[END] GEROTOCRACY 

'Drives away young talent': AOC explains why Congress is getting older
David McAfee
July 29, 2023,

Congress member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Saturday explained exactly why Congress appears to be getting older.

Ocasio-Cortez, who recently hit back at Justice Samuel Alito's attempt to avoid all regulation from Congress, decided to address the inequities of Congress that lead to a generally older candidate pool. She picked up on a report that indicated that "Congress keeps getting older -- even as each newly elected class includes younger folks. The 2022 class had 18 new reps under 40. But older incumbents stick around longer," according to the report.

"There are many reasons for this, one being that the baby boomer gen changed a lot of the norms & structures of Congress (schedule, staff, cola, etc) so the actual job became very unsustainable for newer people who are younger, working class, or parents. Drives away young talent," Ocasio-Cortez posted on Saturday.

The lawmaker added:

"Much of this can be traced to the 90s and Contract with America, but much of it is also the influence of lobbyists and rigid ways of thinking that are difficult to challenge meaningfully in a fundraising + seniority system. Class divides in Congress are an unspoken challenge, too."

She explained:

"Even simple things like how votes are scheduled (& changed) are often hostile to parents and families. A lot of small details in this job is pretty much assumes you have a full-time, stay at home spouse. Which makes sense, because many/most did! But if you don’t, it’s a problem"

Finally the lawmaker states:

"If a member is independently wealthy (which many are), it can create a ton of blind spots for all these details that build up, or even resistance to changing them," according to the report. "But I think the people who get elected from more normal backgrounds do run into a bit of shock when they get here."

AND HE WOULD BE RIGHT

Bennie Thompson says Jan. 6 hearings helped ‘pressure’ DOJ to bring case against

Trump

THE HILL

BY TARA SUTER - 07/29/23 

Committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., speaks to reporters after the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its final meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Rep. Bennie Johnson (D-Miss.), chairman of the House’s select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol, said the hearings on the insurrection helped “put significant pressure” on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to begin a probe into former President Trump’s efforts to overturn the election.

“I think our investigation made the case,” Thompson said Saturday on MSNBC, adding “I think those hearings, we held, put significant pressure on the Department of Justice to come forward.”

“I think up until that point of the hearings, it could have gone either way. But I think the compelling argument that we made as a committee for millions of Americans as to how close we came to losing our democracy, [the Justice Department] really didn’t … have a choice,” he continued. “And when the special prosecutor was put forth, I think we helped make his case.”

His remarks come after Trump announced last week that his team received a letter from DOJ indicating he is target of special counsel Jack Smith’s Jan. 6 investigation focusing on his effort to stay in power after losing the election in 2020 to now-President Biden.

“Deranged Jack Smith, the prosecutor with Joe Biden’s DOJ sent a letter (again it was Sunday night!) stating that I am a TARGET of the January 6th Grand Jury investigation, and giving me a very short 4 days to report to the Grand Jury, which almost always means an Arrest and Indictment,” Trump wrote last week on Truth Social about the letter.

The Jan. 6 select committee under Thompson’s leadership spent roughly 18 months in the last session of Congress investigating the insurrection — including interviews with more than 1,000 witnesses and reporting its findings during a slew of public hearings. Following the release of its final report, the committee suggested to DOJ that criminal charges were the obvious next step.

“We were not as a committee a prosecutorial body. So actually, we had to move the documents over,” Thompson explained on Saturday. “But we had testimony. We had witnesses, we identified all the false electors who tried to make the case that Donald Trump was their candidate, all those things, people wouldn’t have looked at it.”

“And I think we actually helped the Department of Justice get to where they are now,” he added.

Thompson isn’t the first member of the committee to chime in after the target letter, either. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) made similar comments last week, arguing the committee’s work “compelled” the DOJ to look into possible criminal charges against the former president.

“I’m not sure that would have happened in the absence of the work that we did on the January 6 committee,” Schiff said on the show.

Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) have also commented.

