Fighting to Keep Blackness
“Elon Musk and his DOGE bros have ordered GSA to sell off the site of the historic Freedom Riders Museum in
Montgomery.” Her post of little words went on to say, “This is outrageous and we will not let it stand! I am demanding an immediate reversal. Our civil rights history is not for sale!” DOGE trying to sell Freedom Rider Museum
Also, in the news today, the Associated Press is reporting they have a file of names and descriptions of more than 26,000 military images flagged for removal because of connections to women, minorities, culture, or DEI. In more attempts to downplay Blackness, a word that is interchanged with woke, Trump supporters have introduced another bill to take down the bright yellow letters of Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, D.C., in exchange for the name Liberty Plaza. D.C. Mayor Morial Bowser is allowing the name change to keep millions of federal dollars flowing there. Black Lives Matter Plaza was named in 2020 after a tense exchange between President Trump and George Floyd protesters in front of the White House. There are more reports about cuts to equity initiatives that impact HBCU students. Programs that recruited top HBCU students into the military and the pipeline for Department of Defense contracts have been canceled.
Meanwhile, Democrats are pushing back against this second-term Trump administration’s anti-DEI and Anti-woke message. In the wake of the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, several Congressional Black Caucus leaders are reintroducing the Voting Rights Act. South Carolina Democratic Congressman James Clyburn and Alabama Congresswoman Terry Sewell are sponsoring H.R. 14, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. Six decades ago, Lewis was hit with a billy club by police as he marched for the right to vote for African Americans. The right for Black people to vote became law with the 1965 Voting Rights Act that has since been gutted, leaving the nation to vote without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act. Reflecting on the late Congressman Lewis, March 1, 2020, a few months before his death, Lewis said, “We need more than ever in these times many more someones to make good trouble- to make their own dent in the wall of injustice.”
Rep. Al Green is Censured by The U.S. House After Protesting Trump on Medicaid
By Lauren Burke
In one of the quickest punishments of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the modern era, Congressman Al Green (D-TX) was censured by a 224-198 vote today in the House. His censure featured no hearing at the House Ethics Committee and his punishment was put on the floor for a vote by the Republican controlled House less than 72 hours after the infraction in question. Of the last three censures of members of the U.S. House, two have been members of the Congressional Black Caucus under GOP control. In 2023, Rep. Jamal Bowman was censured. On the night of March 4, as President Trump delivered a Joint Address to Congress, Rep. Green interrupted him twice. Rep. Green shouted, “You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicare, and you need to raise the cap on social security,” to President Trump. In another rare event, Rep. Green was escorted off the House floor by security shortly after yelling at the President by order of GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson. Over the last four years, members of Congress have yelled at President Biden during the State of the Union. Georgia Republican Marjorie TaylorGreene was joined by Republican Rep. Lauren Bobert (RCO) in 2022 in yelling at President Biden. In 2023, Rep. Greene, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), and Rep. Lisa McClain
(R-MI) yelled at Biden, interrupting his speech. In 2024, wearing a red MAGA hat, a violation of the rules of the U.S. House, Greene interrupted Biden again. She was never censured for her behavior. Rep. Green voted “present” on his censure and was joined by freshman Democrat Congressman Shomari Figures of Alabama who also voted “present”. All other members of the Congressional Black Caucus voted against censuring Green. Republicans hold a four-seat advantage in the U.S. House after the death of Texas Democrat and former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner yesterday. Ten Democrats voted along with Republicans to censure Rep. Green, including Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, who is in the leadership as the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
“I respect them but, I would do it again,” and “it is a matter of conscience,” Rep. Green told Black Press USA’s April Ryan in an exclusive interview on March 5. After the vote, a group of Democrats sang “We Shall Overcome” in the well at the front of the House chamber. Several Republican members attempted to shout down the singing. House Speaker Mike Johnson gaveled the House out of session and
into a recess. During the brief recess members moved back to their seats and out of the well of the House. Shortly after the vote to censor Rep. Green, Republican Congressman Andy Ogles of Tennessee quickly filed legislation to punish members who participated in the singing of “We Shall Overcome.” Earlier this year, Rep. Ogles filed legislation to allow President Donald Trump to serve a third term, which is currently unconstitutional. As the debate started, the stock market dove down over one-point hours from close. The jobs report will be made public tomorrow.
Federal Firing Leaves Gaping Holes
The federal government has many loose ends to tie after firing massive numbers of government employees and contractors, particularly in one department that once dealt with diversity. To protect fired employees from retaliation, an anonymous contractor terminated on Valentine’s Day, February 14, has expressed concerns that they still have government devices and equipment and active government emails. The devices include laptops, monitors, computers, printers and more. The fired contractual workers have access to their government email as well as keycards that give admission for parking, building, computers, and government website access. The program manager over the department’s contract in charge of the fired contractual employees called the Program Management Officer of the federal agency that handles these matters to return the devices. It was said the call “was not two minutes” and the PMO said she could not talk to the project manager anymore as she was threatened with jail if they talked again. The PMO official stated, another agency “OAS will contact you.” About a month later, the employees are now being told the government is in the process of returning the equipment. Fired government employees who still have active government emails received messages on those government emails and their emails. The fired workers who received no severance will be directed on when and where to return their government devices. Those who live too far away will be directed how to mail the items back to the government. In the meantime, there is a very real concern that someone who could be disgruntled could decide to do something harmful on a government website if they still have active keycards. On
NEW YORK, NY – Wendy Williams has been escorted to a hospital after the media maven dropped a note out of the window of the assisted living facility where she currently resides. PageSix reports that the former talk show host dropped a note out of her window Monday (March 10) down to a paparazzo, requesting their assistance. The message simply read, “HELP! WENDY!!” Police reportedly performed a wellness check in response to the fallen message, with TMZ reporting that she was then taken to Lenox Hill Hospital. Footage shows Williams exiting her building with police escorts, who lead her to an ambulance she gets into on her own, followed by footage of them heading to the Upper East Side hospital. The purpose of the visit is to conduct, “an independent examination as to whether her cognitive functions are sufficiently intact to end her guardianship.” Williams has previously compared residing in the assisted living facility to “prison.”
