Investigating military suicides
Good Morning, I’m Matt Hoffman… it’s Friday March 25th.>>>>
investigating increase in military suicidesMore on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######
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President Joe Biden says the U-S will accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees as the conflict with Russia continues.. He made the announcement yesterday (Thursday) San Diego County Supervisors Chair Nathan Fletcher says the region stands ready to welcome those seeking asylum.
3:22.000 Fletcher
Time and again our county has stepped up to help refugees, to help asylum seekers and in this case it will be no different
Fletcher says the county could be tapped by federal immigration officials to help with temporary placements, health screenings or securing public benefits. The county also has refugee employment services and programs that teach English as a second language.
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California Attorney General Rob Bonta says he will hold the city of Encinitas accountable if they don’t approve a housing project they previously rejected. The 277 unit project had planned to set aside 41 units for lower income families. Bonta said the city’s previous denial of the project blocked the state’s efforts to increase housing affordability and accessibility in Encinitas.
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SDG&E customers will soon notice their bill’s going down because of California’s Climate Credit program.. Gas customers will see their April bill have up to a 43 dollar credit.. While in August and September electric customers could see credits as high as 128 dollars.. That’s double last year's amount. The credits will automatically show up on SDG&E bills. The money comes from carbon pollution permits that are purchased by industries emitting greenhouse gasses.
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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now.Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
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Naval Base North Island is on a list of bases being visited by a new commission investigating military suicides.
KPBS Military Reporter Steve Walsh has the story.
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Suicides in the military rose 16 percent in 2020. Congress mandated the Pentagon take another look at the potential causes. Eugenio Weigend is with the Center for American Progress, which recently looked at suicide among military and veterans. A higher rate of gun ownership is a major factor.
“Mechanisms when we're talking about suicide they do matter and gun guns matter in this regard, you know numerous studies have shown that, when you analyze the different mechanisms by which people attempt to commit suicide guns, is the most lethal.”
The connection between between guns and suicide is well known. The Pentagon just started a new gun safety program for personal firearms. Looking at the data from the Pentagon, researchers found another risk factor.
“ previous physical challenge or a physical condition, meaning physical injuries that was a very important component that we did see an analysis that relates to veteran suicides and military suicides, but it doesn't relate to.The suicides of the overall population.”
This week Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin signed a memo creating a new commission that will look at the suicide rate. They will visit 9 US bases by no later than August. The only navy base on the list is North Island. A Pentagon spokesman did not release a detailed criteria for why each base was selected, saying others may be added. Steve Walsh KPBS News.
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State lawmakers from San Diego are taking the lead on legislation aimed at reducing the number of people who die in county jails. It’s called the “Saving Lives in Custody” act.
A report released last month by the California state auditor found that the San Diego county sheriff’s department failed to adequately prevent and respond to the deaths of individuals in its custody.
The effort to focus attention on the lethal problem in San Diego jails was started by local grassroots organizations…
KPBS’s Maureen Cavanaugh spoke with Yusuf Miller, cofounder of the North County Equity and Justice Coalition, about the bill. Here's that interview:
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ANCHOR TAG:
That was Yusef Miller, with the North County Equity and Justice Coalition speaking with KPBS MIdday Edition Host Maureen Cavanaugh.
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We’re hearing REACTION FROM CONSUMERS AND LAWMAKERS TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S PROPOSAL TO BRING SOME RELIEF TO CALIFORNIANS STRUGGLING WITH HIGH GAS PRICES. MORE FROM KPBS REPORTER JOHN CARROLL.
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THE AVERAGE PRICE FOR A GALLON OF GAS IN SAN DIEGO ROSE FOR THE 30TH STRAIGHT DAY ON THURSDAY… IT NOW STANDS AT $5.98. OF COURSE, THE PRICE IS EXPENSIVE ACROSS THE STATE. ON WEDNESDAY, GOVERNOR NEWSOM ANNOUNCED A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH TO BRING SOME RELIEF… THE TOPLINE BEING UP TO TWO $400 DEBIT CARDS PER REGISTERED CAR OWNER. BUT THAT RELIEF WOULDN’T COME UNTIL JULY AT THE EARLIEST. THAT DIDN’T SIT WELL WITH DRIVERS WE TALKED TO AT A SAN DIEGO ARCO STATION.
“I GUESS IT’D BE NICE IN JULY BUT FOR NOW LIKE, AS GAS PRICES ARE STILL GOING UP, IT NEEDS TO BE NOW I GUESS.”
“IT WOULDN’T HAPPEN UNTIL JULY, SO WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? THAT’S A LONG TIME, SO… IT NEEDS TO BE NOW. IT NEEDS TO BE NOW. THE PRICE IS REALLY EXPENSIVE.”
