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New Round Of Grants Announced by Harbor Community Benefit Foundation

Paul Rosenberg
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New Round Of Grants Announced by Harbor Community Benefit Foundation

Advisory Committee Formed, Youth Committee To Follow

The Harbor Community Benefit Foundation (HCBF) has announced the opening of round 10 of its Community Benefit Grant Program, with a deadline for proposals on April 17.

“This round will provide up to $1 million dollars for projects to improve the San Pedro Bay environmental and public health,” HCBF Board Chair Ed Avol told Random Lengths. “As has been the case in the previous nine rounds of funding, we anticipate a wide array of interesting and varied applications and plan to follow essentially the same process as in the previous rounds of community funding.”

Two further funding rounds are planned in the future. Funds for all three rounds come as part of an EPA port grant which was initially in doubt during the early days of the Trump Administration. Though no longer in doubt, there has been a funding delay, according to Jayme Wilson, HCBF Director of Administration & Communication. “We are waiting on the Port to reimburse HCBF for expenses incurred on the EPA grant since August,” Wilson told Random Lengths. EPA and the port keep changing paperwork requirements, but after a “good meeting” on Mar 2, he felt confident things being resolved soon.

Meanwhile, “We have been holding monthly Community Engagement meetings to inform/involve community in what is happening with the program,” Avol said. The next meeting is on March 12 at the Toberman Center, from 6 to 7:30pm.

They’ve also established a Community Advisory Committee “who will help direct the funding awarded through the Community-Driven Zero Emissions [ZE] Funding Program,” he said. Their first meeting was held on Mar 2. It’s composed of community non-profit/EJ groups, at-large community residents, union/labor reps, Chamber of Commerce representatives, secondary and collegiate education reps, and a Tribal Nations rep.

They’re also in the process of establishing a “Youth Council” of individuals 16-to-22 years old, “to elevate youth perspectives.”

On the staff side, they’re reviewing resumes and interviewing applicants for a workforce development coordinator, who will oversee the major workforce development element of the program.

In short, despite snags and delays, things are about move forward in visible ways.

AD 65 Hopefuls Outline Vision for Ports, Jobs and Equity

Terelle Jerricks
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AD 65 Hopefuls Outline Vision for Ports, Jobs and Equity

Whoever is elected to represent Assembly District 65 will succeed Assemblymember Mike Gipson, whose term ends Dec. 7 as he runs for the California Board of Equalization.

The Carson Network will host an AD 65 candidate forum on March 14 at Veterans Park. Five candidates are vying for the seat: Dr. Vinson Eugene Allen, Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Lamar Lyons, Dr. Ayanna Davis, and Magali Sanchez-Hall. Random Lenon gths asked each to respond to a brief questionnaire outlining their positions.

The California Assembly District 65 Candidate Forum is on March 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. Emailcarsonnetwork@gmail.comto RSVP for your seat. For more information, call 310-617-3886.

The district was reshaped and renumbered during the 2021–22 redistricting process following the 2020 Census. What was formerly AD 64 shifted south and west to become AD 65, consolidating Carson, Compton, Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Watts and San Pedro. The district remains heavily Democratic and closely aligned with Harbor Area and port-adjacent communities.

Gipson, who previously represented AD 64, continued in office under the new AD 65 boundaries. During his tenure, he served as Assembly Democratic Caucus chair from 2015 to July 2023 — the longest-serving in state history. He chaired the Revenue and Taxation Committee and the Select Committee on Ports and Goods Movement, and held leadership roles on committees focused on domestic violence, workforce development, homelessness and restorative justice. He was also elected national vice chair of The Council of State Governments for 2024.

Among his legislative efforts, Gipson championed measures banning “ghost guns,” including Assembly Bill 1263, signed into law in 2025, which strengthened oversight of untraceable weapons and digital firearm instructions. He supported police reform legislation banning chokeholds and prohibiting the use of “excited delirium” as a cause of death in custody. He also sponsored bills expanding access to mobile stroke units and reducing employment barriers.

Gipson helped direct nearly $4 billion in state funding to district projects during the 2022–24 budget cycles. As chair of the Select Committee on Ports and Goods Movement, he secured $110 million for a Goods Movement Workforce Training Campus in the Los Angeles Harbor region to prepare workers for careers in port and logistics sectors, including emerging zero-emission technologies.

Critics on the left faulted Gipson for accepting energy sector donations, giving him a “C” grade from some advocacy groups. Gipson defended his record, saying he remained focused on delivering for his constituents.

