Almost years of effort to ban artificial lawn on Santa Clara County County real estate has failed after the Supervisory Board was unable to accompany the much discussed topic.

The debate about natural grass versus of artificial lawn has turn out to be a dividing topic within the Bay Area in recent times – and the board meeting on Tuesday was no different since the residents packed the town center of San Jose Chambers on either side.

During the meeting, the superiors struggled to search out out whether or not they can be released. Both of them weren’t in a position to receive any attempts to authorize a ban on a ban or a ban except sporting fields.

The Board President Otto Lee, who initially proposed to ban artificial lawn in April last April, said in a press release that despite the result, they “still made progress in order to raise awareness of the effects of the plastic lawn”.

“There is a clear support for natural grass and the recognition of the risks for plastic turfs, and we know that cities and agencies have observed this coordination from the whole world,” said Lee and located that they received e -mails to Australia have. “Although the county of Santa Clara did not use this ban today, we still have the option of building more natural grass fields because the need remains.”

The artificial lawn has turn out to be a preferred alternative to grass, especially for enjoying fields, because it costs less and doesn’t require regular water supply. However, lawn consists of synthetic grass fibers with crumb rubber -infill, which accommodates PFAs, that are generally known as “Forever Chemicals”, which can take 1000’s of years to collapse and cause negative environmental and health effects – including cancer.

On warm days, lawn also spends more warmth than the natural alternative. And some medical specialists say it’s tougher for the body of the athletes.

At a press conference last week, Dr. Fahd Khan, President of the Santa Clara County Medical Association, as “A Game Changer in the worst way”.

“The stiffness and the absence of the surfaces increase the stress of the joints, ligaments and muscles, which it fits less when it comes to sudden stops, rotations and plunge,” he said. “Plastic turfs gets dangerously hot. On sunny days, these fields can reach temperatures as much as 160 degrees Fahrenheit – hot enough to cause heat creation or burns.

Shea Salinas, a former football player and coach of the Major League for the Santa Clara Lions, told the board that they always reject children because they don't have enough field.

“Our football team has access to four grass fields and four lawn fields, and unfortunately the four grass fields can never be used,” he said. “They are constantly being replaced, replaced and distributed and we can never use them.”

Supervisor Betty Duong said that the subject is basically environmentally friendly, but in addition about equity like her district, which also includes East San Jose, has few leisure rooms for youngsters.

“I cannot support a regulation that tells the parishioners to the parishioners on a clear conscience, whether on the east side, Little Saigon, South County or young people on James Ranch are that it is grass or nothing,” she said. “Since grass just isn’t practical where you might be, you don't get anything. I do know that this just isn’t the message that we would like to bring out today, but in his application I imagine that that is the message that can land. “

Originally published: January 29, 2025 at 9:47 a.m. PST

My three daughters and I got here to Michigan from Pakistan in 2000.

Moving here was my decision and I followed the legal process. Before moving, I used to be often within the USA. I used to be aware of the culture and spoke English fluently, so I assumed I used to be prepared.

Resuming my medical profession within the United States was arduous, but I ultimately passed all of the qualifying exams and accomplished a psychiatric residency at Michigan State University in 2006. After completing my studies, I remained working as a lecturer.

Of course, there’s nothing latest or particularly unique about my family's experience. Immigration, whether voluntary or forced through conflict, has all the time existed Part of the American experience. Finally, the US Constitution was signed by seven first-generation immigrants.

Experts will inform you that immigration makes our country stronger economically, cultural and in Areas like science And medicine. Since I’m a physician, I’m well aware of this 26% of licensed U.S. physicians and surgeons are immigrants.

But it's also true that immigrants like me face stress that harms us
mental and mental health.

I teach Cultural psychiatry for medical students and residentsspecifically, how one can provide culturally appropriate care to Muslim patients. After greater than 20 years in Michigan, I even have deep roots within the Muslim and immigrant community and have seen firsthand how anxious and unsure my community is regarding the 2024 presidential election.

Panic attacks and depression

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has described immigrants as “bloodthirsty criminals” and that “most violent people on earth.” That’s what he claims Immigrants “poisoned the blood of our country.”.” Research shows, and I even have personally seen, the impact a majority of these conversations can have Anxiety and depression each undocumented immigrants and legal immigrants.

Undocumented immigrants and their familieswho live in it precarious conditions And for fear of deportationThey are particularly vulnerable to Trumps calls for mass deportations.

