Truth Seekers Journal

What Happens When Your Car Starts Thinking for You? AI, Driving, and the Road Ahead

Explore how AI is transforming driving with smart assistance, predictive safety, navigation, diagnostics, and autonomous technology, while keeping drivers informed, engaged, and responsible.

By Florita Bell Griffin, Ph.D. | Houston, TX | October 6, 2026

For most of automotive history, the relationship between a person and a car was straightforward. The driver steered, accelerated, braked, watched the road, and made nearly every important decision. The vehicle responded mechanically to human commands. Modern vehicles are changing that relationship because computers increasingly watch the road alongside the driver and, in some situations, intervene before the person does.

Many drivers already own vehicles with technology that would have sounded futuristic a generation ago. A car may warn that another vehicle is in the blind spot, apply the brakes when a collision appears likely, maintain a selected distance behind traffic, help keep the vehicle centered in a lane, recognize road signs, monitor tire pressure, display a camera view of the surroundings, or guide the driver into a parking space. None of these features requires a humanoid robot sitting behind the steering wheel. Artificial intelligence in transportation often appears quietly through sensors, cameras, software, and automated assistance.

The distinction between driver assistance and self-driving is important because the terms are often blurred in advertising and everyday conversation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the driver remains responsible at the lower levels of automation used in consumer vehicles today. Level 1 systems may assist with either steering or acceleration and braking, while Level 2 systems can assist with both at the same time, but the human driver is still expected to remain fully engaged and attentive.

That means a vehicle capable of maintaining speed, following traffic, and helping steer on the highway is not automatically a fully autonomous car. The technology can reduce workload, particularly during long highway drives, but the person behind the wheel remains responsible for monitoring conditions and being prepared to respond. The difference matters because a driver who misunderstands what the system can do may stop paying enough attention precisely when attention is still required.

Automatic emergency braking provides a good example of how these technologies can be valuable without replacing the driver. Sensors may detect that the vehicle is closing rapidly on an obstacle and apply the brakes when the driver has not reacted quickly enough. The system may reduce the severity of a collision or help avoid one altogether. Blind-spot monitoring can warn that another vehicle is difficult to see, while rear cross-traffic warnings can alert a driver backing out of a parking space.

These features are essentially extra sets of electronic eyes, but electronic eyes are not perfect. Cameras can be affected by darkness, glare, weather, dirt, road markings, or unusual conditions. Sensors can misunderstand an environment, and software works within the limits established by its design. Human beings also make mistakes, of course, which is one reason driver-assistance technology exists. The safest relationship may be one in which the machine and the driver support one another rather than either being treated as infallible.

Navigation has already demonstrated how quickly people can become comfortable allowing technology to influence driving decisions. Few drivers now think twice about following a route suggested by a phone or dashboard system. Traffic data can identify congestion, accidents, road closures, and faster alternatives in real time. AI can help estimate arrival times and continually adjust the route as conditions change.

Yet anyone who has used navigation for long enough has also experienced its limitations. The system may direct a driver toward an inconvenient entrance, recommend a route through an uncomfortable neighborhood, fail to understand temporary construction, or insist on a turn that local knowledge says makes no sense. Most people eventually learn the right relationship: appreciate the assistance but remain willing to disagree.

The same lesson applies to more advanced vehicle intelligence. Drivers need to understand what their particular car can actually do rather than relying on a general impression created by the name of the feature. Terms such as “pilot,” “assist,” or other branded language can sound more capable than the underlying technology. Reading the owner’s manual may not be exciting, but understanding when a system works, when it may disengage, and what the driver must continue monitoring is part of safely using the vehicle.

AI is also changing what happens before a car breaks down. Modern vehicles generate enormous amounts of diagnostic information. Sensors monitor engines, batteries, emissions, tire pressure, electrical systems, and other components. Increasingly intelligent diagnostic tools can help technicians identify patterns and narrow down likely problems faster than older methods allowed.

For electric vehicles, software plays an especially central role because battery management, charging, energy efficiency, temperature control, and range prediction depend heavily on computerized systems. The vehicle may learn from driving patterns and adjust estimates based on conditions. Over time, cars may become better at predicting maintenance needs before a component fails, giving owners an opportunity to address problems earlier.

