Words on Politics.

 

The Talarico vs. Paxton race has been a tossup in the state of Texas. The reason for this that Paxton has issued more ad hominem attacks on Talarico instead of promoting real values like affordable housing, health care for all, and human rights being protected. Ken Paxton is not being funded as much as before. Also, Paxton has numerous scandals. Paxton had a 2015 securities fraud indictment that was resolved via a 2024 plea deal, a 2023 impeachment and acquittal over corruption and bribery allegations tied to donor Nate Paul, a high-profile divorce citing adultery, and recent voter fraud and residency accusations. Paxton was once impeached in Texas too. Paxton's own wife said that Ken Paxton was an adulterer. In contrast, Talarico never committed adultery, has plans to improve the state of Texas, and is running a powerful campaign. Texas is one of the heartbeats of American society, filled with some of the strongest patriots in history. What goes on in Texas will spread in America. We hope the right future is made into reality.

Some important is that a black motorcycle club in Antioch, California supported a black woman being subjected to racial slurs by a racist neighbor. The black woman was just living her life who just purchased her first home. The racist neighbor is Adrian Ramirez. The motorcycle club had motorcycles lined up outside the woman's home. Three days later, Adrian was arrested and charged with battery and a hate crime for using the N-word and pushing a black man near his home. Adrian's mother said that he has mental health issues, but the vast majority of people with mental health issues don't spew racial slurs at people. Racism is learned, and it's not expressed by babies who are just born on this Earth. The Bay Area is where Antioch is at, and the Bay Area is a known area in California with a strong black consciousness. The black people in motorcycles did the right thing to defend the life of the black woman as all black people desire to be free from racism and oppression indeed.

Many Iranians are resisting the Iranian regime now. Rubio is wrong to promote appeasement when he imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane, a woman who is currently wanted in Russia (because she issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes). Rubio also imposed sanctions on ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. Seye's work led to Netanyahu's ICC arrest warrant. It is no secret that Putin and Netanyahu are both explicit war criminals. According to The Telegraph, Russia could attack NATO within weeks, which U.S. intelligence warns. Putin just doesn't want Ukraine, but he also wants Eastern Europe and possibly beyond. Putin must be defeated in Ukraine, so the people of Ukraine can have their own freedom. We know that a Russian cruise missile hit Poland weeks ago, and Poland is part of NATO.

There are tons of election results that existed after the August 18, 2026, primary elections. In Florida, we have the Democratic candidate Angie Nixon winning her primary. Angie Nixon won counties with the highest black voter populations by 30 points, the least college-educated areas, counties with the most young adults, and major cities plus suburbs. Angie Nixon was outspent by her opponent Alex Vindman, and Angie Nixon still won the primary. Vindman made many errors in his campaign like refusing to debate Nixon and rarely addressed her campaign. Vindman underestimated Nixon so much that he arrogantly laughed at Angie Nixon. Therefore, Angie Nixon won a victory based upon the issues. Angie Nixon has exposed Ron DeSantis as a terrible governor who promotes book bans, made controversial statements, and attacks black history in our public schools. Angie Nixon wants more progressive policies people in Florida and all over America. Byron Donalds won the primary to be the official Republican candidate for the Florida gubernatorial race. He will face against Democrat David Jolly. Donovan McKinney and Chris Rabb won their primaries too. Florida's Kathy Castor has won her primary too. Retired Army Brigadier General Leela Gray secured the Democratic Nomination in FL-13. At the end of the day, the vast majority of the American people want affordable housing, universal health care, civil rights for all people, black people having equality and racial justice, the injustices done by ICE to end, the super wealthy paying their fair share of taxes, living wages (and economic justice in general), and for a clean environment without A.I. data centers damaging our ecosystem. Many Trump-backed candidates lost their primaries. People desire results, and the November 2026 midterms will reflect that progressive change. 

There is the story of Donald Trump and his close aide Natalie Harp. She was so close to him that she once rode in the trunk of an SUV to accompany him. Harp is a dedicated MAGA adherent. Natalie Harp would take no for an answer. Harp said that Trump had personally asked her to attend the court appearance, according to two sources familiar with the matter (who told CNN). She was denied a seat, so Harp jumped into an SUV trunk, according to two sources and a confirmed photo received by CNN. Her actions caused criticism by Trump's own senior aides. Harp was a former far-right television host. This comes after Georgia senator Jon Ossoff said that Trump travels with Natalie on their defenseless flying palace given to him by the Emir of Qatar. The White House criticized Jon Ossoff over his remarks. Harp worked with Donald Trump on many times in the White House, even during a May 30, 2025, press conference. Harp has a strong influence on Trump in many political events. Trump once posted and then deleted (after he got caught) of a racist video that depicted former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes in a jungle (which is the epitome of racism). That is why we are clear to oppose the agenda of Trumpism.

By Timothy

North Nashville and data center.

https://www.blackagendareport.com/north-nashvilles-reckoning-fight-sovereignty-shadow-data-center 

Reading.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2026/aug/16/neuroscientist-screen-use-schools-educational-technology-jared-cooney-horvath 

Kirk.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/09/charlie-kirk-legacy-ezra-klein-2020-election-trump-turning-point/ 

Gym Etiquette.

https://www.theguardian.com/wellness/2026/aug/19/fitness-experts-gym-workout-etiquette 

Army News.

https://www.ms.now/opinion/army-chaplain-threat-black-subordinate-tree-hegseth

Brain News.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/timesofindia.indiatimes.com/science/scientists-create-a-brain-to-brain-network-that-lets-people-communicate-without-words-offering-a-breakthrough-for-human-communication/amp_articleshow/133323402.cms 

Health.

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/strength-training/a73471781/jane-seymour-fitness-routine/ 

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/at-87-mavis-staples-is-getting-stronger-with-age/

Late August 2026 News.

 

We have a record hunger crisis in the world. About 645 million people go hungry as the global military spends a record $2.9 trillion. Nearly one in three people on Earth can't afford a healthy diet. This is the central finding of the 2026 edition of the UN's State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI), released on July 21. This puts the figure at 2.69 billion people, or 32.7 percent of the global population. The annual report was produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO). It found that 645 million people, or 7.8 percent of humanity face chronic hunger in 2025. Measured by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale, 2.1 billion people, more than one in four human beings, lack regular access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food. Inflation has also increased the cost of a healthy diet. It rose to 4.28 purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars per person per day in 2025, up from 2.94 in 2017. Some 150 million children under five have stunted growth and cognitive impairment from a lack of protein, essential fatty acids, iron, zinc, and vitamin A. Many have anemia and starvation. This goes on while we have the wealthiest people on Earth, like Elon Musk, having record profits. This is a product of a greedy capitalist system that promotes exploitation instead of human liberation. This is why I don't believe in isolationism, as the harm of others overseas will cause us harm, as life has the right to exist, irrespective of nationality, and for moral reasons. That is why a radical redistribution of political and economic power is necessary to solve these issues, as the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said almost sixty years ago. 

Donald Trump has done another attack on a CNN reporter, who is a woman. CNN's Kristen Holmes just asked Trump a legitimate question about Jon Ossoff's comments on a key aide. Then, Trump dismissed her and personally attacked Ossoff. The White House's social media account disrespected Holmes by calling her disgraceful and an embarrassment to her profession. The White House later sent another post attacking Holmes' children by saying that her children will see her as callous and vindictive. Trump said that Holmes must be quiet, called her fake news, and a loud, boisterous person (this is a sexist remark that advances the old lie that women in the workplace must be quiet). Trump is a piece of work, and still many conservatives support this liar, Donald Trump. There is no political, economic, or spiritual excuse to support Trump's sexism, habitual lying, xenophobia, racism, and imperialistic actions overseas (like his invasion of Iran). To CNN's credit, they defended Holmes in a statement saying that she is one of the most respected and accomplished journalists covering the White House. Trump is all about control, and he is the personification of white racist mediocrity and the sexist manosphere movement all combined into one. That is why the Golden Rule makes perfect sense. You can easily answer a question sent by a journalist without using vitriol or ad hominem attacks. Fascists hate an independent media, we must support journalists who hold that far right authoritarian in the White House accountable for his actions. 

Blanche refusing to pledge that the Justice Department will have independence from the White House shows his cowardice. The function of the DOJ is to act independently, not being a total shill for the Trump regime. Blanche claimed that Trump has not and will not ask him to prosecute specific individuals. Blanche has overseen the department's prosecution of former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by Trump during his first term. Therefore, we have a choice to make. Either we have democracy or tyranny. There is no other way to put it, because our instrinct rights are being under attack from book bans, the targeting of black museums, and the unjust firing of thousands of black women from federal jobs. We know that the 60 largest planned data centers could produce the same amount of carbon dioxide emissions as 27 coal plants. Big Tech CEOs are polluting our planet and selling out our future to line their own pockets. 

One of the biggest black sellouts of our generation, Museveni of Uganda is sending Ugandan troops to Gaza as proxies to promote U.S. imperialism. These troops are sent to Gaza as part of the U.S. backed International Stabilization Force (ISF), placing the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) at the attempt of the West to disarm Palestinian resistance and transform the Palestinian territory into a U.S. dominated colony. Videos have been posted by Ugandan soldiers who brag about desiring to go to Gaza. This act comes after the August 6th vote in Uganda's parliament to promote the deployment. Defense Minsiter Kiryowa Kiwanuka told MPs that Trump supported this effort by his invitation. This agenda is to strip Palestinians self-determination in Gaza and all over the West Bank. The Palestinians (in contrast to the terrorist group Hamas and the far-right wing war criminal complicit government of Benjamin Netanyahu) are a oppressed people who experienced dispossession, occupation, blockade, and repeated Israeli military assaults. The ongoing genocide in Gaza has been condemned by people from across the political spectrum too. Uganda will join other proxies within the ISF from Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania. Therefore, imperialism is wrong and bourgeoisie sellouts like Museveni should have his actions condemned. 

Trump praising Kim Jong Un, who is a dictator, should never shock anyone. Trump wants to significantly scale back joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises over disagreements he has with South Korea on the Iranian War. While this is going on, North Korea has built its nation's armed forces and illegal nuclear weapons program during the few years. North Korea has sent soldiers to fight in Ukraine, because North Korea has a political alliance with Russia including China. China is trying to be a stronger superpower with alliance, trade deals, and other tactics. The autocrats of Russia, China, and North Korea desire a stronger military and political alliance to grow their hegemonies. This is the pretext of the battle in the 21st century between democracy and authoritarianism. North Korea has a new guided missile destroyer. Trump has been skeptical about his allies in Europe and South Korea which plays into the hands of Putin, Xi, and Kim who desire America to be destabilized. The Iranian war was not only unjust but a disaster that has harmed the American economy in many ways. 

By Timothy

The world has missed the mark with Angel Reese.

The world has missed the mark with Angel Reese

STEM Information and More.

