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San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
California's marijuana industry was already in crisis. Then the ICE raids started
Recent immigration raids on Southern California cannabis facilities have shaken California's already beleaguered marijuana industry as leaders worry about a renewed federal assault on farms and dispensaries that could scare workers into staying home and further cripple the state's multibillion-dollar industry. Cannabis industry leaders and advocates have been huddling about how to react to a federal immigration raid this month on grow sites in Camarillo and Carpinteria that led to the arrests of 361 allegedly undocumented immigrants. The sites are owned by Glass House Farms one of California's largest growers. The raid became a chaotic, violent mess in which at least one person lost their life and U.S. citizens were detained, including a CSU professor. One worker, Jaime Alanís Garcia, died after he fled federal agents, climbed on top of a greenhouse then fell 30 feet. Federal officials say they arrested 'at least 14 migrant children.' The California Department of Cannabis Control said it conducted a site visit to the Glass House Farms facility in May 'and observed no minors on the premises.' After receiving a subsequent complaint, the department opened an investigation into the facility that is ongoing. Those raids may shock the generation of California cannabis industry workers who have grown up without fearing regular para-military style raids that the Drug Enforcement Agency conducted for years in the state until 2014, when federal lawmakers banned the agency from interfering with state-licensed medicinal cannabis operations. But some advocates worry that ethos may be changing. The Republicans who control Congress are not cannabis-friendly. On Wednesday, a House committee passed legislation that will halt the Department of Justice from spending money to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule 1 drug on par with heroin, a move initiated by the Biden administration. A House committee also recently approved provisions that would increase the federal penalties for distributing cannabis within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, college, playground, vocational school or public housing unit. These tougher penalties could 'open the door for federal interference in state medical cannabis programs again,' according to Americans for Safe Access, a cannabis advocacy organization. Industry leaders in California, which has long been a national leader in cannabis consumption and production, are on a high alert after the recent raids, unsure if the industry is being targeted or if the feds are more focused on finding undocumented immigrants. 'We are being vigilant to see if this is a one-and-done situation, or whether we can expect more, and need to brace ourselves for that action,' said Caren Woodson, president of the board of directors of the California Cannabis Industry Association. Given the recent cannabis-unfriendly moves in Washington, Woodson said, 'it definitely suggests that if you are in the cannabis space, you should be vigilant and on watch for what happens next.' Woodson's organization is working with advocates and cannabis businesses to train employees about what to do if federal agents raid a facility, even if it is state-licensed. Meanwhile, public support for Trump's immigration policies is dropping. A new PBS/Marist poll found that only 43% of respondents approved of Trump's handling of immigration, one of several polls that show support dropping for a key piece of Trump's agenda in the wake of a series of high-profile raids on agriculture and other workers. Woodson worries that, given the $165 billion increase in the Department of Homeland Security's budget, with much of that targeted toward immigration enforcement and security, that the administration might increase its focus on California's cannabis industry, whose workers may not be as sympathetic as those who provide Americans with grocery staples. 'As raids on traditional (agriculture) become more unpopular, something like this could be seen as a culture war wedge, and that is concerning,' Woodson said. And then there is the potential financial impact. For one, the raids could scare members of their workforce to stay home. On Tuesday, the United Farm Workers urged workers 'who are not U.S. citizens to avoid working in the cannabis industry, even at state licensed operations.' For some in California's decades-old cannabis industry, which long predates voter-approved statewide legalization in 2016, Woodson said the raids were a 'triggering' reminder of the hundreds of federal raids conducted in the state for years. A generation of California cannabis industry workers has grown up working with little fear of federal law enforcement agents kicking in the doors, guns drawn. 'People have gotten very comfortable with the idea that cannabis is legal, even though it is still federally illegal,' said Steph Sherer, president of Americans for Safe Access. 