I have an all new episode of The Classic Rock Rewind coming up in a few hours going Saturday morning 8-10 am on www.tomsebourn.rocks/contacts and the app at www.radiovegas.rocks Some old classics from The Smothers Brothers show and The Ed Sullivan Show. Join us at the links, it's free and we even pay the artists through BMI, ASCAP and SECAC.
SACRAMENTO, CA - California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks issued the following statement on Dr. Shirley Weber becoming the first-ever Black woman to serve as Secretary of State in California:
“Today, California made history and helped move our country forward with the appointment of Dr. Shirley Weber as Secretary of State. As the first-ever Black woman to serve as California’s Secretary of State, Dr. Weber continuously demonstrates what it means to lead with a moral conscience.
In her own words, Dr. Weber stated, ‘As I tell people how ironic it is that a girl whose father could not vote, whose grandparents never had a chance to vote - is now responsible for 40 million Californians and their right to vote’.
The California Democratic Party is proud of this historical day as we look forward to working with California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber.”
Altice officials announced today that they've reached agreement with Cox Media Group to allow for retransmission of "local" broadcast TV stations in Eureka's Designated Market Area (DMA) which includes Humboldt County.
Sean Taketa McLaughlin, executive director for Access Humboldt shared this statement:
"We understand that an agreement has been reached between Cox Media Group and Altice that will again allow for retransmission of Cox Media Group (CMG) owned stations KIEM (NBC) and KVIQ (CBS) over the cable systems in Humboldt County (Eureka DMA) as well as five other markets and eight other TV stations across the nation. Altice owns the cable system operating as Suddenlink that provides TV, internet and telephone service in the Cities of Eureka, Arcata, Fortuna, Ferndale, Blue Lake and Trinidad as well as areas of Humboldt County from Scotia to Big Lagoon.
"Humboldt County sent a strong letter to our Congressional delegation calling for policy changes that would return jurisdiction to local governments. The letter also called for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to reconvene a Localism Task Force to consider the harms of media consolidation and lack of local accountability in the information ecosystem. At the State Legislature, Access Humboldt is calling for an audit of cable TV and local broadcasters performance during the pandemic - for the purpose of finding solutions to close the digital divide. Our goal is univeral access to open secure networks that meet local needs and interests - esp: public health and safety; education; economic and community development; culture and arts; and civic engagement.
"On behallf of our local governments, Access Humboldt will continue to seek ways to avoid such a problem in the future. And we will also ask both Suddenlink (Altice) and Cox Media Group's stations KIEM (NBC) and KVIQ (CBS) to be accountable to our local community as much as possible."
On a related note, today Access Humboldt joined with national groups in asking that President Biden quickly name a fifth FCC Commissioner to fill the agency for the work ahead. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has jurisdiction over broadcast TV and cable TV, and much harm has occured through that agency during the past four years. The FCC bears responsibility for the policy failures we see across our media and broadband internet landscape.
Finally - we ask our State Legislature to reform the failed regulatory regime under the Digital Infrastructure and Video Competition Act, which eviscerated local jurisdictions' authority to negotiate with absentee owners of critical communications infrastructure.
For more information contact Sean Taketa McLaughlin: sean@accesshumboldt.net
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Access Humboldt is a non-profit, community media & broadband access organization serving the residents and local jurisdictions of Humboldt County on the North Coast of California USA, managing resources that include: streaming channel online; cable access TV channels; KZZH FM 96.7 community radio; media collection on Community Media Archive; a wide area broadband network with dedicated optic fiber connections to twenty locations serving local jurisdictions and community anchor institutions; broadband access wireless networks; a Community Media Center with studio and other production equipment and training on the Eureka High School campus; and ongoing operational support for public, educational and governmental access media services.
AccessHumboldt.net
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Sean Taketa McLaughlin
Executive Director
Access Humboldt
P.O. Box 157, Eureka, CA 95502
Builds on existing bureau to expand DOJ’s capacity to protect the health, safety, and rights of workers in California and across the country
SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Xavier Becerra today announced that he has established the Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section (Section) within the California Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Division of Public Rights. Initially operating as a bureau within the Civil Rights Enforcement Section, the establishment of the unit as a new section will expand DOJ’s capacity to protect the health, safety, and rights of workers. With California and states nationwide continuing to confront the effects of the coronavirus and a rapidly transforming workplace, Attorney General Becerra remains committed — at a time when it is more important than ever — to strengthening DOJ’s ability to stand up for labor rights in the state and across the country.
