Election Watch 2026: 85% of Eligible Voters in California Are Registered

By BlackPressUSA Newswire California enters the 2026 election cycle with a large pool of registered voters, as 85% of eligible adults were registered to vote as of May, according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California. The report found that 23.2 million of California’s 27.3 million eligible adults were registered. Voter…

Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed     

Asm. Isaac Bryan’s Bill Banning California Police From ICE Side Jobs Reaches Newsom’s Desk Bo Tefu | California Black Media A bill by California Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) that would prevent state and local police officers from taking second jobs with federal immigration enforcement agencies is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom after clearing the…

CalKIDS Scholarship Month Launches in San Bernardino County to Help More Students Claim Scholarships

Nearly $162 million in CalKIDS Scholarships is available to eligible local students, with schools helping more families claim funds for college or career training San Bernardino, CA. — CalKIDS is launching the first CalKIDS Scholarship Month this September, partnering with county offices of education and school districts across California.This statewide effort will bring scholarship claiming…

Padilla: Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Unconstitutional Attack on Mail Voting

 WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with jurisdiction over federal elections, released the following statement after the Supreme Court’s ruling rejected the Trump administration’s efforts to implement mail voting restrictions ahead of the November elections:    “This unconstitutional attack on mail voting…

BOOK REVIEW — Curved Air: A Biography of Sickle Cell Anemia and the Quest to Cure the First Molecular Disease

By BlackPressUSA Newswire Copyright: c.2026, Publisher: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, SRP: $29.95, Page Count: 338 pages Four weeks of testing, and you’re exhausted. Two gallons of blood, maybe three, have been removed. No lie. You’ve laid on tables, slid through machines, been scanned so much you lost count and finally, your doctors…

$400,000 per bed? Why it costs so much to build affordable student housing in California

By William Melhado, EdSource Facing a student housing crisis and flush with a historic budget surplus, California leaders in 2021 made an unprecedented $2 billion investment to build more dorms at public universities and colleges. Since then, universities and colleges have leveraged that funding to collectively build more than 9,000 beds for students. But higher…

Coastal Clean Up Day

Inland Regions Mark your calendars for California’s largest annual volunteer cleanup effort, Coastal Cleanup Day! On Saturday, Sept.19, communities will come together to remove litter from rivers, creeks, wetlands and other inland waterways. Trash, packaging, and improperly disposed waste from sources on land account for 80% of the marine debris found on beaches during cleanups…

Beyond Likes and Followers: Teen Author Explores Why Real Sisterhood Matters in the Age of Social Media

TUSTIN, Calif., Sept. 14, 2026 — For a generation growing up with friendship, identity and self-image playing out against the backdrop of social media, 17-year-old author and aspiring journalist Kavya Thakrar believes one thing remains essential: having a support system of women who know the person behind the profile. Her debut book, Bows and Ties, explores the…

Leadership Amid ‘the Perfect Storm’: Expert Shares Fundamentally Different Approach

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2026 — Today’s business leaders are being asked to guide their teams through the most complicated workplace environment in decades — one that global leadership strategist Thom Dennis refers to as “the perfect storm.” “There are many factors here all coming together, and it just creates anxiety, it creates fear, and if…

COMMENTARY: How Much of Our Community Are We Expected to Give Up?

By BlackPressUSA Newswire SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY – SOUTHERNDIGEST — A new controversy has arisen over changes to the African American Cultural Center, prompting Black students to question the facility’s future. This follows a previous situation involving Unity Field. Students are concerned about the implications for culturally significant spaces intended to celebrate Black community and history on…

California’s Legal Cannabis Market Hits $8 Billion as State Touts Progress on Fighting Drugs, Crime

Bo Tefu | California Black Media California’s legal cannabis market has generated nearly $8.4 billion in tax revenue since 2018 as the state ramps up enforcement against illegal drugs and touts declines in crime, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Sept. 2. The cannabis revenue includes nearly $4.5 billion in excise taxes and nearly $3.4 billion…

Sign reading “California’s Legal Cannabis Market: $8 Billion in State Revenue (YTD),” with officials shaking hands outside the California Capitol.

How Trump’s proposal to strip tax-exempt status affects California private schools

By William Melhado, EdSource A proposal by the Trump administration to revoke the tax-exempt status of private schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs could make it harder for independent schools to raise money and maintain programs intended to broaden access for minority students. Nonprofit and tax law experts say the proposal, announced by the…

The Business of Educating Black Parents, Teachers and Kids

By BlackPressUSA Newswire ST. LOUIS AMERICAN — Bolanle Ambonisye founded U&I-RISE, an education business that provides parenting programs, books, and training for schools and educators, with a particular focus on Black families. The concept for U&I-RISE was shaped by Ambonisye’s experiences as a teacher, where she observed parents deferring their authority to her. Bolanle Ambonisye…

First 5 San Bernardino appoints Cindy Faulkner as executive director

On Sept. 1, Cindy Faulkner was appointedFirst 5 San Bernardino’s new executive director. Faulkner steps into the role with 22 years of experience at First 5 San Bernardino, most recently serving as interim executive director and, before that, assistant director. Throughout her tenure, she has helped strengthen partnerships and coordinated systems of support that give…

COMMENTARY: America’s Reading Crisis Demands More Than Concern. It Demands Action.

By BlackPressUSA Newswire SEATTLE MEDIUM — A national literacy crisis is evident as nearly 40 percent of fourth graders read below the basic level, and approximately one-third of eighth graders perform below basic, marking the highest share recorded. This decline, highlighted by New York City’s scores despite extensive literacy reform efforts, threatens economic opportunity, educational…

COMMENTARY: An Informed Vote Is a Powerful Vote

By BlackPressUSA Newswire For African Americans, voting has always represented more than simply choosing a name on a ballot. It is an opportunity to participate in decisions that can shape education, employment, public safety, housing, health care, economic opportunity, and the future of our communities. Being politically liberal, conservative, independent, or somewhere in between should…

U.S. Sole Nation to Oppose U.N. Resolution Correcting Africa’s Size on World Maps

TENNESSEE TRIBUNE — The United States was the sole nation to vote against a United Nations resolution encouraging the use of world maps that more accurately depict the size of Africa and other equatorial regions. The U.N. General Assembly adopted the non-binding “Correct the Map” resolution, led by Togo and backed by African Union members,…