Candidates Vying for AD 65 Seat

Dr. Vinson Eugene Allen is a physician, entrepreneur, and community advocate running for California’s 65th Assembly District. He founded Dusk to Dawn Urgent Care, serving underserved communities, and leads the Saint Vinson Eugene Allen Foundation, supporting scholarships and families in need. Allen’s campaign focuses on expanding affordable healthcare, creating jobs, strengthening small businesses, improving public safety, and addressing the housing crisis. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, he trained in emergency medicine at Martin Luther King Jr. Hospital in Los Angeles. Previously, he ran for California Insurance Commissioner in 2022, bringing healthcare and business experience to statewide policy debates.

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair has spent her life fighting to expand opportunity for working families. As an immigrant, educator, and mother to a son with special needs, she understands firsthand the challenges communities face, from underfunded schools and rising housing costs to wages that lag behind the cost of living. As a science teacher in Watts, she worked in overcrowded classrooms with outdated supplies while supporting students facing homelessness and food insecurity. Fatima has co-chaired an alliance supporting strong union jobs and has stood with striking workers at LAX, Starbucks and in public schools. In the Assembly, she will work to lower costs, protect and expand union jobs, prioritize affordable housing and guarantee healthcare as a human right. She is endorsed by the LA County Federation of Labor, the CA Teachers’ Association, and Congresswoman Nanette Barragan.

LaMar Lyons brings a lifetime of experience uplifting working people in both the public and private sectors. He understands the struggles and triumphs of being a single parent and business owner. An industry and community leader, Lyons says his dual perspective positions him to tackle the district’s economic and social challenges.

A San Pedro resident for more than 30 years, he combines local knowledge with policy expertise to address access to clean air and water, affordable housing, fair employment and community care. Lyons says he knows how to align capital with community needs and deliver results for everyday families.

Dr. Ayanna Davis, a lifelong Compton resident, has more than 30 years in education and community service. She is a legislative representative of the Compton Unified School District Board of Trustees and has served as a teacher, principal and union leader. Davis holds a bachelor’s degree from USC, two master’s degrees in educational administration and a doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership. Her campaign focuses on inclusive economic opportunity, fully funded public education, affordable housing and stronger public safety.

Magali Sanchez-Hall is a longtime 65th District resident and community advocate. Her campaign emphasizes affordable housing, strong public schools, small business support and public safety through prevention and accountability. She promotes coalition-building with labor, parents and grassroots groups to ensure families have a voice in state policymaking.

Random Lengths asked each candidate to respond to two questions. Allen’s campaign did not return the questionnaire before press time.

Question: Since AD 65 is closely aligned with the Harbor Area and port-adjacent communities — tying it directly to Port of Los Angeles–related issues, logistics, environmental justice and goods movement — what is your vision for ensuring the benefits of the Twin Ports are spread more widely and equitably through the district in terms of jobs?

Fatima Iqbal-Zubair
With California Assembly District 65’s aligning more closely with the Harbor Area and port-adjacent communities, giving AD 65 a stronger connection to Port of Los Angeles–related issues, logistics, environmental justice, and goods movement, what is your vision of ensuring the benefits of the Twin Ports are spreading more widely and equitably through the district in terms of jobs?

As an Assemblymember, I will work to keep our Twin Ports a stable pillar of our local economy and ensure the money they generate benefits our local community, particularly by creating more high-quality, good-paying jobs.

Economic growth must provide more opportunities for people to secure stable, union jobs that allow working families to afford housing, health care, education, and save for retirement. As technology and AI expand, I will not allow corporate profits to come at the expense of union workers. Innovations in technology must include strong worker protections, labor standards, and a real voice for working people and I will stand strong against automation.

I will work to strengthen local pipelines from our high schools, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, and trade schools into union careers, as well as increase outreach to women, people of color, and other communities who have had less access to port careers. I will champion local hire incentives to ensure these jobs stay in our neighborhoods and build generational wealth locally.

We can modernize the port while protecting both workers and residents, and we must do both. Our communities have borne the burden of pollution for decades, with a lack of investment in providing clean air and water. I will work to ensure California continues to lead on infrastructure in a way that brings more union jobs to our communities and safeguards public health for generations to come.

By protecting workers, expanding access to opportunities, and investing in the infrastructure that provides these crucial careers, we can build a port economy that works for everyone and allows working families to thrive.

Lamar Lyons
As President of the San Pedro Central Neighborhood Council, I have taken on a role that mirrors many of the responsibilities of elected office. I’ve worked directly with residents and regional stakeholders to address complexcommunity issues, particularly those connected to the Port of Los Angeles and West Harbor — two of the most significant economic drivers in the district. In this leadership position, Lamar has helped shape conversations surrounding the redevelopment of the decommissioned Phillips 66 site, a once-in-a-generation opportunity for economic transformation.

As President, I have demonstrated the ability to balance competing interests and develop forward-looking solutions that prioritize both economic growth and environmental responsibility.

