Government

The Lookout: Gov. Newsom Signs Bills Written to Fix Injustices

One such restorative measure is Senate Bill 796 introduced by State Sen. Steven Bradford (D – Gardena) that allows Bruce’s Beach, an oceanside plot of land in Los Angeles County, to be returned to the descendants of its original owners.

Published

5 years ago

October 7, 2021

Christy Price

Gavin Newsom/iStock

Watching your tax dollars, elected officials and legislation that affects you.

Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a number of bills lawmakers introduced to address injustices.

“We’re making history by righting historic wrongs. With new legislation that will allow the transfer of Bruce’s Beach back to its rightful owners, we’re taking a step closer to making the CA Dream a reality for all. Thank you to all who have kept the legacy of this place alive,” Newsom tweeted.

Almost a century ago, the Black couple who owned the property now called Bruce’s Beach set it up as a residential enclave and resort for other Black families. They lost their property when the city of Manhattan Beach used eminent domain laws to forcefully and illegally seize their land following white neighbors’ complaints.

Last week, Newsom also signed two criminal justice bills, Assembly Bill (AB) 518 and Senate Bill (SB) 586.

AB 518 will allow a judge to choose someone’s sentence based on their own discretion instead of being required to choose the longest possible sentence.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland), who authored AB 518, took to Twitter to celebrate the bill becoming law.

“For too long, our laws sought to impose the strictest sentence possible, in every situation — regardless of the circumstance. AB 518 gives judges more discretion when sentencing. A step towards a fairer criminal justice system,” Wicks tweeted.

SB 586, also known as the Kenneth Ross Jr. Decertification Act of 2021 will bar police officers from serving in other California precincts if they were fired for misconduct.

Sen. Bradford named the bill he introduced after Kenneth Ross Jr., an unarmed Black man who was killed by an officer who had been involved in another “questionable” shooting.

Newsom, standing side-by-side with Bradford and other lawmakers, spoke about SB 586 and other criminal justice bills at a press conference he held in a school gym in Oakland last on September 30.

“We have a lot to be proud of but there are areas where we have nothing to brag about,” Newsom said. “California has asserted itself in certain areas but it is remarkable that we still struggle in other areas.”

Newsom went on to express his frustration about California being behind 46 other states when it comes to decertification legislation.

“Why is it so hard to do the right thing,” he asked.

Fouzia Almarou, Kenneth Ross Jr.’s mother, also spoke at the press conference.

“This bill means a lot because it’s going to stop police from attacking, targeting and being racist toward Black and Brown people. I’m tired of it,” she said.

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Business

Car Wash Workers Cope with Lingering Impacts of ICE Raids

WAVE COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS — Hundreds of car wash workers across Southern California have been detained in federal immigration raids, leaving lingering impacts on families and communities. Mario, a 33-year U.S. resident and father of three, was arrested at a Santa Ana car wash last August and held for two months.

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

bpusa-syndication

LOS ANGELES — Mario relied on his job in the car wash industry to raise his three children. It was during a shift at a Santa Ana car wash last August that he was arrested by federal agents, taken to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center and held for two months.

“They made me sleep on the cold floor for a week without a blanket, a toothbrush or basic medical care for the injured man next to me,” Mario, a 33-year resident of the United States, said at a news conference earlier this summer at Inglewood’s Crenshaw Imperial Car Wash, which is now closed after being raided by federal agents.

Mario, who is being identified only by his first name for safety reasons, is among hundreds of car wash workers detained across Southern California in the year since the Trump administration began an aggressive immigration crackdown in the region, according to the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center.

News of raids by masked agents has faded from the headlines, but the effects still linger for those caught in the crosshairs. Family members have been deported or left to languish in detention, and many who remain live with the fear of being hunted down by immigration officers.

At least 373 car wash workers have been detained at car washes across Southern California since the raids began last summer, according to figures compiled by CLEAN. The group’s data also shows federal agents raided or attempted to raid at least 106 car washes in communities across Los Angeles, Orange County and surrounding areas, including Inglewood, Culver City, Westchester, Bell and Whittier.

CLEAN, an advocacy group founded in 2007, has been fighting to protect car wash workers from exploitation and unsafe conditions. When the raids began last year, the group sprang into action, working around the clock to help detained workers and provide their families with legal and financial support.

“We gathered our information from workers, managers, and owners of the car washes that were being raided,” CLEAN Deputy Director Andrea Gonzalez said. “We also gathered information from rapid response teams who were on the ground responding to the raids.”

The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment on the group’s findings.

