SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mike Davis, an author, activist and self-defined “Marxist environmentalist” whose greatest fears drove him to anticipate riots, fires and disease in such bestsellers as “City of Quartz” and “The Ecology of Fear,” has died at age 76.
Davis died Tuesday after a long battle with esophageal cancer, his friend Jon Wiener announced this week in an online posting for The Nation, a progressive magazine. Wiener, a historian who with Davis wrote “Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties,” told The Associated Press that Davis died in San Diego.
Davis, dubbed by the Los Angeles Times as the prophet Jeremiah of Southern California, had announced over the summer that he was terminally ill.
“Although I’m famous as a pessimist, I really haven’t been pessimistic,” he told the Times in July. “You know,(my writing has) more been a call to action. An attempt to elicit righteous anger against those whom we should be righteously angry against. But now, there is a certain sense of doom. This is not the time or history that my kids should inherit, you know?”
As noted in Wiener’s tribute, Davis was “a 1960s person” whose background was not privileged, but working class and conservative. Raised in San Diego County, he was a onetime member of the military oriented Devil Pups youth program, radicalized by the civil rights movement. He volunteered for the Congress of Racial Equality, burned his draft card to protest the 1965 U.S. invasion of the Dominican Republic, joined the Communist Party and became an organizer for the left-wing Students for a Democratic Society.
“I was like Zelig in the events of the period,” Davis told The New Yorker in 2020. “I was at every demonstration and several riots, just there in the crowd, rank and file.”
He was faulted for ideological bias and for various errors and fabrications — some acknowledged — but his dark takes on Los Angeles and broader subjects often proved justified. “City of Quartz,” published in 1990, condemned the race and class divides of Los Angeles and labeled the city a “carceral” society, prison-like and overseen by an oppressive police force. The police beating of Rodney King in 1991 and the riots following the 1992 acquittal of his attackers made his book seem like prophecy.
Davis’ “Ecology of Fear” foresaw the growing catastrophe of wildfires in California and “The Monster at Our Door: The Global Threat of Avian Flu,” published in 2005, warned that a deadly pandemic was increasingly likely. During his New Yorker interview, Davis called capitalism unfit to handle public health and environmental disaster, but still believed a better world was possible.
“This seems an age of catastrophe, but it’s also an age equipped, in an abstract sense, with all the tools it needs,” he said. “Utopia is available to us. If, like me, you lived through the civil-rights movement, the antiwar movement, you can never discard hope.”
Butcher wrote that the evidence itself is the least important factor in his decision to keep Costello in jail.
But, he added, “when taken together with the significant [prison] sentence Defendant faces if convicted, the Court finds Defendant has a serious incentive to flee.”
Costello’s lawyer Cindy Muro did not respond to messages seeking comment.
Costello, who has ties to Washington, Las Vegas and California, is due in San Diego court later Tuesday for another hearing related to his expected transfer to Washington state to face trial.
Among other allegations, Costello is accused of using social media sites to coordinate false claims about publicly traded stocks to manipulate their prices so he could profit.
As part of the alleged scams, Costello falsely claimed to be worth a billion dollars or more and to have served two tours in Iraq as a member of the special forces, where he purportedly was shot twice. He also claimed to have “managed money for wealthy individuals, including a Saudi sheikh,” and that “he had 14 years of experience on Wall Street,” the indictment said.
“None of that is true,” a press release by U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington said.
Prosecutors have said that Costello agreed through his then-lawyer to surrender in late September to face the indictment after being informed it was set to be filed. But he never showed up as agreed at the FBI’s office in San Diego, and went on the lam.
On Oct. 4, an FBI SWAT team found Costello in a remote area near San Diego, carrying a backpack containing tens of thousands of dollars in U.S. and Mexican currency, six one-ounce gold bars, banking cards and checkbooks and a Washington state driver’s license in the name of “Christian Bolter.”
Cash and gold bars as detailed in court filing in US District court in San Diego in case of former fugitive Justin Costello.
Source: US District Court
Prosecutors said the FBI was able to locate Costello by tracking him on his cell phone.
Costello pleaded not guilty during an arraignment in San Diego federal court a week later. He then appeared before Butcher on Oct. 18 for a detention hearing, where prosecutors asked the judge to keep him locked up.
Butcher in his order Monday said that prosecutors had “demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that [Costello] is an economic danger to the community and that no condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the safety of any other person and the community.”
The judge cited Costello’s alleged possession of “multiple documents matching” the driver’s license bearing his photograph but the name of Bolter when he was nabbed, as well as other items that Costello could use to flee prosecution again.
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The Marine Corps has halted some operations of its new amphibious combat vehicles after one of the armored vehicles rolled over in surf during training off California’s Camp Pendleton.
The eight-wheeled vehicle flipped over at about 7:45 p.m. Thursday at the Marines Assault Amphibian School at the base north of San Diego, authorities said.
The three crew members weren’t injured, a Marine Corps statement said Friday.
The vehicle had a “mechanical malfunction,” according to the Marine Corps, which banned the vehicles from going into or out of surf zones, except for testing, while more analysis is performed.
The vehicles can still be used on land, in protected waters and in the open ocean.
It was the second time this year that restrictions have been placed on the use of amphibious combat vehicles. Open water operations were halted after one of the vehicles rolled onto its side and another was disabled in unusually high surf on July 19 during another training exercise. The pause was lifted last month.
The new vehicles, which are being tested and used in California, are designed to transport troops and their equipment from Navy ships to land. They are being rolled out to replace the Marine’s aging amphibious assault vehicle, which is lighter, slower and runs on tracks instead of wheels.
Eight Marines and one sailor died on July 30, 2020 when an amphibious assault vehicle sank in 385 feet (117 meters) of water off San Clemente Island in Southern California.
A Marine Corps investigation found that inadequate training, shabby maintenance and poor judgment by leaders led to the sinking.
Playoff baseball returns to the Pacific Northwest on Saturday.
The Seattle Mariners are hoping it’s more than a one-day cameo.
Julio Rodríguez and company host Yordan Alvarez and the Houston Astros for Game 3 of their AL Division Series. The Mariners are hoping to extend their October stay after dropping the first two games of the best-of-five series in Houston.
Matt Olson and Atlanta look to stay alive against Bryce Harper and Philadelphia, and the Los Angeles Dodgers take on Manny Machado and San Diego in Game 4 of their NLDS on Saturday night. The New York Yankees face the Cleveland Guardians in the other ALDS matchup.
It’s the first playoff game in Seattle since the Mariners were eliminated by the New York Yankees in the 2001 AL Championship Series.
“The factor that I don’t think is getting talked about enough and I think it’s going to show up tomorrow on the first inning is when there’s 45,000 Mariner fans in the stands pumped and ready to go, and all behind us. Because we certainly need it,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “I talked about it when we clinched, ended the drought, how valuable our fan base has been to this team. This team really, somehow, we get wired, we get going when it’s loud here.”
Seattle snapped the longest playoff drought in the four major North American sports when it clinched one of the AL wild cards on Sept. 30 thanks to Cal Raleigh’s home run.
Even the starting pitcher for Houston — trying to end Seattle’s season on Saturday — has appreciation for seeing the Mariners back in the postseason.
“Moments like these where the fans get to come back out and watch postseason baseball for an organization that hasn’t been there in a while I think is really cool,” Houston right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. said.
Here’s what else to know about the MLB playoffs Saturday:
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE (All times ET)
NLDS Game 4: Atlanta at Philadelphia, 2:07 p.m., FS1
ALDS Game 3: Houston at Seattle, 4:07 p.m., TBS
ALDS Game 3: New York Yankees at Cleveland, 7:37 p.m., TBS
NLDS Game 4: Los Angeles Dodgers at San Diego, 9:37 p.m., FS1
ALL RISE?
Maybe a change of scenery will help Aaron Judge as he looks to find his timing at the plate. Judge and the Yankees visit the Guardians for Game 3 of their AL Division Series on Saturday.
Judge went 0 for 5 with four strikeouts in Friday’s 4-2 loss in Game 2. He is 0 for 8 with seven strikeouts in the deadlocked best-of-five series.
“Just a little late,” Judge said. “When you’re a little late, you’re missing pitches that you’re usually doing some damage on. You’re swinging at stuff that you usually don’t. So it’s truly all about timing.”
The 30-year-old Judge hit .311 with 62 homers and 131 RBIs this season, leading New York to the AL East title and setting himself up for a big payday. The 6-foot-7 outfielder is eligible for free agency after breaking Roger Maris’ AL home run record.
ON THE EDGE
Atlanta is on the brink of elimination heading into Game 4 at Philadelphia. The Braves won the World Series last year, and then rallied past the Mets for their fifth consecutive NL East title this season.
Charlie Morton starts for Atlanta, and Noah Syndergaard takes the mound for Philly. Morton, who turns 39 on Nov. 12, is 7-4 with a 3.35 ERA in 17 career postseason appearances. Syndergaard is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in six postseason games, including a scoreless eighth inning in Game 2 at Atlanta.
Morton was in the mix for Friday’s Game 3, but the Braves went with Spencer Strider instead. The rookie right-hander was tagged for five runs in 2 1/3 innings in a 9-1 loss.
“It’s the postseason. You’ve just got to be ready to throw when they call on you,” Morton said.
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A San Diego high school has been inundated with flu cases. The outbreak at Patrick Henry High School started Monday, doubled by Wednesday, and now about 1,400 students are out sick. Carter Evans has the details.
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Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that the flu season is off to an early start, with a rash of flu-like cases reported in Texas, parts of the southeast, New York City and Washington, D.C. One San Diego high school seemingly has a flu outbreak, causing 1,400 students to be absent.
The outbreak at Patrick Henry High School started Monday, doubled on Wednesday, and now, more than half the student body is out sick.
