(The Wrap) California, New York and six other attorneys general filed an emergency motion to block the recently approved Nexstar-Tegna merger. The FCC’s media bureau approved Nexstar’s $6.2 billion acquisition of rival TV station owner Tegna on Thursday.

(Capital B) Angelica Johnson is forced to recount the images and sounds of her son, Da’Quain Johnson, being attacked by a police K-9 dog and being shot three times by police last month.  In the month since the Feb. 18 shooting of the 32-year-old father by Grand Rapids, Michigan, police, Johnson remains skeptical of everything the police and local media have reported about her son’s death.  

Metro Atlanta is undergoing a housing crisis, which has been fueled in part by corporate investors and left unchecked by Georgia state lawmakers. Many of these lawmakers are real estate investors themselves, an investigation by Capital B and Type Investigations has found.

Atlanta has long been called the Black Mecca, and through the early 2000s, the city boasted a reputation as an affordable city with a growing and prosperous Black middle class. In recent years, however, the lack of affordable housing has pushed thousands of Black people to the margins — or out of the city entirely.

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FAMU students not happy with secret agreement between their college and ICE without prior notification.

Ryan Coogler's 2025 movie, Sinners, wins four Oscar, along with other Academy Award winners and historical firsts on his production team.

Savannah, Georgia has a first, Black Ms. St. Patrick's Day.

The special election to fill former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's vacant House seat in Georgia's solidly red 14th Congressional District is headed to a runoff next month.

Nearly 40% of nonorganic fruits and vegetables grown in California contain traces of pesticides that are also PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” according to a new investigation. 

TSA workers not paid due to partial government shutdown causes shortage and long lines at airports.

Dudley Najieb, Cheryl Smith and Brigitte Jones, the news hosts discuss breaking news, how TSA and The Department of Homeland Security workers are not getting paid due to the partial government shutdown, nine tornadoes hit several states, and "End Times" talk from commanders regarding the Iran war is problematic and a primary election results review ...

Two shutdowns of the U.S. federal government have occurred in 2026, both arising from disputes in Congress about reforms to federal immigration enforcement after the killing of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents.The first shutdown lasted four days from January 31 to February 3, affecting about half of the departments of the federal government; it was caused by delays in approving a funding package that would allow time for reform negotiations. The second began on February 14 due to a lack of progress in the reform negotiations and only affects the Department of Homeland Security.

Nine Tornadoes
The Heartland is reeling after a catastrophic outbreak of tornadoes claimed at least eight lives, leaving a trail of splintered homes and shattered communities in its wake on Thursday and Friday.

"End-Times" war with Iran?
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation reports receiving more than 100 complaints from U.S. service members alleging that some commanders have framed current military operations in Iran in terms of Christian end-times prophecy, namely God’s plan for Armageddon and the imminent return of Jesus.Landon Schnabel, associate professor of sociology at Cornell University who studies religion and social change, says that the use of such apocalyptic language by commanders reflects a climate shaped from the top down. 

Gas is up
Gas prices surged across Southern California this week, with the statewide average climbing above $5 per gallon and some drivers encountering prices more than $8 at the pump.The national average has risen nearly 50 cents a gallon in the week since the war in Iran began, according to AAA. The organization said prices were already trending upward with typical seasonal patterns when the joint U.S.-Israel attack on Iran drove oil prices higher.

Spotlight: The Honorable Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968 and later became the first Black woman to run for President of the United States in 1972. Her campaign slogan, “Unbought and Unbossed,” reflected her unwavering commitment to justice and equality.Legacy: Chisholm broke barriers in politics, inspiring countless Black women to pursue leadership roles.

Eight of the nation’s HBCUs reside in South Carolina. These institutions have made a tremendous impact on the state’s economy. According to UNCF, South Carolina’s HBCUs produce 4,985 jobs and $5.2 billion in lifetime earnings. Take a look at the following list of South Carolina HBCUs and what they offer...

Elections and Politics: Arkansas, Texas and North Carolina primary election results are in ...

In this episode of the Black Headline News Talk Radio Show, with host, Julia Dudley Najieb, Cheryl Smith and Brigitte Jones, special guest, Kendra Noel Lewis, chair of the California Democratic Party Black Caucus, reveals the current state of the California political landscape and its powerful Black vote.

As Governor Gavin Newsom proceeds on his book tour in key states in the South and throughout the nation, the show hosts and guests point out the major challenges in the state of California, from unemployment of Black Californians, state-government contract barriers to the the expense of living in  California.

On February 24, 2026, President Donald J. Trump gave his US State of the Union Speech; unfortunately, there were more inconsistencies in the information presented than what was factual.

Listen to a review of key statements made during the speech that may have been exaggerated misrepresented, true or completely false during the speech.

The show is hosted by news publishers Cheryl Smith, Julia Dudley Najieb, and Brigitte Jones.

