2025  in  Review: Seven Questions for  Civil Rights Attorney  Areva Martin 

Edward Henderson | California Black Media   Areva Martin is an award-winning civil rights attorney, talk show host, commentator, author, and keynote speaker who offers commentary on politics, women’s rights, children’s rights, disability rights and civil rights.  She is President and CEO of the Special Needs Network, which she founded to advance disability rights and support…

2025 in Review: Seven Questions for California Black Health Advocate Rhonda Smith

Edward Henderson | California Black Media  Rhonda Smith is an experienced leader with a diverse background spanning nonprofit leadership, cancer advocacy, health equity, corporate consulting and international business.  Smith is currently the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network(CBHN), a trusted resource conducting outreach, education and advocacy to achieve health equity for African Americans…

FTC Takes Action Against Education Technology Provider for Failing to Secure Students’ Personal Data

Illuminate Education will be required to implement an information security program to address data security failures after a breach involving data of more than 10 million students The Federal Trade Commission will require education technology provider Illuminate Education, Inc. (Illuminate) to implement a data security program and delete unnecessary data to settle allegations that the…

ETA PHI BETA Sorority, Inc. Progressing In 2025-2026

Eta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., Gamma Omega Chapter celebrates its new President, Myrna Torrence-Washington, for the year 2025 2026. She is a 13-year member who has served in many positions including President, Vice President, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Intake Membership Coordinator, and Assistant Intake Coordinator. Since her induction, time has progressed rapidly. In October,…

The Time Is Now: Congress Should Not Leave Small Community and Minority Banks Out of the Digital Asset Future 

By Kevin Harris and Cleve Mesidor Congress is actively working on groundbreaking legislation that would provide much needed regulatory clarity. The Digital Assets Market Structure legislation being developed by the U.S. Senate Agriculture and Banking committees can be better positioned to foster economic growth, promote financial education, and support guard rails for the early and…

FBI Report Warns of Fear, Paralysis, And Political Turmoil Under Director Kash Patel

By Stacy M. Brown Six months into Kash Patel’s tenure as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a newly compiled internal report from a national alliance of retired and active-duty FBI agents and analysts delivers a stark warning about what the Bureau has become under his leadership. The 115-page document, submitted to Congress this…

FTC Sends Payments to Consumers Impacted by Avast’s Deceptive Privacy Claims

The Federal Trade Commission is sending payments totaling nearly $15.3 million to consumers who were affected by deceptively marketed antivirus software from Avast. In February 2024, the FTC alleged that Avast used its browser extensions and antivirus software to collect, store, and sell consumers’ browsing information without adequate notice and without consumer consent. The FTC…

American College of Surgeons recognizes RUHS – Medical Center for outstanding surgical care outcomes  

MORENO VALLEY, CA (Nov. 26, 2025) – Riverside University Health System – Medical Center (RUHS – MC) was recognized for providing exceptional surgical care by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), a nationally renowned professional medical association.   This is the second consecutive year the Medical Center has been recognized for achieving meritorious outcomes for…

U.S. Government Announces Agreement in Principle with the United Kingdom on Pharmaceutical Pricing

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Commerce, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and the Department of Health and Human Services issued the following statements announcing an agreement in principle on pharmaceutical pricing between the United States and the United Kingdom. In the historic U.S.-U.K. Economic Prosperity Deal (EPD), President Trump and Prime…

White nationalist ideas once at the margins of U.S. society are increasingly shaping mainstream political debates and legislation.

By Selen Ozturk White nationalist ideas once at the margins of U.S. society are increasingly shaping mainstream political debates and legislation. How are these ideologies rooted in Christian nationalism becoming normalized in public discourse, and what does their spread mean for American democracy? “The immediate cause was the election of the first nonwhite president in…

2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Public Health CEO Sonya Young Aadam 

Edward Henderson | California Black Media  South Los Angeles native Sonya Young Aadam is the CEO of California Black Women’s Health Project (CABWHP).  The nonprofit is committed to improving the health of California’s Black women and girls through advocacy, education, policy, and outreach. They also advocate for policies and practices that promote and improve physical,…

2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Non-Profit Executive Kaci Patterson 

Edward Henderson | California Black Media  Kaci Patterson is the founder and Chief Architect of the Black Equity Collective (BEC). This network of funders and nonprofit leaders is committed to investing in the long-term sustainability of Black-led organizations in Southern California.   A graduate of Pepperdine University, Patterson holds an MBA in Organizational Management &…