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of News Article A memorial event for conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Arizona blended religious service and political rally elements, revealing tensions within the Republican Party between reconciliation and conflict. Erika Kirk, Charlie's widow and newly appointed head of Turning Point USA, delivered a powerful speech advocating forgiveness and love, contrasting with President Trump's subsequent remarks rejecting such sentiments toward opponents. The event showcased potential future Republican leaders including JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., while emphasizing Christian values as central to the conservative movement. Additionally, the event unexpectedly featured a reconciliation between Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who had previously fallen out over policy disagreements.

Wayne State University has partnered with Detroit Public Schools Community District to launch "Warriors on the Rise," a guaranteed admission program that promises university entry to DPSCD juniors and seniors who maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete core English and math credits. The comprehensive initiative goes beyond admission by offering year-round support including mentoring, college prep workshops, academic advising, financial aid navigation, and transportation assistance. Beginning in February 2026, qualified students will receive invitations to join the program, followed by campus visits, summer social events, dual-enrollment opportunities, and ongoing family involvement. The program aims to transform Detroit students' access to higher education by removing barriers, building confidence, and creating clear pathways for success.

Michigan's Department of Education has proposed the first update to its K-12 health education guidelines since 2007, addressing contemporary challenges like the opioid crisis, smartphone use, and mental health concerns. The draft updates shift from grade-specific standards to more flexible grade ranges and emphasize ongoing "practices" rather than fixed "standards," borrowing from national health education updates and Massachusetts' model. While providing a framework that covers personal wellness, substance use, mental health, and sexual health, the guidelines ultimately allow local school districts to determine implementation, particularly regarding contentious areas like sexual health education. The update acknowledges that today's health challenges differ significantly from those in 2007, requiring schools to equip students with tools to navigate increasingly complex physical, mental, and social landscapes.

On September 18, leaders from various DMV area chambers of commerce gathered at Gallery O in Northeast D.C. for an event hosted by The Washington Informer to discuss the state of Black business. The panel discussion, moderated by WI Publisher Denise Rolark Barnes, featured chamber leaders from D.C., Charles County, Prince George's County, Greater Washington D.C., and Northern Virginia Black chambers of commerce. The event, which included an exhibition highlighting 60 years of Washington Informer photography, emphasized challenges facing Black entrepreneurs including gatekeeping, dismantling of supportive systems, and the need for greater collaboration. Chamber leaders encouraged Black businesses to stay focused, consider local government contracts instead of federal ones, embrace technology, and look for partnership opportunities with larger companies.

Kenneth Kelly, CEO of Detroit-based First Independence Bank and chair-elect of the American Bankers Association, recently testified before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee on modernizing deposit insurance. Representing the ABA, Kelly presented ten recommendations from a task force he chaired that aims to update the system created in 1933 and tested by recent bank failures like Silicon Valley Bank in 2023. The proposals focus on making deposit insurance more transparent, flexible during crises, and equitable across different-sized institutions, while maintaining its role as a stabilizing force in the U.S. financial system. Kelly emphasized that the current system, which guarantees deposits up to $250,000 and is funded through bank assessments rather than taxpayer money, needs improvements to reflect modern banking realities and prevent panic from spreading rapidly in today's digital environment.

A massive memorial service for conservative activist Charlie Kirk was held at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, drawing tens of thousands of mourners including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and numerous administration officials. During the five-hour event, Trump praised Kirk as a "martyr for American freedom" and "greatest evangelist for American liberty," though he notably diverged from Kirk's widow Erika's message of forgiveness toward her husband's alleged killer. The service featured emotional tributes from Turning Point USA members, Trump administration officials, and Erika Kirk herself, who has been named the new CEO of the organization her husband co-founded at age 18 to promote conservative ideas on college campuses.

President Trump's recent announcement of a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas created widespread panic among Indian visa holders and tech companies before the White House clarified it would apply only to new applicants as a one-time charge. This dramatic policy shift threatens to effectively close the H-1B pathway that has for three decades brought Indian talent to American industries, particularly in technology and medicine where Indians represent over 70% of H-1B recipients. The median salary for new H-1B employees is only $94,000, making the fee prohibitively expensive for most potential applicants and likely causing medium to long-term labor shortages in critical sectors. Experts predict significant consequences for both countries: India's $283 billion IT sector will need to restructure its business model while the US may face severe shortages in healthcare, education, and innovation sectors.

