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By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Senator Steven Bradford(D-Gardena) has proposed that the state should create a system of redress for injustices committed against Black Californians.

Senate Bill (SB) 490, introduced by Bradford on Aug. 21, would amend Title 2 of the state government code to establish a new state agency called the California American Freedman Affairs Agency (CAAFAA). The agency would be responsible for managing the reparations process for Black Californians, as determined by the Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“This historic legislation lays the groundwork for the future,” Bradford stated. “My fellow task force members and I have documented the harm, detailed its generational impact, and determined the way forward to right these wrongs. The Freedman Affairs Agency will establish the instrumental infrastructure California will need as our state takes responsibility for the historical harms that have been committed.”

The task force completed a two-year study and submitted its final, 1,075-page report to the legislature on June 28 and one of the recommendations was to create CAFAA.

By Gina Browne, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Educational Services and Support, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office

SACRAMENTO, CA—This time of year when the fall semester is beginning, I often hear students and parents say, “It’s too late to enroll in college and get the money I need to pay for tuition, books, supplies, and living expenses.” But it’s not too late.

Students can still enroll now for the fall semester at one of the 116 California community colleges, and they still have time to apply for financial aid to help cover their costs for the 2023-24 academic year.

Due to the typical Cal Grant September 2 deadline falling on a Saturday during the Labor Day holiday weekend, the deadline to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or California Dream Act Application (CADAA) for students attending a California community college has been extended to Tuesday, September 5. This extension ensures that students have time to apply for the Cal Grant Community College Entitlement Award, which offers funds that do not have to be paid back.

More students are getting the message and taking advantage of the financial aid available to them. As of August 27, 2023, the California Student Aid Commission has seen an increase of 4.6% in completions of the FAFSA compared to the same time last year. Still, too often students disqualify themselves from financial aid before they have a chance to benefit, leaving millions of dollars in financial aid unused every year. That’s why we must urge everyone considering attending a community college to submit their FAFSA and CADAA applications by September 5. Financial aid is for all students, especially students from historically underrepresented populations, who may not know these funds are available to help them to go to college and achieve their higher educational goals.

It’s important to note that by completing the FAFSA or CADAA by the deadline, students can qualify to receive the most financial aid possible. What’s more, students awarded a Cal Grant may transfer their remaining eligibility to a University of California (UC) or a California State University (CSU) upon transfer from a community college.

Having the money to pay for college is a major determining factor in whether individuals pursue higher education. Not only is there still time to apply for financial aid for this school year, but help is available. Students can get directly connected to their local financial aid office to get one-on-one assistance with completing their financial aid form. The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office encourages interested students to visit icangotocollege.com to enroll, find links to the financial aid forms, and use the college locator tool to get contact information for their local financial aid office.

For more information about financial aid including special scholarships and to enroll today visit icangotocollege.com.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

California lawmakers are scrambling to find ways to alleviate the housing crisis occurring in the state. Programs and subsidies are in constant development; however, under an obscure tax rule called possessory interest, individuals may be responsible for getting hit with an unexpected tax bill as a result.

In a move to aid the middle class, government agencies (known as joint power authorities) are buying luxury buildings and lowering rent for possible tenants. The discount is possible because these agencies do not need to pay property taxes. Instead of pocketing the extra cash, programs are being implemented to place middle income workers like police officers, teachers and construction workers in these buildings at a discounted rent price.

But, under the tax rule, tenants may need to pay some of the lost revenue in individual tax bills upwards of $1,000 a year. The rule states that if a government owned property leases to a private entity, then that entity can have a “possessory” interest that must be taxed.

Joint Power Authorities involved in these programs do not want to tax tenants. However, unless the Legislature gets involved, they are afraid they will have to abide by the rule. If taxes go unpaid, residents could face liens that would make it more difficult to quality for mortgages and other loans.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

The 20th Annual Gardena Jazz Festival, one of the largest events for the city, took place at Rowley Memorial Park in Gardena on Sunday, August 27.

Sen. Bradford (D-Gardena) founded the Gardena Jazz Festival in 2003 and serves as Chair of the Gardena Jazz Festival Committee, which is responsible for putting this event together.

According to Bradford, “This festival began as a free event at a time when the city was struggling financially. As the city faced difficult cuts, the Gardena Jazz Festival signaled new hope. The festival brought Gardena together to enjoy great music and celebrate community pride; all at no cost to the city. Over the years, more than 100,000 people have attended.”