History has taught us that a politician's hateful words can result in violence.

In the primary half of 2024, the Michigan Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations was documented 239 complaints of discrimination against Muslimsan 81% increase over the identical period in 2023. In the report, CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid attributed the rise to “the policies of elected officials, the rhetoric of candidates running for office, and the finger-pointing of some political pundits to the victims”.

Adding to the situation are the worsening crises in Gaza and Lebanon, forcing Muslims in Michigan, particularly those with relatives within the Middle East, reeling from palpable sadness.

The Rise in Islamophobia and fear of an uncertain future takes its toll. American Muslims are twice as more likely to attempt suicide in comparison with people of other faiths.

Fear within the voting booth

How 73% of all AmericansImmigrants are afraid of the selection.

With the politicization of unsubstantiated claims about undocumented immigrants votingThe fact is that naturalized residents – who’ve every right to participate within the election – Are an enormous voter blocwhich accounts for 1 in 10 of the nation's eligible voters and about 5% in Michigan.

What's more, Naturalized residents are inclined to vote at higher rates as native-born residents.

Still, it's difficult for a lot of Muslims in Michigan to know how one can vote this yr. I don't trust any of the key parties.

Michigan's Muslims feel devalued and disenfranchised.

A serious Arab-American political motion committee based in Michigan refused consent Both candidates this cycle. Although the PAC typically supports Democrats, this yr it said: “Neither candidate represents our hopes and dreams as Arab Americans.”

In late September, a nationwide group of three dozen Muslim American scholars and imams met signed an open letter Calling on Muslims to not vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

“We want to be clear,” the letter says: “Don’t stay home and skip the vote. Make a statement this year by voting third in the presidential election.”

A gaggle called Listen to Michigan gained attention in the course of the primaries by getting greater than 100,000 people to vote “non-binding” to protest President Joe Biden's funding of the Gaza war. The group has stopped supporting Harris but urged voters to “cast their ballot just for them.”

Despite it, a few of my neighbors I made a decision to return back Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

I do know that my vote is my voice and I fully intend to take part in the electoral process. But I can't trust any candidate to create a refuge for my family – a spot where my daughters and I can thrive and live our American dream.

In the Northern Territory, the situation is different. The day before this election, Speckles, the Adelaide River crocodile, was asked to predict the election result. He had replaced the previous crocodile, a speculator who had made incorrect predictions within the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Speckles was convinced that Eva Lawler, the Labor Party's Prime Minister, would win the election. Speckles was not the one forecaster to be flawed. I fear for his future.

The Country Liberal Party (CLP) won majority government and returned to power after eight years in opposition. In some constituencies, there have been double-digit swings against the Labor Party. Lawler lost the federal government and her own seat.

Instead, CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro will change into the territory's next premier and can form the bulk government.

A tale of two elections

Yesterday, there have been actually two elections for the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. The first was within the Bush constituency.

These regions are dominated by the Aborigines, who are sometimes stricken by poverty, poor housing, inadequate medical care, inadequate educational facilities and an absence of employment opportunities: all elements that Closing the gap want to deal with goals.

As is typical in territorial elections, these indigenous communities have voted Labour. Only once since self-government in 1978 (in 2012) have they not done so.

However, the concerns of the indigenous population were hardly mentioned by politicians and the media on this election campaign.

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This election was essentially an urban election, fought mainly in Darwin-Palmerston and to some extent in Alice Springs, with just some attention being given to Indigenous issues as a hidden subtext to most of the people fear of crime.

Twice as much as expected

I had predicted that the CLP would swing unevenly, and in some cases much more widely (reminiscent of in suburban constituencies with high rates of property crime, violence and public drunkenness).

Overall, I expected the CLP opposition to realize around 4-6% of the vote across the realm. I used to be flawed.

In the suburbs of Darwin, the general gain in favour of the CLP was double the estimate. Several ministers, including Lawler, lost their seats.

Lawler conceded defeat at 8.30pm, an hour before NT election losers often do, underscoring the magnitude of the loss for Labor.

Counting will proceed today, but based on trends I expect no less than 4 (possibly six) labor ministers to lose their seats.

As I predicted, independents were elected in two constituencies: Yingiya Mark Guyula in Mulka (in north-east Arnhem Land) and Robyn Lambley in Araluen (in Alice Springs).

Other independents have done well, reminiscent of in Johnston, where a teal-looking (she actually wore purple) independent polled higher than the incumbent Labor candidate (though she was still trailing the CLP).

