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New bill aims to outlaw caste discrimination in California

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New bill aims to outlaw caste discrimination in California


California might turn into the primary state within the nation to outlaw caste-based bias, a safeguard folks of South Asian descent say is important to guard them from discrimination in housing, training and the tech sector the place they maintain key roles.

State Sen. Aisha Wahab, the primary Muslim and Afghan American elected to the state legislature, launched the invoice Wednesday. It provides caste — a division of individuals associated to delivery or descent — as a protected class within the state’s anti-discrimination legal guidelines.

These on the lowest strata of the caste system often called Dalits, have been more and more calling for such laws saying they’ve confronted this type of discrimination in the US. However such insurance policies stay divisive.

Wahab stated caste discrimination is “a social justice and civil rights difficulty.”

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“Individuals got here to this nation to allow them to be free and might pursue their American dream with none disruption to their lives,” Wahab stated, including that she heard about this type of discrimination rising up in Fremont, California, and dwelling within the San Francisco Bay Space.

However some teams such because the Hindu American Basis and the Coalition of Hindus of North America oppose such insurance policies. They argue these measures will harm a group that already faces hate and discrimination, and can particularly goal Hindus and Indian Individuals who’re generally related to the caste system. The laws is being backed by different teams reminiscent of Hindus for Human Rights and Hindus for Caste Fairness.

A United Nations report in 2016 stated not less than 250 million folks worldwide nonetheless face caste discrimination in Asia, Africa, the Center East and Pacific areas, in addition to in varied diaspora communities. Caste techniques are discovered amongst Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jains, Muslims and Sikhs.

Wahab stated she is “deeply delicate to how minority religions and teams are depicted.”

“Caste goes past faith and nationality,” she stated. “This laws primarily protects tens of millions who dwell in silence and have by no means had such safety as a result of there may be little understanding of this difficulty. This invoice is about defending people who find themselves susceptible.”

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In February, Seattle grew to become the primary U.S. metropolis and the primary jurisdiction exterior South Asia so as to add caste to its anti-discrimination legal guidelines. A number of schools and universities have additionally enacted related insurance policies barring caste discrimination on campuses, together with College of California, Davis.

A 2020 survey of Indian Individuals by the Carnegie Endowment for Worldwide Peace discovered caste discrimination was reported by 5% of survey respondents. Whereas 53% of foreign-born Hindu Indian Individuals stated they affiliate with a caste group, solely 34% of U.S. born Hindu Indian Individuals stated they do the identical.

Nevertheless, a 2016 Equality Labs survey of 1,500 South Asians within the U.S. confirmed 67% of Dalits who responded reported being handled unfairly due to their caste.

California “has been floor zero for the caste fairness motion,” stated Thenmozhi Soundararajan, founder and govt director of Oakland, California-based Equality Labs, a Dalit advocacy group.

“This laws is about clarifying current protections and making them express,” she stated.

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In accordance with a 2021 report by the Silicon Valley Institute for Regional Research, Asians, together with South Asians, maintain 37.8% of technical roles and 25.3% of management roles at Silicon Valley’s largest tech corporations.

In 2020, California regulators sued Cisco Techniques saying a Dalit Indian engineer confronted caste discrimination on the firm’s Silicon Valley headquarters. In one other case, Tanuja Gupta, give up her senior supervisor job at Google Information final yr after blowback over inviting Soundararajan to talk to staff throughout April, which is Dalit Historical past Month. The speak was canceled and Gupta accused her former employer of retaliation, which Google has denied.

Gupta stated she is backing the invoice as a result of these going through caste discrimination haven’t any safety or authorized recourse proper now.

“That is the type of accountability we’d like,” she stated. “Individuals are afraid to talk up when they’re discriminated in opposition to as a result of they’re afraid to rock the boat they usually worry they could lose their job or employment visa. It’s a tough cycle to interrupt and you’ll solely do it when somebody is prepared to threat every part.”

Caste is “not a spiritual difficulty, however a civil rights difficulty,” stated Gupta.

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Shakeel Syed, govt director of South Asian Community in Artesia, California, stated he sees caste discrimination amongst employees and he has helped in circumstances the place caste performed a task in wage theft and housing discrimination.

“When hardworking individuals are not revered or valued merely due to their caste, that’s simply blatantly mistaken,” he stated.

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Related Press faith protection receives help by way of the AP’s collaboration with The Dialog US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely liable for this content material.

Copyright 2023 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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California

What California city has the best weather for you? Take our quiz

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What California city has the best weather for you? Take our quiz


California has plenty of options when it comes to finding a place with your preferred weather. If you like cool weather, some cities spend nearly the entire year below 70 degrees. If you hate the rain, there are locations that average just a few inches per year.

The Chronicle gathered data about temperature, precipitation, air quality and extreme weather for 61 places across California, including the 20 most populous cities with data available. In total, 53 of the state’s 58 counties are represented in the analysis.

While there may not be a perfect match with everything you’re looking for, this quiz will help pinpoint a place that gets close.



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California woman dies from Fresno County's first human case of rabies in more than 30 years

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California woman dies from Fresno County's first human case of rabies in more than 30 years


A California woman died of rabies after allegedly being bitten by a bat in her classroom, according to Fresno County health officials.

The woman, later identified as Leah Seneng, 60, marks the first human case of rabies in Fresno County since 1992.

