Category: Government & Politics
WVWD Board Adopts Hazard Mitigation Plan
Plan Makes Water District Eligible for Federal, State Disaster Assistance & Grants RIALTO, CA — After months of review and approvals from federal and state agencies, the West Valley Water District (WVWD) Board of Directors adopted the WVWD 2021 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) to ensure that the agency remains well prepared for potential disasters…
CFPB Proposes Rule to Shine New Light on Small Businesses’ Access to Credit
Proposal Would Increase Transparency in a $2.4 Trillion Sector of the American Economy and Bolster Fair Lending WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today proposed a new rule designed to help small businesses gain access to the credit they need and deserve by increasing transparency in the lending marketplace. This rule, mandated…
California Volunteers Invests Over $1 Million To Support Young Men Of Color
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, (8/31/21)California Volunteers, Office of the Governor announced a historic $1.6 million in state funds has been awarded to Improve Your Tomorrow (IYT) to support their mission of increasing the number of young men of color attending and graduating college. This investment was made possible through new funding made available by Governor…
California Deploys Urban Search and Rescue Personnel to Louisiana to Aid Response to Hurricane Ida
SACRAMENTO – At the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as Hurricane Ida makes landfall in Louisiana, Governor Gavin Newsom today approved the deployment of urban search and rescue (US&R) specialized personnel to the region to assist in life-saving disaster response. California maintains robust search and rescue resources within the state and the…
Aguilar to Launch Community Project Funding Tour
First Stop at San Bernardino International Airport San Bernardino, CA— On Wednesday, September 1st, Rep. Aguilar will kick off a tour to highlight federal funding needs for key community projects in the Inland Empire. The tour stops will feature projects for which Rep. Aguilar secured financial support in the House-passed fiscal year 2022 government funding…
Aguilar Announces $3,000,000 Federal Investment in Inland Empire Flood Control Infrastructure
Washington, DC—Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar announced that the San Bernardino County Flood Control District has received $2,999,999.61 for the Elder Gulch Flood Control Mitigation Project from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grant will help fund construction of a bypass channel to help prevent flooding in the City of Highland. “One of my goals…
CDPH Issues Statement on Full Federal Approval of Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine
SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) today issued a statement from Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, following federal approval of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for individuals ages 12 and older. “Today’s announcement by our federal partners underscores the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine…
Early voting opens for the 2021 California Recall Election
Voting in the September 14, 2021 California Gubernatorial Recall Election has started. The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters today, Aug. 16, delivered ballots to the U.S. Postal Service for the county’s 1.1 million active registered voters. The county’s voters, however, do not have to wait for Election Day Tuesday, Sept. 14, or even wait…
Assemblymember Mike Gipson and Sydney Kamlager partner with African American Voter Registration, Education and Participation Project (AAVREP) to Defeat Right Wing Recall
Black Officials Unite to Increase Black Voter Turnout LOS ANGELES, CA (August 16, 2021) — In an unprecedented display of unity Black members of Congress lead by Karen Bass, local elected officials lead by Supervisor Holly Mitchell along with Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, and representatives of the California Legislative Black Caucus have organized themselves to oppose…
Dr. Scott Thayer Named Interim President of San Bernardino Valley College
SAN BERNARDINO, California—Dr. Scott Thayer has been named the interim president of San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) for the 2021-22 academic year, coinciding with the start of former president Diana Z. Rodriguez’s transition to chancellor of the San Bernardino Community College District, which includes San Bernardino Valley College in San Bernardino and Crafton Hills College…
National Black Bank Foundation Partners With $2.1 Billion Atlanta-Based Organization To Accelerate Wealth-Building In Black Communities
Nationwide (BlackNews.com) — The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta has announced a partnership to support the launch and growth of the National Black Bank Foundation (NBBF), whose Co-Founder and General Counsel is Ashley D. Bell (pictured). The Community Foundation is serving as fiscal sponsor of NBBF as it awaits its final IRS determination letter which…
California Implements First-in-the-Nation Measures to Encourage State Employees and Health Care Workers to Get Vaccinated
State employees and health care workers must show proof of vaccination or get tested regularly State encourages all local governments and businesses to adopt similar measures SACRAMENTO – Today, the State of California is taking decisive action to combat the spread of COVID-19, protect vulnerable communities and ensure that the state can safely remain open…
SPLC Action Fund urges U.S. Department of Education to prevent racial disparities and discrimination in school discipline
