WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Florida farmworkers' rights groups say it is urgent farmworkers be deemed "essential" in Gov. Ron DeSantis' COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan.

The groups put their views in a letter to the governor in January, calling for better healthcare for farmworkers and asking that all incoming temporary, non-immigrant workers arrive vaccinated, or be vaccinated first in the U.S.

Mariana Blanco, assistant executive director of the Guatemalan Maya Center, said they also want to see an expansion of COVID-19 testing sites, since many are inaccessible to farmworkers.

"If the Health Department would provide us the vaccines and a mobile clinic, we'd be able to have volunteers and registered nurses that we already have contact with, and we'd have all the translators," Blanco suggested. "And we'd just go directly to the fields and vaccinate the farmworkers."

Blanco pointed out those in opposition assume farmworkers won't want to be vaccinated, or that doses couldn't be kept cold enough in mobile settings.

According to the Guatemalan Maya Center, 600 farmworkers and families, regularly tested for COVID-19 one night a week, had a 30% infection rate.

Nikki Fried, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, in a "Protect Farmworkers Roundtable" held Wednesday, said she and Vice President Kamala Harris toured FEMA locations last week to create smaller vaccination sites.

Blanco contended more sites are long overdue.

"We know that our community wants to get vaccinated," Blanco stressed. "We have had a waitlist for a couple of months now, and so now, it's just providing them access to this vaccine. And so, the pushback from the mobile clinic was pretty disappointing to us."

Fried is in the race for governor, and considered a top challenger of DeSantis.

The Palm Beach Health Department is working with the groups to facilitate a specific day when farmworkers could be vaccinated.

Blanco stressed there is a long road ahead to make that happen, and pointed to the challenges these workers already face to making vaccination appointments online.

"A lot of them are illiterate," Blanco explained. "A lot, most, of them don't speak English, and now having to only make the appointment online, all of it just became absolutely impossible for any of our community members to even come close to think about getting the vaccine."

Blanco added the governor hasn't yet responded to the letter.


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A new survey shows there's been an increase in the number of police officers on the streets since the COVID-19 exodus, but some Americans are still behaving badly when they think no one's looking.

A survey by the Police Executive Research Forum shows more sworn officers were hired in 2023 than any of the previous four years, and fewer officers overall resigned or retired.

Lance LoRusso, founder of the Blue Line Lawyer Institute, said bad behavior is still evident in communities where not enough officers were available to patrol parks or other public spaces.

"There is a segment of the population that if they don't believe there's consequences for their actions, they will not act in a lawful manner," LoRusso asserted. "They don't, because there's nobody making sure that they're taking care of their obligations and they're treating each other in a civil manner."

More than 200 law enforcement agencies responded to the survey. It showed that while small and medium departments had more sworn officers than they did in January 2020, large departments are still more than 5% below earlier staffing levels.

In March, New Mexico's Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department announced a crackdown on drivers traveling at excessive speeds, which LoRusso said became a problem during the pandemic coast to coast and has not subsided in some areas. He says citizens should not hesitate to report such incidents.

"People racing cars is dangerous. It's completely anti-social, unlawful, dangerous behavior that shows a complete disrespect for the other people in your community. And yet, it's tolerated," he said.

Car break-ins also increased during the pandemic, which LoRusso said might feel like an isolated incident, but is usually indicative of a larger problem.

Missouri residents are gaining new insights into the powerful role of food in health care as experts and organizations advocate for a shift toward food-as-medicine initiatives.

Kelsey Gardiner, assistant professor of nursing and health studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, emphasized the critical link between access to healthy food and improved health outcomes. She noted individuals facing food insecurity often experience higher rates of chronic diseases, highlighting the urgent need for systemic changes to enhance food access.

"There are things we can do and there are certain shifts nationally that are happening, whether that be through policy or through infrastructure changes," Gardiner pointed out. "We can be doing more in the state of Missouri in order to help increase access to healthy food that can directly tie into better health outcomes."

Gardiner underscored the potential of food-as-medicine interventions in preventing chronic conditions and reducing health care costs. She said recent studies show such interventions can lead to $13.6 billion over one year in cost savings and several improved health outcomes, making them a valuable addition to health care strategies.

Kael Martin, people impact strategist for the Health Forward Foundation, said focusing on communities affected by structural racism, socioeconomic challenges and limited health care access is paramount. Food as medicine is seen as a strategic approach to promote health equity, particularly in areas where systemic barriers hinder optimal health.

"We know that eating healthy can prevent chronic disease, but it can be a treatment option as well," Martin stressed. "To have that connection within our health care system, to really integrate these interventions, can be really impactful for many patients."

While progress is underway nationally and in other states such as Massachusetts, California and North Carolina, Missouri is still developing its approach to integrate food as medicine into health care systems and policies. Efforts to push for legislation supporting these initiatives are in progress, with some federal legislation around medically tailored meals garnering support.

As many Wyomingites await their 2023 federal income tax refunds, a new National Priorities Project report breaks down how the money they won't get back is being spent.

Co-author Lindsay Koshgarian, program director for the National Priorities Project, said this year's Tax Receipt shows that - while many school districts in Wyoming and across the U.S. are facing major budget cuts - the average taxpayer is contributing thousands of dollars to military contractors, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon.

"So whereas the average Wyoming taxpayer was giving almost $2,300 to corporate pentagon contractors," said Koshgarian, "they were giving only $455 for public education in our K-12 schools."

The average American household paid over $5,000 for militarism and support systems, but invested just $110 in the Child Tax Credit - which cut child poverty in half during pandemic era changes.

The Pentagon has failed to account for money spent in audits for the past six years. But its defenders argue tax dollars create jobs and maintain global security in the face of competitors, including China.

Koshgarian said corporate contractors can create jobs, especially in key Congressional districts.

She pointed to Brown University research showing that $1 billion in military spending adds roughly 11,000 jobs.

By comparison, $1 billion would add nearly 27,000 education, and 17,000 healthcare jobs.

"But if we put that same money into other things like education or infrastructure or healthcare," said Koshgarian, "we could actually create more good jobs with the same amount of money."

The U.S. Department of Defense has known about the existential threat of climate change for decades, and wildfires now cost upward of $394 billion in damages each year.

But the average taxpayer invested just $14 in wildfire management.

Koshgarian said she believes concerns about protecting international security, which largely serve corporate interests, are overblown.

"The U.S. is already the top military spender in the world by far," said Koshgarian. "We spend more than the next 10 militaries combined. We have the most capable military by far in the world, and no one disputes that."




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