The former president’s legal woes only grew this week after Smith levied new charges against Trump in the classified documents case.4 dead, others injured in Wisconsin after two separate aircraft crashesTrump met with chorus of ‘no’s’ after asking if he should attend first GOP debate

The superseding indictment accuses the former president pushed to delete surveillance footage at his Mar-a-Lago resort and willfully retained an additional sensitive document — bringing his total counts for the classified documents case to 40.

If the Biden administration moves forward with an indictment in the Jan. 6 case, it would bring the total to three. He is also facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records over his alleged role in a hush money scheme ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The Hill’s Steff Danielle Thomas contributed to this report.

BRICS

Negative perception of China high in India, Brazil: US study

A median of 57 per cent say China interferes in the affairs of other nations a great deal or fair amount.

Published: 30th July 2023 


By Yeshi Seli

NEW DELHI: 

India and Brazil, who are leading members of the BRICS grouping, are sceptical and have negative perceptions about China. This impression is based on a 24-nation survey conducted by US think tank Pew Research Center (PRC), conducted from February 20 to May 22 this year.

“Negative views extend to evaluations of China’s international actions. Despite several high-profile diplomatic initiatives by Beijing over the past year – such as brokering a peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran and issuing a 12-point proposal for the end of violence in Ukraine – a median of 71 per cent think China does not contribute to global peace and stability,” said the PRC Survey.

Views of China that are ‘broadly negative’ in India and Brazil have risen 21 per cent. The interview conducted included 2,611 respondents in India and 1,044 in Brazil. Nearly 48 per cent of Brazilians hold negative impressions on China, up from 27 per cent in 2019. Indians having negative views on China jumped from 46 per cent in 2019 to 67 per cent now.

While the border dispute after Galwan in 2020 has fuelled reservations against China in India, it is the Covid-19 pandemic that led the Brazilians to have a negative view of the country. Meanwhile, nearly 76 per cent people are of the opinion that China does not take into account the interests of other countries in its foreign policy. A median of 57 per cent say China interferes in the affairs of other nations a great deal or fair amount.

Interestingly, India stands out as the only middle-income country that has an unfavourable view of China. While other middle-income countries like Kenya, Mexico and Nigeria gives China a positive rating.

“Across all 24 countries surveyed, however, there is more agreement about China’s technology. A median of 69 per cent describe China’s technological achievements as the best or above average relative to other wealthy nations, with similar shares in high- and middle-income countries. A median of 54 per cent also see China’s military as among the best in the world,” the survey points out.

Data speaks

24 countries surveyed by Pew Research Center from February 20 to May 22, 2023

 

71% of the 30,000 respondents think China does not contribute to global peace and stability

          21% rise in negative perception of China in India and Brazil

48% of Brazilians hold negative impressions on China, up from 27% in 2019

67% of Indians hold negative views on China, up from 46% in 2019

U$A

Katie Ledecky overtakes Michael Phelps for most individual world titles


Photo by: David J. Phillip/AP

By: CNN Newsource
Jul 29, 2023

(CNN) — US superstar swimmer Katie Ledecky surpassed Michael Phelps for most career individual world swimming titles on Saturday after winning her 16th gold medal.

Ledecky also became the first-ever swimmer to win six consecutive world championships in the same event.

The 26-year-old earned her 16th world title after winning the 800-meter freestyle in a time of 8:08.87 at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. She defeated second-place finisher, Li Bingjie of China, by 4.44 seconds.

After the race, Ledecky reflected on her achievements.

“It’s special. I really didn’t even know I was going to achieve that until people started telling me. It’s cool,” the seven-time Olympic gold medalist said.

“I’m happy with that swim. I wanted it to be a little better, but I’ll take it. I’m really pleased with how the week went.”

On Tuesday, Ledecky tied Phelps when she dominated the 1,500-meter freestyle for her fifth world title in that event.

TOOK LONG ENOUGH

United Airlines to add Braille to plane interiors

Its creator, blind Frenchman Louis Braille invented the language, which uses raised dots, in 1824.