“I am not cognitively impaired. But I feel like I am in prison,” Williams detailed to DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, and guest host Loren LoRosa on The Breakfast Club. “I’m in this place where the people are in their 90s and their 80s and their 70s. There’s something wrong with these people here on this floor.”
Reports of the incident come just hours after New York authorities launched two separate investigations into Williams’ guardianship, including with the NYPD and Adult Protective Services, TMZ also reported. Wendy Williams has been fighting to end her guardianship for months, firing her court-appointed lawyer in January and inquiring about the services of A$AP Rocky’s trial attorney, Joe Tacopina. In February, Williams signed an affidavit requesting the guardianship be terminated, adding that she had “regained capacity” to function without her court-appointed guardian, Sabrina Morrissey.
“I would never hit somebody on purpose,” Alaila Everett said of the incident at a Virginia state championship race A high school sprinter is speaking out for the first time after she was disqualified for hitting an opponent on the head with a baton, calling it an accident Alaila
Mature female business conference keynote speaker talks with interested businesswomen after conference.
By April Ryan
who were not following the mandate of Elon Musk and DOGE. Without identifying the department, location, and workers,
A group of African American people protest racial injustice in light of protest.
By April Ryan As this nation observes the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama, the words of President Trump reverberate. “This country will be WOKE no longer”, an emboldened Trump offered during his speech to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. Since then, Alabama Congresswoman Terri Sewell posted on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter this morning that
Congressman Al Green (D-TX 9th Disrtict) Photo: Wikimedia Commons
‘We’re Not Running from Our Own House’
- CBC Declares War on Trump, Musk, and Project 2025
By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com
Senior National Correspondent
In what might be an unprecedented show of force, a powerful contingent of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) met with African American journalists inside the Democratic Whip’s Conference Room at the U.S. Capitol, laying out their battle plan against Donald Trump, Elon Musk and the far-right’s dystopian blueprint known as Project 2025. CBC Chair Yvette Clarke, First Vice Chair Troy Carter, Whip Sydney Kamlager-Dove, former Chair Steven Horsford, Reps. Jahana Hayes, Summer Lee, and the ever-outspoken Jasmine Crockett made it clear—while they lack the votes to halt Trump’s cruel and life-threatening policies, they are on the offensive with one goal in mind: retaking the House next year to neutralize his agenda. As Trump prepared to address a joint session of Congress, most CBC members had vowed they would attend—not to validate him, but to “look him in the eye” as he and Musk continue to ravage the country. “Many of us are expecting lies to be told,” Kamlager-Dove stated. “We’ll be curious to see all of the gaslighting that has happened on the other side too. We want to facilitate ways in which we can work with [The Black Press].” Rep. Marilyn Strickland was blunt about why she won’t be bullied out of attending. “I’m going to this address because this is the People’s House, and people elected me to represent them. He’s not running me out of my own House,” she declared. Maryland Rep. Glen Ivey refused to sugarcoat Trump’s economic disaster. “The things he’s done are terrible. The tariffs he put in place are terrible. They’re taking money out of people’s pockets,” Ivey stated, highlighting how federal employees in his district are being sacrificed for what he called a “big grift” benefiting the billionaire class, including Musk. “Trump is pulling money together for a multi-trillion-dollar tax cut for people like Musk,” he said. Horsford didn’t hold back,
slamming Trump’s budget-slashing schemes. “That [stuff] is real. We understand. The tax cuts—his ultimate goal— so he can screw America, and Black America is at the top of his list,” he warned. Many members argued that their presence at Trump’s address was itself an act of resistance. “If we don’t show up, they will have people filling those seats and a room full of sycophants cheering for his ass as he continues to gaslight us,” Kamlager-Dove said. “So one oppositional thing to do is to show up and make him look us in the face and lie to our constituents. He’s done nothing about the $15 eggs or a damn thing to keep the planes in the air. An act of resistance is showing up and telling him to his face that he is lying—just like an act of resistance is not showing up and telling him F— you.” Then came Rep.
Jasmine Crockett, the CBC’s fiercest fighter, ready to take the war to Trump and the far-right machine. She zeroed in on the Black Press and digital media as crucial allies in breaking through the noise. “The [Black Press] is part of that strategy. To make sure you have a message from us to get out,” Crockett said. “Everyone wants to pretend things are normal, but they’re not. For everyone trying to be prim and proper, God bless them. Some of us, such as I, are a little rough around the edges, but people respond. Trump is idiot talk, but it resonated.
“But Black America has always been the trendsetters, and we have that in the Black Caucus,” she continued.
“We have to make sure we are hitting all parts of our Black demographics. We will talk to them differently. We will engage in the podcast, we will do the platforms. I’m on every single thing.” The CBC told Black journalists they’re also launching a bus tour—not just in their districts, but deep into Republican strongholds, bringing the Black Press along to document their fight. They insisted that this is no ordinary resistance. It’s a declaration of war.
Trump Moves to Dismantle Education Department
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By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent
The Trump administration is preparing to issue an executive order directing newly confirmed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education. While the president lacks the authority to unilaterally shut down the agency—requiring congressional approval—McMahon has been tasked with taking “all necessary steps” to reduce its role “to the maximum extent permitted by law.” The administration justifies the move by claiming the department has spent over $1 trillion since its 1979 founding without improving student achievement. However, data from The Nation’s Report Card shows math scores have improved significantly since the 1990s, though reading levels have remained stagnant. The pandemic further widened achievement gaps, leaving many students behind.