   

There are massive building feats in human history like The Great Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, the Panama Canal, the Burj Khalifa, and the International Space Station. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the Egyptian pyramid and the most famous landmark of the Giza pyramid complex in Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only wonder that has remained largely intact. The Great Pyramid served as the tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu ("Cheops"), who ruled during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom. It was built c. 2600 B.C. over a period of about 26 years. Researchers don't know every detail on how the structure was completed, but archaeologists know a lot about how the Great Pyramids including the Great Pyramid was built. First, the ancient Egyptians had to plan and survey the areas. The Egyptians first chose a solid limestone plateau and carefully leveled the site. They aligned the pyramid almost perfectly with the cardinal directions (north, south, east, and west), probably using observations of stars and the Sun. Later, the ancient Egyptians had to quarry the stone. Most of the roughly 2.3 million limestone blocks were quarried close to the pyramid site. The local limestone formed most of the pyramid. There were higher quality white limestone casing stones from Tura. The granite for the King's Chamber came from Aswan, which is about 500 miles away. The workers used copper chisels, stone hammers, wooden wedges, and other simple tools to complete the work. Workers used wooden sledges to transport the blocks. The works wetted the sand in front of the sledges, reducing friction and making heavy loads easier to move. Some used boats on the Nile during annual floods to bring stones close to the construction site. One large mystery is about raising the stones. Several ramp designs have been proposed like a straight ram (A long earthen ramp leading up one side. Simple in concept but would have required enormous amounts of material), zigzag ramp: ramps climbing along one face), spiral ramp (a ramp wrapping around the pyramid), and internal ramp (One hypothesis suggests ramps built inside the pyramid as construction progressed). Many archaeologists think a combination of different ramp types was probably used. To build the blocks, workers laid blocks in horizontal courses, checking alignment constantly. As the pyramid grew taller, ramps were extended or modified. Once the structure was finished, the smooth white limestone casing stones were installed. A polished pyramidion (capstone) was placed at the top. Much of the casing was later removed over the centuries for reuse in other buildings. The Great Pyramids were built by largely of paid or otherwise skilled laborers and seasonal workers who were fed and housed by the state. Archaeologists found workers' villages, bakeries, medical facilities, and cemeteries for the laborers. Researchers estimate that about 20,000 to 30,000 workers may have been involved during peak construction. Construction of the Great Pyramid likely took about 20-30 years. To this day, we have no definitive answer to the exact design of the ramp system, the precise sequence used for lifting blocks to the highest levels, and some details of the workforce organization. Even so, there is broad agreement that the pyramids were built using human labor, careful engineering, simple machines (such as sledges, levers, and ramps), and exceptional planning.

Initially standing at 146.6 meters (481 feet), the Great Pyramid was the world's tallest human-made structure for more than 3,700 years. Over time, most of the smooth white limestone casing was removed, which lowered the pyramid's height to the current 138.5 meters (454.4 ft); what is seen today is the underlying core structure. Each side of the base was measured to be about 230.3 meters (755.6 ft) in length, giving a volume of roughly 2.6 million cubic meters (92 million cubic feet), which includes an internal hillock. The dimensions of the pyramid were 280 royal cubits (146.7 m; 481.4 ft) high, a base length of 440 cubits (230.6 m; 756.4 ft), with a seked of ⁠5+1.

The Great Pyramid was built by quarrying an estimated 2.3 million large blocks, weighing 6 million tonnes in total. The majority of the stones are not uniform in size or shape, and are only roughly dressed. The outside layers were bound together by mortar, primarily local limestone from the Giza Plateau was used for its construction. Other blocks were imported by boat on the Nile: white limestone from Tura for the casing, and blocks of granite from Aswan, weighing up to 80 tonnes, for the "King's Chamber" structure. There are three known chambers inside of the Great Pyramid. The lowest was cut into the bedrock, upon which the pyramid was built, but remained unfinished. The so-called Queen's Chamber and King's Chamber, which contain a granite sarcophagus, are above ground within the pyramid structure. Hemiunu, Khufu's vizier, is believed by some to be the architect of the Great Pyramid. Many varying scientific and alternative hypotheses attempt to explain the exact construction techniques, but, as is the case for other such structures, there is no definite consensus. The funerary complex around the pyramid consisted of two mortuary temples connected by a causeway (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile); tombs for the immediate family and court of Khufu, including three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives; an even smaller "satellite pyramid"; and five buried solar barques. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Memphis and its Necropolis." The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. The first walls date to the 7th century BC; these were joined together in the Qin dynasty. Successive dynasties expanded the wall system; the best-known sections were built by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). To aid in defense, the Great Wall utilized watchtowers, troop barracks, garrison stations, signaling capabilities through the means of smoke or fire, and its status as a transportation corridor. Other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls (allowing control of immigration and emigration, and the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road), and the regulation of trade. The collective fortifications constituting the Great Wall stretch from Liaodong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, and from the present-day Sino-Russian border in the north to Tao River in the south: an arc that roughly delineates the edge of the Mongolian steppe, spanning 21,196.18 km (13,170.70 mi) in total. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World in 2007. Today, the defensive system of the Great Wall is recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history. The Great Wall of China was created to defend against invasions from northern nomadic groups, guard trade routes, control border crossings, collect taxes, send military signals quickly using smoke by day and fire by night. It is one of  the largest projects in human history. The Great Wall of China was created by using layers made up of sand, loess etc. Many layers were made up of brick too. Many people used ropes, wheel barrows, and basket and pulley systems to construct the Great Wall. The Panama Canal helped to connect  the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a conduit for maritime trade between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Locks at each end lift ships up to Gatun Lake, an artificial fresh water lake 26 meters (85 ft) above sea level, created by damming the Chagres River and Lake Alajuela to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal. Locks then lower the ships at the other end. The original locks are 33.5 meters (110 ft) wide and allow the passage of Panamax ships. A third, wider lane of locks was constructed between September 2007 and May 2016. The expanded waterway began commercial operation on 26 June 2016. The new locks allow for the transit of larger, Neopanamax ships. An average of 200,000,000 litres (52 million US gallons) of fresh water is used in a single passing of a ship. The canal is threatened by low water levels during droughts.

The Panama Canal shortcut greatly reduces the time for ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, enabling them to avoid the lengthy, hazardous route around the southernmost tip of South America via the Drake Passage, the Strait of Magellan or the Beagle Channel. Its construction was one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. Since its inauguration on  August 15, 1914, the canal has succeeded in shortening maritime communication in time and distance, invigorating maritime and economic transportation by providing a short and relatively inexpensive transit route between the two oceans, decisively influencing global trade patterns, boosting economic growth in developed and developing countries, as well as providing the basic impetus for economic expansion in many remote regions of the world. It has 3 locks up and 3 locks down per transit. It was opened in 1914 and expanded by June 26, 2016. The Panama Candal Authority has navigational authority. Before the Panama Canal, many ships went under South America to trade in Asia. That changed. 

Colombia, France, and later the United States controlled the territory surrounding the canal during construction. France began work on the canal in 1881, but stopped in 1889 because of a lack of investors' confidence due to engineering problems and a high worker mortality rate. The US took over the project in 1904 and opened the canal in 1914. The US continued to control the canal and the surrounding Panama Canal Zone until the Torrijos–Carter Treaties provided for its handover to Panama in 1977. After a period of joint American–Panamanian control, the Panamanian government took control in 1999. It is now managed and operated by the Panamanian government-owned Panama Canal Authority. Annual traffic has risen from about 1,000 ships in 1914, when the canal opened, to 14,702 vessels in 2008, for a total of 333.7 million Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) tons. By 2012, more than 815,000 vessels had passed through the canal. In that year, the top five users of the canal were the United States, China, Chile, Japan, and South Korea. In 2017, it took ships an average of 11.38 hours to pass between the canal's two outer locks. The American Society of Civil Engineers has ranked the Panama Canal one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

 

With the news about tariffs and the Iranian war, we realize the huge value of ports in the world. A port is a place on the coast or a river where ships dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. A terminal in a port is a specialized, dedicated facility where ships dock and load and unload cargo or passengers. Terminals deal with berthing, loading and unloading, storage, sorting, and intermodal transfer (or connecting ocean transport to land transport like trucks, cars, and trains). There are container terminals, bulk terminals, Ro-Ro (roll-on/roll-off) terminals (that cater to cars, trucks, and railway carriages that drive directly onto the vessel), and passenger or cruise terminals (that serve travelers boarding ferries or cruise ships). The largest ports in America are found in Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York City, and New Jersey. They deal with massive TEUs (or container volume). The largest ports on Earth are found in Shanghai, Singapore, and other places in China. Port engineering is a specialized branch of civil and marine engineering that deals with planning, design, construction, and maintenance of ports, harbors, wharves, and marine terminal facilities. It manages both waterside structures (like dredging, breakwaters, and docks), and landside infrastructure (like cargo yards, rail connections, and storage). Waterside design relates to building piers, wharves, quay walls, and mooring dolphins that safely handle large ship berthing forces. We know about coastal hydraulics that manage wave action, tidal motions, sediment transport, and channel dredging to maintain safe water depths. We have intermodal integration and design efficient landside connections for freight rail, trucking routes, and automated container handling equipment. There are port engineers using vessel maintenance that oversees the mechanical operations, repairs, and regulatory compliance for commercial marine fleets or barges. A port engineer manages the mechanical safety, maintenance, and repair of a fleet of ships. They fix broken parts, plan dry dock work in shipyards, handle budgets, and make sure that vessels follow Coast Guard and environmental laws. 

 

Engineering is the spice of life. We all remember back in the day, when he had to use CAD and other programs in engineering classes in high school and some did it in college too. CAD helped me in high school to create digital 2D and 3D technical drawings for engineering, architecture, and manufacturing. I took those high school classes back in 2000. There are always engineering formulas that are necessary to not only plan on constructing homes and other mechanical items. They are needed to learn about the functions of reality as mathematics is one major foundation needed to figure out how the Universe functions. Some formulas are basic like the volume of a cube being a side to the third power, and the surface area of a cube is 6 times a side squared. The volume of a cylinder is pi times the radius 2 times height (or h). There are tons of other formulas too. 1 atm of pressure is equal to 33.9 ft. of H2O), 220.02 in. of HG, and 14.7 psi. 1 J of energy is equal to 0.239 cal. There are units that engineers follow. Ten to the power of one is prefixed as deca-, to the power of 2 is hecto-, and 10 the power of 24 is Yotta-. There are fluid mechanics formulas like P (absolute pressure) is equal to F/A. F is force and A is area. Charles' Law is V1/T1 is equal to V2/T2. That means that V stands for volume and T stands for absolute temperature. In other words, Charles's Law is a gas law stating that the volume of a fixed mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature, provided the pressure remains constant. As a gas heats up, it expands, as it cools, it shrinks. 1 in the equation means the initial volume and temperature, and 2 stands for the final volume and temperature. The temperature must always be measured in Kelvin (add 273.15 to Celsius, not Fahrenheit or Celsius). The pressure and the amount of gas in moles (n) must always stay the same. This is related to hot air ballons, sports balls, and breaking bread. 

