TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional:
Mathews: Small and Speedy, Gonzales Is a City on the Move
Connecting California | Zócalo Public Square
Here’s a nasty bit of conventional wisdom: California’s small, rural places are supposedly desperate and doomed, with few economic prospects in an era when state policy favors the urban coastal mega-regions with high-paying jobs and reputations for world-class innovation.
State:
Jerry Brown compares Trump supporters to cave dwellers
POLITICO
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday called President Donald Trump’s approach to climate change and North Korea “stupid and dangerous and silly,” sharpening his criticism of the president and comparing his supporters to cave dwellers.
See also:
California lawmakers pass `sanctuary state,’ affordable housing bills
San Jose Mercury News
In the final hours of an intense legislative session that went past 2 a.m. Saturday, Democratic lawmakers crossed the finish line on landmark legislation to address the affordable housing crisis and to create a “sanctuary state” for undocumented immigrants.
Before his bid to become California governor, John Cox took on some guy named Obama
Los Angeles Times
The candidate was opposed to entrenched lawmakers doing favors for friends and sold himself as an anti-corruption reformer in favor of limited government. Was it the 2004 Illinois Senate race or the 2018 California governor’s race? For John Cox, it was both.
Tax-Happy Session Ends; Could Have Been Worse
Fox&Hounds
With the gas tax increase, the cap-and-trade extension, which many call a tax increase because it raises revenue for the government to spend, and now the document tax to fund housing issues, this legislative session probably produced the most tax-happy lawmakers since the 1935 legislature created both a state income tax and a vehicle license fee.
Federal:
Nancy Pelosi shouted down by Dreamers in San Francisco
Fresno Bee
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, on back-to-back stops in California on Monday, urged passage of the DREAM Act to shield so-called “Dreamers” from deportation, and pressed for broader immigration reform to create a “path to citizenship” for the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
See also:
- Young immigrants shout down Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi AP
- After SF disruption, Pelosi says she and fellow Democrats are advocating for a clean Dream Act — no border wall LA Times
- Protesters shut down Pelosi news conference on DACA: ‘All of us or none of us’ SFGate.com
- Nancy Pelosi’s Fact Check file PolitiFact
Los Angeles Times
Sixteen years ago, Downey Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard helped file legislation that would have allowed people brought to the country illegally as children to stay in the United States.
Obamacare Repeal, Thought Dead in July, May Be Revived in Senate
New York Times
Congressional efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act sprang back to life on Monday as Senate Republicans pushed for a showdown vote on new legislation that would do away with many of the health law’s requirements and bundle its funding into giant block grants to the states.
See also:
- Senate GOP tries one last time to repeal Obamacare POLITICO
- The Graham-Cassidy Obamacare Repeal Bill Still Covers Fewer People The Atlantic
- Why the Unpopular Individual Mandate Is Likely to Endure (For Now) Pew Trust
Dianne Feinstein had to ask Trump’s judge nominee about religion. Stop the attacks.
Sacramento Bee
The conservative criticism of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein for her questioning of judicial nominee Amy Coney Barrett is misguided: On key issues, it was appropriate and necessary to ask Barrett, a Notre Dame law professor, about her beliefs.
Trump Administration Hosts Forum on State-Federal Relations
Pew Trust
State officials from around the U.S. met here Wednesday with senior members of the Trump administration to discuss intergovernmental affairs.
How California — yes, California — could make a Trump reelection more difficult
Washington Post
Politically speaking, President Trump hasn’t had to worry much about in California, one the most liberal states in the nation. But that could soon change.
How California might have more say in the 2020 presidential race
Los Angeles Daily News
California has the most people and more registered voters than any other state, the world’s sixth-largest economy and often, little influence over who Republicans and Democrats nominate for president.
Democrats Mount Effort to Recruit Women as State Attorneys General
New York Times
Hillary Clinton’s defeat last year sparked an intense debate about the role of gender in American politics, but the presidential race overshadowed a deeper structural challenge for Democrats: They have a scarcity of female officeholders in state capitals.