The Education Department provides about 10% of public-school funding, primarily targeting low-income students, rural districts, and children with disabilities. A recent Data for Progress poll found that 61% of voters oppose Trump’s efforts to abolish the agency, while just 34% support it. In Washington, D.C., where student proficiency rates remain low—22% in math and 34% in English—federal funding is crucial. Serenity Brooker, an elementary education major, warned that cutting the department would worsen conditions in underfunded schools.
“D.C. testing scores aren’t very high right now, so
US Constitution with Betsy Ross 13-star Flag and Blue Sky Background
Oblique angle of the Entrance of the Lyndon B. Johnson Department of Education building in Washington, DC (Photo Credit by Greggory DisSalvo)
D’Wayne Wiggins, Founding Member of the R&B Group Tony! Toni! Tone!, Has Died at 64
By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr.
AP Entertainment Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — D’Wayne Wiggins, a founding member of the Grammy-nominated group Tony! Toni! Tone! behind the classic 1990s jams “Anniversary,” “It Never Rains (In Southern California)” and (Lay Your Head on My) Pillow," has died. He was 64. Wiggins died Friday morning after battling bladder cancer for over the past year, according to a statement released by his family on social media.
“D’Wayne’s life was incomparable, and his music and service impacted millions around the world, including in his hometown of Oakland, California,” his family said in a statement. “He was a guitarist, producer, composer, philanthropist, mentor and founding member of Tony! Toni! Tone! He was deeply passionate about providing artist development and mentorship to emerging young musicians, helping to shape the early careers of many."
His family added: “Through this fight, he remained committed and present for his family, his music, his fans and his community.” Wiggins was a vocalist and bass guitarist of the beloved
Jam Master Jay’s Killer Hospitalized After Being Stabbed 18 Times In Prison Gang Fight
The convicted gunman in the 2002 murder of HipHop legend Jam Master Jay has been hospitalized after being stabbed 18 times during a prison gang fight at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
On Feb. 22, Karl Jordan, who was found guilty in 2024 of pulling the trigger in the shooting death of the iconic DJ, was wounded in the altercation and admitted to the hospital in serious condition.
At the time of the attack, Jordan and fellow members of his gang, the Bloods, were engaged in a fight with rival gang, the Trinitarios, leaving multiple people wounded.
Jordan’s injuries were the most serious, leading to the collapse of both his lungs—though condition has since been upgraded.
The gang fight led to a lock down of the facility and the suspension of all visitation privileges for at least one month, as the notorious holding facility continues to battle scandals and controversy.
Jordan and his accomplice, Ronald “Tinard” Washington, are believed to have slain Jam Master Jay for being cut out of a proposed cocaine trafficking operation to be based in Baltimore. It was also alleged to be supplied by founding Black Mafia Family member Terry “Southwest T” Flenory.
Jordan and Washington are still awaiting sentencing for the murder of Jam Master Jay. Both face a minimum of 20 years in prison up to a maximum of life.
R&B group, which included his brother Raphael Saadiq and their cousin Christian Riley. The group became mainstays of the New Jack Swing movement, blending R&B, jazz and traces of gospel melodies. The Oakland, California, natives burst onto the music scene with their 1988 debut album, “Who?” with songs like “Baby Doll” and “Little Walter.” But it was their 1990 New Jack Swing-infused “Feels Good” record that gave the group mainstream success, peaking at No. 9 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
They released two more studio projects together, with party hits like “Let’s Get Down,” featuring DJ Quik, and timeless slow jams including “Whatever You Want,” “It Never Rains (In Southern California),” “(Lay Your Head on My) Pillow” and “Anniversary,” a standard in the Black music romance canon. Their “It Never Rains” version was a cover of the 1972 hit by British singer-songwriter Albert Hammond.
The blood relatives also couldn’t predict how their success would affect their relationship. The Tonyies went their separate ways after their fourth album, 1996’s platinum-selling “House of Music.” Fame. Finances,
miscommunication and creative differences were unsustainable for the group.
Wiggins and Riley toured under the group’s name between 1998 and 2018, with Amar Khalil taking over lead singing duties. Wiggins also produced and helped grow young artists who would become some of today’s brightest young stars, including Zendaya, H.E.R., Kehlani and even Destiny’s Child.
Ultimately, through Saadiq's efforts, the group made amends and reunited for a tour in 2023. It was the first road trip featuring the three original members in nearly 30 years.
The family members vowed not to let outside influences like managers, record executives and the entertainment business as a whole drive them apart again, realizing that time — at least in the professional sense — is no longer a luxury.
In a 2023 interview with The AP, The Tonyies had planned on a new project.
“We got a lot of material, and now we just want to make sure that we put out the right energy through our music,” Wiggins said.
50 Cent, Cam’ron Troll Jim Jones Over
‘At The Church Steps’ Album Sales
50 Cent and Cam’ron
Rapper Jim Jones performs during week four of the BIG3 three-on-three basketball league at Barclays Center on July 14, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
have continued their trolling of Jim Jones amid their war of words, this time seemingly poking fun at Jones’ sales figures following the release of his new album, At the Church Steps.
of
YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney. IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the
California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legaI authority may affect your rights as creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the estate, you may file with the court a Request for Special Notice (form DE-154) of the filing of an inventory and appraisal of estate assets or of any petition or account as provided in Probate Code section 1250. A Request for Special Notice form is available from the court clerk. Attorney for Petitioner: JEFF DOMINIC PRICE 23465 Civic Center Wy., Bldg 9, Malibu, CA 90265 Telephone: (310) 451-2222 BAKERSFIELD NEWS OBSERVER PUB: Mar 12, 19, 26, 2025
NOTICE OF PETITION TO ADMINISTER ESTATE OF JAMES CLEVELAND JOHNSON CASE NUMBER: BPB-25-002290 To all heirs, beneficiaries, creditors, contingent creditors, and persons who may otherwise be interested in the will or estate, or both, of JAMES CLEVELAND JOHNSON A PETITION FOR PROBATE has been filed by PEGGY DIANE JOHNSON in the Superior Court of California, County of KERN 2100 College Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93305 Branch: Juvenile Justice Center THE PETITION FOR PROBATE requests that PEGGY DIANE JOHNSON be appointed as personal representative to administer the estate of the decedent. THE PETITION requests
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authority to administer the estate under the Independent Administration of Estates Act. (This authority will allow the personal representative to take many actions without obtaining court approval. Before taking certain very important actions, however, the personal representative will be required to give notice to interested persons unless they have waived notice or consented to the proposed action.) The independent administration authority will be granted unless an interested person files an objection to the petition and shows good cause why the court should not grant the authority. A HEARING on the petition will be held in this court as follows: Date: April 10, 2025 Time: 8:30 a.m. Dept: J1 Address of court: same as noted above IF YOU OBJECT to the granting of the petition, you should appear at the hearing and state your objections or file written objections with the court before the hearing. Your appearance may be in person or by your attorney.
