In the News

Sharon McNary of KPCC covers the LA County Board of Supervisors' vote on Tuesday for a land tax to fund projects that catch, clean, and reuse stormwater. If the LA County Flood Control District agrees, property owners would be taxed 2.5 cents for every square foot of land shedding water. In the audio, McNary features PI's Manal Aboelata, who explains how the proceeds from the tax would benefit the most vulnerable communities in LA.

Ed Kilgore covers the recent soda tax ban that will be in effect in California until 2018. He cite's Larry Cohen's op-ed in The Hill as a piece that acknowledges the dangers of preemption, and the possibility that the beverage industry will now use similar tactics nationally to reduce local soda taxes. Kilgore further extrapolates about the likelihood of other industries taking inspiration from the soda industry to use preemption to their benefit.

Ginger Christ covers the MetroHealth System in Cleveland, OH, a hospital system that has developed a trauma-informed training center. He quotes PI's Ruben Cantu, who defines trauma as " 'the way chronic adversity manifests in a community.' Adversity might be poverty, lack of investment, high rates of violence, etc. 'By changing the environment and factors that impact health and safety, we can start to build resilience. Healing is really important and strategies must begin with healing to move a community that's been harmed to a place where they can address broader, harmful systemic issues...

In her piece for California Healthline, Samantha Young writes about the last-minute deal between one of the state’s largest labor unions and the American Beverage Association which restricts California from implementing any future local soda taxes until Jan. 1, 2031. This budget trailer was part of a back-room deal where the beverage industry promised to remove a ballot initiative that would have required a 2/3rds majority to raise any local taxes or levies, including school and park bonds. She quote's PI's Juliet Sims: Soda taxes “are one of the most effective tools communities have to...