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — The SPLC Action Fund has submitted comments to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) regarding the administration of school discipline. The comments urge ED to recognize and address racial disparities and other forms of discrimination that remain prevalent in our public education system while also…
FARSB Receives $35,551 From Anthem Foundation To Launch ‘Food Is Medicine’ Program
RIVERSIDE, CA (July 20, 2021) – Feeding America Riverside | San Bernardino (FARSB) announced today a $35,551 grant from the Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., to launch the ‘Food is Medicine’ program. The grant will fund this initiative at the food bank as it partners with Riverside University Health System and IEHP…
New State Budget Prioritizes Funding to Support Services for Californians with Developmental Disabilities
Sacramento — The new fiscal year began on July 1 with a State Budget that provides increased funding for a variety of programs that support individuals with developmental disabilities. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021–22 Budget directs additional resources to sustain the 21 regional centers that help over 350,000 Californians with developmental disabilities. The Association of…
STEM Global Action Launches To Advance K-12 Stem Education Across The U.S And The World
Dr. Calvin Mackie Launch Video: SGA cites data showing Blacks, Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Hispanics are 27% of U.S. population, but account for only 11% of the country’s science and engineering workers NEW ORLEANS – Dr. Calvin Mackie today launched STEM Global Action (SGA), a campaign and network of affiliates that will pursue the…
Music Marketplace Breakr Raises $4.2M Seed Round, Highlighting the Power of Musician and Creator Collaborations
Latest round of funding for the Black-owned music marketing platform will support the growth of its marketplace for creators, labels, brands, and more . ATLANTA, July 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Breakr, a fast growing music marketing platform announced today that it has raised $4.2 million in seed funding to meet the rapidly growing demand for…
COVID Cases Increasing in LA, New Testing Site Opens to Help Slow the Spread
California company offers multiple tests and flexible scheduling options as Delta Variant spreads Los Angeles, CA (July 09, 2021) –As the highly contagious Delta variant rapidly spreads across California, Los Angeles residents may be wondering how to keep their community safe from another surge in COVID-19 cases. To help individuals monitor their health, California based…
Treasurer Fiona Ma Announces $1.888 Billion Revenue Bond Sale for California State University
Sacramento – State Treasurer Fiona Ma announced the July 8th sale of $1.888 billion of systemwide revenue bonds for the Trustees of the California State University (CSU) to provide funding for various capital improvements and refund previously issued debt. The bond sale consisted of three series: $124.2 million Series 2021A tax-exempt bonds, $1.664 billion Series…
No Kid Hungry California Gives More than $12 Million in Grants to Support Free Meals
Pasadena, Calif. – As part of its ongoing work to fight food insecurity and support families and kids during the COVID-19 pandemic, No Kid Hungry California has announced an additional $2.08 million in grants to nonprofits and schools across California providing free meals. Since March 2020, No Kid Hungry California has provided more than $12.1…
State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts
SACRAMENTO – July 13, 2021-the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) released the most recent statistics on COVID-19 and updates on the state’s pandemic response. Statewide COVID-19 Data as of Today California has 3,736,999 confirmed cases to date. Numbers may not represent true day-over-day change as reporting of test results can be delayed. There were…
California is betting $61 million that new highway crossings will keep wildlife safe
BY MARISSA GARCIA It’d be just another normal day, nearly 17 feet above Highway 101 in Agoura Hills. A southern alligator lizard and a western toad hide from the heat in the greenery of restored native vegetation. Mountain lion cubs pounce on rocks and spring into the nearby canyons. The sun glints on the feathers…
Ploughshares Fund announces $1,190,000 in Grants to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons
The global security foundation’s board of directors awards grants to 16 organizations working to stop nuclear threats WASHINGTON, DC – The global security foundation Ploughshares Fund announced that its board of directors awarded $1,190,000 in new grants to 16 organizations working to reduce and eliminate nuclear weapons, prevent conflict in regions where nuclear weapons exist,…
Disparities in Learning Mode Access Among K–12 Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic, by Race/Ethnicity, Geography, and Grade Level — United States, September 2020–April 2021
Emily Oster, PhD1,2; Rebecca Jack, MPP1; Clare Halloran, PhD1; John Schoof1; Diana McLeod1,5; Haisheng Yang, PhD1,3; Julie Roche4; Dennis Roche4 In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, schools across the United States began transitioning to virtual learning during spring 2020. However, schools’ learning modes varied during the 2020–21 school year across states as schools transitioned at…
Juneteenth Holiday: Do not be blinded by the moment
The bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday was signed into law by President Joe Biden. Ironically, it was in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 that the last enslaved people in America were “freed”, thus the term Juneteenth. Freedom means no longer having to constantly fight for basic civil and human rights that…