He proposes small-scale, clean-technology micro-factories focused on precision manufacturing and flexible production lines. His plan centers on creating high-wage, career-track jobs while building a strong local workforce and establishing reentry pipelines in partnership with educational and training institutions.

Dr. Ayanna Davis
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the economic backbones of our region, but too many surrounding communities are not seeing their fair share of the benefits. I believe we must work to build strong, direct pipelines from our local schools and community colleges into union careers in logistics, maritime operations, and the skilled trades. We have a real opportunity to connect residents of Carson, Compton, Wilmington, and nearby neighborhoods to these well-paying jobs so that economic growth in the region leads to lasting career opportunities for local families.

I am proud to be supported by the Inlandboatmen’s Union of the Pacific, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Southern California District Council, ILWU Local 13, ILWU Local 56, ILWU Local 63, ILWU Local 94, and the Los Angeles Port Police Association / ILWU Local 65. Their support reflects my commitment to protecting good union jobs and expanding equitable access to the opportunities created by our region’s ports for working families across Assembly District 65.

Magali Sanchez-Hall
My vision for Assembly District 65 is deeply connected to the Port of Los Angeles and port-adjacent communities. It is centered on equitable access, community wealth-building, and a just transition to clean goods movement.

Prioritize Frontline Communities in Hiring & Training

Communities closest to the ports often low-income communities of color have borne the brunt of diesel pollution, warehouse traffic, and cumulative environmental burdens. My vision ensures they are first in line for the green economic benefits.

  • Establish 30% local hire mandates for port-funded and publicly subsidized projects.
  • Expand pipelines in partnership with labor unions and community colleges.
  • Target recruitment toward residents from high polluted areas.

Provide wraparound services (childcare, transportation stipends, language access) so working-class families can actually access these jobs.

Environmental justice means those who have paid the highest health costs should receive priority access to the new clean green economy.

Given the current federal administration’s stance toward California, what challenges or blind spots must the 65th Assembly District address to ensure constituents thrive regardless of federal policy?

Fatima Iqbal
Given the current federal administration’s stance toward California, what challenges or blind spots must the 65th Assembly District address to ensure constituents thrive regardless of federal policy?

Economic instability and federal trade policies are driving up costs for working families in our communities. As Assemblymember, I will act to shield our communities from increased costs and ensure corporations pay their fair share, so that we can invest in workers, infrastructure, and basic needs like affordable housing and health care.

I will ensure California continues to lead in defending the right to unionize, protecting fair wages, and upholding workplace safety. Our workers are the backbone of our economy, and I will make sure their rights remain secure and that families have what they need to pay rent, afford health care, and send their kids to school.

Another urgent priority is protecting our communities from ICE raids in our neighborhoods. We must support policies that protect communities from ICE and get ICE out of California. California can and must do its part to end ICE’s ability to terrorize our neighbors in our state.

The current administration’s hostility toward California poses real challenges for our communities and we must have thoughtful, principled state leadership that prioritizes protecting our workers, reducing the economic strain that prevents families from getting ahead, and protecting our most vulnerable communities. As your Assemblymember, I will act to protect our communities and ensure our residents have the opportunities and resources they need to get ahead, regardless of what happens in the federal government.

Lamar Lyons
The 65th Assembly District’s biggest blind spot is concentration. It relies heavily on port trade, industrial jobs, federal funding, and communities that have long been underinvested. That concentration makes the district economically fragile. When federal trade, environmental, housing, or infrastructure policies shift, the consequences are immediate and local. The district’s dependence on the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach leaves it especially exposed to federal trade policy changes. Yet there is an ongoing assumption that port growth automatically benefits residents. It does not. Without economic diversification and serious workforce retraining, growth can bypass local workers, and downturns can hit hard. Environmental risk is inseparable from economic risk. Communities already shoulder intense pollution from ports, refineries, and freight corridors. If federal environmental protections weaken, health costs rise, and workforce stability declines. Clean air and climate resilience are not optional — they are economic necessities. Housing pressures deepen the vulnerability. Waterfront development and transit expansion are driving up costs. Building new units without protecting affordability accelerates displacement and weakens the district’s long-term stability.

The district’s economy rises or falls on federal decisions. Until it addresses its structural concentration, it remains exposed to forces beyond its control.

Dr. Ayanna Davis
In the face of the Trump Administration’s cruel immigration policies, one of my top priorities as a principal and school board member has been ensuring that our campuses are safe for our immigrant students and their families. In the Assembly, I will continue fighting to strengthen protections that keep ICE off our campuses and ensure schools remain places of stability and opportunity.

We need to stand up and fight back against the Trump Administration’s attempts to defund our local public schools. We also must safeguard access to healthcare. Many families in our district rely on Medi-Cal and other public programs, and federal threats to funding or coverage put real lives at risk. I will fight to protect and expand access to affordable care and ensure that no family in Assembly District 65 is forced to choose between getting medical treatment and paying rent or putting food on the table.