 

Learning about infrastructure is key to learn about ourselves. Our body is like a biochemical infrastructure filled with cells and organs necessary for human survival. We have various building and other forms of infrastructure that develops our civilization. For example, there are external and internal parts of a building. The external part of a building has a roof, the lintel, window, the door, the sill, the wall, the water supply the drainage, the DPC, the plinth, and the foundation. Inside of a building, you have the floor, columns, floors, the plinth beam, interior walls, outlets, ceilings, and various rooms. Therefore, buildings are made up of a substructure (below ground) and a superstructure (above ground). Essential structural parts include foundations, columns, beams, walls, floor, and roofs. They rely on core construction materials like concrete, steel, wood, masonry, and glass. Many people use structural steel, dimensional lumber, plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), and masonry. There are materials used like drywall (gypsum board), glass, brick veneer, vinyl siding, stucco, paint, and insulation. We know that zoning and inspections are necessary before a building is officially established in the world. Infrastructure can relate to water systems, transportation, healthcare, government, IT, and cloud services. We use infrastructure all of the time in growing our power grids and making sure that STEM is flourishing in our society too. It is certainly our responsibility to defend the general welfare, stand up for the oppressed and marginalized, and speak truth to power (in favor of equality and justice for all). 

There is the story of my late cousin John Calvin Claude Sr. who lived from February 1, 1946, to July 12, 2024. He lived to be 78 years old. He was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and friend. He believed in God and loved his Christian faith. His parents were Amos C. Claude and Minnie C. Clark Claude in Boykins, Vriginia. He worked hard with his father on the farm. His education started in the Southampton County schools system in Virginia and into the Northampton County school system in Seaboard, North Carolina, where he attended Coates Elementary and Gumberry High School. He married Garnet Mae Stewart Claude and moved to Portsmouth, Virginia. He worked for the Norfolk Tunnel Commission, Hall Bakery on High Street in downtown Portsmouth and Sunbearn/Flowers Bakery in Norfolk, VA for many years until retirement. He worshiped God at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Boykins, Virginia, Galilee Missionary Baptist Church (in Branchville, VA), and Bethlethem Missionary Baptist Church (in Seaboard, North Caroina). He rededicated his life to the Lord and joined the Garden of Prayer of Portsmouth, Virginia, under the pastorate of Levi E. Willis. He preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere and was licensed to preached. He loved to dance, do baseball, and word usage. His wife, Garnett Maw Stewart Claude, passed away on August 17, 2023. They were married for over 50 years. His sister, Ella Mabel Claude Artis passed away too, and she lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John Calvin Sr.'s children are John Calvin Claude Jr. of Portsmouth, Virignia and Michael Claude (Lynette) of Norfolk, Virginia. His granddaughters are Pashe' Murphy of Portsmouth, Vrginia, and Tavonia Watson (Darryl) of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Her great grandddaughters are Kodi Murphy (of Portsmouth, Virginia), Indigo Harvey, and Gia Harvey (Indo and Gia are from Virginia Beach, Virginia). His grandsons are John Calvin Claude Jr. III of Portsmouth, Virginia, Alonzo Lassiter of Portsmouth, Andre Lassister of Portsmouth, Dion Lassister of Portsmouth, Michael Claude Jr. of Boston, Udarrin and Willow Harvey of Virginia Beach, Emmanuel Harvey of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jeremiah and Madelyn Harvey of Killeeen, Texas, and Elijah Harvey of Norfolk, Virignia. His great grandson is Levery Garnet Watson of Virginia Beach. His siblings are Celestine Parker (her husband Lloyd passed away) of Portsmouth, Matthew L. Claude (Helen passed) from Seaboard, North Carolina, William E. Claude (Delores) of Sylvania Georgia, Gracie M. Claude of Philadelphia, Alvin L. Claude (Eva) of Suwanee, Georgia, Shelwood R. Claude (Cynthia) of Richmond Virginia, Cardell Claude of Portsmouth, Virgini, and June C. Anderson (her husband is James) is from Richmond, Virginia. He has more nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. 

By Timothy

News about Our Land.

One Sister on YouTube named Ashley Thee Barroness told the truth about the real history of Remember the Alamo. I heard this truth many years ago. Centuries ago, Texas and Southwestern America was filled with Native Americans. By 1821, Mexico had gained its independence from Spain. Back then, Mexico included Texas, California, Utah, New Mexico, and other regions. Texas was in the frontier, and Comanche raids occurred. Back then, Mexico failed to get much of its citizens to move into Texas because of the raids. So, Mexico invited American settlers to live in Texas for cheap, large lands. Many settlers agreed to do this. The deal is that the settlers must follow Mexican law and be Mexican citizens, including converting to Catholicism. I don't agree with forcing people to convert to Catholicism if they don't want to be Catholic, but the settlers should follow Mexican law. Thousands of American settlers came to Texas. By the 1830s, Mexican settlers outnumbered Mexican settlers (nearly 10 to one). In 1829, Mexico abolished slavery. The President who signed the decree was Vicente Guerrero (who was a man of black African descent). The Texas settlers protested the banning of slavery in Texas so hard that they got themselves exempted from the decree which was wrong. 

The settlers forced enslaved people to call themselves "indentured servants" for 99 years, including a younger Sister named Clarissa. Then, Mexico banned further American immigration into Texas by 1830. Ironically, these settlers were undocumented immigrants, but many of the same far-right Texas MAGA members dehumanize undocumented immigrants today. In 1835, Santa Anna tore up Mexico's federal Constitution and centralized power under himself. People across Mexico rebelled against Santa Anna's rule, not just Texans. The Texas Revolution started in 1835. The Texas Revolution was more than about criticizing Santa Anna. It was about the settlers maintaining slavery in Texas. The Alamo was a slave market before it was a battlefield. At Goliad, Santa Ana allowed hundreds of prisoners executed after the surrendered. The final San Jacinto battle was the beginning of the end of the Texas Revolution. The result was that Texas became an Independent Republic. The Texas Constitution of 1836 made slavery permanent, and its Congress banned people from being free. No free black people could live in Texas without Congressional approval. Tejano's Mexican Texans fought for Texas' independence. Most of them weren't fighting for a slave republic but for the end of Santa Ana's dictatorship. They wanted Mexico's constitution back. Many settlers ran many Tejanos out of Texas. Texas wanted to join America immediatley and the USA said no for 9 years, because of political reasons. In 1845, America allowed Texas as a slave state. Mexico never accepted Texas's independence. President Polk and Mexico disputed land that determined the border between Texas and Mexico. This dispute evolved into the Mexican American war. Polk accused Mexico of invading America, and Mexico accused America of stealing lands. Abraham Lincoln demanded that Polk must show the land where American blood was spilled, and Lincoln called the war unconstitutional and unnecessary. America won the Mexican American War, and via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 allowed America to get a large part of Mexican lands in California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, etc. Even Ulysess S. Grant said that it was one of the most unjust wars, and he fought in the Mexican-American war. Courts stripped the grants against Mexican people after America promised them compensation via the treaty. Now, we know the truth.

Russell Westbrook retiring from the NBA represents the start of the end of an era. He is a Millennial who played basketball with fearlessness and intensity. He loved the sport with his agility and explosiveness, being one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. He was born and raised in Los Angeles with a family and great friends. Westbrook also had a very successful basketball career by earning NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) during his 2016-2017 season, being a two-time NBA scoring leader, and being a back-to-back NBA All-Star Game MVP. Westbrook is one of three players in the NBA to average a triple-double for a season, a feat he achieved four times and is the all-time NBA leader in career triple-doubles. In 2021, Russell Westbrook was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He also earned a gold medal for the men's USA basketball team during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. Since 2012, he started the Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, which promotes community-based education and family service programs while pushing the younger generation to be self-confident. Therefore, his career should inspire others to achieve excellence in their own lives in whatever field that they desire to be involved in.

The conditions on the USS Lincoln deteriorated so badly that one sailor jumped off the ship because of mental health issues. The sailor's wife said she was not contacted for 4 days after the incident. Many sailors on the USS Lincoln complained of a lack of food, soap, detergent, and other hygiene supplies. They have worked long hours, and many of them are fatigued. This racist Hegseth is not doing enough to solve this problem. Yes, Hegseth is a racist by stripping black history information from military websites and firing qualified black people for no legitimate reason (under the guise of DEI). He has fired qualified women too. Hegseth should be more concerned with respecting soldiers' dignity, rights, and basic sanitation resources, and humanity than with testosterone. This goes on while the unjust Iranian War continues.

According to AP and other sources, ICE plans to equip ICE agents with gloves that can deliver electric shock. This will come as ICE their "enforcement duties." This device is called a Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter or GLOVE. This is found in a note published on Monday by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These gloves can produce up to 380 volts of electricity, roughly three times the charge of a standard U.S. power outlet. This plan has been opposed by civil liberty groups and immigration rights groups like the ACLU (or the American Civil Liberties Union). Such devices are unnecessary as the vast majority of immigrants, regardless of status, are not violent, felonious criminals. The GLOVE devices can deliver shocks as frequent as 30 pulses per second. Even a user manual on the device recommends not using the device on elderly people, small children, pregnant women, and severely disabled human beings. The manual said that an additional officer must be present to restrain the person who is shocked while the gloves are being used.  ICE has been very brutal with some of their members assaulting people, falsely arresting innocent people (including American people), and killing people (both undocumented immigrants and U.S. citizens). The GLOVE device is being used by ICE by making sure that they will continue to violate human rights and act as a police state system without accountability.

By Timothy 

 

Remember the Alamo.

Heslthspan.

https://theconversation.com/move-over-longevity-healthspan-is-what-we-should-be-chasing-288083 

World Citizen Festival.

https://www.aol.com/articles/lauryn-hill-lenny-kravitz-lainey-152525000.html 

Edward Snowden.

https://www.whistleblowers.org/news/the-case-of-edward-snowden/ 

Bones.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260812015210.htm

Essence's 50 Greatest R&B Songs of all Time.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/essence-50-greatest-rb-songs-of-all-time-explained/ 

Al Roker.

https://www.today.com/health/diet-fitness/al-roker-tries-japanese-interval-walking-rcna591728 

Health News.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20260810/Semaglutide-slows-blood-protein-signature-linked-to-future-dementia-risk.aspx 

https://www.psypost.org/scientists-discover-a-previously-unknown-cognitive-benefit-of-aerobic-exercise/

Williamsburg

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wavy.com/news/local-news/williamsburg/live-performance-venue-under-consideration-in-williamsburg/amp/ 

Mid Week News.

