Chicago police reported roughly 225,000 traffic stops in 2025 — less than half the 2023 total — yet Black and Latino drivers are still pulled over at far higher rates than white drivers, and new reporting shows more than half of all stops went unrecorded.
A federal judge refused to halt DeSoto County’s new majority-Black judicial subdistricts before November’s election, rejecting a challenge brought by a white former Republican gubernatorial candidate who argues the districts themselves violate the Voting Rights Act. The lawsuit continues.
A new ACLU of Iowa report finds Black students and students with disabilities are referred to and arrested by school police at sharply disproportionate rates — a pattern federal data shows nationwide, and one Los Angeles has documented, while Kern County publishes no comparable numbers at all.
Founded in 2004 by engineer Frederick E. Jordan Sr. and historian John William Templeton, National Black Business Month enters its 23rd observance as Black entrepreneurship — led by Black women — posts some of its strongest growth in decades.
Survey data shows Black millennials are three times more likely than baby boomers to be religiously unaffiliated, but most who leave organized religion keep their faith in a higher power — and are building spiritual community elsewhere.
A landmark 2021 Pew Research study found nearly half of Black adults believe Black churches have lost influence since the civil rights era — yet the newest national data shows Black Protestants remain among America’s most observant worshippers. Both findings are true, and the tension between them is the story.
Assembly Bill (AB) 2323, legislation by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) that would modernize how newspapers publish legally mandated public notices is headed to Gov. Gavin Newsom for consideration.
Every breakthrough in cancer care carries a promise: earlier detection, better treatment and longer life. California has helped deliver that promise through world-class cancer centers, a statewide cancer registry and major public-health investments. Yet colorectal cancer still exposes a painful divide: Black Californians are more likely to develop the disease and far more likely to die from it than their White neighbors.
When you take another trip around the sun and turn 26, you are no longer eligible for health insurance on your parents’ health plan. Covered California’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Monica Soni reminds you that having health insurance is about much more than just going to the doctor and getting yearly checkups. It is about having peace of mind knowing that the care you deserve is covered – everything from lab work, mental health care, to free preventive care services.
News You Might Have Missed
Nearly one year after President Donald Trump ordered thousands of National Guard troops into Washington as part of his “Make DC Safe and Beautiful” initiative, the Pentagon has confirmed the deployment will continue through the remainder of Trump’s presidency, a decision projected to cost taxpayers another $1.4 billion by January 2029.
After a rousing introduction by Stellar New Orleans Attorney James Williams and swearing in by the Legendary Judge Kern Reese, the National Bar Association on July 30, 2026 installed nationally accomplished Trial Attorney and Civic Leader James J. Carter as its 84th President.
Louisiana health officials are urging residents to take precautions after confirming a fifth death this year from Vibrio vulnificus, a bacterium that can cause severe wound infections and, in rare cases, a flesh-destroying illness called necrotizing fasciitis. The state has now recorded nine cases and five deaths in 2026, a sharp increase from Louisiana’s typical average of seven cases and one death over the same stretch in past years.
MSR Contributing Writer Clint Combs delivers from Pig’s Eye Encampment, documenting the intense standoff between St. Paul law enforcement, community marshals, and local officials. As the city initiates sweeps across local encampments, community members and outreach workers confront police to defend unhoused neighbors, shedding light on shelter bed shortages, lost documentation, and the human cost of displacement.
At African Soul International, a 36-foot stage sits in the heart of Black Central Los Angeles on Crenshaw Boulevard. Here, local youth spend their summer mornings beating rhythmic patterns on dundun drums, writing in daily journals, and stepping through traditional African choreography.
California voters will decide in November whether to amend the state Constitution to prohibit new taxes on retirement savings, personal assets and other forms of personal wealth while also banning retroactive taxation.
California voters will decide this November whether to change how the state replaces elected officials who are removed from office through a recall election.
A bill Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles) authored would make it illegal for law enforcement officers to deny or delay emergency medical care for people under their control when it is safe to provide treatment.
Black-owned media has long served as more than a source of news. It has been a trusted institution, an advocate for underserved communities, and an economic catalyst for entrepreneurs and neighborhood businesses. From covering the Civil Rights Movement to spotlighting local business success stories, Black media has consistently filled information gaps left by mainstream outlets.
As part of last year’s Big, Beautiful Bill, Trump made significant changes to the work requirements and funding structure for SNAP benefits.
