Ukraine war and veterans
Good Morning, I’m Annica Colbert….it’s Monday March 14th>>>>
How veterans are impacted by the war in Ukraine
More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######
Gas prices are still going up in San Diego. The average price rose by almost 2 cents on sunday, for a new record high of 5 dollars and 76 cents a gallon. That marks its smallest increase since february 28th. Gas prices are 43 cents higher than a week ago, and more than a dollar higher than a month ago. That’s according to figures from Triple A (AAA) and the Oil Price Information Service.
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The years-long fight over how to regulate short-term rentals in San Diego appears to be nearing its end.
The California coastal commission, late last week, approved the city of san diego’s plan to cap the number of short term rentals. Under the plan, the city will issue licenses for short term rentals, like those rented through sites like Air BNB. The cap is for whole homes rented out for 20 days or more a year. That type of rental will be limited to 1% of the city's total housing stock. Except for Mission Beach, where the city will offer licenses totaling 30% of the neighborhood's housing stock. The Coastal Commission required the framework to be revisited every seven years. The issue now goes back to the city council for final approval. And it could go into effect as early as this fall.
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The San Diego State University men’s basketball team got 8th seed in the Midwest Region of the N-C double A basketball tournament. They’ll be facing 9th seeded Creighton [cray-tin] on Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas.
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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.
The War in Ukraine is producing a steady stream of violent images. These images can have a profound effect on those who suffered trauma in combat.
KPBS Military Reporter Steve Walsh looks at a vet plagued by survivors' guilt.
And a warning, the following story makes references suicide.
In the months prior to the fall of Kabul in August 2021, Nick Pilozzi was reaching out to help other veterans. Last July, he described for me a helicopter crash he narrowly survived 15 years ago and its lasting impact. The crash killed 10 soldiers in Afghanistan including Justin O’Donohoe of San Diego.
“The damage that comes from this stuff is unbelievable. None of these families are ever going to be the same after this.”
Pilozzi questioned why the war had dragged on so long. On a virtual panel about the war sponsored by KPBS, in September, he sounded weary, when I asked him how he was doing.
“It’s been pretty tough to watch what was going on over there. Having so many friends that have died. And you know I was wounded and tons of friends were wounded. You kind of question what it was all about.”
In February, months after most of us turned away from the daily images coming out of Afghanistan, Pilozzi killed himself. After the war ended, his brother Anthony says Pilozzi fixated on the idea that his friends’ sacrifice was meaningless.
“He just immersed himself into news articles, YouTube, news stations, on TV. It was pretty rough. The easiest way I could describe it was he was a drug addict. That news was his drug.”
Anthony says Nick was getting counseling at the local VA and working with veterans groups near his home in upstate New York. Occasionally, he would open up to his brother, but he did not see this coming. Sonya Norman is with the San Diego VA and the VA National Center for PTSD.
“Even if it’s, I didn't deserve to survive. Who am I, when these other people had families and were doing other things?”
She never met Pilozzi but she says survivor’s guilt is strongly linked to PTSD. It can come up years later, as a person’s view of what happened changes. And the guilt gets in the way of treatment.“With this I don't deserve to feel better and I don't deserve good things and kind of that self destructive piece, and you can see how it can be this, be involved in this downward slide toward suicide.”
Duane France is a combat vet and who is now a therapist who counsels veterans. Some of his patients were distressed last summer. But images coming out of Ukraine can also trigger past trauma. You can’t tell when that distress may lead down a path to suicide.
“Dozens of things have to go wrong in someone's life for them to get to the place where they're in a suicidal crisis, but maybe only one thing needs to go right…There are a number of protective factors that may keep service members and veterans from getting into a suicidal crisis.”
Keeping connected. Seeking counseling. Overall, the number of veteran suicides are slowly declining. Still, veterans make up about 7 percent of the US adult population but account for 20 percent of suicides. It wasn’t a factor in Pilozzi’s death, but a majority of veteran suicides involve fire arms. Asking a friend to hold a firearm or at least keeping their guns under lock. The VA and other organizations will provide free trigger locks. It can be just enough time for a vet to reconsider.
“You want to be able to be with them to be able to be there with them when they need you, the most.”