The New York Times reported that alleged Trump ties to Russia investigation has been derailed by the Trump administration. The truth is obvious. Multiple U.S. intelligence agencies, the Department of Justice, and bipartisan congressional committees concluded that the Russian government engaged in an extensive, sophisticated campaign to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Investigators found no evidence that Russian hackers altered the actual vote counts or flipped the outcome of the election. Russia is not stronger than China, but Russia is not a paper tiger by any means. Russia still has hypersonic missiles, nuclear weapons (at bases and in submarines), and devices used for hacking constantly. 

Gossip commentator Tasha K said that FBA is equivalent to the Klan. Obviously, I don't agree with the FBA movement on many issues. For example, many members of the FBA group are overtly xenophobic against black people who are not black Americans (under the guise of delineation. Many FBA members on social media, including those of the ADOS movement, overtly scapegoat all Afro-Caribbeans, Africans, etc. for the issues in the black American community, which is false), many members of the FBA have hostility or try to omit their black African heritage; and the FBA, in many cases, have been linked to white racist views involving immigration. Some FBA followers (in claiming to be a "lineage," which is hypocritical when their true lineage originated not in America but from Africa) want to refuse to have unity with black people globally. The FBA makes the non-sequitur that people like us oppose black Americans having reparations, which is a lie, but reparations aren't the only thing that we need. FBA is very akin to the nativist movements that ignore the systemic origins of anti-black oppression. In other words, you can deport every immigrant (of every color) from America today, and the system of racism, sexism, classism, xenophobia, etc. would still remain in American society. Therefore, the problem didn't originate with immigrants but with the policies of the one percent harming all people, irrespective of nationality or immigration status. Tasha K is completely wrong, because the Klan raped and murdered tons of black women, men, and children. The Klan burned black churches to the ground and destroyed other innocent property that was owned by black people. The Klan suppressed the rights of black people and did unspeakable atrocities for decades in America. While I disagree with the FBA on numerous issues, the FBA movement is nowhere near equivalent to the Klan period. I am an African American, and I have no shame in calling myself black American or African American. Now, I do believe in Pan-African unity and solidarity, wherefore we black Americans should respect the cultures of the African Diaspora, and Africans plus other members of the African Diaspora should respect our black American culture too. Our black American cultural identity should not be limited to an American lineage framework, because our black identity is part of the larger African Diaspora and universal black freedom struggle (that is why Malcolm X, Queen Mother Moore, W.E.B. DuBois, Randall Robinson, Dr. King, and other black people from America worked internationally for freedom). Mutual respect of our cultural differences, allyship, and genuine solidarity will make us stronger as black people globally. Freedom is not meant to just exist in America but for the whole world. At the end of the day, we shouldn't be enemies. Those, who make it their duty to divide and show hatred among black people based upon ethnicity or nationality, is an enemy of the truth and a traitorous agent. I am not a descendant of slaves. I am a descendant of free people from the Motherland of Africa whose descendants became slaves (and later were freed by the heroism and sacrifice of black people in America). We are black Brothers and black Sisters created in the image of one God. 

I always disagreed with the Third Way movement for years, because centrism doesn't equate into human liberation. It is just the status quo with crumbs for people who desire a just future. The Third Way movement is founded by billionaire megadonors, Fortune 500 CEOs, giant corporations, and corporate secret money bundlers. The President of the Third Way is Jonathan Cowan. The Third Way seeks to attack the concept of democratic socialism. No economic philosophy is 100 percent. You can't tell me a single economic philosophy that is perfect whether its capitalism, communism, socialism, the mixed economy, etc. Yet, this doesn't mean that everything in democratic socialism is wrong. Attacking economic inequality is right, having universal health care is right, opposing imperialism is right, combating climate change is correct, improving our environment in general is great, and going about to strengthen human rights is the correct way to go. The Third Way is nothing more than a slick Trojan Horse, aided by corporate America (via David Heller, David Coulter, Jonathan Vogelstein, William Daley, Michael Edwards, etc.), to contain working-class movements and progressive movements for human justice. We know that Senator Joe Manchin and Senator Kyrsten Sinema support this movement. The Third Way is so extreme that many of their donors aid the agenda to stop legitimate environmental regulations. We can't be centrists to stop neofascism. We have to be bold to make sure that housing affordability is real and people have real economic justice beyond the super wealthy having socialism (and the common people having strict laissez-faire capitalism).

There is news that USA Today, which owns over 200 local newspapers across America, has partnered with Palantir to gain "actionable intelligence" on its audience. Palantir is a new-school Silicon Valley company with a Big Brother agenda. Palantir has real dangers linked to the U.S. military, AI technology, domestic surveillance, and the tech oligarchy. Peter Thiel, a far-right billionaire and claimed "libertarian," founded Palantir. The current CEO of the company is Alex Karp. Trump has praised Palantir too. Palantir sells AI data-based platforms for its clients in law enforcement, the military, and other entities to monitor American data like bank records, social media, tax records, medical history, and driving records. These tools, used by Palantir, are used to monitor Americans with billions of taxpayer dollars. Trump signed an executive order for government agencies to merge all data from the American people. Palantir is building the infrastructure of a sophisticated police state. Peter Thiel is a Trump ally who harbors hatred of democracy. He wants tech oligarchs to do what they want with little to no regulation from the government. Thiel said that he doesn't know if he wants the human race to exist in the future. We have A.I. super databases with the Trump regime that is a clear and present danger to our personal freedoms. We have to resist and oppose authoritarianism including fascism in our lives. 

The Washington Post reported that Trump quickly switched planes secretly over Iranian threats. It is no secret that Iranian military forces have threatened the life of Donald Trump. Trump has been the victim of multiple assassination attempts. Two things can be true. Trump should not be murdered or assassinated, and Trump has done a terrible job involving the unjust Iranian war. We handle our issues by peaceful dissent without murder. Murder is always evil. The irony is that the Iranian regime murdered its own people who are dissidents constantly, and Trump supported the murder of people in the Caribbean without due process of the law. I reject ethical relativism as there is a right and a wrong in the Universe. Therefore, we must be clear and consistent with our ethics and morals. We deal with the cult of MAGA by vigorous debate, peaceful dissent, and freeing minds from the cult of MAGA without advocating unjust violence. We desire to solve our problems using peaceful means. Also, people have every God-given right to self-defense, but murder is the antithesis of self-defense.

By Timothy

Brain Repair.

https://neurosciencenews.com/regenerative-astrocytes-brain-repair-31204/ 

Our Rights and Other News.

  

American civil liberties are part of our culture. These fundamental human rights have protected our lives, and since 9/11, ironically, our civil liberties are under threat in many cases. Our constitutional rights were codified by the Bill of Rights in 1791 and the rest of the U.S. Constitution. Also, other God-given rights that belong to us by birthright. The freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right of religious freedom, and the right to a fair trial have been great blessings in our land. For generations, we had to fight for our civil liberties. For example, the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, during the Reconstruction period, existed after the American Civil War (and after the defeat of the notorious Confederate enemy). Women had the right to vote by the 19th Amendment in 1920. The 1925 Gitlow v. New York Supreme Court decision mentioned that First Amendment rights apply to state governments as well as federal one, expanding free-speech protections nationwide. The Brown v. Brown of Education in 1954, the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the Griswold v. Connecticut decision of 1965 (which promoted the constitutional right to privacy, protecting personal autonomy, and martial contraceptive choices) expanded human civil liberties in numerous arenas too. The issue is that some reactionary interests (who are backed by large multinational corporations) want to suppress our fundamental human rights in many ways. Today, after 9/11, we have the continued expansion of rights and threats to our rights too.

After 9/11, the controversial USA Patriot Act was passed by October 2001. I don't agree with that law for many reasons including its ambiguous definition of terrorism found in Section 802. The Patriot Act expanded government surveillance, wiretapping, and search capabilities without standard probable cause. The Patriot Act was opposed by people from all over the political spectrum back in the 2000s.  Then, we have an executive order on November 2001 from President George W. Bush that allowed military tribunals to try non-citizens accused of terrorism without standard civilian court protections. The problem is that even non-citizens are bound by international law. You can't just treat any detainee any type of way. From 2002-2003, many federal agencies started to, in many cases, started illegal mass detentions of Arabic human beings and Muslim immigrants on minor immigration violations in secret sweeps. Many Muslims and Arabic Americans were racially profiled and monitored in secret by the federal government. I remembered that time very vividly. In 2003, the National Security Agency (or the NSA) secretly launched warrantless domestic wiretapping and communication tracking programs. The Bush administration began detaining individuals suspected of terrorism without trial, including “enemy combatants” like Yaser Hamdi and Jose Padilla. Courts allowed the government to close immigration hearings for detainees post-9/11, limiting public access. People resisted these policies from Day One.  Cities like Berkeley, Boulder, and Tacoma Park passed resolutions opposing federal civil liberties violations. From 2002 to 2003, we saw more Big Brother institutions like the Total Information Awareness program of the NSA (which was a controversial NSA program aimed at collecting and analyzing vast amounts of data, raising privacy concerns). There was the development of FISA (or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that expanded federal government power and the FISA court). Guantanamo Bay increased it power to allow America to detain terrorism suspects without trial, leading to debates over torture and military commissions. We know that many detainees were abused in Abu Ghraib and at Guantanamo Bay. The National Security Division merged intelligence agencies and counterterrorism efforts. 

There was the Military Commissions Act of 2006 that formed tribunals for trying detainees at Guantanamo, bypassing traditional U.S. courts.  Groups like the ACLU, Human Rights Watch, and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law worked to defend constitutional rights, challenge detention policies, and promote transparency. More of the American people opposed these efforts in 2006. The Supreme Court ruled in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that military commissions at Guantanamo Bay violated U.S. and international law, affirming basic due process. This was in June 2006. In 2008, the Supreme Court decision of Boumediene v. Bush ruled that foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay had a constitutional right to challenge their detention in U.S. courts. In 2013, the known contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents revealing a massive, secret NSA collection of domestic telephone metadata and internet connections. Snowden's story is found in the Oliver Stone film Snowden, which showed the world the secret actions of the intelligence community in a disturbing fashion from tracking people from their P.C.s to secret intelligence programs. There were many whistleblowers before Snowden, but Snowden was the person who revealed so much that the federal government wants Snowden extradited to America ASAP, possibly facing life in prison. Snowden technically may have violated many laws (that view us disputed by many people), but I don't consider him a traitor, because his motivation was to promote human civil liberties, not destroy American society completely. We know now that many in the federal government violated the law in illegally monitoring human beings without just due process of the law. By June 2015, the Patriot Act expired and was replaced by the USA Freedom Act. It banned a lot of the collection of domestic phone records by the government and sent them to telecom companies. Debates continue on civil liberties, surveillance, digital privacy, net neutrality (or Internet freedom, etc.). The ACLU, Human Rights Act, and other organizations fight for our civil liberties every day. At the end of the day, there should be no surveillance except by due process and other legal procedures; there should be no detention except by due process and a trial; local groups have the right to promote human rights, and the three branches of government must have checks and balances (without a unitary executive despite Trump advocating for it). In 2026, ICE is running amok, and some of their members have assaulted people, killed Americans, abused the rights of immigrants in detention camps (as documented by researchers and eyewitness accounts), and try to intimidate Americans to support Trump's racist, xenophobic agenda. Yet, we are built different. We will resist tyranny in any of its manifestations period. 