The Washington Informer celebrated its 60th anniversary with the opening of a Visual Legacy Exhibit at Gallery O on H in Northeast D.C., displaying six decades of community history through archival images. The event featured a regional Chamber of Commerce leadership forum that brought together business leaders from various chambers across the D.C. metropolitan area. Attendees networked and engaged in discussions throughout the gallery and courtyard spaces during this milestone celebration. The newspaper's publisher, Denise Rolark-Barnes, reflected on her father Dr. Calvin W. Rolark's founding vision for the paper as a platform to uplift the community through stories of triumph and resilience.

The SF Bay View National Black Newspaper is facing a financial crisis, losing an average of $4,000 monthly in 2025 and falling $7,500 behind on rent. Publishers Dr. Willie Ratcliff and Mary Ratcliff are hosting a combination 93rd birthday celebration and brainstorming session on September 24, 2025, at the Ruth Williams Bayview Opera House to generate ideas for saving the publication. The newspaper particularly emphasizes its importance to incarcerated people, crediting prisoner stories published in the Bay View with contributing to California's 30% drop in incarceration rates following the 2011-2013 hunger strikes. The publishers strongly oppose moving to an online-only format as it would cut off thousands of prisoners who rely on the print edition while simultaneously increasing their financial deficit.

President Donald Trump is publicly pressuring Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate his political opponents, including former FBI director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Senator Adam Schiff. Through social media posts, Trump expressed frustration that "nothing is being done" against these individuals whom he claims are "guilty as hell." This has drawn criticism from Democrats, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warning that Trump is turning the Justice Department into "an instrument that goes after his enemies." The controversy follows federal prosecutor Erik Siebert's departure after Trump wanted him removed for not prosecuting Letitia James despite investigations finding insufficient evidence.

Recent reports indicate a potential deal is forming to keep TikTok operating in the United States, with President Trump revealing that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch may join Larry Ellison and Michael Dell as investors. The sale is mandated by an April 2024 law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations due to concerns about Chinese access to American user data. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested a deal could be finalized "in the coming days," with Oracle potentially controlling data privacy and the algorithm for TikTok's 170 million US users. While China has acknowledged welcoming negotiations, ByteDance has not commented on Trump's statements regarding the proposed investor group.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation banning law enforcement officers, including ICE agents, from wearing face masks while on duty, effective January 2026. The bill is part of a package of measures designed to protect residents from what Newsom termed "secret police" following controversial immigration raids in Los Angeles. While federal officials claim the state has no jurisdiction over federal operations, the legislation includes exceptions for undercover work, health protection, and tactical gear. Additional bills in the package require officers to identify themselves by name and badge number, restrict immigration enforcement access to schools and hospitals, and mandate that families be informed when officers visit their children's schools.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee on new applications for the H-1B visa program, which caused panic among visa holders temporarily outside the US before the White House clarified that current holders would not be affected. Software professional Rohan Mehta spent over $8,000 frantically booking flights to return to the US from India before the deadline, fearing he would be unable to return to his home of 11 years. The order targets the skilled foreign worker visa program predominantly used by Indians, who constitute more than 70% of the 85,000 visas issued annually. Despite subsequent clarification that the fee would be one-time only and not apply to current visa holders, many had already taken costly emergency measures to return to the US.

A memorial service for 31-year-old conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed on September 10th at a Utah university campus, is scheduled for Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The event, organized by Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the organization Kirk co-founded, is expected to draw up to 100,000 attendees and will feature speeches from prominent political figures including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Kirk's widow Erika, who has assumed the role of TPUSA CEO. Heightened security measures will be implemented at the memorial, including "TSA-level screening" with the same security designation as major events like the Super Bowl. Kirk's death has intensified political divisions in the United States, with the Trump administration blaming the "radical left" while others accuse the government of using the tragedy to justify restrictions on civil liberties.