Parking is another area where the relationship between driver and machine is changing. Cameras now create overhead views that appear to look down on the vehicle from above. Parking sensors measure distance from nearby objects, while automated systems may steer into a space with limited input from the driver. Features that once appeared only on expensive luxury vehicles have gradually moved into more ordinary models.

The longer-term future goes further. Higher levels of automated driving are designed for situations in which the system performs more of the driving task, eventually reaching the point where occupants may function as passengers rather than drivers. NHTSA currently distinguishes these advanced levels from the driver-assistance technology available in ordinary consumer vehicles and notes that full automation is not currently something consumers can simply purchase for unrestricted use on all roads.

If truly autonomous vehicles become common, the consequences could extend far beyond convenience. Older adults who no longer drive might retain greater mobility. People with certain disabilities could gain new transportation independence. Long-distance freight could change, parking needs might decline in some places, and cities could eventually reconsider how roads, curbs, garages, and transportation systems are designed.

There are also everyday questions about responsibility. If a vehicle assists with steering and the driver stops paying attention, who is responsible when something goes wrong? What happens when software behaves differently after an update? How should drivers be told when a feature changes? These questions become increasingly important as vehicles begin to resemble computers on wheels.

Privacy enters the discussion as well. Connected vehicles can generate information about location, driving behavior, vehicle performance, and use of onboard services. Drivers should become more accustomed to asking what information a vehicle collects, which services receive it, and what controls are available. Buying a car increasingly involves accepting a digital relationship with the manufacturer as well as purchasing a physical machine.

The most important point for everyday drivers is that artificial intelligence in cars is not arriving all at once. It is arriving one feature at a time. A warning light becomes a predictive alert, cruise control becomes adaptive, a rearview mirror is supplemented by cameras, and steering assistance becomes more sophisticated. Each improvement feels small until we look back and realize how much of the driving experience has changed.

Drivers do not need to fear these developments, and they do not need to pretend the technology is more capable than it is. The wisest approach is to understand exactly what the vehicle is doing and remain engaged wherever human responsibility remains necessary.

Cars are becoming more intelligent, but intelligence in a machine does not automatically eliminate the need for intelligence from the person using it. The safest future may depend on drivers who understand both sides of that relationship and know when to accept assistance, when to remain alert, and when to take control.

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Dream Seize Control of Semifinal Series with Statement Win Over Liberty

The Atlanta Dream opened the 2026 WNBA Semifinals with a statement 92-82 victory over the New York Liberty, forcing 21 turnovers and tying a WNBA postseason record with 32 points off turnovers. Led by 25 points from Jordin Canada, 23 from DeWanna Bonner, and a dominant all-around effort from Angel Reese, Atlanta seized a 1-0 series lead before Game 2 at State Farm Arena.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 5, 2026

The Atlanta Dream opened their WNBA semifinal series in emphatic fashion Sunday afternoon, riding a dominant second-half defensive effort to a 92-82 victory over the New York Liberty at State Farm Arena.

For much of the first half, Atlanta struggled to find its rhythm offensively and trailed 40-37 at the break. But the Dream once again proved why they have become one of the league’s hottest teams, turning a close contest into a commanding lead with a suffocating third-quarter performance that changed the course of the game.

“We knew the first three minutes would be really important,” said guard Jordin Canada, who delivered one of the most impressive postseason performances of her career despite battling foul trouble for much of the game.

Atlanta forced 21 turnovers and converted them into 32 points, tying the WNBA postseason record for most points scored off turnovers in a playoff game. The Dream’s relentless defensive pressure produced 14 steals and four blocked shots, overwhelming the Liberty throughout the second half.

The Starting Five of Jordin Canada, Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Naz Hillmon, and Angel Reese improved to 3-0 in postseason play together, continuing to establish themselves as one of the league’s most effective lineups.

Canada led the charge with a game-high 25 points while adding four assists, five steals, one block, and a rebound. Her fifth steal tied the record for most steals in a postseason game, and her ninth point of the evening marked the 200th postseason point of her career.

DeWanna Bonner delivered 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals – Courtesy photo

“She’s the head of the snake on offense and defense,” veteran forward DeWanna Bonner said following the victory.

