Here are five things that caught my attention!
Legislation worth supporting: Here’s a good piece of legislation that really should become law: Assembly Bill 2408 (introduced by Republican Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (San Luis Obispo) and Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (Oakland) imposes a clear duty on social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, not to use techniques that target children. The bill also makes platforms subject to civil penalties when children are impacted, especially adolescent girls. Parents need more help in the fight to keep kids safe in the digital world, and this is the kind of effort that will make social media companies take some more responsibility for their algorithms and content. More on this bill here.
Bo Knows Compassion: I am a big fan of Bo Jackson. If you slept through the late 80s and early 90s (or maybe weren’t born) then you need to check out this ESPN 30 for 30 You Don’t Know Bo. This week, the source of a $170,000 anonymous donation to cover the funeral expenses for all the families who lost a child in Uvalde was leaked–it was Bo. His clearest comments–”we aren't supposed to bury our own children”.
Promotores: Included in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan for COVID-19 relief, was $350 million for state and local governments to invest in their communities. For our part, we made investments in housing and services for our homeless population, sustainable solutions to address food insecurity, upgrading our broadband infrastructure, stormwater, sewer, and drinking water systems, and addressing foster care and childcare availability, among other things. But this past week, we were recognized by the White House for our innovative investment and utilization of our community health worker model (also known as “Promotores”), where we partnered with local nonprofits to deliver culturally competent public health services to underserved parts of our county. This is a workforce that we will look to build on in the months and years to come, and we’re proud to be viewed as a national model for this type of outreach.
Tweet of the Week: Given this is my email, I guess I shouldn’t feel bad making my own tweet the “Tweet of the Week”. I watched most of the January 6th commission hearing Thursday night, and was struck by previous conduct that some found outrageous. Yes, of course I am talking about the day President Barack Obama dared wear a tan suit.
Quote of the week: “The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie--deliberate, contrived and dishonest--but the myth--persistent, persuasive and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” John F. Kennedy Commencement Address at Yale University, June 11 1962.