Atlanta’s Spelman College gets largest-ever single HBCU donation
A billionaire couple is giving $100 million to Atlanta’s Spelman College, which the women’s school says is the largest-ever single donation to a historically Black college or university.
Dexter Scott King, son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., dies of cancer at 62
Dexter Scott King, who dedicated much of his life to shepherding the civil rights legacy of his parents — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King — died Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, after battling prostate cancer. He was 62.
Trump wins New Hampshire primary as rematch with Biden appears increasingly likely
Former President Donald Trump easily won New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday, seizing command of the race for the Republican nomination and making a November rematch against President Biden feel all the more inevitable.
Pharrell Williams’ sophomore collection at Louis Vuitton showcases Americana and Native American spirit
It was Wild West meets melting pot America at the Louis Vuitton Fall-Winter 2024 men’s show Tuesday, where musician-turned-designer Pharrell Williams unveiled his highly-anticipated
Coco Jones talks earning Grammy nods, overcoming obstacles after Disney fame, Hollywood’s pay equity
Coco Jones was so obsessed with fine tuning her skills as a singer that she tried to mimic Beyoncé’s Olympic-style training of singing while running on a treadmill.
Tiger Woods, Nike end partnership after more than 27 years
Tiger Woods has gone from “Hello, world,” to saying goodbye to Nike.
Michigan Wolverines greet screaming fans after victory over Washington Huskies
The national champion Michigan Wolverines returned home Tuesday night to thunderous applause and screaming fans following their 34-13 victory over the Washington Huskies.
Dr. Bernice King says wars, gun violence, racism have pushed humanity to the brink
Citing gun violence in the U.S., the deaths of families in Ukraine and Gaza from war, and threats from artificial intelligence, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter said last Thursday that the world urgently needs to study and adopt her father’s philosophy of nonviolence to avoid self-destruction.
Secrecy over defense secretary’s hospitalization has White House defensive
President Biden’s administration pledged from day one to restore truth and transparency to the federal government — but now it’s facing a maelstrom of criticism and credibility questions after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization was kept secret for days, even from the White House.
Plagiarism charges down Harvard’s president; a conservative attack helped to fan the outrage
American higher education has long viewed plagiarism as a cardinal sin. Accusations of academic dishonesty have ruined the careers of faculty and undergraduates alike. The latest target is Harvard President Claudine Gay, who resigned Tuesday. In her case, the outrage came not from her academic peers but her political foes, led by conservatives who put her career under intense scrutiny.
Biden and Trump poised for a potential rematch that could shake American politics
U.S. presidential elections have been rocked in recent years by economic disaster, stunning gaffes, secret video and a pandemic. But for all the tumult that defined those campaigns, the volatility surrounding this year’s presidential contest has few modern parallels, posing profound challenges to the future of American democracy.
Ruins of ancient Nero’s Theater discovered near Vatican
Rome’s next luxury hotel has some very good bones: Archaeologists said Wednesday that the ruins of Nero’s Theater, an imperial theater referred to in ancient Roman texts but never found, have been discovered under the garden of a future Four Seasons Hotel steps from the Vatican.
As social media guardrails fade and AI deepfakes go mainstream, experts warn of impact on elections
Nearly three years after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the false election conspiracy theories that drove the violent attack remain prevalent on social media and cable news: suitcases filled with ballots, late-night ballot dumps, dead people voting. Experts warn it will likely be worse in the coming presidential election contest. The safeguards that attempted to counter the bogus claims the last time are eroding, while the tools and systems that create and spread them are only getting stronger.
West Virginia’s Farrakhan, others suit up after court ruling against NCAA transfer policy
College athletes who have transferred multiple times but were denied the chance to compete immediately can play through the remainder of the academic year, a federal judge ruled Monday. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey in West Virginia made the ruling on a motion filed Friday by the NCAA and a coalition of states suing the organization. Judge Bailey extended a temporary restraining order he issued last Wednesday barring the NCAA from enforcing its transfer rule for 14 days.
Homeless people who died on U.S. streets are increasingly remembered at winter solstice gatherings
With his gap-tooth smile, hip-hop routines and volunteer work for a food charity, Roosevelt White III was well known in the downtown Phoenix tent city known as “The Zone.”
