Category: Uncategorized
USPS says postmarks haven’t changed, but transportation changes could affect timing
by Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer This year, a final rule from the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) went into effect, defining postmarks as being applied when a mailpiece is processed. While the agency said this definition has been consistent for decades now, recent changes to transportation operations may mean mail is processed later than it’s…
Kaiser strike hits fourth week as 31,000 workers demand higher pay and better staffing
by Kristen Hwang More than 31,000 Kaiser Permanente health care workers remained on strike Monday as the open-ended walkout entered its fourth week, disrupting patient appointments, surgeries and treatments across California and Hawaii. Bargaining teams for Kaiser and workers resumed negotiations after weeks of stalemate, but no agreement appears imminent. This is the latest of…
To Strengthen Local Journalism, California Launches $20 Million Civic Media Program; Appoints Diverse Advisory Board
Edward Henderson | California Black Media To stabilize and strengthen local journalism across California, the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) announced on Feb. 10 that it has launched an initiative called the Civic Media Program and appointed a diverse advisory board to steer the effort. According to GO-Biz, the grant program is…
Extend Obamacare Tax Credits: Calif. Assembly Votes to Pass Resolution Pressuring Congress and White House
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media On Feb. 5, the California State Assembly voted to pass Assembly Joint Resolution 25 (AJR 25) – legislation focused on maintaining lowered health care costs authored by Assemblymembers Mia Bonta (D-Alameda) and Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay). The resolution urges the United States Congress and President Donald Trump to…
NAACP Calls on Gov. Newsom to Veto Veterans Benefit Bill
Edward Henderson | California Black Media As early as this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom could act on California Senate Bill (SB) 694, a measure approved by the Legislature that has reached his desk aimed at curbing what supporters call predatory practices against veterans seeking federal benefits, As the governor weighs whether to sign or veto…
Ed. Dept. dismissed 90 percent of discrimination cases, report says
By Alvin Buyinza Overview: According to the Government Accountability Office, while nearly half of the Education Department’s Office of Civil Rights staff were laid off last year, the federal agency resolved 90 percent of discrimination cases during that time. The Education Department office responsible for protecting the rights of marginalized and minority students in the…
Why Black Parents Should Consider Montessori
By Laura Turner-Essel, PhD As a mother of four children, I’ve done A LOT of school shopping. I don’t mean the autumn ritual of purchasing school supplies. I mean shopping for schools – pouring over promotional materials, combing through websites, asking friends and community members for referrals to their favorite schools, attending open houses and…
Trump’s Affordability Crisis Is Catching Up to Republicans As Black and Brown Voters Shift
Kevin Harris and Richard McDaniel Donald Trump won 48% of Latino voters in 2024 – the best Republican showing in half a century. Fourteen months later, 70% disapprove of his performance as President. What changed? The price of groceries. Pew Research found 68% of Latinos say things are worse for them today than a year…
Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
“And During Black History Month” – California Officials Blast Trump for Posting Video Depicting the Obamas as Apes Gov. Gavin Newsom and a number of elected officials joined a wave of national backlash after President Donald Trump shared — and later deleted — a video widely condemned as racist for depicting former President Barack Obama…
Flu Cases Rise Dramatically as New Virus Strain Emerges
By Sunita Sohrabji Influenza targets people at both ends of the generational spectrum: seniors and children. The US is experiencing a dramatic spike in influenza cases as a new, more contagious strain of the flu virus makes the rounds. In its latest report on flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 20 million…
Commentary: Court ruling forces No. 47’s administration to restore CFPB funding
By Charlene Crowell Over the past year, the Trump administration took a series of steps to weaken the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Despite broad and bipartisan legislative and consumer support for the agency’s efforts that delivered transparency in financial transactions for consumers, these reversals also ended the kind of data collection, research, and investigations…
Women’s Heart Health: Here is What You Should Know About Risks, Warnings
By Anna Jones | UAB News Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, according to the American Heart Association. Heart disease can develop and present differently in women compared to men, and studies show that women may downplay their symptoms or delay seeking treatment. In women, the risk…
What to know about dating and companionship after 60
By Victoria Mejicanos AFRO Staff Writer Dating can provide renewed confidence and companionship, but as time passes, returning to the dating scene after divorce or widowhood can appear intimidating. Modern dating, online scams and emotional unavailability or stagnancy have created new challenges that experts say should be approached with community, caution and patience. Lauren Sanders…
