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),

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

Screenshot of the opening section of CA Assembly House Resolution (84) Both houses of the California State Legislature voted last week to pass two separate resolutions condemning President Donald Trump’s social media post depicting the Obamas as apes. Authored by members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), the resolutions passed respectively in the California State Assembly and Senate on Feb. 9. Assembly House Resolution (HR 84), introduced by Assemblymembe

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

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More 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 yo

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)HealthNews 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 cr

Make your donation now The East Palo Alto Center for Community Media would like to thank you for all of the support you have given us as we’ve striven to provide relevant, critical community news. As a nonprofit news organization, we need your help—now more than ever. As we count down the final hours of this year, we ask that you make a tax-deductible contribution to enable us to serve you better in the coming year. Your donation today provides the revenue we need to pay our

East Palo Alto seniors celebrate the holiday season at the the breakfast given in their honor by the East Palo Alto Police Department. Photo credits-David Rages The East Palo Alto Senior Center was full of laughter, music, and the smell of hot food at the annual holiday breakfast presented by the East Palo Alto Police Department, where more than 100 seniors and their families gathered to celebrate the season. City Manager Melvin Gaines opened the program by acknowledging the

Graphic- AI generated If you’re looking to get insurance from the Health Insurance Marketplace, you have until January 15 th to sign up. But dishonest companies sometimes advertise comprehensive health insurance when it’s really a medical discount plan or a health plan with limited insurance benefits. And, sometimes, an insurance “offer” is just a scam. As you compare your options, here are some things to consider: Know some warning signs. If ads for the so-called insuran

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

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