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Chris Sutton delivers Celtic vs Rangers quip over furious Roy Keane viral clipFusion, The Ultimate Energy Source As stable, reliable, cheap, and carbon-neutral energy supplies become an increasingly pressing issue, all eyes have been on nuclear solutions. This includes nuclear fission, or the splitting of heavy atoms like uranium, thorium, or plutonium. This technology is making a dramatic comeback on the back of the phasing out of coal and gas power plants, despite the need for baseload power generation, as well as the trends of electrification of transportation, heating, and industrial production. It is, however, not without problems, even for the more advanced 4th generation of nuclear power plants . Most notably, it still involves the handling of highly radioactive materials, something the public is still wary of and never going to be fully environmentally neutral. This is why scientists have been looking at the promises of nuclear fusion, which merge together atoms like hydrogen, the same phenomenon powering the Sun. Source: Nature This would use a fuel that is the most abundant element in the Universe and produce only harmless helium or lithium. It would also be powerful enough to make available essentially infinite energy, with zero risk of explosion or runaway chain reaction. The problem is that producing the required conditions is so hard to achieve that no fusion reactor has ever come close to commercialization so far. This might change in less than a decade, at least according to Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS). The company has just announced that it is moving toward building the first commercial fusion reactor in Virginia . CFS Reactor Project Commonwealth Fusion Systems is aiming for its ARC reactor to generate 400 MW for the Virginian power grid, which is enough to power 150,000 homes. This is a radical advancement for the field of nuclear fusion, as it always seemed that the first scale-up reactor was 20-30 years away. Even the massive international endeavor that is ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is not expected to be finished before 2039. In comparison, the CFS reactor is planned to be built on a site owned by the energy company Dominion ( D +0.2% ). They see it as feasible as early as the early 2030s. “Our customers’ growing needs for reliable carbon-free power benefits from as diverse a menu of power generation options as possible, and in that spirit, we are delighted to assist CFS in their efforts.” Edward H Baine – Dominion president Commonwealth Fusion Systems CFS Technology To understand how realistic this project is, we need to look at CFS history. The company was spun off MIT in 2018 and has raised $2B since, notably from Italian oil giant Eni. CFS is developing a fusion reactor based on the “classic” tokamak design, which forms a plasma in a torus (donut shape). Source: DOE (You can learn more about nuclear fusion and different reactor designs in “ Nuclear Fusion – The Ultimate Clean Energy Solution on the Horizon ” and superconductivity in “ Progress In Superconductivity Making Way For A New Technological Revolution ”) CFS uses high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets developed in collaboration with MIT. They will control and compress the deuterium-tritium plasma to create nuclear fusion. A liquid “blanket” captures that energy as heat, then transfers it to water that turns a steam turbine to generate power. Deuterium is available nearly everywhere and can be filtered from seawater, while ARC blankets will naturally produce tritium. In 2021, it developed a 20 tesla HTS magnet , an improvement of 100-1,000x in previous magnet performance and the largest ever built. These magnets are now assembled in a new, record-breaking design called the Central Solenoid Model Coil (CSMC) . In 2024, the company also published its technology for a high-current-density, high-temperature superconducting cable that feeds power to these magnets . The fuel usage will be very compact, like for all nuclear fusion technologies: “Because only small amounts are needed, 30 years of ARC fuel can be delivered by a single truck when a new plant opens, with no price change risks down the line and no linkages to globally fraught supply chains.” Upcoming Series Of Reactors The HTS magnets will be used to build SPARC , aiming to be the first net-energy fusion reactor, meaning it will produce more energy from fusion than it consumes by igniting the hydrogen plasma. SPARC is already in construction on CFS's campus in Massachusetts but has yet to produce its first plasma. Source: CFS If all goes well with the SPARC demonstrator, ARC , to be built in Virginia is the next step. Source: CFS While SPARC is there to test the technology, ARC will be there to test the economics of the design. Each ARC will be about the size of a big-box store with about the same site needs. Source: CFS The next step is to mass-produce ARC, aiming to reduce manufacturing costs and spread out R&D costs. Serious Endorsements CFS is not only endorsed by Dominion and Eni but also by the UK Atomic Energy Agency, with whom it signed a five-year collaboration deal in 2022 . The research efforts of CFS were financed by awards from two US Department of Energy efforts, Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA–E) and Fusion Energy Sciences (FES). The MIT’s experts are also closely involved with CFS: “Where the mission of the TFMC was to demonstrate a steady strength, the CSMC needed to demonstrate speed. Hundreds of hands have touched this coil, from its inception on the drafting