 

One very important part of the environment relates to trees. Trees promote more life on Earth and promote more creativity around the lands of the Earth. Trees deal with photosynthesis, and they can hold onto carbon dioxide that helps with the global climate. Trees can clean the air, cool the streets, and save energy. Many people don't know that trees can manage stormwater, protect wildlife, and improve human mental plus physical health. Organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation highlight these diverse advantages. For example, trees can trap dust and absorb harmful gases like carbon dioxide, ozone, and sulfur dioxide. They can store carbon in wood and soil to slow down global warming. Roots stop soil from washing away and leaves catch rain to prevent heavy flooding. Branches and roots provide safe spaces for birds, bugs, and other animals. Shade from trees can lower city temperatures during the summer. Shade keeps buildings cool, which cuts down on air conditioning use. Trees can reduce noise. Trees exist in two main groups. They are deciduous trees, which drop broad flat leaves in autumn, and evergreen trees, which keep green needles or leaves all year. Deciduous trees can be oak, maple, birch, and willow. Evergreen trees can be pine, spruce, fir, and cedar. There are fruit and nut trees and palm trees too. 

 

One of the most important solutions in the world is to improve our human health. That is non-negotiable. All human beings will go through the rain at times. Yet, that is not an excuse to give up. We should never give up. There are countless stories of people who have extreme obesity, and these men and women did the work to lose dozens and hundreds of pounds in a forthright, positive fashion. There are people in wheelchairs with outstanding physical strength and great health. Like always, we reject body shaming, and we believe in body positivity. That means that humans can be healthy and exist in a diversity of shapes and sizes. No one should be dehumanized because of race, color, shape, age, physical appearance, and gender. One of the most important parts of health improvement is to learn about your major vital signs. The reason is that each person is different as what methods may work for one person may not work for another human being. These health biomarkers deal with the measurable biological indicators of body functions, disease risks, and overall wellness. For metabolic health, there are HbA1c (shows average blood sugar over three months), fasting glucose (measures sugar after fasting), and fasting insulin (tracks early metabolic strain). The heart health metrics deal with LDL and ApoB (which count harmful cholesterol particles), triglycerides (that measure fats in your blood), and blood pressure (that tracks force in our arteries). Involving inflammation and organs, there are VO2 levels (involving lungs), the hs-CRP (that detects low grade chronic inflammation), liver enzymes (found in the ALT/AST relating to liver health), and TSH (that evaluates thyroid hormone function). There are other indicators like heart health overall, weight, body fat percentage, family history, waist circumference, etc. 

The legacy of Beyoncé is very much clear. She is the most influential and greatest entertainer of the 21st century. She has empowered women in such a fashion that hasn't been seen in a long time. Her albums have grown in complexity, vocal talent, and influence on the world stage. Also, she stands on a foundation formed by giants. These giants of the industry include Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Prince, Sade Adu, Donna Summer, Fairuz Anita Baker, Toni Braxton, and of course, Janet Jackson. Janet Jackson set the stage for the ascendance of Beyonce as Janet Jackson has been a singer, entertainer, and dancer since the 1970s. Beyonce rewrote the growth and development of R&B music with unique sounds. She loves to write music in an experimental style. She is a black woman, and many people thought that she would take the whitewashed approach and not make waves. These people are wrong, because her messages from the start of her career were about women's empowerment, love of Blackness, the power of black women excellence, motherhood, intimacy, marriage, and other themes like redemption (involving Jay Z's infidelity that he admitted). Beyonce loves her husband Sean Carter, and their children. Their children are certainly geniuses. Destiny's Child was the group that she was in, which taught her about her sisterhood, collaboration, common ground, and promoting teamwork. Her solo career taught her more about confidence, being expressive of her own identity, and growing her brand. His sister, Solange, is a great musician in her own right. Her parents are great businesspeople in their own right too. Beyoncé is the most awarded and nominated individual of the BET Awards. She has 35 Grammy Awards, both as a solo artist and as a member of a group. She set many world records over her career. Now, Beyoncé is a billionaire with massive social power in the globe. Beyonce has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. She can rap and sing falsetto. She can do staccato phrasing including melismatic vocals. Beyonce is representative of the long cultural tapestry of Black Music in our modern generation. From record breaking tours and record-breaking awards, she has inspired future artists to achieve their goals. Beyonce is meticulous in created performances from costumes, lighting, stage design, and ensembles. She admires First Lady Michelle Obama as a role model. That is her gift to our people along with her philanthropy, kindness, and competitive spirit to be the best version of herself that she wants to be. 

More health information relates to metabolic health, sex hormones, thyroid health, inflammation, liver health, kidney health, nutrients, energy, the immune system composition, DNA health, brain health, gut health, and toxin exposure. To maximize human health, people should have strength-building exercise, cardio exercises, and flexibility exercises. Strength-building builds muscle as armor (as we age, we lose muscle vitality unless we use regular strength-building exercises like weightlifting, resistance training, etc.), cardio fuels the body with blood, and flexibility deals with developing joint health and being able to move efficiently. To grow health is also about reading, doing puzzles, gardening, and being intellectually stimulated, including being social with people to reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. People need 7-9 hours of sleep, drink water, reduce stress, get regular health checkups, and eat healthy (with proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients). Exercise and improving overall health will definitely improve human longevity. 

 

One of the most important issues of our generation revolves around relationships among men and women. I have written about this subject for years. As human beings, there is no solution unless relationships (both romantic and platonic) are improved upon among men and women. Men and women are born equal in value. There is no inferiority among people of every sex and background. Each human being born in the world has dignity and worth. Also, there are many physical, genetic, psychological, and hormonal differences between men and women too. That means that men and women deserve equality, and we should acknowledge our differences at the same time. There are many fundamental truths that we have to accept. They are that patriarchal supremacism exists (which is a system filled with male privilege, and the human beings with the most political and social power on Earth are men. This system allows women and non-conforming human beings to have rights restricted), the oppression of women is real, the suffering of men should be acknowledged (but it wasn't caused by women collectively), and trashing every woman or trashing every man (in dehumanizing terms) as total trash is slanderous agent behavior. Therefore, at the core of any relationship is embracing self-respect for yourself and for the Creator God of the Universe. If you can't respect yourself, you can't respect other people. It is as simple and mundane as that. In the beginning of humanity, many males (not men) organized a system where women were made into subordinates in terms of power, human rights, and other aspects of human living (there were exceptions in ancient times as matriarchal societies did exist millennia ago). That is shown in the Medieval age in Europe, where women were treated as objects, and in other places of the world where women couldn't even vote in America until the 1920s. Sexism, racism, and xenophobia are some of the many evils that have to end in order for human liberation to exist. Mutual respect is a prerequisite for a strong relationship among human beings. Without that, nothing changes. That means that a man must respect a woman's humanity, autonomy, ambition, goals, and personal humanity (plus vice versa). The suffering of women and men has been downplayed by those who hate all men and women. That is wrong as women and men are valuable and needed in the world. The issue is that the suffering of men isn't caused by every woman in the street but by the one percent who imposes toxic masculinity (instead of healthy masculinity) and other evil actions that has crippled many men's emotions and personalities (especially men with low self esteem, the extreme poor, etc.). In other words, you can be a man and have healthy masculinity (filled with protecting people, having hobbies, helping people, standing up for yourself plus others, and executing plans without oppressing women and scapegoating women for every evil in the globe). 

There are many reasons why I don't agree with the passport bros. movement. This movement has been going on for years and decades, whereby Western men travel to developing nations to find romantic partners. The issue is not about traveling. Traveling to many nations is very positive to grow cultural awareness, to respect the humanity of diverse cultures, and to gain new insights and understandings of humanity in general. The problem with the passport bros. is that the motivation behind their activities is to scapegoat or blame American women for relationship issues (when the issues are a product of complex factors like the system of oligarchy, economic inequality, toxic manosphere agenda, not all American women), and many of the passport bros promote misogynistic and exploitative mechanisms for seeking romance overseas. They view women on a scale of inferiority and superiority based on nationality or ethnicity, which is the essence of misogyny, racism, colorism, and self-hatred in many circumstances. Advocates of this fetishization of women overseas claim success stories, but their stories are not all the same. Many people in the passport bros. movement report financial exploitation (among both parties), theft of resources, and some of them are in prison due to cultural misunderstandings or other reasons. Many of the men are targets of scams, extortion, and demands for money from extended families. Some males in this movement sexualize women overseas as some trophy wives instead of developing genuine attraction and human connection with women overseas (as total equals). Many members of the passport bros. movement advocate extreme manosphere and anti-feminist rhetoric, constantly seeking to brainwash many younger men to accept their lies. There is nothing wrong with marrying a woman overseas, but the motivation has to be sincere, without scapegoating every American woman for dating issues in America. Many passport bros. mess it up for many sincere men and women who travel overseas (in places like Brazil, Nigeria, Kenya, Thailand, France, England, Spain, South Africa, Colombia, etc.) for business, cultural growth, vacations, and other legitimate reasons. Therefore, love is special, unique, and beautiful. It doesn't need to be cheapened as the passport bros. advocate. At the end of the day, there is no true relationship without healing, accountability, working to be the best version of yourself, humility and strength to stand for integrity (including moral boundaries). Real love can be found in America and overseas, but real love is not based on a sexist, exploitative fantasy. It's based on the reality of expressing an authentic connection with a human being for the right reason. Being yourself always is important. Authenticity matters in the Universe among us human beings. 

That is why I don't believe in the manosophere, because women are not the enemy. Women aren't monolithic. Also, attraction is important in a relationship, but relationships can last longer by common interests, respect, and a sense of purpose to fulfill goals (beyond just looks). We don't want people to date people who they aren't attracted to, but relationships will never be 100 percent rosy and perfect all of the time. Storms will come, and people have to find solution making avenues to overcome storms. Now, people should absolutely leave a relationship immediately if there is abuse, exploitation unjustly, infidelity, and if things just aren't clicking. I want to make that absolutely clear. You shouldn't be forced to be in or stay in a relationship if you don't desire one. Also, a relationship ending doesn't mean that a man or woman is worthless. Sometimes, it is a matter of things not working. The Golden Rule is a pristine blueprint for love to grow. 

