Art for Sale Page 2

The merger, which had long been discussed, takes the more than 1,000 hours of content on the platform over to the larger streaming network.
A major shift has come for BET+.
Paramount, BET’s parent company, will now fold the streamer into Paramount+ beginning in June, meaning more than 1,000 hours of content on the platform, from original series, movies and specials, are headed to the company’s lead streamer. In the process, Paramount also acquired Tyler Perry’s massive stake in the company.
The news was first reported by Deadline after the outlet received an internal memo from BET President Louis Carr.
“As we continue to drive BET’s growth, our stories have to live in more places. Beginning in June, we are expanding our reach by making Paramount+ the new home for BET+ content,” Carr wrote. “This powerful next step ensures the stories we champion, the creators we support and the culture we represent go further than ever before.”
Perry’s stake in the company was believed to be 25 percent. While financial details of the deal have not been released, Perry’s stake has been valued at tens of millions of dollars.
“As part of this evolution, Paramount acquired Tyler Perry Studios’ equity stake in BET+,” a Paramount spokesperson said in a statement. “We share the same ambition to expand the reach of BET content, and Tyler will continue to be a valued and important partner through his overall programming agreement.”
The folding of BET+ into Paramount+ doesn’t disrupt the director and film mogul’s current multi-million-dollar deal with BET Media Group, announced in 2024 and set to run until 2028. On its website, BET+ touts several of Perry’s shows from “Sistas” to “The Oval,” “Zatima,” Bruh,” “All The Queen’s Men,” and more. Now that the entire library flows through Paramunt.
For current BET+ subscribers who’ve subscribed directly through the app, they’ll be offered a discount to join Paramount+ when the app is taken offline later this summer. By comparison, customers pay $5.99 a month for essential and $10.99 for premium, while Paramount+ subscribers pay $8.99 a month and $13.99 a month for similar tiers. More than three million people have signed up for BET+, compared to 80 million for Paramount+.
“BET is a cornerstone of Black culture and an essential part of Paramount’s portfolio and long‑term content strategy,” Carr wrote in his email. “BET’s linear channel will continue to have a strong presence, and BET Studios remains fully active, producing the compelling, creator‑driven content that defines who we are. BET Digital remains central to our multiplatform strategy as well, driving real-time conversation, audience engagement and measurable growth across social and emerging platforms.”

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Cardi B continues celebrating her heritage and delighting during her headline-making 35-date “Little Miss Drama Tour.”
Cardi B is showing love to the Black community while on the “Little Miss Drama” tour.
In the middle of a performance in Dallas on Saturday, March 7, at the American Airlines Center, the 33-year-old rapper gave Latino and Hispanic people, and the rest of her audience, a mini history lesson.
According to footage, as she was making her way up the stairs before launching into another song, she began shouting out various Latin countries, asking where they were when she said, “Remember, we wouldn’t be living comfortably in this country if these African Americans didn’t fight for us motherf—s!”
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The crowd goes wild before she returns to shouting out various countries and launches into her next song. The moment quickly began trending among fans online as footage circulated. Cardi, who is Dominican, and who has long spoken out in support of the Black community while honoring her heritage.
In between tour stops, she also made time to visit family in the Dominican Republic. Since the tour began on Feb. 11 in Palm Desert, California, Cardi has continued to generate viral moments along the way, including briefly using an oxygen mask backstage during a Denver show due to the city’s high altitude and falling out of a chair during a Feb. 13 stop in Las Vegas before quickly laughing it off and continuing the performance. The show itself features a 37-song set list, high-fashion costume changes, and elaborate staging, including a stripper-pole carousel.
The 35-date tour wraps on April 18 in Atlanta, with roughly a dozen shows remaining as she continues through major cities across the country and Canada.
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The striking Fondation Varesely building itself looks like an Op Art work
Photo: Virginia Hickley
The family of Victor Vasarely, the flamboyant French-Hungarian ad man turned Op Art pioneer, is hoping that 2026 is the year the foundation he created will finally get back on track.
Vasarely was one of the first artists to launch his own foundation, in 1971. The hilltop building that now houses it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. It is unmissable to visitors to Aix-en-Provence, with its striking concertinaed façade of circles within squares in black and white. But closer inspection reveals a decrepit sculpture in the garden shrouded in protective netting and monumental interior works in urgent need of attention.
A year ago, Fondation Vasarely auctioned works to raise funds to continue the restoration of both the iconic building and its many site-specific works. The foundation’s administrator, Caroline Vasarely, explained on TV that, since 2019, state funding had all but dried up. “The longer we wait,” she said, “the more difficult it will become to remedy the damage.”
This sits at odds with the building’s illustrious beginnings, when its 1976 inauguration was broadcast on national TV. After that, the foundation suffered local political strife and inheritance woes. When Victor fell ill in the 1980s, his sons were not able to take the building on, and it was put in the care of the director of the law school in Aix. After he died in 1997, legal wranglings over the works held in the foundation and the now-closed Museum Vasarely resulted in a dispute, still ongoing, between the foundation and the second wife of one of Victor Vasarely’s sons. It was not until Pierre Vasarely, the artist’s grandson, became chief executive of the foundation in 2009 that its fortunes started improving.