'I'm a little worried what that might look like under this administration.' This rising concern of renewed federal interference is yet another headache for California's beleaguered industry. That's because cannabis consumers — and retailers — just felt the state cannabis excise tax jump from 15% to 19% on July 1. (Although state legislators are considering a measure that would reverse the increase.) The tax bump couldn't come at a worse time: An estimated 15% of state retailers are behind on their taxes, and legal California weed is already the most expensive in the country. The high tax rate is a big reason an estimated 60% of the cannabis consumed in the state is illegal. The annual state of the industry report by the California Department of Cannabis Control found '1.4 million pounds of licensed cannabis are produced and consumed in California. California consumption is around 3.8 million pounds, meaning that 2.4 million pounds are supplied from unlicensed cannabis operations and consumed in California.' And now, the raids pose another existential threat.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Science
- CBS News
Colorado State University students create, study miniature model of future dam for Fort Collins
Students at Colorado State University are now testing and studying a model of a dam that will one day be built northwest of Fort Collins. The Halligan Water Supply Project currently features a 116-year-old dam northwest of Fort Collins in the foothills. However, the aging dam not only needs to be replaced by also enlarged. Replacing the existing dam not only will create a more reliable and safe structure for retaining water, but it will also allow the city to build a larger structure that will increase the amount of water the Halligan Reservoir can retain. By increasing the reservoir's surface area from 253 acres to 391 acres, the city believes it can further expand its ability to provide reliable drinking water to residents. Before construction of a new dam begins, students at CSU's hydraulics laboratory decided to help study how the future dam can best be designed. In order to do so, they created a miniature model of the dam in a laboratory on the CSU Foothills Campus. They were provided scans and drawings of what the land just downstream of the dam will look like. That way, they could test how to best build a dam that would be able to complete controlled releases of water, while decreasing the likelihood of damage or injury to those downstream. "This model is pretty much exact to what the actual reservoir is like with topography," said Catherine Lambert, a senior working on the project. "We started working on this project since last August." The students used a combination of plexiglass, wood, foam and more to create a model of the landscape downstream from the proposed construction site. "For every inch (on the model) that is two feet in real life," Lambert said. Creating the near-exact replica of the topography was not a simplistic task. "It took about three months to build," said Jeff Ellis, CSU's hydraulics lab manager. "It is really cool seeing the models come to life, starting with a blank space and building up everything," Lambert said. "Starting with the floors, the frames and the bases. It is really fun seeing it come together. It is impressive and exciting." The lab has a pump system that helps get thousands of gallons of water to flow over the dam and down into the model of the landscape. The students are able to control the amount of water that comes over the dam as a way to better understand how the construction and landmass would respond to different levels of release and flooding. The students are also studying where the best placement of a baffle box should be. Most dams feature a series of cement structures at their base, known as the baffle box, that help engineers further control waterflow. "It is most important because that is what will calm the water down as it continues to flow," Lambert said. The city acknowledges the project will help it secure more water for residents, allowing Fort Collins to have more reliable resources during years of drought. "This is an important study because it effects Fort Collins," Lambert said. Researchers believe the dam's design will be more than 60% complete by the end of 2025. It will need the approval of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before construction begins one day. It could be more than a decade before construction is completed. "It is an important project because, on the Front Range, we don't have a lot of water. We need water storage," Ellis said. "With water storage comes large structure to hold back the water. With that, we need to optimize it with safety and cost." Lambert said building the model and contributing to the design of the future construction is not only rewarding, but also helps him and fellow students expand their studies for future jobs. "Doing the physical model, we are actually able to make changes in real time," Lambert said. "I am personally a visual learner. It is really nice being able to see what we are doing. It makes it easier to put our ideas into process."
Local Germany
4 days ago
- Politics
- Local Germany
FACT CHECK: Can you get German citizenship 'at the click of a mouse'?