board to its long and complicated test program. The ingenuity, perseverance, and heart shown by this close-knit team was as impressive as the coil that sprang from their labors.” Ted Golfinopoulos, one of the MIT Principal Investigators on fusion reactors. Assessment Of CFS Commonwealth Fusion Systems' achievements in magnet technology are world-class. Stable magnetic confinement, the central concept of a tokamak reactor, could prove the missing key to solving the puzzle of nuclear fusion. It is, in any case, going to be a very valuable technology, not just for fusion applications. However, it is a little early to say how optimistic the CFS goals and timeline are. Nuclear fusion is a field littered with promising prototypes that have turned out to be less stable or productive than hoped for. So, it is unclear if the extra power of CFS’ magnets will be enough to produce reliable, profitable fusion plasma. As an example of possible unsolved issues, the tritium-producing blanket inside the reactor might not be as productive or durable as expected, even if plasma generation goes smoothly. Collecting back the power and turning it into electricity without damage to the reactor for decades of operation might prove tricky as well. The confidence displayed by CFS and Dominion Energy, however, shows that nuclear fusion is making great progress. Together with AI able to develop new material or stabilize plasma in real-time , we might be just 1-2 decades away from unlimited cheap energy that would instantly allow for massively deploying desalination, space exploration, indoor farming, etc. Fusion Companies Currently, none of the companies dedicated solely to making nuclear fusion commercially viable are publicly listed. This includes Helion , General Fusion , Commonwealth Fusion , TEA Technologies , ZAP Energy , and NEO Fusion. You can find an extensive list of startups in the nuclear fusion space on the dedicated page of Dealroom . Still, one publicly-listed company has been active in the field of fusion, with a redirection of its concept from energy production to space propulsion: Lockheed Martin. Lockheed Martin Corporation Lockheed Martin Corporation ( LMT +0.16% ) One notable exception to privately-listed startups dominating the field is the publicly traded company Lockheed Martin Corporation , a giant of the defense industry. Lockheed used to work since the early 2010s on Compact Fusion , a nuclear fusion reactor it expected to be ready by the 2020s. However, it has since been announced that the work on the project was stopped in 2021. The company has been very discreet about this project since the initial public announcement. To this day, it is unclear what could have prompted the company to abandon the idea. At the same time, it seems that it did not fully abandon the concept, notably with investments in 2024 in Helicity, a startup developing a fusion engine . The idea is to propel spacecraft with short bursts of fusion. Helicity plans to use a plasma gun, the same approach as General Fusion. Potentially, Lockheed's internal results have shown that its design could not sustain fusion in a way that is compatible with energy production. But maybe, at the same time, are short bursts enough for the need for propulsion in space and much closer to becoming an actual product? It would also be a better fit with the company's overall aerospace and defense-focused profile. You can learn more about Lockheed, including its main activity in weapon manufacturing, in a dedicated report from November 2024 .
Wheel of Fortune’s most prized tradition is the bonus round, where each episode’s winner is faced with one last puzzle and a mere 10 seconds to come away with an even bigger bundle of cash (or not). But fans want a word with host Ryan Seacrest about how he’s presenting the prizes after giving a puzzling amount of build-up to a player’s $40,000 win. On Friday, November 22’s episode, Brittany Brock, a kindergarten teacher from Chicago, Illinois, was the player to proceed to the coveted bonus round. By then she had won $17,300 in cash, a trip to Kauai, and selected “Living Thing” as her category. With the savvy additional letters of “DPBI” the two-word puzzle read as, “‘_ _ DDL_’ ‘P_PP_'”. Near-instantly, she correctly solved it as “Cuddly Puppy.” The broadcast cut to Seacrest and an excited Brock, and it was time to reveal how much she won from the prize wedge she picked. Seacrest opened the gold prize card and glanced at the figure. “And...” he told her with a surprised grin (below). After a few seconds he added, “Ready?” Broke clasped her hands over her mouth in anticipation as Seacrest then revealed she won an extra $40,000, the least one can win in the bonus round. “$40,000!” he exclaimed. This brought her to a grand total of $57,381 and she was overjoyed nonetheless, embraced her husband. On Social media, many fans celebrated the big win while left wondering why Seacrest presented the prize with such a prolonged rollout that it seemed like a bigger value and as if the confetti was about to overflow onto the Sony Pictures Studios parking lot. More Headlines:PM Modi to address two public meetings in Delhi ahead of poll announcement
