By Selen Ozturk, Ethnic Media Services As nearly 45 million Americans and counting owe over $1.7 trillion in student debt, what’s the future of college affordability? Though the Biden administration has made historic strides in passing student loan forgiveness initiatives, ongoing lawsuits by Republican-majority states and a possible change of White House leadership this election year threatens their survival. Meanwhile, the lifting of pandemic-era freezes to federal student loan payment forces borrowers nationwide to choose once again between greater debt or affording basic needs — underscor ..read more

“So many young people have put their lives, their bodies, livelihoods on the line to voice their resistance to what’s happening,” said Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez, referring to the Israel-Hamas war. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse) By Samantha Kennedy The Richmond City Council voted at a special meeting Tuesday to restrict city investments from 10 companies that have links to what it officially referred to as Israel’s ongoing “relentless assaults” that have killed over 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza. The divestment comes during the monthslong push by U.S. activists an ..read more

Loveridge Road between North Park Boulevard is undergoing pavement rehabilitation and new striping. (City of Pittsburg via Bay City News) By Aly Brown Bay City News The city of Pittsburg will soon repair about 2 miles of pavement at a cost of $4.4 million as part of a rehabilitation plan for high-traffic roadways. The first one, currently underway, will provide pavement rehabilitation and new striping along a half-mile segment of Loveridge Road from state Highway 4 to Pittsburg-Antioch Highway — the portion of roadway where West 10th Street turns into East 14th Street. Improvements are expect ..read more

From left: Jacklyn Duque of the Office of Assemblyman Tim Grayson; David Ambuehl, CalTrans; Tim Haile, Contra Costa Transportation Authority; Pittsburg City Manager Garrett Evans; Pittsburg Mayor Juan Antonio Banales; BART Board Vice President Mark Foley; Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Hairsine; CCTA Chair/Mayor of Danville Newell Arnerich at the groundbreaking of the BART Connectivity Project. (City of Pittsburg via Bay City News) By Bay City News The city of Pittsburg and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority recently broke ground for the BART Connectivity Project, which ..read more

Read in English Comentarios, Hamza Fahmy Dejé mi ciudad natal en Egipto en 2018 para venir a Estados Unidos. En aquel tiempo, no sabía nada de la cultura, ni de las relaciones raciales en ese país, pero eso cambiaría muy rápido. Había terminado recientemente la preparatoria y los únicos lugares que me admitirían eran las universidades comunitarias, donde terminé en California y donde sigo estudiando. Pero antes, mi viejo amigo David me invitó a su casa del lago en su ciudad natal en la Alabama rural. En aquél entonces yo no sabía nada relacionado con la cultura estadounidense, especialmente n ..read more

Using an EPA-registered insect repellent with a recommended active ingredient is one way to guard against mosquito bites. (“Katie & Diane bug spray” by George Thomas / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license) By Tony Hicks, Bay City News A dead bird in Concord has tested positive for West Nile virus. The Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District said Friday an American crow was picked up with the virus April 9. It’s the first case reported in Contra Costa County this year, after infected birds were reported from Alameda, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. “It is early in the season for ..read more

Read in English Por Samantha Kennedy La Comisión sobre el Estado del Odio de California se concentrará en el odio en línea y en persona desarrollando nuevas investigaciones y creando un programa contra el acoso para las empresas. El 22 de febrero, la Comisaria Shirin Sinnar declaró que su subcomisión de datos e investigación facilitará la investigación sobre el odio en línea y la eficacia de las mejoras en los delitos de odio, de los cuales dijo que se ha hecho poco. “Sabemos muy poco realmente de las repercusiones de las mejoras de los delitos de odio”, dijo Sinnar, quien es también profesor ..read more

The current proposed redesigns of the exterior of Richmond High were developed with community input and are subject to change with additional feedback. (Screenshot captured by Samantha Kennedy / The CC Pulse) By Samantha Kennedy Early designs for a modernized Richmond High School show a new building along 23rd Street that looks to enhance the school’s identity.  The West Contra Costa Unified School District hosted an in-person and virtual community meeting Thursday to receive input on what Richmond High could look like in the future. Project designs show a new building housing classrooms ..read more

The Salesian Pride went through unfamiliar postgame feelings after an unlikely loss at home. Story and photos by Joe Porrello Multiple streaks ended for Salesian College Preparatory High on April 24, as the Pride lost their senior night bout with Hercules High 6-1 in Richmond. It was the Pride’s first time allowing a run in over a month, their only loss in the previous 10 games, their first defeat in a Tri-County-Stone League matchup in over two years, and their lone loss to the Titans in the last eight seasons. “This shouldn’t sit right with any of the seniors or anybody on the team,” said P ..read more

(Image courtesy of West Contra Costa Unified School District via Bay City News) By Monica Velez, EdSource West Contra Costa Unified School District officials responded to complaints filed over ongoing teacher vacancies earlier this month. However, complainants say the district lacks a sufficient plan to fix the problem, and the next steps could include litigation if vacancies are not addressed. “As teachers, our work is being harmed, our ability to do our job is being harmed,” said Sam Cleare, a West Contra Costa teacher. “But what truly hurts me the most is knowing that these students — I ca ..read more