Philander Smith University has received a $19 million unrestricted gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, marking the school’s largest single contribution in its 147-year history. The donation to the historically black university in Little Rock will help it advance its mission of educating academically accomplished students who are grounded as advocates for social justice, according to
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By Raquel Coronell Uribe More artists have canceled their upcoming performances at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to rename the performing arts venue to include President Donald Trump’s name. The canceled performances to date include shows previously promoted for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, Jan. 14 and April 24 and 25. The Cookers, a jazz band that was
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By Ajong Mbapndah L New York, December 19, 2025 — By mid-morning, the Nelson Mandela Conference Room at the African Union Mission to the United Nations had settled into a familiar UN rhythm: headsets adjusted, notebooks open, quiet exchanges between diplomats and university presidents who, only moments earlier, had not met. What brought them together was
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By Sam Brasch More than half a century after its founding, the Trump administration has vowed to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a Boulder-based research hub built to better understand Earth’s weather systems. Russ Vought, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, posted the news Tuesday on X, claiming NCAR
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NEW ORLEANS — National Guard members arrived in New Orleans Tuesday to help with safety measures ahead of New Year’s celebrations as city officials are still seeking permanent security solutions nearly a year after a truck attack on Bourbon Street left 14 dead. The rampage, in which a man drove around a police blockade in
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he era of Marshall Faulk Southern University football is already taking shape, and the way his coaching staff is coming together shows this hire was never just about star power. As Southern University enters a new chapter on the Bluff, Faulk is leaning into trusted relationships, shared history, and elite football experience to build a staff capable of elevating
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Morgan State University’s Magnificent Marching Machine Tournament of Roses Parade appearance will place the HBCU on one of the most prestigious stages in American pageantry when the band marches in the 137th Tournament of Roses Parade on January 1, 2026, in Pasadena, California. The invitation represents a defining cultural moment for Morgan State University and further solidifies the national
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By Sahil Kapur WASHINGTON — The Republican-led Congress had a busy first year of President Donald Trump’s second term in 2025. From approving Trump’s signature tax-cut and spending legislation to repealing a record number of regulations under a fast-track procedure, the actions taken on Capitol Hill this year will have an impact on just about every American. It
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By Victoria Meza, NBC Bay Area Betty Reid Soskin, an iconic former National Park Service ranger, died Sunday, according to her family. She was 104. Soskin’s family said she died peacefully at her home in Richmond on Sunday morning. “This morning on the Winter Solstice, our mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Betty Reid Soskin, passed away peacefully
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By The Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa — Democrat Renee Hardman was elected to the Iowa state Senate on Tuesday in a holiday-week special election, denying Republicans’ bid to reclaim two-thirds control of the chamber. Hardman bested Republican Lucas Loftin by an overwhelming margin to win the seat representing parts of Des Moines’ suburbs. It became vacant after
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