Other:
Retake government from special interests
Sacramento Bee
Too often, our elected officials in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., put the private interests of wealthy individuals, unions and corporations ahead of our public interest.
Milo Yiannopoulos’ possible visit to Cal State Bakersfield stirs debate
Bakersfield Californian
Is Milo Yiannopoulos, former Breitbart editor, provocative right wing commentator and flamboyant anti-liberal activist, coming to Cal State Bakersfield?
Does California’s fake privacy proposal violate the Constitution?
AEI
Sunday was the 230th anniversary of the United States Constitution. The oldest constitution still in use, it is remarkable how well it has survived — in spite of constant attempts to violate it — with the most recent example being a partisan bill in the California Assembly.
How Fake News Spreads & Why People Believe It
NPR Fresh Air Podcast
Listen to How Fake News Spreads & Why People Believe It from Fresh Air in Podcasts.
EDITORIALS
After the Emmys, Sean Spicer tells critics to lighten up. But democracy isn’t a joke
Fresno Bee
The cost of government dishonesty shouldn’t be a laughing matter. PBS’ Vietnam War documentary this week offers proof.
Gray’s new law would bring fairness to water board disputes; governor should sign it
Merced Sun-Star
Governor should sign AB313, which adds a layer of fairness to disputes with bureaucrats on state water board
Good riddance to California’s ‘mission project’
Los Angeles Times
Watch out, sugar industry. California’s schools are about to deal you a major blow. Not by teaching students about the terrible health problems caused by the overconsumption of your product. It would be nice to think so, but no. Rather, we’re talking about the impending death of the fourth-grade…
How to boost Cal State graduation rates without cheapening the degree
Los Angeles Times
California State University officials vowed in 2014 to more than double the system’s four-year graduation rate by 2025, but their own policies for bringing students up to college-level speed were getting in the way. Students who were assigned through placement tests to remedial classes in English and math weren’t completing the courses successfully, making them more likely to drop out. The courses also didn’t earn the students any college credits, which made sense because these skills were supposed to be nailed down in high school. But taking non-credit courses delayed the time to graduation, another obstacle to staying in college.
Sanders’ Medicare for all bill comes up short; show us the money
San Jose Mercury News
Democrats will need to offer a much more detailed financing plan if Medicare for all is going to be a centerpiece of their strategy to capture Congress and the White House.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Kern County could become No. 1 ag producer in the state
Fresno Bee
Can Kern County, home of Buck Owens, oil wells and tumbleweeds, dethrone Tulare County as the No. 1 agriculture county in the state, and possibly the nation?
The medfly invasion: How a tiny insect upended Bay Area life decades ago
San Francisco Chronicle
A minuscule bug caused an ecological nightmare across Northern California nearly 40 years ago, and the fallout spread from the fields of Silicon Valley into the halls of the Capitol in Sacramento.
Western States Try to Tame Homegrown Marijuana
Pew Trust
Long before tourists started converging here to sample freshly legalized marijuana in the form of gummy bears and chocolate brownies, thousands of Coloradans were cultivating the medicinal plants for their own consumption and to share with ailing friends.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Let’s turn inmates into coders
Sacramento Bee
More than 95 percent of state prison inmates are eventually released. Gov. Jerry Brown has freed 1,300 prisoners serving life sentences – more than the previous three governors combined.
Video: Reforms Challenge County Probation Departments
Public Policy Institute of California
Changes in criminal justice policy have significantly altered the role of probation in the state and, as documented in a new PPIC report, have put considerable demands on counties.
Breaking the Cycle of Incarceration by Keeping Mothers and Children Together
Pew Trust
When Stephanie Petitt was arrested for violating probation for prior drug and robbery convictions, she learned two things: She was 16 weeks pregnant, and she would probably deliver her baby while incarcerated at an Oklahoma prison.
Police Violence against Black Men Is Rare: Here’s What the Data Actually Say
National Review
A few days ago, former police officer Jason Stockley, who is white, was acquitted of first-degree murder; he had fatally shot Anthony Lamar Smith, who was black, in 2011. Protests started in St. Louis, where the shooting took place and Stockley was judged, immediately after the verdict was announced. Although they were initially peaceful, they soon turned violent, and dozens of protesters were arrested while several police officers were injured. Since the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, just outside St. Louis, in 2014, this has become a familiar pattern.
