You’re listening to 91.9 KVCR. This is In Focus with Black Voice News, where we highlight stories you may have missed. I’m Nyla Glover.
On Oct. 24, 2016, in the City of San Francisco, filmmaker and journalist, Kevin Epps, shot and killed his sister-in-law’s ex-husband, Marcus Polk. Polk had entered the Epps home where the sister-in-law resided with the Epps family after being asked to leave the residence the day before. Polk was inebriated and again, asked to leave. Moments later, a shooting occurred– Polk was shot and killed by Epps. Nine years later, in November 2025, Epps went on trial for murder.
The trial of Kevin Epps, as seen and told through the eyes of investigative journalist, Malik Washington, will unfold in seven parts. Epps, a Black filmmaker and journalist accused in the Polk murder, exposes the fragility of justice, equity, and truth in San Francisco. The jury, which hardly reflects the diversity of the city, is dominated by white jurors, and the prosecution is accused of shaping a narrative rather than revealing the truth. The prosecution’s theory that marijuana use caused Epps to shoot Marcus Polk is scientifically empty, and evidence shows that Polk had a violent history, which the prosecution suppressed. The case, in the opinion of the reporter, is riddled with irregularities, and the trial raises questions about systemic inequity and false propaganda. Details of this trial will continue to unfold in the coming weeks.
Our next feature, San Bernardino County Invests $7.5 million in Loma Linda University Health Child Abuse Programs, highlights the county’s multi- million dollar investment to expand services for children who may be victims of abuse or neglect. The funds will be used to expand staffing and plan for new service sites that bring care closer to families across the region. Loma Linda University Children's Hospital’s Resiliency Institute for Childhood Adversity Center will receive the funds. The funding will help them provide medical and mental health support to children experiencing abuse. The program has continued to expand and now has one of the most robust teams of child abuse pediatricians in the nation.
Another report titled Enhanced Rights and Protections for CA Workers in 2026, introduces a number of new laws impacting California workers that went into effect from January 1. The changes include an increase in minimum wage to $16.90 per hour, protection for service workers’ tips, and the right for rideshare drivers to sectoral collective bargaining. New restrictions on employment contract terms and enhanced enforcement authority to recover lost wages were also introduced. Additionally, measures have been implemented to prevent employer fraud as well as the modernization of a 1976 statute to help farmworkers recover unpaid wages. The California Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) emphasized how important these changes are to building a resilient and thriving economy for all.
Over the holidays we learned CA Senator Sabrina Cervantes, who represents Senate District 31 that encompasses parts of both Riverside and San Bernardino counties was appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations by Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón. Cervantes is the first openly queer Latina to serve as Chair of Senate Appropriations. This session Cervantes will also serve on six additional committees, including the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions, Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments, and Senate Governmental Organization. Cervantes will assume her role as Chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations on February 1, 2026.
And in this week’s Keeping it Real by Black Voice News executive editor Stephanie Williams titled Fighting Back Against Trump’s Attack on Childcare and Family Assistance Programs, Williams criticizes Donald Trump's threat to freeze $10 billion in social service funding to five states. The states include California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York. The move has been criticized as an attack on services to families and children, with advocates warning that it could cause long-term harm to some of the nation's poorest families. The funds in question include $7 billion for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, approximately $2.4 billion for the Childcare Development Fund, and nearly $870 million for social services grants that support programs primarily benefitting children from low-income households. On Friday, January 9th, a federal judge in Manhattan, NY, issued a temporary restraining order that halted the freeze in its tracks, citing “good cause” as the reason for his decision.
To read these and other BVN stories in their entirety, please visit blackvoicenews.com. This segment and collaboration with KVCR is made possible with support from the Inland Empire Journalism Hub & Fund. Until next time, I’m Nyla Glover with Black Voice News.
