Morris Brown, Atlanta,
by Jameelah Mullen

January 22, 2026

Threatening Email Triggers Lockdown At Morris Brown And Wiley University

The HBCUs are among several institutions that have locked down their campuses after receiving threats in recent months.

Morris Brown College and Wiley College are taking precautions after both HBCUs received threatening emails. On Thursday, Jan. 22, both schools announced they were closing campuses as a safety precaution. 

In an alert, issued around 9:30 a.m., Morris Brown told its students to prepare for virtual classes.   

According to the school, the emergency alert was issued due to a security threat affecting Morris Brown. 

Approximately two hours later,  Morris Brown’s President Kevin James announced that the college would resume normal operations. 

“This morning, several HBCUs across the country, including institutions within the Atlanta University Center (AUC), received a threatening email directed at members of our campus communities,” James wrote. 

“After working closely with law enforcement, we have been cleared to resume normal campus operations. I am grateful to our team for their professionalism, preparedness, and prompt action in ensuring the safety and well-being of our faculty, staff, and students.”

Wiley University also issued a shelter-in-place warning and canceled classes and closed offices for the day. The University’s President, Dr. Herman J. Felton, shared the news on Instagram.

“This morning, unfortunately, we received a disturbing email that poses a critical threat to the institution, our students, and the very way of life we’ve become accustomed to on this campus,” Felton said in the video. 

Felton also noted that the colleges are working with local and state law enforcement to ensure campus safety. 

Neither college revealed details about the emails they received. 

In September 2025, several HBCUs faced terrorist threats, leading to campus lockdowns, including Clark Atlanta University, which is also located in the Atlanta University Center. Other colleges affected were Bethune-Cookman College in Florida and Washington, D.C.’s Howard University. Virginia State University and Hampton University, both located in Virginia, also received threats. 

Morris Brown College recently made headlines after its President, Kevin James, announced his termination. The institution reinstated him less than two weeks later.

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Naomi Osaka, Australian Open
by Keka Araújo

January 22, 2026

Audacity At The Australian Open: Naomi Osaka Wins The Match & The Battle Against Forced Silence By Her Opponent

For those who know the game, vocalizing self-motivation is a foundational element of the sport.

Naomi Osaka’s second-round victory over Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open was a masterclass in resilience. Still, the final score was almost overshadowed by a dispute over a two-word phrase, “Come on.”

For those who know the game, vocalizing self-motivation is a foundational element of the sport. Yet, for Osaka, her use of the phrase between serves “became a point of contention that Cirstea brought directly to the chair umpire.

“Is this OK?” Cirstea questioned. “To do ‘come on’ between points?”

The umpire was clear in her stance, noting that Osaka’s hype occurred before the serve was even initiated. “You hadn’t got the ball yet either. This is fine,” the umpire responded.

Undeterred, Cirstea continued her line of questioning: “So I can talk between points? Can I go ‘come on’ and talk?”

“You’re not serving yet, so it’s not a hindrance to you. So this is Ok” the umpire replied, reaffirming Osaka’s right to occupy her own space emotionally.

The victory, secured through that very grit, was met with a frosty net exchange. Cirstea offered a dismissive handshake and pointed words that left Osaka visibly caught off guard.

In the immediate aftermath, Osaka was candid, “Apparently, a lot of ‘c’mons’ that she was angry about, but whatever. I mean, I tried to play well, I tried my best. She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open, so, OK, sorry she was mad about it.”

This friction isn’t just about tennis etiquette; it’s about the persistent “Karen” behavior that follows Black women to the baseline.

This calculated policing of Osaka’s space operates as a microaggression, leveraging discomfort to discipline Black excellence into something quieter, smaller and more digestible for white consumption.

History shows a clear disparity in how passion is categorized. When white players display fire, it’s labeled “competitive spirit.” When Black players like Osaka or Taylor Townsend—who was told by Jelena Ostapenko in 2025, “You have no class, you have no education”—show the same, it is branded as “disrespect” or a “distraction.”

Such coded slights function as psychological restraints, reinforcing white validation as the benchmark for Black women’s autonomy while pathologizing their competitive excellence as a character flaw.

Research into Serena Williams’ career has already laid the groundwork for understanding this phenomenon. Black players often face a specific brand of microaggression that polices their bodies, their tone, and their right to be loud.

Even in her victory, Osaka felt the pressure to take the “Higher Road,” eventually offering an apology for her post-match candor.