Magali Sanchez-Hall
AD 65 includes working-class, port-adjacent, and immigrant communities whose well-being is tightly connected to state-level protections. If federal policy weakens civil rights protections lacking US constitution enforcement, environmental standards, or immigrant protections, the district must proactively close those gaps.

Latino and immigrant communities often experience federal enforcement policies as economic and psychological destabilization through deportation threats, workplace raids, or benefit exclusions.

Some of the blind spots to address:

  • Fear that prevents residents from accessing health care, job training, or environmental programs
  • Worker exploitation in logistics, warehousing, and service sectors, among others

 

Retaliation against immigrant workers who report unsafe conditions

Actions:

  • Strengthen state-level protections and legal defense funding
  • Expand wage theft enforcement and workers’ protections
  • Ensure access to state-funded benefits regardless of immigration status
  • Support “know your rights” outreach in multiple languages
  • Some of the challenges we face by current administration:
  • Federal weakening of clean air or climate standards
  • Delays in zero-emission freight mandates
  • Reduced federal environmental enforcement

Action:

  • Codify stronger state and regional emissions standards
  • Expand community air monitoring and public reporting
  • Direct state funds to accelerate electrification independent of federal support

The California Assembly District 65 Candidate Forum is on March 14, from 1 to 3 p.m. Emailcarsonnetwork@gmail.comto RSVP for your seat. For more information, call 310-617-3886.

Venue: Veterans Park & Sports Complex, Small Gym, 22400 Moneta Avenue, Carson

As PBID Renewal Looms, San Pedro Artists Weigh Survival Over Spectacle

Reporters Desk
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As PBID Renewal Looms, San Pedro Artists Weigh Survival Over Spectacle

 

By Devonte Barr, Columnist

On a Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago, San Pedro artists gathered at Los Angeles Harbor Arts to debate whether they intend to survive.

Within minutes, we were talking about bylaws, budgets, contracted security response times, and how to make a room full of “heavy hitters” look you in the eye while you speak, which is to say: This wasn’t an arts committee meeting. It was a civics meeting that smelled like acrylic and lukewarm coffee.

Everyone in the room cared deeply about the same thing — bringing people back into galleries, rebuilding energy after COVID, protecting what’s left of an “organic” arts district that predates any marketing plan. But beneath the surface, the real conversation wasn’t about paint or programming. It was about power.

Specifically: who controls the money, who controls the brand, and who gets to decide what “culture” looks like downtown.

Coming off the heels of First Thursday this past month, when nearly 200 teenagers flooded the blocks near 6th and 7th streets. A self-promoting kickboxing instructor reportedly challenged the crowd. The sheer excitement gave way to the pitfalls of adolescence. Fights broke out. Several teens were detained by the police. Parents were called. For some in the room, it was just another example of what happens when an event becomes a magnet without a structure — when spectacle overtakes stewardship.

First Thursday, several artists argued, it no longer feels like it belongs to the artists. It feels like a product — marketed, monetized and managed by San Pedro’s Historic Waterfront Business Improvement District, also known as the PBID. Artists cited specific concerns: delayed security response times, limited hours and inconsistent sanitation. Yet artists have no seat at the table when those contracts are renewed. The PBID collects assessments from property owners and controls the contracting process for vendors. From the artists’ perspective, the event’s current chaos and exhaustion stem from decisions made without their input or consideration of their priorities.

That’s when the conversation shifted, almost accidentally, into governance.

The conversation moved into the mechanics: renewal cycles, service contracts, security, sanitation, marketing budgets and votes. Someone suggested organizing property owners. Someone else suggested documenting every failure. Another urged artists to physically stand in front of the board’s projection screen at PBID meetings, so they’d be forced to make eye contact.

It was a room full of people who could build entire worlds on canvas, struggling to build a shared Google Doc.

And I say that with love — as an artist myself. The irony is almost poetic: The same independence that makes artists powerful also makes them allergic to coordination. No one wants to be the boss. No one wants to be the treasurer. Everyone wants the doors open and the energy back.

Carol Hungerford, who operates in the Los Angeles Harbor Arts space, said something that felt honest and heavy: They haven’t recovered since COVID. Before the pandemic, First Thursday was a reliable funnel for discovery. The event has since returned, but several attendees described it as chaotic, diluted, or exhausting. They offered no attendance data, but they did offer something clearer: a shared sense that the engine driving reliable foot traffic has stalled.

But what I didn’t hear — not once — was a clear call to reach a younger generation. Early iterations of First Thursday thrived on discovery. It wasn’t just retirees making their rounds; it was young couples, creatives, people looking for something to do on a weeknight that didn’t involve a cover charge. That generational curiosity is what gave the event lift.