Labour vote collapse

In my interpretation, the drop in votes for the Labour Party could be attributed to 2 elements.

One reason for that is the departure of weak voters. These voters are often chargeable for swinging the vote in an election.

The other reason is that a major proportion of Labour voters have defected to the Greens. I even have praised Prime Minister Lawler for her tough campaigning, but it surely is feasible that some Labour voters were postpone by her shift to the fitting and decided to vote Green to remind Labour that it’s a progressive party.

However you interpret this election, it is unquestionably a landslide victory for the CLP. In comparison, it just isn’t as bad for Labor because the landslide victory against the CLP in 2016. Back then, Finocchiaro was the one CLP member to be re-elected in Greater Darwin.

That 2016 election had consequences. As Finocchiaro was the one CLP MP left in Greater Darwin, she eventually became CLP leader. The twists of fate have resulted in her now being Chief Minister.

The most interesting development on this election has been the rise of the Greens. They will feel very buoyed by this election as they’ve finally broken the 20% barrier of first votes in some constituencies and have now change into serious players within the territory's politics.

In my pre-election evaluation, I said there was an excellent probability of victory since the Northern Territory economy would pick up next 12 months.

In addition, Commonwealth spending within the NT will increase dramatically. The billions spent under Remote housing And Training The agreements concluded with the Commonwealth and other large-scale spending programs will come into effect.

The Commonwealth is investing in eliminating discrimination against Indigenous people within the Territory because the NT worst performer to the Closing The Gap targets.

This signifies that the Northern Territory will proceed to receive money and the re-election of the brand new CLP government in 2028 is virtually assured.

Patriots

The Patriots were expected to be among the many teams attempting to sign 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk in a trade, but have reportedly put the deal on hold.

Accordingly ESPN's Adam SchefterNew England “has decided not to explore any further trade options” involving Aiyuk. Why the Patriots backed out of searching for a deal was not immediately clear, but Schefter later provided some additional details.

Speaking during a SportsCenter Interview On Tuesday night, Schefter outlined the Patriots' thoughts on Aiyuk.

“New England had set the parameters for a trade with San Francisco. That wasn't the problem,” Schefter explained. “But they didn't have a good feeling here when they tried to communicate with Brandon Aiyuk and his agent.”

“The longer it went on, the worse they felt,” he added. “At some point they said, 'What are we doing here? Let's just focus on the young receivers we have.' They're excited about them.”

For the Patriots, rookie wide receivers Ja'Lynn Polk and Javon Baker are currently completing their first NFL training camp. New England also has younger wide receivers DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, Jalen Raegor and Tyquan Thornton on a packed roster at that position.

Schefter identified that the move was a conscious decision by New England management, not simply to attempt to force something for the sake of it.

“Instead of going ahead and giving up a huge amount of severance pay to the 49ers — after or before they gave up a huge contract with Brandon Aiyuk that he didn't seem particularly receptive to — they said, 'We're just going to wait and see and hold off.' So the Patriots have backed off and will not seek another trade for Brandon Aiyuk.”

When voters approved a well-liked initiative, Expand Pittsburg's growth boundaries With the two,400-acre expansion in 2005, the door opened for a developer who had had his eye on the southwestern hills on the outskirts of town for years and envisioned hundreds of homes along the expansive vistas.

But for nearly 20 years, plans to construct single-family homes on a part of that land have been fraught with zoning disputes and environmental challenges.

That battle could end Wednesday if county officials comply with cede control of 606 acres to Pittsburg – potentially clearing the ultimate hurdle to approval of the project.

The Faria/Southwest Hills project goals to accumulate to 1,500 latest single-family homes across the Los Medanos Ridgeline. Proposed by Discovery Builders – an affiliate of Concord-based developer Albert Seeno III – the project has already been approved twice by the Pittsburg City Council.

But Farias’s forward movement has stalled as he waits for the annexation of a agricultural protection area without legal personalityowned by Discovery Builders, throughout the city limits of Pittsburg and the service areas of Contra Costa Water and Delta Diablo Sanitation counties. The Contra Costa – Commission to determine a neighborhood agency (LAFCO), which monitors such border changes, is Vote on annexation Wednesday.