IF YOU ARE A CREDITOR or a contingent creditor of the decedent, you must file your claim with the court and mail a copy to the personal representative appointed by the court within the later of either (1) four months from the date of first issuance of letters to a general personal representative, as defined in section 58(b) of the California Probate Code, or (2) 60 days from the date of mailing or personal delivery to you of a notice under section 9052 of the California Probate Code. Other California statutes and legaI authority may affect your rights as creditor. You may want to consult with an attorney knowledgeable in California law. YOU MAY EXAMINE the file kept by the court. If you are a person interested in the
Democrats Defy Trump’s Address as Chaos Erupts in Congress
By Stacy M. Brown BlackPressUSA.com Senior National Correspondent
Just before President Donald Trump took the podium to deliver his address to a joint session of Congress, Democratic Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett sent a message loud and clear: He is “not like us.” Crockett, dancing and lip-syncing to Kendrick Lamar’s culture-defining hit, later punctuated her defiance with a pointed jab. “Well… the State of the ‘DisUnion’ will begin shortly,” Crockett noted. “I’m gonna be in attendance.” It was just one of many signs of resistance from Democrats who braced for what they predicted would be an address filled with misinformation and political grandstanding. Undeterred, Crockett implored her millions of social media followers, “Do not watch.” The defiance extended beyond rhetoric. House Democratic leadership refused to participate in the traditional escort committee that brings the president into the House chamber, a symbolic rebuke of Trump’s presidency. A spokesperson for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the move “speaks for itself.” It was a notable departure from the morning’s strategy session, during which Jeffries and his leadership team urged House Democrats to focus on Americans suffering under Trump’s policies. However, when Trump took the stage, unity gave way to unfiltered outrage. Trump entered the chamber, flanked by Speaker Mike Johnson, determined to present his administration as a sweeping success. The reality outside his rhetoric told a different story. Days before the address, Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance engaged in a heated and globally embarrassing Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, rocking the international community. The exchange reinforced concerns that Trump is abandoning Ukraine in favor of his well-documented admiration for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. On the domestic front,
his administration has dismantled civil rights protections, slashed federal jobs, and thrown millions into uncertainty. Yet, standing before Congress, Trump claimed that more Americans believe the country is on the right track for the first time in modern history. “Now, for the first time in modern history, more Americans believe that our country is headed in the right direction than the wrong direction,” Trump declared. That was false. Of the eighteen “right track/wrong track” polls archived by RealClearPolitics since Trump took office, only two showed more respondents believing the country was moving in the right direction—one by Rasmussen with a one-point margin and another by Emerson College with a four-point edge. Meanwhile, sixteen other polls showed the opposite, some revealing double-digit margins. The RealClearPolitics average showed a nearly nine-point lead for “wrong track.” Yet Trump stood before the American people and claimed victory. The speech had barely begun
when Rep. Al Green of Texas stood in the aisle, waving his cane at the president. Lawmakers responded with cheers and boos, forcing Speaker Johnson to issue repeated warnings for decorum.
“Members are engaging in willful and continuing breach of the quorum, and the chair is prepared to direct the Sergeant at Arms to restore order to the joint session,” Johnson declared. He then ordered Green’s removal from the chamber. While Republicans erupted in applause throughout Trump’s speech, Democrats sat stone-faced. Some took it further, removing their jackets to reveal messages emblazoned in white on their backs. Some read, “Resist.” Florida Rep. Maxwell Frost’s shirt said, “No More Kings.” At the start of Trump’s speech, Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan held up a whiteboard with the words, “That’s a Lie.”
Some Democrats refused to attend the address altogether. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York announced her absence on social media. “I’m not going to the Joint Address. I will be live posting and chatting with you all here instead. Then going on IG Live after,” she wrote. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut also dismissed Trump’s speech as a “MAGA pep rally” and chose to spend the evening at an event with MoveOn. “We have to fight every single day, every single day,” Murphy proclaimed. Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont also made her position clear. “I watched him take an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution, and all he did was spew lies, stoke division, and make no effort to unify our country. I won’t sit and watch him lie to the American people again,” she asserted. Despite his claims, Trump failed to offer any real economic plan. He blamed Biden for inflation while ignoring that his tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico are set to raise prices even further, a reality already confirmed by economists. Yet he promised “dramatic and immediate relief” while
enacting policies that would do the opposite. At one point, Trump took credit for ending the so-called “weaponized government,” portraying himself as the victim. “And we’ve ended weaponized government where, as an example, a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent. Like me,” he said. Republicans cheered. Beyond the speech’s theatrics, the real story remains the fallout of Trump’s second term. Civil rights protections have been dismantled. Federal workers have been fired en masse. Veterans and people with disabilities have been left scrambling. MAGA loyalists have received unchecked power. And yet, the president stood before Congress and told Americans everything was fine. Rep. Crockett, however, was not having it. She fired back without hesitation when asked if she had anything to say to Trump. “Grow a spine and stop being Putin’s hoe,” Crockett railed, using language that proved common in an earlier meeting between CBC members and Black journalists. The apparent divide in the chamber became more undeniable as television cameras panned across the room. Republicans stood, grinning, basking in Trump’s promises. Democrats, many dressed in bright pink as a deliberate display of protest, sat in silence. Rep. Teresa Leger
California vs Trump: Attorney Gen. Bonta Lays Out “Resistance” Plan
During an online conference on Feb. 26, California Attorney General Rob Bonta detailed how the Trump Administration had used its first five and half weeks to execute an agenda that runs counter in various ways to
state policies and priorities.
taking office, President Donald Trump has issued scores of executive actions that make good on many of his campaign promises. Bonta said the impact of Trump’s exercise of his powers is creeping up on the doorsteps of California’s diverse residents.