Mario said he was one of seven workers at the Harbor Blvd Car Wash detained on the same day last August, but the only one who has been released. He said he refused to sign deportation papers and is fighting to stay in the United States, a process that has drained his family emotionally and financially.

“Being released is not the same as being free,” he said.

During Mario’s detention at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center, his wife and children struggled to cope with his sudden absence while fighting for his release, his wife Alejandra said.

“The employer gave us a video showing my husband being taken away under arrest, treated worse than a common criminal, with chains binding his legs, arms and waist,” Alejandra said. “It wasn’t right.”

The experience of a car wash worker named José was recounted at the news conference by the Rev. Andy Schwiebert of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, who said agents “took him” from the La Cienega Car Wash last August.

José’s wife is a U.S. citizen, Schwiebert said, and José had a pathway to gaining citizenship before he was detained. By the time a judge ordered his release on bond, the car wash had shut down, Schwiebert said, leaving José without a job.

“These raids did not just target workers; they destabilized families, congregations, workplaces and entire communities,” Schwiebert said.

The administration’s aggressive enforcement operations have continued across the nation in the months since José’s and Mario’s detention, with ICE arrests in July surging to their highest rate so far under President Donald Trump.

Last month, ICE agents shot and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old father of three in Houston. Less than a week later, an immigration officer fatally shot 26-year-old Johan Sebastián Duran Guerrero in Biddeford, Maine.

Back in Inglewood, Mario said he was grateful to share his story and that, even though he was released, his experience in detention stays with him.

“I still feel frustrated and traumatized,” Mario said, “because my life is no longer the same as it used to be.”

Ernesto Ureño is a Loyola Marymount University journalism major and intern at Capital & Main, a nonprofit publication focused on inequality. It is published here with permission.

Based on reporting by Wave Community Newspapers.

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Community

As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate

POST NEWS GROUP — Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.

Published

4 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

By City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins

Parents, check that your children return to school up to date on vaccinations. If necessary, schedule a visit with your family’s doctor or with the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic to catch up.

Vaccines protect your household and also limit the spread of diseases such as measles and polio. The higher the vaccination rate in a community, the greater the protection for everyone – especially the most vulnerable.

Families are encouraged to:

Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

If your child doesn’t have a health care provider, you may be able to access free vaccinations through the City of Berkeley’s Immunization Clinic. Make an appointment by calling (510) 981-5350, emailing phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov, or booking online.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

Call: (510) 981-5350
Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

Medicaid-eligible
Uninsured
Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccines are just one of the many public health services you can access at the West Berkeley Family Wellness Center. The center is home to the Women, Infants, and Children program, nutrition support, case management services, and a variety of family support services, plus free classes throughout the year.

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
Family support services:
- West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
- Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.

bpusa-syndication

Posts by bpusa-syndication

Community

As Part of Your Back-to- School Checklist, Vaccinate

Published

4 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

By City of Berkeley, California

Berkeley Public Health recommends families catch up on immunizations before the new school year begins

Families are encouraged to:

Check their child’s vaccination records. Ask their health care provider or check California’s Digital Vaccine Record portal.
Schedule a check-up with your child’s doctor.

See what shots are required for pre-kindergarten or TK-12th grade, and check that your kids have all their recommended vaccines.

FREE VACCINE CLINICS AUG. 4-13

Children without health insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover vaccines can get them for free:

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
1900 Sixth St.

Hours: Tuesdays–Thursdays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.
Closed 12 p.m.–1 p.m.

Make an appointment between Aug. 4–6 or Aug. 11–13 for back-to-school vaccine clinics:

Call: (510) 981-5350
Email: phmailbox@berkeleyca.gov
Book online

Children 18 years and under are eligible for free City vaccines if they are:

Medicaid-eligible
Uninsured
Underinsured (insurance does not cover vaccines)
American Indian or Alaska Native

If you are unsure whether you or your child is up to date, the City of Berkeley Vaccination Clinic can help review records and provide recommended vaccines.

FAMILY WELLNESS RESOURCES

Vaccinations aren’t just for kids. Throughout adult life, everyone should keep up with their vaccination needs. See recommended vaccines for adults.

Get a healthy start to the school year. Check your child’s vaccinations. Make an appointment with your doctor or get free vaccines at the City clinic.

VACCINE INFORMATION AND FAMILY RESOURCES

City of Berkeley Immunization Clinic
TK–12 school vaccine requirements:
Family support services:
- West Berkeley Family Wellness Center
- Women, Infants, and Children program

Get trusted information about the City of Berkeley by bookmarking berkeleyca.gov, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Bluesky and Instagram.