Ross Berkoff is a retired captain. He served two tours in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division. Pilozzi is the fourth suicide among those he served with. Berkoff always feels like he needs to do more to keep in contact.
“The Facebook ‘I’m here for you buddy kind of message. That’s fine. I’m sure it’s well intended, but I don't know what answer here, how do we stop this from happening again.”
He answers his own question —-- you just keep reaching out. Steve Walsh KPBS News
If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, help is available 24 hours a day. Call the national Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255
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U-S Border officials are preventing Ukrainians from requesting asylum in the United States. KPBS border reporter Gustavo Solis spoke with one war refugee trying to get to relatives in Los Angeles.
Nataliia Poliakova fled her home in Keev on the fifth day of the war. She has tried to ask for asylum in the United States but keeps getting turned back at the San Ysidro border crossing.
“Again and again and again. Like 40 times. Per can and on foot. Different borders here but nothing.”
Friday morning, it was another failed attempt. Border officials told Poliakova that she couldn’t enter because of the pandemic.
Relatives are waiting for her in Oxnard. Ready to pick her up as soon as she crosses. She says going back is not an option.
“We cannot return back home because the war. The bombs and the rockets and Putin.”
Poliakova gave President Joe Biden a direct message.
“We need help. Please. We really need help. My message to US government that really really need help.”
Hundreds of Ukrainian and Russian asylum seekers have crossed into the United States through San Ysidro recently. And more are expected in the coming weeks.
Gustavo Solis KPBS News
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Coming up....San Diegans are remembering those who lost their lives in an Atlanta area shooting. We’ll have that story and more just after the break.
This coming week marks one year since the tragic murder of 8 people, at three separate Atlanta-area spas. The majority of the victims were Asian women.
KPBS Race and Equity reporter Cristina Kim tells us how local activists and community members are coming together to commemorate the anniversary.
The March 2021 shooting sparked grief and outrage and underscored the need to address the impact of anti-Asian hate on women and femmes.
There clearly is a gender violence that is happening and attacks on Asian American women specifically who have been experiencing invisible ization.
That’s DJ Kuttin Kandy, the executive director of the Asian Solidarity Collective and one of the organizers of San Diego’s Community Solidarity Day of Remembrance
we're coming together in solidarity. We haven't forgotten because it hasn't ended.
The latest report from STOP AAPI Hate recorded more than 6000 hate incidents in 2021… more than half of all incidents were reported by women.
The Day of Remembrance will take place at 6pm Monday night at Balboa Park.
Cristina Kim. KPBS News.
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The San Diego City Council is hearing a presentation today on the city's downtown office space needs.
KPBS metro reporter Andrew Bowen says the current conditions are a nightmare for the city and its workers.
AB: Around a thousand city employees work downtown, many in drab and outdated office buildings. The city tried to improve conditions by leasing the high rise at 101 Ash Street. But that building turned out to be an uninhabitable money pit. Michael Zucchet heads the Municipal Employees Association, the largest union of city workers. He says the status quo is abysmal.
MZ: The air quality is bad, the elevator systems are constantly out, the bathrooms — the plumbing is often both inconvenient and costly to fix and maintain. So it's just a bad situation all the way around.
AB: Zucchet adds those conditions hurt the city's ability to recruit for the hundreds of currently vacant positions. Andrew Bowen, KPBS news.
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It's officially been two years since the covid-19 pandemic was declared.. kpbs health reporter matt hoffman spoke with a local doctor about the impact of covid.
I have a lot of mixed emotions about what has transpired
Dr. William Tseng is Kaiser San Diego’s assistant medical director.. He says San Diego has come a long way in two years.. From the first cases and deaths, to developing treatments and vaccines that have been proven to reduce hospitalizations and death. Right now 2.9 million San Diegans have gotten at least one vaccine dose--
In terms of the environment, the community if you’re vaccinated and boosted you’re doing pretty good. I mean i feel pretty good about it and I would have my father go out into the community now that he’s boosted
San Diego County is still seeing about 500 cases per day.. But COVID-related hospitalizations have dramatically dropped.. From more than 12-hundred in January to now just over 250... MH KPBS
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Annica Colbert. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