BREAKING: (FOX) Labor Department deploys ‘strike team’ to California over $21B unemployment debt, fraud concerns: The Labor Department deployed a "strike team" to California to address federal findings of improper payments and alleged fraud within the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) program.

California has been found to have a depleted UI trust fund, along with $21 billion in borrowed federal funds to keep the system running, which federal officials say has led state employers to pay higher UI taxes to repay the debt.

Also, news hosts give their final reflections on the late civil rights leader, Jesse Jackson as they discuss President Donald J. Trump also giving his remarks regarding the deceased community activist.

(EdSource) Meanwhile, California State University campuses are among those that have pledged to sever ties with organizations that help people of color under pressure from the Trump administration, an investigation by the Washington Post has found, according to EdSource.

Black History Month Spotlight: HBCU marching bands go through quite a bit of preparation for their performances. Here is a backstage look at Howard University's marching band preparing for a big show.

Elections & Politics: (NPR) Fewer congressional contests are expected to be competitive this fall, compared with past election cycles, and experts say the extraordinary mid-decade redistricting efforts initiated by President Trump are largely to blame, surmised from The Cook Political Report.

(CBS News.) Longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is facing the fight of his political life, with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Houston Rep. Wesley Hunt, both challenging him for the GOP nomination.

The most recent polling from the University of Houston's Hobby School of Public Affairs showed Paxton with 38% support, Cornyn at 31%, Hunt with 17% and 12% undecided. The Real Clear Politics average of polls between December 1 and February 3 gives Paxton a two-point lead.

If no candidate gets a majority, as is widely expected, the race will end up in a runoff on May 26th. 

Watch the last part of the documentary, "Nanoplastics: Threat to Life."

The show is hosted by news publishers Cheryl Smith, Julia Dudley Najieb, and Brigitte Jones.

BREAKING: Starting with a tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, this episode covers: Is the SAVE America Act the new 'Jim Crow 2.0'? DHS Shutdown begins ... redistricting scheme backfiring ...

Black History Month Spotlight: In 2022, the National Trust for Historic Preservation's HOPE Crew (Hands-On Preservation Experience; http://www.savingplaces.org/hope-crew) program in partnership with the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (http://www.savingplaces.org/action-fund) presented a 6-month paid fellowship to students studying at three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs; http://www.savingplaces.org/hbcus): Florida A&M University, Prairie View A&M University, and Tuskegee University. To share the impact of the digital documentation fellowship and the way in which it has encouraged and supported the integration of historic preservation at HBCUs, HOPE Crew, in partnership with the Action Fund produced a documentary featuring the five students from the cohort.

Election & Politics: (FOX News) Democratic lawmakers say President Donald Trump’s redistricting gambit is backfiring as Virginia’s Democratic-controlled Senate advanced new congressional maps that could chip away at the House GOP's majority.

(NBC News) While some state lawmakers have been able to redraw congressional maps through legislation, Virginia's constitution mandates that a bipartisan redistricting commission handles the process. After several Republican-controlled states enacted new maps, Virginia Democrats began the complicated effort of amending the constitution to allow them to respond with redrawn district lines.

(SCOTUSblog) California’s path to the enactment of its new map was slightly more complicated than in Texas. The California Legislature adopted the new map in August, but under the state constitution an independent redistricting commission – rather than the Legislature – normally has the power to redistrict. The legislation adopting the new map therefore proposed a ballot initiative, known as Proposition 50, that would amend the constitution to allow the use of the new map from 2026 through 2030. By a roughly two-to-one margin, the state’s voters approved the initiative in a special election on Nov. 4.

In this episode:  Julia Dudley Najieb and Cherly Smith start with the breaking news regarding the Obamas being depicted as apes in President Trump's delete Truth Social post.  The other breaking news deals with the Apple Music Super Bowl 60 Halftime Show featuring Bad Bunny controversy over his all-Spanish speaking performance.

Black History Month Spotlight:  Black colleges in Atlanta, GA

Elections:  Trump calls to nationalize elections: federal judges orders Fulton County Georgia election case unsealed by an immediate date

In the final hour:  Explore with BHN Talk Radio top scientists from throughout the world the threat of nanoplastic and how it is adversely affecting humanity and the living environment.

BREAKING:  Independent journalist Georgia Fort, former CNN anchor Don Lemon, and activists Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi were arrested at the end of January concerning a protest at a church location.

Black History Month Spotlight: HBCUs in Nashville, TN 

Election & Politics: Texas upset from special election could interfere with bigger plans in the Senate for Republicans: Democrat Taylor Rehmet pulled an upset in a Fort Worth-area district, beating Republican Leigh Wambsganss 57%-43% in a runoff election in a solidly Republican district.

Listen to movie excerpt, "Nanoplastics: Threat to Life" part one.