What You Need To Know

1. A 17-year-old has been arrested on murder charges in the October 29 shooting of Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old Ghanaian immigrant killed walking to school in the Bronx. Police have not given a motive; his family says he was bullied. Mayor Mamdani has asked President Trump to arrange a visa for Frimpong's mother.
2. Millions are bracing for the season's first freeze as cold air surges across the Midwest, Ohio Valley and South beginning tonight. About 230 million people can expect below-average temperatures, with lows in the 30s by the weekend. It will not break records, but marks a sharp change after weeks of mild weather.
3. Atlanta brothers Chris James and Rod McCoy have launched Earth Love Tissue, a bamboo toilet tissue company built on people, planet and purpose. The tree-free tissue has no added dyes or fragrances, and they plan to hire people seeking a second chance. McCoy reunited with James after seventeen and a half years incarcerated.
4. Kitty Black Perkins, who designed the first Black Barbie in 1980, has been honored in her hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina, with a street renamed Kitty Black Perkins Boulevard. Perkins spent 28 years at Mattel and wanted little girls to have a doll that looked like them. Officials unveiled the sign Tuesday.
5. More than 600,000 Black Americans served in the Korean War, after President Truman desegregated the armed forces in 1948, and more than 5,000 gave their lives. The all-Black 24th Infantry Regiment won the war's first victory at Yechon, earning the first Medals of Honor. Roscoe Robinson Jr. later became the Army's first Black four-star general, and Charles Rangel served in Congress.

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1. The Mississippi Senate race has been called: Democrat Scott Colom defeated Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, becoming Mississippi's first Black senator since Reconstruction and the first Democrat the state has elected to the Senate since 1982. CNN and NBC projected the win after days of counting absentee and affidavit ballots, and Hyde-Smith conceded Wednesday evening.
2. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior advisers were reprimanded by the Army sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier after some in the group laughed and talked following the Veterans Day ceremony at Arlington. The sentinel halted his patrol to demand silence and respect. A Pentagon spokesman said the soldier correctly reminded everyone to maintain decorum.
3. Thanksgiving shoppers face higher turkey prices this year as family farms struggle with rising costs. Wholesale prices are up 12 percent, and feed costs have climbed 10 to 12 percent. New Jersey's DiPaola Turkey Farms raised its price 30 cents a pound, a decision its owner called especially difficult given the farm's longtime customer relationships.
4. Lessie Benningfield Randle, the last known living witness to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has celebrated her 112th birthday. Family, friends and community leaders honored "Mother Randle" in Tulsa; she was six when a white mob destroyed the prosperous Greenwood District. The celebration also recognized her lifelong pursuit of justice for the massacre's victims and survivors.
5. More than one million Black Americans served in the armed forces during World War II, fighting fascism abroad and racism at home in segregated units. The famed 332nd Fighter Group shot down 112 enemy planes on bomber escort missions over Europe. The 761st Tank Battalion earned special commendation for its courage in France with Patton's Third Army.

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1. The only handwritten manuscript of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech will be exhibited and offered by Christie's New York, benefiting several charities. King wrote the final draft in blue ink on seven yellow legal pages before the 1963 March on Washington. The sale is set for January 22, 2027.
2. The Republican-led House has rejected a push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran and other hostilities, voting 211 to 204 to send the resolution to committee. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie authored the measure. Even vocal GOP critics said Hegseth's actions did not rise to high crimes and misdemeanors.
3. Inflation ran hotter than expected last month, as consumer prices rose 0.4 percent from September to October and core prices rose 0.3 percent, both above forecasts. The figures keep inflation well above the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target. Strong spending and higher gas prices are cited pressures.
4. Eight Baltimore eighth graders from Patterson Park Public Charter School are heading to Antarctica for a two-week science expedition, leaving November 15 and returning November 28. The Polar Explorers will work as citizen scientists studying life and climate there. The trip costs families nothing, thanks to community support.
5. Samuel Spencer Jr., 20, has been missing from Mobile, Alabama, since October 16, 2026; he is Black with a medium complexion, 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, with short black hair and brown eyes. His car was found abandoned, still running, on the Cochrane Bridge, with his wallet, ID and phone inside, and his family later got a threatening text claiming to have him. Anyone with information should contact the Mobile Police Department or BAMFI through BAMFI.org.

