Screenshot of tiny homes courtesy of https://wicks.asmdc.org/videos Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), the keynote speaker at “A Conference on Housing” in Sacramento on Feb. 24, 2026 said solving California’s housing crisis at all levels -- and providing affordable, environmentally responsible homes for low-income families and communities of color -- can go hand in hand.   Wicks, widely recognized as a leading legislative champion for housing production and affordability

A sharp rise in hate crimes alongside the Trump Administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies are fueling chronic anxiety and social withdrawal in immigrant and immigrant-descended communities of color. A new national survey of Pacific Islander communities finds that sense of fear is widening the health gap in what experts are calling a public health crisis. “What Pacific Islanders are experiencing is not just emotional harm. It directly affects their overall h

It's tax season. Protect yourself!

M ore than 260 East Palo Alto youth participated in a project to create both a youth commission and a youth task force in their city. The project, which took place during the last five months of 2025, included listening sessions, workshops and surveys. The proposal that resulted was called the Youth Engagement Program Development Plan and it was presented to the East Palo Alto City Council at its first meeting of 2026 on January 6. The energy and excitement generated by the y

Babies from East and South Asian American communities and African immigrants are most vulnerable to hepatitis B infections. Minnie Zhou photo via Unsplash (copyright free) Health News Exchange For decades, U.S. public health policy has treated hepatitis B vaccination at birth as non-negotiable: every newborn, regardless of maternal risk factors, receives a first dose within 24 hours of life. The approach mirrors global guidance from the World Health Organization and has been

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

To see the files of the November 2025 EPA Today issue, click  here   or on the image below See other issues of EPA Today by clicking on the issue names below: June 2025 EPA Today May 2025 EPA Today Summer- Fall 2024 EPA Today Spring Summer 2023 EPA Today Special Election Edition 2022 Spring - Summer 2022

Community college student seeking assistance Image created by HJB using Gemini It might come as a surprise to some that California provides many resources for undocumented individuals and their family members. Many of these resources are funded by the California Department of Social Services(CDSS) Immigration Services Bureau (ISB) through a program called Higher Education Legal Services Project. Information about these programs can be found within a website call

On September 10th, the U.S Education Department announced the end of $350 million in discretionary funding for MSI grant programs. Feature image via Flickr . Published under CC License 2.0 David Lee spent the summer working on a grant application for the Asian Pacific American Student Success program (APASS) at Oakland’s Laney College, which he has directed for eight years. The program is sustained by federal funding that for decades has been committed to Minority Servin

UCLA Mapping Project At a recent national briefing titled, “A History of Bias: Who Gets Deported in the United States?,” three UCLA researchers presented data, stretching back more than a century, which showed that the U.S.’ immigration policies in the 1890’s still determine which immigrants get to stay in the U.S. today. The project, called Mapping Deportations, is the result of five years of combing through immigration records going back to 1895. The UCLA researchers turned

Silenced by fear - AI generated At a time, when many in the U.S. are observing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the...

Medi-Cal continued coverage - Courtesy health/consumer.org California's Medi-Cal program, the state's version of Medicaid, is set to undergo sweeping eligibility and benefit changes beginning in January 2026. State officials confirmed in a fact-filled briefing that the changes affecting the program will extend through 2028 and consist of a combination of federal requirements and state budget adjustments. Medi-Cal currently covers over 14 million Californians and the upcoming

The federal government formally entered a shutdown Oct. 1, with a vicious debate over the extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits fueling the bi-partisan stand-off.

The surveillance equipment in this photo includes facial recognition and vehicle make, model, color and license plate reader. Photo credits: Maraparacc at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The U.S. government is increasingly using digital tools to track and surveil immigrants, according to privacy advocates who spoke at a recent briefing hosted by American Community Media. The event, titled "Expanding Surveillance of Immigrants at What Cost," highlighte

East Palo Alto City Councilmembers are shown at their September 2, 2025 council meeting The U.S. is polarized and it appears that the...

Participants in the City of East Palo Alto's Sept. 4, 2025 workshop, which was focused on the city's local economy, laid out their vision...

This photo from the war in Gaza shows a bombed out building and a car that crashed into it. Photo credited to Emad El Byed on ...

Maps of Texas and California showing Texas' efforts at redistricting and cleaner districting in CA with a scale of Justice in between -...

Child care in San Mateo County: expensive, challenging, frustrating, confusing