Trump Deploys ICE To Airports As DHS Shutdown Stretches On
The president said ICE would conduct “the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country” and take over airport security.
President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports nationwide starting Mach 23 as the standoff over funding for Department of Homeland Security continues. On Truth Social, Trump said ICE would conduct “the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country” and take over airport security if Democrats did not approve DHS funding.
The announcement comes amid long airport lines caused by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers working without pay during the partial government shutdown. TSA scanner and security officer (TSO) training typically lasts several months, NBC News reports.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, confirmed on March 22 that ICE agents would be strategically placed in airports with the heaviest delays, Politico reports. While agents won’t operate X-ray machines—tasks for which TSA staff undergo extensive training—they will assist with specialized roles and continue routine immigration enforcement.
BASH: Are ICE agents going to move into American airports starting tomorrow?
HOMAN: Yes. I'm currently working on the plan. We'll execute tomorrow.
BASH: Are ICE agents even remotely trained to handle security at airports?
Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to fund TSA on March 21, while Democrats previously rejected GOP-backed proposals tying ICE funding to broader DHS appropriations.
ICE’s presence may heighten concerns among travelers, labor advocates, and Democrats who continue to push for TSA funding without tying it to ICE policy changes. The DHS shutdown, now extending into its second month, seems to have turned airports into a high-profile battleground for the ongoing partisan struggle over federal funding and immigration enforcement.
Texas Tween To Sing At Carnegie Hall As A Top Young Performer In Country
Layla Janae McWilliams, 11, was selected to be part of this year's young cohort of musicians.
One lucky Texas tween will get the chance to perform at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall.
Layla Janae McWilliams, 11, of San Antonio was selected to take part in the Honors Performance Series, a national program for the top young performers in America. KENS 5 News shared the child’s accomplishment on social media.
As part of the prestigious program, she will train for a week before gracing the Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. She will sing under the direction of world-class conductors alongside fellow talented musicians. More than a “music camp,” The Honors Performance Series offers young musicians the opportunity to showcase their growing skills on a global stage.
“Big dreams start young, and the Middle School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall is where rising talent starts an unforgettable first act,” detailed the program on its website. “Exclusive to the selected 6th–8th grade musicians from around the world, this program sets the stage for students to rehearse and perform under the guidance of master conductors in New York City’s iconic Carnegie Hall.”
Before singing on the very stage where the likes of Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday once stood, McWilliams will participate in this program.
Outside of rehearsals, Honor Performances Series participants will also follow stacked itinerary from Broadway shows to sightseeing for a New York experience like no other.
While she establishes a bright start to her career as a trained vocalist, McWilliams has already made her family and the San Antonio community proud with her accomplishment. Her performance will take place on July 24.
Tunisia Sentences Rights Activist Saadia Mosbah For Financial Crimes, Critics Call It Political
Mosbah, who has emerged as a voice for human rights freedoms, will spend 8 years in prison in the North African country.
Saadia Mosbah, a leading human rights activist in Tunisia, has received a lofty prison sentence for a crime she claims she did not commit.
Authorities arrested Mosbah in May 2024 for charges of money laundering and illicit enrichment, as reported by the BBC. Now, a Tunisian court has ordered her to spend eight years in prison, as well as pay a fine of $35,000.
The 66-year-old has been the face of political opposition in Tunisia, leading the anti-racism group Mnèmty in their support of sub-Saharan migrants in the North African nation. However, this group faced tremendous backlash from national leadership, particularly the country’s authoritative president, Kais Saied.
As Saied strengthens his regime in Tunisia, Mosbah has emerged as a voice for human rights freedoms, which have become jeopardized in the country. She and her fellow activists, including her son, were found guilty as well, in a verdict that sparked international concern as an attempt to thwart their organizing.
Their legal team also called out the federal government, seemingly trying to shift blame on the migration issue to the group, especially amid the President’s upheaval of civil society groups. The President has already suspended multiple organizations dedicated to civil rights in the country, including the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights and the Association of Democratic Women.
“The verdict is a major shock, and it is part of a broader effort to dismantle civil society groups and shift responsibility for the state’s failure to address the migrant issue onto these groups,” explained Mosbah’s lawyer, Hela Ben Salem, to Reuters.