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1. Congressional Delegate Stacey Plaskett has won the governorship of the U.S. Virgin Islands, becoming the first woman to lead the territory and the first Black woman elected governor of any U.S. state or territory. Plaskett and running mate Milton Potter won 62.8 percent. They take office January 4, before Georgia's Keisha Lance Bottoms.
2. Denver voters have elected Melat Kiros, 29, to Congress from Colorado's 1st District, with 78 percent of the vote. Born in Ethiopia and raised in Denver, Kiros is the first Black woman and first self-identified socialist elected to Congress in Colorado history, and the second-youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
3. More revenue does not automatically build wealth for business owners. Without a plan, higher income can mean a bigger tax bill and less kept. Experts say entity structure and how owners pay themselves shape taxes, so reviewing structure and planning ahead can protect assets and turn profit into lasting wealth.
4. The National Urban League will open the Urban Civil Rights Museum in Harlem this weekend, the first museum of its kind in New York City. The nearly 12,000-square-foot museum in the League's headquarters explores Northern civil rights history and local changemakers. Founding director Jennifer Scott says history is living and unfinished.
5. During the Civil War, about 180,000 Black soldiers served in the Union Army and about 18,000 in the Navy, nearly 10 percent of Union forces. Sixty percent had once been enslaved. The 54th Massachusetts Infantry, including two sons of Frederick Douglass, won fame for its bravery at Fort Wagner in 1863.

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1. Mississippi's Senate race remains too close to call, with Democrat Scott Colom leading Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by 2,574 votes, 467,930 to 465,356, about 97 percent counted. Black Delta organizers helped drive turnout, including in Holmes County, where late votes put Colom ahead by 28. Absentee and affidavit ballots arriving through Tuesday could decide it.
2. Three Winston-Salem shootings over the weekend left two people dead, three hurt, and two charged, police say. Jaylin Amir White, 21, died Saturday in a shooting at Hanes Mall Circle that began as a gambling incident inside the mall. Peyton Izaia Patterson, 19, died Saturday night near Winston-Salem State University during homecoming; Ziyaire Antonyo Spinks, 20, is held without bond for murder.
3. The IRS has announced 2027 tax changes, adjusting brackets and deductions for inflation, for returns filed in 2028. The standard deduction rises to $16,600 for single filers, $33,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $24,925 for heads of household. Families will also see an increased Child Tax Credit.
4. For Ministry Monday, Willie Mae McIver reflects on "In God We Trust," first placed on U.S. currency in 1864 and made the national motto in 1956. She says trusting God means believing wholeheartedly, citing Proverbs 3:5-6: trust in the Lord and He will direct your path. Choosing God over man brings peace and blessings.
5. Enslaved and free African Americans fought for both Patriot and British forces in the Revolutionary War. In 1775, Lord Dunmore promised freedom to enslaved people who joined the British, while Black troops served in the Continental Army. The First Rhode Island Regiment, which offered enslaved recruits freedom in 1778, became one of the Army's best units.

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1. Mississippi's U.S. Senate race remains too close to call, with Democrat Scott Colom leading Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith by just 1,764 votes out of nearly 1 million cast. Officials Thursday continued counting thousands of absentee and affidavit ballots. Both campaigns are preparing for a likely legal fight over the final count.
2. Los Angeles has a new mayor-elect. Councilmember Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Karen Bass, widening her lead Thursday to 429,450 votes to 394,796, with 76 percent of the expected vote in. NBC News projected Raman's win Thursday morning, and she thanked voters while paying tribute to Bass's decades of service.
3. Sherrena Hogan, founder of RS Beauty Pricing, has released a Business Record Keeping Journal for beauty professionals. The journal doubles as a scheduling book and tracks income, expenses, cancellations, refunds and year-to-date totals. It is designed to help stylists, braiders and estheticians price with purpose and face tax time organized.
4. Congresswoman Maxine Waters has won reelection in California's 43rd District and is set to become the oldest member of Congress. Waters, who turned 88 in August, took nearly 82 percent of the vote against Republican Cristian Morales. She is expected to again lead the House Financial Services Committee.
5. On November 6, 1901, brothers James Weldon Johnson and John Rosamond Johnson composed "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which became the Black National Anthem. Its words captured the pain, faith and hope of former slaves and their descendants. First performed by Black children at his Jacksonville school, it was later adopted by the NAACP and sung throughout the Civil Rights movement.

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1. Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton has made history, becoming the fifth Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate. Her win makes Illinois the first state with two women of color in the Senate at once, alongside Tammy Duckworth. It also guarantees three Black women will serve in the Senate simultaneously for the first time.
2. The 2026 midterms made history nationwide, with first Black governors elected in Florida, Wisconsin and Nevada — Byron Donalds, David Crowley and Aaron Ford. In Texas, Gina Hinojosa will become the state's first Hispanic governor. And Michigan's Abdul El-Sayed is set to become the first Muslim senator in U.S. history.
3. Oil prices dropped sharply Wednesday, with Brent crude falling below $100 a barrel for the first time since October 7. U.S. crude also fell 8.3 percent in oil's biggest daily decline since April. Analysts say the drop could bring the national average price of gas below $4 in the days ahead.
4. Georgia has entered a new era, with women taking charge of the state's top offices. Keisha Lance Bottoms made history as the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state. At least eight women won Georgia statewide offices, including attorney general, secretary of state, and insurance and labor commissioner.
5. On November 5, 1867, the Alabama Constitutional Convention convened in Montgomery with 100 delegates, including 18 African Americans. African American delegate James T. Rapier, a future congressman, promoted an alliance between freedmen and poor whites. The constitution they drafted protected Black suffrage, guaranteed citizens' rights, and created a free public school system for all.

