continue Reading
September 24, 2020
Rep. Jared Huffman urges census participation as judge blocks Trump administration’s end to count
by Guy Kovner
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman is calling on his constituents to participate in the census in a race against time as the Trump administration sought to end the once-in-a-decade population count next week ? a plan that was staved off until at least late October by a federal judge's ruling late Thursday. "We've got a lot of work to do," the San Rafael Democrat said in a Facebook Live session, noting the census completion rate in his six-county district is just 66%. "The costs of not getting to … Continue Reading
September 24, 2020
House Passes Huffman Amendment on Klamath Dams
by Iridian Casarez
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4447, the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which included the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement Tribal Fairness amendment, led by North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman.The amendment aims to safeguard Tribal communities against further harm to the Klamath River and its ecosystem and to remediate existing problems in the Klamath River basin and downstream communities caused by four aging dams owned by PacifiCorp, a subsidiary … Continue Reading
September 15, 2020
Democrats press NOAA on hiring climate science skeptic
by Emma Dumain
Two top Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee want answers for why NOAA hired a known skeptic of mainstream climate change science to a senior position. "With the daily realities we face as a country and global community, it is shameful that such a thing as a 'climate denier' still exists and extremely problematic that one be appointed to a prominent position in NOAA," the committee's chairman, Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, and Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the … Continue Reading
September 15, 2020
Democrats press NOAA on hiring climate science skeptic
by Emma Dumain
Two top Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee want answers for why NOAA hired a known skeptic of mainstream climate change science to a senior position. "With the daily realities we face as a country and global community, it is shameful that such a thing as a 'climate denier' still exists and extremely problematic that one be appointed to a prominent position in NOAA," the committee's chairman, Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, and Rep. Jared Huffman of California, the … Continue Reading
September 11, 2020
Huffman to Warren Buffett: 'Do the Right Thing' on Klamath Dams
by Thadeus Greenson
North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman jointed two of his colleagues today in sending a letter to one of the world's richest people urging him to move forward an agreement to remove four hydroelectric dams from the ailing Klamath River.The letter comes as the hard fought agreement reached in 2016 to complete what would be the largest dam removal effort in the nation's history is in peril. In July, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ruled that PacifiCorp - the power company that owns … Continue Reading
August 27, 2020
Thompson, Huffman back bill boosting federal share of community disaster funding
by Guy Kovner
Sonoma County's two House members, Reps. Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman, are among the 19 lawmakers co-sponsoring a bill to boost to 90% the federal share of disaster recovery funds awarded to communities. In all, 18 Democrats and a lone Republican, Rep. Doug LaMalfa of Richvale, introduced on Tuesday the bill that would raise the current 75% federal share of Federal Emergency Management Agency grants for restoring public facilities, including roads, bridges, public utilities and … Continue Reading
August 22, 2020
Huffman Votes for Postal Service Act as Dozens Rally in Eureka
by Kimberley Wear
North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman joined fellow House members in passing the Delivering for America Act, which includes $25 billion in funding for the U.S. Postal Service and prohibits any changes to "operations or level of service" in place on Jan. 1 of this year.Today's vote came as "Save the Post Office Saturday" rallies took place across the nation and in Eureka - where a group of about 35 held signs on the corner of Fifth and H streets and speakers noted the importance of mail … Continue Reading
August 20, 2020
Sonoma County braces for long fight against Walbridge fire
by Julie Johnson, Mary Callahan and Tyler Silvy
An exhausted and determined force of mostly local firefighters tried to strengthen their defense Thursday against two main fronts of the 20,000-acre Walbridge fire threatening communities west of Healdsburg and along the Russian River outside Guerneville in Sonoma County. Declaring the Walbridge fire the most critical of many major blazes in the region, Cal Fire officials began mustering a significant air attack, including a converted 747 Global Supertanker, the largest aerial firefighting … Continue Reading
August 19, 2020
‘Facelift’ of Humboldt Bay’s north, south jetties begins
by Sonia Waraich
The north and south jetties at the entrance of Humboldt Bay are getting a facelift after four decades of relentless battering from the North Pacific Ocean. "Over these last 40 years, these jetties have performed remarkably well and they held up admirably to the continuous onslaught of the ocean," said Peter Mull, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project manager. "Inevitably though the sea never grows tired and all works of man meant to pacify her will eventually need a bit of a … Continue Reading