“There was a homecoming dance and game on the weekend prior to this Monday,” Dr. Howard Taras, a physician for the San Diego Unified School District, told CBS News. “You’d think that it would take several days for them to become infectious to others, but it didn’t.”
The CDC saidprior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were 36 million cases of the flu in the U.S. With masking and social distancing, U.S. cases plummeted to just thousands — the lowest ever recorded.
But now, most mandates are gone.
“The last two years, people haven’t been exposed too much influenza, so their immunity to it may be down,” said CBS News chief medical correspondent Jonathan LaPook.
The Great American Beer Festival turned 40 this year.
Brewers Association
There are beer festivals and then there’s the Great American Beer Festival. The largest beer festival in the world the event is part drunken festival, part serious beer competition with the nation’s best breweries battling it out for one of the events coveted gold, silver, and bronze medals.
The event is hosted by the Brewers Association and is celebrating both its 40th birthday this year and the festival’s return after two years away due to COVID.
This year 2154 breweries entered the competition with a mind blowing 9,904 beers. Over 177 different beer styles were judged this year (yes, there are that many), but 325 different judges. The average number of beers entered in each category is 99, with the highest number of entries happening, as always, in the American Style India Pale Ale category. 268 breweries walked away with medials this year, 18 of them for the first time. 301 breweries entered for the first time.
Here’s who walked away a winner:
MOST-ENTERED STYLE CATEGORIES
The winners of the top five most-entered categories were:
Category 64: American Style India Pale Ale (423 entries) – Sponsored by Micro Matic
GOLD: More Dodge Less RAM | Comrade Brewing Co. | Denver, CO
SILVER: Dankster Squad | Riip Beer Co. | Huntington Beach, CA
BRONZE: Hop-Fu! | North Park Beer Co. | San Diego, CA
Category 65: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale (375 entries) – Sponsored by Antigo Zeon
GOLD: Anhyzer Kush | Flatland Brewing Co. | Elk Grove, CA
SILVER: IPO IPA | White Rock Alehouse & Brewery | Dallas, TX
BRONZE: RAD AF | City Barrel Brewing Co. | Kansas City, MO
Category 45: German-Style Pilsener (233 entries)
GOLD: Industry | The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. | Austin, TX
SILVER: Pils | Von Ebert Brewing – Pearl | Portland, OR
BRONZE: German Pilsner | Shred Monk Brewery and Coffeehouse | Bozeman, MT
SILVER: Kristal Weizen | Bearded Tang Brewing | Stanton, CA
BRONZE: Wild Pitch | SandLot Brewery | Denver, CO
Category 50: German-Style Maerzen (207 entries)
GOLD: Oktoberfest | Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. | Waltham, MA
SILVER: Docktoberfest | Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock | Aurora, CO
BRONZE: Great Dane Oktoberfest | Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co. – Downtown | Madison, WI
MOST-MEDALED BREWERYNorth Park Beer Co. | San Diego, CA
GOLD: English India Pale Ale or New Zealand India Pale Ale (Cat. 59)
SILVER: Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale (Cat. 67)
BRONZE: American-Style India Pale Ale (Cat. 64)
BRONZE: Imperial India Pale Ale (Cat. 66)
COLLABORATION COMPETITION (94 entries)
GOLD: Templin Family Guava Coconut | Templin Family Brewing / Shades Brewing | Salt Lake City, UT
SILVER: Chicago Peaks Kölsch | Westbound & Down Brewing Co. / Bierstadt Lagerhaus | San Diego, CA
BRONZE: Guns Out For Grain Out | Pizza Port Ocean Beach / Chula Vista Brewery | Karl Strauss | Nickel Beer | San Diego, CA
PRO-AM COMPETITION (35 entries)
Sponsored by Country Malt Group, Briess Malt & Ingredients, and White Labs
GOLD: Kaltrauch | Confluence Brewing Co. | AHA members Randy Daniels & KC McKinney | Des Moines, IA
SILVER: Sticky Fingers Saison | CooperSmith’s Pub and Brewing | AHA Member Mark Pennick | Fort Collins, CO
BRONZE: Alt Ale | Shoe Tree Brewing Co. | AHA Member Eric Coffman |Carson City, NV
Here’s the full list:
Category 1: American Wheat Beer – 64 Entries
Gold: White Noise, Überbrew, Billings, MT Silver: Sweet As! Pacific Ale, GoodLife Brewing Co., Bend, OR Bronze: Agave Wheat, Breckenridge Brewery, Littleton, CO
Category 2: American Fruit Beer – 128 Entries
Gold: Berry, Berry, Quite Contrary, Territorial Brewing Co., Springfield, MI Silver: Black Razz Blonde, Joyride Brewing Co., Edgewater, CO Bronze: Raspberry Fields, Maple Branch Craft Brewery, Fort Worth, TX
Category 3: Fruit Wheat Beer – 118 Entries
Gold: Tropical Vibes, Swamp Head Brewery, Gainesville, FL Silver: Bear Bait, Schussboom Brewing Co., Reno, NV Bronze: Sunny Little Thing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. – Mills River, Mills River, NC
Category 4: Field Beer – 80 Entries
Gold: Coconut Pie Face, Revision Brewing Co., Sparks, NV Silver: Calypso, Captain Fatty’s Brewery, Goleta, CA Bronze: Rachelle, Fair Isle Brewing, Seattle, WA
Category 5: Pumpkin Beer – 77 Entries
Gold: Night Owl, Elysian Brewing Co., Seattle, WA Silver: 5 Phantoms, Philipsburg Brewing Co., Philipsburg, MT Bronze: Molasses Pumpkin Märzen, Whistle Hop Brewing Co., Fairview, NC
Category 6: Chili Beer – 88 Entries
Gold: Paloma Persona, Chicago Brewing Co. – NV, Las Vegas, NV Silver: Dosvidanya Mexican Chocolate, DESTIHL Brewery, Normal, IL Bronze: Fuego Reserva, Cerebral Brewing – Florence St., Aurora, CO
Category 7: Herb and Spice Beer – 107 Entries
Gold: Black Pearl, Lazarus Brewing Co., Austin, TX Silver: Peach Tea Blonde, Beale’s, Petersburg, VA Bronze: Spruce Tip Pale Ale, Matchwood Brewing Co., Sandpoint, ID
Gold: Cafe Oro, Oro Brewing Co., Mesa, AZ Silver: Kato, Sonder Brewing, Mason, OH Bronze: Gusto Crema Coffee Ale, Georgetown Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Category 10: Coffee Stout or Porter – 76 Entries
Gold: Super Tonic, Docent Brewing, San Juan Capistrano, CA Silver: Zoomie, Brink Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH Bronze: Speargun Coffee Stout, Snake River Brewing Co., Jackson, WY
Category 11: Specialty Beer – 34 Entries
Gold: Breakside I Purple You, Breakside Brewery – NW Slabtown, Portland, OR Silver: Maple Smoked Maibock, Kilowatt Brewing, San Diego, CA Bronze: Peanut Butter Porter, Lake Time Brewery, Clear Lake, IA
Category 12: Rye Beers – 48 Entries
Gold: Pecan Street Rye Lager, Pecan Street Brewing, Johnson City, TX Silver: Rockin’ Roggen, Twisted Pine Brewing Co., Boulder, CO Bronze: The Old Man and Death, Mad Fritz, Saint Helena, CA
Category 13: Honey Beer – 74 Entries
Gold: Hachimitsu Mai, Deschutes Brewery – Portland Brewery & Public House Silver: The Beeginning, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX Bronze: Happy Days, Malibu Brewing Co., Malibu, CA
Category 14: Non-Alcohol Beer – 67 Entries
Gold: Just The Haze, Boston Beer Co. – Samuel Adams Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH Silver: Lemon Radler, Athletic Brewing Co. – Production Facility, San Diego, CA Bronze: Nada IPA, Community Beer Co., Dallas, TX
Gold: Oblique and Bent, The Big Friendly, Oklahoma City, OK Silver: Guillaume, Pizza Port Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA Bronze: First To Fall, The Good Society, Seattle, WA
Category 16: Session India Pale Ale – 89 Entries
Gold: The Next Chapter, Original Pattern Brewing Co., Oakland, CA Silver: The Coachman, Societe Brewing Co., San Diego, CA Bronze: Tectonic Session IPA, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co., Chattanooga, TN
Category 17: Other Strong Beer – 70 Entries
Gold: Dark Skies, Forgotten Star Brewing Co., Fridley, MN Silver: Hello Darkness, River North Brewery, Denver, CO Bronze: Doppelsticke Altbier, Giant Jones Brewing Co., Madison, WI
Category 18: Experimental Beer – 96 Entries
Gold: Southern Tee, New Realm Brewing, – Charleston, Charleston, SC Silver: Edgefield Coolship no. 5, McMenamins Breweries, Portland, OR Bronze: Great Wave Sake Lager, MAP Brewing Co., Bozeman, MT
Category 19: Experimental India Pale Ale – 118 Entries
Gold: Polar Bears Toenails, Precarious Beer Project – Precarious Beer Hall, Williamsburg, VA Silver: Vacation Sam Pina Colada IPA, Boston Beer Co., Boston, MA Bronze: SLURP, NoDa Brewing Co. – OG, Charlotte, NC
Gold: Sugar Moon, Hobbs Tavern & Brewing Co., Ossipee, NH Silver: Soul Shakedown Party, Sun King Brewing – Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN Bronze: Shere Khan, Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, NC
Category 21: Historical Beer – 59 Entries
Gold: Feniks, Great Notion Brewing, Portland, OR Silver: Vitkus #3, Donner Creek Brewing Co., Truckee, CA Bronze: Churchill Browns, Flashpoint Brewing Co., Huntington Beach, CA
Category 22: Gluten-Free Beer – 49 Entries
Gold: Alpenglow Hazy IPA, Buck Wild Brewing, Oakland, CA Silver: BuckWit Belgian, Holidaily Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Golden, CO Bronze: Gosefish Hibiscus-Cranberry Gose, Ghostfish Brewing Co., Seattle, WA
Category 23: American-Belgo-Style Ale – 34 Entries
Gold: Bizarro, Protagonist Beer – Southend Brewery, Charlotte, NC Silver: Oscar’s Pardon, Haymarket Beer Co., Chicago, IL Bronze: La Maison, Taxman Brewing Co., Bargersville, IN