7 takeaways from Bears' overtime loss vs. the VikingsEXCLUSIVE Trump's NATO pick Matt Whitaker's surprising take on Russia seizing Crimea resurfaces as Putin threatens WWIII READ MORE: Sign up for DailyMail.com's daily political email Follow DailyMail.com's politics live blog for all the latest news and updates By GEOFF EARLE, DEPUTY U.S. POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 17:38 EST, 22 November 2024 | Updated: 18:01 EST, 22 November 2024 e-mail View comments Donald Trump 's choice for U.S. ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said back in 2014 that Russia's seizure of Crimea wasn't a threat to 'vital' U.S. interests. The invasion, as it turns out, was a prelude to the broader invasion in 2022 that now has the Kremlin threatening to strike a U.S. base in Poland and raising nuclear threats while NATO allies making new preparations for a potential World War II . The latest chilling sabre rattling came from Russian foreign minister said Moscow would 'react accordingly' after Ukraine fired U.S.-provided long-range weapons at its territory and Vladimir Putin ally Dmitry Medvedev posted that it meant 'World War III'. Whitaker's comment, in the midst of a Republican primary during Whitaker's ill-fated run for the U.S. Senate , is one of a limited number of public pronouncements on geopolitics, U.S. alliances, and the nation's military spending. His position, if confirmed, would put him at the center of a historic standoff, with allies saying Russia's war threatens the entire transatlantic alliance. Whitaker is a lawyer, a former U.S. attorney, a former Big Ten football player, and former Acting Attorney General who Trump installed when he fired Sen. Jeff Sessions while fuming over the Russia probe. His comments on Crimea and U.S. 'boots on the ground' came during a debate in Des Moines against eventual winner Joni Ernst in response to a foreign policy question, just a few months after Russian forces seized the vital territory in 2014. 'Well, for me, it's what is in our national interest,' he said in the debate , hosted by KCCI. 'And I have a very high bar for what's in our national interest. For example, I didn't support going to Syria . I think this President was one of the prime example of him showing weakness.' 'And I would look at, really, when are our vital interests being threatened? I don't see that happening right now in Crimea, for example, but there are ways we could strengthen NATO and the European Union ,' Whitaker continued, in a clip obtained by DailyMail.com and unearthed by super PAC American Bridge, which is researching Trump nominees. Donald Trump announced he plans to nominate former acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker as U.S. ambassador to NATO, amid growing threats in Europe Then he compared himself to the candidate field on military spending. 'Probably among these five, I would probably be the least likely to use our military and probably spend the least amount on the military. It's probably marginally less, but it is probably among these five I would do the least in that,' he said. Trump two years later could campaign on new military spending, calling the military 'so depleted' and vowing: 'We will rebuild our military.' Even with the buildup, the U.S. would find itself short on ammunition, javelins, and missiles in the rush to supply Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion. President Joe Biden, while shovelling billions in military aid to Ukraine, has resisting putting U.S. forces there. Whitaker did not hesitate when the moderator asked if the U.S. should have gone into Iraq. 'No, we should not have gone to Iraq,' Whitaker said. That dovish position puts him in line with Trump, who now regularly criticizes the war (although fact-checks have decisively contradicted his claims that he opposed the 2003 invasion before it happened). A grab taken from footage released online on November 21, 2024 by the Ukrainian charity "Come Back Alive" shows flashes over the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Kyiv accused Russia of launching an intercontinental ballistic missile attack at Ukraine for the first time on November 21, 2024 but without a nuclear warhead Security camera footage out of the central-eastern city of Dnipro showed several projectiles streaking in and detonating in a series of violent, fiery explosions Russian President Vladimir Putin's government has been keeping up nuclear sabre rattling. The 2014 invasion of Crimea was a prelude to the cross-border invasion of Ukraine in 2022 Whitaker defended Trump on the Russia probe and in TV appearances. His comments on Crimea, which was part of Ukraine before Russia seized it, came during his failed run for Senate In another debate, Whitaker spoke about Ukraine as a 'fairly new democracy' that was 'split almost right down the middle to Russian speaker and the non Russian speakers' trying to determine 'which way to look.' 'Ukrainians need to come up with a solution and not have to favor one group or the other,' he said. Read More Moment 'nuclear-capable' Russian ICBM hits Ukraine as Moscow threatens to destroy US base in Poland He blamed Barack Obama for his 'very weak response' after Russia invaded Georgia, another former Soviet republic. 