When Jamaal Brown, creator of the Black 365 Calendar and Knowledge Bowl was a kid in Palmdale, California, his aspirations were less than lofty. For a class assignment that had prompted him to think about his future career choices, it was a no brainer: either an athlete, a drug dealer, entertainer or a gang member. There were two things wrong with his list, he said. ... read more »

As approved by the Senate Health Committee, the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act, by Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, seeks to reduce pregnancy-related preventable deaths and associated health disparities by addressing implicit bias among perinatal health providers. ... read more »

“California is determined to ensure we achieve a complete census count. We’ve started early and are committing more resources than any other state on a robust outreach and engagement effort to reach all Californians,” said Ditas Katague, Director, California Complete Count – Census 2020. “Our collaborative partnerships throughout the state will make a difference in 2020, which may be the most difficult Census count yet for California.” ... read more »

In the state of California approximately 56,000 youth are arrested every year, two-thirds of those arrests are for status offenses or misdemeanors such as: truancy, running away from home, curfew violation, underage drinking, and the alarmingly vague “incorrigibility”. Approximately 8 out of 10 youth arrested are referred to probation and of these youth, a quarter of them are detained, ultimately contributing to the School to Prison Pipeline. ... read more »

The move he has described as a “moral” decision sparked outrage across the state, particularly in some quarters of the state’s Republican establishment and among some victims’ families and a large number of county prosecutors. Many of them have been vocal advocates of capital punishment over the years.  ... read more »

A murder charge was filed today against the mother of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found partially inside a large duffel bag near an equestrian trail in the Hacienda Heights area. ... read more »

a national network of prostate cancer researchers and experts who have joined forces to study prostate cancer in African American men has received a $26 million grant as part of former Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Initiative to conduct the largest study ever to look at the underlying factors and reasons that put African American men at higher risk for developing and dying from prostate cancer. ... read more »

Choice Canning Company, Inc., a Pittston, Pa. establishment, is recalling approximately 35,459 pounds of chicken fried rice products due to misbranding and undeclared allergens, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The products contain milk, a known allergen, which is not declared on the product label.   ... read more »

The Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted three alternative season structures for 2019 ocean salmon fisheries off of Washington, Oregon and California today for public review. The Council will make a final decision on salmon seasons at its meeting in Rohnert Park, California, on April 11-15. Detailed information about season starting dates, areas open, and catch limits for all three alternatives are available on the Council’s website at www.pcouncil.org.   ... read more »

House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) led the subcommittee’s hearing today regarding an update on recovery efforts for 2017 and 2018 disasters.  The witness was Federal Emergency Management Agency Acting Administrator Peter Gaynor. ... read more »

Supporters of the bill say it adds more accountability and strengthens the flexibility and autonomy their schools need to innovate for students. For them, it also formalizes transparency and governance practices already followed by a majority of charter schools throughout the state.  ... read more »

The Division of Boating and Waterways and its partners invite everyone accessing California’s waterways to learn how to prevent the further spread of aquatic invasive species (AIS) into uninfected waterways. Starting next month, AIS experts from the division, California Coastal Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife will be holding free workshops to help the public learn how they can recognize AIS in their region and how to take action to prevent it from spreading. Workshops are free, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. ... read more »

Washington was featured in an I Serve LA video as part of a social media campaign encouraging the Cal State LA community to track their service hours. I Serve LA is a university-wide service-learning initiative, which provides thousands of volunteers to serve with community-based organizations across the Greater Los Angeles area. ... read more »

According to HIV Litigation Attorneys, spearheading the effort to bring the drug manufacturer to justice, there is substantial evidence that Gilead withheld a safer alternative version of drugs to treat HIV for over a decade until its original patents on its other medication expired.   ... read more »

Lifeguards and other first responders serving California communities ranging from the Central Coast to the Mexican border gathered Friday at Long Beach State University to learn about new developments helping their efforts to keep beachgoers safe from sharks. ... read more »