Category 24: American Sour Ale – 25 Entries
Gold: Hot Break, Little Beast Brewing, Clackamas, OR Silver: Mirage, New Terrain Brewing Co., Golden, CO Bronze: Low pHunk, MobCraft Beer, Milwaukee, WI
Category 25: Fruited American Sour Ale – 184 Entries
Gold: Razz Sour, Revelation Craft Brewing Co., Rehoboth Beach, DE Silver: Sour Guava Tangerine, Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co., North Charleston, SC Bronze: Fight The Sour: Blackberry Cobbler, NOBO Brewing Co., Boynton Beach, FL
Category 26: Brett Beer – 42 Entries
Gold: Trystero, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co., Denver, CO Silver: Saison, Black Dog Brewing Co., Mooresville, IN Bronze: Bretta Festbier, Odd Breed Wild Ales, Pompano Beach, FL
Gold: Farmer’s Reserve Plum, Almanac Beer Co., Alameda, CA Silver: Biere Ovale, Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co., Denver, CO Bronze: Oregon Sunrise, Alesong Brewing & Tasting Room, Eugene, OR
Category 28: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer – 59 Entries
Gold: Barrel-Aged Soft Skills, Jessup Farm Barrel House, Fort Collins, CO Silver: Sensationator, Deschutes Brewery – Portland Brewery & Public House, Portland, OR Bronze: Hell Raiser Bourbon Barrel Brown, Old 290 Brewery, Johnson City, TX
Category 29: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer – 133 Entries
Gold: Flesh to Stone, Bottle Logic Brewing, Anaheim, CA Silver: Ivoire, The Bruery, Placentia, CA Bronze: 1314, Black Tooth Brewing Co., Sheridan, WY
Category 30: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout – 170 Entries
Gold: 8th Anniversary Reserve, Grist House Craft Brewery, Pittsburgh, PA Silver: Barrel Aged Blindfolded Stoutosaurus, de Bine Brewing Co., Palm Harbor, FL Bronze: Wooden Mayhem, Rock Cut Brewing Co., Estes Park, CO
Category 31: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer – 34 Entries
Gold: Apple Brandy Barrel Maker of Things, Little Fish Brewing Co., Athens, OH Silver: Genièvre, ColdFire Brewing Co., Eugene, OR Bronze: Tilling Time, Odd Breed Wild Ales, Pompano Beach, FL
Gold: Plumonary Groove, Lenny Boy Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC Silver: Intinction – Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River Brewing Co. – Santa Rosa, Santa Rosa, CA Bronze: Peach Afternoon, Port Brewing Co. / The Lost Abbey, San Marcos, CA
Category 33: Kellerbier or Zwickelbier – 64 Entries
Gold: Waxing and Waning, MadeWest Brewing Co., Ventura, CA Silver: Templin Family Granary KellerBier, Templin Family Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT Bronze: Keller Pils, Triumph Brewing Co. – Red Bank, Red Bank, NJ
Category 34: Smoke Beer – 76 Entries
Gold: Smoke Follows Beauty, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS Silver: Helles Rauchbier, Double Clutch Brewing Co., Evanston, IL Bronze: Dreaming Of Bamberg, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. – Westlake Village, Westlake Village, CA
Category 35: Light Lager – 143 Entries
Gold: Chuckanut Chuck Light, Chuckanut Brewery, Burlington, WA Silver: Heights Light Lager, New Magnolia Brewing Co., Houston, TX Bronze: Wrath Premium American Lager, Grains of Wrath Brewing, Camas, WA
Gold: Blackberry Smoke Lager, New Realm Brewing Co. – Atlanta, Atlanta, GA Silver: Toro y Oso, Xül Beer Co., Knoxville, TN Bronze: Las Vegas Lager, Big Dog’s Brewing Co., Las Vegas, NV
Category 38: American Pilsener – 148 Entries
Gold: Classic City Lager, Creature Comforts Brewing Co. – Southern Mill, Athens, GA Silver: Lightning Will, On Tour Brewing Co., Chicago, IL Bronze: Bullpen, Atlas Brew Works, Washington, DC
Gold: Alright, Alright, Alright, Roadmap Brewing Co., San Antonio, TX Silver: Dos Topas, Topa Topa Brewing Co. – HQ, Ventura, CA Bronze: Holy Ghost, Laughing Monk Brewing, San Francisco, CA
Category 40: Australasian, Latin American or Tropical Light Lager – 69 Entries
Gold: Mexican Lager, pFriem Family Brewers, Hood River, OR Silver: Lucha Libre, Flix Brewhouse – ABQ, Albuquerque, NM Bronze: Taco Tuesday, Monday Night Brewing, Atlanta, GA
Category 41: American Cream Ale – 115 Entries
Gold: 1970s Lager, Faction Brewing, Alameda, CA Silver: Carlos Danger, Bearded Tang Brewing, Stanton, CA Bronze: Chanclaso, Arrow Lodge Brewing, Covina, CA
Category 42: Other Hoppy Lager – 97 Entries
Gold: Avant, Insight Brewing, Minneapolis, MN Silver: Crispy Boiz II Men, Brieux Carré Brewing Co., New Orleans, LA Bronze: Day Donkey, Tampa Bay Brewing Co. – Production Brewery, Tampa, FL
Category 43: India Pale Lager – 52 Entries
Gold: Cold IPA, Legion Brewing Co., Charlotte, NC Silver: Cave Dweller, Ghost Town Brewing, Oakland, CA Bronze: DDH Timbo, Highland Park Brewery – Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA
Category 44: American Amber Lager – 177 Entries
Gold: Sonidero, Windmills, The Colony, TX Silver: Seductive Mullet Amber Ale, Goose and the Monkey Brewhouse, Lexington, NC Bronze: Amberama, Elmhurst Brewing Co., Elmhurst, IL
Category 45: German-Style Pilsener – 233 Entries
Gold: Industry, The Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co., Austin, TX Silver: Pils, Von Ebert Brewing – Pearl, Portland, OR Bronze: German Pilsner, Shred Monk Brewery and Coffeehouse, Bozeman, MT
Gold: The People’s Pilsner, Sudwerk Brewing Co., Davis, CA Silver: Pohick Bay Pilsener, Fair Winds Brewing Co., Lorton, VA Bronze: Battlesnakes, Brewery X, Anaheim, CA
Category 47: Munich-Style Helles – 158 Entries
Gold: Altstadt Lager, Altstadt Brewery, Fredericksburg, TX Silver: Helles Lager, Double Clutch Brewing Co., Evanston, IL Bronze: Roxboro Gold, New Ridge Brewing Co., Philadelphia, PA
Category 48: Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest – 154 Entries
Gold: Festbier, Wren House Brewing Co. – Production Facility, Prescott, AZ Silver: Franz, Protagonist Beer – Southend Brewery, Charlotte, NC Bronze: Metalmark Marzen, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA
Category 49: Vienna-Style Lager – 119 Entries
Gold: Symphony, Big Ash Brewing, Cincinnati, OH Silver: Froh Hund, Secret Trail Brewing Co., Chico, CA Bronze: Lore, Gatlin Hall Brewing, Orlando, FL
Category 50: German-Style Maerzen – 207 Entries
Gold: Oktoberfest, Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co., Waltham, MA Silver: Docktoberfest, Dry Dock Brewing Co. – North Dock, Aurora, CO Bronze: Great Dane Oktoberfest, Great Dane Pub and Brewing Co. – Downtown, Madison, WI
Category 51: German Dark Lager – 146 Entries
Gold: Bent Paddle Dunkel Lager, Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Duluth, MN Silver: East Bay Nights Black Lager, Oakland United Beerworks, Oakland, CA Bronze: Schwarzbier, Rainy Daze Brewing Co., Poulsbo, WA
Category 52: International Dark Lager – 86 Entries
Gold: El Corn, The Post Brewing Co., Lafayette, CO Silver: Brother-Brother, River Bluff Brewing, St. Joseph, MO Bronze: Bowie Bock, Freetail Brewing Co., San Antonio, TX
Category 53: Bock – 55 Entries
Gold: Blind Tiger Bock, Blind Tiger Brewery & Restaurant, Topeka, KS Silver: Bonspiel Bock, Forgotten Star Brewing Co., Fridley, MN Bronze: Big Bock Energy, Morgan Territory Brewing, Tracy, CA
Category 54: German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock – 47 Entries
Gold: Klosterade, Working Draft Beer Co., Madison, WI Silver: Execrator, Resolute Brewing Co., Centennial, CO Bronze: Danny Bräu, Danny Boy Beer Works, Carmel, IN
Category 55: Golden or Blonde Ale – 159 Entries
Gold: Firemans #4, Real Ale Brewing Co., Blanco, TX Silver: Blonde Ale, Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, Bellingham, WA Bronze: THE FULL LEMONTY, Pollyanna Brewing Co., Lemont, IL
Category 56: German-Style Koelsch – 195 Entries
Gold: Northern Kolsch, The Royal Oak Brewery, Royal Oak, MI Silver: Kold Shoulder, Wooden Hill Brewing Co., Edina, MN Bronze: Hunting River, Bullfrog Creek Brewing Co., Valrico, FL
Category 57: English Ale – 47 Entries
Gold: Level Line, Topa Topa Brewing Co. – HQ, Ventura, CA Silver: Citronaut, Launch Pad Brewery, Aurora, CO Bronze: Otter Encounter, Deschutes Brewery – Bend Brewery & Public House, Bend, OR
Category 58: International-Style Pale Ale – 136 Entries
Gold: Nix, Ogopogo Brewing, San Gabriel, CA Silver: New Cleveland, Platform Beer Co. – Production Facility, Cleveland, OH Bronze: Pale 586, Faction Brewing, Alameda, CA
Category 59: English India Pale Ale or New Zealand India Pale Ale – 88 Entries
Gold: NZ-Fu!, North Park Beer Co., San Diego, CA Silver: Spirit of the West, Westbound & Down Brewing Co., Idaho Springs, CO Bronze: Hoppy Poppy IPA, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co., Buellton, CA
Category 60: American-Style Pale Ale – 160 Entries
Gold: Rippin, Sunriver Brewing Co., Sunriver, OR Silver: Breakside Woodlawn Pale Ale, Breakside Brewery, Portland, OR Bronze: Pale From The Crypt, Liquid Gravity Brewing Co., San Luis Obispo, CA
Category 61: Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale – 132 Entries
Gold: Luminous Beings, Wye Hill Brewing, Raleigh, NC Silver: Alpenhaze, Icicle Brewing Co. – Production, Leavenworth, WA Bronze: Diversey Station, Ravinia Brewing Co., Chicago, IL
Category 62: American-Style Strong Pale Ale – 145 Entries
