In 1888, Ellen Eglin invented an early mechanical clothes wringer, a device designed to remove excess water from freshly washed clothing. Her invention featured two wooden rollers attached to a hand crank. After clothes were washed and rinsed, they were fed through the rollers, which squeezed out the water—dramatically reducing drying time and physical strain….
Jarvis Butts, a 43-year-old Detroit resident, on Thursday pleaded guilty to the murder of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris and multiple counts of criminal sexual conduct in what prosecutors described as a disturbing pattern of abuse spanning several years. Butts entered his guilty pleas in Wayne County Third Circuit Court as part of a broad plea agreement reached just…
A nationwide search continues for 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, who investigators say was kidnapped from her Tucson-area home in the early hours of Sunday, February 1, 2026. The mysterious disappearance has drawn intense public and law-enforcement scrutiny, with the FBI and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department jointly leading the probe. Guthrie, mother of NBC Today host…
A troubling incident in St. Charles, Illinois has left parents shaken and authorities investigating after a daycare worker was accused of intentionally giving chewable laxatives to toddlers under her care. According to the St. Charles Police Department, 23-year-old Yizel J. Juarez of Sycamore, Illinois has been charged in connection with the alleged incidents at a local childcare facility in the 2400 block of…
The U.S. government is preparing to dramatically increase enforcement of a decades-old law that allows for the revocation of passports for parents with substantial unpaid child support, according to multiple federal officials and news reports. Under current law, the U.S. State Department may deny or revoke a passport for an individual certified by the Department of Health…
On the 11th day of Black History Month, we honor #GranvilleTWoods—one of the most brilliant inventors in American history. Born in 1856 in Columbus, Ohio, Granville T. Woods became one of the most prolific African American inventors of the 19th century, earning more than 50 patents for groundbreaking electrical and railway innovations that transformed train…
A tragic traffic incident on Interstate 95 turned into a remarkable story of courage and new life this past Friday when a Good Samaritan rescued a pregnant woman from a sinking vehicle — and hours later she gave birth to her daughter. Early on the morning of February 6, Logan Hayes, who was headed to work in…
On this 10th day of Black History Month, we honor Lyda D. Newman, a remarkable African-American inventor, hairdresser, and women’s rights activist. Newman is best known for patenting the first hairbrush with synthetic bristles—a design that revolutionized haircare and grooming practices, especially for African-American hair. She was the third Black woman ever to receive a…
We honor Black History Month by celebrating Dr. George Washington Carver—a visionary agricultural scientist, educator, and humanitarian whose work reshaped American farming and expanded economic opportunity. Often called “The Peanut Man,” Carver developed over 300 industrial and food products from peanuts—including dyes, paints, plastics, soaps, cosmetics, lubricants, and synthetic foods—along with 118 products from sweet…
On the 8th day of Black History Month, we proudly salute inventor Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner—a visionary who secured five U.S. patents despite relentless racial and financial barriers, and who held the record at the time for the most patents awarded to an African American woman. Kenner is best known for inventing the adjustable sanitary…
