Covering the week’s most noteworthy news stories impacting the lives of the Filipino-American community in the State of California.
Church leaders discuss safely reopening for in-person worship With our community at much higher risk from the COVID-19 virus, Filipino faith leaders like me recently gathered for an online roundtable entitled “Vaccinating in Good Faith: Filipino Families & Frontline Workers” to hear from medical experts and to honor our many essential healthcare workers, while we…
FILIPINO American California Attorney General Rob Bonta has launched new regional Human Trafficking and Sexual Predator Apprehension Teams (HT/SPAT) to address the epidemic of human trafficking in California, which was exacerbated by the state’s lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The teams — one covering Northern California and another covering Southern California — are…
FACING an impending recall election, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed to the State Legislature on Monday, June 22 a plan to forgive unpaid rent that accumulated during the economically tumultuous COVID-19 pandemic that put financial strains on the most populous state’s most vulnerable communities. The plan is to use the $5.2 billion in federal pandemic…
SACRAMENTO – With a rise in violence against Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic, AT&T California is taking a stand with donations to 19 community-based organizations throughout the Golden State. The donations, totaling over $750,000, are part of an AT&T and WarnerMedia nationwide $7 million effort to combat and…
THE California Asian Pacific Islander (API) Legislative Caucus (APILC), Stop AAPI Hate, the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, and more than 150 community organizations are urging Governor Gavin Newsom to approve the $210 million API Equity Budget to support the AAPI community. The budget, proposed by the APILC, is divided into three…
Governor Gavin Newsom details new travel recovery plan to restart the state’s tourism industry FOR Californians, June 15 was the highly anticipated return to relative normalcy after 15 months of coronavirus-related lockdowns. But for nurses and doctors, June 15 could be the start of yet another infection surge that may endanger vulnerable communities. As previously…
The base fare for a bus ride on Los Angeles Metro is $1.75. A ride from Oakland to San Francisco on BART, the San Francisco-Bay Area rapid transit system can cost upwards of $3.70 one way. The base fare for a bus ride on Los Angeles Metro is $1.75. A ride from Oakland to San…
WITH the grand reopening day of California less than a week away, Californians may start to feel that life is back-to-normal after more than a year of coronavirus-related lockdowns and restrictions. After 15 months of public health restrictions and wavering instructions from officials, the state-mandated COVID-19 guidelines will come to an end on Tuesday, June…
CALIFORNIA organizations are taking action to provide accessibility and education on coronavirus vaccines for senior citizens and those with disabilities in an effort to increase vaccination rates among the groups. The California Department of Aging and California Commission on Aging are rolling out services to get more senior citizens and those who are homebound vaccinated…
By Angela Hart / California Healthline California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a longtime Democratic state lawmaker, comes to his new role well known for pursuing an unabashedly progressive agenda on criminal justice issues. He has pushed for legislation to eliminate cash bail and to ban for-profit prisons and detention centers. But Bonta also has a distinctive record…
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is asking Californians to be aware of and to quickly report any indications of possible fraudulent or other questionable activities by individuals attempting to take advantage of the state’s recently announced COVID-19 vaccination incentive programs. The first cash prize drawing of $116.5 million Vax for the Win incentives…
Bill in response to Fil-Am killed in police custody prohibits law enforcement from using knee-to-neck restraint among other practices THE California Assembly on Wednesday, June 2 passed a bill that bans law enforcement from strangulation restraint tactics that cause asphyxia, a timely measure that has its roots in recent police killings of unarmed individuals. Passing…
GOVERNOR Gavin Newsom announced that the state of California will maintain pandemic-related relief for restaurants, bars, breweries, and wineries to support business recovery. Restaurants will continue to be permitted to offer outdoor dining, while bars will still be able to sell to-go alcoholic beverages, partner with food trucks, restaurants, or catering companies to sell meals…
CALIFORNIANS could win up to $1.5 million in a new effort to get more residents vaccinated leading up to the state’s reopening on June 15. Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday, May 27 launched the “Vax for the Win” incentive program with a $116.5 million price tag — which will include $100 million in $50 prepaid…
‘My goal is to protect Californians who are hurt’ AS Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APAHM) comes to a close, the vast Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community continues to reflect on its history and the current seismic cultural shift in the wake of countless attacks against the community. In California, home to nearly…
CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta on Friday, May 21 announced charges against 15 individuals for allegedly conspiring to defraud at least 30 known victims out of their retirement savings through an international Ponzi scheme. Targeting elderly Filipino victims, who primarily lived in Sacramento and Stockton, California, the fraudulent scheme aimed to solicit millions in investments…
CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom will include Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) support services in his California Comeback Plan following the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year. The $100 billion plan will allocate $5 million for research, conducting hate prevention activities, and approving grants at the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Meanwhile,…
Photo by Pam Menegakis on Unsplash Nurses’ union denounces CDC, state guidance Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announcement last week that face masks are no longer necessary for fully vaccinated individuals, California says it will not lift its mask mandate until June 15, the state’s targeted re-opening date. After the CDC’s…
By Philip Reese, Kaiser Health News Amid a pandemic that left law enforcement agencies stretched thin and forced shutdowns that left young men with little to do, California registered a devastating surge in homicides in 2020 that hit especially hard in Black and Latino communities. The number of homicide victims in California jumped 27% from…
With the tax filing deadline on May 17, there are 1.2 million working families in California who are eligible for tax credits from the State of California but may not be aware or haven’t applied. United Ways of California and local partners are helping to make sure families who qualify know about the programs and…
THE California DMV will still offer the written drivers license tests in 32 languages, backtracking on its previous announcement that it would eliminate 25 of the languages, including Tagalog. The reversal on Friday, May 7 came after The Sacramento Bee reported on the department’s plans to get rid of the majority of the language offerings…
CALIFORNIA Attorney General Rob Bonta on Tuesday, May 11 launched the Racial Justice Bureau within the state’s Department of Justice to address the increasing hate crimes in the state, particularly against members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. “Throughout California’s history, too many of us have felt the sting of hate and…
CALIFORNIA Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a proposal on Monday, May 10 to send more direct payments to state residents, including middle-class taxpayers. The proposal stemmed from California’s budget surplus of $75.7 billion from tax revenues, and an additional $26 billion from the federal government, allowing for $600 for each qualified taxpayer and an extra $500…
30 million vaccine doses administered in CA AS California prepares for a total reopening of the state, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) reported this week that hospitalizations and positive case rates for COVID-19 continue to decrease as vaccinations increase. In California (which is home to nearly 40 million people), more than 30 million…
Rent relief is now available for California landlords and their renters who are struggling to pay rent or utilities due to COVID-19. Income eligible renters can apply for help to pay rent and utilities, both for past due and future payments, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements. Renters and landlords can verify eligibility immediately by…
By Camille Maben / First 5 California Executive Director Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month celebrates the rich and diverse Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritages that span the world and the depths of American history. Generations after generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) have continued to make America their home…
U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), announced Zenei Triunfo-Cortez, RN as his “virtual guest” to President Joe Biden’s first address to a Joint Session of Congress on Wednesday, April 28. Triunfo-Cortez has practiced as a nurse for more than four decades and currently works in the post-anesthesia care unit at Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco Medical…
CALIFORNIA is still the most populous state in the country, but for the first time in its history, it will be losing one congressional seat, according to data released by the Census Bureau this week. The Golden State’s population amounted to 39,538,223 residents and will be one of seven states to lose a House of…
The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its California Labor Commissioner’s Office have launched a web-based tool in English that offers key information on the new 2021 COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law, Senate Bill No. 95, signed by Governor Newsom on March 19. “The 2021 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law provides workers up to…
THE effort to remove Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom from office has gained enough valid signatures to trigger a recall election this year, the California Secretary of State’s office announced on Monday, April 26. The announcement is huge for supporters of the effort to unseat Newsom but this doesn’t mean that a recall election will immediately…