IRS Provides Tips to Help Taxpayers Spot Fraudulent Tax Preparers
By Birmingham Times irs.gov With the 2026 tax season officially underway, and while millions of Americans prepare to file, IRS Criminal Investigation Atlanta Field Office officials are urging taxpayers to stay vigilant against unscrupulous preparers who prey on unsuspecting filers. In fiscal year 2025, IRS-CI identified $4.5 billion in tax fraud, more than double…
California Insurance Bill Ignites Battle Between Fire Survivors and Big Oil
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Survivors of the Los Angeles fires and consumer advocates joined Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) at the State Capitol on Feb. 5 to announce Senate Bill (SB) 982, the Affordable Insurance and Recovery Act (AIR Act) The legislation aims to tackle California’s growing home insurance affordability crisis. Supporters…
Reclaiming Nature: State Agencies Partner with Black-Led Groups Aiming to Expand Access, Belonging
Edward Henderson | California Black Media For generations, Black Americans have been written out of the story of the outdoors, say Black nature enthusiasts and leaders of Black conservation and environmental organizations. They point out: It’s as if hiking trails, fishing lines, campsites, and open skies were someone else’s inheritance. That absence from official documents…
California Insurance Bill Ignites Battle Between Fire Survivors and Big Oil
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Survivors of the Los Angeles fires and consumer advocates joined Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) at the State Capitol on Feb. 5 to announce Senate Bill (SB) 982, the Affordable Insurance and Recovery Act (AIR Act) The legislation aims to tackle California’s growing home insurance affordability crisis. Supporters…
The Obama Foundation opens applications for the 2026-2028 Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service
By Black PR Wire (Black PR Wire) CHICAGO – The Obama Foundation opened applications for the 2026-2028 Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service. Funded by a $100 million contribution from Airbnb CEO and Co-Founder Brian Chesky, the scholarship provides college students with demonstrated financial need a last-dollar scholarship to help alleviate the burden of college…
Built by us: Why Black institutions need legal infrastructure
By Kisha A. Brown, Esq. As Black people, we cannot experience the joy and peace of justice without building our own systems and institutions—designed by us, with our liberation, our lifestyle and our real needs in mind. From churches doubling as schools to kitchens doubling as boardrooms, we have started from scratch and built up….
Amid California’s Housing Crisis, Good News for First-Generation Homebuyers
Even as housing costs soar amid California’s affordability crisis, would-be first-generation homebuyers have a new way to reach the American dream. By Selen Ozturk Even as housing costs soar amid California’s affordability crisis, would-be first-generation homebuyers have a new way to reach the American dream. The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) is rolling out the…
After Don Lemon’s Arrest, Black Officials Raise Concerns About Independent Black Media
By Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media On Jan. 30, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attended independent journalist Don Lemon’s federal court appearance at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Courthouse following his arrest in Los Angeles by federal authorities for conduct tied to his reporting on a protest nearly 2,000 miles away in…
“What About People Like Me?” Teaching Preschoolers About Segregation and “Peace Heroes”
By Nadia Jaboneta The following article is an excerpt from Each and Every Child: Teaching Preschool with an Equity Lens, published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children As part of the anti-bias curriculum at the preschool where I teach, we study the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Learning about…
5 free resources for teaching Black history
by Alvin Buyinza/ Word In Black Teaching the “I Have a Dream Speech,” Rosa Parks refusal to give up her seat on the bus, and how George Washington Carver became “The Peanut Man” are common Black History Month lessons in American schools — if Black history is acknowledged or taught at all. But this year,…
Can You Afford a Mortgage but Not the Down Payment? Dream For All Offers Up to $150K
Tanu Henry | California Black Media Tiffany Duvernay-Smith went from knowing the harsh realities of homelessness to owning her first home – made possible by the California Housing Finance Agency’s (CalHFA) Dream For All program, which is reopening applications this month with up to $150,000 in down payment assistance for first-generation buyers. “I feel like…
At Sac Summit, California African American Chamber of Commerce Shows Growing Clout; Lays Out Top Goals
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media In step with its commitment to drive economic growth, equity, and wealth creation for African American businesses in the Golden State, the California African American Chamber of Commerce (CAACC) held its third annual California American Economy Summit at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento on Jan. 28. …