Unprecedented – but still imperfect – disclosure laws help the public
Orange County Register
Over the past week, this mild-mannered Watchdog reporter has been denounced as a shrew and likened to a snake. At least, we think it was a snake.
California Officially Calls On Feds To Reclassify Marijuana
Forbes
Last November, California voters approved a ballot measure to legalize marijuana. Now, the state’s lawmakers are formally calling on the federal government to reclassify cannabis.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
New Census Figures Show That 1 in 5 Californians Struggle to Get By
California Budget & Policy Center
Around 8 million Californians — roughly 1 in 5 state residents (20.4 percent) — cannot adequately support themselves and their families, according to new Census figures released this morning based on the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). This measure paints a more accurate picture of economic hardship than the official federal poverty measure in part because it better accounts for the state’s high cost of living.
Jobs:
Work in California? These bills might affect you — listen to our song about them
KPCC
California’s legislative session ended Friday with a slew of workplace-related bills passing through the Assembly and Senate. They now sit on Gov. Brown’s desk, waiting for his signature or veto. We’ve rounded up a list of those bills with links to the legislation and a short description of what each one proposes.
Federal E-Verify Law Would Mean Major Changes for U.S. Employers
Pew Trust
Only a handful of states require all employers to screen workers to make sure they are in the country legally, but that could change soon. Spurred by the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Congress is set to debate a national E-Verify mandate that would require every U.S. employer to use the federal online service to screen all new hires and for the first time allow the screening of current employees.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Sierra Sun Times
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson strongly encourages sixteen- and seventeen-year-old students to pre-register to vote with the beginning of High School Voter Education Weeks from September 18–29.
Vinnie Pompei wants you to know that we’re all biased, and we can work with that
EdSource
Vincent “Vinnie” Pompei is director of the Youth Well-Being Project of the Human Rights Campaign, a national civil rights organization, and the chair of Time to Thrive, an annual national conference about LGBT student inclusion. He spent more than 10 years as a middle school teacher and high school counselor in the Paramount and Val Verde unified school districts in Southern California. Pompei is also a past president of the California Association of School Counselors.
Transgender Kid’s Book Raises Questions For Parents
Capital Public Radio News
The Rocklin Academy Gateway campus says one of its kindergartners last year transitioned from male to female, which included the child wearing dresses and school staff addressing her by a new name. At the end of the year, she brought to class a children’s book called “I am Jazz” about a transgender child and asked the teacher to read it.
We still don’t know when last school year’s California standardized test scores will be released
Los Angeles Times
We previously reported that the public release of California’s standardized test scores from last school year had been delayed indefinitely.
Charter Schools: Policy Tweaks Can Restore Public Confidence
National Review
Last month, 17 young men and women began their final year at Success Academy Charter Schools, the largest of the many stunningly successful charter networks operating in New York City. The first ever seniors at Success, these students have gained a lot of peers during their eleven years of study — both within their own school network and at charter schools around the country. Since 2006 the number of American students in charter schools has more than tripled, rising to an estimated 3 million for the 2016–17 school year.
Higher Ed:
COS digs into savings to buy more land in Visalia
College of the Sequoias is looking to expand — again. COS board members voted this month to purchase commercial rental property near the southeast corner of the campus on Tulare Avenue and Mooney Boulevard.
Bill Would Force Community Colleges’ Hands On Remediation Reforms
KPBS
Cuyamaca College saw a seven-fold increase in the number of students passing college math last year. Instead of requiring underprepared students to catch up on high school math first, it put them in college math with extra help. Mesa College did the same for English and saw its pass rate double for students in the pilot program.
First year of community college could soon be free in California
San Jose Mercury News
Last week, the state assembly sent a bipartisan bill to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk for a final signature that would waive the first year of tuition, anywhere from $1,100 to $1,400 depending on how many classes a student takes, for residents who enroll full time.