A recent report on the topic of the German naturalisation in Berlin stirred up tired political debates around dual citizenship and digitalising the citizenship application process. Here's a look at what's been said versus what's true about applying for naturalisation. It started with a BILD article 'Now you can get your German passport at the click of a mouse' was the headline of a recent article published by the tabloid newspaper BILD. The report highlights Berlin's newly digitalised citizenship application process and claims that a 'rapid increase in naturalizations is due to the fact that applicants are being checked in person less and less'. It points to the fact that the number of naturalisations in Berlin has increased significantly since the application process was put online. The report sparked immediate political backlash and stirred up old debates. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) voiced concern in response to the report. He cited a rule requiring citizenship applicants to acknowledge their commitment to Germany's constitution and values including the protection of Jewish life, and said, 'I can hardly imagine that this will work without a personal appointment'. FACT CHECK: Do new German citizens have to affirm Israel's right to exist? Berlin's Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) also engaged, telling BILD that he had asked the city-state's senator of the interior to clarify the citizenship process and explain how 'legal requirements are guaranteed'. Advertisement How does the digital citizenship process work? The idea, proposed by BILD, that one can easily obtain German citizenship 'at the click of a mouse' is demonstrably false. In fact, BILD 's own report includes a quote from a spokesperson for Berlin's immigration authority (LEA) that clarifies, 'A personal interview takes place after a positive application review.' Prospective Germans in Berlin must submit their naturalisation application and required documents to an online portal, which officials then check. This is different to many other German states where the process has not yet been digitalised. However, Berlin is not the only state to offer digital naturalisation services. In many parts of Bavaria applicants can submit their documents with the BayernPortal , and the city-state of Hamburg also has online submissions . With the digital process, in-person interviews to determine an applicant's German language knowledge are not necessary, for example. But applicants still need to prove their B1 level German language skills by passing an accredited language exam. The same goes for other basic requirements for citizenship – applicants' qualifications all need to be backed up by verifiable documents. CHECKLIST: What do I need to apply for German citizenship under the new law? If an application meets the requirements for German citizenship, then a final interview and ultimately a naturalisation ceremony are scheduled. Advertisement An LEA spokesman confirmed to Tagesspiegel that the digital process ensures that the same requirements are met, including 'inquiries to the security authorities such as the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Central Register...' The spokesman pushed back on the idea that the digital process is not as careful, adding, 'Rather the opposite is correct'. Efficiency as a scandal What was not mentioned in BILD 's report nor in the follow-up comments by Dobrindt or Wegner is that the LEA's digitalisation of the citizenship process (as well as other applications for residence permits ) came in response to a tremendous backlog of paperwork that had built up for years. As The Local reported, the Berlin authority's previous application process culminated in a backlog of some 40,000 applications last year – some of which in the form of physical files 'locked in a warehouse in Brandenburg' according to comments by the LEA director. READ ALSO: 'I've waited four years' - Foreigners in Berlin furious over German citizenship delays Since Berlin's LEA has rolled out its new digital application portal it has processed applications much more effectively, which partly explains why naturalisations in the capital city have increased significantly. Some online applicants in Berlin have reported receiving a decision on their application within a matter of weeks. That's significantly better than most immigration offices in Germany's big cities, many of which report expected processing times in the range of nine months to more than two years .
Politico
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Deferral or default? In budget deal, California universities left to wait and hope
And the megabill passed by the Republican-controlled Congress that Trump signed over the weekend includes cuts to student loan programs that could do more damage. Amid the headwinds, the ten UC and 23 CSU campuses, which together enroll more than 750,000 students and have annual budgets surpassing $65 billion, find themselves with less political leverage than they'd like as lawmakers and voters have been consumed by other budget battles. A June survey by the Public Policy Institute of Policy found that just 4 percent of likely voters picked higher education as their highest priority for state spending. 'I think it's warranted to have a degree of concern,' said Jesse Torres, who serves on the board of the California Coalition for Public Higher Education. 'We don't want to see deferrals turn into defaults. We trust the Legislature and the governor will do what they can to make sure those funds go back to the institutions, but it's hard not to be concerned in light of the external conditions that are facing higher ed today.' Much of the consternation is rooted in a 2022 agreement Newsom reached with university leaders that was meant to establish a more stable funding stream. Under the 5-year deal, the UCs and CSUs pledged to raise enrollment by 1 percent each year in exchange for a five percent annual boost in funding. That should have sent an additional $240 million into UC coffers and $252 million to CSU this year, but lawmakers held back the money as part of their budget scheme, promising to deliver it next year. School officials have reason to doubt such assurances: The state didn't honor its end of the deal last year while continuing to pressure the universities to admit more students. 'The compact is dead,' said Trevor Griffey, vice president of legislation at UC-AFT, a union that represents non-senate faculty and librarians. At a legislative hearing earlier this year, UC and CSU leaders both expressed doubt about their ability to continue following through on their end of the agreement without the additional cash infusions.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Will a hurricane impact your state in 2025? Odds get an update.