Gold: Mordant, Ghost Town Brewing, Oakland, CA Silver: Secret Beach, Meanwhile Brewing Co., Austin, TX Bronze: Eyes are Mosaic, Casa Agria Specialty Ales, Oxnard, CA
Category 63: Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale – 153 Entries
Gold: Neon Lites, Slice Beer Co., Lincoln, CA Silver: So Into You, Radiant Beer Co., Anaheim, CA Bronze: Green New Zeal, Armistice Brewing Co., Richmond, CA
Category 64: American-Style India Pale Ale – 423 Entries
Gold: More Dodge Less RAM, Comrade Brewing Co., Denver, CO Silver: Dankster Squad, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA Bronze: Hop-Fu!, North Park Beer Co., San Diego, CA
Category 65: Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale – 375 Entries
Gold: Anhyzer Kush, Flatland Brewing Co., Elk Grove, CA Silver: IPO IPA, White Rock Alehouse & Brewery, Dallas, TX Bronze: RAD AF, City Barrel Brewing Co., Kansas City, MO
Category 66: Imperial India Pale Ale – 156 Entries
Gold: Nose Goblin, Ghost Town Brewing, Oakland, CA Silver: Hop Diggity, Mother Earth Brew Co., Nampa, ID Bronze: Double-Fu!, North Park Beer Co., San Diego, CA Category
67: Juicy or Hazy Imperial India Pale Ale – 165 Entries
Gold: Pillow, Highland Park Brewery – Chinatown, Los Angeles, CA Silver: X-Raying Citra, North Park Beer Co., San Diego, CA Bronze: Citra Soaker, Corn Coast Brewing Co., Lincoln, NE Category
68: American Amber/Red Ale – 124 Entries
Gold: Argument Starter, Wicked Barley Brewing Co., Jacksonville, FL Silver: Railsplitter, Lincoln Beer Co., Burbank, CA Bronze: Frog King, King’s Court Brewing Co., Poughkeepsie, NY
Category 69: Strong Red Ale – 54 Entries
Gold: My Bloody Nightmare, BNS Brewing & Distilling Co., Santee, CA Silver: Local Shred Red, Alvarado Street Brewery & Grill, Monterey, CA Bronze: Bone Head, Fat Head’s Brewery, Middleburg Heights, OH
Category 70: English Mild or Bitter – 68 Entries
Gold: Rockhill & Locust, BKS Artisan Ales, Kansas City, MO Silver: Brewer’s Best, Gravity Heights, San Diego, CA Bronze: Every Hop Is Sacred, Hop River Brewing Co., Fort Wayne, IN
Category 71: Extra Special Bitter – 65 Entries
Gold: Happy Amber, MadTree Brewing Co., Cincinnati, OH Silver: Bitter Soul, Mad Pecker Brewing Co., San Antonio, TX Bronze: Whale’s Tale Pale Ale, Cisco Brewers Portsmouth, Portsmouth, NH
Category 72: Scottish-Style Ale – 49 Entries
Gold: Magic Swirling Sip, Wild Fields Brewhouse, Atascadero, CA Silver: Laughing Lab Scottish Ale, Bristol Brewing Co., Colorado Springs, CO Bronze: Taildragger Clan-Destine, Saddle Mountain Brewing Co., Goodyear, AZ Category
73: Irish-Style Red Ale – 80 Entries
Gold: Equanimity, Ursa Minor Brewing, Duluth, MN Silver: Rabbit Head Red, Canyon Creek Brewing, Billings, MT Bronze: Red Willie, Tradition Brewing Co., Newport News, VA
Category 74: English-Style Brown Ale – 61 Entries
Gold: Pine Mountain Monolith, Wild Fields Brewhouse, Atascadero, CA Silver: Three Beagles, Bagby Beer Co., Oceanside, CA Bronze: Brown Ale, Lowercase Brewing, Seattle, WA Category
75: American-Style Brown Ale – 69 Entries
Gold: Three Bridges Brown, Wild Fields Brewhouse, Atascadero, CA Silver: Burnt Mountain Brown, Zion Brewery, Springdale, UT Bronze: Brown Evolved, COLD Coast Brewing Co., Lompoc, CA
Category 76: American Black Ale or American Stout – 62 Entries
Gold: Hooked On Onyx, Ten Mile Brewing Co., Signal Hill, CA Silver: Stone Cimmerian Portal, Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station, San Diego, CA Bronze: Black the Riipper, Riip Beer Co., Huntington Beach, CA
Category 77: German Sour Ale – 33 Entries
Gold: Gose, Kulshan Brewing Co. – Trackside, Bellingham, WA Silver: Champagne Toast, Wander Brewing, Bellingham, WA Bronze: Riviera, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, Bend, OR
Gold: Gindulgence, 10 Barrel Brewing Co. – Bend Pub, Bend, OR Silver: Breakside Passionfruit Sour Ale, Breakside Brewery & Taproom, Milwaukie, OR Bronze: Coming to Fruition: Cherry, Oregon City Brewing Co., Oregon City, OR
Category 79: Contemporary Gose – 82 Entries
Gold: Blackberry Gose, Pilot Brewing, Charlotte, NC Silver: POG Gose, COVA Brewing Co., Norfolk, VA Bronze: Ginger Gose, Red Rock Brewing – Production, Salt Lake City, UT
Category 80: German-Style Altbier – 44 Entries
Gold: Lithium, Resonate Brewery + Pizzeria, Bellevue, WA Silver: Control ALT, Devil’s Logic Brewing, Charlotte, NC Bronze: Road Devil Amber, Pecan Street Brewing, Johnson City, TX
Category 81: German Wheat Ale – 209 Entries
Gold: Alpenglow, Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmsted, OH Silver: Kristal Weizen, Bearded Tang Brewing, Stanton, CA Bronze: Wild Pitch, SandLot Brewery, Denver, CO
Category 82: Belgian-Style Ale or French-Style Ale – 55 Entries
Gold: DOMESTIQUE Blonde Ale, Rouleur Brewing Co., Carlsbad, CA Silver: Goin’ Stag, Cabin Boys Brewery, Tulsa, OK Bronze: Space Cadet, Apogee Brewing Co., Grover Beach, CA
Category 83: Belgian-Style Witbier – 96 Entries
Gold: White, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, ME Silver: Wit’s End Ale, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern Centreville, Centreville, VA Bronze: Third Window White, Third Window Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA
Category 84: Classic Saison – 81 Entries
Gold: Wee Nibble, Moonlight Brewing Co., Santa Rosa, CA Silver: Saison, Baere Brewing Co., Denver, CO Bronze: Soigne Saison, Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, NY
Category 85: Specialty Saison – 66 Entries
Gold: Summer Saison, Third Window Brewing Co., Santa Barbara, CA Silver: Textured Fabric, The Big Friendly, Oklahoma City, OK Bronze: Rosemary Sourdough Saison, Cannonball Creek Brewing Co., Golden, CO Category
86: Belgian-Style Sour Ale – 50 Entries
Gold: Stay The Funk In, Crooked Stave, Denver, CO Silver: Foxy Lady, Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, WA Bronze: Triad, IMBIB Custom Brews, Reno, NV
Category 87: Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale – 76 Entries
Gold: Colts Abbey, Source Brewing, Colts Neck, NJ Silver: Bishop’s Pass Ale, Great American Restaurants – Sweetwater Tavern Sterling, Sterling, VA Bronze: St. Vrain, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO
Category 88: Belgian-Style Abbey Ale – 88 Entries
Gold: Belgian Dubbel, Skipping Rock Beer Co., Staunton, VA Silver: Marvella, Red Rock Brewing – Production, Salt Lake City, UT Bronze: Wild West Tripel, Chicago Brewing Co. – NV, Las Vegas, NV
Category 89: Belgian Fruit Beer – 66 Entries
Gold: Grandissant – Montmorency Cherry, Rowley Farmhouse Ales, Santa Fe, NM Silver: Second Hand Lions, Platform Beer Co. – Phunkenship, Cleveland, OH Bronze: Atrial Rubicite, Jester King Brewery, Austin, TX
Category 90: Brown Porter – 56 Entries
Gold: Transporter, Kulshan Brewing Co., Bellingham, WA Silver: Live! At the RYEman, Orange Hat Brewing Co., Knoxville, TN Bronze: Maduro Brown Ale, Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, FL
Category 91: Robust Porter – 73 Entries
Gold: Powell Street Porter, Bartlett Hall, San Francisco, CA Silver: Porter, Big Timber Brewing Co., Elkins, WV Bronze: First of His Name, Edgewise Eight Brewing, Weatherford, TX
Category 92: Stout – 69 Entries
Gold: Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout, Third Street Aleworks, Santa Rosa, CA Silver: Big Bison, Thirsty Street Brewing Co., Billings, MT Bronze: Inside the Moon, Flix Brewhouse – Carmel, Carmel, IN
Category 93: Sweet Stout or Cream Stout – 44 Entries
Gold: Winner’s Milk Jug, Guggman Haus Brewing Co., Indianapolis, IN Silver: Drop Forge Milk Stout, Pantown Brewing Co., Saint Cloud, MN Bronze: Volcano Mudslide, Feather Falls Brewing Co., Oroville, CA
Category 94: Oatmeal Stout – 66 Entries
Gold: Fat Pug, Maplewood Brewing Co., Chicago, IL Silver: Milk Stout, Left Hand Brewing Co., Longmont, CO Bronze: Keil’s Oatmeal Stout, Hutton & Smith Brewing Co. – M. L. King, Chattanooga, TN
Category 95: Imperial Stout – 73 Entries
Gold: Big Deluxe, Ritual Brewing Co., Redlands, CA Silver: Methuselah, Eureka Brewing Co., Gardena, CA Bronze: Dark Helmet, Odell Brewing – Sloan’s Lake Brewhouse, Denver, CO
Category 96: Scotch Ale – 44 Entries
Gold: Full Malted Jacket, Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Huntington Beach, CA Silver: Sons of Scotland, Ex Novo Brewing Co. – Corrales, Corrales, NM Bronze: Kill or be Kilt, Quarter Celtic Brewpub, Albuquerque, NM
Category 97: Old Ale or Strong Ale or Barley Wine – 70 Entries
Gold: Three Ryes Men, Reuben’s Brews – Production Brewery, Seattle, WA Silver: Granny’s Tipple, Danville Brewing Co., Danville, CA Bronze: Hillcrest, Olde Hickory Brewery, Hickory, NC
Category 98: Fresh Hop Beer – 82 Entries
Gold: Mistadobalina, Perry Street Brewing, Spokane, WA Silver: Hyperion, Varietal Beer Co., Sunnyside, WA Bronze: Fresh Hop Training Bines, Pinthouse Pizza North, Austin, TX
Pro-Am Competition – 35 Entries
Gold: Kaltrauch, Confluence Brewing Co. & AHA Members: Randy Daniels & KC McKinney, Des Moines, IA Silver: Sticky Fingers Saison, CooperSmith’s Pub and Brewing & AHA Member: Mark Pennick, Fort Collins, CO Bronze: Alt Ale, Shoe Tree Brewing Co. & AHA Member: Eric Coffman, Carson City, NV
Collaboration Competition – 94 Entries