“I guess that emotions were very high for her. I also want to apologize,” Osaka told reporters. “I think the first couple things that I said on the court was disrespectful. I don’t like disrespecting people. That’s not what I do.”

Cirstea, 35, opted to exit the tournament—and her final Australian Open—by downplaying the drama and expertly dancing around questions reporters lobbed at her about her behavior and the exchange.

“There was no drama,” she told reporters. “It was just a five-second exchange between two players who have been on a tour for a long time. It stays between us. For me, this was my last match at the Australian Open, so I think I’d like to stay with that.”

The message is clear: A Black woman’s success is still too often contingent on her silence.

Osaka advanced in the bracket, but the double standard applied to Black players remains intact.

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Sinners, Ryan Coogler, AAFCA, awards
by Kandiss Edwards

January 22, 2026

‘Sinners’ Makes History Scoring First-Time Nominations For Many Gifted And Black Talents

The Ryan Coogler-directed vampire horror was recognized in every category for which it was eligible.

The nominees for the 98th Academy Awards were announced Jan. 22, with a broad slate of films recognized across acting, directing, and technical categories. Sinners emerged as the most nominated film of the year, earning a historic 16 nominations.

The total marks the most nominations ever received by a single film in Oscar history. The Ryan Coogler-directed vampire horror was recognized in every category for which it was eligible. The film captured audience attention upon its release, with Coogler’s meticulous visual approach and intentional use of IMAX technology drawing a strong response. Sinners has grossed $365 million worldwide at the box office and has earned several cast and crew members’ first-time Academy recognitions.

Categories Include:

Best Picture

Lead Actor, Michael B. Jordan

Supporting Actor, Delroy Lindo

Supporting Actress, Wunmi Mosaku

Cinematography

Costume design

Film Editing 

Original Screenplay

Original Score

Original Song

Sound and Visual Effects

MakeUp and Hairstyling

Production Design

Veteran actor Delroy Lindo earned his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Delta Slim, a blues musician haunted by the violence and hatred of the Jim Crow era. Lindo has worked steadily across film and television since the 70s and despite a career spanning more than five decades, had not previously been recognized by the Academy.

British actress Wunmi Mosaku also received her first Academy Award nomination for her role as Annie, a voodoo priestess who serves as a stabilizing force amid the film’s chaos. Mosaku was previously honored as Best Supporting Actress at the 2025 Gotham Film Awards.

Michael B. Jordan earned a Best Actor nomination for his triple performance in “Sinners,” portraying Smoke, Stack, and Vampiric Stack. From his early work as Wallace on The Wire to leading roles in the Creed franchise, Jordan has steadily built a career that now places him among the industry’s most recognized actors.

Coogler, already an Academy nominee as a producer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Judas and the Black Messiah, received his first Best Director nomination for Sinners. He became the third Black filmmaker to earn nominations in the Best Director, Original Screenplay, and Producer categories, following Spike Lee and Jordan Peele.

Ruth E. Carter has also made history at the Academy Awards. As the winner of two awards for her work in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Carter was nominated for her fifth total award. Her work in building the beauty of Sinners makes Carter the most-nominated Black woman in Oscar history.

With 16 nominations, Sinners dethroned La La Land, with 14 nominations, as the most nominated film of all time. While the Oscars are notorious for snubbing Black talent, the extreme popularity of the film is hard to ignore. The care in research, history, Blues music, niche spiritual practices, as well as moving portrayals from the cast of characters, will hopefully allow the film to prevail in many categories. In the words of Issa Rae: “I’m rooting for everybody Black.”

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Vince Staples, Netflix
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 22, 2026

Netflix Cancels ‘The Vince Staples Show’

The show was on the streaming service for two seasons.

Recording artist Vince Staples has had his self-titled television sitcom canceled by Netflix.

According to Deadline, “The Vince Staples Show,” a fictionalized version of his life, had just completed its second season. Although it was a critically acclaimed, it never developed a large audience to justify keeping it running.

The show debuted in 2024 and featured Staples, along with Andrea Ellsworth, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Beau Billingslea, and Naté Jones. The show was based in Long Beach, where the rapper is from.

In a recent Netflix report, the show’s second season ranked No. 1,446 in the streaming giant’s Second Half of 2025 viewership report. Following its Nov. 6 release, the show garnered 1.7 million views. According to a report on viewing stats from Feb. 15, 2024, through June 30, 2024, Staples’ show had generated 4.6 million views.