'I see why President Putin is very willing to go into Crimea and secure his port in Sevastopol and really now we have a election that is being propped up to have an independent state in Crimea that will look to Russia and it’s all because of this president and his weak foreign policy,' he said. Trump has revealed the premium he is putting on personal loyalty in his early picks, including selecting Pam Bondi, who represented him during his first impeachment, as attorney general after the Matt Gaetz nomination imploded. Whitaker scores high marks in that category as well, saying in a 2019 Fox News interview defending Trump that 'abuse of power is not a crime.' Trump has picked Whitaker for the key ambassadorial post at a time when key allies are making contingencies for World War III amid Kremlin threats over the war in Ukraine. Trump said Whitaker, who he installed in the top-level Justice Department post amid the Mueller probe during his first term, would be a 'strong warrior and loyal Patriot.' He said he would 'ensure the United States' interests are advanced and defended. Matt will strengthen relationships with our NATO Allies, and stand firm in the face of threats to Peace and Stability.' Trump has long been a critic of NATO and the way allies have lived up to burden-sharing commitments, and allies are busy gaming out how his return will impact global relationships . Trump's announcement comes after days of incendiary rhetoric following reports that President Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range ATACAMs provided by the U.S. to strike deep inside Russia – something the Ukrainian's appear to have quickly acted on. It sparked furious warnings from the Kremlin that it was 'fueling the fire' and from Kremlin allies that it could bring World War III. That followed Russia's introduction of thousands of allied North Korean troops onto its territory as it seeks to push back Ukrainians holding seized territory inside its Kursk region . Then, the administration confirmed it would send controversial antipersonnel land mines to Ukraine. The new anti-personnel landmines are more sensitive but also can lead to more civilian deaths. Meanwhile, European nations are gearing up for an all-out war on the continent as Ukraine launched US-made missiles into Russia for the first time and Vladimir Putin officially lowered the threshold for Moscow to consider a nuclear strike. Germany 's foreign minister vowed her country 'will not be intimidated' by Putin, just one day after German media revealed the nation will transform into a NATO staging ground if the conflict to the East should escalate. According to a 1,000-page document entitled 'Operationsplan Deutschland', Germany would reportedly host hundreds of thousands of troops from NATO countries and serve as a logistics hub for sending huge quantities of military equipment, food and medicine toward the front. Read More Europe prepares for WWIII: Biden announces new weapon Zelensky can use against Putin A report by Der Spiegel in the summer said as many as 800,000 soldiers from the security bloc could be hosted by Germany as they transit to posts further East. Putin signed off on an updated version of the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine that broadens the scope for Moscow to turn to its fearsome atomic arsenal. The new document, first announced in September, allows Putin's strategic forces to deploy their devastating weapons if Russia or Belarus is threatened by a non-nuclear nation supported by a nuclear power . Returning from a trip to South America late Tuesday, Biden would respond to shouted questions about long-range missiles or reports that Russia had been behind the cutting of undersea cables in the Baltic Sea in apparent sabotage. Finland reminded its citizens of their 'national defense obligation' and recently launched a new information website, while Sweden laid out a detailed guide on how to seek shelter and what to do in case of a nuclear attack. Trump, whose cabinet picks have run into controversy, praised Whitaker, a former Big Ten football player at the University of Iowa who served as a U.S. attorney in his home state. 'I have full confidence in Matt's ability to represent the United States with Strength, Integrity, and unwavering Dedication. I look forward to working closely with him as we continue to promote PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH, Freedom, and Prosperity around the World.' Whitaker is a lawyer and Trump loyalist who does not have foreign policy experience. A Ukrainian service member from the special police unit Hyzhak (Predator) fires a howitzer D30 towards Russian troops. Russia reacted with fury over reports the U.S. is allowing missile attacks deep inside Russia Soldiers of the German Bundeswehr conduct military drills amid ongoing tensions and fears of an expanding war Whitaker held a key post overseeing the Russia probe – which Trump continues to brand a 'witch hunt' – during his first term. Trump installed him as acting AG over the objection of Rod Rosenstein, who had appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel overseeing the probe. Democrats had voiced concerns that Whitaker, who didn't go through Senate confirmation, would shut down the probe. He also served as chief of staff to Trump's first AG, Jeff Sessions, who infuriated Trump by recusing himself from the Russia probe. He denied interfering with the probe in testimony to congressional Democrats. Whitaker has used frequent TV appearances on Fox News to blast the criminal cases against Trump, and has been involved in the the right-leaning America First Policy Institute. Trump's announcement brought reminders of some of the oddities on his resume from years ago. Before Trump installed him at the DOJ, his gigs included serving on the advisory board of World Patent Marketing. Democrats accused the firm of running a patent scam with products such as the ‘Masculine Toilet’ for ‘well-endowed men.’ According to the firm, it featured a ‘specially designed bowl’ to help the men ‘avoid unwanted contact with porcelain or water.’ If plumbing is still stuck on his mind, Whitaker’s future residence (the post requires Senate confirmation – something he avoided as ‘acting’ AG) – his future digs likely have more than one bathroom that could use a refresh. Truman Hall, built by a chocolatier in the Flemish countryside in 1963 near NATO headquarters in Brussels, has a ‘sweeping lawn, towering cedars, English gardens and an herb harden,’ according to the U.S. Mission to NATO. ‘The interiors are humanly scaled with sensible arrangements and elegant proportions.’ The announcement comes as Trump's team is in the Senate trying to line up support for his controversial choice of former Rep. Matt Gaetz to lead the Justice Department despite an Ethics Committee probe into alleged sex trafficking allegations. Trump spent his first term blasting allies including Germany who failed to live up to spending commitments for defense. He also ordered a U.S. troop drawdown in Germany amid complaints about its defense spending – although the Biden administration has praised German efforts to send arms to Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion. Early this year, Trump spoke about what he would encourage Russia to do to U.S. allies who don't meet their spending commitments while recounting a conversation with 'one of the presidents of a big country.' 'No, I would not protect you,' Trump said he told the foreign leader 'In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.' 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By ERIC TUCKER WASHINGTON (AP) — A ninth U.S. telecoms firm has been confirmed to have been hacked as part of a sprawling Chinese espionage campaign that gave officials in Beijing access to private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans, a top White House official said Friday. Biden administration officials said this month that at least eight telecommunications companies , as well as dozens of nations, had been affected by the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon. But Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been identified after the administration released guidance to companies about how to hunt for Chinese culprits in their networks. The update from Neuberger is the latest development in a massive hacking operation that has alarmed national security officials, exposed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the private sector and laid bare China’s hacking sophistication. The hackers compromised the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals.” Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials believe senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose whose communications were accessed. Neuberger said officials did not yet have a precise sense how many Americans overall were affected by Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were careful about their techniques, but a “large number” were in the Washington-Virginia area. Officials believe the goal of the hackers was to identify who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” spy on their texts and phone calls, she said. The FBI said most of the people targeted by the hackers are “primarily involved in government or political activity.” Neuberger said the episode highlighted the need for required cybersecurity practices in the telecommunications industry, something the Federal Communications Commission is to take up at a meeting next month. “We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” she said. The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the hacking.
Firan Technology Group Corporation Completes Acquisition of FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.Arsenal moves up to second in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over IpswichThis story was originally published on Nov. 26 and misreported fee changes related to renting SD 27 facilities, stating they had doubled when in fact they have been cut in half. Several organizers of events raising funds for student programs were surprised this year with a hefty bill in order to operate in School District 27 (SD 27) facilities. The annual Cariboo Hobby Con and Craft Fair was scheduled to run on Nov. 23 this year at Columneetza Jr. Secondary in Williams Lake, but with less than two weeks before the day organizers announced they would cancel the fair. “It is with great sadness we have to announce that this year’s Cariboo Hobby Con has been cancelled,” wrote the organizers on their Facebook page. They credited the cancellation to policy changes which led to “uncertain financial constraints that would be detrimental to our fundraiser.” The annual fair event raises funds for a volleyball club run by SD 27 employee Tim Hurley. The funds are used to buy equipment such as a referee stand and uniforms, as well as to help out students in need with travel and accommodation. Last year Hobby Con raised about $2,000 for the club, but Hurley told Black Press Media it’s more than just the money, as Hobby Con provides a space for other clubs to run their own fundraisers and for young entrepreneurs to set up their own vendors. He added that his volleyball club has served as a “turning point” for vulnerable students whose interest in the sport has kept them in school and safe. SD 27 updated its policy 730 – Community use of School Facilities – in August of this year. Changes to the policy include “more robust vetting” of events such as craft fairs, large sporting tournaments and Parent Advisory Council (PAC) events. In a statement sent to Black Press Media, SD 27 secretary-treasurer Brenda Hooker provided reasons for the policy updates. “The District updated AP730 to clarify our process and publish the applicable fees when applying for facilities use. In most cases, the cost to rent a space in our various facilities was decreased.” She wrote that fees were not always applied consistently in the past, such as whether or not the use of school equipment would be charged. When asked if the