Gold: Templin Family Guava Coconut, Templin Family Brewing / Shades Brewing, Salt Lake City, UT Silver: Chicago Peaks Kölsch, Westbound & Down Brewing Co. / Bierstadt Lagerhaus, San Diego, CA Bronze: Guns Out For Grain Out, Pizza Port Ocean Beach / Chula Vista Brewery / Karl Strauss / Nickel Beer, San Diego, CA
SAN DIEGO — A lawyer who laundered millions of dollars in drug money for a violent Mexican drug cartel was sentenced Friday to 15 years and eight months in federal prison.
Juan Manuel Álvarez Inzunza, 40, told a federal judge in San Diego, California, that he was “deeply remorseful” and thanked the U.S. government for his capture. The Mexican citizen said his 2016 arrest ended his criminal career and helped make sure “my conduct didn’t get any worse,” the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Álvarez Inzunza was sentenced on a money-laundering conspiracy charge. In 2016, he was arrested in Mexico, where he was held until his extradition to the U.S. last year.
With credit for time already spent in custody, he was likely to spend nine more years in prison and then will be deported to Mexico, the Union-Tribune said.
In a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Álvarez Inzunza acknowledged that he laundered money for the Sinaloa Cartel from at least December 2013 to August 2015.
Álvarez Inzunza was orphaned and raised by poor relatives in Culiacán, the capital of Mexico’s Sinaloa state. He had a private law firm there when, about a decade ago, “the wrong client came in, and he listened to them” and began his criminal career, defense attorney Frederick Carroll said at Friday’s hearing.
Álvarez Inzunza would relay orders from cartel bosses to an associate in Colombia who would coordinate couriers to pick up cash in the U.S., the prosecution said.
During an investigation, U.S. federal agents found that Álvarez Inzunza had organized the transfer of millions of dollars from the United States to Mexico and other countries and they were able to seize at least $3.5 million in cash, including large amounts of drug money from Boston, Detroit and New York, authorities said.
Álvarez Inzunza was “trying to provide for his family” but ended up “destroying his family,” his attorney said.
At his sentencing. U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw acknowledged that Álvarez Inzunza was remorseful but said his actions helped fund the violent cartel, which doesn’t “exist without money.”
“You’re complicit in all of this activity — it’s not just the money laundering,” Sabraw said.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill limiting conservatorships that grant legal guardianship over individuals, a move that comes after Britney Spears’ conservatorship case garnered national attention amid her attempts to regain control over her finances and livelihood.
The new law, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Brian Maienschein, will require that judges document all alternatives to a conservatorship before granting one. It aligns with similar legislation adopted in other states, following a push from advocates. In a statement, Newsom, a Democrat, said the state is committed to protecting the rights of Californians with disabilities.
People deemed to be unable to make certain life decisions for themselves can be placed into legal conservatorships in which a court-appointed conservator is given control over their finances and other critical aspects of their life, sometimes without their consent. They most often involve people with developmental or intellectual disabilities or those with age-related issues like dementia.
Advocacy groups contend that people like Spears, who was under a conservatorship for nearly 14 years, can become trapped in a system that removes their civil rights and the ability to advocate for themselves.
“This measure is an important step to empower Californians with disabilities to get needed support in caring for themselves and their finances, while maintaining control over their lives to the greatest extent possible,” Newsom wrote in a signing statement, calling the new law a “transformative reform to protect self-determination for all Californians.”
Spears, the pop singer and Mississippi native who has publicly struggled with her mental health, ended up at the center of a widespread #FreeBritney campaign aimed at regranting the pop singer authority over her medical, personal and financial decisions. She alleged she became a victim of misconduct at the hands of her father, James Spears, who was her conservator.
Fans and advocates rallied online and in person to bring attention to Spears’ situation. Documentaries by The New York Times and Netflix on the effects of Spears’ conservatorship brought renewed spotlight to the case and the conservatorship process more broadly. She was a 26-year-old new mother who had several public mental health struggles during the height of her career in 2008, when her father sought the conservatorship, at first on a temporary basis.
A Los Angeles judge ended Spears’ conservatorship last year, a win followed by legislative proposals to protect the rights of conservatees and efforts to make it more difficult for people to end up in one.
Maienschein, who represents parts of San Diego, thanked the governor in a statement, noting the importance of ensuring the autonomy of people with disabilities.
The new law will give potential conservatees preference for selecting a conservator and make it easier to end probate conservatorships.
Disability rights organization Disability Voices United referred to news of Newsom’s decision as historic.
“This law affirms that conservatorships should be rare and the last resort,” the group wrote. “The default should be that people with disabilities retain their rights and get support when they need it. ”
———
Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Sophie Austin on Twitter.
Over the past week, an average of 491 Americans have died of COVID each day, according to data compiled by The New York Times. The week before, the number was 382. The week before that, 494. And so on.
For the past five months or so, the United States has trod along something of a COVID-death plateau. This is good in the sense that after two years of breakneck spikes and plummets, the past five months are the longest we’ve gone without a major surge in deaths since the pandemic’s beginning, and the current numbers are far below last winter’s Omicron highs. (Case counts and hospital admissions have continued to fluctuate but, thanks in large part to the protection against severe disease conferred by vaccines and antivirals, they have mostly decoupled from ICU admissions and deaths; the curve, at long last, is flat.) But though daily mortality numbers have stopped rising, they’ve also stopped falling. Nearly 3,000 people are still dying every week.
We could remain on this plateau for some time yet. Lauren Ancel Meyers, the director of the University of Texas at Austin’s COVID-19 Modeling Consortium, told me that as long as a dangerous new variant doesn’t emerge (in which case these projections would go out the window), we could see only a slight bump in deaths this fall and winter, when cases are likely to surge, but probably—or at least hopefully—nothing too drastic. In all likelihood, though, deaths won’t dip much below their present levels until early 2023, with the remission of a winter surge and the additional immunity that surge should confer. In the most optimistic scenarios that Meyers has modeled, deaths could at that point get as low as half their current level. Perhaps a tad lower.
By any measure, that is still a lot of people dying every day. No one can say with any certainty what 2023 might have in store, but as a reference point, 200 deaths daily would translate to 73,000 deaths over the year. COVID would remain a top-10 leading cause of death in America in this scenario, roughly twice as deadly as either the average flu season or a year’s worth of motor-vehicle crashes.
COVID deaths persist in part because we let them. America has largely decided to be done with the pandemic, even though the pandemic stubbornly refuses to be done with America. The country has lifted nearly all of its pandemic restrictions, and emergency pandemic funding has been drying up. For the most part, people have settled into whatever level of caution or disregard suits them. A Pew Research survey from May found that COVID did not even crack Americans’ list of the top 10 issues facing the country. Only 19 percent said that they consider it a big problem, and it’s hard to imagine that number has gone anywhere but down in the months since. COVID deaths have shifted from an emergency to the accepted collateral damage of the American way of life. Background noise.
On one level, this is appalling. To simply proclaim the pandemic over is to abandon the vulnerable communities and older people who, now more than ever, bear the brunt of its burden. Yet on an individual level, it’s hard to blame anyone for looking away, especially when, for most Americans, the risk of serious illness is lower now than it has been since early 2020. It’s hard not to look away when each day’s numbers are identically grim, when the devastation becomes metronomic. It’s hard to look each day at a number—491, 382, 494—and experience that number for what it is: the premature ending of so many individual human lives.