JC, KPBS NEWS
TAG: NEWSOM IS ALSO FACING SOME RESISTANCE FROM HIS FELLOW DEMOCRATS IN SACRAMENTO. PART OF THE GOVERNOR’S PROPOSAL WOULD PAUSE GAS AND DIESEL EXCISE TAXES, BUT DEMOCRATIC ASSEMBLY MEMBER CHRIS WARD OF SAN DIEGO SAID THAT WOULDN’T NECESSARILY MEAN GAS STATION OWNERS WOULD LOWER THEIR PRICES.
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CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS KEEP HAPPENING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO TRY AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM. KPBS NORTH COUNTY REPORTER TANIA THORNE TELLS US ABOUT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER REGIONAL INITIATIVE.
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The Catalytic Converter initiative is a task force started by Oceanside police detective Chris James.
“Now we have people with the FBI working with us, the DMV, the National Insurance Crime Bureau, it sprung into etching events. It's really grown in about 8 months.”
James said the initiative has helped all of the agencies involved communicate, discover patterns, and come up with solutions.
“We’re attacking this from many fronts, through recyclers, through contacting subjects individually, through trying to understand the whole enterprise of the crime and our judicial system.”
The initiative's teamwork has helped pass harsher laws on catalytic converter thieves.
But crime analysts predict catalytic converter thefts will continue as the value of metals rises.
TT KPBS News
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SOME SAN DIEGO COUNTY FARMERS ARE FIGHTING THEIR WATER DISTRICT OVER WHO MUST PAY TO KEEP WATER FLOWING TO CROPS -- INCLUDING AVOCADOS AND GRAPES. INEWSOURCE REPORTER CAMILLE VON KAENEL (CAH-MEE VON KAH-NELL) EXPLAINS.
RAMONAWATER 1 TOT: 00:40 SOQ
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VON KAENEL: THE RAMONA MUNICIPAL WATER DISTRICT DECIDED TO STOP THE WATER SYSTEM USED BY FARMERS BECAUSE IT WOULD COST MILLIONS TO UPKEEP FOR FEWER AND FEWER SALES. THE DISTRICT GAVE CUSTOMERS A CHOICE: LOSE THE WATER OR PAY THOUSANDS IN FEES TO CONNECT TO ANOTHER SYSTEM.
SOME FARMERS ARE FIGHTING BACK. RUSS SNOW IS A LONGTIME AVOCADO FARMER WHO SAID THE COST MIGHT FORCE HIM TO QUIT.
SNOW: IT’S JUST KIND OF AN END OF AN ERA FOR ME, AND I SHARE THE FRUSTRATION OF A LOT OF FARMERS IN THIS STATE THAT WE’RE KIND OF BEING PUSHED OUT. (00:10)
THE WATER DISTRICT PUSHED ITS PLAN BACK NEARLY TWO YEARS AS IT CONSIDERS THE RISK IT WILL GET SUED.
FOR KPBS, I’M INEWSOURCE REPORTER CAMILLE VON KAENEL.
TAG: INEWSOURCE IS AN INDEPENDENTLY FUNDED, NONPROFIT PARTNER OF KPBS.
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AFTER TWO DECADES OF INACTIVITY…SAN DIEGO’S COMMISSION ON THE STATUS OF WOMEN IS BEING REVIVED.
THE COMMISSION will focus on issues affecting women such as health, public safety and workforce representation. KPBS REPORTER KITTY ALVARADO HAS THE STORY.
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I’m pleased to announce the City of San Diego is reviving it’s Commission on the Status of Women
Mayor Todd Gloria stood in front of the Women’s Museum of California that’s yet to open its doors, to announce the Commission on the Status of Women will once again be looking into what women need to be successful and thrive in the City of San Diego.
The commission was started in 1973 but has been inactive for over two decades.
Anything that focuses on the empowerment of women is a good thing
Felicia Shaw, the executive director of the Women’s Museum said she was proud to host this event that was long overdue. She has high hopes for this commission
To start focusing on solutions, strategies, you know, not just a lot of talk but really getting out there and figuring out where are we stuck and then coming up with the solutions to keep women moving forward.
And celebrate the freedoms how their efforts and bravery afforded women the opportunity that we have here today
San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno acknowledged the importance of this commission being reborn during Women’s history month. She told a personal story of why the commission is needed
When I was running for office back in 2018, I walked 8000 doors to get elected. One of those doors that I knocked on, a man told me, ‘But can a woman be a city council member?’, Guess what? A woman can be a city council member and she can do it pregnant too.
Nat sound yeah!