 

The WNBA 2026 season has been in existence with twists and turns. This historic 30th Anniversary of the WNBA has been filled with 44 regular-season games and an expansion to 15 teams, with the debuts of the Portland Five and Toronto Tempo. Angel Reese played for the Atlanta Dreams. There has been massive championship pressure on The Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty. For the Toronto Tempo, you have backcourt depth with players like Marina Mabrey. Angel Reese has made historic contributions in rebounding for the Atlanta Dream. Angel Reese is wise to expand her brand into many avenues, from fashion to shoe wear. The Dallas Wings have Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers. Azzi Fudd has made an outstanding rookie impression with shooting and having a great all-around game on the court. Caitlin Clark has increased her legacy as a great outside shooter. Like always (in any sport), you will have controversies. That is just how things are, because human beings are not perfect. People have debated the fouls on Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and recently the hit on Sophie Cunningham by DiJonai Carrington. We know the elephant in the room. That elephant is that many people are exploiting the great basketball career of Clark as an excuse to promote racism against the black players of the WNBA. To Caitlin Clark's credit, she has condemned racism, online harassment, and the weaponization of her name to dehumanize black WNBA players (like Alyssa Thomas saying that she has received death threats and racist remarks from racist people). Therefore, we want every WNBA player to be treated with dignity and with respect, without exception. The WNBA season in this year of 2026 has set records being phenomenal. 

 

By Timothy

Miss Uganda.

 https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/celebrity/articles/miss-uganda-makes-history-miss-195151832.html

The Merger.

https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/spanberger-dominion-nextera-merger-aug-6-2026 

The 10 Most Watched Episodes in NBC History.

https://screenrant.com/most-watched-nbc-episodes-ranked-viewership/ 

Cassidy on Blanche.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0kme3114xko 

Historic Political News.

 

There is a rise of progressive populism. Many progressive candidates desire to promote the rights of workers, unions, and the human rights of oppressed people. There are only two choices that the American people have during this decade. Either we will have democracy or tyranny. Either we will have an economy that works for all people, or one that only works for a small percentage of super-wealthy individuals in advancing oligarchy. More people are opposed to the Democratic Party's mega-donor class, which seeks centrism and radical tokenism without dealing with the core issues that Americans are dealing with. While this is going on, the MAGA movement and its followers are becoming even more nihilistic. For example, Trump's Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said that his SNAP cuts are a "pretty big win." This is sick and evil to assume that throwing 5 million struggling Americans (including families with children) off food aid to fund tax cuts for the rich is a win. It's disgraceful conduct from the Trump administration.

We witness a turning point involving data centers. In 2026, more protests and other forms of opposition have transpired against data centers. There are dozens of gas-burning power plants being built solely to power data centers. These plants could emit as much planet-warming pollution as half of all ppassenger vehicles in the entire country in a single year. A data center moratorium is necessary at the least. Trump's OSHA is rolling back rules that mandate rest breaks and access to water and shade to protect workers from extreme heat on the job. Trump doesn't care about a strong environment or the rights of workers, because caring about these concepts means that you have to enforce legitimate regulations that protect the environment (and help workers). Trump has fired staff at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (this organization does great research to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses). Trump is the most anti-environment President in American history and the most anti-worker President in decades. During the Gilded Age, people fought for safer work conditions after the 1911 Factory fire in America. Helping our workers and the environment in general is sacrosanct.

U.S. Representative Max Miller of Ohio must resign now. His ex-wife, Emily Moreno and his daughter accused Miller of abuse. Emily's father accused Miller of abuse. Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham accused him of physical abuse during an earlier relationship with Miller too. Miller has vehemently denied the claims, and he has filed defamation lawsuits against his accusers. At least 2 different women accused him of abuse. While this is going on, Trump's DOJ abandons prosecution of January 6th terrorists. This is treason from the Trump administration. Trump has lied about the economy when we have high oil prices, high prices of groceries, and massive economic inequality. Even Republican Senators Roger Marshall and Shelley Moore Capito desire Max Miller to resign from office. 

Now, ICE has shackled Haitians workers with GPS monitors after stripping them of their legal status. This involves hundreds of immigrants in Ohio after the Trump administration stripped them of legal status, work authorization, and in many cases, their driving privileges. Many of them are found near the First Haitian Evangelical Church in Springfield, Ohio. Some are ordered by the Department of Homeland Security "Call in Letters" ordering them appear at ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) offices within 30 days. The GPS electronic shackles are went to dehumanize, disrespect, and control Haitian migrants in a racist and xenophobic fashion. What these MAGA extremists forget that the Pilgrims never had papers. They just came to America without any paperwork whose lives are owed to the indigenous people of America. Some Haitian migrants have to walk dozens of miles to ICE offices after losing their legal right to drive. If this can happen to migrants, this can occur to American citizens. ICE has detained American citizens before, the SAVE Act can strip many Americans of the right to register to vote, etc. The lie is that the TPS means that protection must end after an arbitrary number of years, regardless of the conditions awaiting deportees. The statue has periodic reviews of the conditions of foreign states to decide whether TPS conditions are met. Haitian conditions have deteriorated. If Haitian migrants are sent to Haiti, they literally face death. Racist Neo-Nazis called the Blood Tribe marched into Springfield with automatic rifles and swastika flag in trying to intimidate people. We must defeat fascism once and for all like our ancestors did in WWII decades ago. The attacks on immigrants, black people, women, and other minorities represent the agenda of the police state not democracy.

The Tuesday primaries are over in early August of 2026. The major news is that many progressives have many political victories. One major one is how progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan defeated the mainline liberal Haley Stevens. After this, Stevens conceded, and El-Sayed gave his victory speech. He said that he wanted a unified Democratic Party to defeat Republican Michael Rogers in the Senate race. He wanted to defend the rights of Jewish people, he wanted to create solutions, and he especially called for universal healthcare to be made into a reality. He criticized Republicans using his full name in a coded way to show Islamophobia and bigotry. The race is over, and it is certainly time to defeat the MAGA GOP politicians when November 2026 (during the midterms). He talked about housing affordability, empowering people, and support unions with collective bargaining rights which is part of his political ideology. Trump has slandered Democrats as communists, haters of Jewish people, and the like. Yet, we realize that the MAGA movement is filled with fascist and authoritarian views that must be disagreed with wholeheartedly. While El-Sayed wants reconciliation and solutions, agents like Hasan Piker said that the 7000,000+ Haley Stevens voters are Islamophobic pieces which is a total lie from Piker (who glorifies tyrants and murderers like Stalin and Mao). Also, El-Sayed has the responsibility to promote the interests of black people in Michigan as black people are always crucial in getting Democrats elected to office among every level of government. 

By Timothy

A New Era in Politics.

 

The GOP holdouts desire to back Blanche after they made a deal for Blanche to reject the $.1776 billion anti-weaponization fund. Blanche is a person who unconditionally supports Trump without any political independence. These 2 Senators, Cornyn and Tillis, decided to be sellouts and be puppets for the Trump agenda. Todd Blanche has no power to unilaterally end the fund, but only Trump can do it. Trump has no desire to legally end the anti-weaponization fund. Trump's lawyers have appealed the Florida court decision to cite the fund as unconstitutional. The IRS Trump immunity tax policy remains, so these senators technically received no concessions from Blanche. This fund will financially aid January 6th terrorists who destroyed property and almost overthrew the government of America. That is treason, and Trump is completely anti-American by his words and policies. Trump and his allies have planned this scheme to cause Todd Blanche to be the new Attorney General for a while now. The FBI and the DOJ have been nothing more than agents and prosecutors to protect the Trump MAGA movement.

Right now, the DOJ election monitors are in Michigan as Trump seeks voter rolls and the complete federalization of the elections in America (which is illegal, as only the states and local governments can control the election). The DOJ has received massive court failures by the courts which is good news to protect voting rights. In fact, the DOJ has 20 losses over voter roll access. The DOJ is still trying to make people support more voting restrictions, and they want to send federal agents in to try to intimidate people who live in blue cities. By November 2026, Trump is trying to steal elections by subverting legal voting laws and other nefarious tactics. Right now, these DOJ election monitors are in four Michigan cities. This is totally authoritarian and has no place in any society, period. We have to do the work to vote, support voting rights organizations, and never forfeit our right to vote for anyone. People should support election officials and election workers of all stripes. Trump doesn't care about voting rights as he wanted people to steal the election in 2020 in Georgia via the usage of a phone conversation. The GOP has put many resources in supporting candidates who are election deniers and extremists who seek to ruin American society. 

Promoting your rights is important. Right now, many law firms have surrendered to promote the interests of Trump. We have seen Trump trying to shut down media figures who disagree with him. We know of the massive anti-black racism and discrimination in America. We know about the corruption involving ICE. Many migrants and immigrants who were kidnapped by ICE are sent to internment camps. Many of the women don't know where their children are, since they are separated from their children. Many staff members verbally and sexually abused detainees. Many of them refuse to give detainees medication. There was a woman who wasn't given proper shots, and a woman from Ecuador named Nancy wasn't given medical attention. There are tons of cases of immigrants who won cases, and ICE has appealed decisions. They have no communication with their children. Now, Trump has record-low approval ratings. 

There are House and Senate primary elections in 5 states. The issues are very clear from affordability, health care, education, the war in Iran, AIPAC, Gaza, Ukraine, and other important issues. Reecie Colbert is right to say that disagreeing with the policies of AIPAC is fine, but some folks are obsessed with calling people agents of AIPAC as a coded way to intimidate many black candidates in claiming some moral superiority over everyone else. That is what we are against. We don't agree with AIPAC on many issues, but we won't use AIPAC as a means to scapegoat black candidates like Jasmine Crockett, who didn't even take money from AIPAC. Some (not all) are using AIPAC as a coded way to disguise their anti-Semitic, wicked views too. At the end of the day, we want solutions to complicated issues. Racism is not just found in far-right extremists like MAGA cultists. For example, the so-called "progressive" William Lawrence said that black leaders want to "Defang the white left." This nonsense is not only racist but a lie. Black people have always supported leftists of every color, and black people are tired of being scapegoats for the Republicans winning elections. The CBC, to its credit, has condemned Will Lawrence's views.

The dress code in Tuskegee has caused sincere people to have tons of different views. The truth is clear. The leaders of Tuskegee want people to just use this dress code to be prepared for jobs. Yet, is this the sole purpose of an HBCU? The answer is no. The purpose of HBCUs is to promote black identity, promote camaraderie among black people of diverse backgrounds and classes (as some people promote respectability politics as an excuse to attack and slander the black people who are poor, alternative, artsy, and black people from urban environments), promote justice, educate people, etc., not just seek employment opportunities. You can't dress your way out of suffering anti-liberation, and you can't follow bourgeois standards to achieve black liberation. To have such a dress code in a cafeteria is lunacy to me. In a cafeteria, people want to eat, not to have some business meetings all of the time. Now, I do believe in some social standards. There is a time and place to wear certain clothing. I don't believe people should travel in an HBCU naked. That is inappropriate, but we should be reminded that some of the most evil people in history wore a suit and tie, and some of the most righteous people in human history wore hand-me-down clothing. Not everyone is going to look like someone in some fashion magazine all of the time, and that is perfectly fine. The Crown Act was made to liberate black people who faced discrimination, and some of the Tuskegee dress code seeks to conform to Eurocentric bourgeois ideals involving fashion. I agree with some of the Tuskegee dress code as in a business meeting, interviews, and in certain celebrations, as standards should exist (and there is nothing wrong with encouraging great hygiene that will improve human health including confidence in many ways). I agree with Tuskegee's attendance policy. Yet, I am totally against the dress code involving a cafeteria and the classroom (as the objective of  being in a class is to pass that class, not follow some fashion show standards).