district took into account what impact the changes could have on events which benefit students, Hooker wrote the district recognized there were changes in fees “by applying our policy consistently and fairly.” “Some organizers have chosen to cancel instead of moving forward, which is their choice...The district recognizes that access to our schools is important to the community and we are striving to balance the demand while covering the associated costs and conducting our due diligence for all involved,” she wrote. Hobby Con is not the only event which has been impacted by the changes. The annual Chilcotin Road Elementary School PAC Ladies Night, which raises money for the school to buy things like books, projectors and playground equipment, operated in SD 27 facilities for 11 years without cost. This year’s event, which was in April, the organizers found out they would have to pay $600 to run the Ladies Night at the school. Even the lakecity’s beloved Medieval Market, which raises money for student programs and also equips participating students with work experience, has seen quite the impact. Without any real change to the event’s layout, which as previous years was hosted at Lake City Secondary School, the total cost to run the market increased by more than $4,000 from 2019 until now. While in 2019 the market operated at a total cost of about $800, this year’s market came to a total of just under $5,000. Even in 2023, prior to SD 27’s policy changes, organizer Kirstin Lauren said custodial charges had doubled from the previous year. This was despite few, if any, changes being made to the market which would result in further custodial requirements. Custodial hours, organizers said, doubled from 24 to 48 hours without explanation. In fact, Lauren said it’s been difficult to get any clear answers from the district, and while she is hoping to maintain a relationship with the district and see the market thrive in its traditional location of several years, there needs to be better communication. Hooker told Black Press Media organizers are made aware of requirements and risks associated to holding their event before their application is approved. The biggest change the Medieval Market saw this year was in insurance fees. While costs going specifically to the district amounted to about $4,000, the market had to pay an extra $800 for third party liability insurance. Organizers were told they had to purchase the insurance this year, while in previous years this was not a concern. Lauren told Black Press Media students were still able to benefit from this year’s market, which attracted about 3,500 guests, 100 vendors and 100 student workers. “But the more money we have to pay out, the less money we have to give to students,” she said, adding all she wants is to figure out what’s going on and continue having a positive working relationship with the district. In her statement to Black Press Media, Hooker said insurance requirements have always existed. “The district is now clarifying these requirements with users and consistently ensuring the appropriate insurance is obtained. The cost to obtain liability insurance is minimal and is needed to cover both the organizers and the volunteers working any event that is not directly related to education. The district values all of our employees and volunteers and is simply trying to make sure organizers have appropriate insurance coverage in place in the case of an unexpected event,” Hooker wrote. She later clarified with Black Press that these events were simply not being insured previously, a fact which was overlooked, and the policy change was to ensure everyone’s safety. Lauren said she and other organizers are planning to meet with the district to understand why their costs have seen such an increase and what can be done to mitigate the impact on students for which the event is being hosted. Most of the fees related to renting SD 27 facilities have been cut in half, with some additional fees being added to the list. New fees include $200 for wireless access, which is available only to weekend sports tournaments and craft fairs. A small fee was added for access to the entire sports equipment room and $85 has been added for intruder alarm activation. Fees which have seen no change include non-profit adult sport groups’ use of multi-purpose spaces such as libraries and cafes, as well as field use by any type of group. Fees marked as “local delivery” and “out of town delivery” haven’t changed, nor have weekend custodial charges seen any changes. However, general custodial charges have seen a change. Non-profit groups used to be charged $30 per hour for custodial services, a custodian’s regular hourly pay, and now pay $30 per use. Other groups, such as private craft fairs and political parties, used to pay $30 per hour for custodial services and now pay $67.75 per hour. A $200 key deposit was also removed, replaced by a $30 charge to replace a fob or get an extra one. Hooker also told Black Press Media that the district does not profit from the fees. “The fees collected are applied to the direct staffing costs associated with approving the request. We are not charging rates that provide any funds towards repairs and maintenance of our facilities nor capital replacement costs,” she wrote. Tammy Woodcock Banks was one of more than 40 vendors registered to sell their crafts at Hobby Con. She told Black Press Media Hobby Con is one of the most important markets where she sells her wind chimes and Christmas cards which she makes under the name Tammy’s Creations. “I had loads of stock that I had worked on this year for the show,” she