california news

The San Diego Continuing College of Education (SDCCE) opened a new Business Resource Center on April 9th at the Cesar Chavez campus to provide support and resources for entrepreneurs at all stages. Dr. Tami Foy, Executive Director of the SDCCE Foundation, developed the center at the request of SDCCE President Dr. Tina King, with assistance from Alex Waters of The Program Labs. The center will offer workshops, 1-on-1 business coaching, small group sessions, and free business needs assessments with referrals to community resources. This new facility replaces the previous business resource center at the Jo & Vi Jacobs Center, which donated furniture to the new location, and features podcast equipment, computers, and free informational resources for technological career training.

The 6th annual San Diego Writers' Festival took place on April 5, 2025, at Coronado High School, bringing together writers and book enthusiasts with a mission to provide affordable access to writing conference experiences. A notable panel hosted by Laura Cathcart of the "Only One in the Room" podcast featured Black journalists and novelists discussing challenges in the predominantly white publishing industry, where Black people represented only 5.1% of industry professionals according to the 2023 Lee & Low Books' Diversity Baseline Survey. Panelists including Lisa Deaderick from The San Diego Union Tribune, author Trisha R. Thomas, and Row House Publishing acquisitions editor Tamela Gordon shared personal experiences and advice, while other Black creatives like Dr. Catherine Grace Pope, Tembi Locke, Marilyn Harvey, Marcus McNeal, Maria Boyd, and Anthony Green Jr. showcased their works and initiatives throughout the festival. Despite being in the minority, Black writers at the festival were able to network, socialize, and exchange value with one another.

Early results in the District 1 Supervisor race show Chula Vista Mayor John McCann leading with 43.5% of the vote, while Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre has 31.7% and District 3 Councilmember Vivian Moreno has 13%. With over 57,000 votes counted, McCann needs to reach 50% to win outright, otherwise the election will proceed to a July 1 runoff between McCann, a Republican, and Aguirre, a Democrat. The outcome of this election will shift the board's partisan balance, which is currently evenly split between two Democrats and two Republicans.

In collaboration with the Golden State Warriors and Heart of America, the NBA Foundation awarded gym renovations to Bret Harte Elementary School with a day full of activities and special NBA and WNBA appearances during the NBA All-Star Playoffs on February 14. Bret Harte, opened in 1940, had developed significant structural issues in its gym due to weather exposure and humidity, requiring comprehensive repairs to the floor and paint. The school was selected through a collaborative process that considered both the facility's needs and its ability to maintain improvements, as explained by Jill Heath, President and CEO of Heart of America Foundation. Along with the physical renovations, the event included reading lessons, outdoor games, painting, basketball activities, and appearances from NBA and WNBA stars, all intended to make a lasting impact on students in the Bayview neighborhood, with similar projects at other schools having yielded higher attendance rates and increased school pride.

Recently off Southern California's coast, surfer Rj LaMendola was attacked by a sea lion suffering from domoic acid toxicosis, a neurological condition caused by harmful algal blooms that have appeared for four consecutive years. The current bloom started earlier than usual and spans approximately 370 miles of Southern California coastline, sickening dozens of marine animals that display symptoms like seizures and intense lethargy. According to John Warner, CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center in Los Angeles, they've admitted 195 sea lions from February 20 to March's end compared to only 50 during the same period last year. This toxin accumulates in small fish like sardines and anchovies before affecting larger marine predators who consume them, often leading to death.

On Saturday 12,000 people showed up to march through the streets of downtown San Diego. It was called the “Hands Off!” day of action to raise awareness of various issues related to protecting people’s rights. This was part of a larger national initiative with approximately, 1,000 events across the united states one of 115 throughout California. Protesters carried signs that spoke to saving democracy and spoke on various issues from LGBTQ+ and civil rights and more. Black representation was absent from the march and social media communicated some people in the Black community dont want to be apart of initiatives that aren’t reciprocal.

Georgia lawmakers are poised to pass House Bill 127 on the final day of their 2025 legislative session, which would ban a broad range of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the state's public schools, colleges, and universities. The Republican-controlled Senate approved the measure early Thursday on a party-line 33-21 vote, requiring only House approval for final passage. The bill would prohibit any policy or procedure "designed or implemented with reference to race, color, sex, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity or sexual orientation" and would ban colleges and universities from promoting concepts including social justice, racial privilege, and intersectionality. The legislation comes amid President Donald Trump's administration's escalating efforts against DEI programs nationwide, including a recent directive giving states and K-12 schools 10 days to certify compliance with the administration's interpretation of federal civil rights laws or risk losing federal funding.