Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones views the redistricting of Nashville and Memphis as part of a larger struggle over Black voting power. Capital B spoke with Jones about the state's redistricting battles and efforts to better engage young Black men ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Justin Jones Wants Black Voters to See the Bigger Fight Behind Tennessee’s New Map

The Democrat talks voter intimidation, shifting political attitudes among young people, and the issues shaping Black voter engagement.

capitalbnews.org

my first ever print feature (!!!) is up online (???) today! it's about my greatest shame. read it and then please forgive me www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

Confessions of a Bad Texter

Why you may never hear back from me

theatlantic.com

A year ago, @propublica.org told you immigration agents had detained more than 170 U.S. citizens. We’ve updated our count, and we’ve got all the receipts. The tally: At least 506 citizens detained. Sometimes held at gunpoint, handcuffed, or even deported. projects.propublica.org/american-cit...

More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown — ProPublica

The government doesn’t track how often immigration officers detain U.S. citizens. So ProPublica did. We’ve found more than 500 Americans who were held against their will during this Trump administrati...

projects.propublica.org

Nearly half of Virginians disenfranchised by felony convictions are Black, but a constitutional amendment could overhaul the system. https://bit.ly/4zg4yX9

Black Virginians Are Fighting a Voting Barrier That Outlasted Jim Crow

Nearly half of Virginians disenfranchised by felony convictions are Black, but a constitutional amendment could overhaul the system.

capitalbnews.org

Black representation is being weakened through redistricting. I talked with @capitalb.bsky.social about why I refuse to treat that as normal. Appreciate @brandontensley.bsky.social. 🩷 capitalbnews.org/angie-nixon-... #AngieForFlorida

Angie Nixon Says the Fight for Black Voting Power Demands Elected Officials ‘Get Louder’

As Black Floridians confront shrinking representation and political disillusionment, Nixon says the moment demands persistence.

capitalbnews.org

Black voting power is under threat, and inside the annual gathering of the Congressional Black Caucus, members are mapping out a strategy ahead of the midterms. My dispatch: capitalbnews.org/how-the-cong...

How the Congressional Black Caucus Is Organizing to Protect Black Voting Power

With roughly a third of the caucus’s seats at risk, members are plotting a path forward ahead of the midterms.

capitalbnews.org

rip bob mackie 😭🤍✨

The Smithsonian Institution’s first Black secretary is stepping down after more than a year of escalating attacks from the White House over how the institution presents U.S. history. https://bit.ly/4r11081

Smithsonian's Leader to Step Down Amid Trump Efforts to Reshape Black History

The president complains the Blacksonian focuses on negativity, but the museum also celebrates Black excellence and joy.

capitalbnews.org

Rapper Lil Nas X revealed this summer that he has bipolar disorder, saying that being “Black, gay, and bipolar” feels as if you’re living life on “extreme hard mode.” Advocates say that such openness can chip away at stigma and encourage the most vulnerable to seek potentially life-saving care.

As Lil Nas X Spotlights Black Queer Men’s Mental Health, Advocates Push for Healing

Shame and stigma have long kept some men from seeking care. A growing openness could change that.

capitalbnews.org

I was really moved by Lil Nas X's statement that being "Black, gay, and bipolar" feels as if you're living life on "extreme hard mode." I spoke with mental health advocates about the distinct pressures that can keep Black queer men from seeking help. capitalbnews.org/black-queer-...

As Lil Nas X Spotlights Black Queer Men’s Mental Health, Advocates Push for Healing

Shame and stigma have long kept some men from seeking care. A growing openness could change that.

capitalbnews.org

"As young people, we sometimes think that the fight is not our fight. It is our fight. Everything that’s going on — whether it’s with migrants or Black people or Indigenous people — is our fight, and we just got to stick together.”

Brandon Tensley@brandontensley.bsky.social · last mo.

Thousands gathered in D.C. today to defend Black voting power at a time when it's under extreme pressure. I spoke with marchers from across the country about what this moment demands of them — about what they think it will take to protect the right to vote. capitalbnews.org/march-on-was...

Thousands gathered in D.C. today to defend Black voting power at a time when it's under extreme pressure. I spoke with marchers from across the country about what this moment demands of them — about what they think it will take to protect the right to vote. capitalbnews.org/march-on-was...

Black Voting Power Is Under Attack, So Thousands Came to D.C. to Fight Back

The reboot of the 1963 March on Washington was meant to offer a jolt of optimism at a time of deep uncertainty.

capitalbnews.org

my debut for the @newrepublic.com! on Dolly, and how she was always entirely herself even in a world that wasn't ready for it newrepublic.com/article/2147...

Dolly Parton Never Wavered

From making music to launching a huge literacy program, the singer always took her work seriously. Eventually, the rest of us caught up.

newrepublic.com

Yes, Rocky Horror in the 1970s, indelibly and forever, but also, Tony nominations in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. Tim Curry was the real thing. RIP. Not loving this week so far.

