Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2026–27 May budget revision includes $500 million for the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program, a reduction from the $1 billion allocations provided in previous funding rounds.
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Gov. Gavin Newsom presented the final May Revision of his administration on May 14, outlining a state budget proposal he says balances California’s finances through 2027–28 while preserving major investments in education, health care, behavioral health and housing programs.
“For Treana Adams, Lexus Block, Nu’Ponica Barker, and a growing number of Black mothers in Bakersfield, a doula was the difference between being heard and being ignored, between a birth plan honored or overridden. Between a greater likelihood of a mother who comes home, and one who doesn’t.”
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As reported in AfroTech, LeRoi Hicks becomes the first African American physician to hold the title of Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer for the American College of Physicians, the largest medical specialty organization in the states.
Newly established AMKD Coalition unites leading voices to address need to heighten awareness of APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD)
The number of babies born in the United States fell again last year. According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 3.6 million births in 2025, a 1% decline from 2024. The fertility rate dropped to 53.1 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44, down 23% since 2007.
When I was rushed to the hospital in 2020 for heart-related concerns, I was initially diagnosed with hypertensive kidney disease—meaning the cause of my kidney damage was high blood pressure. In May 2021, my kidney function dropped to less than 15%. I immediately began dialysis treatments, and today, I continue to receive in-center hemodialysis three times a week.
Federal and state policy changes will roll out over the next few months that may impact some people in San Diego County who receive CalFresh or Medi-Cal benefits. The first of these changes starts April 1.
The Trump administration is quietly seeking unprecedented access to medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, and their families.
As momentum builds around new sickle cell legislation in Georgia, advocates say a deeper issue continues to threaten the very communities the disease impacts most. Black-led organizations on the front lines are still being shut out of critical funding.
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Black women in rural areas are facing the brunt of declining medical services, including access to obstetric care as new policies threaten clinic and hospital closures.
Nearly 6 in 10 Californians delayed or skipped medical care in the past year because of cost, and 4 in 10 reported their conditions worsened as a result — trends that disproportionately affect communities already facing disparities, including Black Californians.
Black Women’s Health Disparities Highlight Gaps in Research and Care
California’s public health programs could lose billions of dollars due to recent federal budget cuts, state health officials told lawmakers during a joint committee hearing on March 10.
Between 2020 and 2024, Long Beach experienced a minimal but incremental decrease in chronic homelessness that was interrupted by the Los Angeles County wildfires in early January 2025, according to a point-in-time count conducted by the city’s government.
Health officials say a respiratory virus spreading in parts of the United States is not new, and most people should not panic, even as cases increase in California and other states.
California has always been seen as the land of vitality — sunshine, beaches, and wellness culture. But beneath that image is a growing public health crisis we cannot afford to ignore.