People grow accustomed to these daily tragedies because to not would be too painful. “We are, in a way, victims of our own success,” Steven Taylor, a psychiatrist at the University of British Columbia who has written one book on the psychology of pandemics and is at work on another, told me. Our adaptability is what allowed us to weather the worst of the pandemic, and it is also what’s preventing us from fully escaping the pandemic. We can normalize anything, for better or for worse. “We’re so resilient at adapting to threats,” Taylor said, that we’ve “even habituated to this.”
Where does that leave us? As the nation claws its way out of the pandemic—and reckons with all of its lasting damage—what do we do with the psychic burden of a death toll that might not decline substantially for a long time? Total inurement is not an option. Neither is maximal empathy, the feeling of each death reverberating through you at an emotional level. The challenge, it seems, is to carve out some sort of middle path. To care enough to motivate ourselves to make things better without caring so much that we end up paralyzed.
Perhaps we will find this path. More likely, we will not. In earlier stages of the pandemic, Americans talked at length about a mythic “new normal.” We were eager to imagine how life might be different—better, even—after a tragedy that focused the world’s attention on disease prevention. Now we’re staring down what that new normal might actually look like. The new normal is accepting 400 COVID deaths a day as The Way Things Are. It’s resigning ourselves so completely to the burden that we forget that it’s a burden at all.
In the time since you started reading this story, someone in the United States has died of COVID. I could tell you a story about this person. I could tell you that he was a retired elementary-school teacher. That he was planning a trip with his wife to San Diego, because he’d never seen the Pacific Ocean. That he was a long-suffering Knicks fan and baked a hell of a peach cobbler, and when his grandchildren visited, he’d get down on his arthritic knees, and they’d play Connect Four, and he’d always let them win. These details, though hypothetical, might sadden you—or sadden you more, at least, than when I told you simply that since you started this story, one person had died of COVID. But I can’t tell you that story 491 times in one day. And even if I could, could you bear to listen?
‘O, Brawling Love!’ — the first project in John Paul the Great Catholic University’s Feature Film Program — finished filming on Tuesday
Press Release –
Jun 30, 2022
ESCONDIDO, Calif., June 30, 2022 (Newswire.com)
– O, Brawling Love!, the first project in John Paul the Great Catholic University’s Feature Film Program, finished filming on Tuesday. The film was shot in Escondido, California, using locations such as Escondido Charter High School, Grape Day Park, and the university’s soundstage. Over 50 JPCatholic students, along with several alumni, were involved both on and off set.
Prof. George Simon, Chair of Communications Media, is spearheading JPCatholic’s Feature Film Program. He announced the initiative last year as a way to integrate feature film productions into the curriculum, providing students the opportunity to collaborate with alumni and professors each year in bringing a new film to life.
“This program is made possible by the talent, creativity, and passion of our students,” he said. “Every day on set, these filmmakers set a standard of excellence and professionalism that is truly remarkable. We all knew it was possible to pull off a feature film with our students, but they didn’t just pull it off, they knocked it out of the park.”
As previously announced, JPCatholic’s faculty selected O, Brawling Love! from a pool of nearly 50 student and alumni pitches. An original story by senior screenwriting student Bella Lake, the script is about two rival acting students who are forced to reconcile their differences and play lovers Romeo and Juliet in their final school play, vying for a $25,000 cash prize.
The film was directed by JPCatholic alumna Maggie Mahrt (’10), whose resume includes work for Disney Digital, Paramount Studio, and NBC. In 2016, she was selected as one of eight women by the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women, through which she wrote and directed the award-winning short film Unbound.
Since January, students and faculty have been busy with courses on story development and pre-production applied directly to planning the project. Production spanned June 2-28, taking place primarily during the break between Spring and Summer quarter.
Several students also acted in the project, including senior acting student John Howard who was cast as the male lead. He participated in the blind audition process with Mahrt, and was selected from a pool of over 50 candidates from both inside and outside the school. “Starring in a feature film was a big step up from acting in short films,” he said. “It was a welcome and rewarding challenge.”
With production complete, Prof. Melinda Simon will lead a team of students this quarter in editing the project. Like previous stages of the film, the post-production experience is a class students are taking for credit. When the film is completed in late 2022 or early 2023, the university will seek distribution.
John Paul the Great Catholic University describes itself as “The Catholic University for Creative Arts and Business Innovation,” focusing on combining hands-on programs such as film, animation, graphic design, acting, and business entrepreneurship with a Catholic liberal arts education in theology, philosophy, and humanities. Launched in 2006 in the Scripps Ranch community of San Diego, JPCatholic relocated to a permanent campus in downtown Escondido in 2013 and has been accredited with WSCUC since 2015. JPCatholic operates on a year-round quarter system, with students earning a bachelor’s degree in just three years.
Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art & Math Critical to Early Childhood Learning
Press Release –
updated: Jul 1, 2021
SAN DIEGO, July 1, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– The San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum has named TOOTRiS CEO Alessandra Lezama to its Board of Directors to help the nonprofit fulfill its mission to promote fluency in science, technology, reading, engineering, art, and math (STREAM) among young learners.
While STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) has been at the forefront of education to prepare the future workforce, the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum is focusing more broadly on STREAM content to serve a broader need in the community.
“Since we serve the littlest of learners, reading must be part of every aspect of their learning; we incorporate art as a platform to teach science, technology, engineering, and math concepts,” said Krishna Kabra, the Museum’s Executive Director. ”It is essential that all young children see themselves as capable of learning and understanding these fundamental concepts. Our goal is to help them build a lifelong interest in these areas. We believe we can, and we will reduce inequities in early childhood STREAM education.”
Originally founded in 1999 in Escondido as a traveling education program in science and art, the Museum now provides hands-on educational exhibits and programs focusing on science, art, and world cultures for over 100,000 annual visitors, including children, families and school groups.
Since being named Executive Director in August 2020, Kabra – who has more than 20 years of experience in the corporate world – has reconfigured the Museum’s programs as virtual and distance-learning formats due to the pandemic. By offering free, online activities, the Museum reached over 900,000 people from around the world via social media; distributed 3,200 free, hands-on science and art activity kits to local library branches; and served 4,378 local students through virtual workshops.
The Museum also established partnerships with the Oceanside Unified School District, San Diego Public Library Branches, and the Humane Society through virtual and distance-learning program offerings. The Museum is in the process of reopening safely onsite, and, in the fall, will resurrect its Mobile Museum that visits communities throughout the San Diego region. The Museum plans to continue offering virtual programming to reach more children and families.
“I applaud Krishna’s leadership and her ability to pivot the Museum’s programs and offerings to ensure our children continue to have an innovative and fun learning platform and experience,” said Lezama, who founded TOOTRiS in 2019 as a first-of-its-kind SaaS platform for on-demand Child Care. “I am honored to join the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum Board and support its mission to make sure every child has an opportunity to blossom and succeed.”
Lezama, a seasoned technology executive, joins a Board of Directors that includes local business leaders and entrepreneurs who serve as advocates and ambassadors for the Museum.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have Alessandra on the team,” Kabra said. ”She is the ultimate passionate leader and powerhouse, and brings a tremendous amount of vision, expertise, and ambition. The Museum is at a critical point of inflection, and as we embark upon our next phase of growth, we need exemplary leaders like Alessandra to join us at the helm. She is courageous and committed, willing to lean in, roll her sleeves up, and do what it takes to guide the Museum to the next level. We have big, bold, audacious goals as an organization.”
About TOOTRiS
TOOTRiS is reinventing Child Care, making it convenient, affordable and on-demand. As the world shifts to digitalized services, TOOTRiS helps parents and providers connect and transact in real-time, empowering working parents – especially women – to secure quality Child Care, while allowing providers to unlock their potential and fully monetize their program. TOOTRiS is creating a new digital economy that promotes entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals with passion and talent to become Child Care providers, improving their quality of life while increasing the much-needed supply of Child Care across the state. TOOTRiS’ unique technology enables employers to provide fully managed Child Care Benefits, giving their workforce the flexibility and family support paramount to regaining employee productivity and increasing their ROI.
Viejas Casino & Resort Introduces Revolutionary Cashless Gaming Mobile Application
Press Release –
updated: Jun 18, 2021
SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– For over three decades, Viejas Casino & Resort has led other regional casinos in providing not only world-class resort amenities to its guests but also the latest cutting-edge gaming technology. Viejas is proud to announce its newest technological advancement, which will provide a quicker and safer gaming experience for all guests—VIP Mobility.
VIP Mobility is a simple-to-use, free, downloadable mobile application for Apple and Android devices that is securely connected to a guest’s bank account(s), allowing players to quickly transfer funds to and from their slot machine or table game. This cashless gaming app will allow a more streamlined gaming experience as well as a safer one. As the region returns to a sense of normalcy during COVID-19, Viejas believes that protecting the health of guests is of paramount importance. The use of VIP Mobility by players will provide safer gaming options: eliminating high-touch risk factors associated with handling cash bills and using ATMs, as well as limiting face-to-face interactions with Team Members.
“This revolutionary application and the technology we have installed across the casino floor will enable us to increase guest service, reduce lines and provide a safe and efficient experience to our guests,” said Jim Wild, General Manager of Viejas Casino & Resort. “Our guests no longer have to carry large amounts of cash or stacks of TITO tickets, and they never have to leave their lucky slot machine or favorite table game to get cash again.”
The rollout of VIP Mobility has already begun with a select test group of players and will continue through the beginning of the summer season. Training materials, guest guides, and instructional videos will be available throughout the property and online.