Second Saturday was described in the room as a response — a quieter correction, an attempt to bring the focus back to art itself. But if First Thursday once grew because it captured younger momentum, the absence of that conversation now feels conspicuous.

Young audiences exist. They drive up the 110 for museum shows. They wait in lines for gallery openings in Culver City and Downtown LA. They post, they return, they bring friends. The question isn’t whether they care about art — it’s whether San Pedro is speaking to them, or whether we’re still only speaking to the people who already know where the galleries are.

But the meeting didn’t go there. Instead, it got stuck.

App or website confusion. Missing social media posts. Trolley schedules. Evaporated cross-promotion commitments. The security contractor had failed to show up multiple times; his equipment had been stolen. These weren’t peripheral complaints. They were the operational failures that artists said were undermining the event.

Power, it turns out, is less about passion and more about process.

The most consequential moment came quietly, near the end: The PBID renewal date is December 2027. That’s the hinge. Miss it, and the PBID renews on its own terms for another five years. Show up organized with documented demands, and the artists have leverage to renegotiate contracts, demand representation and rewrite the rules.

That means the next few months aren’t about complaining — they’re about building something that can be negotiated. It requires a unified plan with documented demands.

The artists in that room don’t lack talent, heart, or ideas. What they lack — at least for now — is infrastructure.

Second Saturdays — the artist-led alternative — emerged as an organic response: open studios, flexible hours, minimal programming. A return to simplicity. Good instinct. But simplicity still requires structure. Someone has to own the list of participating spaces. Someone has to manage the hours. Someone has to define the route. Someone has to say, “Here is what we are doing, and here is why it matters.”

Otherwise, the structure renews itself by default.

San Pedro’s arts community has history on its side. It has authenticity on its side. What it needs now is discipline — not corporate discipline, not soulless branding, but the kind that turns energy into strategy.

And that starts with a document. Not a manifesto — a one-page list of demands. What services were promised and not delivered, and what specific changes do artists want before they vote to renew? Something concrete enough to hand to a property owner, a council member, or a PBID board member who’s used to artists showing up with feelings instead of facts.

Trump Policies Cut 12 Years of Medicare Trust Fund Solvency

Paul Rosenberg
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Trump Policies Cut 12 Years of Medicare Trust Fund Solvency

 

According to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office, the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund, used to pay for benefits under Medicare Part A, will be exhausted in 2040, “12 years earlier than in our most recent estimate of that date, which was published in March 2025,” primarily due to loss of revenue from Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” There were also projected increases in costs. However, it’s still seven years later than it was before the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010.

The date does not apply to Medicare coverage for physician and outpatient costs (Part B) or to the Medicare prescription drug benefit (Part D), which are financed through a different trust fund. Medicare Part A covers inpatient hospital services, care provided in skilled nursing facilities, home health care, and hospice care.

While the change is dramatic, it remains uncertain given the nature of long-term projections. Such projections have varied significantly in the past, and cost increases have dropped significantly since the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Still, it’s a worrying development.

The program “will not run out of all financial resources and cease to operate … as the ‘bankruptcy’ term may suggest,” Paul Van de Water, an expert with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, explained last year. But changes are called for to maintain full coverage.

“This report confirms Trump’s economy and Republicans’ Big, Ugly, Law, with their billionaire tax cuts and wealthy handouts, are putting lives at risk by drying up funding that covers critical care for seniors and people with disabilities,” said Rep. Richard Neal, ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee.

“Despite their assurances otherwise, the facts prove once again that Trump and Republicans are cutting and sabotaging Medicare,” Neal said. Whether it’s from your wallet or your health care, they are looting every dollar they can to hand to the very top. As the effects from the greatest theft of health care in history continue to be exposed, the people will see this looting for what it is, and Democrats will do everything we can to not only reverse course but chart a better path.”

The report cited three main reasons for the drop in income:

  • First, revenues from taxing Social Security benefits are smaller in the current projections because of changes put in place by the 2025 reconciliation act (Public Law 119-21), which lowered tax rates and created a temporary deduction for taxpayers age 65 or older.
  • Second, we decreased our projections of revenues from payroll taxes to account for projections of lower earnings.
  • Finally, we now project interest income credited to the trust fund to be smaller than estimated last year because of the smaller trust fund balances in this year’s projections.

On the spending side, it cited increases in “per-enrollee spending in Medicare Part A’s fee-for-service program in 2025” and “bids in 2026 by providers of Medicare Advantage plans” as the basis for projections of greater per-enrollee spending.

In the past, Democrats have proposed raising or eliminating the cap on payroll taxes as a straightforward way to increase revenues.