“People are scared, worried, anxious, and uncertain about what’s happening in the federal government. And will it impact their lives and loved ones,” Bonta said. “Sadly,
I think it’s pretty clear that that’s part of the president’s strategy: To flood the zone, overwhelm us with a barrage of damaging, dangerous, and illegal executive orders and actions that impede on the law and values that make America strong.”
Bonta made the statement while delivering an address as the guest speaker of a virtual conference hosted by Capitol Weekly, a non-partisan publication focused on California politics.
“The Resistance: California vs. Donald Trump.” The 4 ½ hour event explored Trump’s presidential executive orders, mass firings, deportations, and billionaire Elon Musk’s handling of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
One of the directives Trump signed on Jan. 21 bans diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in the federal government and urges the private sector to follow suit.
Some corporations such as Amazon, Target, and Walmart have eliminated or scaled back their DEI programs.Bonta had already advised California businesses, nonprofits, and other entities not to sway from DEI initiatives in their workplaces.
“I urge all California businesses not to fall for this scare tactic,” Bonta stated.
The online conference was held almost three weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills appropriating $50 million to “Trump Proof” the state of California. It provides Bonta and the California Department of Justice (DOJ) funding to file lawsuits against the Trump Administration as well as protect California laws, institutions, and policies, Bonta said.
The funding is two-fold. First, Senate Bill SBX11, authored by Scott Weiner (D-San Francisco) and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino) amends the 2024 Budget Act to include a State Litigation Fund, distributing $25 million to the DOJ.
SBX1-1 was enacted in case the Trump Administration decides to withhold funding for emergency aid after a natural disaster such as the wildfires that occurred in Los Angeles. The DOJ says it intends to go after the federal government in courts if aid is withheld.
The second bill that was born out of the Special Legislative Session called by Newsom, SBX1-2, amends the Budget Act to add funding for Legal Services, including $25 million for legal assistance for Californians and immigrant communities.
Authored by Weiner and Gabriel, SBX1-2, also allows the DOJ to provide free legal services for veterans, people
with disabilities, homeless youth, families facing eviction, seniors, victims of domestic violence, wage theft, and human trafficking.
Bonta stated that the funding is sufficient and that his office is staffed to handle litigation that resists obstructive policies and interference from the Trump Administration.
The funds would be used “wisely and prudently and efficiently,” Bonta said.
“I am here to provide facts, reasons, and assurances of California’s nation-leading protections,” Bonta said. “I am here to enforce our laws, defend our rights, and protect our people. I am here to ensure progress prevails in California.”
Capitol Weekly hosts quarterly conferences for bipartisan panels to analyze public policy issues in the state and across the nation.
This year’s first conference included over a dozen experts discussing how California activists and officials can defend policies that oppose Trump’s injunctions.
The first panel focused on health care. The spirited debate featured Beth Malinowski, SEIU California; Devon Mathis, former California Assemblymember (R-Porterville); Dr. Richard Pan, former California Senator; and Amanda McAllister Wallner, Health Access California.
The second panel discussed California’s environment and climate. Kip Lipper, Chief Policy Advisor on Energy and Environment to the Senate pro-Tem; Catherine ReheisBoyd, Western States Petroleum Association; and Victoria Rome from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The final panel included Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles); Luis Alvarado, Luis Alvarado Public Affairs; Kevin R. Johnson, University of California at Davis School of Law; and David Trujillo, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) California Action.
“It’s going to take every resident in the state working together to say ‘we’re going to stand up for our neighbors,’” Trujillo said during the panel discussion.
The Trump administration has already begun exerting pressure on Sanctuary Regions – cities, counties, and states that have passed policies that shield undocumented individuals from apprehension by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Trump has threatened to prosecute state and local officials who resist federal immigration policy. After he was sworn in for his second term, his administration keyed in on the sanctuary cities across the country.
California, where roughly 6% of the population is undocumented, is clearly on Trump’s radar, the panel acknowledged. Trujillo said that there is a law that limits
Aims to Lower California’s High Electricity Costs
A member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), Ransom, on her first day on the job in December, introduced Assembly Bill (AB 13). If passed, the legislation will reform the five-member California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and hold its regulators more accountable, providing residents with the transparency, she says, they deserve regarding how their bills are increased.
“This is necessary because (CPUC) oversees the utilities companies that request rate hikes,” Ransom told California Black Media (CBM). “So far, that has been happening but we as the public don’t understand that the CPUC is not an elected body. It is an appointed body. They don’t have to answer to constituents who hold them accountable.”
Ransom represents California’s 13th Assembly District, which includes the communities of Stockton, Tracy and Mountain House. A former Tracy City Councilmember, Ransom was elected to office in the November General Election and is one of nine Black women legislators that are part of the 12-member CLBC.
“We need to ensure that decisions affecting utilities are made with fairness, transparency, and accountability, prioritizing affordability for Californians,” she stated.
The CPUC is a state regulatory agency that was created by a constitutional amendment to regulate privately owned telecommunications, electric, natural gas, water, railroad, rail transit, passenger transportation, and in-state moving companies.
The CPUC is responsible for ensuring that California utility customers have dependable utility service at less expensive rates, protecting utility customers from acts of deception, and promoting the well-being of California’s economy. The agency has a staff of approximately 940 employees.