Gloria said as much progress that has been made, there’s more work to do
Women and girls continue to experience inequality in our society, as long as that’s the case it’s up to all of us to leaders of all leaders of all levels of all genders to take the necessary steps to address it
And one woman in particular was top of mind during this announcement, Supreme Court nominee, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Watching her as an African American woman I’m just so proud to see where she is today but she stands on the shoulders of a lot of women who have gone before her trying to open doors and that’s what we want to do. I think the commission should try to open more doors for all women.
Nominations for committee members are now open. Kitty Alvarado KPBS News
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Coming up.... It’s all about Shakespeare as the San Diego Opera returns to live performances. That’s just ahead
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San Diego Opera turns to Shakespeare's famous tale of star-crossed lovers for its second grand opera since returning to live performances at the Civic Theater. KPBS arts reporter goes behind the scenes of the classic French opera.
RJOPERA (ba) 4:13
The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is fueled as much by the love shared by the title characters as it is by hate displayed by their feuding families. Perhaps no one in the new San Diego Opera production understands those dueling passions better than Doug Scholz-Carlson.
DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON: I'm the intimacy director and the fight choreographer. A lot of intimacy direction came out of fight direction, and a lot of the principles are the same. The biggest difference is intimacy direction is really very concerned with affirmative consent so that the performers have the chance to consent to everything that they are going to do in the course of the performance.
In the case of Romeo and Juliet it is a progression from flirting to touching to kissing. And in Matthew Ozawa’s production, the singers get to shine on a gorgeously designed but very spare set says Scholz-Carlson.
DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON The gestures that are being made by the sets and the lighting are beautiful, but they're really stark and that means the performers really can shine… So like for the intimacy when they're coming together they don't have a lot of set pieces that they're traveling across or anything. You're watching how the two of them are touching each other and how they're getting closer and how they kiss. The whole story is in what the performers are doing.
That goes for the intimacy of close combat in fight scenes as well.
DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON…when you just have open space and they say tell the story, use movement to tell the story on this open space, I just find that really exciting.
It’s also exciting for singer Sarah Coit, who has a "trousers" role in Romeo et Juliette, which means she plays a male character.
SARAH COIT Very typical in opera. I'm what's called a mezzo soprano, and that is very, very common. A lot of mezzo soprano roles are male characters.
But what’s not typical for her is having to engage in swordplay.
SARAH COIT So we went around the room the first live rehearsal, and they asked what kind of experience we had, and I was the only one who had none…
DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON she doesn't have the specific physical vocabulary of using a sword so that she needs to learn.
Coit says it is very much like dance.
SARAH COIT And it's very, very choreographed. And so it's just a matter of making sure you're focused and remembering what you're doing and staying calm.
Coit sings the role of Stéphano, whose antics lead into the big battle between Tybalt and Mercutio, which involves chorus members running around as the panicked crowd. That’s why Scholz-Carlson holds a fight call before every performance.
DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON In the Tybalt/Mercutio fight, we've got about 40 people running full speed in different interlocking patterns around the stage. So it's all complicated. Everybody has to do their job, right? So before every performance, we run all of that at half speed and just check in, and then we run it at full speed so that when we get in performance, then they've tried it that night, and we know that everything is accurate.
Choreographing a fight for opera requires working closely with the conductor --in this case Yves Abel-- and the score.
DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON the music gives you a lot of the story that you want to tell. For instance, in this piece, the music gives you exactly when you want the stabs to happen because there are musical moments that you have to hit, which is really fun.
CLIP Music from fight scene
DOUG SCHOLZ-CARLSON … And then Yves had strong opinions about, like, for instance, which chords specifically? There's several chords at the end of the Tybalt/Mercutio fight that could be the final stab where Mercutio gets stabbed, and he's had a strong opinion about that.
The challenge is that the fight choreography may not be played out at full speed until just before opening, which means some tweaking may be needed at the last minute says conductor Abel.
YVES ABEL … everything has to fit into my tempo. So the speed of the music. And so if we find in the last stages that there just isn't enough music, let's say, to cover all of the different moves of the battle, then, of course, something has to be cut and it won't be the music.
Abel collaborates with Scholz-Carlson, director Ozawa, and especially the singers to make sure that the opera comes together in the best way possible.
YVES ABEL And of course, it's my job also to push the limits as much as possible. I feel strongly about that, to see how far a singer can go, sometimes to the point where they look at me like they want to hit me or something, but never past that point. But I believe very strongly that going to that limit is what creates great performances.
And going to the limit of one’s passion is at the heart of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliette.
Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
TAG: San Diego Opera’s Romeo and Juliette has four performances starting Saturday at San Diego Civic Theater.
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That’s it for the podcast today. You can find more San Diego news on our website KPBS dot org.. I’m Matt Hoffman- Friday is finally here, hope you make the most of your weekend and we’ll catch ya monday morning.