The show had never broken Netflix’s Weekly Top 10, but on Rotten Tomatoes, it scored 94% with critics and 88% with viewers.

Staples created the show with Ian Edelman and Maurice Williams. It was executive produced by Kenya Barris, Staples, Corey Smyth, William Stefan Smith, Andrea Sperling, and Leonard Chang.

The Def Jam Recordings artist debuted 2015 and released his latest project in May 2024. His first three albums, Summertime ’06, Big Fish Theory, and FM!, were released on Def Jam before he signed with Motown. With the legendary label, he released Vince Staples and Ramona Park Broke My Heart.

His latest album, Dark Times, marks his return to Def Jam. 

As an actor, he has appeared on the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary and in the remake of White Men Can’t Jump. He has also made guest appearances as himself in the film Gorillaz: Reject False Icons and on the HBO show Insecure.

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Missouri , Damon Wilson, sued
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 22, 2026

Legal Gridlock: Duke Sues Quarterback To Block Transfer Portal Move

Darian Mensah stated he wanted to enter the portal, but the school has an NIL agreement with him that they want him to honor

Duke University quarterback Darian Mensah wants to enter the transfer portal to make himself available to another college, but the school filed a lawsuit to prevent him from doing so, citing his NIL (name, image, and likeness) agreement with the institution.

According to CNN, Duke filed a temporary restraining order in Durham County Superior Court in N.C., to block him from entering the portal. The school, instead, wants both sides to go through arbitration to try to iron out the unprecedented situation.

“Mr. Mensah has an existing contract with Duke, which the university intends to honor, and we expect he will do the same,” a Duke Athletics spokesperson said in a written statement to CNN Sports. “The court-ordered temporary restraining order (TRO) issued yesterday ensures he does not violate his contract. The university is committed to supporting all our student-athletes, while expecting each of them to abide by their contractual obligations.”

However, a judge denied the school’s request, but a date has been scheduled in February so both sides can litigate the situation. The ruling doesn’t prevent Mensah from entering the portal, but he is not allowed to enroll in another school until the dispute is settled. Attorneys for the quarterback have requested an earlier date.

The lawsuit states that Mensah was approached by a rival school with an alleged offer to “buyout” the contract with Duke, prompting his decision to enter the portal.

Under the NCAA rules and regulations, other schools may not contact a student-athlete, directly or indirectly, until the student-athlete has entered the transfer portal. At 2:07 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, sports media reports began to circulate that Mensah was considering entering the portal and was being offered a purported ‘buyout’ of his contract with Duke University.”

ESPN reported that Superior Court Judge Michael O’Foghludha, who made the ruling, will not sit on the case due to his status as a Duke booster. Darren Heitner, Mensah’s attorney, said, “The judge, a Duke basketball season-ticket holder, and thus a booster, also recused himself from future proceedings,” Heitner said.

Another judge, Ed Wilson, will hear the case. 

Mensah had a spectacular year, throwing for 3,973 yards and 34 touchdowns.

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Wizkid, streams, billion
by Jameelah Mullen

January 22, 2026

Wizkid First African Artist To Surpass 10 Billion Streams

When it comes to breaking records, Wizkid is the wiz.

Afrobeats artist Wizkid is the first African artist to surpass 10 billion Spotify streams across all credits, according to Chart Data.

The online platform monitors data and provides real-time updates on music charts and sales. It also reports that as of Jan. 18, Wizkid has reached every billion-stream milestone, which range from 1 billion streams to 10 billion, on Spotify.

The achievement comes ahead of the superstar’s upcoming project, REAL Vol. 1, a collaborative EP with fellow Afrobeats star Asake. The four-track release is scheduled to arrive on streaming platforms on Jan. 23.

The duo gave fans a sneak peek with the lead single, “Jogodo.” Chart Data announced that the song set a record on Spotify Nigeria, surpassing 5 million streams.

In October 2020, the Lagos, Nigeria, native released his fourth studio album, Made in Lagos. The album, which reached number one on the Billboard World Album chart, included the hit single, “Essence.”

The collaboration with Tems became the first Nigerian song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. His sixth album, Morayo, earned the biggest streaming debut for an African album on Spotify.

Additionally, HBO premiered the documentary, Wizkid: Long Live Lagos, directed by Karam Gill, in December 2025. The film follows the artist from his hometown to London.

