Author: Jeric Macaraan

Black history has always been central to the American story. But in classrooms across the country, that truth has not always been reflected in the curriculum — and a piece of legislation currently making its way through Congress is determined to change that. H.R. 844, the Black History is American History Act, is one of the most important education bills in the 119th Congress, and with Black History Month drawing to a close, its urgency has never felt more real. Introduced by Congresswoman Joyce Beatty of Ohio to kick off the month-long celebration in 2025, the bill would mandate the…

There is nothing quite like an HBCU marching band. The synchronized footwork, the thunderous brass, the dancing, the pageantry — it is a cultural institution unto itself, one that has been shaping American music and community identity for generations. This Black History Month, that legacy gets its most celebrated showcase yet as the Pepsi National Battle of the Bands returns with its sixth installment of The Best of the Battles, airing from January 31 through March 1, 2026. For fans of HBCU culture, this is essential viewing. The film series, which spans over 15 years of competition history, documents the…

The Detroit Lions are going global. The franchise has officially announced it will play a regular season game in Munich, Germany during the 2026 NFL season — its first international appearance in over a decade. The game will be held at FC Bayern Munich Stadium, one of Europe’s most prestigious sporting venues, with full schedule details including the opponent and kickoff time expected during the league’s mid-May release window. For the Lions, this is not just a road trip. It is a statement. Detroit Lions End an 11-Year International Absence The Lions last played overseas on November 1, 2015, when…

Wall Street is catching its breath. Dow Jones futures held steady near 48,870 during European trading hours on Tuesday, offering a tentative sign of stabilization after a punishing Monday session that left investors rattled and portfolios bruised. S&P 500 futures hovered near 6,850 while Nasdaq 100 contracts stayed close to 24,780, as traders held their positions and waited to see whether calm could hold ahead of the regular U.S. market open. The question on everyone’s mind was simple — is this a pause or the beginning of something worse? How Bad Was Monday for the Dow Jones Monday was not…

The wait is nearly over. Bruno Mars, one of the most celebrated artists of his generation, is set to drop his fourth solo studio album, The Romantic, this Friday, February 27, 2026 — and the music world has not been this excited about a release in a very long time. For Mars, this is more than just a new album. It is a homecoming. Bruno Mars Ends a Decade-Long Solo Drought The last time Mars released a solo studio album was 24K Magic back in 2016. That is nearly ten years of silence on the solo front — a stretch…

Southern University is making history in Baton Rouge, and the rest of the country is paying attention. The flagship HBCU of the Southern University System recently celebrated a landmark moment in the construction of its $68 million STEM Complex, marking the ceremonial topping-out of the facility after the final structural beam was placed atop the building. It is the kind of milestone that does not just signal construction progress — it signals something far more powerful for the future of Southern University, its students, and the broader HBCU community nationwide. The complex, fully funded through Louisiana’s Capital Outlay Act, represents…

The AI chip wars just got a major new chapter. Meta announced on Tuesday a sweeping multiyear deal with Advanced Micro Devices, deploying up to 6 gigawatts of AMD’s graphics processing units across its artificial intelligence data centers. The agreement also includes AI-optimized central processing units and marks one of the most significant challenges yet to Nvidia’s near-total dominance of the AI chip market. The timing is striking. Just one week earlier, Meta had committed to deploying millions of Nvidia processors to fuel its AI expansion. Now, with a second blockbuster chip deal locked in, it is clear that Meta…

Eight experienced on-air reporters and anchors lost their jobs at WGN-Ch. 9 in Chicago on Monday, February 23, in a sweeping round of cuts that rattled one of the city’s most storied newsrooms. Some staffers were informed mid-shift and cleared out before the day ended. By Monday evening, the full picture had come into focus — leaving colleagues stunned, shaken, and deeply uncertain about what lies ahead. The reductions were confirmed by multiple insiders at the station, with budgetary pressures tied to parent company Nexstar Media Group cited as the driving force. Station management told those affected that the cuts…

The underground music world is grieving today. Luci4, the Los Angeles rapper born James Dear who pioneered the internet microgenre sigilkore and captured a generation with his viral hit BodyPartz, has died at just 23 years old. His passing on February 22, 2026, has sent shockwaves far beyond the niche online communities that first discovered him — and the circumstances surrounding his death have left his family, fans, and the music industry deeply unsettled. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical emergency call at a friend’s residence in Los Angeles at 11:40 AM on Saturday. When first responders…

There are songs that chart, and then there are songs that define a generation. For Alicia Keys, Fallin’ is undeniably the latter. As the iconic track approaches its 25th anniversary — having first arrived in March 2001 — Keys is taking a rare and meaningful look back at the moment that launched her from a fiercely talented young artist into one of the most celebrated musicians of her era. She was just 20 years old when Fallin’ introduced her to the world. Young, determined, and armed with a voice that felt completely unlike anything on the radio at the time,…