The migrant issue has placed tremendous pressure on Tunisia, as many Sub-Saharan Africans use the country as a gateway to Europe. To combat this issue, the President has implemented security measures to take down migration networks and deport migrants back south of the desert.
Mosbah’s conviction has also garnered attention from the international human rights community. Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the World Organization Against Torture have urged Tunisian authorities to release Mosbah immediately.
Alongside health and age concerns regarding her incarceration, the organizations also called Mosbah’s conviction a move to further restrict the civil rights of Tunisians. Mosbah, her son, and the other activist jailed have maintained their innocence.
K-Pop Group BTS Called Out For ‘Whitewash’ Of Howard University Campus In Album Teaser
Black K-pop fans and the HBCU community called out the seemingly racist depiction of Howard's campus.
Popular K-pop group BTS has confused its fans and members of the HBCU community with its depiction of Howard University’s campus in a new album teaser.
The HBCU’s yard and signature building, Founders Library, were used in the teaser for the group’s upcoming LP, Arirang, but some viewers were not pleased over the depiction of its student body.
The animation only showcased a few Black students in the video, with the rest presented as white or other races. While having some international students, Howard University primarily serves African American scholars.
The scene actually references a shared moment in both HBCU and South Korean history. According to WJLA, the video recalls when seven Korean students at the HBCU became the first Koreans in the United States to record their voices and traditional music. As for BTS’ callback to the occasion, they reimagined the boy group’s members in the famous yard during this time period.
The album title is also a special Korean phrase. The Guardian reports that “Arirang” is also the name of the Korean Peninsula’s unofficial anthem, symbolizing Korean culture and expression to the world through song. Despite the intentions, several naysayers called out the depiction of students.
Opposers on Reddit claimed that BTS attempted to “whitewash” Howard University, as the video did not heavily signal how the students were able to accomplish this feat while attending an HBCU. Many critics called the move “disrespectful” as this chance to highlight an important moment in history became overshadowed by the album promotion.
“So BTS decided to whitewash Howard University in their trailer… yeah I’m done,” shared one Redditor to launch the critique thread.
K-pop fans even noted how the fandom often excludes Black listeners from the community. Especially with ongoing critiques of these artists taking from historically Black music, particularly in R&B and hip-hop’s lyrics, dancing, and music videos, the move did not resonate with Black Americans.
Others also pointed to the broader challenges facing HBCUs and a lack of federal funding. As these institutions confront growing political pressure, including efforts to restrict how Black history is taught in schools and museums, the mischaracterization of Howard by one of the world’s biggest K-pop groups carries added weight.
“The last part you mentioned about HBCUs under attack by our current administration (throwing in as well as history under attack by cutting funding to museums that focus on African American History)…this is why this one really hurts a bit deeper for me of the disrespectful portrayal of the HBCU,” wrote a Redditor. “They squandered a true moment of showing respect and solidarity by being this careless and disrespectful.”
Miles College Cheer Team Wins National Championship After 20-Year Hiatus
Their return alone marked a major milestone, but their performance elevated the moment into a historic breakthrough.
Miles College has made history with a victory at a national cheerleading competition.
The Golden Bears cheer team captured both the Overall Grand Champion title and the College Coed Game Time Championship at the CCA Christian Cheer Nationals & Collegiate Championship on March 7 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Miles College, located in Fairfield, Alabama, became the first Historically Black College or University to earn both titles at the competition. According to AL.com, the Golden Bears were just the second HBCU cheer team to compete at CCA nationals.
The team had not competed on a national stage in more than 20 years. Their return alone marked a major milestone, but their performance elevated the moment into a historic breakthrough.
The journey to nationals was far from easy. Funding was a major hurdle, and initially, the trip wasn’t considered financially feasible. Head coach Le’Andrea Anderson-Tolbert stepped in and covered registration costs. From there, the team rallied support, raising more than $10,000 through community donations, family contributions, and grassroots efforts, HBCU Gameday reports.