About Viejas Casino & Resort
Viejas Casino & Resort is a proud recipient of the AAA Four Diamond award. The resort features world-class gaming with thousands of slot machines, exciting table games including blackjack, baccarat, pai gow, as well as a modern and elegant bingo room, and an off-track betting facility. Viejas Casino & Resort also features a variety of restaurants including the AAA Four Diamond Grove Steakhouse, Baron Long Bar & Grill, Ginger Noodle Bar, and the Café. The beautiful Viejas Outlets, located across the street from the casino, offer visitors a unique shopping experience with highly acclaimed stores, numerous eateries, Viejas Bowl, and Southern California’s largest outdoor skating rink. Nestled in the beautiful Alpine Valley, Viejas Casino & Resort offers two hotel options for guests searching for modern amenities, streamlined design and a luxurious boutique feel. The Viejas Hotel, built in 2013, features 203 luxury rooms and 34 VIP suites, including a lush, spacious pool and lounge area. The adult-only tower, Willows Hotel & Spa, built in 2018, offers an additional 159 VIP suites, luxury spa facilities, saltwater pools, and a newly expanded gaming area.
New Alliance Will Enable Nonprofit to Better Support Key Staff Across Eight Locations
Press Release –
updated: Jun 15, 2021
SAN DIEGO, June 15, 2021 (Newswire.com)
– The San Diego Regional Center (SDRC), a leader in the community for persons with developmental disabilities, has partnered with TOOTRiS to provide real-time Child Care services to its employees. With this partnership, SDRC’s staff of more than 600 will have access to thousands of local Child Care providers through the TOOTRiS’ platform, removing barriers that prevent working parents from remaining in the workforce and advancing their family-friendly work environment.
As a first-of-its-kind SaaS platform, TOOTRiS connects parents, Child Care providers, employers, and subsidy programs all in real time. One of TOOTRiS’ goals is to create sustainable, systematic change for greater equality. Child Care challenges cause one in four women to leave the workforce and costs employers millions of dollars each year in turnover, lost productivity, and absenteeism. Over the last year, nearly 3 million women dropped out of the workforce across America, many due to the lack of Child Care. With a staff of more than 65% women,SDRC recognizes that Child Care support is key for long-term success, and its partnership withTOOTRiS is a win-win solution for the organization and the community.
“Through this partnership with TOOTRiS, our employees now have access to the only real-time Child Care benefits solutions available, ensuring our employees have access to quality Child Care so they can thrive at our organization,” said Carlos Flores, San Diego Regional Center Executive Director. “By providing an affordable Child Care service and increasing Child Care availability and visibility for families, TOOTRiS creates a level playing field so that all working parents, regardless of economic status, location, or schedule, have a chance to pursue professional growth.”
“When employees are provided access to Child Care benefits, they are not forced to choose between a paycheck and their child,” said Alessandra Lezama, CEO of TOOTRiS. “Families in San Diego with two working parents spend up to 40% of their income on Child Care. That is excessively high. The San Diego Regional Center has always been a forward-thinking nonprofit, dedicated to providing the best services for our community. By offering Child Care as part of its existing employee wellness program, the organization will significantly improve productivity, career advancements, and employee retention, allowing SDRC to continue its amazing work.”
About the San Diego Regional Center The San Diego Regional Center is a service of San Diego-Imperial Counties Developmental Services, Inc. and a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that contracts with the State of California to provide the services outlined in the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act. The San Diego Regional Center is a focal point in Imperial and San Diego counties for 33,000 persons with developmental disabilities such as intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, and other disabling conditions, encouraging them to live productive, satisfying, and meaningful lives as valued members of our community.
About TOOTRiS TOOTRiS is reinventing Child Care, making it convenient, affordable and on-demand. As the world shifts to digitalized services, TOOTRiS helps parents and providers connect and transact in real time, empowering working parents – especially women – to secure quality Child Care, while allowing providers to unlock their potential and fully monetize their program. TOOTRiS is creating a new digital economy that promotes entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals with passion and talent to become Child Care providers, improving their quality of life while increasing the much-needed supply of Child Care across the state. TOOTRiS’ unique technology enables employers to provide fully managed Child Care Benefits, giving their workforce the flexibility and family support paramount to regaining employee productivity and increasing their ROI.
SAN DIEGO, December 17, 2020 (Newswire.com)
– Attorney John Gomez of Gomez Trial Attorneys is pleased to announce the firm’s platinum sponsorship of Toys for Joy, an annual event where San Diego children and their families receive free toys, groceries, and more. This sponsorship is a testament to Mr. Gomez’s commitment to the community and continued support of charitable events and organizations in the San Diego area.
Now in its 23rd year, Toys for Joy has helped nearly 170,000 underprivileged San Diego families experience hope in the Christmas Season. Last year, 3,870 volunteers distributed 69,000 pounds of groceries 21,955 toys to 15,538 attendees.
According to San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer, “Toys for Joy represents the best of San Diego’s giving spirit. It brings together residents and neighbors from across our city to share in the joy of the holiday season and provide for those among us who are less fortunate. From toys to groceries to clothing and more, the lives of so many San Diegans are truly transformed through this community event, and I am proud to see this effort continue to grow year after year.”
Rock Church, the organization that puts on the event each year, will work with school and agency partners to distribute groceries and toys to the families they serve.
Events like Toys for Joy rely on the sponsorship and generosity of businesses like Gomez Trial Lawyers and individuals like you. This year’s event will look significantly different due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, but you can still help. People who want to donate or volunteer can learn more about the organization and various involvement opportunities on their website.
Attorney John Gomez founded Gomez Trial Attorneys in 2005. The firm represents individuals who were injured in accidents caused by the negligence of others, such as in car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, construction accidents, slip and fall accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents. In addition, the firm also represents individuals hurt by defective medical devices and dangerous drugs.
For more information about Gomez Trial Attorneys’s sponsorship of Toys for Joy, contact Miranda Varoz via email or at 866-TRIAL LAW.
The Fund, fueled by donor investments entirely, will serve to create a not-for-profit Kid Ventures play space inside Rady Children’s Hospital
Press Release –
updated: Sep 25, 2019
SAN DIEGO, September 25, 2019 (Newswire.com)
– Kid Ventures will host their Back-to-School Party on Friday, Sept. 27 to inaugurate their Preschool Academy as well as officially kick off their new Fund, the Solomon Family Ventures Fund, a partnership with Rady Children’s Hospital to create a Kid Ventures-type play center inside the hospital.
Kid Ventures was founded by a local mom and dad, Debbie and Darren Solomon in 2008 with the intention to provide a space for children to build social and cognitive skills and stretch their imaginations and muscles in a clean and physically active environment. Debbie and Darren have also brought a ‘mobile Kid Ventures’ to Rady Children’s Hospital in past years which really brought about this vision.
“We are excited to partner with Kid Ventures to offer our patients an interactive play space to bring laughter, joy and much-needed diversion from daily Hospital routines,” said Nicholas Holmes, MD, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Rady Children’s. “The Solomon family has helped to serve countless children across San Diego for more than a decade. It seems only natural that Rady Children’s join their community dedicated to thoughtful, intentional play spaces.”
Kid Ventures has served many families across San Diego County fortunate enough to have healthy kids, and they feel the responsibility to use their skillset, resources and success to create a meaningful legacy. Thus, the Solomon Family Kid Ventures Fund was formed.
Through the creation of this fund, Kid Ventures wishes to bring play, learning and discovery to the kids at Rady Children’s Hospital. The Fund will be used to create an interactive play space for children and their caregivers to enjoy within the hospital campus. Rady Children’s Hospital provides care to 91 percent of the region’s children and more than 247,000 children rely on this hospital every year. Kid Ventures is committed to ensuring that these patients have an opportunity to just be kids during their hospital stay. Studies show that medical facilities yield better health outcomes for their patients when social and emotional elements are incorporated in the hospital environment. The indoor play space is projected to feature amenities like those in Kid Ventures, such as a market, fire station, and more.
“It gives us great satisfaction to know that we are playing a vital role in advancing Rady Children’s mission to restore, sustain and enhance the health and development potential of children through excellence in care, education, research and advocacy,” said Darren Solomon. “We hope to be a leading example of innovative and fun hospital care and inspire other hospitals across the country to do the same.”
Donor investments will fuel this project entirely, and Kid Ventures as well as Rady Children’s Hospital hope to receive help from members and businesses in the community to fund this special project.
To kick off fundraising, Kid Ventures is striving towards an initial goal of $10,000 to be raised at their event this September. The Back-to-School Party will take place on Friday, September 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will feature a Hullabaloo Concert, tasty bites, activities/free play, and tours of the facilities.
Kid Ventures Preschool Academy, formerly Kid Ventures Liberty Station, is located at 2865 Sims Road.
For more information on Kid Ventures Preschool academy, visit www.indoorplaysandiego.com/preschool.
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Rady Children’s Hospital
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego is the region’s pediatric medical center serving San Diego, Imperial and southern Riverside counties. Rady Children’s Hospital treats children from birth to 18 years old as well as a small number of adults with certain conditions for which we have specialized services.
Kid Ventures
Since 2008, Kid Ventures has provided the next generation in boutique-style indoor family enrichment, education and entertainment centers. Their facilities offer the perfect setting for children to explore and expand their imaginations and talents as parents delight in the experience. Kids play & learn in a fun and stimulating indoor play village, designed to stretch their creative muscles in a healthy and safe way.
Eleventh annual event breaks record on money raised and donates 100% of ticket proceeds to benefit military families
SAN DIEGO, Calif., July 19, 2019 (Newswire.com)
– Phil’s BBQ and Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County raised over $112,200 with nearly 3,000 attendees at the Eleventh Annual Phil’s Big BBQ at the Ballpark on Sunday, July 14.
Phil’s BBQ donated 100% of the event proceeds to Operation Bigs, a one-to-one mentoring program that provides an extra layer of support to children and families with an active duty, veteran or gold star military parent.