That decision was delayed in April on account of growing opposition, including a whole bunch of letters from members and supporters of the nonprofit Save Mount Diablo – a land trust and conservation organization – urging their supporters to assist “Save the Ridge.” They say the Albert Seeno III construction project is “disastrous” and threatens to “level the tops of Pittsburg's hills.” Opponents say Discovery Builders “never conducted a project-level environmental impact assessment, as LAFCO has repeatedly required,” nor has it provided an in depth site design plan or a subdivision plan with home lots and streets.”

For more than a decade, Seth Adams, Director of Land Conservation at Save Mount Diablofought to protect the hills of Pittsburg from development by Seeno and questioned the developer’s motives because they want to speed up approvals before the public can see detailed plans. At the same time, Albert Seeno III tried to distance himself from a history of family quarrels and Environmental violations overshadows the developments led by other members of his family's construction empire within the hills of Contra Costa County.

In addition to a youth recreation center and mountain climbing trails connecting to Thurgood Marshall Regional Park, plans for the opposite half of the Faria/Southwest Hills project include 265 acres of open space and greenbelt along the ridge as a buffer from the East Bay Regional Park District site, which in turn sits between a billion-dollar, 12,200-unit housing complex to be built across the hill on the previous Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Adams is urging the commission to require more green space – as much as 150 meters – since the regional park and surrounding habitats, access to nature, neighborhood traffic and fire risk are in danger. In addition, the community's scenic views may very well be affected by heavy grading during construction.

“I believe a complete host of problems might be solved by making a larger buffer zone between development and the Concord border on this unincorporated county area,” he said in April.

Farias' vision for the southwest hills of Pittsburg has been discussed for years.

The first application for the Project was submitted in 2010but a premature Annexation offer was quickly withdrawn in 2011. The developers modified the proposal in 2014 and again in 2017, then the plans revived in 2020. After Obtain Council approval in 2021A lawsuit alleging that the project would destroy the hills and habitat then forced Discovery Builders to rewrite environmental assessments, which the Pittsburg City Council re-approved in April 2023 – against the recommendation of the Pittsburg Planning Commissioners.

Elected politicians have increasingly pointed to the pressure not only to spend millions of dollars in urgently needed tax revenuebut also meet state-mandated housing goals to keep pace with the above-average growth rate in Contra Costa County. Pittsburg's population is expected to grow by 77,500 to around 91,600 inhabitants by 2040, in keeping with town previous housing elementand the present plan of town was already not in accordance with applicable national laws until March 1st.

“I actually have called on town, the developer and Save Mount Diablo to work together to preserve everlasting open space on this area — that's one of the best thing I can do legally,” Texeira said before Wednesday's meeting. “It's been a difficult process, but I believe I actually have all the data I want to bring this forward (for approval). I hope this moves forward with none issues.”

Louis Parsons, president of Discovery Builders and a former project manager for the Faria project, has long called Save Mount Diablo's lawsuit “meritless.” In April, he said the environmental group was “unclear about Contra Costa LAFCO's role or is attempting to confuse the general public and decision makers.”

“The fact is that the shape and scope of the project has already been approved by the City of Pittsburg,” Parsons wrote in an email. The proposed development “meets all environmental regulations, including vital habitat protection guidelines adopted by various surrounding cities and the Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy.”

In recent years, the town of Austin, Texas, has approved construction Thousands of windowless rooms in latest housing next to the University of Texas at Austin.

Most of those spaces are rented to UT students, leading to a Deterioration of their well-being.

The Austin City Council will finally make a choice in April 2024 voted to ban the development of windowless bedrooms.

As a Professor at UT's School of ArchitectureI consider this ban to be a late but welcome development. For 25 years, I even have given my students an project called “My Window,” where I ask them to attract a piece of the window of their bedroom. In 2021, some students told me they didn't have a window of their room.

I used to be shocked because as a practicing architect I had at all times assumed that windowless bedrooms were illegal. Some students began sharing photos of their rooms with me and recounting what dozens of scholars have described as their horrific experiences there.

Negative effects on mental health

A standard criticism is “disorganized circadian cycles” and the event of “depression and fatigue.” They attempt to avoid their rooms as much as possible. One student told me about “unbearable loneliness and claustrophobia caused by the four solid walls.” Another complained about waking up.with fear every morning.”

When I learned that windowless bedrooms were being in-built Austin, I started advocating for his or her ban. I asked the town council to take motion letters And in editorials. I read up on the subject and shared my views with architects, professors and students at various locations.

Students also mobilized. In spring 2023, they marched a survey to match students' experiences of living in rooms with and without windows. Students who lived in rooms without windows performed worse in all categories well-known scale that measures well-being.

