“The tax, known as the passenger facility charge, is a locally enforced but federally authorized fee that every passenger must pay at U.S. commercial airports. Nearly every airport in America charges it. The fee is currently set at $4.50 per person per leg of a trip. Legislation has been introduced that would remove that cap, allowing airports to charge any amount they want.” ... read more »

I was watching the opening game at a bar with some of my old teammates, and when the Rams took possession in the fourth quarter up 23-20, I said it out loud: Run the football. ... read more »

  This is a direct appeal to Governor Gavin Newsom, Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez and our entire state legislature. I’m writing this on behalf of the more than 20 African American-owned newspapers that operate in cities and towns across California. ... read more »

I loved my father. My father’s name was Wilmer Wellington Carter and he was a true provider for our family. Dad was into getting wisdom and knowledge as he read a lot of books. ... read more »

In 2011, Science Magazine’s “Breakthrough of the Year” was the discovery that antiretroviral drugs were a game changer in HIV prevention. The development of treatment as Prevention and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) ushered in the concept of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. By combining effective treatment for people living with HIV with simple and easy biomedical prevention for people at risk of HIV infection we can eliminate HIV transmission and HIV acquisition, thereby breaking the back of the epidemic. ... read more »

While I applaud the intentions of Los Angeles lawmakers in attempting to prevent underage tobacco use, a ban on flavored cigarettes that includes menthol cigarettes will be counterproductive to this goal and detrimental to the society at large. The City Council should reconsider this ban. ... read more »

Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43), Co-Chair of the Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease, attends the Annual Alzheimer’s International Conference (AAIC) in Los Angeles and discusses new technology and scientific breakthroughs in the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease.  ... read more »

Rideshare platforms have significantly improved transportation options for communities of color, particularly in low-income neighborhoods that have been neglected by public transit fordecades. However, current legislation in Sacramento is threatening to take this option away, by forcing rideshare drivers to become employees instead of independent contractors. ... read more »

California is moving toward transparency for bad cops. As we learn more about the violence, biases, misconduct, dishonesty, and abusive acts of law enforcement (in spite of recent efforts by police to erase the evidence) it’s easy to focus on the role cops play in the streets. But equally if not more impactful is the role they play in the courthouse. In almost every criminal case, the prosecutor must call at least one police officer witness in order to prove the charges. Police are professional witnesses, trained to go under oath and testify as to their recollections, actions, findings, and practices. If making the arrest is the first half of their job, working with prosecutors and testifying is the other half. ... read more »

We can each be part of the change by asking for help when we need it, and making sure our friends and family do the same. ... read more »

California has long been our nation’s leader in environmental stewardship. But in its narrow focus to push for new environmental policies, the state legislature is now proposing regulations that would come at the expense of access to safe, clean drinking water — particularly for California’s most disadvantaged communities. ... read more »

Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader said he does not support reparation for decentness of slaves, concluding “None of us currently living are responsible” for slavery.  In a sense, Senator McConnell is right. Reparation is not the responsibility of White Americans or any individuals living today. It is the responsibility of the government.  For it was the U.S. government which enacted the legal institution of human chattel enslavement, primarily of Africans and African Americans, in the 18th and 19th centuries.  ... read more »

Wendy's Window ... read more »

Success “On The Way”... Ask Dr. Jeanette! ... read more »

At two years of age, my mother was worried because I cried almost constantly.  She noticed that my finger looked broken, which we would soon discover was a result of bone deterioration.  What she was about to discover after rushing me to the hospital shocked her.  She was told her two year old boy was suffering from Sickle Cell Disease.  It was 1988 and newborn screening only started in California in 1990. ... read more »