The commission’s board, which typically meets twice a month, is comprised of five members with a president. Board members are appointed by the Governor and serve six-year terms. The current commissioners are Alice Busching Reynolds, Darcie L. Houck, John Reynolds,
Karen Douglas, and Matthew Baker.
Busching-Reynolds is the President. AB 13 would require that four members of the commission represent the geographic locations of the four State Board of Equalization districts. The bill would require that one member be an at-large member with unspecified qualifications.
“We all wonder sometimes how they make their decisions, how they are approving these rates and are they putting people first,” Ransom said. “They are a part of the California Constitution. They are appointed by the Governor. The Constitution does say they are supposed to be accountable to the Legislature, but the Governor gets to appoint them.”
Ransom continued, “So far, the legislature does not play a big role in what they do. We do get reports from them, but we should be getting a little bit more.”
Additionally, AB 13 would prohibit an elected member of, or an employee of, the Legislature or an employee of the executive branch from serving as a member of the commission within one year after leaving the position as an elected member or employee.
Ransom said she has been working in earnest with stakeholders and her legislative colleagues for months to make sure the bill is a pathway for workable policies that will result in “accountability, accessibility, and transparency” to avoid the rate increases that have constrained many consumers.
AB 13 has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Utilities and Energy, where amendments will be made to further align the bill with its intended goals.
The introduction of AB 13 came six weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order designed to reduce electric costs for Californians. The CPUC and California Energy Commission (CEC) were tasked to examine ways to trim programs that would save money on electric bills.
The Governor’s action aimed to provide electric
bill relief while maintaining the state’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and 100% clean electricity by the year 2045. Last year, millions of state residents received an average credit of $71 on their October electric bills from the California Climate Credit, provided by the state’s Capand-Trade program. The climate credit provides ratepayers with their share of the benefits of California’s Cap-and-Trade Program, according to CPUC. The credits are issued twice
House of Representatives (Photo Credit By Douglas Rissing)
ROB BONTA, California Attorney General.
DAVID TRUJILLO, ACLU California
By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media
Asm. Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton) introduced Assembly Bill (AB) 13 on the day she was sworn into office. AB 13, if passed, would reform the California Public Utility Commission to increase its accountability to taxpayers. CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.
By Antonio Ray Harvey California Black Media
Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton)
California Capitol News You Might Have Missed Political Playback
By Bo Tefu California Black Media
A Strategic Alliance: Reparations Advocates, Republican Assemblymember Explain Proposed Freedmen Affairs Agency
In an unexpected alliance, Kamilah Moore, who served as the chair of California’s Reparations Task Force, joined forces with Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) to advance reparations efforts in the state.
Although Essayli has expressed his opposition to taxpayer-funded reparations, he has introduced a bill to establish the California American Freedmen Agency, which would provide genealogy services to identify Californians
who are descendants of enslaved African Americans.
Moore, who chaired California’s historic reparations task force, has endorsed the bill, calling it a crucial step forward.
“I stand in strong support,” said Moore. “As former chairperson, I’m going to support any piece of legislation from any legislator that speaks to the task force’s report.”
The proposal closely mirrors a measure introduced last year by former Democratic State Senator Steven Bradford, Senate Bill(SB) 1403, which did not advance to the floor of the Assembly for a vote during the last legislative session.
Advocates outraged about the bill’s failure blamed Gov. Gavin Newsom and members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) for the bill’s failure.
Essayli claims Democratic lawmakers told him Newsom wanted to avoid the issue due to national political concerns. Newsom’s office declined to comment on the claim.
The CLBC has recently proposed a separate initiative that would allocate $6 million for a two-year genealogy study before launching a Bureau for Descendants of American Slaves. However, Moore argues that the task force has already conducted sufficient research and that the focus should now be on implementation.
The state has allocated $12 million in the 2024-25 budget for reparations-related initiatives. Last year, the Legislature issued a formal apology to the descendants of people, which includes a $500,000 memorial plaque.
Essayli emphasized that his bill would not require new funding, as the existing budget could support the Freedmen Affairs Agency.
“I think a lot of people have a misconception that there is an effort to hand out checks to all Black Americans. That’s not true, it’s also not constitutional. So, this bill is very narrow,” said Essayli.
“We are the party that fought to abolish slavery, we were founded to abolish slavery, we fought a civil war. Our first President was Lincoln. This was a natural constituency group for the Republican party,” he said.
Newsom: Trump’s Tariffs Will Hurt California Businesses and Families
Gov. Gavin Newsom has condemned the Trump Administration’s decision to impose tariffs on goods from
Canada, Mexico, and China, warning that the move will hurt American consumers and businesses.
“Tariffs are nothing more than a tax on hardworking American families -- driving up the cost of groceries, cars, and essential goods,” Newsom said in a statement.
California, the world’s fifth-largest economy, is particularly vulnerable to trade disruptions. The state relies heavily on imports and exports, with Mexico, Canada, and China accounting for over 40% of its imports. In 2024 alone, California imported $203.3 billion worth of goods from these three nations, out of a total $491.5 billion in imports.
Beyond increasing consumer prices, Newsom warned that retaliatory tariffs from these countries would directly impact California businesses, farmers, and exporters. Mexico, Canada, and China are the state’s top three export destinations, and new trade restrictions could significantly affect key industries, including agriculture and manufacturing.
The Governor also highlighted the potential impact on the construction sector, noting that tariffs could raise costs for materials essential to rebuilding efforts following the devastating firestorms in Los Angeles County.
Black Firefighter Group Wrote Letter Urging LA City Council to Deny Ousted Fire Chief’s Appeal for Reinstatement
Last week, the Los Angeles City Council denied former Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley’s appeal for reinstatement with a 13-2 vote.
On Feb. 12, Crowley made an 11-minute plea before the council to reverse the decision made by Mayor Karen Bass in the aftermath of the deadly January wildfires.