Photo by: Wayne Slezak/United Airlines

By: CNN Newsource
Jul 29, 2023

(CNN) — United Airlines will put Braille throughout its plane interiors in order to support customers who are blind or have visual disabilities, becoming the first US airline to do so.

The airline announced the news in a press release on Thursday, July 27. July is Disability Pride Month in the United States.

“By adding more tactile signage throughout our interiors, we’re making the flying experience more inclusive and accessible, and that’s good for everyone,” Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer for United, said in a statement.

“Finding your seat on a plane or getting to the restroom is something most of us take for granted, but for millions of our customers, it can be a challenge to do independently.”

Braille will be used to indicate aisle and seat numbers and the location of lavatories, according to United.

In addition, the airline is working with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) on other ways to support blind and visually disabled passengers on board.

“United is taking additional steps to create an accessible airline passenger experience through Braille signage,” ACB Interim Executive Director Dan Spoone said in a statement.

“We appreciate the airline’s continued exploration of additional in-flight navigational aids like large print and tactile indicators, and we encourage all airlines to follow United’s lead in making air travel more inclusive for the blind and low vision community.”

It’s not just planes themselves that are becoming more disability-friendly. United’s app was recently updated to make it easier for screen-reading programs to understand.

Braille is named for its creator, blind Frenchman Louis Braille. He invented the language, which uses raised dots, in 1824.

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

Ramaphosa tells Putin Africans did not come to summit for free grain
dpa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa conducts a news conference at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on May 24, 2022.

(Phill Magakoe/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)

MOSCOW — During his visit to Russia, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pressed for a resumption of Ukrainian grain exports via the Black Sea.

Ramaphosa said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and other African leaders that he wanted the Black Sea Initiative - the deal allowing exports of Ukrainian grain — to be implemented, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin on Friday night.

He said he addressed the need to open the Black Sea and to have the Black Sea open to world markets, the transcript said.

The Russian president had made offers of free grain to his guests on Friday at the end of the two-day Africa summit he hosted in Russia's Baltic Sea metropolis of St. Petersburg.

In the West, the summit was criticized as a public relations stunt and an attempt by Putin to make African states even more dependent on Russian grain.

Russia, which has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than 17 months, recently canceled the Black Sea Initiative and has since repeatedly bombed Ukrainian port infrastructure.

At the same time, Moscow promised poorer African countries that it will supply them with grain allegedly free of charge.

Ramaphosa now stressed that the leaders did not go to St. Petersburg to ask for gifts for the African continent while thanking Putin for his generosity in offering to provide free grain to some African countries. The South African president said that was not the main goal of the attendees at the summit.

Many African countries rely heavily on Ukrainian grain supplies.

ByteDance spends millions lobbying, outpacing prior years amid crackdown on TikTok’s China ties

Anna Massoglia, OpenSecrets
July 29, 2023

TikTok's logo. (Shutterstock)
This article originally appeared in OpenSecrets. 

ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, poured millions into lobbying spending amid a nationwide push to ban the video-sharing app after U.S. officials increased scrutiny over data security and its Chinese government ties.

TikTok parent company ByteDance spent a record $2.4 million on federal lobbying during the second second quarter of this year — more than any other quarter since it started lobbying in 2019. Spending in the last quarter puts the company on track for another record-breaking year a new OpenSecrets analysis of Lobbying Disclosure Act filings found.

After ByteDance spent a record $5.3 million on federal lobbying in 2022 — more than all but three internet companies last year — the TikTok parent company poured another $4.28 million into federal lobbying during the first half of 2023, outpacing the roughly $3.25 million it spent at the same point last year.

RELATED ARTICLE: Former NFL player Derrick Dockery quietly becomes a guardian for TikTok on Capitol Hill

In total, ByteDance poured more than $17.7 million into lobbying since the Chinese-owned social media company first reported payments to federal lobbyists in 2019.