Oklahoma judge rules man who wrongfully spent nearly 50 years in prison for murder is innocent
An Oklahoma judge has exonerated a man who spent nearly 50 years in prison for murder, the longest serving inmate to be declared innocent of a crime.
The Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani $700M to hit and pitch — but also because he can sell
Shohei Ohtani’s jaw-dropping $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers has some similarities to other contracts for the world’s biggest sports stars, including soccer icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, along with NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Biden calls ‘surge’ in antisemitism ‘sickening’ during White House Hanukkah reception
President Biden hosted a Hanukkah reception at the White House on Monday night, vowing to continue to stand with Israel in its war with Hamas while saying that a “surge of antisemitism” around the globe “is sickening.”
Kevin McCarthy, booted as House speaker 2 months ago, leaving Congress by year’s end
Two months after his historic ouster as U.S. House speaker, Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that he is resigning and will leave Congress by the end of the year.
Henry Kissinger’s complicated legacy draws admiration, scorn
The death of former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger drew both admiration and scorn last Thursday from political leaders around the world, highlighting the complicated legacy of Mr. Kissinger’s views about what it meant to serve America’s interests during the Cold War — and how the country should exert its influence.
Santos’ shenanigans
Expelled congressman selling personalized videos for $200
George Santos already has a new gig.
Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Dec. 18
Retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor will lie in repose at the Supreme Court on Dec. 18, with a funeral service at the National Cathedral the following day, the court said Monday.
Norman Lear, producer of top TV sitcoms, dies at 101
Norman Lear, the writer, director and producer who revolutionized primetime television with “All in the Family,” “The Jeffersons” and “Maude,” propelling political and social turmoil into the once-insulated world of TV sitcoms, has died. He was 101.
Vice President Harris breaks nearly 200-year-old record for Senate tiebreaker votes, casts her 32nd
Vice President Kamala Harris broke a nearly 200-year-old record for casting the most tie-breaking votes in the Senate when she voted Tuesday to confirm a new federal judge in Washington, D.C.
Federal appeals court deals a blow to Voting Rights Act, ruling that private plaintiffs can’t sue
A divided federal appeals court on Monday ruled that private individuals and groups such as the NAACP do not have the ability to sue under a key section of the federal Voting Rights Act, a decision that contradicts decades of precedent and could further erode protections under the landmark 1965 law.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter dies at 96
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter, the closest adviser to Jimmy Carter during his one term as U.S. president and their four decades thereafter as global humanitarians, has died at the age of 96. The Carter Center said she died Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, after living with dementia and suffering many months
Giving thanks not just a holiday tradition; it’s part of how humans evolved
It’s the season of giving thanks — and it turns out humans have been doing it for a long, long time.
The Supreme Court says it is adopting a code of ethics, but it has no means of enforcement
The Supreme Court on Monday adopted its first code of ethics, in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices, but the code lacks a means of enforcement.
Newly empowered Virginia Democrats nominate the state’s first Black House speaker, Don Scott
Virginia’s state House will soon have its first Black speaker in its more than 400-year history after the chamber’s incoming Democratic majority on Saturday chose Del. Don Scott to serve in the post.
Exonerated ‘Central Park Five’ member Yusef Salaam wins New York City Council seat
Voters elect Democrat Cherelle Parker as Philadelphia’s 100th mayor — and the 1st woman
Exonerated “Central Park Five” member Yusef Salaam won a seat Tuesday on the New York City Council, completing a stunning reversal of fortune decades after he was wrongly imprisoned in an infamous rape case.
Ohio votes to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, becoming 24th state to do so
Ohio voters approved a measure legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who failed to pass the proposed law.
Wind farm planned off Va. coast blows away federal agency, gains OK
A power company’s plans for an enormous offshore wind farm off Virginia’s coast gained key federal approval Tuesday after the Biden administration evaluated the project’s potential impact on the environment.
Finally, a show of support
Mike Johnson, a staunch conservative from Louisiana, is elected House speaker
Republicans eagerly elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority.