The Pentagon has implemented new restrictions requiring journalists to agree not to disclose unauthorized information or risk losing access to the building. These changes also limit journalists' movement within the Pentagon facility, home to the recently renamed Department of War. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth emphasized that journalists must follow security protocols, while the Pentagon claims to remain committed to transparency despite requiring official approval for releasing even unclassified information. The restrictions follow several recent leaks, including intelligence about Yemen bombings and Iran's nuclear program, though Secretary Hegseth himself previously shared sensitive information in a group chat that included a journalist.

The Indian government has expressed concern over President Trump's new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, stating it will have "humanitarian consequences" by disrupting families. The fee, which is over 60 times the current amount, will take effect on September 21 and primarily impacts Indian workers who receive about 70% of these skilled visas. While the White House clarified that current visa holders and renewal applicants won't be subject to the fee, major companies reportedly advised H-1B employees to remain in or quickly return to the US as a precaution. This development comes amid tense trade negotiations between the US and India following Trump's recent tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil.

President Trump has signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications for skilled foreign workers, effective September 21, 2023. The order, which claims to address "abuse" of the program, will apply to new applications and require companies to pay this amount for each applicant for six years. In a separate action, Trump created a "gold card" visa system that would expedite immigration for those paying fees starting at £1 million. The H-1B visa program, which has been capped at 85,000 visas annually since 2004, previously cost around $1,500 in administrative fees and has been a subject of debate between critics who believe it undercuts American workers and supporters who argue it attracts global talent.

DNA testing has led over 40 million people to discover unexpected ancestry, with many using these revelations to claim citizenship in countries like Ireland, Germany, the US, Italy, and New Zealand. People like Richard Sayers, who discovered his biological father was Irish, have leveraged these findings to obtain foreign passports, granting new rights and opportunities such as the ability to live and work across the EU. Lawyer Polly Ho notes a significant increase in citizenship-by-ancestry inquiries, particularly following COVID-19 travel restrictions, which has prompted her firm to create the Global Ancestry Index to help navigate complex citizenship policies. While DNA evidence helps people correct documentation and reconnect with their heritage, citizenship rules can be complicated by factors like parents' marital status at birth, as experienced by the article's author who needed "exceptional circumstances" consideration for New Zealand citizenship.

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has strongly criticized FCC chairman Brendan Carr for threatening ABC over Jimmy Kimmel's monologue about Charlie Kirk's death, calling the regulatory pressure "dangerous as hell." Kimmel was indefinitely suspended after suggesting the "Maga gang" was trying to distance themselves from Kirk's killer and making comments about Trump's reaction to Kirk's death. While Cruz disapproves of Kimmel's remarks, he warned that government regulation of media content could eventually harm conservatives when Democrats return to power. President Trump disagreed with Cruz's assessment, while other Republican lawmakers have had mixed reactions to the controversy surrounding Kimmel's suspension.

Erik Siebert, the acting attorney for Virginia's Eastern District, has resigned following pressure from President Donald Trump after failing to bring criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James for alleged mortgage fraud. The Trump administration had accused James, who previously won a civil fraud case against Trump, of falsifying records to secure better mortgage deals. Siebert reportedly informed senior justice department officials that investigations had not yielded sufficient evidence to prosecute James. Trump publicly stated he wanted Siebert removed, citing support for Siebert's nomination from Virginia's Democratic senators as his reasoning.

President Trump announced a US military strike on a vessel in international waters that he claimed was involved in drug trafficking. This recent attack, the third in a series of similar operations, killed three "male narcoterrorists" according to Trump's statement on Truth Social. The strike occurred in the US Southern Command's area of responsibility after US intelligence allegedly confirmed the boat was trafficking drugs. Previous similar strikes have killed 14 people on boats reportedly from Venezuela, with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemning these actions as American aggression.

of News Article President Trump recently suggested that TV networks giving him "bad publicity" should lose their broadcasting licenses, following the suspension of ABC host Jimmy Kimmel after he made comments about the Charlie Kirk murder suspect. This incident has raised questions about the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) authority to regulate broadcast content and revoke licenses. The controversy intensified when FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, suggested there could be "remedies" against Kimmel, prompting major station owners Nexstar and Sinclair to stop airing Kimmel's program. The situation has sparked debate about government censorship and political pressure on broadcasters, with critics arguing that corporate decisions were influenced by the Trump administration.