Prior to the hearing, members of the Stentorians, a Los Angeles-based association of African Americans in the fire service, sent a letter to the council urging councilmembers to uphold the dismissal.
The letter went on to detail instances along with dates to support these accusations.
“During Chief Crowley’s tenure, the (LAFD) experienced a rise in discriminatory hiring, a decrease in firefighter retention, and inequitable promotional practices that disproportionately impacted African American firefighters,” said the Stentorians in the letter. “The reports of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation have increased, creating hostile work environments across the department.”
During the hearing, Crowley defended her record.
“I will set the record straight on multiple false accusations made against me,” Crowley said. “I did not refuse an after-action report. This is a false accusation. During our discussions about an after-action report, I advised the fire commission about what was best.”
Crowley, who will remain with the LAFD in a reduced role, needed 10 council members to vote in her favor to be reinstated.
Former Chief Deputy Ronnie Villanueva, a 41-year LAFD veteran, will serve as fire chief.
U.S. Reps Simon and Kamlager-Dove Explain Decision to Walk Out of Trump’s Address to Nation
California’s U.S. Congressmembers Sydney KamlagerDove (CA-37) and Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) joined other Democratic lawmakers who protested President Donald Trump’s policies by walking out on his address to a joint session of Congress on March 4.
Kamlager-Dove described Trump’s speech as deceptive and lacking real solutions. She said she attended to support Sylvia Joyner, an advocate for wrongfully terminated workers, but she ended up walking out in protest, vowing to keep fighting against the administration’s policies.
“I walked out of the Joint Address on behalf of the people of California’s 37th District -- and because there is only so much bulls**t that a person can tolerate,” said Kamlager-Dove, in a statement.
She accused Trump of misleading the public about the impact of his policies, particularly his push to cut federal health care funding by up to $2.5 trillion.
Kamlager-Dove represents a district with the fourthlargest Medicaid enrollment in the nation, where 56% of constituents rely on the program for health care. She slammed Trump for claiming that benefits would remain
intact while advancing policies that would reduce funding for critical services.
“How dare he tell the 56% of my constituents who rely on Medicaid that their benefits are safe when his top legislative priority is cutting federal health care funding?”
Kamlager-Dove said.
Simon says she attended the joint session because she felt it was her duty to “uphold Congress’ power of checks and balances and be a witness to truth.”
However, Simon said, “There was no truth to be found.”
“After hearing President Trump’s lies about Social Security and his celebration of firing dedicated federal workers -- I walked out of his joint address to Congress.
“Over 60 million Americans rely on Social Security. As someone who previously relied on Social Security Disability Income Benefits and waited for hours in a local Social Security office to file survivor benefits after my husband, Kevin, died of cancer–I know firsthand how devastating the Administration’s cuts to Social Security will be.”
U.S. Justice Dept. Investigating U.C. System for Anti-Semitism; Violating Civil Rights Act
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into the University of California (UC) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The investigation aims to determine if the UC system has allowed a pattern of discrimination based on race, religion, and national origin, particularly focusing on a potentially hostile work environment for Jewish professors, staff, and employees. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the department’s commitment to defending Jewish Americans and addressing institutional anti-Semitism.
“This Department of Justice will always defend Jewish Americans, protect civil rights, and leverage our resources to eradicate institutional Anti-Semitism,” said Bondi.
The investigation follows a rise in anti-Semitic incidents at educational institutions across the nation, including UC campuses, particularly after the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. Leo Terrell, Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, stressed that both students and faculty should have a work environment free from such hostility.
During Older Californians Nutrition Month, State Informs Aging Adults About Resources to Stay Healthy
March is Older Californians Nutrition Month. It is a time, state authorities say, to recognize the importance of nutritious food and social connection in healthy aging The California Department of Aging (CDA) reminds older adults that a variety of state-supported programs are available to improve their health and wellbeing, including group and home-delivered meals, exercise classes, and grocery assistance.
“Californians aged 60 and older have access to free meals specifically designed to meet the nutrition needs of older individuals,” said CDA Director Susan DeMarois.
“For many older Californians, a meal represents more than nutrition -- it’s about health, independence, and connection,” she said.
The state provides vital services, such as the Congregate Meals Program, which serves nutritious meals at senior centers and other venues, and the Home-Delivered Meals Program, which ensures that homebound seniors receive healthy meals. In 2024, CDA’s local partners delivered 15.7 million meals to isolated older adults. Additionally, the CalFresh program offers financial assistance to help eligible seniors purchase food, with participation growing significantly in recent years.
“Ensuring that older Californians have access to healthy meals and essential services is part of our broader commitment to equity and well-being,” said California Health & Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Johnson. By 2030, older adults are projected to outnumber children in California, making access to these resources more critical than ever. The state also offers programs like the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and the CalFresh Restaurant Meals Program, which help seniors buy fresh produce and meals at participating locations. For more information on available services, seniors can contact their local Area Agency on Aging or visit CDA’s website.
Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona)
Trump Vowed To End Surprise Medical Bills.
The Office Working on That Just Got Slashed.
By Noam N. Levey
As President Donald Trump wrapped up his first term in 2020, he signed legislation to protect Americans from surprise medical bills. “This must end,” Trump said. “We’re going to hold insurance companies and hospitals totally accountable.”
But the president’s wide-ranging push to slash government spending, led by billionaire Elon Musk, is weakening the federal office charged with implementing the No Surprises Act.
Some 15% of those working at the federal Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, or CCIIO, were fired two weeks ago, according to the agency’s former deputy director in charge of operations, Jeff Grant.
And while the full impact of the cutbacks is still coming into focus, the retrenchment is threatening work at an agency already laboring to run an overstretched system for resolving sometimes very large bills from out-ofnetwork medical providers.
“It’s a hot mess,” Grant said of the job cuts in an interview with KFF Health News. “The chaos has put everyone in a tailspin.”