Bonner provided a massive spark off the bench, scoring 23 points and grabbing nine rebounds. The scoring total set a new personal high for Bonner in postseason play with Atlanta. Her energy proved pivotal during the Dream’s decisive third-quarter run.

The Dream bench contributed 27 points overall, providing valuable depth after a concerning injury scare involving Allisha Gray. The All-Star guard exited in the second quarter with a hand injury and did not return. Despite losing one of their top scorers, Atlanta responded by elevating its defensive intensity and sharing the offensive load.

Howard once again demonstrated her versatility, finishing with 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and a steal while taking on additional ball-handling responsibilities. Reese added another standout postseason performance with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists, four steals, and three blocks.

The forward delivered one of the game’s biggest baskets when she converted a hook shot late in the fourth quarter to halt a Liberty rally and extend Atlanta’s lead.

Meanwhile, Hillmon impacted the game beyond the box score, contributing four rebounds, four assists, and a steal while helping anchor Atlanta’s defensive schemes.

The Dream’s third-quarter explosion ultimately decided the contest. After entering the half down three points, Atlanta opened the third period with a 13-0 run fueled by aggressive defense and transition scoring opportunities. The Dream outscored New York 32-15 during the quarter, turning nine Liberty turnovers into 16 points.

Despite several late pushes by New York, Atlanta repeatedly answered in clutch moments. Canada punctuated the victory with a corner three-pointer and a late layup that effectively sealed the win.

With the triumph, Atlanta improved its all-time playoff record against New York to 3-2 and seized a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-five semifinal series.

“It’s great to be up 1-0,” Dream head coach Karl Smesko said. “But there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

The Dream will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead when they host Game 2 on Wednesday night at State Farm Arena.

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Atlanta Developer and Civic Leader Egbert Perry Receives Four Pillar Award

Egbert Perry receives the Four Pillar Award, honoring a career that reshaped urban development while expanding opportunity, innovation and community investment across Atlanta and beyond.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 2, 2026

More than 1,300 business, civic and community leaders gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center on Oct. 1 to honor developer and entrepreneur Egbert Perry, who received the Council for Quality Growth’s 2026 Four Pillar Award for a career that has helped reshape Atlanta and influence urban redevelopment efforts across the nation.

The award, presented during the Council’s 37th annual Four Pillar Tribute, recognizes leaders who exemplify the principles of quality, responsibility, vision and integrity in their professional and civic lives.

Perry, chairman and co-founder of The Integral Group, accepted the honor before an audience of colleagues, family members, elected officials and business leaders. The evening’s theme, “Integrity. Innovation. Impact.”, reflected the values that have guided Perry’s work for more than four decades in real estate development, finance and community building.

“Atlanta became stronger because more people were allowed to participate in building it,” Perry said during his acceptance speech. Reflecting on the city’s history of expanding economic opportunity, he challenged the audience to continue creating pathways for broader participation and leadership.

Perry’s story is closely tied to Atlanta’s rise as a center for business, entrepreneurship and urban revitalization. Originally from Antigua, he built a career that merged engineering, finance and community development. An honors graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Perry earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering and an MBA from the Wharton School before beginning a career in real estate development.

Before founding Integral in 1993, Perry spent 13 years helping grow an Atlanta-based real estate and construction company into what became the nation’s third-largest African American-owned business.

Over the last three decades, however, it is his work through Integral that has had perhaps the most lasting impact. Co-founded with a mission to “create value in cities and rebuild the fabric of communities,” the Atlanta-headquartered firm has grown into a national development and investment company with approximately 300 employees and active projects in more than 25 U.S. cities.

Under Perry’s leadership, Integral has developed more than 10,000 housing units through mixed-use developments, master-planned communities, transit-oriented projects and multifamily housing developments. The company has become nationally known for advancing development strategies that combine economic growth with community investment.

One of Integral’s most influential projects was Centennial Place, a redevelopment initiative launched in 1996 in partnership with the Atlanta Housing Authority and other collaborators. Conceived by Integral, the project transformed a distressed public housing site into the nation’s first urban mixed-use, economically integrated community, combining mixed-income housing with educational, health, recreational and social services.

