California

Nicknamed the “Golden State,” California is the third largest state in area after Alaska and Texas. The discovery of gold and the immigration in 1849 of thousands of “forty-niners” in search of the precious metal helped California’s admission into the Union in 1850. Today, California, land of the giant redwoods, has the highest population of any state in the nation and is America’s principal agricultural state. It is also the home of Hollywood, the center of America’s movie and television industry. Its capital is Sacramento and the state flower is the golden poppy.

Human trafficking is a serious issue that affects people all over the world, including in California. It is defined as the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit someone for the purpose of forced labor, sexual exploitation, or other forms of abuse. Human trafficking can take many forms, including labor trafficking, domestic servitude, and sex trafficking.

In California, human trafficking is a major problem, particularly in urban areas. There have been many reported cases of labor trafficking in industries such as agriculture, restaurants, and domestic work. There have also been numerous cases of sex trafficking, particularly in the illegal commercial sex industry.

To combat this issue, California has enacted laws to criminalize human trafficking and provide support for victims. The California Department of Justice has a Human Trafficking Task Force, which works to investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking in the state. There are also many non-profit organizations and advocacy groups in California that work to support victims of human trafficking and raise awareness about this issue. If you are a victim of human trafficking or know someone who may be a victim, there are resources available to help you. You can call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or contact local law enforcement for assistance.

 

 

California Launches Campaign to Prohibit Underage Marriages – VigourTimes
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California Launches Campaign to Prohibit Underage Marriages – VigourTimes

On the steps of the state Capitol, a powerful and visually striking protest took place. Survivors of forced and child marriages, dressed in white bridal gowns and veils, stood united with their wrists chained together and their mouths taped shut. Their message was clear: California must take action to outlaw child brides and put an…

Testimony by Tara Lee Rodas for The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement
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Testimony by Tara Lee Rodas for The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement

Editor’s note: We are non-partisan. Children are being hurt. Please, watch, read, learn, and act accordingly. Hearing Date: Wednesday 04/26/2023 – 3:00 PM Hearing Location: 2141 Rayburn House Office Building The hearing, “The Biden Border Crisis: Exploitation of Unaccompanied Alien Children,” will examine the unprecedented surge of unaccompanied alien children at the southwest border and…

Cyclists race across America in efforts to end child trafficking concludes in Annapolis
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Cyclists race across America in efforts to end child trafficking concludes in Annapolis

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Some people ride their bikes for exercise; others ride for a good cause. The Zoe International Race Across America team made its journey in honor of the child victims of human trafficking. Most of the men in the group are fathers, and they started their race in California and finished in Annapolis…

Q&A: California’s uninterrupted history of slavery
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Q&A: California’s uninterrupted history of slavery

Slavery is often associated with the South. A new book shifts the narrative West. “California, a Slave State,” details 250 years of slavery and slave revolts in California. KPBS reporter Katie Hyson spoke with the book’s author, Jean Pfaelzer, a public historian and University of Delaware professor, about slavery throughout the state’s history, and how…

Arizona changed how it sells prisoners to companies. The state raked in millions, but workers were neglected
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Arizona changed how it sells prisoners to companies. The state raked in millions, but workers were neglected

Clothed in orange with elbow-high rubber gloves and large black masks, a line of workers along a conveyor belt pull lead from cathode-ray tubes. At a construction warehouse, more workers in orange jumpsuits piece together wall frames for single-family homes until one shoots a nail into his knee with a nail gun. At a canning…

FMCSA launches human trafficking awareness campaign
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FMCSA launches human trafficking awareness campaign

Through its new human trafficking awareness campaign, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration seeks to give commercial motor vehicle drivers the information to identify and report incidents of human trafficking. Called,“Your Roads, Their Freedom,” the FMCSA campaign will be a nationwide effort with an emphasis in California, Florida, Michigan, New York and North Carolina. According…

FMCSA Launches Program to Combat Human Trafficking
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FMCSA Launches Program to Combat Human Trafficking

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently launched its new human trafficking awareness campaign, “Your Roads, Their Freedom.” The campaign seeks to give the nation’s 8.7 million commercial motor vehicle drivers the information needed to identify and report suspected human trafficking. “Human trafficking is a heinous crime, and it has no place in the transportation…

NHTSA investigating ‘false positive’ automatic emergency braking activiations
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NHTSA investigating ‘false positive’ automatic emergency braking activiations

Trucking news and briefs for Thursday, June 1, 2023: NHTSA investigating ‘false positive’ automatic emergency braking in Cascadias The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation after a series of complaints involving the automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems on Freightliner Cascadia and Western Star 5700 trucks. According to NHTSA documents, the AEB system on…

Cartel-backed pot grows linked to human trafficking, inhumane working conditions
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Cartel-backed pot grows linked to human trafficking, inhumane working conditions

Editor’s note: I just returned from northern California (6/2023), speaking with experts with ties into the situation with legal growers. Human trafficking is happening in legal and illegal cannabis farms.  TRINITY COUNTY, Calif. — If you buy weed illegally, you unwittingly could be supporting Mexican cartels and other criminal syndicates that lure workers to farms…

Billy Joe Cain at Humboldt Against Sexual Exploitation (HASE) Conference 2023 – “A Day in the Life” and concerns about automated grooming
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Billy Joe Cain at Humboldt Against Sexual Exploitation (HASE) Conference 2023 – “A Day in the Life” and concerns about automated grooming

Radical empathy helps you emotionally understand how anyone can become a victim. Billy Joe has spent 30 years in the interactive space, creating award-winning games, simulations, educational programs, and “gamified” training products. He has launched a new EA Sports franchise, built products for Nickelodeon, delivered a flight simulator for the United States Air Force, and…