Technology

Fisk University's $400 Million Campus Data Center Draws Community Pushback

Fisk University's $900M Quantum Leap plan includes a $400M, 30-megawatt data center on its North Nashville campus, pitched as a revenue source for the HBCU but drawing petitions and pushback from alumni and neighbors.

Culture

Google Maps and Roc Nation Launch a JAY-Z 30 Map of Reasonable Doubt's New York

Google Maps and Roc Nation launched an interactive JAY-Z 30 map of New York landmarks tied to Reasonable Doubt's 30th anniversary, anchored by the Bowery Station experience in retired subway cars at 10 Kenmare Street.

Culture

NBA-Sanctioned NINJA BASKETBALL ARMY Reimagines 16th-Century Japan Through Basketball

NINJA BASKETBALL ARMY, an NBA-sanctioned story brand from Japanese collective NINJA BASKETBALL ANONYMOUS, builds a parallel 16th-century Japan where ninja clans seek unification through basketball rather than bloodshed.

Culture

World Cup Anime Reimagines 2026 Matches as Anime, Passing 50,000 Followers

@WorldCupAnime, an account recasting 2026 World Cup moments as AI-generated anime clips, has passed 50,000 followers since launching in June — including anime edits of France's win over Norway.

Culture

Saks Emerges From Bankruptcy and Rebrands as Exemplar Luxury Group

Saks Global emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and renamed itself Exemplar Luxury Group, cutting debt by nearly 75% and slimming to 49 Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman stores focused on high-end service.

Culture

Mamdani and the Whitney Museum Launch a Free World Cup Art Guide Across NYC

Mayor Mamdani, the NY/NJ Host Committee, and the Whitney Museum launched a free, artist-designed World Cup activity guide citywide — complete it and get free Whitney admission through July 31.

Sneakers

JAY-Z Marks Reasonable Doubt's 30th With a New Roc-A-Fella Air Force 1

JAY-Z is marking Reasonable Doubt's 30th anniversary with a new Roc-A-Fella Nike Air Force 1 Low — white with a blue Roc-A-Fella heel logo that nods to the rare 1999 promotional pair. No retail release is confirmed.

Culture

Reformation Files for a NYSE IPO as Annual Revenue Tops $500 Million

Reformation, the sustainable womenswear label, filed for a NYSE IPO under the ticker REF, disclosing $507.1 million in fiscal 2025 net revenue and a 20th straight quarter of double-digit growth.

Culture

NYC Rent Board Approves a Two-Year Rent Freeze on Stabilized Apartments

The NYC Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-1 to freeze rents on more than 1 million stabilized apartments for both one- and two-year leases through September 2027, fulfilling Mayor Mamdani's central campaign pledge.

Sports

NYC Sanitation Will Give Away Five Knicks-Themed Trash Cans

New York's Sanitation Department is giving away five of the orange-and-blue Knicks-themed litter baskets it unveiled for the championship parade. Residents 18 and older can enter online through July 3.

Culture

Pretty Ricky Sweeps B2K in Verzuz Boy-Band Battle

Pretty Ricky swept B2K in their June 25 Verzuz battle, taking every round and 89 percent of the overall fan vote in a nostalgia-fueled R&B boy-band showdown.

Culture

New Music Friday: T.I., YoungBoy & Justin Bieber — June 26, 2026

This week's new music: T.I. closes his career with Kill the King, YoungBoy drops the surprise More Leaks 2, Maxo Kream returns with O.Y.N, and Justin Bieber turns the SWAG era into a live album.