American Community Media

09/16/2026

ACoM News Briefing Recap | The Latino Vote: Profiling America’s Changing Electorate – 2026 Midterms

See More: https://americancommunitymedia.org/media-briefings/the-latino-vote-profiling-americas-changing-electorate-2026-midterms/

As the 2026 midterms approach, Latino voters are drawing renewed attention after notable shifts in the 2024 presidential election. Rather than treating the electorate as a single partisan bloc, this briefing examines how voter attitudes continue to change and why neither major party can assume lasting support.

Panelists highlighted economic pressures, immigration enforcement, political independence and trust in political institutions as important factors shaping voter decisions. The discussion also underscored the diversity within Latino communities and the distinction between support for particular policies, candidates and parties.

This ACoM briefing helps journalists and audiences understand the forces shaping Latino political participation ahead of the midterms, including the role of turnout, candidate engagement and voters’ day-to-day economic concerns.

Thank you to our guest speakers:

Mike Madrid, Republican political strategist, author of The Latino Century and Co-Founder of The Lincoln Project

María Isabel Di Franco Quiñonez, Senior Research Director, Equis Research

Eli Valentin, Assistant Dean of Graduate and Leadership Studies at the W. Frankly Richardson Graduate Center, Virginia Union University, and author of Politicking in the Barrio

Clarissa Martínez De Castro, Vice President of the Latino Vote Initiative, UnidosUS

Latino voters are emerging as a key swing bloc ahead of the 2026 midterms, reshaping America’s electorate as economic concerns, immigration enforcement, and political uncertainty drive shifting allegiances nationwide.

09/11/2026

Sitting on Governor Newsom’s desk is AB 2222, the Community Newsroom Employment and Workforce Sustainability Act (Community NEWS Act). The bill seeks to put California at the forefront of national efforts to keep local newsrooms intact.

AB 2222 would help ensure baseline workforce stability especially critical for smaller local news outlets facing financial headwinds.

09/09/2026

When a farmworker spends their day bent over harvesting food but can’t afford to feed their own family, that should send alarm bells ringing that our system is in need of serious repair.

But that’s the reality for far too many families in the Eastern Coachella Valley, where rates of food insecurity far surpass the national average.

In 2023 Solangel Cruz, who spent years working the surrounding date palm groves here, began a food distribution network that today reaches more than 400 families each week. And the network is expanding to other cities in and around the Coachella Valley.

“More than a team, we are like a family, because we are always united, and one person’s needs affect the others as well,” said Cruz. “We always look for solutions so that we can help one another and move forward, both as individuals in the community and as a team.”

Read the full story by Roxsy Lin✍️🎨 at the link in our bio.

09/09/2026

When a farmworker spends days bent over harvesting food but can't afford to feed their family, that's when you know something has gone terrible awry.

More than 400 farmworker families have come to depend on food drives in a region where rates of food insecurity far surpass the national average.

09/08/2026

About 30,000 Salvadorans with TPS live in California, according to the American Immigration Council. Nationwide, that number exceeds 170,000. Together, they contribute north of $5.4 billion to the national economy, while paying $1.5 billion in local, state and federal taxes.

On Sept. 9 all will wake to find their legal status in the country along with their right to work ended.

“These are hardworking people,” says Victor Martínez, mayor of the city of Mendota, located in Fresno County and home to one of the largest Salvadoran communities in the country.

On Aug. 18 Martínez sent a letter to Congressman Adam Gray, D-Merced, asking for support amid the looming deadline. In the letter, Martínez said, “TPS has provided stability for these individuals and their families by allowing them to legally live and work in the United States.”

He added, however, the temporary nature of the TPS program “creates continued uncertainty for families who have established deep roots in this country.”

Read the full story at the link in our bio.

09/08/2026

Did you know there is a city in California's Central Valley where up to 60% of residents claim Salvadoran ancestry? With protections for Salvadorans set to expire tomorrow, many will wake up facing the loss of work and the threat of deportation.

About 30,000 Salvadorans with TPS live in California, including some 2,000 in Mendota, home to one of the largest Salvadoran communities in the country.

09/02/2026

ACoM News Briefing Recap | Protecting California Communities from Invasive Fruit Flies: Why It Takes Collective Action by Everyone

See More: https://americancommunitymedia.org/media-briefings/protecting-california-communities-from-invasive-fruit-flies-why-it-takes-collective-action-by-everyone/

Invasive fruit flies can threaten California farms, backyard gardens and the food supply, making prevention a shared responsibility. As state and local officials continue responding to detections and quarantines, stopping new pests before they spread remains critical.

For communities, everyday choices matter. Fruit flies can travel in luggage, packages, fresh produce and plants, while quarantine rules can temporarily limit how homegrown fruits and vegetables are moved or shared. Buying plants from trusted nurseries and following local guidance can help reduce the risk.

This ACoM briefing helps journalists and audiences understand how California detects, contains and eradicates invasive fruit flies, how state and county agencies work together, and what residents can do to protect agriculture and home gardens.

Thank you to our guest speakers:

Victoria Hornbaker, Director, Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Abraham Lopez-Zuniga, Emergency Response Team Lead, California Department of Food and Agriculture

Jordan Petersen, Deputy Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer, Los Angeles County Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures

Huong Dang, Administrative Support Specialist, Orange County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office

09/02/2026

ACoM News Briefing Recap | Super El Niño and its Impact on Our Weather – In California and Across the U.S.

See More: https://americancommunitymedia.org/media-briefings/super-el-nino-and-its-impact-on-our-weather-in-california-and-across-the-u-s/

A rapidly strengthening El Niño could reshape weather patterns across California and the U.S. this winter, increasing the likelihood of a wetter season in much of California while raising concerns about flooding, coastal impacts and other weather extremes.

For communities, the key issue is that El Niño does not guarantee any single outcome. Its effects can vary widely by region, and this event is unfolding in a warmer climate that can influence heat, heavy rainfall and how precipitation falls.

This ACoM briefing helps journalists and audiences understand what El Niño is, what scientists can and cannot predict, how impacts may differ across the country, and why communities have time to prepare for flood, coastal and other weather-related risks without overstating the threat.

Thank you to our guest speakers:

Daniel Swain, Climate Scientist, California Institute for Water Resources, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources; Research Partner, NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research; Author, Weather West

Climate scientist Daniel Swain explains what is shaping up to be an historic El Nino that he predicts will change weather patterns across California and the U.S.

09/01/2026

A mural in Berkeley, California depicting immigrants and refugees braving the open sea was vandalized earlier this month.

Mokhtar P**i Mokhtar P**ie who painted the mural, describes it as his “love letter to Berkeley.” An immigrant himself, P**i left Iran as a political refugee in 1983, later settling in Berkeley and gaining U.S. citizenship.

According to the artist, the mural’s desecration — with white paint splattered across the image — is an attack on all immigrants.

But P**i is using the incident to bring attention to the plight of immigrant communities across the country. Working alongside two other muralists — Massoud Salamat and O’Brien Thiele — to restore the painting, P**i discussed its origin and meaning with photojournalist David Bacon.

Read the story at the link in our bio.

09/01/2026

Nine in 10 registered Asian American and Pacific Islander voters say they plan to vote in the November midterm elections, signaling strong interest from one of the nation’s fastest-growing electorates.

There are an estimated 16 million eligible AAPI voters nationwide this year, and their electoral share has steadily increased over the past 15 years.