California’s community colleges seek extra $382 million in funding for next year
EdSource
The legislative season may be over, but California’s community colleges are already looking to next year’s state spending debates as they seek an additional $382 million from Sacramento on top of the $8.6 billion they currently receive.
Washington Post
Organizers of the “Free Speech Week” at the University of California at Berkeley insisted Monday that the event will go on, despite school officials’ announcement that some large indoor venues could not be rented for the events.
Opinion: 4 questions we should ask every California candidate
Berkeleyside
Today, State Treasurer and gubernatorial candidate John Chiang is speaking at UC Berkeley about the power of public investment. As any long-time Berkeley resident knows, California has cut back sharply on its public investment in higher education – ending the system of tuition-free public colleges and universities that enabled generations of Californians to pursue their dreams.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Trump is riding a ‘dead horse’ on climate issue, Gov. Brown says at New York conference
Los Angeles Times
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday touted steps the state has taken toward a healthier climate, but warned that powerful forces he called “climate deniers” are resisting technologies and policies designed to improve conditions.
See also:
Why the wiring of our brains makes it hard to stop climate change
Brookings Institution
Houston has barely begun to dry out from Hurricane Harvey, and Florida faces a massive rebuilding effort after the Irma catastrophe. These two storms, among the most powerful in American history, are typical of the extreme weather events that are likely to become more common as the planet warms. A third hurricane, Jose, waits offshore and the storm season is far from done.
Five ways to reform CEQA without ruining the Earth or the middle class
Fox&Hounds
When then-Gov. Ronald Reagan signed into law the California Environmental Quality Act in 1970, he and its authors could not have foreseen what the landmark legislation would become decades later: a law stretched so far beyond its original intent that it threatens to turn the Golden State’s economy to lead.
Energy:
CA Democrats kill bill requiring all-renewable energy
Sacramento Bee
After facing late opposition from labor unions, a measure to require utility companies to use renewable energy for all of the retail electricity sold in the state faltered in the final week of the legislative session.
Lawsuit aims to block oil drilling on US land in Nevada
Environmentalists have sued a U.S. agency to try to stop it from allowing oil and gas drilling on a vast stretch of federal land in Nevada, where the government is reversing protections put in place nine months ago under the Obama administration.
Edison Proceeds With Plans To Bury Nuclear Waste At San Onofre Site
KPBS
Southern California Edison said it will start burying spent nuclear fuel from the now-closed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station by the end of this year. Opponents of the decision, at a Sept. 14 meeting of the San Onofre Community Engagement Panel, said Edison should wait till after a strategic plan for the waste is done.
Should Utilities Build Charging Stations for Electric Cars?
Pew Trust
Faced with deadlines to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road, states are being asked to decide whether utility companies can build electric vehicle charging stations — and pass on the cost to their customers.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Judge denies request to seat Tulare hospital board member
A Tulare County judge declined Monday to wade into the battle between the Tulare Regional Medical Center Board and the company that runs the hospital district after an attorney for HealthCare Conglomerates Associates vowed a newly elected board member would be seated at the district’s next public board meeting on Sept. 27.
UC Irvine aims to transform public health with record-breaking $200-million donation
LA Times
Susan Samueli caught a cold while visiting France more than three decades ago. Instead of the usual medicines, a friend suggested aconite, a homeopathic remedy derived from a plant in the buttercup family.
California, other states to extend Obamacare sign-up beyond federal limit
California and several other states will exempt themselves this year from a new Trump administration rule that cuts in half the amount of time consumers have to buy individual health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.
Obamacare Repeal, Thought Dead in July, May Be Revived in Senate
New York Times
Congressional efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act sprang back to life on Monday as Senate Republicans pushed for a showdown vote on new legislation that would do away with many of the health law’s requirements and bundle its funding into giant block grants to the states.
See also:
- Senate GOP tries one last time to repeal Obamacare POLITICO
- Why the Unpopular Individual Mandate Is Likely to Endure (For Now) Pew Trust
A growing movement for single-payer health care
San Francisco Chronicle
What a difference a movement makes. From a candidate who famously declared that single payer will “never ever come to pass” and branded it as offering everyone “a pony” to legislation — Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Senate Bill 1804, co-sponsored by a third of Senate Democrats, and Rep. John Conyers’ House Resolution 676 by half of House Democrats.
