California’s birth rate has fallen to its lowest level on record, dropping well below the threshold needed to maintain population growth and signaling a major demographic shift that could reshape the state’s economy, schools, workforce and political influence in the decades ahead.
Doctors across the United States say they are treating children for illnesses that routine vaccinations once made increasingly uncommon, raising concerns that years of declining immunization rates are beginning to reverse decades of public health progress.
Black men are dying from a mental health crisis that too often goes unseen.
It was a case most gynecologists wouldn’t touch—literally.
The Trump administration has issued final rules on how states should ensure that millions of Medicaid enrollees prove they’re working or completing other activities, such as job training, volunteering, or being enrolled in an educational program.
When Congress allowed covid-era subsidies for health insurance to expire, California used its own funds to offset the hike in Obamacare premium costs for residents with low incomes.
But the reach has been limited.
Kern County built its healthcare system on foreign medical talent. What happens if the international pipeline breaks?
A federal lawsuit filed by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump alleges that two Black infants were used as subjects in a government-sponsored experimental vaccine study without their parents’ knowledge or consent, resulting in tragic consequences that continue to reverberate decades later.
A heartbreaking water rescue operation on the Licking River ended in tragedy after a 15-year-old girl lost her life following an incident that drew a massive emergency response from multiple agencies.
Music filled the air as families danced through the crowd, children gathered around activity stations, and community members explored wellness resources from local organizations. Black-owned businesses lined the streets while people stopped for chair massages, conversations, and moments of connection inside the wellness suite.
It started with a simple question from a child: Mom, how can I make some money? Ashley Bolden gave her son a choice, mow lawns or sell lemonade. He chose lemonade. What followed was a journey that would transform a backyard hustle into Lynnmonade, a beverage brand rooted in holistic wellness, mental health and the kind of quiet determination that defines Black entrepreneurship in the Twin Cities.
To close out Mental Health Awareness Month, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom hosted hundreds of families, youth athletes, coaches, educators, and mental health advocates at the Street Soccer USA facility in downtown Sacramento on May 29 for the fourth annual “Movement and Mindfulness: Move Your Body, Calm Your Mind Day” — a statewide event promoting physical activity, social connection, and emotional well-being.
A California bill that would prevent reparations payments from being taxed by the state is moving closer to becoming law after advancing out of the Assembly with bipartisan support.
Music, especially Black music, has the power to bring people together and provide a strong sense of community. It has positive effects on people’s moods, helping us to balance the ups and downs of daily life, and keeping us moving.
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.
Bakersfield, CA – April 16, 2026 – Across Kern County and the nation, Black women continue to face unacceptably high risks during pregnancy and the year following
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.
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.
