Hate Emboldened in the Coachella Valley; Things Aren’t So Great in Other Countries, Either–Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: Feb. 24, 2025

Indy Digest: Feb. 24, 2025

Given the current state of our republic, many folks are pondering the idea of escaping to another country—a place where there’s, say, no DOGE, and therefore, the figurative grass should be greener.

There’s one big problem with these musings—and, boy, it’s a terrifying problem: Other countries are also enduring similar faux-populist shifts to the hard right.

On Friday, STAT News published a piece that should be read by anyone who’s dreaming of living in another country. The lede:

Countries with high uptake of the HPV vaccine, which protects against a virus that causes certain tumors, have seen dramatic reductions in cervical cancer. It’s why, in Austria, for example, providers are trying to offer it to as many people as possible.

But at a cancer prevention event in the country’s capital over the weekend, there was a particular sense of urgency to administer free shots. An initiative to provide the vaccines to people under 30, when usually they’re available to people under 21, is set to lapse at the end of the year.

Elmar Joura, who specializes in gynecologic oncology at the Medical University of Vienna and who attended the event, doesn’t have high hopes that the program will be extended. The political party that might take leadership in Austria’s next government probably won’t back such an effort.

“They have an anti-vaxxer standpoint,” Joura said ahead of the event.

Joura was referring to the Freedom Party, or FPÖ, one of the right-wing parties that have been ascendant across Europe and that, last year, won the most votes in Austria’s elections.

The COVID-19 pandemic was truly global—and hard-right politicians around the world are finding success by tapping into the frustrations people experienced while in lockdown.

That STAT News piece later says: “To be sure, debate over public health generally takes a backseat to issues that the populist parties in Europe are more animated by, namely immigration, the economy, nationalism, distrust of the European Union, and skepticism about Europe’s support for Ukraine. But the fact that the Freedom Party’s platform last year included promises at odds with mainstream public health views—it has continued to warn of dangers of the Covid vaccine that don’t actually exist, attacked the World Health Organization, and vowed to ban experimental research on vaccines — was a sign of how stirring people’s pandemic-era anger remained a salient strategy to reach a certain segment of voters, experts said.”

This just isn’t happening in Europe. It’s happening in Canada, to an extent (although Donald Trump’s tariff threats and the existence of Elon Musk may actually be hurting hard-right efforts there). Right-wing efforts are also intensifying in Australia. It’s not happening in Mexico at this point, but our neighbor to the south has other issues.

Yeah, our federal government’s actions are kind of scary right now … but things are getting scarier in the rest of the world, too.

—Jimmy Boegle

More News

• Today’s recall news involves … supplemental milkshakes! And this one is a big deal. NBC News explains: “A range of milkshakes have been recalled after they were linked to 12 deaths and dozens of serious illnesses, many of them in long-term care homes and hospitals, the FDA confirmed on Monday. Food service company Lyons Magnus said in a statement Saturday it was voluntarily recalling all 4 oz. packs of Lyons ReadyCare and Sysco Imperial Frozen Supplemental Shakes, in response to a recall from manufacturer Prairie Farms, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As of Monday, 38 people have been infected across 21 states. Of these, 37 were hospitalized and 12 died—although the FDA did not say when these deaths took place and said the outbreak can be traced back seven years. Some 34 victims were either residents in long-term care facilities or had already been hospitalized. Records from the facilities involved showed that the shakes were available to residents and patients, the FDA said.”

• The state is warning people about a scam targeting Californians who were just in a car accident. KCAL News reports: “The California Department of Insurance … (says) that tow truck companies are targeting drivers involved in collisions, picking up their cars and then holding them hostage for large amounts of money. ‘The scam has become prevalent in Southern California and the Department’s Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Fraud Task Force has investigated multiple cases including one that has resulted in the arraignment and charges against 16 Southern California residents, the department’s statement said. They say the auto fraud ring ‘allegedly conspired together to create fraudulent insurance claims to illegally collect over $216,932.’ While looking into the matter, they found that there were multiple schemes underway from the fraud ring, which included collusive collisions and holding cars hostages. Investigators found that the same ring was previously charged for a similar scheme that stemmed from cars being stolen under false pretenses and brought to California Collision in San Bernardino.” Eek.

• Our friends at the Palm Springs Post report that Grit Development—the development firm that had been called Wessman development before the founder got entangled in a bribery case—has thrown a wrench into the deal between the city of Palm Springs and Kalura Trattoria regarding the entryway to the Plaza Theatre. Grit is Kalura Trattoria’s landlord. The Post says: “The city filed a complaint in December seeking to acquire a permanent easement on Grit’s property—the patio. Plans call for the space to be used not only for safer theater access, but also events and VIP reception areas. Riverside County Superior Court documents show the city has reserved roughly $600,000 as possible compensation for Grit. Last week, in a response to the city’s complaint, Grit challenged the taking of its property on several grounds. While the company does argue the value of the patio is higher than what the city has set aside, documents show it’s not just higher compensation at issue. One objection focuses on the city’s relationship with the Palm Springs Theatre Foundation, headed by a former member of the City Council, J.R. Roberts. Grit’s legal team argues the city has improperly delegated decision-making power about the scope of the taking to the private foundation, asserting it violates California law requiring such decisions be made by the council. Grit also alleges the taking is ‘pretextual,’ arguing that while the city claims it’s being done for public use, the primary beneficiary will be the future private operator of the Plaza Theatre, Oak View Group.”

• Our partners at Calmatters tell a tale that leads to an interesting question: What happens “when California law and homeowner association rules collide“? The story begins: “Adam Hardesty insists he wanted to do everything by the book. Before moving forward with his plans to convert the garage of his three-story condo into a ground-floor apartment, he canvassed local architects and engineers to make sure a kitchenette, a bedroom and a bathroom could all be packed safely and legally into just 417 square feet. He pored over local zoning maps, checked with the city of Carlsbad and got himself a building permit. He sought and received the blessing of many of his immediate neighbors. … What he didn’t count on was opposition from his own homeowners association—if only because he’s also the HOA board vice president. Hardesty floated the idea to his fellow board members late last summer. What followed was months of sternly worded legal missives, deadlocked negotiations and a heated battle over property rights that has pitted neighbor against neighbor across the Mystic Point Homeowners Association’s bucolic hillside subdivision along the coast north of San Diego.”

• Is a large immigration sweep taking place in L.A.? CNN says one is currently under way; the Los Angeles Times says it’s unclear. Regardless, the Los Angeles Times also offers this primer on a person’s rights. Key quote: “You have the right to remain silent. For example, if you’re asked about your immigration status, where you were born or how you entered the United States, you may refuse to answer or remain silent, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Assn. You can simply say, ‘I want to remain silent’ or ‘I am exercising my right to remain silent.’ Experts advise that you are not required to sign documents or provide personal information.”

• And finally … a honeybee shortage is threatening the California almond season. The Sacramento Bee reports: “A nationwide shortage of honeybees has coincided with a rise in beehive thefts as growers throughout the Central Valley prepare for almond bloom, a pivotal time for the health of the nut, which is one of California’s most lucrative crops. Beehive thefts in California have reached record highs in recent years, building on what’s nearly a decade-long trend, leaving beekeepers collectively short thousands of hives and millions of dollars. Now the uptick in stolen bees has met a rise in dying bees, leaving what the state beekeepers association has described as a shortage of bees necessary to fuel one of California’s largest agricultural industries. ‘We are anticipating there will not be sufficient hives for the 2025 almond pollination season,’ said Ryan Burris, California State Beekeepers Association president, in a news release. ‘On top of this issue, hive theft reports are coming in daily.’”

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