The Best Health Care System in the World: Which One Would You Pick?
New York Times
To better understand one of the most heated U.S. policy debates, we created a tournament to judge which of these nations has the best health system: Canada, Britain, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, France, Australia and the U.S.
Costly drugs to weigh on U.S. employers’ expenses in 2018: survey
Reuters
U.S. employers are bracing for higher health care expenses in 2018 as spending on new drugs to treat diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C is expected to rise more than 7 percent, according to consultancy firm Mercer.
Helping Marginalized Youth Make Healthy Decisions: A Model That Works
Commonwealth Club of Calif. Podcasts
Listen to Helping Marginalized Youth Make Healthy Decisions: A Model That Works.
IMMIGRATION
Public Policy Institute of California
President Trump’s administration has announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed some undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children to avoid deportation, obtain work permits, and continue their schooling. California is home to about 223,000 “Dreamers,” as DACA recipients are known, more than one-fourth of the national total. According to estimates cited by EdSource, about 70,000 Dreamers and other undocumented immigrants attend public colleges in California. The president gave Congress six months to come up with a legislative solution to address the issue before the decision takes full effect. Because California is home to a large share of the nation’s immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, changes in federal immigration policies are particularly important in the state.
See also:
- Renew Your DACA USCIS
- Expedited processing for H-1B visas to resume after suspension San Francisco Chronicle
Calif. lawmakers approve bill protecting undocumented immigrant tenants from landlord harassment
Washington Post
California lawmakers, already engaged in a high-profile battle against the Trump administration over its opposition to “sanctuary cities” and “dreamers,” has approved a measure aimed at bolstering the housing rights of undocumented immigrants.
Federal E-Verify Law Would Mean Major Changes for U.S. Employers
Pew Trust
Only a handful of states require all employers to screen workers to make sure they are in the country legally, but that could change soon. Spurred by the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Congress is set to debate a national E-Verify mandate that would require every U.S. employer to use the federal online service to screen all new hires and for the first time allow the screening of current employees.
Essential California: A family returns to Mexico with US-born children in tow
Los Angeles Times
Faced with diminishing job prospects and a president who promised to make life harder for them, 6-year-old Luz Madrigal’s mother and father — immigrants in the country illegally — decided to go back to Mexico. They joined more than a hundred people voluntarily returning since January to Mexico with the help of consulates in Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago. Thousands of others across the country have also gone to Latin American consulates seeking dual citizenship for their U.S.-born children after President Trump’s inauguration.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Buttonwillow festival venue seeks salvation from Kern County Board of Supervisors
Bakersfield Californian
The Kern County Board of Supervisors will hear an appeal Tuesday from a property developer who wants to establish a massive event venue in a farm field west of Bakersfield.
California lawmakers approve $4 billion ballot measure for parks and water projects
San Jose Mercury News
Immigration and housing dominated the headlines from Sacramento this year. But with little fanfare, state lawmakers working with Gov. Jerry Brown also approved a sweeping measure to provide $4.1 billion in new funding for parks and water projects — everything from building Bay Area hiking trails to expanding Lake Tahoe beaches to constructing new inner city parks in Los Angeles.
Housing:
US homebuilder sentiment falls in September
Modesto Bee
U.S. homebuilders are feeling less optimistic about their sales prospects, reflecting concerns that rebuilding efforts following hurricanes Harvey and Irma will drive up costs for construction labor and materials.
California passed a new housing package. How much will it help?
89.3 KPCC
Last Friday, lawmakers passed a package of 15 bills at the very end of the session. Together, the bills will create more money for low-income housing and make housing easier to build.
