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Congressman Brandon Gill (R-TX) is constatntly attempting to debunk any notiin that America is or has been a racist nation on Capitol Hill. He met gus match in a hearing with the head of the Smithsonian Ametica History Museum he challenged her in the museum selling pro-Latina merxhandise and whether Mickey Mouse was racist. National Museum of American History Director Dr. Anthea Hartig did not play into his hanfs during the House Oversight Subcommittee hearing investigating alleged ideological activism at the Smithsonian. He pressed her on whether the museum was "rewriting American history" by linking Mickey Mouse to racism and classifying politeness as a trait of white supremacy. Gill confronted the directir about The "MASS Action Toolkit" noting it identifies politeness and objectivity as characteristics of "white supremacy culture". He also asked if Hartig was a "white supremacist" for agreeing it is important to be polite. Hartig stated she...

Jonathan McReynolds, Kierra Sheard, Donald Lawrence Original Members of the Ensemble Vision Will Pay Tribute to Gospel Legend Richard Smallwood   Jamie MacDonald, Naomi Raine, Hulvey are Confirmed to Perform Bart Millard, Terrian, CAIN, MORIAH and More Confirmed to Present   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 16, 2026) The Gospel Music Association (GMA) has announced the second round of performers and presenters set to take the stage at the 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards, taking place October 6, 2026, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. There will be a special tribute honoring the late recording artist Richard Smallwood who passed away last December. The performance will feature Jonathan McReynolds , Kierra Sheard and Donald Lawrence , as well as original members of Richard Smallwood’s acclaimed ensemble Vision such as Maurette Brown Clark , Ted Winn , Charisse Nelson-McIntosh , Byron Nichols and Sharon Orr . Gifted musician Percy Bady , who co-wrote the platinum classic “I Believe I Can F...

Why is the Fed raising rates? The short answer: inflation. Inflation has remained above the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years. The Labor Department reported Friday that consumer prices rose 3.4% in August compared to a year earlier, while the monthly increase quadrupled from July to hit 0.4%. The Fed’s goal is to slow consumer and business spending by raising the cost of borrowing, thereby reducing demand for homes, cars and other goods and services, eventually cooling the economy and reducing upward pressure on prices. Kevin Warsh, Fed chair since May, has assured Congress that central bank policymakers “have no tolerance for persistently elevated inflation.” Speaking to reporters Wednesday after the Fed’s meeting, Warsh argued that the rate hike will benefit lower-income Americans because they are hurt most by higher prices. “The least well off are the ones that have the most to gain from stable prices,’' he said. “The decision we made today was the right decision to d...

  AFTER YEARS OF SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS AND COVERT OPS, SAM HANNA RETURNS TO HIS HOMETOWN FOR A NEW MISSION WITH A PERSONAL CONNECTION, ON THE SERIES PREMIERE OF “NCIS: NEW YORK,” TUESDAY, OCT. 6 After years of special assignments and covert ops, Special Agent Sam Hanna (LL COOL J) returns to his hometown of New York City for a brand-new mission. When Sam’s friend and Navy reservist Jack Halloway is found dead, he requests permission from Assistant Special Agent-In-Charge Robyn Wells (Jennifer Beals) to investigate his friend’s death. Robyn pairs Sam with roguish agent Nick Schaeffer (Scott Caan), who introduces him to the rest of the team: clean-cut Wyatt Sellers (Shane Harper), bright-eyed Addy Ross (Jacqueline Byers) and hacker-turned-computer guy Sean Sullivan (Devin Druid). As the team investigates Jack’s death, they work together to gather key information that can help find the culprits, on the series premiere of NCIS: NEW YORK, Tuesday, Oct. 6 (9:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS...

“SOUL TRAIN AWARDS” RETURNS TO BET AND MAKES DEBUT ON CBS NEW YORK  – BET announced the return of SOUL TRAIN AWARDS, presented by Spotify and Toyota, airing Friday, Nov. 27 at 8:00 PM, ET/PT on BET and simulcast on CBS for the first time ever, along with BET HER, VH1, MTV2 and LOGO. Taped in the city where Don Cornelius launched the original “Soul Train” more than 50 years ago, the show will celebrate the artists, music and enduring legacy of “Soul Train” through a dynamic night of performances and special moments. With Spotify as the exclusive music streaming partner and Toyota as the exclusive automotive partner, the return marks a new chapter for the franchise that has shaped Black music and culture for generations. This year’s telecast blends honorees who defined the sound with the artists carrying it forward, celebrating a legacy that has influenced American music since “Soul Train” first went on the air in 1971. Performances, honorees and host details will be announced in ...

  Just as Pres. Donald Trump has been speaking out to allay fears about AI taking over, today First Lady Melania Trump encouraged students in Ashe County, North Carolina , to explore artificial intelligence more . The visit comes nearly two years after the area was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Mrs. Trump announced that as part of her “Fostering the Future” initiative, BE BEST and NVIDIA are providing StudyFetch subscriptions to 1,500 Ashe County students . The partnership is also providing 100 NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kits to Mountain View Elementary and other schools in the district. The FLOTUS  highlighted North Carolina’s success in the 2026 Presidential AI Challenge , singling out Carrie Robledo, a second-grade teacher at Star Elementary School , who created “AI Insect Detectives,” a project introducing young children to artificial intelligence through science and the natural world. Mrs. Trump connected Robledo’s work to the region's recovery from Helene, say...