In 2023, Wizkid performed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the first African artist to sell out the iconic venue.

Wizkid, born Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun, emerged on the music scene in 2010. He debuted with his breakout single, “Holla At Your Boy.” The track appeared on his first album, Superstar. It helped launch his career and elevate Afrobeats globally.

He is set to perform at July’s AfroNation Festival in Portugal. 

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Gayle King, CBS News, new deal, morning show
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 22, 2026

Gayle King Rumored To Face Major CBS Pay Cut Or Begin A Yearlong Farewell Tour

New reports raise questions about Gayle King’s $15 million salary and her future at CBS News.

As speculation grows about Gayle King’s future at CBS News under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, reports suggest the veteran anchor may be facing a steep pay cut or a yearlong farewell tour before exiting.

Amid sweeping staff changes at CBS News since Weiss took over in October, sources familiar with the network say Weiss may be aiming to cut King’s $15 million salary, citing the pressures of a weaker media economy, Variety reports.

King is reportedly weighing her options, including a special correspondent role that would allow occasional appearances without a regular hosting schedule, or a one-year on-air arrangement at a reduced salary so she could say goodbye to viewers.

The developments come as Weiss faces scrutiny over how she has been reshaping the network since her arrival. Sources say Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski are considering moving King from her co-host role on CBS Mornings to a special correspondent position or a role featuring occasional reports, allowing her to continue showcasing her celebrity interview skills.

This follows reports that King and Weiss had a “low-key” lunch to discuss her future.

King renews her contract annually; her current deal is set to expire in May. Sources say Weiss values King’s ability to secure high-profile interviews and wants to keep her on staff, but in a different, significantly cheaper role.

Weiss has been under intense scrutiny following Paramount’s $150 million acquisition of her conservative-opinion site, The Free Press. Sources say she has pushed programs like CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes to give more airtime to Trump administration officials.

Insiders describe visible dysfunction within the CBS News team, as veteran staff view Weiss and her handpicked senior team skeptically because of her limited experience managing mainstream media outlets. Weiss rose to fame as the opinions editor at The New York Times, a role that did not involve reporting.

They point to a series of missteps eroding the network’s news credibility, including rushing Tony Dokoupil into the Evening News anchor role following the exits of Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, airing a town hall with Erika Kirk without mainstream ad support, and pulling a pre-announced 60 Minutes segment.

According to insiders, these issues can only be addressed if producers and reporters push back more regularly against Weiss.

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Black Panther
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 22, 2026

Huey P. Newton’s Niece Threatens Legal Action Against Philadelphia Chapter Of New Black Panther Party

A relative of late Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton is threatening legal action against a newly formed, Philadelphia-based faction claiming ties to the group.

Myesha Newton, the niece of the revolutionary activist, took to social media to issue a warning to Paul Birdsong, a member of a modern group using the name Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, The Grio reports. After Birdsong and the group drew attention in recent weeks for intervening to protect ICE protesters, Newton has spoken out, accusing the new Black Panther Party of tarnishing her late uncle’s legacy.

“My name is Myesha Newton. My father’s name was Walter Newton. He was the brother of Huey Percy Newton, who started the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California,” Myesha said at the start of her video. “I got birth certificate paperwork and a whole bunch of Newtons … listen, this goes out to the Black Panther Party, the New United Black Panther Party, whoever’s out there protesting with these Somalians? I’m about to get a cease and desist order against you, and I’m about to sue you. You are not going to defame my uncle’s name like that. We’re not doing that. See you in court, b-tches.”

Birdsong has drawn fresh attention as the outspoken national chairman of a contemporary Black Panther Party for Self-Defense chapter based in West Philadelphia.

His group, which says it draws on the legacy of the original 1960s Black Panther Party and received training from some of the original party’s surviving members, has been visible at recent anti-ICE demonstrations at Philadelphia City Hall while carrying legally permitted military-style firearms in support of protesters after an ICE agent fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis.

“That wouldn’t have happened if we were there,” Birdsong told reporters. “Not a single person would have gotten touched.”

Critics have raised questions about the group’s use of historic Panther imagery and its tactics amid nationwide protests over immigration enforcement. The use of the Black Panther Party name has also stirred internal tension within the Newton family, with Rico Dukes—who claims to be Newton’s son—saying he personally approved the Philadelphia chapter and gave it his blessing.