The cuts, which affected 82 of the federal office’s employees, also risk delaying critical new rules designed to speed the process of adjudicating disputes over surprise bills between health plans and medical providers. Grant, who was the top career official at CCIIO, retired last week after 41 years in government. He blasted the layoffs as a “grievous error” in a strongly worded letter to the acting human resources director, criticizing him for cutting jobs without regard for the qualifications of employees or the needs of the agency.
Health insurers have also raised concerns about maintaining the agency’s work on surprise bills.
A spokesperson for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which oversees the CCIIO, said the federal agency is doing that. “CMS is committed to enforcing the No Surprises Act, and the agency continues to move forward with that important work,” Catherine Howden said.
The CCIIO, a small part of the federal health agency, was created by the 2010 Affordable Care Act and charged with ensuring that health insurance plans meet standards established by the law to protect patients.
After Congress passed the No Surprises Act in 2020, the office assumed additional responsibility for setting up and administering the complex process for protecting patients from surprise bills.
The work drew support from Democrats and Republicans, who’d been inundated with stories of patients hit by huge bills from emergency physicians, anesthesiologists, and other providers who were not in patients’ insurance networks, even when patients received care at in-network hospitals.
“We will end surprise medical billing,” Trump promised on the campaign trail in 2020. “The days of ripping off patients are over.”
The law barred medical providers in most cases from pursuing patients over surprise bills. This prohibition is not directly affected by the recent job cuts ordered by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, created by Trump through an executive order.
But the CCIIO had been working to streamline a system established by the No Surprises Act to resolve disagreements between health plans and medical providers over out-of-network bills. This key protection was put in place so patients would not be caught in the middle of billing disputes.
The system, known as independent dispute resolution, or IDR, has been inundated with hundreds of thousands of cases. In 2023, more than 650,000 new disputes were filed, according to a recent analysis published in the journal Health Affairs.
“The No Surprises Act has protected millions of Americans from receiving surprise medical bills,” said Jennifer Jones, who directs legislative policy at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, an insurance trade group. “But issues with the independent dispute resolution process,” she added, “are driving up costs for patients and employers.”
Also overwhelmed has been a consumer reporting system designed to allow patients to lodge complaints if they feel they have been unfairly targeted with a surprise bill.
Under former President Joe Biden, the CCIIO had been working on new rules to make dispute resolution more efficient, which experts said would make a difference.
“If this rule becomes final and works as well as intended, it should help more out-of-network claims get resolved,” said Jack Hoadley, an emeritus research professor at Georgetown University, who has studied surprise medical billing.
But the new rules weren’t finished before Biden left office. And the senior official overseeing this work left his job in January. The recent cuts hit the remaining CCIIO staffers working on the No Surprises Act, according to Grant and other sources familiar with the layoffs, who asked not to be identified out of fear of professional retaliation.
Grant said senior CCIIO officials were since able to shift some employees around and got permission to recall some of the 82 people let go. But he said there is no guarantee that all of them will want to come back to the diminished agency.
Even more
California Surgeon General’s Office Launches
New Tool to Lower Maternal Mortality Rates
Shutterstock
By Edward Henderson California Black Media
The California Surgeon General’s Office has launched a new questionnaire that they believe will help reduce the state’s maternal mortality rate by 50% by December 2026 as part of its Strong Start and Beyond movement.
The Preconception Medical Assessment or PreMA is comprised of eight yes or no questions that can help potential mothers understand how their current health status and history affect a future pregnancy. The Office plans to provide digital links and physical PDFs of the questionnaire and distribute them among women living in communities designated as “high risk.”
“We know that over 85% of maternal deaths in California can be prevented,” said California Surgeon General Dr. Diana Ramos during an Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) digital press conference.
“Moms don’t have to die. Our sisters, our mothers, the wives, they don’t have to die. We can save their lives by simply alerting people to the fact that their current health could impact the pregnancy and postpartum.”
Question topics include heart health, high blood pressure, diabetes, respiratory issues, drug use and history of surgery.
Once a woman answers the questions, there are general recommendations for care at the bottom of the questionnaire based on the number of ‘yes’ responses they give. Also, at the bottom of the quiz, there are links to resources where people can get information on medical care, housing and other programs providing aid to new mothers.
Additionally, 62% of maternal deaths occur after the baby has been delivered. PreMA can also be affective to monitor health conditions between pregnancies as well to help lower this number.
“There were so many times when I cared for patients and I had to tell them, ‘you’re going to be needing more medical care, or you’re a higher risk pregnancy because of the chronic medical condition that was present before you became pregnant.’ And inevitably, the words that always came out of the people that I cared for was, ‘I wish I would have known. I wish I would have known that there was something that I could have done to improve the outlook for my pregnancy.’” Black women in the U. S. are more than twice as likely as white women to die due to complications related to maternity and the birthing process, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For Black women in California, the risk of death due to pregnancy complications is four to six times higher than any other ethnic group, according to data from the California Health Care Foundation.
Licensed Doula Ithiopia McKinney is an example of one of those women. McKinney, said at the time of her pregnancy she did not qualify for insurance. According to McKinney, she had to utilize the services of an emergency room. During a visit she found out that there was a bleeding from her placenta caused by high blood pressure.
“If it was something that was caught beforehand, I would have been able to take the necessary steps to fix it with medical care,” said McKinney. “And I would not have had anxiety during my pregnancy. They were even talking about it might be possible that I had to stay in the hospital. I was put on bed rest, but I really couldn’t be on bed rest because I was an immigrant trying to work.”
A Black immigrant, McKinney’s struggles are common for women of color in the United States. Black women in California experience pregnancyrelated maternal mortality rates that are three to four times higher than other women.
“A tool like PreMA would give us the information that we would need before we even think about getting pregnant. Every time you empower a woman, and in terms of their reproductive health, it leads to better outcomes. And so that is one of the reasons why me personally, we started the mobile health planning. No woman would not have that prenatal care that I, unfortunately, had.”
President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 3. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)