California Families and Students Can Celebrate Financial Wellness Month by Claiming Their CalKIDS Scholarship
SACRAMENTO, CA — Financial Wellness Month is a time for families across California to set goals, build healthier money habits, and plan for the year ahead. It’s also the perfect moment for parents and guardians to take one simple step that can make a long-term difference for a child’s future: claim a CalKIDS Scholarship Account that may already be...
SBCUSD’s Kimbre Sargent and Angela Quinlan Honored
SAN BERNARDINO, CA---- The San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) Board of Education recognized staff members Kimbre Sargent, Director of Categorical Programs, and Angela Quinlan, Pacific High School Career-Technical Education and Demonstration Teacher, at the January 20, 2026, Board meeting. The Board of Education recognized Sargent for being the California Association of Administrators of State and Federal Education Programs (CAASFEP) 2025 District State & Federal...
Barstow Community College Launches MESA Program to Expand Access to STEM Education
Barstow Community College Strengthening Innovation and Student Success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics BARSTOW, CA– Barstow Community College announced the launch of its new Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program, a statewide initiative designed to support student success in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The program strengthens Barstow Community College’s role as a regional hub for innovation...
California Rent Control Bill Dies in Assembly Judiciary Committee
By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Authored by Assemblymembers Ash Kalra (D–San Jose) and Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D–Los Angeles), Assembly Bill (AB) 1157 -- known as the Affordable Rent Act -- failed last week to advance out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, marking the second consecutive year the rent control proposal has been halted in the Legislature. The bill received...
Black Caucus Chair Akilah Weber Pierson Applauds California Ban on Police Officers Wearing Face Masks
By Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) last week praised California’s new law limiting when law enforcement officers may wear face coverings, calling it a critical step toward accountability and public trust in policing. The measure, SB 627 -- also known as the...
Former Black Panther Leader Elaine Brown Delivers Keynote at Black Caucus MLK Breakfast
By Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Former Black Panther leader Elaine Brown was the keynote speaker at the annual California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Breakfast held at the Sacramento Masonic Temple on January 15. Introduced by CLBC Chair Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego), Brown delivered a powerful message emphasizing responsibility,...
Letter to the Editor: How CalMatters Turned a Handbag into a Political Firestorm and Exposed a Journalism Blind Spot
By Joe W. Bowers Jr. A question recently emailed to the office of Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) was not about legislation, policy, or governance. Instead, it asked whether the “Louis Vuitton bag McKinnor was wearing last night “real or fake?” This wasn’t just a casual inquiry. Stella Yu, the CalMatters reporter who asked the question, told McKinnor’s chief of staff, Terry Schanz,...
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses Recognizes Arrowhead Regional Medical Center with Gold Beacon Award for Excellence
COLTON, CA — The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) recently conferred a gold-level Beacon Award for Excellence on the Four-North Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) in Colton, California. This is a significant achievement as more than 575 units from around the country applied for the award in 2025. “Earning this achievement two years...
California Lawmakers Propose Bills Responding to Fatal Shootings by ICE Agents
By Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media Responding to recent fatal shootings and an uptick in misconduct and excessive use-of-force incidents by federal policing agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), California lawmakers are proposing some legal guardrails to prevent them and hold officers accountable. Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights) recently authored legislation to place limits on federal officers operating...
Sacramento: Survivors of Violence Demand More Resources for Prevention and Support at State Capitol
By Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Survivors of violence, community activists, and lawmakers from across California joined forces at a press conference at the State Capitol on January 13. At the event, participants from Stockton, the Bay Area, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, and parts of the Central Valley called on the Legislature to prioritize investments in victim support,...
