Around the Table

Discussion Topic:    UCLA Newsroom releases new report that finds sharply rising rates of unemployment for Black Californians
 
Other News Headlines Discussed:
Southern California News Headline: Leimert Park 5K Debate Sparks Merchant Dialogue
Central California News Headline:  A celebration of the 101st anniversary of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters is part of an event put on by the local branch of the NAACP and the SLO Railroad Museum
Northern California News Headline:  The data they refuse to release: Coleman Advocates’ “Stop Suspending Our Success” campaign confronts SFUSD’s discriminatory suspension regime — and five years of records the district never kept
 
 

In this episode of Around the Table with Julia Dudley Najieb, Joquoya Murphy, and Brigitte Jones, news hosts review the latest stories happening in each region of California:     Southern California White House Correspondent Dinner shooter, Cole Tomas Allen leaves manifesto letter, according to White House senior administration officials;      In Central California, former Fresno Arts council employee fesses up to gambling millions of the Measure P Funds designated to Central Valley artists, art projects and art organizations. Fresnoland reported on the timeline of how the embezzlement was caught.     In Northern California, Gwendolyn Westbrook, the former CEO of the San Francisco nonprofit United Council of Human Services (UCHS), was charged with nine felonies for allegedly misappropriating over $1.2 million and directly stealing $91,000 in public funds intended for the city's homeless population.     Also, in March 2026, Sheryl Davis, the former head of San Francisco’s Human Rights Commission, was charged with 17 felonies. She is accused of funneling millions in city contracts to her own nonprofit, Collective Impact, and using funds for personal luxuries like her son's tuition and high-end travel.     Lead story, In “Connecting California: Resources You Should Know About” lead story, news hosts discuss resources that people and organizations can tap into right now. The state of California endeavored in a four-year effort to connect trusted messengers with the information and resources available. Hear the deeper explanation from regional convening event attending news correspondent, Julia Ann Dudley Najieb.

Around the Table features news hosts Julia Dudley Najieb, Joquoya Murphy and Brigitte Jones, on every fourth Monday to discuss issues affecting the different regions of California. The weekly radio show premier's all four news hosts on the fourth Monday,.Season 1, Episode 5 California Headlines Discussion:(The Weather Channel/Newsweek) Heatwave breaks records in California(USA Today) March 24 governor’s race to broadcast, but there’s controversy.(The Riverside Record) Sheriff Chad Bianco Friday addressed his department’s ongoing investigation, first reported by The Riverside Record, into alleged election irregularities in last November’s special statewide election while also accusing California Attorney General Rob Bonta of interference.(ONME News) News Too Real (3-12-26): After seven-year court-battle, Black, former City of Fresno employee called an 'entitled ni**a' by former supervisor wins lawsuit, awarded $15 million in damagesDiscussion Point: Is reparations still an important consideration for Black Californians?

Around the Table features news hosts Julia Dudley Najieb, Joquoya Murphy and Brigitte Jones, on every fourth Monday to discuss issues affecting the different regions of California. The weekly radio show premier's all four news hosts on the fourth Monday, with regular shows beginning weekly after the primary elections, June 2, 2026. Episode 3 California Headlines Discussion:(CalMatters) Californians rejected an anti-slavery ballot measure. Lawmakers want to try again(CalMatters) Black men in California face higher risks and higher bills for prostate cancer(FOX 5) Report: Racial profiling remains a concern in California(EdSource) Under pressure, one CSU campus severs ties with a group that helps people of colorDiscussion Point: Do people consider Black history as a part of American history?  What is the proof?Watch or listen to encore episodes below of the first two Around the Table episodes:

News Show hosts, Julia Dudley Najieb, Joquoya Murphy, and Brigitte Jones review and discuss the responses regarding the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream, are we living it today?Meanwhile, the show hosts review the latest new laws that took effect in California at the beginning of January.