::THE SLICE REPORT WITH MONA AUSTIN

First Lady Melania Trump’s Fostering the Future Together two-day Global Coalition Summit will assemble leaders from 45 nations and 28 best-in-class technology entities. Fostering the Future Together is a global coalition of nations aligned to empower children through education and technology. First Lady Melania Trump shared her vision to form the new entity during the 80th United Nations General Assembly.   It is the first time in history that U.S. First Lady is hosting representatives from 45 nations at the White House in a single day. This is unprecedented, and Fostering the Future Together’s model further supports First Lady Melania Trump’s pursuit of action-oriented diplomacy on the global stage. The inaugural meeting commences in the U.S. Department of State on March 24, 2026 and concludes at the White House on March 25, 2026. Fostering the Future Together is a long-term initiative, with member nations spanning from multiple continents. A sampling of member nations includes Th...

In Washington, the U.S. Senate has passed a bipartisan housing affordability bill championed by  Senator Elizabeth Warren , aimed at expanding affordable housing and easing pressure on renters. The legislation encourages local governments to remove restrictive zoning policies and increases federal incentives to build affordable housing units. Supporters say the measure could help address a nationwide housing shortage that has pushed rents and home prices to historic levels. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, clearing the chamber with  a vote of 63 to 35 , with several Republicans joining Democrats in backing the proposal. Warren says the legislation is designed to make it easier for cities to build more housing while encouraging communities to modernize outdated zoning rules that limit supply. The bill now moves to the House, where its future remains uncertain as lawmakers debate federal involvement in local housing policy.

  What happened:   On   Jan. 28, 2026 , federal agents executed a   court-authorized FBI search warrant   at the Fulton County Elections Hub in Union City, Georgia — part of an investigation tied to allegations of record-keeping and election-related offenses. Agents took   original 2020 ballots, tabulation tapes, ballot images and voter rolls   under that warrant.   Local Reaction:  Fulton County officials say the FBI  seized hundreds of boxes of ballots and records  and have expressed concerns about  chain of custody and transparency  — including the fact that original ballots were taken rather than just copies.  Political context:  The FBI action stems from a DOJ and Trump-aligned legal push, largely driven by  Donald Trump’s repeated, unsubstantiated claims  that the 2020 election was “rigged” — including his remarks about potential prosecutions and his urging Republicans to “take over” or “nationali...

 CONTROVERSY An Ilinois politician vying for the seat of retiring senator Dick Durbin has spark controversy for claiming Rev. Jesse Jackson had endorsed her before he died last month.   Ahead of Tuesday's primary Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton posthumously announced the reverend supported her ticket to Washington. Yet, this news came as a surprise to Jackson's sons, Rep. Jonathan Jackson and Yusef Jackson who are denouncing the claim.    Stratton's opppnent is U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and both women are Black. Jonathan Jackson expressed doubt about the endorsement  commenting to POLITICO: “My father never got in on Black-on-Black fights. He wouldn’t do that. He was always pushing the community forward. This smells of desperation.” Late Monday Yusef Jackson, the head of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition  released a statement clarifying that tge organization will not endorse anyone continuing its usual no-endorsement policy. Jackson explained that no official endorseme...

  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is escalating pressure on the White House, sending another letter urging negotiators to take a closer look at how ICE is conducting arrests as talks continue over the Department of Homeland Security shutdown. Schumer says the administration must be “serious” about enforcement tactics, even as the shutdown stretches on—leaving more than 100-thousand DHS employees without pay. Now, airline leaders are warning the standoff is hitting travelers hard. CEOs from major carriers—including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines—are calling on Congress to act immediately, citing long TSA lines, delays, and missed flights. In a joint letter, they say wait times have stretched up to four hours in some airports, while unpaid TSA workers struggle to make ends meet. But while they are delayed travelers are leaving tips, donations and gift cards for some of the 50,000 essential  TSA workers who have  been on the clock without pay fo...

WASHINGTON - The White House has put forward a new offer aimed at ending the nearly five-week partial government shutdown. According to a letter released Tuesday, the Trump administration outlined five policy points it is willing to codify at the Department of Homeland Security. These include expanding body cameras for federal immigration agents, limiting enforcement in sensitive locations like hospitals and schools, increasing oversight of DHS detention facilities, ensuring officers display identification, and strictly following the law prohibiting the detention or deportation of U.S. citizens. A senior White House official, speaking to Politici on the condition of anonymity, said the offer is a “good faith attempt” to resolve the shutdown, which has already caused longer airport lines and staffing challenges at TSA. Some exceptions remain: undercover officers would not have to wear body cameras or display IDs, and sensitive locations can still be accessed for national security or pub...

How Black American Identity Was Forged The term Afro- diasporic hybrid  describes the unique cultural and social identity that developed among African Americans in North America. It recognizes that the people who became Black Americans did not originate from a single African tribe or culture. Instead, they came from many different regions and ethnic groups across West Africa, the Carribean, Brazil and South America. Through the forced migration of the  Transatlantic Slave Trade , these diverse peoples were brought together in ways that had never existed before. Thus distinction is necessary in addressing both kinship and differences between Black born j. America with Aftican slave ancestors for social and political reasons.  From Tribal Distinction to Shared Identity Before enslavement, Africans identified primarily by  ethnicity, tribe, language, and region —such as Akan, Yoruba, Igbo, Mandé, and many others. These groups had different customs, religions, and social...