  The FDA and CDC expect new formulations of COVID‑19 vaccines for the 2026–27 respiratory season. These updates are designed to match currently circulating variants, which continue to evolve faster than flu strains. The JAMA (The Journal of the American Medical Association) notes that COVID‑19 remains a year‑round threat, with seasonal surges similar to influenza but more unpredictable. JAMA noted: - SARS‑CoV‑2 mutates more quickly than influenza - Variant‑specific vaccines improve protection - Updated vaccines reduce severe disease, hospitalization, and long COVID risk The upcoming season will emphasize vaccination for: - Adults 65+ - People with chronic medical conditions - Pregnant individuals - Immunocompromised people Healthcare workers These groups continue to experience the highest hospitalization and death rates. Manufacturers are preparing monovalent vaccines targeting the most dominant strain, similar to the flu model.

  Soprano Brandie Inez Sutton takes you on an intimate musical journey in her genre-blending, one-woman concert, Miss Sutton, Live! , as she performs iconic and classic songs from a wide-ranging repertoire of music from global legendary and contemporary composers. The concerts will take place on Thursday, October 8, and Sunday, October 11, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at 54 Below, 254 Street, Cellar, New York, NY.   Lauded by The New York Times , soprano Brandie Inez Sutton has a “warm, ample voice,” “ravishing performance,” and “distinctly earthy coloring.” Sutton is a soprano of striking versatility and depth, acclaimed for a voice of “sumptuous richness,” stated Opera News .   With arrangements by and collaborations with acclaimed music director Joseph Joubert, the evening will highlight Sutton’s virtuosity as a world-class artist featuring her vast musical styles, including arias, art songs, spirituals, jazz, pop, classical, Broadway and Disney classics. Richard Jay-Alexander i...

Controversy over a missing Stellar Awards tribute for gospel music icon Richard Smallwood exposed a flaw in how the gospel music industry remembers and honors its own. September is Gospel Music Heritage Month, an opportune time to celebrate all influential creators of gospel music and reflect on ways to magnify the legacies and remember the departed artists, musicians and contributors who helped shape the genre. This message comes at an important time to reflect on the music and musicians who are alive an to explore ways to recognize those who have passed away. Following the 41st Stellar Awards, fans resoundingly conveyed that remembrance is a form of respect when they shared their discontent about Smallwood, a beloved composer, singer and choir director being overlooked on the "biggest night in gospel music." Producers of the show faced severe backlash over the absence of the Smallwood* tribute, one of the genre's most influential composers and musicians. Stellar Awards ...

 Frank McGee III’s Detroit roots run through Kept Through It All: Live in Detroit , a project grounded in the testimony and perseverance of Young Men 4 Christ. Recorded live in the Motor City, the album channels the immediacy of a communal worship service — soaring praise, lived-in conviction and the kind of call-and-response energy that cannot be recreated in a studio. For McGee and the group, the title speaks to a faith forged under pressure.  He spoke of needing to lean on his faith more when moving to Sacramento with no resources.  As a young adjusting to personal responsibility and living independently he admits that life was lifing" in the Motor City, beckoning a change in scenary.  The "just Jesus"  leap of faith he took was huge -- no job, no residence, no friends awaited him when he arrived on the West Coast.  Yet he trusts God and secured a job working with children and his family later joined him.  The songs on the album  reflect the be...

  By Mona Austin BET has been in the news for losing articles by changing its format to videos but they are not only ones making costly changes. This is a heads up for all journalists, reporters and writers whose work is published online. Save your published work. I am stating the obvious to bring your attention to a serious matter. When randomly searching for an old article, I discovered years of my work was missing from a web site that I contributed to for over a decade. The site has been redesigned and apparently older files went missing. This can happen if the old site is not archived or if a server is not backed up. In a separate search, AI decided that I was not affiliated with an entity in any way because my name, work, nor phote was findable in a typical web search. Although AI came to an incorrect conclusion, the lack of visibility underscores the importance of having a web presence. Thus cane nkt only be inconveient, but also it can be problematic if you are searchi...

  He announced the decision in a news release, describing it as one made “with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude.” The move follows a contentious period in which the Trump administration sought to reshape how Smithsonian museums and other cultural institutions present U.S. history. The departure comes two months after a White House report labeled Smithsonian leaders—particularly those at the National Museum of American History—as radical activists who could not be trusted. That report, from the White House Domestic Policy Council, criticized the museum’s leadership for failing to present history “in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.” Anthea M. Hartig, the museum’s first female director, came under particular scrutiny from Trump and other Republicans over the summer as a result. The Administration's push to rewrite history particularly targeted minority groups such as African Americans, Hispanics and women. Bunch became the secretary o...

The women of  Richmond, VA understood something fundamental about affordability more than 160 years ago -- a living wage is essential to survival.   Labor Day is often associated with the modern American workplace—paychecks, unions, working conditions, the eight-hour workday and workers' rights. But the struggle for economic dignity has a much longer history.   Before women had the right to vote, before modern labor laws and before the language of equal pay became part of the national conversation, working women in Richmond, Virginia, took to the streets because their labor was no longer enough to feed their families.  It was April 1863, during the Civil War. Richmond was the Confederate capital, and the war had transformed the city into a major center of military manufacturing. Women were working in Confederate government offices, factories and the Confederate ordnance laboratory, making ammunition and other supplies needed for the war. Many had entered the wor...