This year, about 7,500 people enjoyed the performances of Boney James, Damien Escobar, Family Stone Band, Brandee Younger, Ragan Whiteside, and The Fernando Pullum Community Arts Band.

On site, there were vendors selling a range of items, including food, clothing, hats, jewelry, and skin care products.

Joining the jazz lovers and local community members at the popular festival were Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and U.S Congress women representing the Los Angeles area, Maxine Waters and Sydney Kamlager.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

Last week, the California Department of Justice’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) released their August data report of gun violence in the state. According to the report, California’s gun death rate is 43% below the national average. If the gun death rate in the nation matched California’s over the last ten years, nearly 140,000 gun deaths could have been avoided.

Attorney General Rob Bonta credits this lower percentage to California’s gun laws and prevention policies.

“The time for thoughts and prayers alone has come and gone. Enough became enough so long ago that it’s now merely a faint memory. The time for action is now,” said Bonta in a letter featured in the report. “The progress we’ve made is undeniable, but it’s hardly finished.”

In recent years, the nation has lost an average of 45,000 people to gun violence per year. Additionally, people in the United States have a 25 times higher chance of being killed by a gun than people living in other high-income countries.

In California, “from 2016-2021, there were 69,136 gunshot wound incidents in California that resulted in death or required urgent medical attention in the form of hospitalization or emergency department care,” according to the report.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

On August 18, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and regional law enforcement leaders — including Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna — announced a new regional law enforcement task force created to address organized retail crimes in the greater Los Angeles region.

Luxury retail brand flagship stores and high-end retailers such as Nordstrom’s and Bloomingdale’s throughout L.A. and neighboring cities have been subject to an increasing number of brazen heists described as “smash & grabs” and “grab & gos.”

“What we’ve seen over just the past week in the City of Los Angeles and in surrounding regions is unacceptable, which is why today we are here announcing action,” said Mayor Bass. “No Angeleno should feel like it’s unsafe to go shopping and no Angeleno should feel like it’s unsafe to open a business in Los Angeles or Los Angeles County. This task force will aggressively investigate these incidents and hold individuals that are responsible for these crimes fully accountable.”

The task force includes the LAPD, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, California Highway Patrol (CHP), Glendale Police Department, Burbank Police Department, Beverly Hills Police Department, Santa Monica Police Department, U.S. Marshals Apprehension Task Force, and Federal Bureau of Investigation Apprehension Task Force.

The task force will partner with prosecutors from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office and the California Attorney General’s Office.

“Law enforcement is all about partnership – and the CHP is proud to be a good partner to Los Angeles,” added CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and Edward Henderson | California Black Media

After making landfall in Mexico, and crossing the border into Southern California Sunday night, Hurricane Hillary was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.

The storm veered from its expected path in the Inland Empire with its “eye” hovering above Compton and Dodger stadium around 8 p.m. before making its way to Owen valley.

The storm brought record rainfall to the region, including downtown L.A. and the desserts in San Bernardino County, where there were reports of washed-out roads. At press time, all coastal storm warnings had been cancelled but storm watches remain in place for most of Southern California. California Department of Transportation crews are working overtime in areas with affected roads cleaning up the damage.

On Saturday before the storm landed, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for parts of Southern California ahead of Hurricane Hilary’s landfall Sunday.

“Now, therefore, I, Gavin Newsom, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the State Constitution and statutes, including the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, Government Code section 8625, hereby proclaim a State of Emergency to exist in Fresno, Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Tulare, and Ventura Counties,” read the governor’s proclamation.

At a news briefing held at the Governor’s Office for Emergency Services in Mather, near Sacramento, state and federal officials updated Californians on the state’s emergency preparedness plan.

On Sunday, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass signed a local emergency declaration in response to the coming storm and held a press briefing.

During the briefing in her prepared remarks Bass reiterated to those listening, “Stay safe, stay home, and stay informed.”

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

Five percent of the 225,231 Californians who lost their Medi-Cal coverage in June were African American.

According to numbers from the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), around 14,000 Black Californians lost health insurance with the state’s safety net health care exchange because they didn’t turn in the required renewal paperwork to continue their Medi-Cal enrollment or their coverage was switched to the state’s insurance provider, Covered California.

Mayra Alvarez, President of The Children’s Partnership, a Los Angeles-based organization that advocates for affordable health care service for families, said it is important for minorities to have health insurance.