In September 2023 [letter to Austin’s City Council]762 students called for a ban on windowless rooms. “Our city’s negligence in defending its citizens is being used as a weapon by developers to maximize profits,” they wrote. They also identified that windowless rooms are illegal in cities like New York City and Madrid.

Not legal elsewhere

In fact, windowless bedrooms are illegal in New York City – as in major cities all over the world. A percentage of the room's floor area, laid out in each city's constructing code, determines the minimum window size. In New York City, every bedroom is required to have a window area no less than 10% the scale of the ground area of ​​the room; in Madrid 12%; and in Mexico City 15%.

In Austin, the number was 0% until the recent ban.

Why? There's a straightforward reason for this: Austin, like most cities within the US, follows the International Building Code, and that code has a glaring gap. It is lighting area states: “Every space intended for human occupancy shall be provided with natural light via exterior glazed openings in accordance with Section 1204.2 or with artificial light in accordance with Section 1204.3.”

The code then goes into great detail concerning the specific requirements for every situation. But the word “or” leaves the door open for some developers to interpret the code to make natural light optional.

To protect themselves from these developers, cities like Chicago and Washington, DC, have closed the loophole by simply replacing “or” with “and” of their adopted codes. Austin is finally doing just that. The recently approved The code revision bans windowless Bedroom when it comes into force on May 20, 2024.

Profit comes first

Unfortunately, developers have already taken advantage of the loophole and built hundreds of windowless bedrooms that can soon now not be legal to construct, but will still be legally allowed to rent out.

Windowless rooms haven’t led to lower rents for college students in Austin. Additionally, during my two-year campaign to ban windowless spaces, no developer spoke in favor of it before the Austin City Council.

They built them quietly while they might, because student dormitories are what they’re very profitableand much more so when windowless rooms are allowed.

How come? This is because a bulky constructing with interior spaces distant from the façade can occupy more interior space with a smaller proportion of exterior partitions, that are costlier to construct than interior partitions.

A vulnerable population

Namratha Thrikutam, a UT architecture student, sums up the plight of her fellow students living in windowless spaces: “Students are a population that developers know they can exploit.”

“We don't have that much money. We don't have that much reputation in the world. We don’t have that much experience with the things we’ve been through, so it’s very easy to take advantage of us,” she says said the Daily Texanthe official newspaper of UT Austin.

Attracted by the proximity to campus, students in windowless rooms try to come back to terms with it with lush room decoration, circadian LED lighting, mental therapy or medication.

For example a Exchange student from Spain who had unknowingly rented a windowless room contacted me and asked for help. She told me that since she was illegal in her hometown of Barcelona, ​​it never occurred to her that the room she rented before arriving in Austin is perhaps windowless.

She described her anxiety and deteriorating mental health after just just a few days in her unit. When I wrote to their property manager on their behalf and asked for a room with a window, they replied: “We do not promise windows in any of our rooms. Like other buildings in the Austin area, no windows are promised.” Shockingly, the leases also make no mention of no windows.

Similar to immigrants in New York City Tenement houses within the 1850s, UT students were left to fend for themselves. Austin has failed them by approving the development of hundreds of windowless housing units.

UT, a top public universityhas let her down Not enough university accommodation is provided and by remaining silent in the course of the campaign to ban windowless rooms. The university's position is predicated on the indisputable fact that West Campus “falls under the jurisdiction of the City of Austin,” in line with a press release obtained by The Conversation.

My viewpoint is: Yes, but these are your students asking for help.

And architects have failed students by voluntarily designing windowless rooms. The architects ignored one in every of them Core Guidelines from the American Institute of Architects: “to consider the physical, mental and emotional impact of a building on its occupants.”

Changes sought

The experiences of scholars living in windowless rooms in Austin should function a cautionary tale to authorities who control constructing codes. If windowless rooms are already illegal in your city, stick to it. If they don't, ban them as soon as possible. If not, students and other vulnerable populations reminiscent of immigrants, seniors and low-income people would at all times be a possible goal for developers.

In the meantime, and to guard these populations, I’m working with other concerned architects across the U.S. to shut the gap on the source by amending the International Building Code directly, reasonably than expecting every city to shut it through an area change to its codes . like Austin just did.

It's a slow and bureaucratic process, but ultimately the message must be clear: natural light in buildings must be a human right, not a developer's alternative.