President Donald Trump announced a potential deal on TikTok's future in the US after a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, though Beijing's confirmation was less definitive. The arrangement would reportedly allow US investors to acquire TikTok's American operations while licensing algorithm technology from ByteDance, avoiding a complete ban. Trump has repeatedly extended the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok's US business, with the latest extension pushing it to December. The proposed deal aims to address national security concerns while preserving the platform's availability to its 170 million American users, though questions remain about algorithm ownership and Chinese government influence.

Chicago churches and community leaders are mobilizing in response to President Trump's threatened federal intervention, which includes immigration enforcement operations and possible National Guard deployment to the city. Reverend Marshall Hatch of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church urged congregants to carry identification and stay connected with family members to avoid "disappearing" amid the expected crackdown. While details remain sparse, Trump's border czar Tom Homan confirmed federal law enforcement action will begin in Chicago this week, potentially using a military base north of the city for a 45-day operation. Local leaders, including Democratic U.S. Representative Danny Davis, have strongly objected to the intervention, arguing it's unnecessary and unwanted, particularly in Black and Latino communities where trust in law enforcement is already fragile.

Harjit Kaur, a 73-year-old woman who has lived in California for over three decades, was arrested by ICE on September 8 despite regularly reporting to immigration authorities for years after her final asylum appeal was rejected in 2012. Her detention has sparked outrage from the Sikh community and political figures, including California State Senator Jesse Arreguin and Congressman John Garamendi, who criticized the Trump administration's immigration enforcement priorities. While ICE maintains that Kaur has exhausted all legal remedies and must be deported, her family argues that she never opposed deportation but simply lacked the necessary travel documents to return to India. Her lawyer has alleged concerning treatment during her detention, including denial of regular medication, proper seating, and vegetarian meals.

Prologis, a global logistics real estate company, is seeking Planning Commission approval for the San Francisco Gateway project in Bayview Hunters Point, consisting of two three-story buildings spanning over 2 million square feet with parking for 2,000 vehicles. The massive industrial facility would rise over 100 feet tall, bridging Interstate 280 and accommodating trucks on every level. Local community leaders like Kamillah Ealom of All Things Bayview have expressed serious concerns about the project's potential health impacts, specifically citing how dirty air is already causing severe health problems in the predominantly African-American community. Prologis has requested a Special Use District designation that would allow the project to proceed under modified zoning rules.

Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, 57, has died along with two others in a single-engine plane crash near Macon County Airport in North Carolina under unknown circumstances. James was best known for co-writing "Jesus Take the Wheel" for Carrie Underwood, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Country Song, and composed over 500 songs for various artists including Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, and Bon Jovi. A Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and two-time ASCAP songwriter of the year, James was mourned by Underwood who called his death "unfathomable" and by industry professionals who praised his talents and character. The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash of the Cirrus SR22T, which had departed from Nashville.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (Acip) has voted to stop recommending annual COVID-19 vaccinations for all adults, shifting to a policy where individuals can decide after consulting with medical professionals. Under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who replaced all committee members in June, the panel also voted against COVID-19 vaccine prescriptions and modified recommendations for other vaccines including MMRV and hepatitis B. These changes have created controversy in the medical community, with critics including the American Medical Association expressing concern about the confusing recommendations and former CDC official Dr. Susan Monarez claiming she was fired for refusing to approve policy changes that disregarded scientific evidence.

A federal judge has dismissed Donald Trump's $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, ruling that the 85-page filing violated court rules by failing to provide a "short and plain statement" of the claim. Judge Steven Merryday described the lawsuit as "repetitive," "superfluous," and containing "florid" allegations, giving Trump 28 days to file an amended complaint. Trump's spokesperson indicated they will file a revised version of the lawsuit to meet the judge's requirements, while The New York Times welcomed the ruling, characterizing the original complaint as "a political document rather than a serious legal filing." The case comes amid criticism that the Trump administration is cracking down on unfavorable media coverage, including recent controversy surrounding ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel.