Category: Government & Politics
California Commission on Aging Releases New Policy Brief with Practical Guidance for Disaster Preparedness and Recovery
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Commission on Aging (CCoA) announced the release of a new policy brief that offers clear, actionable strategies to strengthen disaster preparedness, response, and recovery for older adults and people with disabilities across California. The brief summarizes key findings and practical recommendations from the Commission’s report, Rebuilding Lives: Disaster Response and…
2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas – an Advocate for Jobs and Justice
Edward Henderson | California Black Media Representing the 28th Senate District, Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) brings a lifelong commitment to working families, shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of a single mother who was a military veteran and a registered nurse. After earning her communications degree from California State University Hayward (now known…
2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Lori Wilson – Advocate for Equity, the Environment, and More
Edward Henderson | California Black Media Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) joined the California Legislature in 2022 after making history as Solano County’s first Black female mayor, bringing with her a track record of fiscal discipline, community investment, and inclusive leadership. She represents the state’s 11th Assembly District, which spans Solano County and portions…
2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Champion of Reparations, Housing and Workers’ Rights
Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) represents California’s 61st Assembly District, covering areas including Hawthorne, Gardena, Lawndale, Venice, Westchester, and West Athens. As a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), McKinnor has become a prominent voice in the Legislature. Elected in 2022, she chairs the Los Angeles…
2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Sen. Laura Richardson, Who Made Legislative History This Year
Edward Henderson | California Black Media Elected in November 2024 to represent California’s 35th Senate District in the Los Angeles area, Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) brings decades of experience in public service to her role. Before entering elected office, she served as a legislative staffer at the local, state, and federal levels and built…
2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Black Caucus Chair Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson
Edward Henderson | California Black Media In November 2024, Dr. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) became the first African American south of Los Angeles County to be elected to the California State Senate. She is also a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist and founder of the Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology Division at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego. Weber…
Rachelle Román Appointed as New Director of the Office on Aging by Riverside County Board of Supervisors
The County of Riverside Board of Supervisors appointed Rachelle Román, a seasoned executive with 23 years of public service, as the new Director of the Office on Aging (OOA). Román brings extensive experience in strategic planning, administrative leadership, and cross-sector collaboration across aging and public health services. “Rachelle’s many years of service and expertise are…
2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Black Caucus Vice Chair Assemblymember Isaac Bryan
Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) represents California’s 55th Assembly District — which also includes Baldwin Hills, Leimert Park, the Crenshaw Corridor, Culver City, Del Rey, and parts of Mid-City — an area long recognized as the political and cultural center of Black Los Angeles. At 33, Bryan is already one of Los Angeles’ more seasoned…
With Seats of Congressional Black Caucus Members Under Attack, Trump Again Targets Rep. Ilhan Omar
By Lauren Burke On December 4, during a White House cabinet meeting, President Trump launched into a hateful, racist rant against Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). “Those Somalians should be out of here. They’ve destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her – she’s always talking…
Settlement with Cracker Barrel over allegations, disability discrimination involving students with autism at Waldorf restaurant
By Maryland Office of the Attorney General Attorney General Anthony G. Brown and the Maryland Commission on Civil Rights (MCCR) today announced a settlement with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., resolving allegations that the company discriminated against a group of students from Dr. James Craik Elementary School based on their disabilities during a visit…
Rep. Jasmine Crockett Announces Run for Senate, Rev. Frederick Haynes, III Files to Run for Her Old Seat
By Lauren Burke “We need to stop all the hell that is reigning down on all of our people,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett from a Dallas stage to a cheering standing-room-only crowd. On December 8, Rep. Crockett, who has built a reputation as a firebrand in Congress in the fight against Trump’s MAGA Republicanism, announced…
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…
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…
Funding Bill Passed to End Longest Government Shutdown in History
On Sunday night, eight Democratic senators provided the necessary votes to advance a plan to fund government agencies through Jan., reported The New York Times. The spending package includes a three-bill “minibus” of full-year funding for the Department of Agriculture, the FDA, the Department of Veterans Affairs, military construction projects, and the operations of Congress…
Halfway to Chains: What’s Already Been Enforced Under Project 2025
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent They said it would never happen here. Yet here we are. Forty-eight percent of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s fascist playbook for dismantling American democracy, has already been put into motion. Nearly half of this regime’s roadmap to erase civil rights, gut public programs, and reimpose…
On the Brink: Federal Gov’t Shutdown Threatens SNAP/CalFresh, Headstart Programs
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media A total of 134 Head Start programs in California and across the country will not receive their operational funding if the federal government shutdown extends beyond Nov. 1 These early-learning programs are located in 41 states and Puerto Rico and serve more than 65,000 children, according to the…
Governor Newsom urges the Supreme Court to strike down Trump’s illegal tariffs
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta today stood up for California families and the state’s economy by filing an amicus brief urging the U.S Supreme Court to strike down President Trump’s illegal tariffs. The President invoked an emergency law to impose tariffs without permission from Congress. But no emergency exists, the…
Project 2025’s Mastermind Russell Vought Is Running the Country—And Black America Is Paying the Price
By Stacy M. Brown ProPublica’s in-depth investigation reveals that Russell Vought, Donald Trump’s former budget director, is the real power inside this White House. Vought is the principal author of Project 2025, a racist and authoritarian blueprint that reshapes government around a single goal: to make America a white Christian nation. While Trump holds the…
ICE Arrests a White Police Officer in Illinois, Says He’s in the Country Illegally
Nationwide — Radule Bojovic, a white police officer from Hanover Park, Illinois originally from Montenegro, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after officials found he had overstayed his visa and been living in the country illegally since 2015. The Department of Homeland Security said Bojovic first entered the U.S. on a tourist visa…
CTA Supports Proposition 50 to Safeguard Public Education and Democratic Processes
Proposition 50 will authorize the temporary use of new congressional district maps beginning in 2026 and ending in 2030, after which the independent Citizens Redistricting Commission will resume districting responsibilities. RIVERSIDE, CA–The California Teachers Association (CTA) strongly endorses Proposition 50, a ballot measure aimed at preventing President Trump’s cuts and protecting public education funding. Unions…
Corey Jackson Endorses Proposition 50 to Strengthen Democratic Processes and Protect Black Representation in California
Riverside, CA — California State Assembly member Dr. Corey Jackson announced his strong support for Proposition 50, a measure designed to enhance the fairness of the redistricting process in California and oppose Republican efforts to undermine the democratic process. He joins the Legislative Black Caucus, the United Domestic Workers (UDW), the California Teachers Association (CTA),…
BREAKING: Historic Education Win in California: Governor Newsom Signs Landmark Early Literacy Bill Into Law
Millions of Students to Benefit as AB 1454 Transforms How Children Learn to Read LOS ANGELES, CA – In a monumental step forward for California’s students, AB 1454 was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom – following unanimous votes of support in both the California Assembly (78-0) and the California Senate (38-0). Unanimous, bipartisan…
Governor Signs AB 385, Expanding Access to Public Parkland in San Bernardino County
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (October 6, 2025) — Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino) and San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Dawn Rowe announced today that Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed AB 385, legislation authored by Ramos and sponsored by the County, allowing a land exchange that will expand public access to recreational space near…
