Be prepared for natural disasters and the scammers that follow them. Recent violent storms, tornadoes, wildfires, heat waves, and extreme flooding are a reminder that severe weather and natural disasters can happen anytime, anywhere, and with little warning. September is National Preparedness Month and it’s a great time to plan for whatever may come your way. Scammers are always looking for ways to steal people’s money and personal information. After emergencies, they often p

Courtesy California Black Media In November, California voters will decide on Proposition (Prop) 45, also known as the “Building an Affordable California Act" or the Expedited Environmental Review Process for Certain Projects Initiative. If approved, the initiative would change the environmental review process established under the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA. Enacted in 1970, CEQA requires state and local agencies to identify and disclose the potential en

Graphic illustration/East Palo Alto Today Suspect booked on assault charge; police say investigation remains ongoing A 52-year-old Menlo Park man died Thursday after suffering significant facial injuries in a reported assault on University Avenue in East Palo Alto, according to East Palo Alto Police Chief Jeff Liu. Officers were called to the 2300 block of University Avenue at approximately 2:21 p.m. on September 3, 2026, following reports of a man acting erratically and disr

Image Courtesy California Black Media Black voting rights advocates in California convened virtually Aug. 28 after a federal court temporarily blocked new U.S. Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots, a ruling civil rights leaders described as an important but temporary victory ahead of the November election. The restrictions are tied to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14399 and the Postal Service’s “Ballot Mail for Federal Elections” rule. Among other requiremen

A quarter of East Palo Alto’s 152 damaged sidewalks could pose a hazard to the city’s pedestrians. For pedestrians on some East Palo Alto streets, a simple walk down the block can mean navigating cracked pavement, uneven concrete and other sidewalk hazards. A citywide look at sidewalk conditions shows the problem is especially pronounced on Camellia Drive and in neighborhoods along Willow Road, which have some of the most damaged sidewalks in the city. There are 152

Courtesy AI They’re the worst of the absolute worst: scams that target people who have already lost money to a scam. If you or someone you know paid a scammer, here’s what to know to avoid scammers who pretend to be helpers. Refund and recovery scammers buy lists of people who’ve already been scammed, hoping they can be scammed again. The scammers contact you, saying they’ll help get your money back or recover the prize or merchandise you never got. To sound trustworthy, they

Courtesy California Black Media-Shutterstock Questions about election security, voter access and public confidence in elections have become some of the most closely watched issues in American politics. This November, California voters will weigh in on those debates through Proposition 39, a ballot measure that would establish new voter identification requirements while expanding citizenship verification and election auditing procedures. If approved, Proposition 39 woul

https://www.ehpcares.org/ The Ecumenical Hunger Program put out a letter this week addressing the CBS News story that ran about their tax filings. I got a copy of it and wanted to share it with the community along with a little context from my own experience. For over 50 years EHP has been feeding and helping families in East Palo Alto. The CBS piece made it sound like they were just handing out money for personal stuff with no oversight. That’s not what happened. Back in 202

A school born at a picnic table now sends nearly every graduate to college It’s graduation time and Eastside Preparatory School graduates are simply beaming. Photos courtesy of eastside.org In 1976, East Palo Alto lost its only high school. Students were bused out to schools in wealthier neighboring cities, where they were quietly placed in non-college-track classes. By the numbers, the results were devastating: 65% of East Palo Alto students dropped out of high school. Fewer

20 states, led by California and Massachusetts, are suing the USDA to remove provisions that tie SNAP food aid funding to the support of the Trump Administration’s anti-DEI policies, including “gender ideology,” and immigration enforcement. A woman at a farmer’s market. (USDA photo/Wikimedia Commons license) A federal court judge in Massachusetts June 5 issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Trump Administration from restricting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(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

If you’re on social media, you know posts from friends and family might not be the only ones on your newsfeed — scammers are there too. FTC data shows that losses to scams on social media have been increasing dramatically since 2020 — people reported losing $2.1 billion to these scams in 2025 alone. The FTC’s new data spotlight brings to light some of the insights about what scams people experience on social media. Keep reading to learn how to scroll past the scams. Here’s wh

A new survey of California voters by UC Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies also finds widespread bipartisan support for the state taking steps to protect democracy and expand voter access. Photo courtesy American Community Media SACRAMENTO — Eighty nine percent of California voters believe American democracy is under strain. Overwhelming majorities, including significant numbers of Republicans, also support state action to protect democracy and expand voter access.

This pictorial graphic shows how the East Palo Alto City Council voted on the proposal that would give the mayor of the city the final say over the creation of the city council agenda. Design by HJB A contentious proposal to give the mayor final authority over the setting of the East Palo Alto City Council’s agenda failed this week after a heated debate that exposed deep divisions among the city's council members and residents. The amendment, which was to be added to the cou

Farm Workers Day becomes law. Design AI-generated Last week, members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), through their voices and votes, supported Assembly Bill (AB) 2156, which proposed renaming César Chávez Day to Farm Workers Day. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law on March 26, allowing it to take effect immediately before the March 31 observance. Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson),

Courtesy California Black Media On Nov. 20, the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) hosted an online forum with ethnic media outlets across the state to highlight two statewide programs that benefit all Californians: the CalAssist Mortgage Fund, which provides disaster-related mortgage relief, and Check to Protect, a vehicle-safety campaign led by the National Safety Council and supported by the California New Motor Vehicle Board. While th

East Palo Alto city officials and regional leaders pose for photos before cutting the ribbon to the city's new pedestrian bridge East Palo Alto residents, civic leaders and regional partners celebrated the long-awaited opening of the University Avenue Pedestrian Bridge, a project many described as both practical and symbolic for the community. “This is a joyous celebration… celebrating safety and community and connectability,” City Manager Melvin Gaines said as he welcomed th