Limited access to proper facilities forced the team to adapt. They sometimes practiced routines without full stunts or rehearsed in unconventional spaces. Yet the Golden Bears overcame the challenges and represented smaller HBCUs on a national level.
“This whole competition season… was about what we’re doing for our community and showcasing what smaller HBCUs can bring,” Anderson-Tolbert shared, according toAL.com.
When the team finally took the stage, the members delivered a high-energy routine that blended precision, spirit, and the signature performance style deeply rooted in HBCU cheer culture. Their execution and presence quickly set them apart from the competition.
The Golden Bears’ victory is being hailed as a defining moment, not only for Miles College but for HBCU cheer programs across the country.
Evanston Reparations Committee Rolls Out Grants To Boost Black-Owned Businesses
The Evanston Reparations Committee is targeting the racial wealth gap by supporting local Black-owned enterprises.
On March 20, the Evanston (IL) Reparations Committee officially opened its interest forms for its new Black Business Grant Program.
The grant program is designed to provide direct financial assistance to businesses that have historically faced barriers to capital and commercial growth due to systemic divestment.
This latest phase of the city’s $10 million restorative plan shifts focus from housing to economic development, specifically targeting the racial wealth gap by supporting local Black-owned enterprises.
The grant program is designed to provide direct financial assistance to businesses that have historically faced barriers to capital and commercial growth due to systemic divestment. The committee is partnering with Oakton College to help bring the vision to life. Under the new guidelines, eligible Black business owners can apply for grants intended to cover operational costs, infrastructure improvements, and marketing efforts aimed at long-term sustainability, the Evanston RoundTablereported.
The Evanston Reparations committee’s focus of business is due in part to the findings of the city’s 2019 study regarding historical wealth and opportunity gaps by implementing a structured support system for local entrepreneurs.
To be eligible, applicants must be Black residents of Evanston who currently own or are launching a business within city limits, according to a City of Evanston memorandum. Furthermore, the program goes beyond mere capital infusion by offering “operational readiness” training. Training provides essential technical support to help business owners navigate regulatory compliance and effectively scale their operations. Onboarding through the Small Business Development Center is mandatory. Additionally, applicants that have previously received funding from the committee are not eligible.
The rollout of the business grants comes as the city continues to navigate legal and financial hurdles. As of March 2026, the Evanston Reparations Fund has distributed over $6.5 million to hundreds of residents. Despite the committee’s success, challenges persist. In 2024, conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit “over the city’s use of race as an eligibility requirement for a reparations program.
“So we are really excited to connect businesses, not only with financial resources but also with education to make sure that it’s being applied well so we can sustain Black businesses here in Evanston,” Maurae Gilbert McCants, small business development center director, said.
Brooklyn Academy of Music, Flickr, by
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NYC’s Brooklyn Academy Of Music Names Tamara McCaw President, Eyes Stability And Growth
After nine months serving as the interim CEO, McCaw has been named the Brooklyn Academy of Music's new president.
After serving as interim CEO during a period of transition, Tamara McCaw has been officially named president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
The announcement came on March 20, nine months after McCaw assumed the interim CEO role in June 2025, according to Broadway World. As president, she will collaborate with the Board of Trustees and senior leadership to shape the institution’s strategic direction and lead it into its next chapter.
McCaw, 49, was unanimously selected by the board of trustees from a pool of 60 candidates, according to Board Chair Diane L. Max. She becomes BAM’s third president in the past decade, following Gina Duncan’s departure in 2025 and Katy Clark’s exit in 2021.
A collaborative leader with deep ties to BAM, McCaw previously led its government and community affairs efforts before joining The Shed as its inaugural Chief Civic Program Officer, where she helped launch Open Call. In 2023, she founded Public Assembly, a practice focused on advancing work at the intersection of culture and social impact.
“We are focused on stability,” McCaw said of her new role as president. “If you look at who I am, I am definitely a lifer. It’s my community-based roots. It takes time to do anything.”
BAM, she said, “made me,” adding, “It’s where I found my friends and my wife.”
