California State News & Headlines — Page 16 of 20

Governor Newsom announces Early Childhood Policy Council and a team to develop master plan for early learning and care

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, November 22, announced the selection of diverse experts, practitioners and parents to guide California’s efforts on early learning and care. The Governor today appointed 20 members of the state’s new Early Childhood Policy Council and advisory committees, including national experts, practitioners, and parents. He also announced the creation…

Covered California’s new state subsidies program provides relief for middle-income Californians

Open enrollment for 2020 is underway, and more Californians than ever before are eligible for financial help for their health insurance. The reason is a new state subsidy program. It will help lower the cost of coverage for almost 1 million people, including for some middle-income Californians for the first time since the Patient Protection…

Filipino stars, Pedro Fernandez coming to Chumash Casino Resort

SANTA YNEZ, CA – November 13, 2019 – The Chumash Casino Resort has announced that popular Filipino entertainers Ian Veneracion and Jona will join forces for a performance, and Latin Grammy Award winner Pedro Fernández will also take the stage in two Samala Showroom events in January. Tickets for these events will go on sale…

California fires illuminate trauma and resilience

by Anna Maria Barry-Jester SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Dorothy Hammack had planned to wash her thick, dark hair in the kitchen sink Friday morning. She couldn’t yet shower, due to the incision on her breast from a biopsy a few days before. Her doctor had already called to let her know the results: She had…

California nursing home residents told to find new homes

by Jocelyn Wiener SOME of California’s most vulnerable nursing home residents, many of whom have nowhere else to go, are receiving letters from their health care plans saying they are no longer eligible for long-term care. In one notable example, three dozen nursing home residents in San Luis Obispo County were informed on the same…

Gov. Newsom launches resource website for Californians impacted by wildfires and power shutoffs

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday, October 28, the launch of a new state website with tools and resources for Californians who have been impacted by wildfires and utility-directed power shutoffs. The website, RESPONSE.CA.GOV, combines emergency response, recovery and resilience information into a single place for easy access by users. It is a…

Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies gets $1-M state allocation for research

The year-old Bulosan Center for Filipino Studies at the University of California, Davis will be receiving $1 million in state funding to go towards expanding research on Filipino American communities. Announcing the funding on Thursday, October 24 was Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Alameda), who was born in Quezon City, Philippines and became the first Fil-Am to…

Santa Clarita Tick Fire jumps freeway overnight

Gov. Newsom declares State of Emergency amidst California fires With nearly 50,000 people already under evacuation orders due to the Tick Fire in Santa Clarita, California that broke out Thursday, October 24, the fire continued to grow and even jumped a highway overnight and prompted more evacuations. As of Friday morning, October 25, the fire…

Asian American group disappointed in Newsom’s veto of bill protecting imprisoned  immigrants from deportation

With California being a “sanctuary state” where law enforcement officers are prohibited from assisting in federal immigration enforcement, it came as a surprise when a bill prohibiting state prisons from allowing federal immigration arrests was vetoed. California Governor Gavin Newsom returned the bill without his signature on Saturday, October 12 — a day after he…

California to provide financial boost to help buy health coverage

by Bernard Wolfson IF you are among the Californians who buy your own health insurance, a surprise may await you as the enrollment period for 2020 coverage opens this week. Starting Jan. 1, California will become the first state to offer subsidies to middle-income people who make too much money to qualify for the federal…

Gov. Newsom signs arbitration bill giving California’s workers, consumers a big win

SACRAMENTO – Delivering a big victory for California workers and consumers, Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday, October 13, signed SB 707, jointly authored by Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), to deter companies that have forced their customers and employees into arbitration from obstructing the process by refusing to…

Major credit agency upgrades California’s credit rating

SACRAMENTO – Recognizing California’s decisions to build the state’s fiscal reserves and pay down long-term liabilities, as well as continued economic growth, a major credit agency – Moody’s Investors Service – has upgraded California’s outstanding general obligation bonds to Aa2 from Aa3. The agency has also upgraded the rating on the state’s outstanding lease debt,…

Fire season underway in California as flames ignite through San Fernando Valley, Bay Area

One dead in Sylmar, multiple communities ordered to evacuate Wind-driven brush fires that began earlier this week throughout California have caused massive, power outages, freeway closures, mandatory evacuations, and at least one death so far, and it’s really only the beginning. In the Southland, 23,000 homes were placed under mandatory evacuation orders on the morning…

Pinay visionaries: A spotlight on Filipina American elected and appointed officials

Interviews by Malou Liwanag-Bledsoe, Joseph Peralta and Christina M. Oriel /AJPress THE late Thelma Buchholdt paved the way for Filipino Americans to serve in public office, when she was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1974, becoming the first Fil-Am woman legislator in America. She served four terms until 1980. Since then, Filipina…

Gov. Gavin Newsom signs legislation banning ‘Pay for Delay’ to fight runaway prescription drug costs

SACRAMENTO – Building on the state’s first-in-the-nation investments in the California budget and the Governor’s executive actions to lower prescription drug costs, Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, October 7, signed into law three bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs and increase access to care for California families. These bills will block pharmaceutical companies…

Family searching for missing Fil-Am mother in Long Beach

A LOCAL family is urging the public to share any information on the whereabouts of a Filipina American mother who has been missing for over a week. Cherrylyn Tolentino Arellano was last seen in Long Beach, California on Wednesday, September 25 and has not been in contact with anyone, according to the family.  Arellano, 38,…

California State

California child care workers now allowed to unionize under new law

TENS of thousands of California child care workers are celebrating after California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new law this week that will allow them to unionize and bargain for better wages and health benefits. The new law, AB387, was signed by Newsom on Monday, September 30 and will impact roughly 40,000 child care workers….