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1. Keisha Lance Bottoms made history Tuesday night, becoming the nation's first Black female governor. The former Atlanta mayor defeated Republican Rick Jackson to become Georgia's 84th chief executive and the state's first Black woman elected to statewide constitutional office. Her platform centered on expanding Medicaid, lowering housing costs, and fully funding Georgia's schools.
2. Hakeem Jeffries is on track to become the first Black Speaker of the House. Senior Black Democrats spotted his rise early, meeting over dinners a decade ago to plan his path to succeed Nancy Pelosi. With Democrats resurgent, he is set to take the gavel in January, second in line to the presidency.
3. U.S. job postings jumped sharply in September, a hopeful sign hiring could pick up. Openings rose to 7.5 million from 7.19 million in August, the most since May, while layoffs fell. The October jobs report arrives Friday and is expected to show 65,000 new jobs, with unemployment holding at 4.2 percent.
4. Eighteen incarcerated women in Illinois just made history, trading prison uniforms for caps and gowns. They earned bachelor's degrees Oct. 16 through Northwestern's Prison Education Program — the first time a top-rated American research university has awarded degrees to incarcerated women. Nancy Pelosi delivered the commencement address at the Kewanee Life Skills Re-Entry Center.
5. Keziah Lowery, 16, has been missing from Philadelphia since October 26, 2026, last seen near Fox Street and Abbottsford Avenue in the city's 16th district, and the circumstances of her disappearance are unknown. She is Black with a medium complexion, 5-foot-1 and 120 pounds, with brown eyes and long blond-strawberry hair worn with green braids. Anyone with information should contact the Philadelphia Police SW Detective Division or BAMFI through BAMFI.org.

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1. Millions of Americans have already voted in the midterms that will decide control of Congress. By Saturday night, more than 52.7 million early ballots had been cast nationally, including about 29.1 million in person. Georgia set a midterm record, with more than 2.8 million early votes.
2. History is on the midterm ballot, and Black women candidates are writing it. No state has ever elected a Black woman governor, and no more than two Black women have served in the Senate at once — both could change today. Seventy-two Black women are nominees for Senate, House, and statewide offices.
3. If you own a partnership LLC, you may be paying business expenses the wrong way. Partners who cover costs like software and travel personally can lose the deduction if the partnership agreement does not require it. A clear reimbursement policy is often cleaner, letting the firm deduct the cost and making the partner whole.
4. Notre Dame swept Villanova at the Eternal City Tip-Off in Rome, the doubleheader honoring Pope Leo, the first American pope, that opened the college basketball season Sunday. The men rallied for a 74-72 win, and Hannah Hidalgo led the No. 13 women past the Wildcats, Pope Leo's alma mater, 99-75. Both Notre Dame head coaches, Micah Shrewsberry and Nielle Ivey, are Black.
5. November 3 is the feast day of St. Martin de Porres, the first Black saint of the Americas. Born in Lima, Peru, in 1579 to a Spanish nobleman and a formerly enslaved Panamanian mother, his father refused to acknowledge him. He became a Dominican brother known for humble service and charity.

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1. More than half of U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens' staff quit Sunday, protesting her endorsement of Republican Mike Rogers for U.S. Senate over Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed. Former chief of staff Justin German said the team was shocked and heartbroken, and urged voters to back El-Sayed and Democrats. The move came days before Tuesday's election.
2. One person was killed and eight injured in a shooting Saturday night near Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama, after the Magic City Classic between Alabama A&M and Alabama State. Police said nine people were hit, one critically, with seven in stable condition, and multiple firearms were recovered. One person was detained.
3. Affordable Care Act open enrollment is underway in most states through January 15, with shoppers warned to expect higher premiums and fewer options for 2027. Marketplace prices are expected to rise about 13 percent, as financial help is restricted for many previously eligible. Experts say people who do not qualify for a subsidy will be hit hardest.
4. In a Ministry Monday message, Willie Mae McIver writes that to rebuke is to criticize, and in the Bible it confronts a person with their sin. She says correcting loved ones should be done softly and from love, with restoration as the goal. She cites Proverbs: an open rebuke is better than hidden love.
5. On November 1, 1910, W.E.B. Du Bois published the inaugural issue of The Crisis as the magazine of the NAACP. Du Bois, a co-founder of the NAACP, edited it until 1934, saying it would show the danger of race prejudice. He called it a record of the darker races.

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