By Timothy 

Science news.

https://www.futura-sciences.com/en/a-new-way-to-clear-alzheimers-plaques-this-breakthrough-is-causing-a-stir_36783/

 

Cultural Information.

  

The year of 2024 represented a new era of the WNBA with tons of new developments. The 2024 NBA Draft drew unprecedented attention amid surging interest and record viewership in women's college basketball, particularly in the 2023 and 2024 NCAA championship games. The draft class was led by first-overall pick Caitlin Clark, who is widely regarded as the main driver of the surge in attention, and featured other highly followed players, including Angel Reese. The draft averaged 2.45 million viewers, more than four times the previous record for a WNBA draft. It was the first of numerous viewership records set during the record-setting 2024 season, the majority of which involved Clark's Indiana Fever; games featuring both Clark and Reese proved a particular draw. The 2024 All-Star Game averaged 3.44 million viewers, delivering the league's largest audience since its opening weekend in 1997. Attendance also rose, with the league and individual teams setting multiple highs, including a regular‑season record of 20,711 for a Mystics–Fever game in Washington. In July 2024, the league announced a new 11-year media deal worth $2.2 billion.

In 2024, the reigning champions, the Las Vegas Aces, faltered despite a historic season by A'ja Wilson. The New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx squared off in both the Commissioner's Cup Final, which the Lynx won, and the WNBA Finals. The five-game Finals were one of the closest in history, with two games going to overtime and two others decided by a single possession. For the first time in WNBA Finals history, a decisive Game Five went to overtime. The Liberty ultimately prevailed, after a controversial ending, to win their first championship in franchise history. The playoffs were no exception to the rising interest, and the Finals drew their largest audience in 25 years.

With the Golden State Valkyries joining the league, the 2025 season expanded to 44 games. Despite Clark and other stars missing significant time due to injuries, the league largely sustained upward trends in interest, viewership, and attendance, highlighted by the Valkyries immediately setting attendance records. Investment continued to rise across the league, and by the end of 2025, more than half of franchises had either opened or announced dedicated training facilities. On August 15, 2025, the Seattle Storm and the Atlanta Dream played the first-ever international WNBA regular-season game at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The Lynx topped the regular‑season standings but were upset by the Fever in the Commissioner's Cup Final and by the Phoenix Mercury in the playoffs. In the WNBA Finals, played in a best-of-seven format for the first time, the Mercury faced the Aces. Las Vegas struggled midseason but closed the regular season on a 16-game win streak, with Wilson earning a record fourth MVP. The Aces swept the Mercury to claim their third title in four years. On June 30, 2025, the WNBA announced expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia. The Cleveland team is scheduled to begin play in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029, and Philadelphia in 2030. The 2026 WNBA season continues with outstanding play from A'ja Wilson, a resurgence of Angel Reese in the Atlanta Dream, rookie stand out Olivia Miles, Caitlin Clark, Jonquel Jones, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchel, Paige Bueckers, Jackie Young, Kahleah Cooper, and other people. 

 

In July 2025, during the WNBA All-Star Weekend, the WNBA players' union (WNBPA) and league officials had a meeting regarding a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA). The CBA, which was signed in 2020, was set to expire in 2027, but in October 2024, the WNBPA exercised its right to opt out of the agreement, effective on October 31, 2025. More than 40 players were present at the meeting, which they described as a "missed opportunity", since neither side got any closer to a new deal. Meanwhile, Engelbert called the conversation "very constructive." Players said that revenue sharing, salary structure, and prioritization were among the key issues they did not agree on. On July 19, before the All-Star Game, all players wore "Pay Us What You Owe Us" T-shirts during warm-ups and fans chanted "pay them!" in support after the game. In August, representatives of the WNBA and WNBPA had another meeting in New York to continue the negotiations. On October 30, both parties agreed to an extension, pushing the deadline for the CBA expiration for 30 days. On November 30, both agreed to a second extension, pushing the expiration deadline until January 9, 2026. On December 18, the WNBPA announced that the union had authorized the executive committee to "call a strike when necessary" as players continued negotiations with the league over a new CBA. If both sides hadn't reached an agreement, the league could have experienced a lockout, which has never happened in its history.

On March 24, 2026, the WNBA and its players' union finalized a new seven-year CBA extending to 2032. The agreement introduced a historic shift in the league's economic structure by directly linking player salaries to league revenue for the first time, with players receiving an average of 20% of total revenue. These changes facilitated a substantial increase in the teams' salary cap, which rose from $1.5 million under the previous deal to $7 million. In turn, player compensation saw a significant increase: the average player salary reached $583,000, and the supermax contract was set at $1.4 million. Minimum salaries were also restructured to range between $270,000 and $300,000 based on a player's years of service. The 2026 CBA also introduced key changes to the "Core" player designation, which allows a team to retain exclusive negotiating rights with a star player who would otherwise become an unrestricted free agent, in exchange for a one-year qualifying offer at the league's supermax salary level. The total number of times a player can be "cored" during their career was reduced from three to two. Furthermore, a service-year limit was established to ensure that, starting in 2027, players with seven or more years of experience can't be designated as core players, allowing them to reach unrestricted free agency. The 2026 agreement introduced the "Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract" (EPIC) provision. This allows players to renegotiate the fourth year of their rookie scale contract and agree to a three-year extension if they meet specific performance criteria. Players who earn All-WNBA First or Second Team honors become eligible for a maximum salary in that fourth year, while those who win the league's Most Valuable Player award qualify for the supermax salary.

 

 

One major aspect of the WNBA is its unapologetic promotion of social activism. The reason is that we don't live in a vacuum, and oppressed people need not only our allyship but our time to make sure that they have the justice that they rightfully deserve as a birthright. Oppressed human beings don't need token talk or half-hearted measures but unconditional liberation without exception. Even in 2020, The New York Times called the WNBA "the most socially progressive pro league." Many people have spoken up for equality, gender equality, and racial justice, like Brittney Griner, Breanna Stewart, and Maya Moore. Many WNBA Players allied with progressive movements like Black Lives Matter, the ACLU, the NAACP, etc. The Minnesota Lynx promoted justice and accountability in 2016 after Philando Castile and Alton Sterling were killed. By mid-2020. the WNBA and WNBPA formed a Social Justice Council with civil rights leader Alicia Garza and Kimberle Crenshaw acting as external advisors. Many Atlanta Dream players wore the slogan "VOTE WARNOCK" on the back of their black T-shirts to support the campaign of Pastor Raphael Warnock, an African American pastor who defeated Loeffler. Many teams promoted health care and helped to support the COVID-19 vaccine. In June 2024, the documentary film Power of Dream was released. The film dealt with the WNBA's support of Black Lives Matter and the support for the election of Warnock. Sue Bird and Nneka Ogwumike are co-producers of the film, along with Tracee Ellis Ross and the director Dawn Porter.

 

Providentially, the WNBA has been in existence for over 30 years. I remember watching the WNBA on television since its inception when I was in my early teenage years. Now, I'm almost 50 years old. The WNBA didn't exist out of a vacuum. It grew from the blood, sweat, and tears of women basketball players from throughout the 20th century like Nera White, Ora Washington, Lusia Harris, Ann Meyers Drysdale, Nancy Lieberman, and teams like the All-American Red Heads, the New York Girls, Spartan Girls, Chicago Romas, Philadelphia Tribune Girls, etc. A lot of people don't know about the stories of these unsung icons, but we live in this time when heroes back then and today are celebrated thoroughly. Later, we know about other icons of basketball like Cheryl Miller, Robin Roberts, and Dawn Staley. The WNBA existed because of a dream to allow women to play basketball professionally on a high scale in America. Men have done it for a long time, but women faced sexism and discrimination. People fought back against these evils by activism, Title IX, and various leagues to give women the opportunity to play professionally after college. WNBA started a new trend of international professional basketball leagues to be globally that tons of women enjoy. There have been recent steps to fight for gender equality in pay. Even in 2026, thirty years after 1996, we have a long way to go in eliminating gender discrimination once and for all. You have narrowminded manosphere types who demonize and dehumanize the WNBA because of their hatred of women. Yet, we won't go that route. We will always cherish and love the humanity and sacrifice of women. Women do tons of work that in many cases go unnoticed, but we believe in human equality. The WNBA will continue to promote excellence, philanthropy, and equality for many years and decades to come. 

 

Renaissance (stylized in all caps; also referred to as Act I: Renaissance) is the seventh studio album by American singer and songwriter Beyoncé. It was released on July 29, 2022, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The first installment of a planned trilogy of albums, Renaissance includes guest vocals from Beam, Grace Jones, and Tems.

Beyoncé conceived and recorded Renaissance during the COVID-19 pandemic, intending to inspire joy and escapism in listeners after a period of collective isolation. The album celebrates the club culture that served as a refuge for Black and queer communities, and pays homage to the pioneers who shaped those spaces. Arranged like a continuous DJ mix, Renaissance incorporates post-1970s Black dance music styles—such as disco, house, funk—and pays homage to the overlooked contributions of the pioneers who shaped those genres. Its lyrical themes are primarily centered on escapism, confidence, and self-expression.

The album was promoted with the Renaissance World Tour in 2023 and an accompanying concert film. Renaissance topped the charts of eleven countries, including Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In the lattermost country, it became Beyoncé's seventh consecutive album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, and was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Four singles supported the album: the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one "Break My Soul"; "Cuff It", her longest-charting song on the Hot 100; the Europe-only single "Virgo's Groove"; and a remix of "America Has a Problem" featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar.

On release, Renaissance received universal acclaim from music critics, who praised it for its eclectic yet cohesive sound, celebratory tone, and Beyoncé's vocals. It topped year-end lists from major outlets, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone; the lattermost later included it on its list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." After winning four of her nine nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards—including Best Dance/Electronic Album—Beyoncé became the most awarded individual in Grammy history. The second installment of the trilogy, Cowboy Carter, followed on March 29, 2024.

Through the late 2010s, American singer Beyoncé released several critically acclaimed, narrative-focused projects that examined and celebrated Black identity. She released her sixth studio album, Lemonade, on April 23, 2016, to critical praise and commercial success. It discusses Black womanhood, reconciliation, and heartbreak—particularly in light of her husband Jay-Z's alleged infidelity; one scholar referred to it as a "cinematic and sonic Afrodiasporic journey from betrayal to redemption." Her 2018 Coachella headlining performance—later chronicled in the Netflix documentary Homecoming and its accompanying live album—paid tribute to historically Black colleges and universities. Beyoncé released the soundtrack album The Lion King: The Gift in 2019, which was influenced by African musical styles and was produced by African producers; she accompanied it with the visual album Black Is King (2020).