The Aix building was listed as a historic monument in 2013, but years of neglect have left their mark. “Nothing had been maintained,” Pierre Vasarely says. “There was no heating, no air-conditioning. The roof leaked.” Before conservators could get to work on the site-specific works of art, essential repairs were required. External cladding and the roof, with its 14 pyramidal skylights, was fixed; heating, air-conditioning and humidity control systems were installed.
Vasarely says the museum received unprecedented financial support, covering 85% of the €12m budget, from every level of government, with the foundation footing the remaining 15% of costs.
Work on the art has proceeded more slowly, as the impact of pandemic closures has been compounded by the subsequent tightening of public funds.
Of the 42 monumental wall pieces and two sculptures, the foundation has restored about half. This is no small feat: these diverse works are made with an array of materials and techniques and many are huge, up to 8m by 6m. “For the 20 remaining, we’re taking our time. Restoring each work costs between €100,000 and €120,000,” Vasarely says.
The foundation is a private non-profit and, as he puts it, is used to getting by on its own strength. “We needed state funding for investment, which we were able to get as a historic monument, but for running costs, it’s more complicated,” he says. Boosting attendance is key, though the museum has yet to return to its pre-Covid peak of 102,000 visitors, in 2019.
It is banking on 2026 being a big year. To mark the 120th anniversary of Victor’s birth and the 50th anniversary of the building’s opening, the foundation is putting on a large exhibition of the artist’s work (12 June-1 November).
Pierre Vasarely says the recent opening of Cezanne’s family home nearby as a study and heritage centre should also help: “It repositions the foundation,” he says. His grandfather would agree. In 1973, he buried a message with the building’s cornerstone that reads “From Cezanne to Vasarely: we will be worthy.”
An exhibition at Mazzoleni Art is embroiled in a longstanding and torrid dispute between members of Vasarely’s family
More than 100 paintings by the late artist and his son were allegedly taken in the FBI raid
The question of what exactly the artist would have wanted is ultimately unanswerable, and therefore liable to cause friction

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In this exclusive interview, “Real Housewives of Potomac” alum Candiace Dillard Bassett opens up about her new era in music and beyond. 

Candiace Dillard Bassett, like many millennials, grew up on 90s R&B and the sounds of Stevie Wonder, classic soul, disco, and the emotional storytelling that influenced the genre’s golden eras. So she understands why so many fans joke about missing the days when singers stood in the pouring rain, while pouring their hearts out.
And if you ask her, they might be onto something.
The 39-year-old “Real Housewives of Potomac” alum, who is currently working on her next album after making her official R&B debut with “Deep Space” in 2022, believes the genre could use a return to its emotional roots.
“Some of what we’re hearing today is missing that, just the rawness and the color and the heaviness,” she told theGrio during a recent sitdown. “I mean, it’s rhythm and blues. That’s what R&B is. I think some of what’s missing is the blues.”
Still, the singer believes a renaissance is already happening among her peers.
“And I love that I get to be part of that conversation,” she said.
In February, the artist released her latest single, “If Only,” along with a cinematic music video set in Washington, D.C.’s Union Market. Dressed in furs, with smoky eye makeup and her honey-brown highlighted curls cascading down her shoulders, she delivers heartbreak with the kind of dramatic vulnerability reminiscent of the late 90s and early 2000s. Fans quickly picked up on the vibes in the YouTube comments.
While the “Drive Back” singer remains proud of “Deep Space,” she describes that project as her introduction to the industry.
“I always hold space for ‘Deep Space’ because it was my first album, my baby,” she recalled. “I always say I jumped in and put my wig underwater. I got all the way in.”
This next era, she says, reflects a woman who feels more grounded and more certain of herself.
“I’m in a space where I’m saying no a lot. I’m also saying yes a lot,” Dillard Bassett explained. “I’m fully present. I’m owning and celebrating who I am. Most of this project I actually wrote and recorded while I was pregnant, so that informs a lot of what you’ll hear. It’s raw. It’s emotional. No holds barred.”
That honesty is clear from the opening lyric of “If Only,” which wastes no time setting the tone.
“I’m not mincing words from the beginning,” she said with a laugh.
Fans can expect more singles and visuals in the coming months. For now, she’s enjoying the freedom and excitement that comes with expressing a fuller version of herself through music.
“My public persona has always leaned toward being very authentic,” she explained. “Sometimes being authentic can feel like your worst enemy. But being consistent in who I am is what I want my music to always feel like.”
That multidimensional version of herself was also on display during her recent appearance on Peacock’s hit celebrity competition series “The Traitors,” where she played one of the season’s most memorable traitors, secretly eliminating competitors by night while maintaining her cover among the faithful by day in a castle in the Scottish Highlands.
“I had the time of my life,” the TV personality gushed about her run, which lasted until episode eight. “I didn’t know what to expect because I’m not really a competition show girl, but I liked the idea of challenging myself.”
Her gameplay quickly made her a standout. Dillard Bassett survived multiple roundtables, participated in demanding physical challenges, served looks alongside host Alan Cumming, and even helped orchestrate strategic distractions, including a spontaneous conga line through the castle that allowed her fellow traitors to make an undetected move.
Though she initially needed some convincing to join the cast, she said support from NBCUniversal and longtime Bravo fans helped seal the deal.
“I was like, I don’t get why people wanted me on this show,” the Bravo star joked. “I knew the premise, but I wasn’t a huge fan yet.”
By the end, she understood exactly why she belonged there.
“It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” she said. “It reaffirmed that I sit at the intersection of bad bitch and Black girl magic.”
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Part of the excitement around her casting stemmed from her reputation on Bravo for delivering some of the most unforgettable one-liners in “Housewives” history. From the castle to the reunion stage, she continued that tradition, including one viral moment when she coolly clarified to a fellow contestant: “It was a declarative statement that requires a response.”
Still, Dillard Bassett said “The Traitors” allowed audiences to see a different side of her than the sharp-tongued debater fans often saw on RHOP.
“For better or worse, I fully own the version of me people saw on ‘Housewives,’” she admitted. “But what I love about shows like Potomac and Atlanta is they show that Black women are not monolithic.”
She appreciated that The Traitors gave her the chance to challenge some of the stereotypes often placed on Black women in reality television.
“It opened the world up to a different Candiace,” she said. “I’m not always the loud one with my finger in the air. That’s part of me, but it’s not all of me. It was nice to just be myself and see people appreciate that.”
Fans will soon see Dillard Bassett back on television again with an appearance on Bravo’s upcoming “Ultimate Girls Trip,” where she reconnects with familiar faces from her RHOP past. Beyond that, she continues to balance a full slate that includes her podcast “Undomesticated” with writer Michael Arceneaux, preparing to tour with fellow DMV native Tamar Braxton, and adjusting to one of her most important new roles: motherhood.
Dillard Bassett welcomed her first child, a son named Jet, nearly 18 months ago with her husband, Chris Bassett. Becoming a mother, she says, has fundamentally changed how she sees both herself and the world.
“Motherhood reminds you how powerful women are,” she said. “It also makes you see the beauty in life differently. It’s easy to become cynical, especially right now, but seeing the world through my son’s eyes makes me want to focus on the good so he can see that too.”
The experience has also given the mother a new sense of confidence.
“I’m more confident now,” she added with a laugh. “I mean, I’ve kept a child alive for over a year. What can’t I do?”
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Examining the gap between campaign pledges and the reality many communities face, holding leaders accountable for their impact.
It’s a familiar story. A politician steps up to the podium, making grand promises that capture the hopes of millions. We hear about an end to wars, a booming economy, and lower prices on everything from gas to groceries. People get swept up in the fervor, wearing the hats and chanting the slogans, believing that this time will be different. But what happens when the dust settles and those promises remain unfulfilled?
We are now living with the consequences. The promises of economic prosperity have been replaced by the harsh reality of rising costs. Are your eggs, beef, or chicken any cheaper? Is the price at the pump going down? For most of us, the answer is a resounding no. Instead of the Dow hitting 50,000, we’re being told to brace for “short-term pain.” This isn’t just an abstract economic issue; it directly impacts our ability to provide for our families. The promised relief has become an added burden, with policies like tariffs and new conflicts making everyday life exponentially more expensive.
This goes beyond just economic concerns. We were assured there would be no more wars, yet new conflicts are emerging. We were told the government would be streamlined for efficiency, but bungled attempts have only led to chaos and the rehiring of wrongfully dismissed individuals. From bungled immigration policies to questionable cabinet appointments, the gap between what was pledged and what has been delivered is staggering. It raises a serious question: what did we actually get in return for all the support and belief?
It’s easy to get hoodwinked by powerful rhetoric, but it’s crucial to look past the slogans and examine the results. When the promises made on the campaign trail fail to materialize, it’s not just a political failure; it’s a betrayal of the trust placed in our leaders. If this is what “greatness” looks like—higher prices, new wars, and a government in disarray—then we must seriously re-evaluate what we were before and, more importantly, where we are headed now. It’s time to hold leaders accountable for the real-world impact of their decisions, not just the appeal of their words.

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Spirituali Pietà was painted by Michelangelo, says the Belgian scholar Michel Draguet
photo: Fredrik Johansson
Earlier this month, the Belgian art historian Michel Draguet published to much fanfare a 600-page report on what he contends is a newly discovered painting by Michelangelo. Draguet has entitled the controversial work the Spirituali Pietà and dated it from the 1540s.
This announcement was met with swift scepticism, with a series of unnamed experts reportedly expressing doubt. The art historian David Ekserdjian, an emeritus professor at the University of Leicester, UK—and a leading authority on the Italian Renaissance with particular focus on Correggio, Parmigianino and Michelangelo—tells The Art Newspaper: “This painting, in terms of artistic style, has nothing to do with Michelangelo.”
The painting was bought in 2024, from the Wannenes auction house in Genoa, Italy, which had listed it in its Old Master and 19th-century paintings catalogue (25 June 2020) as an anonymous work from the 16th-17th centuries.
The buyers, two Belgian collectors, have not revealed their identities. Draguet says they are not currently seeking to sell the painting, but to place it on loan with a museum, in order to further art historical study and discussion. “As long-term philanthropists, they are convinced this is a Michelangelo and should therefore be in a public collection.” 
Draguet had previously worked with the collectors, borrowing works from them, in his capacity as the director general of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium for 18 years, until stepping down in 2023.
When they found the two monograms that looked like Michelangelo signatures on the painting, they excitedly asked if he would take on the task of determining their validity. “I got into this as a bit of a challenge,” he says.
Technical analysis by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage of Belgium confirms the palette and linen of the painting date back to the 16th century. It shows the monograms were painted before craquelure (dense cracking) formed on the painted surface and also confirms the presence of what looks like the numbers 1-5-4 beside one of the monograms, which could be be an incomplete date. 
Draguet, whose further credentials include membership of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium and a professorship at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, has based his proposed attribution primarily on those monograms being made at the time the painting was created. They align with monogram signatures attributed to the artist in reference books including Emmanuel Bénézit’s Dictionnaire critique et documentaire des peintres , sculpteurs, dessinateurs & graveurs (1924).
He also cites reddish highlights around the shapes of the composition and the multidirectional brushstrokes rendering both flesh and fabric, as proof of the master’s hand. Mostly, and in a notably circular form of logic, he points to the sculptural pose of Christ supported by the Virgin Mary with his arms outstretched as a much-copied Cinquecento (16th-century) compositional invention which can now be attributed to Michelangelo. 
But Ekserdjian highlights fundamental flaws, not within the granular detail of the analysis, but its premise and main focus. Michelangelo was, as he puts it, “incredibly famous for not liking to paint”.
“There are early paintings,” says Ekserdjian, “and obviously there’s the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and there are two frescoes in the Cappella Paolina [in the Vatican Palace]. But that’s your lot.” The other glaring question, to his mind, is, if this were a Michelangelo, and such an influential composition which would go on to be so copiously copied, why would nobody have known by now that he had painted it.
What’s more, Ekserdjian says, Michelangelo was “not a signer… he was legendary for not signing in a monogram”. Famously, the only work, he says, that Michelangelo actually signed is the sculpted Pietà in Saint Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican. In his Lives of the Artists, Vasari recounts how the artist etched ‘Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine, made this‘ on the Virgin’s sash, after overhearing visitors mistakenly attributing the work to ‘il Gobbo’ (the Hunchback), also known as Cristoforo Solari.
Ekserdjian also points to how thoroughly recorded Michelengelo’s output is. “Michelangelo, among 16th-century artists, is incomparably, the most documented in terms of artistic biography, because you have Vasari in 1550, [Ascanio] Condivi, who writes a completely separate biography of Michelangelo [in 1553]; then Vasari is expanded and emended in 1568,” he says.
“These guys might, if he’d painted a picture of this sort, have had something to say about it. It’s true that you should normally be jolly careful about arguing from silence. In other words, saying nobody ever knew that such a thing existed… sometimes things do come out of the blue and surprise people. But Michelangelo is epically and fully documented.” 
Draguet says he is open to being disproven nonetheless. Citing Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi and the Caravaggios that have emerged in recent years from Spain, he says he wants transparency, “a real public debate, which such works, alas, elicit too rarely.” 
Claims relating to a Michelangelo attribution are not uncommon. Last week, for example, an independent researcher in Italy claimed she had found documents linking the artist to a bust depicting Christ the Saviour.
Ekserdjian says he fields three to four requests a week from private collectors who think they have found something major. Very, very occasionally they have. But this, he argues, is “a non-event.”

Formerly attributed to “the school of Michelangelo”, experts now say the nude sketch is by the master’s own hand
My heart-stopping research saga to find out if Dorotheum’s part-painted cartoon by a “follower” was in fact a sleeper
In the absence of large-scale works, the London show focuses instead on the objects that reveal the artist’s deepening spirituality

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March 12, 2026
The collaboration is over SheaMoisture’s new product to achieve salon-quality silk presses at home.
SheaMoisture wants its users to capture a “Silk Press in a Bottle,” and is using Black leaders in the beauty community to do so.
The haircare brand for textured hair has tapped Law Roach and several Black women influencers to spill the secrets behind the new product. In the new advertisement, “Silk Whisperer,” Law Roach quizzed influencers Clarke Peoples, Masai Russell, Serena Page, and Kirah Ominique on how they got their silk presses without the salon.
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The beauty influencers held their own Black girl press conference about the innovative product, which SheaMoisture deems as a prep cream and heat protection to maintain straightened hair for days. Roach pressed his internet “daughters” about their own silky tresses.
“I never lie to my followers. I do my silk presses at home with little heat damage,” shared Kirah Ominique.
“Clock it, and that hair looks good,” added Page, the season 6 winner of Love Island U.S.A.
Page continued, “Here is the tea, SheaMoisture Silk Press In A Bottle makes straightening my hair at home easier than ever.”
Even Russell, an acclaimed U.S. track and field athlete, shared how the product keeps her hair intact as she races to the finish line. The Olympic Gold medalist joined the girls while they took the spotlight for this new Black beauty moment.
As for Roach’s involvement, the “King of the Silk Press” and self-proclaimed image architect shared more about his role in the chic commercial. Alongside his glamorous looks for A-list clients, Roach is also known for always rocking a sleek hairstyle, making his inclusion all the more fitting.
“I loved stepping into the role of the Silk Inquirer because … have you seen my hair?” said the celebrity stylist in a press release shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “When I see hair that sleek, that precise, I know it’s intentional and I had to investigate. I know from my own social media that the girls want answers and I’m here to get them.”
Roach even joined the press conference in another clip, making a jingle to celebrate the product launch.
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Viola Davis reflects on how the “How to Get Away With Murder” role reshaped her relationship with confidence, vulnerability and beauty.
Shonda Rhimes’ “How to Get Away with Murder” left its mark on television. And just as fans vividly remember moments from the show, actress Viola Davis will always remember the impact of her character Annalise Keating in the industry, but also in her personal life. 
During a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Davis didn’t hesitate to name the complex criminal law professor and lawyer she played for six seasons when asked if any of her roles resonated or changed her.  
“Absolutely, without question, Annalise Keating,” she shared. “Because I did not see myself in her. 
That was where we met. She agitated my trauma. She was more sexual than I thought that people saw me. She was messy in her sexuality. She was bold in her confidence and yet an extremely vulnerable alcoholic. She’s all of the things that not only did I not see in myself, but I didn’t think other people saw in me.” 
Actress Viola Davis tells @thattracysmith that Annalise Keating from “How to Get Away with Murder” was the role that changed her the most.

The character pushed her to challenge how the world defines beauty, confidence and sexuality: “I reject what sexy looks like. I reject what… pic.twitter.com/dRTmSN63VU
While she feels like all of her acting roles teach her something and change her in some way, Davis has long been open about the special place Annalise Keating holds in her heart. The EGOT winner, who writes extensive biographies of her characters when preparing for a role, previously explained how “brave” it felt to step into the lead role on “How To Get Away With Murder.” But not because she was number one on the call sheet, but because of how the role challenged her relationship with societal beauty standards. 
“In order to play her, I had to believe it. And when I opened that portal, that was it. She was the first character I played that led me to believe that I did not have to accept any definition that is out there in the world. I reject it. I reject what sexy looks like. I reject what messy looks like. And I reject it all as it pertains to me. That was the character that did it.”
“’Cause here’s the thing. You don’t have to be beautiful to be sexy. You don’t have to be thin to be sexy. You don’t have to be beautiful and messy. You do not have to walk a certain way to be sexy. You don’t have to walk a certain way to be a leading lady. You can toss all of that out,” she added. “Because sexy is just another part of your humanness. 
There are women out there who are size 26. There are women out there that have no hair. There are women out there who are 80, and somehow, they are finding a way to be sexy.” 
Beyond shifting her mindset as a woman, Davis notes that embodying those gritty truths is part of the “task of an actor.” And that representation not only helped her connect with viewers, but also earned her an Emmy Award in 2015.
“I took my wig off. I took my makeup off. I stayed the size I am. I stayed as Black as I could be. And my age…,” she once told People. “Everything about me was unapologetic.”
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President Donald Trump’s recent comments on the war with Iran were highly confusing, and online observers were alarmed.
As the war on Iran continues, President Donald Trump responded to questions from the press on Monday (March 9) with answers that contradicted themselves, to the point where observers again questioned his mental health.
Trump was asked for clarification on his remarks that the war was “very complete,” which differed from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s vow that “this is just the beginning” earlier in the day. “So which is it?” the reporter asked. “And how long should Americans be prepared for this war to last?”

Trump replied, “Well I think you could say both. It’s the beginning of building a new country. But they certainly – they have no Navy, they have no Air Force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. It’s all been blown up.”
He was also grilled on his statement that Iran had Tomahawk missiles, which was seen as a deflection attempt. An elementary school in Iran was hit with a Tomahawk missle in the early hours of the war, according to reporting from AP News. The death toll from that strike has risen to nearly 200, mostly children. Trump replied, “I just don’t know enough about it.”
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Trump also referred to the war as a “very short excursion” and that the 10-day “short-term” conflict could be almost over, though he would later state in a Truth Social post that he would be open to ordering more intense air strikes to free up the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is one of the world’s most vital channels, and it has been virtually closed to shipping traffic since the war began.
Other odd remarks by Trump included statements referring to the eight U.S. military casualties: “All of the people that died through the roadside bombs. Died and are right now walking around with no legs.” When asked about helping the people of Iran, he referred to them as “very menacing.”
In addition, there were reports that Trump and Russian President Vladmir Putin spoke about the war in Iran as well as the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, in which Trump called the Iran conflict “very complete.” That led the renowned chess champion and activist Garry Kasparov to write in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “Press one for treason.”
1. Ben Collins
2. Peter Rothpletz
3. Bruce Crossing
4. Jose Pagliery
5. Max Boot
6. Melech Thomas
7. Molly Jong-Fast
8. Leslie Marshall
9. Rick Wilson
10. Southpaw

Trump Contradicts Himself On Iran, Internet Bewildered
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March 12, 2026
This Nigerian-American dentist has revolutionized the oral health industry, creating a company that integrates innovation and wellness to promote healthy smiles.
When Dr. Abi Oladele decided to pursue dentistry, she fell in love with how the medical discipline combined art and science into its practice. As she learned how to sculpt captivating smiles, she sought to extend her legacy beyond typical dental work.
She wanted to create a company to help anyone achieve optimal oral health at home, officially launching Dentrogen in late January.
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“Dentrogen was created with one purpose, to redefine the future of oral care. I’m Dr. Abiola Oladele. And as a dentist, I’ve seen how innovation in dentistry has stalled. Most people don’t realize how much dentistry still relies on outdated tools and thinking. I knew I didn’t just want to treat patients, I wanted to change the dental experience,” she shared to Instagram.
The HBCU alumna, who obtained her bachelor’s degree at Howard University, already belongs to a small cohort. As a Black dentist, she and her fellow oral health professionals make up only 3.7% of the industry, according to data from the Delta Dental Institute.
While still working to increase this representation, she also developed her idea for Dentrogen, a preventative oral health company, in 2022. She brought her project to life while working for a practice in Los Angeles. While not performing root canal treatments, she is curating a community that ties oral health to wellness.
“We can focus on the aesthetics, we can focus on all those things, which is great, but at the end of the day, health is the No. 1 thing that we should all be focusing on before anything else,” she told AfroTech.
Dentrogen, named after the hydrogen element, seeks to become a “foundational force in the future of oral health,” according to its website. The company comprises products from Black Fiber Coconut Floss to Elemental Brightening Toothpaste, all of which are science-backed methods to improve one’s smile.
“How about health is the aesthetic, having healthy teeth, having teeth that you’re not worrying about gum disease, you’re not worrying about all these cavities, preventing it before it happens. That’s the true beauty. I wanted Dentrogen to kind of showcase that,” explained Oladele.
The company’s mission is to prevent severe oral health issues by addressing them at the root. Its signature toothpaste offers a fluoride-free alternative, complete with traditional ingredients such as aloe vera to help with gum comfort and swelling. As for their black-fiber floss, the use of coconut oil and bamboo provides modern advancements to make everyday flossing more efficient.
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She aims to expand Dentrogen in the upcoming years, wisely incorporating AI as she sees fit, while the company explores dental manufacturing and supplies. In the meantime, those curious about Dentrogen can check out its initial product rollout.
“Oral care can be smarter, cleaner, and better,” added the doctor. ” Dentrogen isn’t just a company, it’s a platform for change.”
RELATED CONTENT: Elevate Your Excellence: Exalting The Renaissance Of Harlem’s Favored Rose, Teyana Taylor
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Doja Cat joined a chorus of Black performers who called out Chalamet for making dismissive comments recently about opera and ballet.
Doja Cat is now saying that her video calling out Timothée Chalamet was “a way of garnering clicks,” and that she hopped on the bandwagon of people “patting each other on the back in the comments sections.”
“What I was doing yesterday was virtue signaling because I wanted to connect and I knew that Timothée’s goof up was something that I could leverage in order for people to connect with me and f— with me,” Doja Cat said in a TikTok posted on Tuesday. “And it’s easy. It’s a modern way to garner clicks, likes, approval and all kinds of things like that from people. And so I did that yesterday, and I didn’t really think about why I was doing it.”
The “Kiss Me More” artist called her criticism of Chalamet’s comments about the opera and ballet an opportunity for her to “seem sincere,” and that she’s never been to a ballet or an opera.

“That was the perfect material for me to seem sincere. But the truth is, I don’t know anything about opera. I don’t know anything about ballet, and I’ve never been to either shows,” she said. “And I think I just wanted a hug. I think that’s all that I wanted. I wanted a hug. I wanted to feel like I was part of something bigger than myself. I wanted to be pat on the back the way everybody else is patting each other on the back in the comments sections. And I wanted to look like a hero, and that’s what happened. And when I got it, I didn’t like it so much.” 
Chalamet, who is currently nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for his performance in the film “Marty Supreme,” received backlash from different artist communities after he made dismissive comments to Matthew McConaughey about ballet and opera during a CNN and Variety town hall in February.
“I don’t want to be working in ballet, or opera, or things where it’s like, ‘Hey, keep this thing alive, even though, like, no one cares about this anymore.’ All respect to all the ballet and opera people out there,” Chalamet said. Following the crowd’s laughter, he then joked, “I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I just took shots for no reason.”

Doja Cat joined a chorus of performers, which includes ballet dancer Misty Copeland, in criticizing Chalamet. In a now-deleted TikTok, Doja defended the art, and told Chalamet he should learn from the etiquette of attending a show, in which “You sit the f–k down and shut the f–k up.”
“It doesn’t matter if the industry is having a tough time at any time, which a lot of industries have a tough time,” she said. “Your industry has a tough time, my industry has a tough time. Doesn’t mean people don’t care about it … There’s still an audience.”
Doja Cat comments on what Timothée Chalamet had said about ballet and opera recently. pic.twitter.com/Z2Gu1bXefd
Now, Doja says those sentiments weren’t genuine.
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Lee Ufan, Relatum, formerly Iron Field, (1969/2019).
© Lee Ufan/Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris.
Photo: Bill Jacobson Studio, New York
A show of works by the South Korean artist Lee Ufan opening at the San Marco Art Centre is one of 31 official collateral Venice Biennale events announced today to coincide with the world’s most prestigious art exhibition (9 May-22 November).
Curator Jessica Morgan, the director of the Dia Art Foundation, a New York-based arts non-profit, will show works in Venice spanning Lee’s seven-decade career, reflecting his achievements as a leading proponent of the Japanese Mono-ha movement. “I felt that what has been missing is a story of the trajectory of his work. He’s an artist philosopher, a thinker, and I would say his movement through the different series of painterly works has been very clearly conceptualised. It felt appropriate to take [visitors] through his painterly journey, so to speak, from the late 1960s through to the present day,” she says.
“[It is] an overview of these different movements and painting, which actually are quite literally movements, from the expressive series From Line to the works [1973-84] to where movement comes in with the Wind series [1982-91].” Paintings from the Correspondance series dating from the late 1980s and early 1990s will also feature. “It ends with these new paintings—large-scale strokes using incredible colour which also have a dimensionality that has not been part of his practice previously, where the brush strokes almost act like building blocks, creating a sense of depth on a canvas.
The show, which marks the artist’s 90th birthday, will also include major sculptural works, including Relatum (formerly Iron Field) (1969/2019) drawn from the Dia collection. “It is a bed of sand with hundreds and hundreds of iron rods handplaced [on the work], creating this incredible impression of a natural landscape almost but clearly with an industrial form,” Morgan adds. Visitors can walk across a piece called Mirror Road comprised of polished steel plates, giving the impression of walking on water.
At the same time, a display of Lee’s paintings and sculptures, with eight paintings donated last year by the artist to Dia Art Foundation at its heart, will launch at Dia Beacon in upstate New York in May. “The paintings [donated] will be in dialogue with the sculpture. It’s about celebrating an absolutely incredible gift. The paintings really reflect his work from the late 1960s and early 1970s through to the 1980s, with these two absolutely spectacular paintings from the Wind series, which I think will surprise everyone—really big gestural works. I think [it’s] not what everybody expects to see with Lee, but it is a very important part of his practice,” Morgan says.
Lee’s impact as an artist cannot be overstated, Morgan argues. “It is fascinating that he’s moved with such confidence between painting, sculpture and installation. There aren’t that many artists who are as successful as him across [various] media, where there’s a consistency of experimentation but also a consistency of a through line in his work [with] subtle and actually quite profound variations and innovations over the decades.”
Other significant collateral events in Venice include presentations from Scotland and Wales.
The Glasgow based artist duo Davide Bugarin and Angel Cohn Castle, known as Bugarin + Castle, will represent Scotland while the artist Manon Awst and critic Dylan Huw will collaborate on the Wales presentation.
A large-scale open-air installation entitled Nabatele by the Ukrainian artist Anna Kamyshan promises to be a talking point. The work, a floating shtetl synagogue on a massive rock floating, above the Venetian Lagoon is supported by the Ukrainian-born businessman Leonard Blavatnik. Meanwhile the Kyiv-based Victor Pinchuk Foundation is again launching a platform at the Biennale, presenting the exhibition Still Joy-from Ukraine into the World at the Palazzo Contarini-Polignac.
An exhibition focused on Gaza launches at the Palazzo Mora organised by the Connecticut-based Palestine Museum US (Gaza, No Words, See the Exhibit). Parasol Unit, a non-profit foundation which closed its London gallery in 2020, will relaunch in Venice with a group exhibition of works by 11 women artists from Central Asia and wider Eastern regions including Huma Bhabha of Pakistan and the late Iranian artist Farideh Lashai (Turandot: To the Daughters of the East, ACP–Palazzo Franchetti, 9 May-31 October).
If All Time Is Eternally Present, a series of video projections screened on the Palazzo Nervi Scattolin, includes 2 Lizards (2020), an eight-part animated video series by the New York-based artist Meriem Bennani and the film director Orian Barki. The video project, organised by the Pier Luigi Nervi Foundation, also includes works by London-based Tai Shani and Kandis Williams.
A show at the Ex Istituto Idrografico-Museo Storico Navale brings to the fore the late Dominican artist Iván Tovar. “Iván Tovar: Le Retour positions the artist’s transatlantic trajectory—formative years in the Dominican Republic, two decades working in Paris, and an eventual return home—as central to the global history of Surrealism,” says a project statement.