McCaw takes the helm as BAM works to rebuild attendance, which declined before the pandemic and worsened during it amid growing competition from venues like The Shed and the Park Avenue Armory. In 2025, BAM reported a rebound, welcoming 700,000 visitors as attendance returned to pre-pandemic levels, with ticket revenue reaching $15.5 million, its second-highest in a decade.
“The struggles out there are real,” McCaw said. “But we are resilient. We are structured to meet those challenges.”
McCaw and Max said upcoming programming across dance, music, film, and theater—including a production of “Hamlet” from England’s National Theatre directed by Robert Hastie—will help sustain the institution’s appeal moving forward.
“We are very happy with our strategic plan,” Max said.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 16: Dwyane Wade arrives at the GQ Men of the Year Party 2023 at Bar Marmont on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for GQ)
Dwyane Wade Says Shaq’s Bentley Promise Took 20 Years — But Finally Got Done
'Yeah, we finally got them. We've been talking about this for 20 years. Shaq did not deliver on his promise.'
Two decades after Shaquille O’Neal promised Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem Bentleys for helping deliver the 2006 NBA Finals title, he finally made good on the pledge in February 2026 during a ceremony marking the win. Wade later reflected on the long-awaited gift during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Fallon asked Wade about the promise being fulfilled later than expected after Shaq made good on his word earlier this year on Feb. 3 at Kaseya Center in Miami. Shaq surprised the two former players, as well as everyone in attendance, when he presented the two Bentleys at the ceremony.
“Well, he promised U.D. and I, as young guys, he was like, ‘Hey, we win this championship, I’m gonna buy both of you guys Bentleys,’ Wade tells Fallon, adding, “Come on, that’s all the incentive we needed.”
As Wade is explaining the story, Fallon presents a picture of the two Bentleys that were given to Haslem and Wade; however, the picture shows small replicas of the expensive luxury vehicles. The audience laughs as the camera pans in on the photograph displaying the replicas.
“Yeah, we finally got them. We’ve been talking about this for 20 years. Shaq did not deliver on his promise. We never got our Bentleys. U.D. and I actually went out and bought Bentleys ourselves because Big Fella never gave us our two Bentleys.
“So he gave us our Bentleys finally, 20 years later.”
A video clip of the moment was posted on social media, showing O’Neal presenting his two former teammates with gifts in front of a full arena during the franchise’s 20th-anniversary championship celebration. The clip shows O’Neal reminding Wade and Haslem that he has not forgotten his promise and that he has the two remote-controlled cars, which look like they were made for kids. O’Neal informs them that they were named after them.
Return To Sender? USPS Warns Mail Could Stop As Cash Crisis Deepens
'No longer can we maintain the status quo,' Postmaster General David Steiner warns.
The United States Postal Service (USPS) has issued a dire warning, stating the agency may be forced to halt mail delivery or cease paying employees within the next 12 months.
The agency is facing a financial breaking point that could lead to a total service shutdown without immediate federal intervention. Postmaster General David Steiner announced the state of USPS during a March 18 congressional hearing. Steiner, who took over the role following Louis DeJoy’s resignation in March 2025, revealed that, at its current “run rate,” the USPS will be entirely out of cash by early 2027. The agency handles approximately 109 billion items annually and ships 10 times as many packages as FedEx and UPS combined. However, USPS reported a $9 billion loss for the 2025 fiscal year alone.
“I like to say that we got thrown overboard and into the water,” Steiner said. “But instead of tossing us a life jacket, we were thrown an anchor.”
To mitigate the deficit, the USPS has proposed a new round of price hikes set for mid-2026. First-Class Mail stamps have remained steady at 78 cents. However, new filings suggest a price hike may be necessary if operations are to continue as normal through the end of the year.
The financial crisis comes as Georgia residents experience significant mail delays. United States Sen. Jon Ossoff has been vocal about the “abysmal” on-time delivery rates in North Georgia. Ossoff visited the state’s Palmetto sorting facility in May 2024 to observe operations and get answers for delayed services.
“It was not properly planned for,” Sen. Ossoff told WSB-TV. “It was not properly managed, there was no one in charge, and the results have been devastating for Georgians.”
The current delivery rate hovers between 75% and 80%. Ossoff points out that delayed parcels have left seniors without prescriptions and small businesses unable to reach markets.
