Proposed Federal Legislation Aims to Modernize Infrastructure at HBCUs
U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chairs of the HBCU Caucus, have introduced the Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education (IGNITE) for HBCU Excellence Act. The proposed legislation would establish a competitive federal grant program within the Department of Education to support modernization efforts and long-term infrastructure improvements at HBCUs throughout the country. The program would prioritize funding for institutions with the greatest financial need, aging or unsafe facilities, limited fundraising capacity, and high-enrollment of low-income students. Colleges and universities that receive funding through the federal initiative could use their grants for the construction, modernization,
House Republicans cancel vote curbing Trump on Iran
By Kyle Stewart and Jennifer Jett House Republicans on Thursday delayed a vote on a war powers resolution that would restrict President Donald Trump’s ability to continue U.S. military operations in Iran after it became clear that the legislation would pass. Lawmakers will have to vote on the resolution in June, however, after they return from their Memorial Day recess. Congressional support for the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which Trump launched on Feb. 28 without lawmakers’ approval, has been slipping even among Republicans as the conflict disrupts global energy supplies and sends U.S. gas prices soaring. The Democratic-backed war powers resolution has been voted down several times already by
Four swing House races in Pennsylvania loom large for both parties — and for 2028, too
By Allan Smith Control of the House of Representatives could come down to four pivotal battleground races in Pennsylvania. With an increasingly limited map of competitive seats, both Democrats and Republicans are emphasizing the importance of these campaigns, which are about to get floods of money and investment from both sides. Some of that has already started, including from Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is on a party-building kick as he faces a re-election bid that, as of yet, is not expected to be particularly competitive. Shapiro, a potential 2028 presidential contender, has emphasized those four races, making primary endorsements in each
FAMU Alumna Keisha Lance Bottoms Wins Democratic Nomination For Georgia Governor
Former Atlanta Mayor Moves One Step Closer To Making Georgia History FAMU alumna Keisha Lance Bottoms has won the Democratic nomination for Georgia governor, setting up a major general election race in November and placing one of Florida A&M University’s most recognized graduates back on a statewide political stage. The former Atlanta mayor secured the nomination Tuesday, according to the Associated Press, and will now compete for a governorship that Democrats have not won in Georgia in more than two decades. The Associated Press reported that Bottoms’ victory also marks the third straight time Georgia Democrats have nominated a Black woman for
Democrats pick candidates for key districts in the battle for the House
By Ben Kamisar Major general election matchups across the House battleground are set after Tuesday’s primaries, as the race for control of Congress takes center stage in the midterm elections. President Donald Trump’s successful effort to unseat a Republican rival, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and battles between progressive or establishment Democrats in deep-blue seats have captured wide attention this week and in other recent primaries. But the results of four Democratic congressional primaries in battleground Pennsylvania — which have already drawn a combined $50 million in advertising dollars spent on or committed to these races, according to the ad-tracking firm
Congressional Black Caucus goes opposite HBCU leaders on NIL
HBCU conferences entered last week asking the Congressional Black Caucus for help on NIL. By Monday, the CBC had turned the SCORE Act into something much bigger than college sports. The Congressional Black Caucus announced unanimous opposition to the SCORE Act on May 18. The statement came just days after leaders from the CIAA, MEAC, SIAC and SWAC asked CBC members to support federal action on NIL. Those four HBCU conferences represent 48 institutions. They also represent roughly 15,000 student-athletes across nearly 20 states. Their message was clear. The NIL era is changing college athletics quickly. HBCU programs need federal protection
Rep. Thomas Massie confronts the full force of Trump’s wrath in a Republican primary
By Julie Tsirkin and Scott Wong HEBRON, Ky. — Rep. Thomas Massie, a constant thorn in the side of GOP leaders during his eight terms in Congress, is no stranger to a primary challenge. But this year, President Donald Trump’s fury with the Kentucky libertarian has reached a boiling point. On Tuesday, voters in Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District will decide whether Massie becomes the latest casualty of Trump’s campaign to unseat foes inside the Republican Party as he faces off against Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL and fifth-generation farmer who was personally recruited by the president. “People aren’t going to be voting
South Carolina governor calls for a special session on redistricting
By Jane C. Timm South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster called a special session Thursday for state lawmakers to tackle redistricting ahead of the midterm elections. A new map is expected to eliminate the state’s only majority-minority district, which is held by Rep. James Clyburn, a key Democratic power broker. “I have issued an Executive Order calling the General Assembly back for an extra legislative session to address the state budget and congressional districts,” McMaster said Thursday evening on X. He said the special session would begin Friday morning. McMaster initially chose not to set a special session, but he changed course after the Republican-led state
Jason Collins, the first openly gay NBA player, dies at 47 from brain cancer
By Andrew Greif Jason Collins, a longtime NBA center who became the first man to come out as openly gay while playing in any of America’s four leading professional sports leagues, died Tuesday following months of treatment for glioblastoma, his family said. He was 47. The NBA announced Collins’s death in a statement issued on behalf of his family. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar,” the statement said. “We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and
Democrats turn to state legislative races to catch up in the redistricting battle
By Adam Edelman After a series of court rulings gave Republicans a decisive advantage in the national redistricting fight, Democrats’ options for a counterpunch before this year’s midterms are limited. So they are shifting their attention to battles for control of legislatures in key states this fall to help lay the groundwork for new congressional maps for the 2028 election cycle. A U.S. Supreme Court decision last month has paved the way for a raft of GOP-controlled states with majority-minority districts represented by Democrats to redraw their district lines, adding to the list of favorable new maps for Republicans that were enacted over the