The “Queen of Country” Dolly Parton has died in Nashville, Tennessee, her family announced on Tuesday. The music icon was 80. The country legend’s reach was vast, making an impact on everyone from Whitney Houston to Lil Nas X. https://bit.ly/3UiDXtq

Dolly Parton Made an Undeniable Mark on Black Culture

The country legend’s reach was vast, making an impact on everyone from Whitney Houston to Lil Nas X.

capitalbnews.org

I think the universal grieving comes in no small part from the fact she represented the best of what America could be, and that she never stopped chasing that ideal, artistically and socially

Actress Hayden Panettiere has died, her representative confirms. She was 36 abcnews.com/US/hayden-pa...

Harry Belafonte and Julie Andrews in a promotional still for their self-titled NBC variety special, 1969

For @slate.com, I reported on the nostalgia surrounding Pizza Hut's Book It! program 🍕 People shared fond memories of falling in love with reading, what it meant to them as kids in terms of food access, and the glory days of books + personal pan pizzas. Gift link:

It Might Be the Best Thing a Corporation Has Ever Done. It’s Finally Back.

Reading may reportedly be in crisis, but the personal pan pizza is forever.

slate.com

I was in Wilmington yesterday for the signing of the Delaware John Lewis Voting Rights Act. It creates stronger protections for Black voters — and advocates hope that it will offer a blueprint for other states. capitalbnews.org/delaware-vot...

Delaware Gives Black Voters New Protections Against Election Discrimination

Amid recent attacks on voting rights, Delaware’s model could offer a path forward for Black voters elsewhere, advocates say.

capitalbnews.org

Abdul El-Sayed is projected to win Michigan’s Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat. The primary bucked simple narratives about Black voters and set the stage for a high-stakes general election. https://bit.ly/3RtGwI4

What El-Sayed’s Michigan Win Reveals About Black Voters and Democrats

The Senate primary bucked simple narratives about the state's electorate and set the stage for a high-stakes general election.

capitalbnews.org

great overview from @brandontensley.bsky.social capitalbnews.org/michigan-sen...

What El-Sayed’s Michigan Win Reveals About Black Voters and Democrats

The Senate primary bucked simple narratives about the state's electorate and set the stage for a high-stakes general election.

capitalbnews.org

wrote about ariana grande and karen carpenter slate.com/life/2026/08...

The Ariana Grande News Leaves Us With Two Unsavory Options

The audience has two unsavory options.

slate.com

VA's governor just restored voting rights for more than 60k citizens, a reversal from the previous governor and a reminder of VA's harsh lifetime voting ban for any felony conviction The move comes ahead of a November referendum to end this system and start restoring rights when people exit prison

Virginia Governor Restores Voting Rights for Thousands With Past Felony Convictions - Bolts

This is the only state that, absent action by the governor, bans people convicted of any felony from voting for life. Virginians have an opportunity to end that system for good in November.

boltsmag.org

I spoke with Ida B. Wells' great-granddaughter, Michelle Duster, about how there's no evidence supporting the claim that Nolan Wells was a descendant of the trailblazing activist — and how such misinformation can obscure the search for answers. capitalbnews.org/nolan-wells-...

Ida B. Wells’ Family Is Debunking a Viral Claim About Nolan Wells

The misinformation about Nolan Wells’ lineage is distracting from his family’s search for answers.

capitalbnews.org

Join us for THE STORY WE'RE WRITING: Black Power, Politics & Possibility, a conversation on Black wealth, political power, and what's at stake in the midterms. RSVP at events@capitalbnews.org.

If you're like me and frequently ask, "Why was Christian rock all over the charts when I was in high school?" then your torturous search for answers is over! Laura's piece is stellar, covering everything from the Jesus Movement to the Warped Tour. Now to listen to some Switchfoot.

Laura Bradley@lurabardley.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Ever wonder why there were so many Christian hardcore bands in the 2000s? I have for years, and it turns out, the answer was more complicated than I thought! (Read: I wound up writing, like, 3,000 words about the culture wars.) www.thefringe.blog/p/the-story-...

Ever wonder why there were so many Christian hardcore bands in the 2000s? I have for years, and it turns out, the answer was more complicated than I thought! (Read: I wound up writing, like, 3,000 words about the culture wars.) www.thefringe.blog/p/the-story-...

Why Are There So Many Christian Metalcore Bands?

How bands like Underoath, The Devil Wears Prada, Norma Jean, and more conquered a corner of the hardcore scene.

thefringe.blog

actually, it's been a minute since i properly advertised this, so let me just do that now: a couple months ago, i started a newsletter about the emo/pop punk revival!

Laura Bradley@lurabardley.bsky.social · 3mo ago

I wrote about how not to bomb about karaoke when all you want to sing is pop punk and emo from the 2000s. Rawr <3 etc, etc. www.thefringe.blog/p/the-11-bes...