Port of Long Beach Debuts Children’s Book

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Port of Long Beach Debuts Children’s Book

 

The Port of Long Beach on March 3 debuted Soleil the Sea Lion Explores the Green Port, a new children’s book highlighting the port’s environmental achievements and ongoing commitment to sustainable operations.

Coinciding with Read Across America Week, the book was introduced to students during an assembly at Birney Elementary School in Long Beach. Copies will be available in elementary and K-8 school libraries across the Long Beach Unified School District.

Developed through the port’s communications and community relations division, the story is aimed at a third-grade audience and follows a fictional sea lion named Soleil who wants to meet friends also living in the ocean. When the Port of Long Beach enacts several measures to enhance water and air quality as the nation’s first Green Port, Soleil develops friendships with marine mammals, birds and other sea creatures gradually returning to the harbor.

“Through the eyes of Soleil the Sea Lion, young readers can learn how far we’ve come in fulfilling our Green Port promise of a cleaner harbor through air, water and habitat restoration programs,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba. “The next generation of Long Beach residents – the children attending our schools – will benefit from the hard work we’re doing today to achieve our goal of zero-emissions operations.”

“Read Across America Week reminds us that reading can open doors to our communities, lifelong learning and other opportunities,” said LBUSD Superintendent Dr. Jill Baker. “With all of the educational partnerships we have with the Port, we are proud to help launch this book.”

The return of sea life represented in the book is based on comprehensive biological studies to measure the harbor’s health. A recent San Pedro Bay ports complex-wide study identified 1,000 species of fish, birds, invertebrates and marine mammals, a 60% increase since 2000.

The port’s commitment to sustainable operations and environmental stewardship also includes the clean truck program, shore power for ships, cleaner fuels and additional measures to improve the quality of air and water.

Since 2005, the port has helped reduce pollution from diesel particulate matter by 90%, nitrogen oxides by 68% and sulfur oxides by 98%, all while cargo traffic has increased 44%.

“Soleil the Sea Lion Explores the Green Port” was written by port media relations manager Art Marroquin and illustrated by Long Beach artist Michelle Dinh. The port produced an initial 2,500 copies of the book for local schools and community events. Additional copies will be printed in Spanish, Khmer and Tagalog, and plans are underway to create online and audio versions.

At the moment, distribution of the book is limited to port events and LBUSD libraries. Additional opportunities for obtaining copies will be announced soon.

In acknowledgement of the book’s launch, the port is sponsoring the LBUSD Bookmark Contest, a districtwide art competition incorporating the themes of reading and environmental responsibility in recognition of Earth Day. About 60,000 students from pre-kindergarten to high school seniors have an opportunity to design a bookmark with the theme “Our Power, Our Planet.” The contest is now open and the deadline for submissions is April 2. Winners from each grade will be announced on April 20. For more information, students and parents are advised to ask their campus librarians.

Details: For more information, visit www.polb.com/education.

Board of Supervisors Approves Hahn’s Sweeping Accountability Plan to Reduce Jail Deaths

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Board of Supervisors Approves Hahn’s Sweeping Accountability Plan to Reduce Jail Deaths

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors March 3 approved a comprehensive proposal aimed at reducing deaths in Los Angeles County jails through stronger accountability, improved safety practices, and increased transparency across multiple county departments.

“As long as people are in our custody, they are on our care, and we have a duty to protect their lives,” said Supervisor Hahn. “This effort is about increasing accountability, acting with urgency, and doing better—now.”

Hahn’s motion comes after an alarming increase in deaths in county custody. In the first two months of 2026, ten people died in LA County jails—following a devastating 2025 in which 45 people died in County jails.

The approved motion builds on a previous motion Hahn authored in 2025 and responds to resulting findings from reports and presentations by the Sheriff’s Department, county health agencies, and oversight bodies about persistent systemic failures despite prior reforms.

The motion requests that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department:

  • Ensure screening of everyone—including staff—entering jail facilities to reduce drug inflow
  • Improve and randomize safety checks with greater supervisor oversight
  • Increase use and reliability of cameras and surveillance
  • Ensure easy access to and availability of Naloxone throughout jail facilities
  • Ensure people in custody can readily access grievance and medical request forms
  • Increase transparency with the public by adding facility names to the LASD In-Custody Death Dashboard.
  • Establish ongoing monitoring and independent review for accountability

The motion directs Correctional Health Services to:

  • Report back on options to improve the Medication Assisted Treatment to reduce overdose deaths
  • Identify best practices to prevent substance-use-related fatalities
  • Ensure emergency medical equipment, including defibrillators, is functional and available
  • Increase reporting, transparency, and timeliness of compassionate release efforts
  • Strengthen death review processes and track corrective actions
  • Improve access to medical request forms and reduce delays in care
  • Seek funding for electronic health requests, appointment tracking, and unmet treatment needs
  • Review suicide prevention and court notification procedures
  • Explore how using outside experts will assist in evaluating and identifying deaths in custody trends and recommend further reforms

Other reforms in the motion include quarterly reports from the Office of the Inspector General on the medication sssisted treatment program and an audit by the auditor-controller.

