Category: Valleys

African Americans

Feds Subpoenaed 17 Million Trucker Records as California Signed Data-Sharing Deal

Days after Gov. Newsom signed a law letting the DMV share driver data with a national clearinghouse, California learned Homeland Security had demanded millions of commercial driver records from that same nonprofit — for purposes including immigration enforcement. A federal judge has frozen the handover while the states, California among them, fight the subpoena in court.

News Observer September 15, 2026

MLK Hospital’s Emergency Room Bill Now Awaits Newsom’s Signature

The Legislature passed AB 2405, a measure sponsored by Martin Luther King Jr. Community Healthcare to redirect law enforcement psychiatric transports away from overwhelmed emergency rooms. Gov. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto it.

News Observer September 14, 2026

Features

Street Medicine Brings Care to Unhoused Angelenos — But Housing Remains the Missing Prescription

By the time a street medicine team met Alfred Flores last June along the Los Angeles River , two spider bites on his back had swollen with infection, untreated for three days.

Marion Apio September 8, 2026

Los Angeles

U.S. Open Influencers Spark Backlash over Ring Lights, Filming as Gauff and Osaka Speak Out

Tournament Expands Creator Access As Viral Disruptions Prompt New Reminders About Tennis Etiquette

News Observer September 8, 2026

Africa

Libya Fifteen Years Later: the Long Cost of an Unfinished Intervention

Fifteen years after NATO warplanes went up over Libya, the country still has no single government, no national elections, and no agreed-upon constitution. That outcome deserves more attention than it usually receives in American political discussions, because it is the most telling lesson about what happens when a military intervention succeeds at its stated objective but fails at everything that follows.

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

Black Americans Have Doubts About the U.S. Food System

Black Americans are intensely aware of the connection between food and health but face economic and structural barriers that limit what they can actually put on the table, according to a new report from Word In Black’s Insights & Research Division.

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

A Second Apology: Native Bill Heads to Newsom’s Desk

Authored by Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-Highland), Assembly Bill (AB) 2115 officially passed the California Legislature on Aug. 26 and has advanced to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed

News You Might Have Missed

News Observer September 8, 2026

Bakersfield

On Your November Ballot: Prop 45 Would Speed Up Environmental and Public Project Reviews

In November, California voters will decide on Proposition (Prop) 45, also known as the “Building an Affordable California Act” or the Expedited Environmental Review Process for Certain Projects Initiative.

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

Giving Our Black Children the Healthiest Start We Can

The summer before I started medical school, I learned something surprising about my own health history. As part of the enrollment process, I had to provide immunization records and blood tests showing immunity. That’s when I discovered I did not have all my childhood vaccinations.

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

Asm. Smallwood-Cuevas’s Bill Repealing ‘Racist’ CalWORKs ‘Man-in-the-House’ Rule Clears Legislature

A California rule requiring an unrelated adult man living with a family receiving welfare benefits to contribute financially to the household could be repealed if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs Senate Bill (SB) 1030 into law.

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

COMMENTARY: How Much of Our Community Are We Expected to Give Up?

So right now, I have to ask: are we really supposed to take none of this at face value?

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

COMMENTARY: Young Black Men Suffering in Silence a Curse That Can Be Broken

As a young Black man, I find this topic personal. When people discuss mental health, they usually don’t picture someone who looks like me. Instead, Black men are often seen as strong, tough, or able to handle anything life throws at us.

News Observer September 8, 2026

African Americans

The Business of Educating Black Parents, Teachers and Kids

Bolanle Ambonisye knew she had stumbled onto something when parents began using her name to get their children to behave.

News Observer September 8, 2026

NFL

Aaron Donald Comes Out of Retirement to Rejoin Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have made some of the biggest moves of the NFL offseason, and now they are bringing back one of the most dominant defensive players in franchise history.

News Observer September 2, 2026

African Americans

Asm. Isaac Bryan’s Bill on Corporate Slavery Ties Moves to Gov. Newsom’s Desk for Signature or Veto

The Truth in Disclosure Act, the bill that proposes forcing private corporations to report their historical ties to chattel slavery, passed out of the California Legislature and has now moved to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature or veto.

News Observer September 1, 2026

African Americans

California Black Civil Rights Leaders Mobilize to Defend Voting Rights

Black voting rights advocates in California convened virtually Aug. 28 after a federal court temporarily blocked new U.S. Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots, a ruling civil rights leaders described as an important but temporary victory ahead of the November election.

News Observer September 1, 2026

Bakersfield

Dolly Parton’s Gift to California’s Children: A Legacy Delivered One Book at a Time

Dolly Parton leaves a lasting legacy in the hearts and homes of California’s children through a literacy program that has delivered nearly 3 million free books across the state.

News Observer September 1, 2026

African Americans

Arnold Perkins: At 85, a Life of Service, Faith and Giving Back

The Post’s Healthy Aging Series addresses key components for healthy aging: mind, body and spirit. This article addresses the importance of having a strong spiritual or religious foundation.

News Observer September 1, 2026

African Americans

A State Alert for Missing Black Children Has Been Used 31 Times. Families Can Ask for It.

When a Black child or young woman between the ages of 12 and 25 goes missing in California, the family can ask the law enforcement agency investigating the case to request an Ebony Alert from the California Highway Patrol. The system is nearly three years old. It has been used 31 times.

News Observer September 1, 2026