ByteDance’s lobbying team has several “revolving door” lobbyists who previously held federal government positions working for prominent members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, as well as several powerhouse lobbying firms with government connections in their arsenal.
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Former members of Congress on the team of revolving door lobbyists working for TikTok’s interests include former Sens. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and John Breaux (D-La.) as well as former Reps. Jeff Denham(R-Calif.) and Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.).

Despite ByteDance’s robust lobbying efforts and TikTok’s massive U.S. user base, the app has faced increased scrutiny from lawmakers looking to address potential national security and data privacy risks related to Chinese ownership.

On July 10, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) announced that Congress is considering changes to the Restricting the Emergence of Security Threats that Risk Information and Communications Technology Act — also known as the RESTRICT Act — a bill the Senate Intelligence Committee chair sponsored in March as part of efforts to crack down on TikTok and other companies that are deemed to pose a national security risk.

As written, the RESTRICT Act would grant the president and U.S. Commerce Department sweeping authority to address threats originating in countries deemed to be “foreign adversaries.”

The legislation is endorsed by President Joe Biden’s White House and has attracted bipartisan support in the Senate but Warner claims lobbying spending “slowed a bit of our momentum.”

Warner also told Reuters that Congress is working on changes to address concerns that his legislation would usher in a broad expansion of government power.

“The RESTRICT Act is using TikTok as a smokescreen for the largest expansion of executive power” in decades, Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee lamented when expressing opposition to the bill in March.

A wide range of advocacy groups and corporations ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the American Conservative Union have spent on lobbying around the legislation, scrutinizing it due to First Amendment concerns and the risk of executive overreach.

While the bill has received support from groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, even some groups and lawmakers pushing to ban TikTok have criticized the bill’s approach as overly broad.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been especially critical of the bill, going as far as claiming “As it is written right now, it will not ban TikTok and it will probably make it impossible to ever ban TikTok.”

In December, Rubio joined Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) in introducing another bill to ban TikTok from operating in the U.S.


Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) introduced legislation in January that would bar TikTok from being downloaded on any U.S. devices and ban any transactions with its parent company, ByteDance, as well.

While the proposals to ban TikTok across the U.S. are still under consideration, Congress passedlegislation to ban TikTok from federal government-owned devices as part of an annual appropriations bill in December 2022 and efforts to block the app have continued to gain momentum across the country.

In May, Montana became the first U.S. state to prohibit app stores from offering TikTok for download.

TikTok is currently fighting the ban, which is set to take effect in Montana on Jan. 1, 2024. As part of that effort, the company is covering legal fees for influencers in the state who are challenging the legislation in an ongoing lawsuit. The next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 12.

At least 33 states have also taken action to restrict TikTok on state-issued devices and several more have proposed similar bans.

Last week, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed the lawsuit on behalf of the Coalition for Independent Technology Research – which works to study the impact of technology on society — claiming a ban on TikTok at Texas state institutions violates the First Amendment. Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) signed the law banning TikTok on state-owned or issued devices for employees in state agencies, including state university systems in December, though the law is not slated to go into effect until next year.

As lawmakers grapple with how to balance the perceived national security threats posed by TikTok with constitutional issues raised by prohibitions, the growing push to restrict TikTok across the U.S. has put pressure on President Joe Biden’s administration to address concerns around the video-sharing app due to suspicions that it could be used as a tool of foreign influence.

U.S. officials have long speculated Chinese government actors may be able to view the personal information of TikTok users and more information has continued to emerge.

In June 2022, BuzzFeed News reported that ByteDance employees based in China have repeatedly accessed private data about American TikTok users, prompting senators on both sides of the aisle to call on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the company.

TikTok has emphatically rejected spying allegations. To distance the video-sharing app’s U.S. operations’ backend functions and code from its Chinese arm, TikTok is currently in the process of working with Austin-based software giant Oracle to store all American user data in the U.S. As a part of the collaboration dubbed “Project Texas,” TikTok is also reportedly giving Oracle access to audit its algorithms and content moderation policies.