Phil’s Big BBQ at the Ballpark inspired attendees to sign up and volunteer as a Big Brother or Sister and treated 600 Littles/Big Brothers and Sisters to an unforgettable day. Phil Pace, who launched the event eleven years ago, and his entire team at Phil’s BBQ donated their time to serve approximately 3,000 attendees.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of Phil’s BBQ, the Padres and all our event sponsors for providing such a fun event to raise money for the youth in our Operation Bigs program,” said Lorie Zapf, CEO & President of Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County. “In addition to donating 100% of the ticket proceeds, hundreds of volunteer “Bigs” and their “Littles” were able to attend at no cost, being treated to a BBQ lunch, game ticket, fun zone, root beer floats and live entertainment!”
The 2019 Big Brothers Big Sisters “Bigs of the Year,” “Volunteers of the Year,” “Liaison of the Year,” were recognized at the event for their outstanding contributions to the organization.
Attendees enjoyed Phil’s ribs and chicken plus two sides, Pixster photo booths, Kids Zone, a Root Beer Float Garden sponsored by Navy Federal Credit Union, and more. There was entertainment by The Morgan Leigh Band on the Sycuan Music Stage, as well as a beer garden and VIP area, featuring Karl Strauss, Ballast Point, Thorn Brewing, Bay City Brewing, Deep Eddy Vodka, and Duck Foot Brewing – where guests enjoyed $5 beer and drinks with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting BBBS of San Diego County.
Operation Bigs was launched in 2004 to meet the increasing demand for BBBS from military families stationed at Camp Pendleton. Since its inception, Operation Bigs has served more than 2,950 Navy and Marine Corps children. The program operates at eight schools in four communities throughout San Diego County including Camp Pendleton, Point Loma, Coronado and Murphy Canyon. In 2015, Operation Bigs also expanded their services to military children through BBBS’ traditional Community-Based program. Operation Bigs enrolls military dependents between the ages of 7- 17 at no cost to families. Volunteers are in high demand.
The event’s major sponsors included Phil’s BBQ, the San Diego Padres, Richard & Richard Construction, Torrey Pines Bank, RelationEdge LLC, Coca-Cola, Frank Subaru, Navy Federal Credit Union, Gibson Dunn, Bolton, AmTrust Financial. Other supporters include Synergy Management, Ultrafryer Systems, Air Cleaning Technology, Dave Whipple Sheet Metal, Inc., Dr. Pepper, Stokes Wagner, Accurate Chemical, Douglas Allred, Curtis Restaurant Equipment, High Flying Foods, RJS Law, and Orion Risk Management. Media partners included 100.7 and The CW. Other event donators included Karl Strauss, Ballast Point, Thorn Brewing, Bay City Brewing, Deep Eddy Vodka, Duck Foot Brewing, GoGo squeeZ, BB’s Eco Jumps, the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, and San Diego Event Catering.
More than 100 Phil’s BBQ employees donated their time to set up and run the event.
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About Phil’s BBQ
Since opening in 1998, Phil’s BBQ has become famous for their award-winning BBQ in San Diego. The fast-casual restaurant has won numerous local and national awards. Phil’s BBQ has rapidly expanded over the past several years, opening locations in Point Loma, San Marcos, Santee and Rancho Bernardo, three eateries at Petco Park, a new location inside Sycuan Resort & Casino, a location within the San Diego International Airport, the soon to open location in Temecula, and continues to expand its retail market, selling Phil’s famous BBQ sauce in Costco locations around San Diego County.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County For 58 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County has operated under the belief that every child has the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters helps children achieve measurable positive outcomes, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and healthier relationships. By partnering with parents and guardians, schools, corporations and other community members, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children (“Littles”) with screened volunteer mentors (“Bigs”) to monitor and support one-to-one mentoring matches that build safe, enduring relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often from single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong, enduring, professionally-supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change lives for the better.
Learn how you can positively impact a child’s life, donate or volunteer today at www.SDBigs.org, or call (858) 536-4900.
JTB Wheelchair Tennis Global Challenge is international competition in San Diego with future Paralympians representing Canada, Japan, and US
Press Release –
updated: Dec 27, 2018
SAN DIEGO, December 27, 2018 (Newswire.com)
– “JTB Wheelchair Tennis Global Challenge” is an international competition held in San Diego. Eleven wheelchair tennis athletes have been invited from Japan, Canada, and the United States, all of whom are aspiring Paralympians.
B-Adaptive Foundation (BAF), a non-profit organization out of Los Angeles, will be hosting the Global Challenge. January 2018 was the inaugural JTB Wheelchair Tennis Global Challenge, and this year’s event will be the second of its kind. The Global Challenge is an excellent opportunity for young athletes to compete against rivals from other countries and to learn from other cultures. Additionally, all athletes competing in the Global Challenge are unaccompanied by parents, creating an environment for independence and self-confidence. For athletes with disabilities, there are many challenges associated with leaving home, and overcoming those challenges can help them grow significantly.
The following are the players are invited based on the recommendation by the Japan Wheelchair Tennis Association, US Tennis Association, and Tennis Canada.
JAPAN: Fumiya Kuboshita, Shogo Takano, Chihiro Yoshikawa, Yuta Zaima
USA: Nathan Hunter, Nathan Melnyk, Henry Reyes, Michelle Wilson
Canada: Tomas Bourassa, Amy DeWolff
We have partnered with the student-run organization, Aztec Adaptive Sports from San Diego State University (SDSU), and the event will take place at the tennis courts on SDSU campus.
Event Details
Title: JTB Wheelchair Tennis Global Challenge
Date: January 5 – 6, 2019 (Sat, Sun) starting at 10:30 A.M. both days
Location: Aztec Tennis Center (Within San Diego State University Campus), Plaza Deportes, San Diego, CA 92182
Sponsors: JTB, Inc., Japan Airlines, American Airlines, Hoshino Resorts
Company / Group Introduction
B-Adaptive Foundation
B-Adaptive Foundation was founded in Los Angeles in 2017 with the goal of providing opportunities for middle and high school students with disabilities to travel overseas, and more importantly, to grow as athletes and individuals. The objective is that people with disabilities not be limited in daily activities or larger aspirations and ultimately to help create a more inclusive environment in which no individual is restricted in any capacity.
For more information, please visit: https://www.b-adaptive.org
About Aztec Adaptive Sports
Aztec Adaptive Sports (AAS), a student-run organization at San Diego State University (SDSU) is working on establishing an adaptive athletics program for SDSU. One of the leaders of the organization, Ahkeel Whitehead competed in the 2016 Rio Paralympics. His objectives through the organization are to create opportunities where disabled athletes can pursue their academic and athletic careers similar to non-disabled athletes.
For further information on this press release and coverage, please contact below.
SAN DIEGO, December 3, 2018 (Newswire.com)
– Out at the Fair®, the Fair industry’s official LGBTQ+ festival, expanded to five Fairs in two states during 2018 and has initiated plans for its 2019 season. In addition to the San Diego County Fair – where it was originally launched – the festival is also now held at the California State Fair (Sacramento), Marin County Fair (San Rafael), and Santa Clara County Fair (San Jose) in California, plus the New Mexico State Fair (Albuquerque) in New Mexico.
In October, the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation became Out at the Fair’s fiscal sponsor, granting the festival non-profit status. The Foundation is one of the largest LGBTQ+ foundations in the country, and the sole community foundation in San Diego dedicated to the benefit of LGBTQ+ people. Companies and organizations interested in reaching the LGBTQ+ community in a family-friendly setting are invited and encouraged to show support of Out at the Fair® through a tax-deductible sponsorship or donation.
During their 2018 convention in Reno, Nevada, the Western Fairs Association, a leading trade organization serving the Fair industry in the western United States and Canada, presented Out at the Fair® – with its prestigious Barham Award, which recognizes innovation, quality, and leadership in the field of service.
According to “Out at the Fair” by Albert H. Fulcher of Gay San Diego, Out at the Fair “…has now turned into the largest “Out” gathering in Southern California region.”
“Out at the Fair has definitely become one of the highlights of summer in San Diego” – Sen. Toni Atkins President pro Tempore of the California State Senate
About Out at the Fair®
In 2013, the “Unofficial Gay Day at the Fair” was held at the San Diego County Fair as a family-friendly celebration of the LGBTQ+ community; the festival was a success and quickly embraced by fairgoers and the community. One year later, it became an official Fair festival and renamed “Out at the Fair®” (“OATF”). During the following four years, the festival grew considerably in scope and breadth, garnering praise from community leaders and awards from trade associations, as well as expanding to two other fairs. What started as an outing by a group of friends in 2011 – as a simple Facebook check-in – is now the only official LGBTQ+ event in the Fair industry.
Through the years, OATF has gained the support of local LGBTQ+ community organizations, as well as local elected officials and businesses, at the various Fairs where the festival is held.
OATF includes a full day of entertainment featuring local LGBTQ+ performers, non-profit organizations exhibiting, the Newly Married Game, Diva Drop, Dunk a Hunk, Family Fun Hour, Eat a Gay Bug, flags representing the various LGBTQ+ sub-groups, and all-gender restrooms, and national talent, such as American Idol finalists David Hernandez and Keith London, RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Chad Michaels, pop singers Pepper MaShay and Ricky Rebel.
In July 2017, after five years of increased success, OATF made the jump to the California State Fair in partnership with the Sacramento LGBT Center – as part of an expansion plan that intends to spread a message of diversity and inclusiveness to Fairs nationwide and abroad. In September 2017, OATF crossed state borders and welcomed fairgoers from Albuquerque and surrounding areas to the New Mexico State Fair, in partnership with Albuquerque Pride. In July 2018, the Marin County Fair in San Rafael was added to the roster. In August, the Santa Clara County Fair located in San Jose was added; in both cases, partnering with local Pride and LGBTQ+ organizations.