Trailblazing actor Richard Roundtree dies
Richard Roundtree, the trailblazing actor who starred as the ultra- smooth private detective in several “Shaft” films beginning in the early 1970s, has died. He was 81.
More students gain eligibility for free school meals under expanded U.S. program
Millions of additional students in schools serving low-income communities will be eligible to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost under a rule change announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Virginia statehouse candidates face questions about residency requirements
Virginia state lawmakers are required to live in the district they represent, as well as in any district they might be seeking to represent. If they move out of their district, the state constitution states they are out of office. Those requirements, combined with political maps that took effect this year, have created a headache for some candidates.
More states are teaching financial literacy
Inside a high school classroom, Bryan Martinez jots down several purchases that would require a short-term savings plan: shoes, phone, headphones, clothes, and food. His medium-term financial goals take a little more thought, but he settles on a car — he doesn’t have one yet — and vacations. Peering way into his future, the 18-year-old also imagines saving money to buy a house, start his own business, retire and perhaps provide any children with a college fund.
Damian Lillard joins Bucks on defense, embraces championship expectations
Damian Lillard understands he has a reputation for being an elite offensive player but not a particularly strong defender. Now that he’s on a new team, the seven-time All-NBA selection looks forward to changing that perception.
Kevin McCarthy was an early architect of the Republican majority that became his downfall
The day before he was ousted, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was doing what he loved — stopping to greet tourists at the Capitol, gushing about the beauty of the place and its history at the center of American democracy.
Butler sworn in as third Black female senator in U.S. history, replaces late California Sen. Feinstein
Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler was sworn in as the newest member of the Senate on Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death and becoming only the third Black female senator in history.
House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one as Senate pushes ahead to avert federal shutdown
As the Senate marches ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one — asking his hard-right Republicans to do what they have said they would never do: Approve their own temporary House measure to keep the government open.
Quincy Jones receives State Department’s first Peace Through Music Award
Quincy Jones, who once embarked on an international diplomatic tour with jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, will receive the U.S. Department of State’s inaugural Peace Through Music Award. A ceremony honoring the 28-time Grammy winning producer, musician and arranger will be held Wednesday night and as part of the launch of the State Department’s new Global Music
Family of Irvo Otieno agrees to $8.5M settlement
The family of a man who died while handcuffed and pinned to the floor for about 11 minutes as he was being admitted to a Virginia psychiatric hospital has reached an $8.5 million settlement with the state and the county and sheriff whose deputies were involved in restraining him. A judge approved the out-of-court wrongful death settlement Tuesday, according to an agreement filed in Henrico County Circuit Court.
5 former officers charged with federal civil rights violations in Tyre Nichols beating death
Five former Memphis Police officers were charged Tuesday with federal civil rights violations in the beating death of Tyre Nichols as they continue to fight second degree murder charges in state courts arising from the killing.
McConnell tries to reassure colleagues about his health, vows to serve out term as Senate GOP leader
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell declared again Wednesday that he plans to finish his term as leader despite freezing up at two news conferences over the summer, brushing off questions about his health as he sought to reassure colleagues he’s still up to the job.
Here’s how Tim Scott, the top Black Republican in the GOP presidential primary, discusses race
Tim Scott seldom specifically brings up race in Iowa. Nor does the Republican presidential candidate have to.
University of North Carolina graduate student left building right after killing adviser, police say
A University of North Carolina graduate student walked into a classroom building, shot his faculty adviser and quickly left, authorities said a day after the attack paralyzed the campus as police searched for the gunman.
Judge holds Giuliani liable in Georgia election workers’ defamation case and orders him to pay fees
A federal judge on Wednesday held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were falsely accused of fraud, entering a default judgment against the former New York mayor and ordering him to pay tens of thousands of dollars in lawyers’ fees.
Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson and lots of unknowns as track gets ready for Paris Olympics
In some ways, track and field served up a tantalizing preview of what’s to come next year at the Paris Olympics. In others, the sport left the nine-day world championships with as many questions as answers.
Jacksonville shootings refocus attention on city’s racist past and the struggle to move on
By some measures, Jacksonville was making strides to emerge from its racist past. But the killing of three Black people by a young, white shooter was a painful and startling reminder that the remnants of racism still fester in the Florida city.
