Barbara Lee

Rep. Barbara Lee, Colleagues Urge Dept. of Defense to Address Climate Crisis Risks in Upcoming National Defense Strategy

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and Chair of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), are the lawmakers renewing attention to DoD’s vulnerabilities outlined more than 10 years ago.

Published

3 years ago

February 14, 2022

Oakland Post

Rep. Barbara Lee. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Congress.

Rep. Barbara Lee. Clerk.gov photo.

Members of Congress urged Department of Defense (DoD) Secretary Lloyd J. Austin, III to ensure that efforts to combat climate change are included in the DoD’s upcoming National Defense Strategy and called for recommendations for the federal budget that reflect the urgency of the climate crisis.

“We must work to prevent the most damaging effects of climate change by reducing emissions rather than reacting to conflicts and increased climate migration after climate change has exacerbated these problems,” wrote the lawmakers. “The National Defense Strategy must not accept climate change and rising temperatures as an inevitable or most-likely outcome and must emphasize the urgent need to rebalance spending to avoid the worst-case outcomes of the climate crisis.”

As an existential threat, climate change poses fundamental risks to national security and DoD’s operations worldwide. DoD has recognized the threat of climate change for over a decade.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Defense.gov photo

In 2010, DoD reported that climate change threatens the nation’s coastal infrastructure and military capabilities. The 2018 DoD directive, “Climate Adaptation and Resilience,” stated that DoD must assess and manage risks associated with the impacts of climate change.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in 2019, eight different military leaders publicly confirmed to Senator Warren the threat that climate change already poses to U.S. national security and strategic interests around the world, and reaffirmed the need to address it.

DoD has already seen the effects of a rapidly evolving climate, including increased frequency of dangerous storms. In 2019, DoD requested nearly $9 billion in supplemental funding to fix damage to multiple bases following several hurricanes and subsequent flooding.

The lawmakers continued in their letter: “By treating the climate crisis as the existential and national security threat that it is through the National Defense Strategy, DoD can maintain national security and military readiness, avoid billions of dollars in damages and save millions of lives.”

Lee is a leading voice in addressing DoD’s role in climate change. In November, she introduced a resolution calling on the Pentagon to release a report on its annual greenhouse gas emissions, after the agency skipped a July 1 deadline set out in an annual defense spending bill.

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Barbara Lee

WNBA’s Golden State Valkyries Kick Off Season with Community Programs in Oakland

“The Golden State Valkyries are more than a team—they’re a movement,” said Oakland Interim-Mayor Kevin Jenkins. “Their touchdown in Oakland marks a new era of opportunity, inspiration, and equity in sports. This partnership reflects our city’s deep commitment to uplifting women, investing in youth, and building a community where every dream has a place to grow. We’re proud to welcome the Valkyries to The Town.”

Published

2 months ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

The Valkyries came to Oakland City Hall with a “Hoopbus.” Present were (from left to right): City Councilmembers Noel Gallo, Rebecca Kaplan, Zac Unger and Rowena Brown; Oakland Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, Valkyries President Jess Smith, a Valkyries team representative and Deputy Mayor LaNiece Jones. Photo courtesy Rebecca Kaplan’s office.

Team installs new nets at playgrounds, holds flag-raisings at City Halls in Oakland and S.F.

Special to The Post

The Golden State Valkyries brought the excitement of their inaugural season to every corner of the Bay Area with a full slate of community celebrations leading up to their historic home-opener against the Los Angeles Sparks at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Friday.

The week featured flag-raising ceremonies at city halls in Oakland and San Francisco, three “Violet Net” installation days at Oakland parks to encourage basketball play, fun “Hoopbus” takeovers at multiple schools presented by Kaiser Permanente, and player appearances.

In total, 90 violet nets were installed on 45 basketball courts across 34 public parks throughout Oakland this week. A list of the parks receiving violet nets can be found at Valkyries.com.

About the Golden State Valkyries

The Golden State Valkyries, the WNBA affiliate of the seven-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, were announced as the 13th WNBA franchise on Oct. 5, 2023. According to Norse mythology, Valkyries are a host of warrior women who are fearless and unwavering – flying through air and sea alike.

This brand is Golden State’s modern interpretation of Valkyries: strong, bold, and fierce. Tipping off during the 2025 WNBA season, the team is headquartered in Oakland and will play home games at Chase Center in San Francisco. For Golden State Valkyries’ assets, including team logos, visit valkyries.com.

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Activism

New Oakland Moving Forward

This week, several socially enterprising members of this group visited Oakland to explore ways to collaborate with local stakeholders at Youth Empowerment Partnership, the Port of Oakland, Private Industry Council, Oakland, Mayor-elect Barbara Lee, the Oakland Ballers ownership group, and the oversight thought leaders in the Alameda County Probation Department.

Published

2 months ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Post Staff

Since the African American Sports and Entertainment Group purchased the City of Oakland’s share of the Alameda County Coliseum Complex, we have been documenting the positive outcomes that are starting to occur here in Oakland.

Some of the articles in the past have touched on actor Blair Underwood’s mission to breathe new energy into the social fabric of Oakland. He has joined the past efforts of Steph and Ayesha Curry, Mistah Fab, Green Day, Too Short, and the Oakland Ballers.

This week, several socially enterprising members of this group visited Oakland to explore ways to collaborate with local stakeholders at Youth Empowerment Partnership, the Port of Oakland, Private Industry Council, Oakland, Mayor-Elect Barbara Lee, the Oakland Ballers ownership group, and the oversight thought leaders in the Alameda County Probation Department.

These visits represent a healthy exchange of ideas and plans to resuscitate Oakland’s image. All parties felt that the potential to impact Oakland is right in front of us. Most recently, on the back side of these visits, the Oakland Ballers and Blair Underwood committed to a 10-year lease agreement to support community programs and a community build-out.

So, upward and onward with the movement of New Oakland.

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Oakland Post Endorses Barbara Lee

Barbara Lee will be able to unify the city around Oakland’s critical budget and financial issues, since she will walk into the mayor’s office with the support of a super majority of seven city council members — enabling her to achieve much-needed consensus on moving Oakland into a successful future.

Published

4 months ago

April 2, 2025

Oakland Post

Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo, Office of Rep. Barbara Lee.

Former Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Courtesy photo.

As we end the celebration of Women’s History Month in Oakland, we endorse Barbara Lee, a woman of demonstrated historical significance. In our opinion, she has the best chance of uniting the city and achieving our needs for affordable housing, public safety, and fiscal accountability.

As a former small business owner, Barbara Lee understands how to apply tools needed to revitalize Oakland’s downtown, uptown, and neighborhood businesses.

It is notable that many of those who fought politically on both sides of the recent recall election battles have now laid down their weapons and become brothers and sisters in support of Barbara Lee. The Oakland Post is pleased to join them.