By Laura Ungar and Mary Clare Jalonick, The Associated Press A crucial question has eluded governments and health agencies around the world since the COVID-19 pandemic began: Did the virus originate in animals or leak from a Chinese lab? Now, the U.S. Department of Energy has assessed with “low confidence” that it began with a
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com The Congressional Black Caucus on March 2 announced its agenda for the 118th Congress during the House Democrats 2023 Issues Conference held in Baltimore City at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Harbor. Under the theme of “delivering for our communities, housing, jobs and justice,” CBC Chairman Rep. Steven
By Tashi McQueen, AFRO Political Writer, tmcqueen@afro.com As the 118th Congress entered its third month, House Democrats held their annual issues conference March 1-3 at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore Inner Habor hotel in Baltimore, Md. President Joe Biden, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott joined congressional Democrats and a host of
By Maya Pottiger, Word in Black It had been a crazy summer. And, at the end, Sharif El-Mekki was in tears. He was watching students perform in their end-of-the-year showcase, showing off the singing, dancing, and cultural skills they had learned during the summer of 2019. El-Mekki had worked in schools, both as a teacher
By Sara Burnett, The Associated Press Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson will meet in a runoff to be the next mayor of Chicago after voters denied incumbent Lori Lightfoot a second term, issuing a rebuke to a leader who made history as head of the nation’s third-largest city. Vallas, a former schools CEO backed by
By Black Health Matters The symptoms of ADHD may be the same for many demographics, but you may be surprised to learn how this behavioral disorder affects the African-American community differently. From difficulties in diagnosis and treatment to underrepresentation in scientific studies, ADHD looks very different for African Americans, and many children are the ones
By Deborah Bailey, Contributing Editor D.C. playwright and director Andy Evans wanted contemporary audiences to get reacquainted with the gifted comedic artistry of D.C. resident and international Black comedian, Jackie Moms Mabley. So he wrote a play about Mabley’s years at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. As Evans conceptualized the play about Mabley, who was
By The Associated Press Formula One’s governing body inspected Lewis Hamilton’s jewelry before the seven-time champion was cleared to practice March 3 ahead of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. Hamilton has clashed with governing body FIA over a jewelry ban enacted last year and indicated he had piercings that cannot be removed. He received an
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com JPMorgan Chase celebrated the grand opening of its first branch in Leesburg, Va. on Feb. 17, helping to satisfy the firm’s ongoing commitment to expanding its footprint in Northern Virginia. The financial institution now has three branches in Loudoun County, and by the end of 2023, it will
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer, msayles@afro.com When North Carolina native Katina Williams won the job of vice president of finance and chief financial officer for the Johns Hopkins Hospital (Johns Hopkins) in 2021, she and her family relocated for the first time outside her home state. They landed in Howard County, Md. For Williams