Category: Government & Politics

SACRAMENTO, CA – Secretary of State Alex Padilla is launching the 2020 Census Challenge. To date, California ranks 22nd in the nation with a 65.1% response rate. The California Census Challenge aims to target and fill the gaps in Census outreach, especially in hard-to-count communities, by having cities and counties with similar population sizes compete…

Moreno Valley, CA – As overt and deadly racism continues to rise all over the world, local civil rights leaders, community leaders, and social workers launch the Center Against Racism & Trauma (CART) in the Inland Empire. The mission of CART is to eliminate racism in all of its forms and provide healing for all…

Oakland, CA, August 18, 2020 . . . $20 million in funding will be awarded to two-thirds (212) of the hospitals in California to treat people with opioid and other substance use disorders, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced.  The Behavioral Health Pilot Project (BHPP) is based on the successful CA Bridge…

Last-minute Upending of the Census Bureau’s Pandemic Contingency Plan Imperils the Accuracy of the Count (WASHINGTON) – The Trump administration’s last-minute rushed census timeline cuts nearly a month from the actual count and cuts four months from the time for processing and reporting the data, a lawsuit filed against Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross and…

The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges against Dwayne Charles Hammer (Age 25 of Hesperia) CASE SYNOPSIS On Thursday, July 23, 2020, deputies from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department responded to a motel in the 15700 block of Mojave Drive in Victorville, regarding a disturbance. During their investigation, Dwayne Charles Hammer…

Roberto Ponciano Charged With Colton Murder August 6, 2020 CASE SYNOPSIS On Saturday, July 25, 2020, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol, and Colton Police Department responded to a traffic collision in the area of Grand and Valley in the city of Colton. An investigation was completed by the sheriff’s department. On…

The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is eager to enroll the Class of 2033. Online registration for kindergarten and transitional kindergarten in SBCUSD is underway. Classes started August 3, but space is still available and students can begin distance learning as soon as the enrollment process is complete. Children who will be 5…

Research features concerns of low-propensity voters LOS ANGELES – August 4, 2020. California Common Cause and the Center for Social Innovation at University of California Riverside released a report today on how to reach first-time and limited-English speaking voters when conveying COVID-related changes in the upcoming November 2020 general election.  The report, “Reaching Low-Propensity Voters…

WASHINGTON – Today, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) filed a petition for rulemaking with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on behalf of U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross seeking to clarify regulations related to section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The petition was filed in response to the May 2020 Executive Order…

MyLife.com violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act, used misleading billing and marketing practices, FTC says The Department of Justice on behalf of the Federal Trade Commission sued a California-based purveyor of background reports, alleging that the company has deceived consumers with “teaser background reports” that often falsely claimed to include information about arrest, criminal, and…

Company adapts annual event to virtual format, invites entrepreneurs to pitch new, niche and innovative products via virtual meetings scheduled for October 1, 2020 Los Angeles, California – July 20, 2020 – The application process for Walmart’s seventh annual Open Call is open and the company invites entrepreneurs dreaming of landing their U.S.-manufactured products on…

RIVERSIDE – Beginning Tuesday (July 7),  Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder (ACR) offices will be providing all services by appointment only.  The ACR is offering appointment-only services as part of a phased approach to reopening their locations.  Appointments are available at three of their offices, Gateway (East Riverside), Temecula and Palm Desert.  Customers can schedule appointments online at…

Sacramento – State Treasurer Fiona Ma has authorized the Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF) to offer special emergency accounts to agencies receiving funds from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. “We want to do our part to help local agencies by giving them the chance to invest critical dollars for pandemic relief…

San Bernardino, CA – Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar announced that Loma Linda University Health has received $450,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students program. The program promotes diversity among health care professionals by providing financial aid to financially-disadvantaged students. “Loma Linda University Health is one of the country’s…

JUNE 18, 2020 — Census workers have completed 96% of the 2020 Census “Update Leave” operation- where 2020 Census invitations and paper questionnaires are delivered to households in certain — often rural — areas across the country. In these areas, most households generally do not receive mail at their homes, so census workers drop off…

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Following today’s procedural vote in the Senate, in which Democrats stopped the advancement of a sham Republican police reform bill,  PFAW President Ben Jealous and Senior Director of Outreach and Public Engagement Diallo Brooks released the following statements: “We’re happy to see that a majority of Senate Democrats stood up and said ‘No’…

June 12, 2020 — The U.S. Census Bureau has announced the new schedule for counting people experiencing homelessness in the 2020 Census. The operation was originally scheduled for March 30, March 31 and April 1, but health and safety concerns with COVID-19 forced us to delay these activities. Between September 22 and 24, the Census…

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2020—The American Immigration Council released new data on California’s immigrant population and their contributions to the state. The California state fact sheet includes data on population size, occupation, and tax contributions, as well as data on undocumented immigrants and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in the state. While the COVID-19 pandemic…

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today became an original co-sponsor of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020, legislation to address systemic racism in law enforcement and protect black and brown communities from discriminatory police practices. Congresswoman Torres, who spent 17.5 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Los Angeles Police Department,…

HBCU scholarships and research initiative included in new programming to advance human rights; and educational and economic opportunities for African Americans WASHINGTON — The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) announced today it will launch three key initiatives to support social reforms and education needed to advance the global Black community.  Created in response to…

Modifications Required to Protect Californians against COVID-19 Places of Worship Should Limit Attendance to 25% of Total Capacity or a Maximum of 100 Attendees Retail Guidance for In-Store Shopping, Already in Place for Certain Counties, Now Applies Statewide  SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health today announced the statewide reopening of places of worship…

SACRAMENTO – The Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment endorsed legislation today that would provide the victims of any violent crime time to recover without fear of losing their jobs. AB 2992, authored by Assemblymember Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D. (D-San Diego), will also expand unpaid leave to the immediate family members of homicide victims. “No…