See also:
- California Lawmakers Send Affordable Housing Fix To Governor KPBS
- California exodus? Poll finds voters consider moving due to sky-high housing costs Sacramento Bee
- California’s housing crisis is ‘extremely serious,’ voters say Sacramento Bee
Millennials say student debt blocking them from homeownership
KPCC
Crushing student debt is further driving down homeownership in cities like Los Angeles that are already facing high costs and low inventory, according to a new report. A joint survey of millennials by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and American Student Assistance showed that the typical student debt load — about $41,000 — is several thousand dollars more than the annual median income of the respondents.
Bigger tax breaks for homeowners and renters could be on California’s 2018 ballot
Los Angeles Times
California homeowners and renters could receive more tax breaks under a proposed initiative for the November 2018 state ballot.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Fresno County could have its largest budget ever
The Business Journal
Fresno County started out the new fiscal year with improved relations with Fresno city leaders, and — if the Board of Supervisors approves the proposed new annual budget — will operate with the largest budget in its history.
Tax-Happy Session Ends; Could Have Been Worse
Fox&Hounds
With the gas tax increase, the cap-and-trade extension, which many call a tax increase because it raises revenue for the government to spend, and now the document tax to fund housing issues, this legislative session probably produced the most tax-happy lawmakers since the 1935 legislature created both a state income tax and a vehicle license fee.
TRANSPORTATION
$4.4 Billion Bay Area Transportation Plan — to Be Paid for by Higher Bridge Tolls — Sent to Governor
KQED
If you live in the Bay Area, you’ll be hearing a lot about Senate Bill 595 over the next year or so. If you’re a regular user of any of the region’s seven state-owned toll bridges — that’s all of them, except the Golden Gate Bridge — you’ll want to pay close attention.
Opinion: Brown and Becerra are trying to deceive voters on gas tax repeal
Sacramento Bee
When Gov. Jerry Brown and majority Democrats rammed through a massive package of fuel and vehicle tax increases, California voters were frozen out. Before they knew what hit them, they were saddled with more than $5 billion in new taxes every year – a jump of 12 cents a gallon for gas and 20 cents for diesel, and as much as $175 more in annual car registration fees.
Los Angeles Times
In the seesaw battle over California’s bullet train, it’s easy to overlook the reasons why the project should be built — and why there’s still a good chance that it will be.
See also:
- Bullet train: Everything you wanted to know about bullet trains The Economic Times
Justice Department barred from sharing Volkswagen documents: judge
Reuters
A federal magistrate judge blocked the U.S. Justice Department from sharing with a German law firm 25 million pages of records disclosed by Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) in the government’s diesel emissions investigation.
Should Utilities Build Charging Stations for Electric Cars?
Pew Trust
Faced with deadlines to increase the number of electric vehicles on the road, states are being asked to decide whether utility companies can build electric vehicle charging stations — and pass on the cost to their customers.
WATER
New Delta tunnels funding plan floated by Westlands
Fresno Bee
Some Sacramento-area water agencies would end up paying for a small share of the Delta tunnels under a last-minute alternative funding plan pitched by one of the state’s largest farming groups.
See also:
- California wants millions to fund water project ABC News
- Will the Southland wind up holding much of the $17-billion bill for the delta water tunnels? Los Angeles Times
- Millions of Californians on hook for water plan AP
- Gov. Brown’s delta water tunnels facing financial uncertainty San Francisco Chronicle
“Xtra”
10 things to know about Fresno
Fresno Bee
You may wonder why anyone would move to Fresno County. But the truth is, people are moving here and for lots of reasons: job, family, or to start a new life.
Poverello House to receive a $1 million grant
Fresno Bee
The Poverello House, built in 1945, will be awarded a $1 million grant on Thursday. Assembly Member Joaquin Arambula and his staff secured the grant from the State of California’s Department of Social Services, according to a news release
Want to be in the Bakersfield Christmas Parade? Time to sign up
Bakersfield Californian
Organizers of the annual Bakersfield Christmas Parade are accepting applications for this year’s event, to be held downtown Dec. 7.
You can still register for MADD event Saturday
Bakersfield Californian
There is still time to sign up for the “Walk Like MADD & MADD Dash” event being held Saturday featuring a fun run, races and march to fight against DUI crimes and support victims of them.