Bakersfield
Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
News You Might Have Missed
Stefi Mar July 29, 2026
News You Might Have Missed
Over the last six years, the Black Freedom Fund (BFF) has expanded its reach as a support system for California’s Black-serving organizations, providing a boost to many groups that could be locked out of funding as federal government and corporate diversity spending has dried up.
California residents purchasing their first zero-emission vehicle will soon be eligible for an instant rebate of up to $3,500 under a new state program aimed at making electric vehicles more affordable.
For much of the developed world, childbirth has become safer with each passing generation. Medical advances, better prenatal care, and stronger public health systems have dramatically reduced the chances that bringing a child into the world would cost a woman her life.
Clara Ester, an activist who as a 20-year-old college student rushed to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s side when he was shot, has died.
Howard University has successfully reenrolled 46 incoming freshmen following a significant enrollment crisis that initially left more than 500 students without a spot at the historically Black university. The situation has raised broader concerns about the school’s enrollment management processes and whether adequate resources exist to support students navigating complex financial and administrative requirements.
For decades, one of the Houston area’s largest predominantly Black communities has drawn little attention from local arts coverage.
Shortly after Jordan Walker’s 12th and clinching blast of the Home Run Derby final against hometown hero Kyle Schwarber had landed among bitter fans at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the St. Louis Cardinals right fielder spoke of the importance of his achievement.
Caitlin Clark is more than a WNBA player; she has become a tool of weaponization against Black women. And now the federal government is involved.
The all-women Afro-Brazilian percussion ensemble Bloco Obini—composed of local educators, nurses, activists, and healers—brought their drums into the center of the venue. Carrying the spirit of Ayan Agalu, the Yoruba spiritual archetype symbolizing the drum’s power to bring strength and unity, their polyrhythmic drumming drew attendees from across the grounds into an expansive dance circle.
The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the All-Star break on a sour note after being swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since the break, however, the defending National League powerhouse has quickly regained its form.
CHICAGO — With the last three College Football Playoff national championships won by Big Ten schools, the conference opened its 2026 Football Media Days this week with plenty of confidence and even higher expectations.
The unofficial Big Ten preseason poll was released Monday ahead of the conference’s annual media days in Chicago, offering an early look at how voters expect the league race to unfold in 2026.
By the time Mary Louise Reeves stepped off the train into Los Angeles in 1942, she had already accomplished what society told Black girls from Marshall, Texas, was impossible.
The global soccer community came together for the championship match between Spain and Argentina.
Communities of color in California continue to face significant obstacles to buying and owning homes, along with gaps in government enforcement of fair-lending laws that limit their ability to build wealth proportionate to their share of the state’s population.
A coalition of national partners, including the National Action Network Founder and President Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, announced “March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote” on Friday, August 28, 2026.
It’s been more than a week since the parents of Nolan Xavier Wells, a Black teenager eager to make his mark as a wide receiver on the football team at Southwest Mississippi Community College, received the call that no family ever wants to get.
Nearly 14 years after California intervened in the Inglewood Unified School District’s (IUSD) fiscal crisis, the district is closer than ever to regaining full local control. That achievement deserves recognition. It also gives California an opportunity to evaluate what its longest-running school receivership can teach about helping school districts recover from fiscal crisis.
Building Financial Resilience When One Bad Month Threatens to Become Many