People walking and biking on Watsonville streets die at a rate 70% higher than the county average, according to a Santa Cruz Local analysis.
Health Equity & Social Justice
The Health Divide: Measles cases have hit a three-decade high, and not everyone is equally protected
Measles cases are at their highest numbers in decades amid declining vaccinations, persistent disparities and vaccine misinformation, leaving millions of children vulnerable.
Children in low-income Black communities face higher lead exposure risks from aging schools and homes, which can lead to worse health and learning outcomes.
Native youth in California face the state's highest suicide rates despite being its smallest ethnic group. Now Medicaid cuts threaten vital Indigenous clinics offering culturally rooted mental health care.
Embracing a queer identity while being part of the Vietnamese diaspora presents significant challenges. However, when there is acceptance from family, the road to self-expression and an emotionally healthy life is within reach.
“The cuts hit everywhere,” said Harvard researcher Scott Delaney. “It's not just in the Ivies. It's not just in the Northeast. There's a story everywhere across the entire country.”
A proposed federal gun laws risk empowering abusers and weakening protections.
Although California has banned suspensions for “willful defiance” in grades K-12, both Elk Grove Unified and Sacramento City Unified school districts continued to suspend students for defiance during the 2023-24 school year, according to an OBSERVER analysis. The issue has gained new relevance as federal policies under the Trump administration threaten funding for schools that implement equity-based discipline practices.
Transracial adoption remains a complex and often debated subject, one that experts Bryan Post and Rhonda Roorda are tackling head-on.
Victor Malin Jr. endured foster care, trauma, and prison. Now he mentors youth and leads community programs to stop others from following the same path.