Beyoncé told British Vogue in an interview that the COVID-19 pandemic changed her as a person, saying she spent much of that time focused on "building [her] legacy and representing [her] culture the best way [she knew] how", but eventually allowed herself to prioritize her own happiness. She described this period as her "most creative", using music-making as a means to counter feelings of isolation. As the lockdown began to end, she told Harper's Bazaar, "we are all ready to escape, travel, love, and laugh again. I feel a renaissance emerging, and I want to be part of nurturing that escape in any way possible." She wanted her seventh studio album, Renaissance, to be a celebration of the underappreciated Black LBGTQ+ pioneers of dance music, whose contributions had been unrecognized in the mainstream. The dream co-wrote nine songs of the album's tracks. 

Beyoncé began recording Renaissance around 2019–2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic; the entire process spanned nearly three years. The development process for Renaissance largely took place at studios throughout Los Angeles, with recording, production, and writing sessions for all tracks conducted at Parkwood West, Avenue A Studio West, and Juicy Juicy, as well as Sing Mastering in Atlanta.

Early sessions for Renaissance involved the songwriting and production duo Nova Wav, who had previously worked with Beyoncé on "Black Parade" (2020); the duo contributed to eight tracks on the album. The duo frequently created demos, which were later expanded by Beyoncé with a team of collaborators. Tracks such as "Cuff It", "Energy", and "Summer Renaissance" were written after periods of creative block and quickly drafted before being sent to Beyoncé. Others, including "Pure/Honey", were created directly in Beyoncé's studio, where the duo worked closely with her. The-Dream, who has written for Beyoncé since I Am... Sasha Fierce (2008), co-wrote nine tracks on Renaissance. While writing songs from his trailer, he recalled feeling as though he was "trying to get out of here", with that "hungry" feeling leading to lines like "Now, I just fell in love / And I just quit my job" on "Break My Soul."

Beyoncé worked closely with sound engineer Stuart White, her personal engineer and mixer since 2012, at his Avenue A Studio West. White handled vocal production, audio mixing, and recording throughout the process. Several songs were largely completed on the day they were recorded; for example, "I'm That Girl" was mostly written, recorded, and mixed in a single session. White recorded her vocals using a Telefunken ELA M 251 microphone, and he applied equalization, compression, and effects in real time during tracking. Much of the production and mixing was carried out simultaneously, with instrumentation, vocal layering, and effects developed during the recording process. Mike Dean helped produce, program, play synthesizers, and perform drums on six tracks. Producer Hit-Boy revealed that the song "Thique" was made in 2014, but the track did not fully materialize until Beyoncé picked it back up again eight years later for the album. Renaissance has dance, house, pop, and R&B music in the album. It also has elements of disco, soul, funk bounce, Chicago house, Detroit techno, and electro. The ablum pays tribue to black and Latino ballroom culture. The album was inspired by Beyonce's gay cousin, Uncle Johnny, who helped raise her until her passing during the AIDS epidemic. Time noted that Renaissance expands on the explorations of sexuality introduced on her fifth studio album, Beyoncé (2013), adopting a more explicit tone on tracks such as "Church Girl", "Thique", "Plastic Off the Sofa", and "Virgo's Groove." Similarly, Complex wrote that the "confident" themes of the album can be traced back to songs like "Flawless" (2013). Break My Soul was one of the most popular songs on Renaissance. 

On June 20, 2022, Beyoncé announced that the album's lead single, "Break My Soul", would be released at midnight Eastern Time on June 21, aligning with the 2022 summer solstice. The track was made available several hours early on Tidal on June 20, followed by the release of a lyric video via YouTube. "Break My Soul" peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, becoming her eighth chart-topper as a solo artist, as well as her first solo number-one without a featured artist since "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" (2008). It also reached number six on the Billboard Global 200. Beyonce riding a house was part of the Renaissance album cover. 

By the end of its run, the Renaissance World Tour had grossed over $579 million, ranking as the seventh highest-grossing concert tour of all time, as well as the highest-grossing tour by a woman and by a Black artist. The final show of the Renaissance World Tour, held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 1, 2023, concluded with the debut of a trailer for Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. The film, released on December 1, 2023, documents the tour while incorporating behind-the-scenes footage of the album and tour's development. A non-album track, "My House", plays over the end credits and was released as a single the same day as the film. The album Renaissance debuted at number one at Billboard 200, selling 332,000 album equivalent units in its first week. It topped the charts in multiple nations, had universal acclaim from critics, and was a very experimental album. The album won a BET Award, an American Music Award, a Grammy Award, and other awards. Renaissance had something for everyone. It had something for fans of R&B, fans of funk, fans of disco, fans of electro, fans of house, and fans of pop music too. 

 

Cowboy Carter was the 8th studio album of Beyonce. It was released on March 29, 2024. It was released by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. Being a concept album, Cowboy Carter is the 2nd of a planned trilogy after Renaissance that came out in 2022. Beyonce wanted people to know about the black pioneers of country music and American culture in general. Subconsciously, Beyonce was angry at the Country Music Awards snubbing her. Cowboy Carter had many genres in it to merge into an unique album. It showcased Southern culture and Southern music. It had featurered iconic country music artists singing or being part of a radio broadcast like Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson (who acted as disc jockeys). The album featured many modern day black music artists like Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy, Reyna Roberts, and Willie Jones. The album had acoustic instruments played by many musicians including Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, and Nile Rodgers. Cowboy Carter had universal acclaim and was very experimental. It had eclectic references and talked about Americana and country via Black roots. At the 67th Grammy Awards, Beyoncé became the first Black woman in 25 years to win Album of the Year and the first Black artist to win Best Country Album; the album's third single, "II Most Wanted", won Best Country Duo/Group Performance. The album increased the listenership of country music, drove cultural conversations on Black musicians' place within the genre, boosted the careers of rising country artists, and increased the popularity of Western wear and culture. Some people need to be reminded that Beyonce has strong Southern roots. For example, Beyonce was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where the city's cowboy heritage and country and zydeco music played a great role in her upbringing. She listened to country music at an early age, particularly from her paternal grandfather. Her family attended the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo every year in western clothing. She performed at the Rodeo four times between 2001 and 2007, and has continued to celebrate her country and Southern roots throughout her career. Her first original country song was in 2016 called Daddy Lessons on her sixth studio album of Lemonade. Beyonce worked with the country group The Chicks before too. 

Beyoncé, together with the Chicks (who had previously covered the song), performed the track at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards on November 2, 2016. The performance was largely praised by critics and gave the Country Music Association Awards their highest viewership in history; however, it was also met with backlash, with some country music fans criticizing Beyoncé's attendance and claiming she did not belong in the genre. The Country Music Association deleted all promotional posts about Beyoncé's performance, which was seen by some observers as succumbing to the pressure from conservative and racist viewers. In December 2016, The Recording Academy's country music committee rejected "Daddy Lessons" for consideration for a Grammy Award, with publications reporting that the song was not seen as being "country enough."

This experience led to the creation of Cowboy Carter. Beyoncé explained how it was made clear to her that she was not welcome in the country music space, which encouraged her to explore the musical history of the genre rather than letting the critics force her out of it. She delved into the history of country music and Western culture and researched its African-American roots. She studied "our rich musical archive" and learned from educators who had long advocated for a re-education on the Black roots of country music. She also read that, historically, half of cowboys were Black, which made her realize how much of the Black, brown, and Native cowboy stories are missing in American history. This was the inspiration for her 2021 "Ivy Park Rodeo" clothing collection. Following this research, Beyoncé conceived Cowboy Carter as a journey through a reinvention of Americana, in which she redefines its boundaries and spotlights overlooked contributions of African Americans to diverse musical genres, Southern and Western culture, and American history. Collaborator Rhiannon Giddens said Beyoncé did not intend to create a typical crossover country album, but instead wanted to explore her family's roots through music.

Cowboy Carter was over five years in the making. Beyoncé began to write the album in 2019, then recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, which she described as her most creative period. The album forms "Act II" of a trilogy project that Beyoncé recorded during this period. The first act, Renaissance (2022), is primarily a house and disco record highlighting and celebrating the Black progenitors of dance music, leading some to believe that each album of the trilogy would aim to explore the Black roots of a different musical genre. Cowboy Carter was originally intended to be released before Renaissance, but Beyoncé changed the order in response to the pandemic. Between 2020 and 2024, Dolly Parton often said that she would like Beyoncé to cover her song "Jolene". While working on the album, she reached out to Miley Cyrus to collaborate with her on Cowboy Carter. Cyrus presented her with "Easy Lover" and "Shotgun Rider", and Beyoncé chose the latter, renaming it "II Most Wanted.' Beyonce recorded about 100 songs for the album. Each song is its own imangined version of a Western film like Space Cowboys, Urbna Cowboy, etc. The album has elements of hip hop, blues, country-soul, outlaw country, pop, rock and roll, jersey club, house, flamenco, funk caricoa, fado, Irish folk, etc. Beyonce promoted Levi Strauss and Company jeans to market their jeans to women being inspired by the Beyonce song Levi's Jeans. Levi's described the partnership as "the biggest one [they've] ever done," and used Beyoncé's impact to help boost sales to $2 billion. The first commercial starring Beyoncé amassed 2.4 billion impressions in under a month. As of August 2025, three of the looks featured in the second "chapter" rank as Levi's top sellers in Europe. Many critics named the album as the best album of 2024 like on Business Insider, Esquire, the Houston Chronicle, People, and USA Today. Cowboy Carter won Grammy Album of the Year and Best Country Album in 2025. She won American Music AwardsFavorite Country Album in 2025 and Hungarian Music Awards Foreign Classic Pop-Rock Album or Recording of the Year. 

Cowboy Carter debuted at number one in several countries and broke multiple chart and streaming records. In the United States, it topped the Billboard 200 and was Beyoncé's first to top the Top Country Albums chart, selling 407,000 album-equivalent units. The album was supported by three singles, "Texas Hold 'Em", "16 Carriages", and "II Most Wanted", with the first becoming Beyoncé's ninth US number-one single and the first country song by a Black woman to top the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot Country Songs charts. To support the album, Beyoncé embarked on the Cowboy Carter Tour from April 28 to July 26, 2025. Stevie Wonder called the album Cowboy Carter a masterpiece. Paul McCartney, Nancy Sinatra, and Nancy Sinatra praised the album. Jon Batistse praised the album and causing a major shift in culture. Country music artists praised the album like Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Brandi Carlile, Melissa Etheridge, Ro⁹sanne Cash, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Billy Ray Cyrus, Mickey Guyton, Darius Rucker, Klesea Ballerini, Sugarland, etc. Songs like Protector, Texas Hold 'Em, Bodyguard, Amen, etc. prove that Beyonce can sing mightly in multiple genres. 

 

By Timothy