Southern University and A&M College marked a significant milestone in the construction of its $68 million science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) complex. In an Instagram post published Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, the Baton Rouge, LA-based Historically Black College and University ( HBCU ) shared plans that the state-of-the-art facility will be completed in 2027. “A major milestone is now in place,” the university shared in the post. “Today, Southern University celebrated the topping-off of the new STEM Complex, marking the placement of the final structural beam.” According to a news release, the project is funded through Louisiana’s Capital Outlay Act. Transforming STEM Education On Campus University officials believe the facility will transform STEM education on campus and beyond, positioning students to compete at the highest levels. “Our mission is to provide a transformative educational experience and opportunities to our students so they can become global...

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) improperly shared confidential tax information belonging to thousands of individuals with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Dottie Romo, the tax agency’s chief risk and control officer, said in a sworn declaration that the IRS notified DHS of the error on Jan. 23, 2026, The Washington Post reports. She added that the agency planned to take steps to “prevent the disclosure or dissemination” of the data and to ensure the “appropriate disposal, of any data provided to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by the IRS based on incomplete or insufficient address information.” The Controversial 2025 ICE-IRS Data-Sharing Agreement The move stems from a data-sharing agreement aimed at helping President Donald Trump fulfill his pledge to carry out mass deportations . As AFROTECH™ previously reported, ICE received unprecedented clearance in April 2025 to request confidential taxpayer information from the IRS to locate and deport undocumented...

Antoinette Banks is a cognitive scientist on a mission, and for her, that mission starts at home. Much of Banks’ work in tech has been fueled by her daughter, who was born in 2006 and diagnosed at with a neurodevelopmental disorder at five years old that Banks later learned was autism. Doctors told her there was a “0% probability of adult autonomy,” Banks shared with AFROTECH™. Rather than accept that prognosis, Banks set out to build a solution for her daughter, one rooted in possibility, not limitation. Photo Credit: Antoinette Banks “I actually talked to a special education attorney, and he said at the time, ‘Black families don’t care enough about things like being autistic, so you might want to put her in a facility to give her the best shot,'” Banks recalled. She wanted to gain a better understanding of how the brain works, and chose to enroll in night classes at a local community college. She eventually enrolled in a cognitive science bachelor’s program at the University of...

Cardi B is launching a science-backed haircare brand. Since 2016, fans have witnessed the artist’s natural hair journey. In a post shared on X in November 2021, she wrote about the importance of a consistent hair routine after the birth of her son. She admitted she was fearful she would lose hair after giving birth, and that prompted her to use hair masks and drink alkaline water. PC: X/ iamcardib In a follow-up post, Cardi B doubled down, insisting her growth wasn’t due to genetics but to “proper hair maintenance.” PC: X/ iamcardib   The musician’s hair mask routine includes avocado, two eggs, mayonnaise, and black castor oil, according to a 2020 Instagram post by Cardi B. Coconut oil can also be used, though she admitted in a TikTok that she doesn’t apply it to her hair, but has used it on her daughter, Kulture. In the 2020 Instagram post, Cardi B shared instructions on how to apply the hair mask, including detangling dry hair before applying the mask. After applying the mask,...

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) continues to call for action as the latest U.S. jobs report shows that Black unemployment rates are alarmingly high. At a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, Pressley addressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent directly, saying that “hundreds of thousands” of Black workers have been pushed out of the workforce and that unemployment rates are “through the roof.” She pointed out that they are among the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a video she posted on TikTok. “Black workers contribute over a trillion dollars to the U.S. economy, but the push out of these workers from the workforce has led to a loss of $37 billion in the GDP,” Pressley said during the hearing. @reppressley Black unemployment rates are through the roof. The pushout of Black workers has led to a loss of $37B in the GDP. Sec. Bessent: analyze this, report the findings, & take action NOW. This harm is coming for everyone if you...

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is strengthening medical education across several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). According to information on RWJF’s website, an estimated 70% of the nation’s Black doctors and dentists are educated at HBCUs. These professionals often return to work in underserved areas and conduct inclusive research, notes the website, adding further importance to the foundation’s investment in HBCU medical programs. Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine Awarded $1.75M In early February 2026, The foundation awarded a $1.75 million grant to the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine (XOCOM), supporting advancements in medical education and healthcare across the Gulf South and other regions, according to a news release. XOCOM leaders will receive support for development and engagement as they pursue preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education to become the “fifth allopathic HBCU medical school” in the nation, notes...

Fashion designer Langston Howard credits his creativity to the city of Detroit. The 17-year-old is a byproduct of an entrepreneurial family. He has pursued that path from a young age, by creating paintings, among other things, and then selling them to classmates and family members while in elementary school. Art also influenced his foray into fashion, he shared in an interview with AFROTECH™. “Fashion came into the picture probably when I was about 12,” he told the outlet . “I started brainstorming my first brand. I remember that my first ever sketch was this denim jacket that had a lion embroidered on the back. And I think it was ’cause I liked LeBron at the time and that was just what I was going for.” When Howard turned 13, he enrolled in the Fashion Industry Club, which introduced him to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Detroit’s Highland Park Club, he shared. He learned the basics of sewing and design, as well as the entrepreneurship of fashion. This propelled the launch of...

Heineken has joined a growing list of companies implementing layoffs to boost efficiency through AI-driven productivity gains. The world’s second-largest brewer, behind Anheuser-Busch InBev, announced plans to cut up to 7% of its workforce, eliminating up to 6,000 roles over the next two years, CNBC reports . The restructuring follows weak beer sales last year, with total volumes declining 2.4% in 2025, the outlet notes. Despite the drop in sales, adjusted operating profit rose 4.4%. Heineken Unveils 2025 Results As It Shifts To EverGreen 2030 Heineken released its full-year 2025 results on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, describing a “well-balanced performance in challenging market conditions.” Outgoing CEO Dolf van den Brink told CNBC the job cuts would free up capital to invest in growth and its premium brands, acknowledging that the cuts were “partly also due to AI, or let’s say digitization.” “That’s a very big part of our EverGreen 2030 strategy, with around 3,000 roles moving to...

Discord will automatically place accounts in a default “teen-appropriate” experience unless users provide proof of adulthood, a move that has put the platform’s age verification face scan at the center of controversy. In a blog post shared on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, Discord said the rollout of the “teen-by-default” experience is “part of our broader effort to support age-appropriate experiences on Discord.” The decision has sparked criticism from users citing privacy and security concerns. According to Newsweek, many of the concerns stem from a 2025 data breach in which hackers targeted Discord’s third-party customer support vendor, 5CA, exposing approximately 70,000 government ID images used for age verification . What Is Discord’s Age Verification Face Scan? Discord, which supports over 200 million monthly users, per its website, says most users won’t need to verify their age. Instead, the platform will use a new model that estimates whether an account belongs to an adult based on...

Under the Trump administration, four Democratic-led states are at risk of losing federal public health funding. Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cut about $600 million in Public Health Infrastructure Grants that originated from the Biden administration and were allocated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The grants were to provide billions of dollars across five years to over 100 public health departments, per the outlet. According to The New York Times, HHS plans to cut the grants because they “do not reflect agency priorities.” The decision also comes after nearly $5 billion in public health state funding was paused in January and then restored hours later, per another Bloomberg report. A HHS spokesperson told Bloomberg that the pause was needed to put a new review process in place to “ensure funds are used for their intended purposes.” The $600 million in cuts would affect state and local public...

The work never stops for the Fifteen Percent Pledge. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the Fifteen Percent Pledge is the brainchild of Aurora James and was launched in 2020 as a nonprofit advocacy organization to hold retailers accountable and support underfunded and underrepresented Black-owned businesses. Through partnership, it encourages corporations to dedicate 15% of their purchasing power to such businesses. Impact To date, the Fifteen Percent Pledge has secured commitments from more than 35 corporate partners and helped redirect nearly $14 billion in revenue to Black-owned businesses, according to its website. Beyond retail accountability, the organization has expanded its impact through additional initiatives, including raising $3 million at its 2025 gala, partnering with Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz’s Cultural Leadership Fund to launch an AI-focused grant for Black founders, and distributing more than $1 million in grants overall, according to...

As AFROTECH™ previously reported, students at Florida A&M University ( FAMU ) have run into difficulties while promoting events for Black History Month, saying the university’s approval process flags certain words, including the word “Black.” Aaliyah Steward, a final-year law student, brought the issue to News 6, which reported the story on Feb. 6, 2026. Steward told News 6  that her organization, the Black Law Students Association, had to abbreviate the language used on Black History Month flyers, noting that they also couldn’t use the words “women” or “affirmative action.” News 6’s report garnered widespread public attention and social media reaction, including from prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Grammy Award-winning artist SZA, notes the outlet. On Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, FAMU responded, citing a “staff-level error” that caused the issue. News 9 reported that internal university emails suggested that the words weren’t prohibited, but that the issue stemmed from an...

Kevin Hart’s tequila brand is faring well in the liquor market. Gran Coramino The comedian and entrepreneur became a co-founder of tequila company Gran Coramino in 2022, according to Complex. Hart launched the brand alongside 11th-generation tequila maker, Juan Domingo Beckmann, and celebrity liquor veteran James Morrissey, who also launched liquor brands with musicians Post Malone and A$AP Rocky, Yahoo Finance reports. Gran Coramino carries Cristalino, Añejo, and Reposado tequilas. The brand has scored several strategic wins over the years, including becoming the official luxury tequila brand of the Philadelphia Eagles in a multiyear contract, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Gran Coramino also secured a multiyear partnership with the Atlanta Hawks in 2023, according to a press release. Beyond those arenas, customers can find the brand across countless retailers that the Gran Coramino website lists. In three years, the brand has sold nearly 300,000 nine-liter cases, and half of...

February is Black History Month , but students at Florida A&M University (FAMU) say promoting events has been challenging because the university’s approval process flags certain words. Aaliyah Steward, a student finishing up her final year at FAMU’s College of Law, says she has faced obstacles while trying to publicize the month’s events for the Black Law Students Association, WKMG News 6 reports . Steward claims that a review of event flyers flagged terms such as “black,” “affirmative action,” and “women,” preventing their broadcast or publication. “We couldn’t use the word ‘black’ in Black History Month. We would have to abbreviate it,” Steward said, per News 6. “I was very angry and baffled because this is a Historically Black College and University ( HBCU ), and for them to say we can’t use the word ‘black’ was kind of insane.” Why FAMU Is Restricting The Word ‘Black’ According to the outlet, Florida’s State Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s 12 public universities —...

Affirm Holdings Inc. is testing a new way for consumers to pay rent: allowing borrowers to put their monthly rent payments on a buy now, pay later (BNPL) plan. Some consumers and financial experts have not received the move well, but Affirm co-founder and CEO Max Levchin sought to clarify the strategy during the company’s earnings call on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, the San Francisco Business Times reports. Levchin said the company is not looking to let renters stretch large payments over long periods — such as paying 12 months of rent over 18 months. “That doesn’t help our consumers. It’s not the right product to build. That’s not what this is,” Levchin said, per the San Francisco Business Times. Levchin described Affirm’s pilot as a “time shift,” aimed at renters who may have rent due before their paycheck arrives, the outlet notes. For example, a renter whose payment is due on the 15th of the month but doesn’t get paid until the 16th could use the product to bridge that short gap....