AURN News

Mia Love, who made history as the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, has died at the age of 49. Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, passed away peacefully Sunday at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, after battling brain cancer, surrounded by family in her final moments.

Love began her political career in 2003, serving as a city council member, and later became mayor of Saratoga Springs before becoming a U.S. representative in 2014.

Despite a career marked by trailblazing achievements, she was known for her independent voice. She notably spoke out against President Trump during the 2016 campaign and in the years that followed. Her family released a statement celebrating her profound impact, noting her unwavering belief in the American dream.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox paid tribute, calling her a visionary leader whose legacy would leave a lasting positive influence. Love’s legacy lives on through her courage, leadership, and commitment to public service.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

According to USA Today, Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died Sunday at age 49 in her Utah home, surrounded by family.

Her family announced the news on social media, sharing that she passed peacefully. Though no official cause was given, her daughter had previously revealed, Love had been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

Elected in 2014, Love made history representing Utah’s 4th Congressional District until 2019. She often criticized President Donald Trump, declining to endorse him in 2016 and distancing herself from him in her 2018 re-election bid, which she narrowly lost.

As of 2025, no other Black Republican has been elected to Congress since.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(AURN News) — A federal judge in Maryland has temporarily barred Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing Social Security Administration (SSA) records containing personal information, creating a setback for the cost-cutting initiative.

Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander issued the temporary restraining order Thursday after unions representing SSA employees raised concerns.

"This Order does not preclude SSA from providing members of the DOGE Team with access to redacted or anonymized data and records of SSA," the order stated.

President Donald Trump has granted Musk and his DOGE team significant latitude to identify and eliminate what they consider wasteful government spending.

DOGE, as the department is commonly known, claims to have saved $115 billion through various measures including "asset sales, contract/lease cancellations and renegotiations, fraud and improper payment deletion, grant cancellations, interest savings, programmatic changes, regulatory savings, and workforce reductions."

The court order represents a major challenge to President Trump's efforts to give Musk's team unrestricted access to federal agency operations and information.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) isn’t holding back. CBC Chair Yvette Clarke and members of the caucus issued a fiery statement condemning President Trump’s latest move to gut the Department of Education. A decision they say will devastate communities across the country, especially Black and Brown students.

It comes just days after the firing of nearly half of the department’s staff and an executive order aimed at tearing down the agency further. The caucus says this is a direct attack on students, civil rights, and decades of progress.

They warned that dismantling will undercut protections for vulnerable students while crippling the government’s ability to enforce laws that ban racial and gender discrimination.

“In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that the ‘separate but equal’ doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson was unconstitutional. In the decades since, the Department of Education has played a vital role in ensuring equal access to education and enforcing desegregation laws,” Clarke said. 

The CBC warned that President Trump’s executive actions "will make our schools more segregated and unequal."

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On March 21, 1990, Namibia officially declared independence from South Africa, ending decades of colonial rule and occupation. The southern African nation had previously been a German colony known as South-West Africa until South Africa took control of the territory in 1920, following its military occupation during World War I, starting in 1915.

South Africa’s hold on Namibia was part of its broader effort to maintain white minority rule during the apartheid era. The government feared that the rise of independent, Black-led African nations would undermine its apartheid policies.

Resistance to South African control grew over the years, especially after 1966, when the South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO) launched its armed struggle through its military wing, the People’s Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN). The movement gained momentum after Angola gained independence in 1975, allowing SWAPO to establish bases across the border and build international support.

After prolonged conflict and negotiations, South Africa finally agreed to relinquish control in 1988. Namibia held its first democratic elections in 1989, paving the way for full independence a year later.

Thirty-five years ago today, Namibia took its place as a free and sovereign nation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Trump administration quietly removed a decades-old rule requiring federal contractors to ban segregated workspaces, such as separate bathrooms, cafeterias, and other facilities based on race, gender, or national origin.

Companies that want government contracts no longer have to prove they do not separate employees in ways that would have been illegal under the old rule. If you wanted taxpayer dollars, you had to commit to equal treatment in the workplace.

A memo from the General Services Administration, which oversees federal contracts, ordered agencies like the Department of Defense to strip this clause from new and existing contracts.

Some might argue that businesses still have to follow federal anti-discrimination laws. So what is the big deal?

The problem is that removing this contract rule makes enforcement harder. Before, federal agencies had leverage—if a company violated anti-segregation rules, it could lose its government contract. Now, the government has given up that power.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Hollywood icon Joanna Cassidy joins me to talk about her incredible career and her latest role in Uppercut, starring Ving Rhames and Luise Grossman. The film follows a determined female boxer breaking barriers and proving that women can accomplish anything.

Cassidy shares her thoughts on destiny, perseverance, and the power of representation in Hollywood. Watch my full interview with her on AURN’s YouTube, and check out my conversations with Ving Rhames and Luise Grossman on Instagram.

For all these stories and more, follow me on @TanyaHollywood and @aurnonline! 🎥🥊✨

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(AURN News) — The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is now publishing federal payment information online, allowing Americans to track how government funds are being spent, according to the department's website.

"Consistent with President Trump's Cost Efficiency Initiative, DOGE will begin posting payments to show the public how taxpayer funds are actually being distributed on a daily basis," the website states.

The initial phase focuses on grant payments issued by the Program Support Center, which distributes approximately $215 billion annually. DOGE plans to expand this transparency initiative to all payment systems over time, noting that the current version is in beta testing and that errors will be "quickly fixed."

The website also indicates a significant change in accountability requirements: "Previously, payments were often made without descriptions, receipts, or invoices; starting soon, a now-mandatory 'brief, written justification … submitted by the agency employee who approved the payment' will be posted here."

DOGE clarifies its role in this process, stating, "The payments listed here have been approved by the applicable agency and funds have been disbursed; DOGE has not approved nor disapproved any of these payments."

The department has recently focused attention on Social Security Administration records. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, DOGE reported: "For the past two weeks, @SocialSecurity has begun a major cleanup of their records. Approximately 3.2 million numberholders, all listed age 120+, have now been marked as deceased. More work still to be done."

DOGE, which is led by Elon Musk, was established as part of the Trump administration's government efficiency efforts.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Federal Reserve is keeping its key interest rate unchanged while warning that tariffs are likely to raise inflation this year. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell announced that the central bank expects to cut rates twice later in 2025, even as inflation remains stubbornly above target levels.

In its latest economic predictions, the Fed downgraded growth expectations, forecasting a slowdown to just 1.7 percent in 2025. That’s down from 2.8 percent last year. Inflation is expected to edge up slightly to 2.7 percent by the end of the year, exceeding the Fed’s goal.

Powell highlighted that President Donald Trump’s tariffs are starting to impact prices, potentially delaying progress in reducing inflation. He acknowledged rising concerns among businesses and consumers about the economy but noted that employment remains low and economic expansion continues.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order aimed at closing the Department of Education. The plan would shift control of education back to the states and is part of Trump’s broader goal to dismantle federal education oversight.

While it requires Congress to formally shut down the department, the administration could make it nearly impossible for employees to do their jobs, similar to what has happened with other agencies.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon has already cut the department’s staff significantly, calling it the first step toward closure. The president believes he can gain enough support from Congress to make it happen, but it’s unclear whether he has the votes.

A group of 21 Democratic attorneys general has filed a lawsuit arguing Trump’s efforts to eliminate the department are illegal, since it was created by Congress and funded through federal law.

The department is one of the smallest federal agencies and plays a vital role in providing funds to schools and enforcing civil rights.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.