“I had been watching him for a few months, and then I finally called him to give him my blessings and standing how the Panthers stood in 1966,” Dukes said in an Instagram video. “It’s many elders from the 1966 Panther Party that vouch for his chapter.”

Dukes also dismissed Myesha Newton’s threats of legal action, saying the only person with standing to sue would be Huey P. Newton’s widow, Fredrika Newton.

“If anybody who probably could [sue] is Fredrika. She can’t do it because the trademark wiped up, so you’re on here just talkin’,” Dukes said.

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Zohran Mamdani
by Sharelle B. McNair

January 22, 2026

Zohran Mamdani Deads Hotel ‘Junk Fees’ Making It More Affordable To Enjoy NYC 

In Mamdani’s mind, “the price you see is the price you pay.”

In less than 30 days, newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has made good on his campaign promises to expand free childcare and public bathrooms. Now, he is taking it a step further by tackling the hospitality industry and getting rid of annoying hotel “junk fees.”

Mamdani made the groundbreaking announcement at The Whitney Museum of American Art, adding the rule that applies everywhere outside city borders, to ban hotel resort fees, surprise deposits, and others that the mayor calls “junk fees.” Going into effect by mid-February, Newsday reports the rule extends to any place a New York City resident wants to stay at an advertised-in-NYC hotel, Airbnb rental, or other temporary lodging. 

In Mamdani’s mind, “the price you see is the price you pay.” “I speak of the hidden fees that plague New Yorkers’ lives anytime they have the audacity to book a hotel room, not only when they’re in our city, but when they’re booking that room from here for wherever they’re traveling around the country,” he said. 

Under the rule, once developed by the former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, hotels and other temporary lodging spaces must include the entire cost of a night’s stay in the advertised fee. In addition, hotels can no longer add a surcharge under names like resort fee or destination fee, ridding guests of surprises by the actual cost that was never advertised. 

During the press conference, the city’s youngest mayor said, “Life in our city does not need to be defined by hardship,” and noted that the rule will benefit not only New Yorkers but tourists as well. In preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer, the city anticipates an estimated one million visitors. 

Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, Sam Levine, labeled the rule as “the strongest hotel consumer protection anywhere in the country,” as hundreds of people have complained about the “junk fees.” In 2025 alone, the city received 300 complaints in correlation to hidden hotel fees or unexpected credit card holds, according to The Gothamist. The new rule will require hotels to disclose the fees upfront. 

Mamdani said the rule is a “warning” for “those who have long approached business as an opportunity to mistreat those who they serve,” simply seeking “transparency.”

The move is being celebrated by unions across the city as they are still getting used to the new mayor and his administration. Rich Maroko, president of the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, representing 40,000 hotel workers, celebrated the crackdown and praised Mamdani for tackling “corporate lawbreakers.”

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shooting, Howard, homecoming
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 22, 2026

Suspect Indicted In Jets Cornerback Kris Boyd’s ‘Near-Fatal’ Shooting

Frederick Green has been indicted on charges of attempted murder, assault, and weapons possession.

A suspect has been arrested in the Nov. 16 shooting of New York Jets player Kris Boyd outside of Sei Less restaurant in New York City.

Frederick Green, 20, has been indicted on charges of attempted murder, assault, and weapons possession, Patch reports.

The Bronx resident has pleaded not guilty to the charges. 

Green evaded police until he was discovered hiding out in Buffalo, NY, at his girlfriend’s apartment. He was arrested on Dec. 8. 

Police officials said Green and three other men got into a verbal altercation outside of Sei Less, a popular nightspot, with a group of men that included Boyd. After the disagreement escalated, a fight took place, leading to Green allegedly pulling out a weapon and shooting Green twice in the abdomen. Boyd then fled the scene.

“As alleged, Frederick Green fired two shots outside a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, nearly turning a physical altercation into a fatal one,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a written statement. “Gun violence has no place in Manhattan. My thoughts are with the victim, who continues to heal from this near-fatal shooting.”

After the shooting, Boyd, 29, was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was originally listed in critical but stable condition. TMZ reported that Boyd, who entered the NFL in 2019, revealed he needed multiple cardiovascular surgeries.

Before the shooting, Boyd had not yet played in 2025. He injured his shoulder in the preseason and was placed on injured reserve Aug. 18. Boyd had undergone surgery and was not expected to play at all this past season.

He signed a one-year free-agent contract with the Jets in March 2025. Boyd has also played for the Minnesota Vikings, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Houston Texans.

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