“Especially, as we come out of this public health emergency that has disproportionately hit communities of color, we know health coverage is important to our families and livelihoods,” Alvarez said referencing the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Medi-Cal is California’s version of the Medicaid program, which offers free or low-cost health care access to low-income people across the nation.

Alvarez and other California officials and advocates were speaking during an online video news conference last week organized by California Black Media and Ethnic Media Services.

The eligibility of 18 million Californians who are enrolled in Medi-Cal will be reviewed by the DHCS for the first time since 2020. As a result, between this summer and next spring, state officials estimate that 1.8 million to 2.8 million people could lose their Medi-Cal coverage.

To help Californians keep their insurance, DCHS has created a number of easy-to-navigate resources that state residents can access online. The state is also partnering with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) already connected to people in cities and town across California to help educate the public through a bilingual campaign informing people about how they can prevent losing their health care coverage.

The Medi-Cal eligibility redetermination process, which officials call the “great unwinding,” is part of a massive undertaking taking place in every state to find out who qualifies for Medicaid.

A single Californian making $20,121 or less annually is eligible for Medi-Cal. In the past, participants had to prove their eligibility each year, but in March 2020 Congress suspended the income-verification requirement for Medicaid to make sure people had health insurance during the pandemic. Those protections expired in March. The federal government has projected that 15 million Americans will lose their health insurance during the nationwide renewal process due to procedural reasons or excess income.

California’s DHCS began verifying the eligibility of Medi-Cal enrollees two months ago.

DHCS Assistant Deputy Director of Health Care Benefits and Eligibility Yingjia Huang said over one million Medi-Cal users had their eligibility reviewed in June. She expects that trend to continue monthly as batches of people come up for renewal until the end of the redetermination process in May 2024.

DHCS has an automatic renewal system for Medi-Cal users whose income the state can confirm on its own. The department is notifying people that they will receive a renewal packet in the mail via text, phone calls, and email.

Huang said individuals lost their Medi-Cal service either because they didn’t complete the renewal paperwork and return it to a county DHCS office by the June 30 deadline or they had an increase in income that allowed DHCS to move their coverage to an affordable health plan with Covered California.

Residents whose coverage was transitioned to Covered California are notified and able to review their new health plan, according to Covered California CEO Jessica Altman.

“California is well-positioned to help consumers through this process and help them keep coverage,” she noted.

Participants who were removed from Medi-Cal’s rolls but are still eligible for the service have until Sept. 30 to get their insurance reinstated. To do so, they must complete the renewal packet and return it to a DHCS office

DCHS is advising all Californians to take the following steps: update their contact information online; check for mail from their county health office; create or check their online accounts; and complete their renewal forms (if they receive one in the mail).

DHCS and its partners, Huang stated, are committed to helping people maintain health insurance.

“Please be sure you are looking out for the yellow envelope and renewal packet,” she said. “We really hope we continue to keep our members on coverage.”

Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County CEO and President Louise McCarthy said 64% of the 1.9 million Los Angeles County residents that visit CCALAC locations for health services are Medi-Cal enrollees. They can receive help completing the renewal forms at any of the 113 centers, McCarthy explained.

“A number of folks are letting that yellow packet slide,” she said. “If you haven’t seen the packet, reach out, and we will help you navigate the system.”

There were also 53,836 newly enrolled Medi-Cal participants in June, according to DHCS figures.

Alvarez, the president of The Children’s Partnership, said no one needs to lose their access to health care during the redetermination process.

“People are falling through the cracks,” she said. Keeping people enrolled, Alvarez added is “an all hands-on-deck effort.”

For more information on renewing your health insurance, visit DCHS online.

For individuals who receive Social Security Insurance benefits and don’t have online access, call, 1-800-772-1213 or contact your local Social Security office.

SAN BERNARDINO, CA—- Governor Gavin Newsom visited the County’s Emergency Operations Center on Sunday, August 20 to meet with county officials including Board of Supervisors Chair Dawn Rowe, Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr., Sheriff Shannon Dicus, Chief Operating Officer Luther Snoke, and Emergency Services Director Daniel Munoz for a briefing on San Bernardino County’s emergency planning efforts and to discuss possible assistance from the state.

“I appreciate the governor’s interest in the crisis facing our county, and his pledge to devote state resources to our response and recovery,” Rowe said.