“California is the economic engine of the United States and it’s our workers who supply the horsepower to make that possible,” said Attorney General Becerra. “I established the Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section to better protect hardworking Californians and give them confidence that our laws will be vigorously enforced.”
"The violation of workers' basic rights has a ripple effect that leads to a host of consequences for families, communities, and our state's economy," said California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski. "We have known Attorney General Becerra a long time and he has consistently supported the rights of our state’s workforce. We commend Attorney General Becerra for taking an aggressive approach to fight wage theft and other crimes against workers. With this new section of the Department of Justice, California continues to set an example for the rest of the nation with bold action to protect working people."
"On behalf of our nearly half a million construction workers, we are grateful to California Attorney General Becerra for recognizing the need to further protect workers," said President of the State Building and Construction Trades Council Robbie Hunter. "Workers across the state and from every sector will be more secure because of Xavier Becerra’s leadership in the creation of the Worker Rights and Fair Labor Section of the California Attorney General’s Office."
Protecting and enhancing the rights of workers is of the utmost importance to the well-being of California, its communities, and its economy. With nearly 20 million people in California’s workforce in industries ranging from agriculture and construction to information technology and entertainment, the Section will use the law enforcement powers of the Attorney General’s Office to continue to stand up for everyone working in the state — no matter where they come from. As part of that effort, the Section will work with stakeholders across the board — including federal, state, and local enforcement agencies — to ensure fair labor and business practices.
Expanding on and elevating DOJ’s existing efforts, the Section will, among other things, help bring increased focus and expertise to implement policy and protect against workplace issues — including in the underground economy — such as:
Wage theft, working with partner agencies to help address systemic deficiencies that result in workers losing out on the wages they are due, including in instances where businesses fail to pay overtime or allow for meal and rest breaks;
Health and safety violations, stepping up DOJ’s ability to tackle current and emerging trends such as those brought on by the coronavirus; and
Employee misclassification, protecting workers from being inappropriately classified as independent contractors, which can allow companies to evade legal obligations such as minimum wage, sick leave, and overtime.
Under Attorney General Becerra and as a bureau, the worker rights and fair labor team has helped DOJ protect hardworking Americans and their families in California and across the country. In December of 2020, the Attorney General’s Office took action in court against Amazon as part of an ongoing investigation into the company’s coronavirus policies and protocols. The Attorney General also pushed back on a Trump Administration effort to effectively rip wages away from essential farmworkers. In November of 2020, Attorney General Becerra secured a court decision protecting the rights of more than half a million healthcare workers in California’s In-Home Supportive Services program. He also urged the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board to adopt an emergency temporary standard aimed at protecting workers across California from exposure to COVID-19, which was approved unanimously that same week. In October of 2020, the Attorney General secured an appellate court decision against Uber and Lyft as part of an ongoing case involving employee classification in the state. In March of 2020, the Attorney General filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration's efforts to preempt state law and undermine worker protections with regards to meal and rest breaks. In 2019, Attorney General Becerra — alongside the California Labor Commissioner’s Office — filed criminal charges against the operators of an alleged illegal garment shop licensing scheme. He also secured settlements with four major fast food companies to end the use of “no-poach policies” that harm workers by making it more difficult to seek better pay and benefits at competing franchises.
Join me for 2 hours of mostly classic rock on The Classic Rock Rewind Saturday mornings 8-10 am Pacific on www.RadioVegas.rocks and follow the show at www.TomSebourn.rocks
Click the links above to access the free player during show. No credentials are needed.
California Attorney General Xavier Bacerra becomes head of the US Department of Health and Human Services or DHSS tomorrow.
On his way out, he has filed several lawsuits and complaints which I have linked below.
https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/1_Complaint%20Challenging%20MBTA%20Rule.pdf
https://oag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/pdf.pdf
https://oag.ca.gov/sites/all/files/agweb/pdfs/publications/immigration-detention-2021.pdf
https://oag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/1%20Complaint.pdf
https://oag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/130%20States%20MSJ%20Brief.pdf
https://oag.ca.gov/sites/default/files/Petition%20for%20Review%20%28FINAL%29.pdf
It’s our second show of the year in just a few hours. The Classic Rock Rewind going 8-10am Pacific, Saturday morning on www.radiovegas.rocks and the app!