At a House hearing in March, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified that “American data has always been stored in Virginia and Singapore” and that “American data is stored on American soil by an American company overseen by American personnel.”

According to Chew’s testimony, all new U.S. user data is being stored inside the country and that TikTok started deleting historic U.S. user data from non-Oracle servers in March, a process expected to be completed this year.

Also in March, the Biden administration demanded TikTok’s Chinese owners divest their stakes or face a U.S. ban. Biden ordered the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to review TikTok in June 2021, after withdrawing former President Donald Trump’s executive orders banning new downloads of the app in the U.S.

The battle over TikTok’s operations in the U.S. continues, with ongoing legislative debates and regulatory actions shaping the future of the popular social media app. As lawmakers and the Biden administration grapple with data security and national security concerns, ByteDance’s lobbying efforts remain a significant factor in determining the outcome of this high-stakes clash.

OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit research and news organization tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.

US Navy ship will honor Billy Frank Jr., Wash. tribal rights leader

2023/07/

Billy Frank Jr., Nisqually tribal chairman, circa 1983.

. - Ann Yow/The Seattle Times/TNS

SEATTLE — Billy Frank Jr. was arrested over 50 times trying to preserve his and his tribe's treaty right to fish in their ancestral waters.

Now, the legendary Nisqually elder who was a central figure in the fight for tribal fishing rights and environmental protections in the Pacific Northwest will have a U.S. Navy ship named after him.

A future U.S. Navy Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ship — TATS-11 — will be named the USNS Billy Frank Jr., officials announced this month.

"This is truly an honor for the Frank family, Wa-he-lut School and the Nisqually Nation," said Willie Frank III, son of Billy Frank Jr. and chair of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, in a statement.

Starting in 2019, the Navy began naming a new class of ships after prominent Native Americans or Native American tribes in honor of their contributions to the armed forces — American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the U.S. military at a higher rate than any other ethnic group in the country. Frank served in the Marine Corps for two years.

The USNS Billy Frank Jr., the sixth ship in the class, is the first to be named after an individual.

"We have a chance to tell our story and educate a whole new audience about the Nisqually Tribe, Billy Frank Jr., and the 29 tribes in the state of Washington," said Willie Frank III.

William "Billy" Frank Jr. was born in 1931 as a member of the Nisqually tribe in Washington, and he grew up fishing on his tribal land.

He began his long career as an activist in 1945 as a boy, when he was arrested for catching steelhead and chum with his net in the Nisqually River. Over the years, he would become the face of a defining civil rights movement in the Pacific Northwest.

After serving as a military policeman in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, Frank returned to Washington, where he continued to fight for the right to fish Chinook and other salmon in his tribe's historical waters.

Despite 19th-century treaties guaranteeing Northwest tribes access to historical waters, commercial and sport fishing had led to a drop in stocks at local salmon fisheries. In response, state game agents began harassing and targeting tribal fishermen, including Frank and his father.

Over the years, Frank and others staged "fish-ins" at the Washington state Capitol, protesting the arrests and raids against Indigenous fishermen blamed for the decline.

That organizing culminated in a landmark decision in 1974, when U.S. District Judge George Boldt affirmed the tribes' right to half of the fish harvest — as well as the country's obligation to honor treaties. That ruling was extended to the harvest of shellfish in 1993.

"He'll stand with all the great Indian names of the past two centuries in the Pacific Northwest and across the nation," his longtime friend Hank Adams told The Seattle Times in 2014. "His is a name that will stand out in the future for all he's given to Indians and the world."

Frank would go on to serve as chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for over three decades and receive numerous accolades. In the later half of his life, Frank turned his activism toward protecting forests and salmon streams from excessive timber harvest and development. He died in 2014 at age 83. A statue of Frank is set to be placed in the Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, a revered civic space where each state is represented by two figures deserving of national commemoration.