Gagosian will bring the Ghanaian artist to Venice’s Palazzo Grimani in May
The historically-conflicting nations come together for the first time in this highly-anticipated exhibition
Shows worth checking out beyond the Arsenale and Giardini<br>

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A new survey from UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO gives new insight into how voters are feeling about the Democratic Party’s next presidential nominee.
A poll of California voters reveals Governor Gavin Newsom edging out former Vice President Kamala Harris in a hypothetical 2028 Democratic primary matchup. The survey of more than 1,200 registered voters shows a shift in Democratic politics, at least from the home state of Newsom and Harris, who have long been the top contenders for the party’s presidential nomination in most polls over the past year.
The survey conducted by UC Berkeley Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research-POLITICO found that 28% of Californians back Newsom, while over 14% support Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee who lost to President Donald Trump by just over 1% of the popular vote. Voters also showed interest in other Democrats like U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who received 12% support, and former Transportation Secretary and 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who received 11%.
As the Democrats prepare for the upcoming presidential election two years from now, a poll capturing a temperature check from two of the party’s most popular leaders and the voters who know them best is notable, says Democratic strategist Darryn Harris, who has worked for former U.S. Congresswoman Karen Bass and U.S. Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
“Perhaps what the poll is trying to get at is who are the folks who have known these people for at least the last two decades?” Darryn Harris, no relation to Kamala Harris, told theGrio. “It does make sense why you would poll Californians, especially because we are such a heavily Democratic state and because we get so many delegates and support to the presidential primary.”
But any successful path to the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination can’t happen without the support of Black voters, who overwhelmingly still back Kamala Harris, the first Black woman elected Vice President of the United States and the first Black woman to secure a presidential nomination. A March poll conducted by the Manhattan Institute found Black voters prefer Harris over Newsom, 34% to 14%.
Darryn Harris noted that the recent UC Berkeley-Politico survey had cross-tabs for white, Hispanic, and other races, but not specifically for Black voters.
“It was Black voters who sent [Kamala Harris] to the [California] Office of the Attorney General, it was Black voters who sent her to the Senate, and it was Black voters who also sent her to the White House, and Black voters who voted for her for president. So I think that if this were amongst Black voters…the results may look, you know, very different.”
Aimee Allison, a California-based political organizer and Founder and President of She The People, told theGrio that Newsom isn’t “immensely popular with Black voters here in California, in the sense of overwhelmingly popular.”
However, Allison explained it’s not surprising that Newsom has edged out Harris among Californians overall.
“California is the blue wall, and California voters, perhaps more than any other state, have an appetite for fighting Trump and fighting MAGA,” she said. Newsom, whom Allison said has “thrown out the old playbook” of Democrats, has “positioned himself” as Trump’s “foil,” adding, “He’s made himself the most visible, consistent critic.” Newsom has repeatedly used his social media to troll the president, mocking Trump’s brash and braggadocio style of communication.
Kamala Harris has used her ongoing book tour for “107 Days” to criticize Trump and Republicans, often generating social media clips and headlines. Allison said that has served as a “good tool” for the former Vice President to amplify her microphone. However, she added that there is no “direct signal” that she’s “taking the fight to Trump” and “absolutely running” in 2028.
“She’s not signaling a decisive move, and she’s assessing things. Even her base is confused about what that means,” said Allison. “Does that mean that she’s taking the elder stateswoman route…that she wants to influence outside of public office?”
The women of color-focused leader also expressed concern for what she sees as the Democratic Party going “backwards” when it comes to backing Black female candidates. The UC Berkeley and Politico poll also surveys “policy influencers,” 2% of whom backed Harris versus the 17% who backed Newsom.
“Ten years ago, the Democratic Party was so entrenched with white candidates…it really shut out a lot of really excellent Black women and other women of color candidates,” said Allison. “I feel like the Democratic Party, instead of advancing and leaning into the fact that we can win with obviously a set of politics and policy, but also non-white men candidates, like I feel they followed suit and kind of have retracted into the issue of electability.”
But while mostly white political insiders may be moving on from Kamala Harris, the Democratic base has not. When asked about their level of excitement for candidates, 41% said they were excited about Harris running again in 2028, and 48% said they were excited about Newsom’s possible run.
“Before reading [this poll], I assumed that the former vice president may be dealing with some fatigue from so much national exposure. But the poll’s excitement numbers suggest some enthusiasm for her, even now,” said Darryn Harris, the Democratic strategist. “She hasn’t even set out on a campaign yet. It’s not been clear if she will.”
The California insider added, “I think that there will be some opportunity, some room for her to strengthen those numbers if she were seriously considering a run for the White House based on these results.”