Top experts from Colorado State University released an updated forecast for the Atlantic hurricane season on July 9, and there is a morsel of good news: "We have decreased our forecast slightly," said meteorologist Phil Klotzbach about the updated prediction. Instead of nine hurricanes forming in the Atlantic basin in 2025, the new forecast calls for 8. An average season sees seven. "The primary reason for the slight decrease in the outlook is both observed and predicted high levels of Caribbean shear," the forecast said. In this context, forecasters are referring to wind shear, upper-level winds that act to tear developing storms apart. "High levels of Caribbean shear in June/July are typically associated with less active hurricane seasons," the forecast said. But don't let your guard down: Overall, the team still says a total of 16 named tropical storms will form in 2025 (this includes the three that have already formed: Andrea, Barry and Chantal). Additionally, forecasters wrote, "we anticipate a slightly above-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline." The forecast includes a state-by-state look at hurricane risk. Those calculations predict the chances of a storm passing within 50 miles of the state. Per usual, the highest risk is in Florida, which faces a 90% chance of being impacted by a tropical storm and a 62% chance of being impacted by a hurricane. Will your state be impacted by a hurricane? Here's what to know about the risk in 2025, according to the new outlook: In Alabama, there's a 64% storm chance and a 32% hurricane chance. There is also a 10% chance of a major hurricane tracking within 50 miles of Alabama, according to CSU experts. There is a 25% storm chance and 9% hurricane chance in Connecticut. More: Tropical Storm Chantal weakens to a depression as it moves across Carolinas There is a 26% storm chance and 7% hurricane chance in Delaware. In Florida, there is a 90% storm chance and a 62% hurricane chance. There is also a 33% chance of a major hurricane tracking within 50 miles of the state. There is a 69% storm chance and a 35% hurricane chance in Georgia. In Louisiana, there is a 72% storm chance and a 43% hurricane chance. There is also a 17% chance of a major hurricane tracking within 50 miles of Louisiana. In Maine, there is a 25% storm chance and 8% hurricane chance. In Maryland, there is a 35% storm chance and 13% hurricane chance. There is a 37% storm chance and a 17% hurricane chance in Massachusetts. There is a 59% storm chance and a 32% hurricane chance in Mississippi. In New Hampshire, there is a 21% storm chance and 6% hurricane chance. In New Jersey, there is a 26% storm chance and 8% hurricane chance. There is a 30% storm chance and an 11% hurricane chance in New York. There is a 74% storm chance and a 43% hurricane chance in North Carolina. There is a 23% storm chance and 9% hurricane chance in Rhode Island. In South Carolina, there is a 63% storm chance and a 33% hurricane chance. In Texas, there is a 67% storm chance and 41% hurricane chance, as well as an 18% chance of a major hurricane tracking within 50 miles of the state. There is a 51% storm chance and a 23% hurricane chance in Virginia. Hurricane season officially began June 1. The six-month season lasts until Nov. 30. Colorado State researchers said there's a 48% chance of a major hurricane making landfall somewhere along the U.S. coastline. The average, based on records from 1880 to 2020, is 43%. A major hurricane has wind speeds of at least 111 mph. The chances for a landfall are greater along the Gulf Coast (31%) than they are along the East Coast (25%). This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Top hurricane outlook lists new state-by-state hurricane risk
