(Art by Roxsy Lin.) In 2024, Kaiser Permanente announced the rollout of Abridge. Described in a press release as “ambient listening technology,” the AI-powered scribe is designed to help clinicians including mental health providers securely capture clinical notes during patient visits. But what the description fails to indicate is that the tool records entire medical appointments, including deeply personal mental health sessions. During these sessions, mental health professio

To prepare voters, the California Secretary of State mailed reminder cards and Voter Information Guides. The guides contain information on what is on the ballot and how to vote in the upcoming primary election. Photo courtesy Solomon O. Smith/CBM Voters in California have two major elections coming up this year: the state primary election on June 2, 2026 and the midterm election on Nov. 3, 2026. To help make sure eligible state residents understand the voting process, the sta

Gubernatorial candidate Tony Thurmond on the campaign trail ....Photo courtesy https://www.tonythurmond.com/ There are eight candidates running to be governor of California this year. California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond is one of them. Currently, Thurmond’s poll numbers show him at the bottom of the list with 1.1% of the vote, with the leading candidate Xavier Becerra at the top of the list with 19% of the vote. But Thurmond’s ranking in the polls d

Lorreen Pryor, president and chief executive officer of the Black Youth Leadership Project (BYLP), stands among supporters of the Stop the Hate program at the State Capitol. Holding the sign is Fxxi Irvin, mentor and counselor for BYLP. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey. On April 28, Black-led organizations from across California that fight prejudice, hostility, or violence directed at individuals based on their race, ethnic origin, or skin color, joined with other anti-hate gr