By Lou K Coleman

The world can tell you to prepare for the storm that’s on the horizon and you immediately do whatever is necessary to make sure that you have prepared. But when Jesus sends warnings and tell you to prepare for what is about to come, you do nothing. Going about business as usual. I tell you; you will be sorry that you didn’t heed God’s warnings.

On Saturday Aug. 19th, the National Weather Service urged residents of the Santa Clarita Valley to use Saturday, to prepare for what is expected to be tropical storm conditions — the first inklings of which will be experienced Saturday night, they said. Ariel Cohen, meteorologist in charge for the NWS’ Oxnard station, urged residents to subside any apathy and prepare as much as possible. “This is the time now if people want to be prepared and be ready and, if they don’t want this to be a surprise, to take those preparedness actions to be ready,” said Cohen. “Getting an emergency supply kit ready, making sure that any outdoor objects are brought inside, staying away from any flooded roadways, all of those things that we can do to stay safe makes a difference and in some cases between life and death. Everyone needs to be thinking about what to do when potentially dangerous weather strikes, he says. Please take time now to prepare for potential flooding, high winds, and flash flooding in high-risk areas,” read the alert. If you receive a CodeRED email or text message, read the entire notification carefully and follow all instructions.”

Many residents in L.A. County headed to the local stores, buying water, emergency preparedness supplies and non-perishable food. Some SCV residents did the same, but many remain either apathetic or unconcerned about the impending storm. Ain’t that ‘bout a pickle! Many weren’t worried about the warning at all and believed, “It was just media hype.” One interviewee said, “We get rain all the time. We deal with warning signs every day. Caution lights. Flashing lights. Emergency alerts that come over our phones and television. Somewhere in the world people are warned to take cover in a storm or to evacuate, but I think it’s overhyped, but I don’t blame them for being a little cautious.” [The post Storm watch: Santa Clarita braces for tropical storm appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.] By Rylee Holwager and Trevor Morgan.]

Ain’t that ‘bout a pickle. – Ain’t worried about a thang!

Well, you ought to be worried, because disobedience of not heeding to God’s warnings will bring God’s punishment, attracts God’s judgment, attracts God’s wrath, and damns you in hell.

I tell you, there is a storm coming and we need to be sure it does not catch us off guard. There are warning signs and we need to recognize them for what they are.

How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? [Proverbs 1:22].

How long will you keep ignoring the warning signs and live for your own ways and desires as if there are no consequences for doing so?”

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. [Proverbs 22:3].

Remember, God resolved to destroy the human race [Genesis 6:11-13]. Noah built an ark according to God’s instructions [Genesis 6:14-22]. The Lord commanded the remnant to enter the ark [Genesis 7:1-9]. The flood began [Genesis 7:10-16]. The flood prevails 150 days, the mountains are covered [Genesis 7:17-24]. All because they did not heed the warning.

I want you to know, that what God says He means. He said it won’t be water but fire next time. Prepare, get aboard the Ark now. Don’t wait until the storm falls on you. It will be too late to prepare then, and there will be no place to hide and no place of safety, for the whole world will be burned away. Heed the warnings of God today.

Just imagine:

At 2:45 p.m., local time, life was normal.

At 2:46, without warning, the earth began to shake. Warning signals blared across the land. Buildings swayed, but did not fall, just as they’d been built to do. Government, military, and law enforcement officials went into emergency mode, just as they’d all drilled to do.

But the earth kept shaking.

Eighty miles out, in the deep blue seascape of the Pacific Ocean, six miles above the massive movements of the earth’s plates, salt water was being churned and tossed about with a force far stronger than any force ever created by man. The first waves slammed into the shoreline two hours later, 23 feet above the beaches that had been so calm just an hour earlier. Cars, ships, houses and chucks of roadway were swept along with the water, destroying everything in the path of the surge.

The aftershocks came, one after another, one dozen after another dozen, until more than 50 had been recorded.

Landslides triggered by the storm quickly buried other communities, while people were still inside the buildings. Ambulances lined up outside. With the collapse of infrastructure, homes lost power, and millions of people were looking for food and fresh water within the day.

And on the horizon loomed the worst news of all. There were critical, potentially devastating, problems developing.

Warnings – issued all around for the worst.

The images are so raw, so fresh, but the phrase that strikes me is … “Without Warning.”

So as Ariel Cohen said, “subside any apathy and prepare. For Jesus tells us that the fire of God’s judgment is going to fall! That there will be a reckoning day and that every man will stand before God and given an account. Are you prepared?