Courtesy - CBM - Shutterstock The Supreme Court rejected President Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship by executive order, reaffirming the longstanding constitutional principle that almost all children born in the United States are U.S. citizens. In the executive order, Trump asserted that, “the Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.” The order argues that children born in the Unite

Courtesy of California Black Media - Shutterstock Beginning July 1, several new California laws will take effect, bringing changes that affect workers, students, consumers, renters, and families across the state. While some of the new policies are administrative, others could have a direct impact on household finances, education, housing, and public safety.  Here are some of the most significant new laws Californians should know about: Healthcare Worker Minimum Wage (SB

Published June 30, 2026 - Updated as new information becomes available Editor's Note: EPA Today is publishing this notice to inform readers about fraudulent emails that falsely appeared to come from our organization and to explain the steps we have taken to protect our community. These emails were not sent by EPA Today. There is no evidence that EPA Today's email accounts or subscriber information were compromised. What happened? Several readers contacted EPA Today on June 30

Summer 2026 From the Summer 2026 print edition of East Palo Alto Today *Read the complete Summer 2026 issue (PDF) The following comments appeared in the Summer 2026 print edition of East Palo Alto Today. They were selected from remarks made during the June 16, 2026, East Palo Alto City Council meeting regarding proposed amendments to the City's Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected and Appointed Officials. The comments are presented in the order they appeared in the newspape

Princess Sinaitakala Tukuʻaho stands with former East Palo Alto Mayors Sharifa, Wilson, Mayor Webster Lincoln, Mayor Martha Barragan and three other event attendees. Photo by Art Lim Traditional songs, dancing, laughter, and cultural pride filled Cooley Landing in East Palo Alto during Global Engagement Week as community members gathered to celebrate the historic Sister City partnership between the City of East Palo Alto and the Kolofoʻou District of Tonga. The week-long cele

The East Palo Alto City Council is shown in the city council chambers during its June 16, 2026 meeting. East Palo Alto Council debates new meeting conduct rules The East Palo Alto City Council debated a proposed resolution that would establish formal procedures for handling disruptions, public comment, and meeting conduct during council meetings. The proposal was presented by the city attorney’s office in response to Senate Bill 707, a state law requiring public agencies t

BANDALOOP dancers perform their stunning high wire acts that leave audiences in awe. Photo courtesy BANDALOOP. On Wednesday, May 20, students at EPACenter Arts looked up and saw something different: dancers suspended by ropes from the rooftop, practicing against the side of the building. The performers were from BANDALOOP, the internationally known vertical dance company based in West Oakland. They were in East Palo Alto preparing for a May 30 performance with legendary perc

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

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

Presentation at ribbon cutting on April 7, 2026 for roundabout ribbon cutting at Pulgas and Runnymede in East Palo Alto. Photo - David Rages, II East Palo Alto is trying a new way to slow traffic near school locations - the installation of roundabouts on several city streets. Recently, the city installed a roundabout at Pulgas Avenue and Runnymede Street and another at Pulgas and Beech Street. A ribbon cutting for the Runnymede roundabout took place this April 7. The city’s r

Board of Supervisors President Noelia Corzo warned the shortfall could exceed $1 billion over the next decade if the issue is unresolved. Photo courtesy San Mateo County A coalition of more than 250 elected officials, public safety leaders, educators, health advocates and community members gathered on Tuesday of this week at Redwood City’s Fire Station 9 with a unified message: the State of California must restore funding San Mateo County says it is legally owed — or essent

Image published under CC License 1.0 Courtesy American Community Media Immigration arrests of Asian immigrants have surged since the launch of President Donald Trump’s second administration. That’s according to a new analysis by the advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate. The report released found that arrests of Asian immigrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2025 increased nearly fourfold compared with th

AI generated With global attention focused on the conflict in Iran, it’s no surprise scammers have already added that situation to their story lines. Some recent reports to the FTC about imposter, romance, and fake charity scams include an Iran twist. The details change, but the scammer’s goal is always to trick you into paying or sharing your personal information. Here are some examples of these scams — and how to protect yourself. Scammers contact you unexpectedly about a