“In general, rabies is a disease that affects the brain, and it is very rare. But when it develops, it can cause very serious consequences,” said Dr. Trnidad Solis, Fresno County Health Department’s deputy health officer. “It’s transmitted through saliva; it is not airborne.”

RABIES PATIENT BECOMES FIRST FATAL CASE IN US AFTER POST-EXPOSURE TREATMENT, REPORT SAYS

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Leah Seneng, 60, was the first human case of rabies in Fresno County since 1992, according to county health officials. (GoFundMe)

Seneng, who was an art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, was bitten by the bat when she was attempting to rescue it in her classroom, local outlet ABC30 reported.

She first came into contact with the bat in October, but did not display symptoms until approximately a month later, according to Fresno County health officials.  She was admitted to the hospital and died four days later.

Bryant Middle School

Leah Seneng was an art teacher at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos, California. (Map Quest)

PEANUT THE SQUIRREL EARMARKED FOR EUTHANASIA BEFORE BEING CONFISCATED AND WAS RABIES-FREE: REPORT

“The most frequent route of transmission is through the bite of an animal that has rabies. With rabies, unfortunately, there is no cure. So, when symptoms develop, there is no treatment, and often when it develops, it is often fatal. So we want the public to know that prevention is key to preventing rabies infection,” Solis said.

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Fresno County officials do not believe there is a threat to public health at this time, but are working with the Merced County Health Department to identify any other possible exposures and administer vaccines.

Rabies vaccination syringe held in gloved hand.

Health experts recommend people and pets get vaccinated for rabies. (iStock)

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Seneng’s coworkers have set up a GoFundMe account to assist her family during this time.



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Another batch of raw milk from a trendy California brand just tested positive for bird flu

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Another batch of raw milk from a trendy California brand just tested positive for bird flu


  • Two batches of raw milk from a trendy California brand have tested positive for bird flu this week.
  • Bird flu has been spreading rapidly among cattle in the US.
  • Experts say drinking raw milk is dangerous, and can cause food poisoning.

Another batch of raw milk just tested positive for bird flu in California.

Last Sunday, Fresno-based Raw Farm voluntarily recalled a first batch of cream top whole raw milk with a “best by” date of November 27. By Wednesday, the California Department of Public Health announced that a second batch of Raw Farm cream top, with a “best by” date of December 7 had also tested positive for bird flu, based on retail sampling.

“We’re not making a big deal about it, because it’s not a big deal,” Kaleigh Stanziani, Raw Farm’s vice president of marketing, said in a short video posted on YouTube after the farm’s first voluntary recall was announced earlier this week.

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She said there had only been an indication that there might be a “trace element of something possible,” emphasizing that there had been no reported illnesses of Raw Farms cows or positive tests from the cattle.

Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee later told the LA Times that the California Department of Food and Agriculture had requested that his company “hold delivery of further products” until Friday, after conducting thorough testing of two Raw Farms and one creamery on Wednesday. (McAfee could not immediately be reached for comment by Business Insider during the Thanksgiving holiday.)

Raw milk may be helping bird flu spread — but not in the way you might think


raw milk

Containers of Raw Farm raw milk on a shelf at Berkeley Bowl on November 25, 2024 in Berkeley, California.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Scientists suspect that cross-contamination of raw milk between animals may be one reason the H5N1 virus is spreading rapidly among cows in the US — and could even contribute to the human spread of the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cautions that dairy workers might be able to contract bird flu by infected raw milk splashed into their eyes.

There is no definitive evidence yet that humans can get bird flu from drinking contaminated raw milk. Instead, health authorities generally recommend avoiding raw milk because of other serious health risks, including food poisoning with bacteria like Salmonella, E.coli, or Listeria.

There are no known health benefits of drinking raw milk. Instead, all evidence suggests that pasteurized milk is just as nutritious, and is safer to consume.

Still, raw milk has become a trendy product among some influencers. Gwenyth Paltrow says she has it in her coffee in the morning.

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s pick for Health and Human Services secretary, says he wants the US Food and Drug Administration to stop its “war” against raw milk.

Over the summer, “Carnivore MD” Paul Saladino released a raw milk smoothie in partnership with the elite Los Angeles health foods store Erewhon featuring unpasteurized (raw) kefir from Raw Farms, and powdered beef organs.

California has some of the loosest rules around raw milk in the country; it’s generally fine for California retailers like health foods stores and grocers to sell it, raw milk products just can’t be transported across state lines, per FDA rules.


raw milk smoothie

Dr. Paul’s Raw Animal-Based Smoothie includes Raw Farm kefir milk, beef organ powder, as well as blueberries, honey, bananas and other ingredients. It’s $19.

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Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images



Michael Payne, a researcher at the Western Institute of Food Safety and Security, told The Guardian that people consuming Dr. Paul’s $19 smoothie were “playing Russian roulette with their health,” and ignoring pasteurization, “the single most important food safety firewall in history.”

California dairy farms have been seeing an uptick in bird flu cases since August. The state has reported 29 confirmed human cases of bird flu, and all but one of those was sourced back to cows.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the first confirmed case of bird flu in a California child from Alameda County. The child had no known contact with infected farm animals, but may have been exposed to wild birds, the California health department said in a statement.

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The child had mild symptoms and is recovering well after receiving antiviral drugs.





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