Egbert Perry – Council for Quality Growth

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development later recognized Centennial Place as a national model for neighborhood revitalization. Its framework has since been replicated more than 250 times across the country, helping establish what is now widely viewed as a standard approach to holistic community redevelopment.

Speakers throughout Thursday’s ceremony highlighted how Perry’s work has consistently sought to balance economic development with community advancement.

Council for Quality Growth Chair Gerald McDowell said Perry’s influence can be measured not only in buildings and developments but also in opportunities created for others.

“His visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to building stronger communities have helped shape our region’s growth and continue to inspire the next generation of leaders,” McDowell said.

In remarks centered on the award’s four pillars, several longtime colleagues and family members reflected on Perry’s legacy.

Renee Lewis Glover, chief strategy officer and co-founder of Coretto Associates, spoke about Perry’s commitment to quality and his belief that successful communities begin with recognizing the value and dignity of every individual.

“For Egbert, quality begins with one fundamental truth: Every human being has God-given value,” Glover said. “It shapes the standard he brings to what we build, how we lead and what we ask of ourselves.”

Commercial real estate executive T. Dallas Smith described Perry as a mentor, business partner and friend whose sense of responsibility extends long after projects are completed. He pointed to Perry’s continued involvement in community and educational initiatives connected to developments he helped create, arguing that business responsibility and community responsibility are inseparable.

Perry’s daughter, Rian Smith, highlighted her father’s vision, describing his willingness to challenge accepted assumptions and imagine new possibilities for cities and neighborhoods.

“My father’s vision is about refusing to accept that the future must be limited by what we inherited,” she said. “Not simply seeing what does not yet exist, but believing, and then proving, that what exists today does not have to define what comes next.”

Perry’s influence has extended beyond development projects. Following the 2008 financial crisis, he joined the board of mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae and later served as chairman from 2014 to 2018, helping guide the organization during a pivotal period in the nation’s housing recovery.

From left to right: Gerald McDowell, Larry Gellerstedt III, Renee Lewis Glover, Egbert Perry, Rian Smith, Miguel Southwell, T. Dallas Smith, and Michael Paris – Courtesy photo

Throughout the evening, speakers returned to the theme Perry selected for the tribute.

For Perry, integrity means maintaining trust and commitment through long and often complex development projects. Innovation has meant advancing ideas such as mixed-income housing and large-scale public-private partnerships long before they became mainstream practices. Impact, he has said, is measured not simply by buildings constructed but by whether communities are stronger, more resilient and better positioned for future prosperity.

“History tends to reward those who inherit advantage, but it is changed by those who question it,” Perry reflected in tribute materials distributed at the event. “Integrity is the clarity to see what is wrong, innovation is the resolve to try something different, and impact is the quiet proof that a different path was always possible.”

The Four Pillar Award is widely regarded as one of metro Atlanta’s highest civic honors. Previous recipients include former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, businessman Arthur M. Blank, Ambassador Andrew Young, former Gov. Nathan Deal, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and the H.J. Russell Family.

In recognizing Perry, the Council for Quality Growth added another influential figure to a list of leaders whose work has helped define modern Atlanta and shape the future of urban development across the United States.

As Perry closed his remarks, he reminded attendees that the future of the city remains a collective responsibility.

“Atlanta, the region and the world are shared projects,” he said. “It is time for us to get back to work on our group projects.”

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Fourth-Quarter Surge Powers Dream Past Mystics and Into WNBA Semifinals

Atlanta Dream sweep Washington Mystics behind a decisive fourth-quarter surge, advancing to the WNBA semifinals for the first time since 2018.

By Milton Kirby | Washington, D.C. | October 1, 2026

The Atlanta Dream spent much of Wednesday night battling foul trouble, a rebounding deficit and a Washington Mystics team that kept threatening to take control.

Each time, Atlanta found an answer.

The biggest came in the fourth quarter.

The Dream responded to Washington cutting its lead to three with 13 unanswered points and pulled away for a 93-75 victory at CareFirst Arena, completing a two-game sweep and advancing to the WNBA semifinals for the first time since 2018.

The victory also marked Atlanta’s first playoff series win since 2016.