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Multi-hyphenate queen Solange taps into her stylish side as the face of a campaign for the new Jacquemus x Nike Moon Shoe.

Sometimes it feels like Solange can simply do no wrong. She’s a GRAMMY-winning musician, a supportive sister to the biggest pop star on the planet — hey, Beyoncé! — and you might even catch her moonlighting as a composer for the New York City Ballet if the wind blows right.
As for today though, the multi-hyphenate diva is deciding to tap into her stylish side by standing in as the face of a new campaign for the Jacquemus x Nike Moon Shoe.

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Solo shows off the three new colorways for spring, including “Chocolate Brown,” “Sail,” and “Soft Pink.” Playing on her aforementioned ballet experience, the silhouette itself is a reinterpretation of the original Nike Moon Shoe from 1972 as seen from the lens of Jacquemus namesake designer Simon Porte Jacquemus. A visit to the Swoosh archives a few years back inspired his love for the sneaker, stating in the September 2025 press release, “I saw a unique, minimal running shoe that was both timeless and modern in its simplicity and execution. I knew it was an opportunity to create a new story and reshape it in the Jacquemus way.”
More history behind the Moon Shoe and its newly-revived iteration below, via the Nike Newsroom:
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“The silhouette features a leather Swoosh and heel counter, and Jacquemus logos adorn the tongue, heel and sock liner. In a nod to the model’s history, the shoe comes in exclusive co-branded packaging that harks back to Nike’s earliest heritage as Blue Ribbon Sports.
The original Moon Shoe was born from [Bill] Bowerman’s search for a lightweight traction solution that could give track athletes better grip without weighing them down. He was struck one morning by the grid pattern of his wife’s waffle iron, with its raised squares resembling the exact geometry he’d been chasing, and he poured liquid rubber into the small kitchen appliance to create a new kind of sneaker sole, resulting in an early prototype of what would become the Moon Shoe.
While a small batch of early models debuted at the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials, the Moon Shoe never went to market. Its DNA was quickly adapted, however, into the 1973 Oregon Waffle and 1975 Waffle Trainer, the latter of which became Nike’s first blockbuster success, giving athletes improved grip and redefining expectations of running shoe performance.”

Solange is also no stranger to Jacquemus in the least bit, showing up last September at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City to celebrate Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame 2018 limited edition bottle designed by Simon Porte Jacquemus.
In fitting fashion, she was decked out in a head-to-toe look by the famed designer.

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March 11, 2026
He is the first NBA player to make 25 free throws and five 3-pointers in a game.
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo broke several records in scoring 83 points against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Adebayo passed Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant, who scoring 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in Jan. 2006. Adebayo’s accomplishment is only surpassed by that of NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points while playing for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962.
Even better, the Heat clobbered the woeful Wizards, 150-129.
Along with his 83 points, Adebayo pulled down nine rebounds, dished out three assists, had two steals, and blocked two shots. He doubled his previous scoring high, which was 41 points.
He surpassed his previous career high in the first half.
NBA.com reported that Adebayo ended the game 20-for-43 from the field, 36-for-43 from the foul line, and 7-for-22 from 3-point land.
Along with the Heat player emerging in second place for most points scored, he set records for most free throws made and attempted. He attempted more free throws than the previous holder, Dwight Howard, who attempted 39 free throws twice in his career. And he took over the record of most free throws made in a contest, which Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley, another Hall of FDamer, previously held (28).
He also easily broke the Heat’s record for a highest-scoring game, LeBron James, who scored 61 points in 2014.
According to ESPN, Adebayo netted several other achievements. He is the first NBA player to make 25 free throws and five 3-pointers in a game. Along with Chamberlain, he is the only players n NBA history to make 20 field goals and 25 free throws in a game. Adebayo is also the first player with a 60-point game this season. 
RELATED POSTS: Miami Heat Sends Udonis Haslem ‘Rocking’ Home as He Ends 20-Year Career with Huge Game

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