Category: Features

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

King Family Wants MLK Files to Remain Sealed

“This is delicate stuff,” Judge Richard Leon said during a hearing on June 4 on the question of whether classified documents related to Dr. Martin Luther King will be made public. “We’re going to go slowly. Little steps,” Judge Leon added. Judge Leon also said the process of potentially making the King records public would be a “long journey” that would likely involve consulting the King family.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Trump Decried Crime in America, Then Gutted Funding for Gun Violence Prevention

Violent crime was already trending down from a covid-era spike when President Donald Trump presented a picture of unbridled crime in America on the campaign trail in 2024. Now his administration has eliminated about $500 million in grants to organizations that buttress public safety, including many working to prevent gun violence.

African Americans
Stefi Mar

Trump Administration’s DEI Rollback Leaves Black Women in Federal Jobs Vulnerable

A sweeping rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs under the Trump administration has left Black women disproportionately affected, according to an investigation by ProPublica. The nonprofit newsroom found that the administration’s broad executive actions to dismantle DEI programs have upended the careers of many long-serving civil servants, despite their jobs having no direct connection to diversity initiatives.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Don’t Get Distracted: 5 Trump Policies Black Americans Need to Watch Now

The public feud between Donald Trump and Elon Musk over the GOP’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” has Republicans scrambling—but civil rights and other advocates warn that the drama may serve as a smokescreen, drawing attention away from harmful policies disproportionately targeting Black Americans.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains

The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

“He Sure Fought Like Hell for Us”: Californians Gather to Honor Trailblazer Nate Holden

Long before Martin Luther King Jr. Day was a national holiday, before California women could secure a home loan on their own, and long before South Los Angeles began to rise from the ashes of the 1992 unrest, Nathaniel “Nate” Holden, a towering figure in state politics, had already planted seeds for a more just and equal California.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

Role Reversal: Millions of Kids Are Caregivers for Elders. Why Their Numbers Might Grow.

High school senior Joshua Yang understands sacrifice. When he was midway through 10th grade, his mom survived a terrible car crash. But her body developed tremors, and she lost mobility. After countless appointments, doctors diagnosed her with Parkinson’s disease, saying it was likely triggered by brain injuries sustained in the wreck.

Bakersfield
Stefi Mar

RFK Jr. Says Healthy Pregnant Women Don’t Need Covid Boosters. What the Science Says.

You’re pregnant, healthy, and hearing mixed messages: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is not a scientist or doctor, says you don’t need the covid vaccine, but experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Protection still put you in a high-risk group of people who ought to receive boosters. The science is on the side of the shots.