“No longer can we maintain the status quo,” Steiner warned. “Less than a year from now, the Postal Service will be unable to deliver the mail if major changes aren’t made.”
ENGLEWOOD, NJ - June 07, 2013 : Civil rights political artist Faith Ringgold, 82, in her studio at her home in Englewood, NJ on June 07, 2013. Faith Ringgold was one of the leaders of the Black Arts Movement of the 1960's, gaining worldwide prominence for her quilts. "American People, Black Light: Faith Ringgold's Paintings of the 1960's" is a retrospective of race, reconciliation, activism and feminism, from one of the most tumultuous periods in American history. (Photo by Melanie Burford/Prime for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Far More Than Fabric: Recognizing Black Quiltmakers On National Quilt Day
Quilts are also cultural archives
National Quilt Day falls in March during Women’s History Month. It was established in 1991 by the National Quilting Association to pay homage to quilters across the country. While other art forms chronicle Black life and aesthetics, textile art carries this legacy just as effectively.
Black communities have used quilting not only as a necessity to keep warm in the cold winter months but also to adorn their homes, particularly beds and windows. Quilts are also cultural archives where many women create multidimensional stories of survival, migration, resistance, and joy through fabric. Black women quilters maintain the tradition by elevating it across the rural South and globally, in gallery spaces and museums, ensuring that African American stories are part of the fine art record and remain both remembered and felt as historical documents. Check out these Black women quilt makers who have led the charge.
Phyllis Stephens
Phyllis Stephens is an artist and storyteller who creates colossal-size quilts, with decades of skill and artistic practice in the tradition. Stephen’s large-scale works depict African Americans indulging in joy, love, pleasure, and spirituality. The master quilter works from Atlanta, while showing her work internationally. Stephens has shown work in Europe and across the African continent. Her quilts preserve authentic narratives and visuals of Black life to be experienced for generations to come.
Bisa Butler
Quilt artist Bisa Butler has transformed portraiture by using colorful African fabrics to make life-size textile artworks from archival photographs and ordinary Black subjects. Since the early 2000s, Butler’s work has been collected by major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. Butler’s pieces bring forward neglected histories by focusing on Black identity, dignity, and cultural expression.
Chawne Kimber
Through her work, Chawne Kimber has established quilting as an artistic and activist medium by creating strong textual pieces that address racial discrimination, social inequality, and systemic injustice. Since the 2000s, the Massachusetts-based artist and educator has combined mathematical exactness with social commentary in her quilt work. Kimber displays nationally, showing how traditional quilting transforms into a modern platform for cultural critique and contemporary discourse.
Cecelia Pedescleaux
Throughout a decades-long career, Cecelia Pedescleaux has dedicated herself to preserving African American heritage through quilting, combining African design traditions with historical narratives, including the Underground Railroad. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, where she uses cultural symbolism in textile form. Pedescleaux also uses quilting as a storytelling method and a tool for protecting ancestral knowledge across generations.
Sally Mae Pettway Mixon
Sally Mae Pettway Mixon continues the Gee’s Bend legacy through improvisational quilts that are part of a multigenerational tradition that has achieved worldwide acclaim. Through her 21st-century artistic practice, Pettway Mixon uses recycled materials and bold geometric patterns to maintain a style that originated from necessity while protecting the cultural and familial histories of one of the most important African American quilting communities in the United States.
Carolyn L. Mazloomi
Since 1985, Carolyn L. Mazloomi has been instrumental in documenting and elevating Black quilting traditions. Mazloomi founded the Women of Color Quilters Network, which provides space for artists who have been excluded from mainstream recognition. Mazloomi has established African American quilting as an essential part of American art history through her narrative quilts and nationwide museum curatorial exhibitions while protecting its cultural value for future generations.
Wini McQueen
Wini McQueen, of Macon, Georgia, creates “story quilts” that combine words with images that tell stories about African American history, community life, and cultural experiences. McQueen’s quilts are tactile documentaries that can fill in the gaps in conventional historical records. For decades, her work has been displayed throughout the United States as a visual archive preserving cultural heritage.