Navajo-class ships provide "ocean-going tug, salvage and rescue capabilities to support Fleet operations," according to U.S. Navy officials. They can tow other Navy vessels and have 6,000 square feet of deck space.

Other ships in the class have been named in honor of the Cherokee Nation, the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

"My father served this beautiful country as a United States Marine. He was proud to serve his country," said Willie Frank III in a statement. "As Chairman of the Nisqually Tribe, we want to thank the United States Navy for recognizing and honoring our Nisqually veteran, father and uncle."

© The Seattle Times

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH 'NAVAJO' BILLIE JACK 

Team Saskatchewan Finishes NAIG as Overall Champions

Courtesy Owen Woytoywich

BY KAILI BERG 

 

JULY 28, 2023

It was a successful outcome for Team Saskatchewan, bringing home more medals than any other delegation at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Nova Scotia.

The 2023 games mixed Indigenous culture with sporting events and brought together about 5,000 athletes, coaches, and mission staff from 750 Indigenous nations across the continent.

The 10th edition of the games was the first since 2017 after cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Chef de Mission (person in charge of Team Saskatchewan), Mike Tanton said this year was every athlete's first time ever competing in the games. 

“It was a new experience for all of them. That played into a lot of the excitement of athletes not knowing exactly what to expect at the games. Not knowing how awesome the games are going to be, and to see so many young Indigenous athletes all in the same place,” Tanton told Native News Online. 

With the games now concluded, Team Saskatchewan brought home a total of 175 medals, including 51 gold, 63 silver, and 61 bronze medals. Team Saskatchewan was followed in medal standings by Team British Columbia, with 161 medals, and Team Ontario, with 127 medals. 

Most of Saskatchewan’s medal wins took place on July 19 and 20, with 59 total medals won each day. 

The Saskatchewan team had about 100 Indigenous coaches helping and 430 athletes competing in a variety of sports including traditional canoe/kayak, archery, and box lacrosse, also soccer, softball, swimming, volleyball, wrestling, beach volleyball, rifle shooting, badminton, baseball, and basketball. 

Closing ceremonies were canceled this year due to the devastating rain that began Friday evening, July 21, when approximately 9  inches of rain was dumped along Nova Scotia.

“The biggest win is seeing our athletes experience the games, come home and want to accelerate with their sport more.  There's a ton of other indigenous athletes out there that are doing their thing and handling their business, Tanton said. 

“The real win for me is when our athletes continue on and go and play post secondary education sports.”

 Pala Band of Mission Indians Enters First-of-its-Kind Mutual Aid Agreement with State of California

BY NATIVE NEWS ONLINE STAFF 

 

JULY 21, 2023

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), which responds to wildfires throughout the state, has entered a mutual aid agreement with the Pala Band of Mission Indians, empowering the tribe’s ability to respond to fires locally and state-wide.

The mutual aid agreement marks the state’s first state-tribe partnership in fire responsiveness.

Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, Robert Smith, called the mutual aid agreement “a new standard for the vital government-to-government partnerships that ensure the safety of our communities.”

“This is a monumental achievement for our Fire Department, our Tribe and the entire community and we hope it leads the way for Tribes across the state to gain recognition for the safety and response services they provide,” Chairman Smith said in a statement.

The Pala Fire Department’s new agreement will allow them to expand their services, according to Fire Chief Ravago, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians.

“We are committed to ensuring the safety of our community and the mutual aid agreement with the state will allow us to expand our mission even further,” he said. “As wildfire risks increase, we remain vigilant and ready to serve our community and beyond.”

As part of the agreement, the CalOES assigned a fire engine equipped for wildland terrain to the Pala Fire Department. The tribe’s existing fire department located on their reservation, about 30 miles northeast of San Diego, was already equipped with a fleet of two additional wildland terrain engines, and another engine designed for structural fires.

The agreement stems from the passage of California Senate Bill 816, the result of decades of work by Tribal Fire Agencies to become officially recognized as partners in providing vital emergency response services to the citizens of California.