California Department of Public Health issues advisory urging everyone to refrain from vaping

Health advisory warns about imminent public health risks SACRAMENTO – The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) issued a health advisory urging everyone to refrain from vaping, no matter the substance or source, until current investigations are complete. The health advisory follows an executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last week to confront the growing…

Trump criticizes California for rampant homelessness

PRESIDENT Donald Trump embarked on a visit to California this week where he had some things to say about the state’s homeless epidemic. On Tuesday, September 17, the president was in Los Angeles for fundraising and speaking events for his re-election campaign. The week before this visit, the administration dispatched White House officials to LA…

Trump nominates Fil-Am attorney to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for second time

President Donald Trump has once again announced his intent to nominate a Filipino American federal prosecutor to the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, September 20.  Patrick J. Bumatay, who is an assistant attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California in San Diego, was previously tapped for the…

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs executive order to confront youth vaping epidemic

SACRAMENTO – On Monday, September 16, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order to confront the growing youth epidemic and health risks linked to vaping. The executive order directs the Department of Public Health (CDPH) to launch a $20 million statewide digital and social media public awareness campaign to educate youth, young adults and…

Largest University of PH alumni gathering in LA hits fundraising goals, welcomes VP Leni Robredo

LOS ANGELES, California –  It was an epic night on Saturday, September 7 for the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Greater Los Angeles (UPAAGLA) as one of U.P.’s most notable alumnae, Vice President Leni Robredo, was the keynote speaker. With over 330 guests in attendance and more than P1.2M ($25,000.00) raised, the recently…

More Fil-Ams encouraged to enroll in Covered California as subsidies are not considered a public charge, officials clarify

With debate surrounding the public charge changes set to take effect in October, Covered California officials and navigators emphasize that individuals who receive subsidized health care will not be considered a public charge. The public charge rule expands the federal government’s ability to penalize immigrants who seek green cards if they use taxpayer-funded programs, such as…

California Governor Newsom signs controversial vaccine bills

Senate bills 276 and 714 imposes tighter restrictions on medical exemptions for vaccines Despite strong showings from anti-vaccine protesters, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday, Sept. 9 signed into state law wide-ranging restrictions on doctor-signed medical exemptions for otherwise mandatory vaccines. Together, SB 276 and SB 714 would establish a stricter oversight over the medical…

Criminal investigation is underway over deadly Santa Cruz Island boat fire that killed 34, including Fil-Am family

The Labor Day tragedy becomes one of California’s worst maritime disasters AFTER the tragic Labor Day fire on the diving vessel Conception that claimed 34 victims, a joint investigation conducted by federal and state authorities has gone underway, a law enforcement source said on Monday, Sept. 9. Initial reporting from the Los Angeles Times and…

Fil-Am family among those unaccounted for in Santa Cruz Island boat fire

34 dead, names of 9 victims have been released SANTA Barbara County authorities on Friday, September 6 have identified 18 victims and released the names of nine who perished in the tragic boat fire in Santa Barbara County over Labor Day weekend. Those still unidentified and unaccounted for include a Filipino American family: Michael Quitasol,…

Lawmakers send contested vaccine bill to CA governor

by Ana B. Ibarra CALIFORNIA lawmakers dropped this year’s most controversial public health bill into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s lap on Wednesday, but it’s not clear whether he will sign the measure, which would tighten the rules for exempting children from routine vaccinations. The state Senate voted 28-11 to approve SB-276 by state Sen. Richard Pan…

Starving seniors: How California’s aging are falling through the cracks

by Laura Ungar and Trudy Lieberman SAN JOSE, Calif. — In the neighborhoods around San Jose, more than 1 in 9 seniors struggle to get enough to eat. They are among the millions of seniors across the country who quietly go hungry as the safety net designed to catch them frays. Nearly 8% of Americans…

Fil-Am dad, daughters presumed dead in Santa Cruz Island boat fire

A Filipino American family was among the dozens of people aboard a boat that erupted in flames near Santa Barbara, California over the Labor Day weekend. Twenty-five bodies have been located as of Wednesday, September 4, while nine are still unaccounted for, including Filipino Americans Michael Quitasol, his current wife Fernisa Sison, and Quitasol’s daughters…

California to provide two years of community college tuition-free

California this week announced that it will join other states in providing the first two years of community college tuition-free for first-time, full-time students. This move comes after Governor Gavin Newsom proposed that the state budget cover students by expanding the California College Promise program, which had provided one year free of tuition.   The…