said. Banks said she was grateful to be welcomed as a vendor at the Cariboo Corner market instead, but only made about one third of what she would normally make at Hobby Con. However, she said the market’s cancellation is also a big loss for the students who benefit from Hobby Con. “It’s not only us that got let down, it was the kids,” she said. When they heard the news that Hobby Con was being cancelled, Bewitching Market organizers Wanda Sheppard and Sunny Dyck decided something needed to be done. They quickly organized a new market without using SD 27 facilities so local crafters and business owners can still benefit from the holiday season. “They’re quite happy with it, they’re excited,” Sheppard told the Tribune about the almost 40 vendors who have registered for the new market called A Misfits and Mistletoe Christmas Market. The market, which will be taking place on Dec. 15 at the Ramada Convention Centre, is open to everyone and any kind of item being sold. “If you want to do goth you can do goth, if you want to do Christmas you can do Christmas,” Sheppard said. She said all she wants is to be fair to the vendors, promote their works and have fun.
By Vanessa G. Sánchez, KFF Health News (TNS) LOS ANGELES — President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of mass deportations and tougher immigration restrictions is deepening mistrust of the health care system among California’s immigrants and clouding the future for providers serving the state’s most impoverished residents. At the same time, immigrants living illegally in Southern California told KFF Health News they thought the economy would improve and their incomes might increase under Trump, and for some that outweighed concerns about health care. Community health workers say fear of deportation is already affecting participation in Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program for low-income residents, which was expanded in phases to all immigrants regardless of residency status over the past several years. That could undercut the state’s progress in reducing the uninsured rate, which reached a record low of 6.4% last year. Immigrants lacking legal residency have long worried that participation in government programs could make them targets, and Trump’s election has compounded those concerns, community advocates say. The incoming Trump administration is also expected to target Medicaid with funding cuts and enrollment restrictions , which activists worry could threaten the Medi-Cal expansion and kneecap efforts to extend health insurance subsidies under Covered California to all immigrants. “The fear alone has so many consequences to the health of our communities,” said Mar Velez , director of policy with the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California. “This is, as they say, not their first rodeo. They understand how the system works. I think this machine is going to be, unfortunately, a lot more harmful to our communities.” Alongside such worries, though, is a strain of optimism that Trump might be a boon to the economy, according to interviews with immigrants in Los Angeles whom health care workers were soliciting to sign up for Medi-Cal. Since Election Day, community health worker Yanet Martinez said, people are more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” Martinez said. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Clinics and community health workers encourage immigrants to enroll for health coverage through Medi-Cal and Covered California. But workers have noticed that fear of deportation has chilled participation. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Community health workers like Yanet Martinez encourage people to enroll for health benefits. But many California immigrants fear that using subsidized services could hurt their chances of obtaining legal residency. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Since Election Day, community health worker Yanet Martinez said, people are more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” Martinez said. (Vanessa G. Sánchez/KFF Health News/TNS) Selvin, 39, who, like others interviewed for this article, asked to be identified by only his first name because he’s living here without legal permission, said that even though he believes Trump dislikes people like him, he thinks the new administration could help boost his hours at the food processing facility where he works packing noodles. “I do see how he could improve the economy. From that perspective, I think it’s good that he won.” He became eligible for Medi-Cal this year but decided not to enroll, worrying it could jeopardize his chances of changing his immigration status. “I’ve thought about it,” Selvin said, but “I feel like it could end up hurting me. I won’t deny that, obviously, I’d like to benefit — get my teeth fixed, a physical checkup.” But fear holds him back, he said, and he hasn’t seen a doctor in nine years. It’s not Trump’s mass deportation plan in particular that’s scaring him off, though. “If I’m not committing any crimes or getting a DUI, I think I won’t get deported,” Selvin said. Petrona, 55, came from El Salvador seeking asylum and enrolled in Medi-Cal last year. She said that if her health insurance benefits were cut, she wouldn’t be able to afford her visits to the dentist. A street food vendor, she hears often about Trump’s deportation plan, but she said it will be the criminals the new president pushes out. “I’ve heard people say he’s going to get rid of everyone who’s stealing.” Although she’s afraid she could be deported, she’s also hopeful about Trump. “He says he’s going to