The Lookout: What You Should Know About California’s New Gun Laws  

Tanu Henry and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media    Last month, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed new legislation enhancing gun safety measures, further solidifying California’s position as a national leader in implementing controls on the use and distribution of firearms.   Joined by Attorney General Rob Bonta, lawmakers, gun safety advocates and gun wound…

Mothers of Color Can’t See if Providers Have a History of Mistreatment. Why Not?

Sarah Kwon | CaliforniaHealthline When Selam Solomon Caldwell and her husband learned she was pregnant last year, the stakes for finding the right OB-GYN felt high. Caldwell, a Black woman, had heard stories from family and friends of maternity care providers who ignored their requests or pressured them into cesarean sections without clear medical justification….

Governor Newsom Puts Historic Mental Health Transformation on March 2024 Ballot

(October 12, 2023)WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: For the first time in decades, Californians will have the ability to transform the state’s mental health system – modernizing to meet the needs of all Californians. Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 326 (Eggman), modernizing the Mental Health Services Act, and Assembly Bill 531 (Irwin), a $6.38 Billion…

Kaiser’s Massive Mental Health Care Settlement Sends Strong Message to Providers That Ignore Patient Needs

A California settlement compels the state’s largest health care provider to spend $150 million on behavioral health services. Published on October 13, 2023 By Mark Kreidl Kaiser Permanente’s $200 million settlement with the State of California for its repeated failures to provide patients with adequate and timely mental health care was a long while coming….

Clark Atlanta University’s School of Education Receives High Ranking on the U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools List

ATLANTA, Oct. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Clark Atlanta University’s School of Education has earned recognition on the U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Schools list released on April 25, 2023. “We are pleased to receive this recognition from U.S. News and World Report,” Dr. J. Fidel Turner, Jr., School of Education Dean, said. “The…

OP-ED: A Time for Bipartisanship

By: Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn October 3, 2023, was Groundhog Day in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Republican Caucus voted to remove Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) as Speaker of the House just nine months after electing him to the position in a saga that spanned four days and 15 ballots. We have in…

Padilla Secures Up To $1.2 Billion Federal Investment to Build Clean Hydrogen Hub in California 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured up to $1.2 billion from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES) hydrogen hub to produce and utilize renewable, clean hydrogen across California. This landmark investment is made possible by the Bipartisan…

 National Museum of African American History and Culture acquires major collection of work attributed to poet Phillis Wheatley Peters

New objects are available online in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the publication of Wheatley Peters’ poems, including the only copy of the poet’s long-lost “Ocean” poem in her handwriting by Special to the AFRO (Black PR Wire) —The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) has acquired the largest private…

Pick the fattest bear week

There were fears that Alaska’s annual Fat Bear Week would get shut-down this year due to a potential government shutdown. However, a 45-day federal funding agreement was reached and the celebration was held as usual in Katmai National Park.  Fat Bear Week is all about picking the fattest bruin just before the mammals settle in…