Category: Features

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

The Numbers Behind the Myth of the Hundred Million Dollar Contract

Odell Beckham Jr. did not spark controversy on purpose. He sat on The Pivot Podcast and tried to explain the math behind a deal that looks limitless from the outside but shrinks fast once the system takes its cut. He looked into the camera and tried to offer a truth most fans never hear. “You give somebody a five-year $100 million contract, right? What is it really? It is five years for sixty. You are getting taxed. Do the math. That is twelve million a year that you have to spend, use, save, invest, flaunt,” said Beckham. He added that buying a car, buying his mother a house, and covering the costs of life all chip away at what people assume lasts forever.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Teens Reject Today’s News as Trump Intensifies His Assault on the Press

The American press is facing a crisis deeper than shrinking newsrooms or digital disruption. A new study from the News Literacy Project finds that teenagers overwhelmingly believe the nation’s news media is fake, chaotic, and dishonest, a view that threatens the foundation of an informed society at the same time a sitting president intensifies his attacks on journalism. The findings land in an era where corporate consolidation, political pressure, and presidential intimidation collide with the public’s fading confidence in the institutions meant to hold power accountable.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

ACA Deadline Nears as 20 million Brace for Higher Health Costs

The Affordable Care Act subsidies that help more than 20 million people pay for health insurance are set to expire at the end of the month. Congress is running out of time to prevent steep premium hikes across the country, and families who rely on marketplace coverage face growing uncertainty while political leaders argue over what to do next.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

5 Tips for Strengthening Social Bonds During the Holidays

For many, the holiday season provides a unique opportunity to pause from daily responsibilities and focus on the people who matter most. While gift-giving and festivities are often the center of celebrations, the true value of the season lies in nurturing meaningful connections with friends, family, and community. Research shows that strong social ties are associated with improved mental and physical health, making connection powerful and lasting gifts we can share.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Teens Reject Today’s News as Trump Intensifies His Assault on the Press

The American press is facing a crisis deeper than shrinking newsrooms or digital disruption. A new study from the News Literacy Project finds that teenagers overwhelmingly believe the nation’s news media is fake, chaotic, and dishonest, a view that threatens the foundation of an informed society at the same time a sitting president intensifies his attacks on journalism. The findings land in an era where corporate consolidation, political pressure, and presidential intimidation collide with the public’s fading confidence in the institutions meant to hold power accountable.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Seven Steps to Help Your Child Build Meaningful Connections

Swinging side by side with a friend on the playground. Sharing chalk over bright, colorful sidewalk drawings. Hiding behind a tree during a spirited game of hide-and-seek. These simple moments between children may seem small, but they matter more than we think: They lay the foundation for some of life’s most important skills.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

Meet Roxanne Brown, The First African American And The First Woman President Of The United Steelworkers

In a significant moment for the labor movement, Roxanne Brown, set to become the first African American woman elected as President of the United Steelworkers (USW), North America’s largest industrial union, joins Make It Plain with Rev. Mark Thompson. With the official transition happening in March, Brown’s ascent is more than just a personal achievement; it represents a shift in the labor movement’s leadership reflecting the demographics of today’s workforce.

Arts & Culture
Stefi Mar

After 43 Years ‘Thriller’ Still Outpaces Modern Music

Forty-three years after “Thriller” hit the world like a lightning bolt, its anniversary still behaves like a global holiday. This weekend the celebration stretched from one continent to the next. In London, a Brixton record stall blasted the bassline of “Billie Jean” as shoppers argued over vintage vinyl. In Paris, a street musician near Châtelet blended Jackson’s melodies into a Metro platform performance. In Tokyo, clusters of teens practiced the zombie routine in Yoyogi Park, laughing when someone forgot a step. In Los Angeles, where the album was born in the studio, the track drifted from convertibles rolling down Sunset.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

What To Know About the CDC’s Baseless New Guidance on Autism

The rewriting of a page on the CDC’s website to assert the false claim that vaccines may cause autism sparked a torrent of anger and anguish from doctors, scientists, and parents who say Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is wrecking the credibility of an agency they’ve long relied on for unbiased scientific evidence.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Do You Know About California’s Vehicle Safety and Disaster Mortgage Assistance Programs? Get Details

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.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

A Revolutionary Voice Falls Silent, but Questions About His Conviction Grow Louder

H. Rap Brown did not wait for permission to define himself. Long before federal agents called him a menace and politicians wrote laws in his name, he was a young man from Baton Rouge who believed the country needed an honest confrontation with its own history. Long before he died at 82 in a federal medical facility in North Carolina, he had already become Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, a name he adopted after turning to Islam inside Attica.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Her First Years, My Everything

facebooktwitterinstagram Pamela shared her story with ZERO TO THREE’s Believe In Babies national storytelling campaign. She reflected on the joy and growth of her daughter Ainsley while underscoring