give a lot of work to Hispanics because Latinos are the ones who work the hardest,” she said. “That’s good, more work for us, the ones who came here to work.” Newly elected Republican Assembly member Jeff Gonzalez, who flipped a seat long held by Democrats in the Latino-heavy desert region in the southeastern part of the state, said his constituents were anxious to see a new economic direction. “They’re just really kind of fed up with the status quo in California,” Gonzalez said. “People on the ground are saying, ‘I’m hopeful,’ because now we have a different perspective. We have a businessperson who is looking at the very things that we are looking at, which is the price of eggs, the price of gas, the safety.” Related Articles National Politics | Mexico tests cellphone app allowing migrants to send alert if they are about to be detained in US National Politics | Trump wants mass deportations. For the agents removing immigrants, it’s a painstaking process National Politics | Immigration agency deports highest numbers since 2014, aided by more flights National Politics | Advocates train immigrants to ‘prepare to stay’ in the US under Trump National Politics | Immigration drives US population growth to highest rate in 23 years as residents pass 340 million Gonzalez said he’s not going to comment about potential Medicaid cuts, because Trump has not made any official announcement. Unlike most in his party, Gonzalez said he supports the extension of health care services to all residents regardless of immigration status . Health care providers said they are facing a twin challenge of hesitancy among those they are supposed to serve and the threat of major cuts to Medicaid, the federal program that provides over 60% of the funding for Medi-Cal. Health providers and policy researchers say a loss in federal contributions could lead the state to roll back or downsize some programs, including the expansion to cover those without legal authorization. California and Oregon are the only states that offer comprehensive health insurance to all income-eligible immigrants regardless of status. About 1.5 million people without authorization have enrolled in California, at a cost of over $6 billion a year to state taxpayers. “Everyone wants to put these types of services on the chopping block, which is really unfair,” said state Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Democrat and chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. “We will do everything we can to ensure that we prioritize this.” Sen. Gonzalez said it will be challenging to expand programs such as Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, for which immigrants lacking permanent legal status are not eligible. A big concern for immigrants and their advocates is that Trump could reinstate changes to the public charge policy, which can deny green cards or visas based on the use of government benefits. “President Trump’s mass deportation plan will end the financial drain posed by illegal immigrants on our healthcare system, and ensure that our country can care for American citizens who rely on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security,” Trump spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to KFF Health News. During his first term, in 2019, Trump broadened the policy to include the use of Medicaid, as well as housing and nutrition subsidies. The Biden administration rescinded the change in 2021. KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News, found immigrants use less health care than people born in the United States. And about 1 in 4 likely undocumented immigrant adults said they have avoided applying for assistance with health care, food, and housing because of immigration-related fears, according to a 2023 survey . Another uncertainty is the fate of the Affordable Care Act, which was opened in November to immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children and are protected by the Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals program. If DACA eligibility for the act’s plans, or even the act itself, were to be reversed under Trump, that would leave roughly 40,000 California DACA recipients, and about 100,000 nationwide , without access to subsidized health insurance. On Dec. 9, a federal court in North Dakota issued an order blocking DACA recipients from accessing Affordable Care Act health plans in 19 states that had challenged the Biden administration’s rule. Clinics and community health workers are encouraging people to continue enrolling in health benefits. But amid the push to spread the message, the chilling effects are already apparent up and down the state. “¿Ya tiene Medi-Cal?” community health worker Yanet Martinez said, asking residents whether they had Medi-Cal as she walked down Pico Boulevard recently in a Los Angeles neighborhood with many Salvadorans. “¡Nosotros podemos ayudarle a solicitar Medi-Cal! ¡Todo gratuito!” she shouted, offering help to sign up, free of charge. “Gracias, pero no,” said one young woman, responding with a no thanks. She shrugged her shoulders and averted her eyes under a cap that covered her from the late-morning sun. Since Election Day, Martinez said, people have been more reluctant to hear her pitch for subsidized health insurance or cancer prevention screenings. “They think I’m going to share their information to deport them,” she said. “They don’t want anything to do with it.” This article was produced by KFF Health News , which publishes California Healthline , an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation . ©2024 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.