Stefi Mar - Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California, inc.

Bakersfield

COMMENTARY: Three Skills I Wish for My Kindergarten Students This Year

As we turn the calendar to the month of September, summer is officially in the rearview mirror. Last week I had the joy of welcoming children into their first formal year of school from many different homes, communities, and backgrounds. As a virtual kindergarten teacher, families often ask me what children should know before kindergarten. Should they recognize every letter? Count to 100? Read simple books?

Stefi Mar September 15, 2026

African Americans

Prostate Cancer is Twice as Likely to Kill Black Men. Talking to Your Doctor Could Help Save Your Life

American Cancer Society board member Dr. Robert Winn discusses risk factors for the disease and why too many Black men still aren’t getting screened

Stefi Mar September 15, 2026

Bakersfield

On Your November Ballot: Prop 38 Would Allocate $8.4 Billion to Immunology and Immunotherapy Funding

California voters will decide in November whether Proposition (Prop) 38 should authorize substantial state funding for immunology and immunotherapy research.

Stefi Mar September 15, 2026

Bakersfield

Rural Americans Wait After Judge Delivers Mixed Ruling on Digital Equity Dollars

A federal judge in July gave digital equity advocates a partial victory against President Donald Trump, stopping his attempt to unilaterally kill a multibillion-dollar grant program Congress created.

Stefi Mar September 15, 2026

African Americans

At This Black Church Cafe, Your Brunch Helps Feed Someone Else

In a neighborhood where conversations about food insecurity often center on scarcity, Philadelphia’s Tindley Tea Cafe offers a different narrative: abundance with purpose.

Stefi Mar September 15, 2026

African Americans

“This is Not a Job. This is Life”: One Grandmother’s Fight Against Caregiver Burnout

Angela Hagler’s Shafter townhome, about 13 miles outside Bakersfield, includes basic household furnishings, other than a bench in the living room the 57-year-old uses to lift her 16-year-old granddaughter into a bathtub specially outfitted for amputees.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

Features

Street Medicine Brings Care to Unhoused Angelenos — But Housing Remains the Missing Prescription

By the time a street medicine team met Alfred Flores last June along the Los Angeles River , two spider bites on his back had swollen with infection, untreated for three days.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

Los Angeles

U.S. Open Influencers Spark Backlash over Ring Lights, Filming as Gauff and Osaka Speak Out

Tournament Expands Creator Access As Viral Disruptions Prompt New Reminders About Tennis Etiquette

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

Africa

Libya Fifteen Years Later: the Long Cost of an Unfinished Intervention

Fifteen years after NATO warplanes went up over Libya, the country still has no single government, no national elections, and no agreed-upon constitution. That outcome deserves more attention than it usually receives in American political discussions, because it is the most telling lesson about what happens when a military intervention succeeds at its stated objective but fails at everything that follows.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

Black Americans Have Doubts About the U.S. Food System

Black Americans are intensely aware of the connection between food and health but face economic and structural barriers that limit what they can actually put on the table, according to a new report from Word In Black’s Insights & Research Division.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

A Second Apology: Native Bill Heads to Newsom’s Desk

Authored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland), Assembly Bill (AB) 2115 officially passed the California Legislature on Aug. 26 and has advanced to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed

News You Might Have Missed

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

Bakersfield

On Your November Ballot: Prop 45 Would Speed Up Environmental and Public Project Reviews

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.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

Giving Our Black Children the Healthiest Start We Can

The summer before I started medical school, I learned something surprising about my own health history. As part of the enrollment process, I had to provide immunization records and blood tests showing immunity. That’s when I discovered I did not have all my childhood vaccinations.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

Asm. Smallwood-Cuevas’s Bill Repealing ‘Racist’ CalWORKs ‘Man-in-the-House’ Rule Clears Legislature

A California rule requiring an unrelated adult man living with a family receiving welfare benefits to contribute financially to the household could be repealed if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Senate Bill (SB) 1030 into law.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

COMMENTARY: How Much of Our Community Are We Expected to Give Up?

So right now, I have to ask: are we really supposed to take none of this at face value?

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

COMMENTARY: Young Black Men Suffering in Silence a Curse That Can Be Broken

As a young Black man, I find this topic personal. When people discuss mental health, they usually don’t picture someone who looks like me. Instead, Black men are often seen as strong, tough, or able to handle anything life throws at us.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

The Business of Educating Black Parents, Teachers and Kids

Bolanle Ambonisye knew she had stumbled onto something when parents began using her name to get their children to behave.

Stefi Mar September 8, 2026

African Americans

Leimert Park Jazz Festival-Chilling with Cool Sounds on a Hot Summer Day

The region has been experiencing a tropical heatwave for the last couple of weeks. You can feel the heat the moment you step outside.

Stefi Mar September 2, 2026

African Americans

Asm. Isaac Bryan’s Bill on Corporate Slavery Ties Moves to Gov. Newsom’s Desk for Signature or Veto

The Truth in Disclosure Act, the bill that proposes forcing private corporations to report their historical ties to chattel slavery, passed out of the California Legislature and has now moved to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature or veto.

Stefi Mar September 1, 2026

Author: Stefi Mar