AURN News

On Dec. 11, 1961, Langston Hughes’ musical play Black Nativity, a retelling of the Christmas story, premiered on Broadway. Featuring traditional carols infused with gospel stylings and original compositions, it was among the first plays by an African-American writer to be performed on Broadway.

Born in 1902, Hughes was a celebrated poet, playwright, novelist, and social activist whose legacy as a cultural leader continues to resonate. He passed away in 1967, but his work endures.

In 2013, Black Nativity was adapted into a film directed by Kasi Lemmons. The movie featured a star-studded cast including Forest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Tyrese Gibson, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Nas, and Vondie Curtis-Hall, introducing Hughes’ timeless vision to a new generation.

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If you're a smartphone user, you may want to listen up. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is urging smartphone users to rethink how they communicate, warning iPhone and Android users against texting and recommending encrypted messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, and Facebook Messenger.

However, the Bureau also raises concerns about these apps, stressing the need for responsible, managed encryption. This comes amid revelations of a cyber espionage campaign linked to China's Ministry of State Security known as "Salt Typhoon."

The hackers have breached U.S. telecommunications networks comprised of sensitive metadata and private communications, including those of government officials. While China denies involvement, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed the attacks are part of a broader pattern targeting U.S. infrastructure.

The FBI and CISA are urging organizations to bolster defenses and report suspected breaches.

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(AURN News) — Black unemployment rose to 6.4% in November despite overall job market stability, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report released as the nation prepares for the Trump administration to take office next month. While the national unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%, the Black unemployment rate increased notably, even as rates for other racial groups showed little to no change.

The economy added 227,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in November, with healthcare leading the gains at 54,000 new positions. Leisure and hospitality followed closely, adding 53,000 jobs, while government employment increased by 33,000.

Not all sectors saw growth, however. Retail trade experienced a decline, shedding 28,000 jobs during the period.

The report also showed that average hourly earnings across all sectors reached $35.61, marking a 0.4% increase in worker wages.

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Daniel Penny was acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with a history of mental illness, whose final moments on a New York City subway were captured on video.

The verdict came after jurors deadlocked on a manslaughter charge, which the judge dismissed. Penny, a 26-year-old former Marine, faced up to four years in prison but was found not guilty.

Neely had been acting erratically on the train before Penny, who is white, restrained him in a chokehold for nearly six minutes.

Neely’s death, ruled a homicide by neck compression, sparked debates about race, mental health, and subway safety.

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On Monday, a jury found Daniel Penny not guilty in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a 30-year-old Black man experiencing a mental health crisis on a New York City subway. Penny, a former Marine, faced charges of criminally negligent homicide after a bystander's video of the incident sparked national protests and calls for justice.

The jury deliberated for five days, deciding Penny's actions were not reckless under the law. The verdict brought mixed reactions inside and outside the courtroom.

Neely's family called it a failure of accountability. His uncle, Christopher Neely, said he felt like "the jury gave up on us."

Protesters erupted outside, chanting against what they saw as a normalization of vigilantism. Rev. Al Sharpton likened the case to the 1984 Bernhard Goetz subway shooting, calling the verdict a dangerous precedent that signals violence against marginalized people can go unchecked.

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The Assad regime, a brutal dictatorship that ruled Syria for over five decades, has fallen. A coalition of rebel forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the Syrian National Army executed a swift and coordinated offensive, seizing major cities before advancing on Damascus.

Assad's weakened military, abandoned by distracted allies like Russia and Iran, crumbled under the pressure. In a dramatic twist, Assad, who fled the country as his government collapsed, was given asylum by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Here's some of what President Joe Biden said during a news conference.

"At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. We're clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capabilities and to create a safe haven. We will not let that happen."

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Authorities have arrested a man in connection with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was taken into custody while eating at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after an employee recognized him and alerted police.

Mangione was found with a firearm and several fake IDs, including one matching a fraudulent New Jersey ID used to book a hostel in New York before the shooting. Police also discovered a disturbing document expressing hostility towards the healthcare industry and suggesting violence as a solution. Investigators believe he acted alone and are working to extradite him to New York for further questioning.

Meanwhile, a backpack linked to him was found in Central Park containing Monopoly money and a jacket. As the investigation unfolds, authorities are piecing together the events that led to this tragic incident.

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(AURN News) — President-elect Donald Trump rebuffed calls to concede the 2020 election in his first interview since winning the presidency, placing responsibility for the nation's current deep political divisions squarely on President Joe Biden's shoulders.

"When you say the country is deeply divided, I'm not the president. Joe Biden's the president," Trump said in an interview aired Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Trump repeatedly emphasized his current status to underscore his point. "No, I'm not the president. So when you say it's deeply divided, I agree, but Biden is the president. I'm not, and he has been a divider."

The president-elect specifically pointed to Justice Department investigations as a source of national discord. "He divided it more than anything else, and it probably backfired on him," Mr. Trump said. "When he weaponized the Justice Department and he went after his political opponent...me, he went after his political opponent violently because he knew he couldn't beat him."

The interview comes as Trump prepares to return to the White House for his second term, with his inauguration scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

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President-elect Donald Trump has reiterated plans to end birthright citizenship, a policy rooted in the 14th Amendment.

Ratified in 1868 during Reconstruction, the amendment was designed to ensure citizenship rights for formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants, marking a crucial step in dismantling the legal framework of slavery. It guarantees that "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" are citizens.

Trump has not clarified how he would bypass the amendment, which requires approval by Congress and ratification by three-fourths of the states to change.

He also falsely claimed the U.S. is the only country offering birthright citizenship, ignoring examples like Brazil and Canada.

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(AURN News) — President-elect Donald Trump recently announced the appointment of Silicon Valley entrepreneur David Sacks as "White House A.I. & Crypto Czar" in his incoming administration, while celebrating Bitcoin's rise to $100,000. Continuing to work from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Mr. Trump took to his Truth Social platform to herald Bitcoin's milestone price.

"CONGRATULATIONS BITCOINERS!!! $100,000!!! YOU'RE WELCOME!!! Together, we will Make America Great Again!" Trump posted.

In naming Sacks to the advisory position, Trump outlined plans to establish a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and position the United States as a leader in both artificial intelligence and digital currencies. "He will work on a legal framework so the Crypto industry has the clarity it has been asking for, and can thrive in the U.S.," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Sacks brings significant tech industry experience to the role. As PayPal's founding-era COO and member of what is referred to as the "PayPal Mafia," he later founded Yammer, which was sold to Microsoft for $1.2 billion. Trump said Sacks will also lead the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology, noting that he "has the knowledge, business experience, intelligence, and pragmatism to MAKE AMERICA GREAT in these two critical technologies."

The appointment is one of many Trump continues to announce via his social media platform and comes weeks before his second inauguration, with cryptocurrency regulation emerging as a key focus of his upcoming administration.

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