In the motion, Supervisor Hahn emphasized that the human toll of in-custody deaths is compounded by a significant financial cost to taxpayers. Over the past five years, Los Angeles County has spent millions on settlements and judgments related to deaths in custody—funds that could otherwise support prevention, housing, healthcare, and social services.

The motion requests that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and directs that Department of Health Services’ Correctional Health Services, Office of Inspector General, auditor-controller, medical examiner, and other departments implement reforms within 120 days and report back publicly on progress, funding needs, and staffing requirements.

Details: Read the full approved motion here.

Los Angeles County Challenges Federal SBA Rule Excluding Permanent Residents

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Los Angeles County Challenges Federal SBA Rule Excluding Permanent Residents

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors March 3 approved a motion to authorize the county to file, initiate, join or support legal action challenging the U.S. Small Business Administration’s exclusion of lawful permanent residents from accessing SBA-backed loans.

On Feb. 4, at the request of the Trump administration, the Small Business Administration announced a new rule excluding permanent residents from securing SBA-backed loans, effective March 1. Since its establishment in 1953, the SBA has allowed both U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, including green card holders, to apply for loans.

“Limiting SBA loans to only U.S. citizens deeply impacts our working families, small businesses and students, especially those from immigrant communities,” said Chair and First District Supervisor Hilda L. Solis. “This new policy not only endangers our local economy but also undermines the very promise of the American Dream and generational wealth. Today’s motion reflects Los Angeles County’s commitment to stand with Angelenos and uphold the principle that hard work should lead to opportunity and stability for our communities and future generations.”

“What we are seeing at the federal level is not accidental. It is a systematically racist system of determining who gets access to capital and to economic advancement. Keeping entrepreneurs and students from being able to access capital for their business or to gain an education will only lead to more predatory options for the financial support people need – this means higher interest rate loans at traditional banks or more aggressive pay-day lenders. We are standing up to that with this motion because economic opportunity should not depend on immigration status or whether your profession is politically valued,” said Chair Pro Tem and Second District Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.

In addition, the U.S. Department of Education has taken steps to deprofessionalize certain careers, including nursing and social work, and to alter the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Under the proposed changes, employers currently eligible under the loan forgiveness program could be removed if deemed by the federal government to be engaged in illegal activity, without clear guidelines. County officials say both federal actions could have significant financial consequences for Los Angeles County families.

The motion directs county counsel to pursue legal options regarding both the SBA rule and the Department of Education actions. It also instructs the Departments of Economic Opportunity, Human Resources, and Consumer and Business Affairs to report back within 90 days on the potential workforce development impacts of the deprofessionalization decision across the county.

 

LA County Counsel Opposes Deer Eradication Plan on Catalina Island

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LA County Counsel Opposes Deer Eradication Plan on Catalina Island

Warns plan is a “direct threat to human life” citing increased wildfire risk

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Counsel Dawyn Harrison has sent a formal letter opposing the Catalina Island Conservancy’s plan to systematically shoot and kill the entire deer population on Catalina Island, calling the plan “a direct threat to human life.”

In the letter to the Catalina Island Conservancy and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife or CDFW, the county’s lawyers cited concerns raised by Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone that eliminating the entire deer population would increase wildfire risk on the island and threaten the people who live in the City of Avalon. In his memo, Chief Marrone warned that the removal of these grazers will cause an unmanaged surge in “fine fuels.”

“By ignoring the County Fire Department’s professional assessment, the Conservancy and California Department of Fish and Wildlife are prioritizing plant life over the safety of human residents,” Harrison wrote in the letter. “The current plan lacks community consensus and sacrifices public safety for a narrow ecological vision.”

Read the letter

The letter also raised serious concerns about the use of aerial capture, nighttime shooting, drones, and hunting dogs, arguing the approach is unnecessarily violent, scientifically unsupported, and harmful to public trust.

In January, the CDFW approved a permit for the conservancy for their deer eradication plan. The county has requested that the state review the issued permit and require a revised plan that incorporates sterilization and fire-risk mitigation as core components.

Supervisor Janice Hahn opposes the conservancy’s plan to kill the entire deer population and agrees with experts and island residents who believe there should be a smaller, well-managed deer population.

Last week, Hahn released a video questioning the conservancy’s given rationale and why they have dismissed other proposed solutions.

Watch Hahn’s video

Supervisors Champion Bill by Asm. Bryan to Allow Incarcerated Youth to Hug Visitors

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Supervisors Champion Bill by Asm. Bryan to Allow Incarcerated Youth to Hug Visitors

 

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors March 3 approved a motion by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell to express the County’s support for Assembly Bill 1646, a bill introduced by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles) which would require that juvenile facilities statewide ensure that youth in their custody have the right to hug visitors. The bill, also known as “The Hug Act,” was heard this morning in the California State Assembly Public Safety Committee, and successfully passed out of committee.

“No one should tell a child that they cannot hug their mom. The youth in our care are already facing unimaginable stress and challenges, and we know from research that allowing youth to embrace their loved ones leads to positive mental health outcomes and less violent behavior. It’s time to let these kids hug their moms,” said Supervisor Hahn.

Advocacy for a change in state law to require that incarcerated youth be allowed to hug visitors began with youth who are being held at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey. In July 2024, the youth mentorship organization Hoops 4 Justice attended a meeting of the Board of Supervisors with a large poster created by youth at Los Padrinos with a list of requests they were making to the supervisors to improve their experience in the hall. Their final request was the ability to hug their mothers, which is restricted under current procedures due to issues of contraband entering the secure facilities.

“Children deserve to be held, loved on, and affirmed by their parents. Denying incarcerated children hugs doesn’t keep anybody any safer. It’s time for us to recenter rehabilitation and humanity in our juvenile justice system,” said Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), who introduced the bill.

The LA County Probation Department, which administers Los Padrinos among other facilities, has been working to reform and standardize visitation practices.

California Approves $60 Million for Biodiversity Projects and Public Access to Nature

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California Approves $60 Million for Biodiversity Projects and Public Access to Nature

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom in February announced that the wildlife conservation board or WCB approved $59,642,096 in grants to protect biodiversity, restore important wildlife habitats, and improve public access to nature.

These grants will support 27 projects across 18 counties, including four projects that advance the California Salmon Strategy for a Hotter, Drier Future, and others investing in wildlife corridors and wildlife-oriented recreation.

This work furthers the Governor’s goal of conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, known as 30×30. This initiative seeks to protect California’s biodiversity—this state is one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots—while expanding access to nature for all Californians.

Advancing wildlife crossings in Southern California

A $5.5 million grant to Mojave Desert Land Trust or MDLT will fund environmental review and design for two wildlife crossings over State Route 62 near Yucca Valley, reconnecting habitat between the San Bernardino and Little San Bernardino mountains, including Joshua Tree National Park.

An additional $4 million grant to Temecula-Elsinore-Anza-Murrieta resource conservation district or TEAM, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy or TNC, will advance design of a crossing over Interstate 15 at Rainbow Canyon, restoring connectivity between the Santa Ana and Palomar mountains for mountain lions and other wide-ranging species.

Investing in salmon strategy

A $2.9 million grant to California Trout Inc. supports the restoration of the East Fork Scott River at Beaver Valley Headwaters Preserve in Siskiyou County. The project, led in part by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board or NCRWQCB, will add side channels, alcoves, and large wood structures; reconnect floodplains; and improve summer flows for coho salmon.

A $1.1 million grant will support the Lagunitas Creek aquatic habitat enhancement project to restore stream habitat for coho salmon, steelhead trout, and other native species. Marin Municipal Water District or MMWD is working on this project in cooperation with the California Department of Water Resources.

A $1.85 million grant to Chico State Enterprises will restore floodplains and habitat on lower Battle Creek in Tehama County for endangered salmon and steelhead, including construction of a side channel, removal of 1,700 linear feet of defunct levee, and placement of large wood and boulders to create salmon habitat.

A $1.5 million grant to Sonoma County Regional Parks will restore spawning habitat and ecosystems for coho, Chinook, and steelhead trout on Mark West Creek in Sonoma County.

Enhancing biodiversity at Pepperwood Preserve

A $1.75 million grant to Pepperwood Foundation or PF, in cooperation with Conservation Corps North Bay, will restore 893 acres of oak woodland and grasslands in Sonoma County. The project reduces fuel loads, enhances biodiversity, restores native grasslands and oak woodlands, and brings back cultural burning as part of land stewardship.

Expanding public access at Watsonville Slough

A $4.88 million grant to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County or LTSCC will construct a five-mile trail network and new visitor amenities at Watsonville Slough Farm. The project will provide free access to wetlands, grasslands, and working agricultural lands, with bilingual interpretation, educational programming, and improved connections for underserved communities.

Wildlife Conservation Board

Established in 1947, the Wildlife Conservation Board protects, restores, and enhances California’s spectacular natural resources for wildlife and the public’s use and enjoyment. WCB works in partnership with tribes, conservation groups, government agencies, and the people of California to safeguard biodiversity and expand access to nature.

Details: wcb.ca.gov. And to explore the newly funded projects, visit WCB’s StoryMaps pages.

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