Category: Government & Politics

Cyanobacteria Can Look Like Paint Floating in the Water SACRAMENTO — With summer approaching and recreation on the state’s waterways set to increase, the State Water Resources Control Board is asking the public to be mindful of freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) in rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, as they can cause illness and are especially…

WASHINGTON – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Campaign, Muslim Advocates, NAACP, and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, along with 110 additional organizations committed to racial justice and civil rights, called on the U.S. Department of Justice to open a full and thorough hate crimes investigation…

Washington, D.C. — As governors around the country begin to reopen their economies, a new analysis from the Center for American Progress finds that workers of color are more likely than their white counterparts to have serious underlying medical conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19. The analysis finds that at least 28 percent of…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement announces that a public teleconference of the Advisory Committee on Beginning Farmers and Ranchers (ACBFR) will be held to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on beginning farmers and ranchers. The public conference call will be held on May 19, 2020 at 2:00 – 4:00…

Urban Indian Health Institute releases best practices to address problem Seattle, WA—Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) today released best practices for methods to collect, analyze, and present public health data on American Indian and Alaska Native populations. The recommendations come amid growing acknowledgment that Native peoples with COVID-19 are being severely undercounted. “We have already…

We’re adapting or delaying some of our operations to protect the health and safety of our staff and the public and make sure we get the same population counted another way. The 2020 Census is underway – more than half the households across America have responded – and more are responding every day. Online, phone…

WASHINGTON – In the interim emergency relief package that was recently signed into law and replenished the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with $310 billion, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, led the fight to target $60 billion of those funds towards small, minority, and women owned businesses. The bill, which…

Lawmakers Call for Much-Needed Protections for Medical Workers as they Combat Pandemic WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) today led 76 lawmakers in calling for next COVID-19 stimulus package to include survivor benefits, commiserate compensation, and workplace protections for medical personnel as they comeback coronavirus. Torres, who successfully advocated for direct assistance for…

NEW YORK (April 19, 2020) — Amid reports that massive restaurant chains and businesses that continue to operate received funds intended for small businesses shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic, the National Urban League today demanded the next legislative package include specific funding pools for legitimate small businesses truly threatened by the crisis. “Struggling small businesses…

The State of California has issued a directive for every county to help stop the spread of COVID-19 by creating interim housing solutions for California’s homeless population. The homeless remain extremely susceptible to COVID-19 due to their inability to self-isolate or practice social distancing because of their current living conditions. There are more than 2,000…

Sacramento – California State Treasurer Fiona Ma today announced she has added new resource lists on tax relief and food access to the State Treasurer’s website, which already includes a list of resources for small businesses. View the tax relief list here, the food list here, and the small business list here. The tax list…

Washington, DC—Today, the House passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, legislation designed to help the American people combat the spread of COVID-19, the disease associated with coronavirus. The bill guarantees two weeks of paid sick leave for those affected by the virus; allows up to three months of paid family and sick leave; strengthens…

POMONA, CA – Congresswoman Norma J. Torres (CA-35) expressed shock and outrage today at reports that the State of California plans to transport homeless people infected with coronavirus from L.A. County to an armory in the heart of Pomona and drop them there. The facility, a former homeless shelter that was decommissioned because of its…

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Amid Donald Trump’s  use of the racist term “Chinese Virus” to describe the coronavirus,  and reports that a White House official used the term “kung flu” while discussing the coronavirus with an Asian American reporter, People For the American Way President Michael Keegan released the following statement:   “We condemn in the strongest…

SACRAMENTO – California State Treasurer Fiona Ma today announced she has launched a resource list for small business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The list is located here http://bit.ly/stosmallbizlist. It includes resources from the federal, state, and local governments, nonprofits, and the private sector. The list contains information on grants and loans, tax deadline…

4:00 p.m. Posting of Unofficial Election Results – 2020 Presidential Primary Election (Link)https://www.sbcounty.gov/rov/elections/results/20200303/ Ballots remaining to be processed (Link)https:// http://www.sbcountyelections.com/Elections/2020/0303/ResultSchedule.aspx Next posting results: March 10, 2020, 4:00 p.m. Advisory: The voter turnout percentage for the Democratic Party’s Presidential Preference Contest is not correctly reflected on the County’s election results summary reports. On the report, in…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering low-interest federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses economically impacted by the severe storms and flooding in San Bernardino County that occurred Nov. 27 – Dec. 1, 2019, SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza announced today. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a…

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Census 2020 campaign announced expanding its outreach to Black Californians through a multimedia effort in partnership with Black-owned and operated media partners across California. Voice Media Ventures, a multimedia company and strategic communications firm, is working with these media partners, leveraging trusted messengers to motivate California’s hardest-to-count communities to participate…