“All we cared about was winning and advancing, and everyone did their part,” Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko said.

They did.

All five Atlanta starters scored in double figures, led by Allisha Gray with 22 points.

Jordin Canada finished with 19 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for her third career postseason double-double. More importantly, she scored 13 points in the fourth quarter when Atlanta needed them most.

“JC hit a lot of big baskets for us tonight,” Gray said. “She’s really our engine. She played so great for us.”

The final score did not reflect how challenging the night became for Atlanta.

Washington Keeps Coming

The Dream built a 13-point lead during the first half, but Washington closed the second quarter with a run that cut Atlanta’s advantage to 41-35 at halftime.

Atlanta shot just 34.4 percent in the first half and was being dominated on the boards.

Defense kept the Dream in control.

Washington committed 11 first-half turnovers, which Atlanta converted into 15 points.

Then foul trouble complicated matters.

Angel Reese picked up her third foul with 8:30 remaining in the third quarter and her fourth a little more than two minutes later.

Canada picked up her fourth with 3:53 remaining in the period.

Rhyne Howard was called for her fourth with 44 seconds left.

Washington took advantage, closing the quarter on a 10-2 run and cutting Atlanta’s lead to 65-58.

Howard and Reese returned to begin the fourth quarter. On Washington’s first possession, Howard was called for her fifth foul.

She stayed in the game.

Then the Mystics grabbed two offensive rebounds to extend a possession that ended with a layup.

Atlanta’s lead was down to three.

The Dream had reached the kind of moment that had caused problems before.

“I think last year we would get big leads, and then we would lose them, and then we would lose the game,” Canada said. “And I think this season we really put an emphasis on making sure we’re doing the things that we need to do to close out games.”

On Wednesday, Atlanta closed.

DeWanna Bonner takes a jump shot during playoff game against the Washington Mystics at the CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. (Casey Sykes for the Atlanta Dream)

The Run That Changed the Game

Reese started the response with a layup.

Naz Hillmon followed with four points. Reese made two free throws. Howard knocked down a long jumper.

Then Canada buried a 3-pointer.

In a matter of minutes, a three-point Atlanta lead had become a 16-point advantage.

The Dream had scored 13 unanswered points.

Washington’s comeback was over.

Canada’s fourth-quarter performance helped turn what had become a tense road playoff game into an 18-point victory.

Howard and Reese each finished with 15 points, while Hillmon added 10.

Reese also had seven rebounds and three blocks. Howard added four assists and two steals.

Atlanta found ways to win despite being outrebounded 42-27. Washington’s Kiki Iriafen grabbed 16 rebounds, while Sonia Citron led the Mystics with 25 points.

But the Dream made Washington pay for its mistakes.

Atlanta forced 19 turnovers and converted them into 23 points while committing only eight turnovers of its own.

The Dream also made 13 3-pointers while shooting 40.6 percent from behind the arc, tying the franchise postseason record for 3-pointers in a game. Atlanta shot 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.

The numbers told the story of a team that did not need everything to go right to win.

Finishing the Series

Atlanta entered Washington with a chance to close the series after winning Game 1, 92-77, at State Farm Arena.

That opening victory was powered largely by defensive pressure. The Dream overcame an 11-point deficit, forced 23 turnovers and recorded a franchise postseason-record 16 steals.

Game 2 presented a different challenge.

This time, Atlanta had the lead and had to protect it.

Washington won the rebounding battle. The Mystics attacked while Atlanta’s starters accumulated fouls. And when the Dream appeared ready to pull away, Washington repeatedly worked its way back into the game.

But Atlanta never surrendered the lead.

The Dream won the first quarter 24-17, carried a six-point advantage into halftime and entered the fourth ahead by seven.

When Washington made its final push, Atlanta answered with its biggest run of the night.

That response completed the sweep.

Rhyne Howard looks for a gap during playoff game against the Washington Mystics at the CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, September 30, 2026. (Casey Sykes for the Atlanta Dream)

Back to the Semifinals

Atlanta will now face New York in a best-of-five semifinal series beginning Sunday at State Farm Arena.

The Dream will host Games 1 and 2 and, if necessary, Game 5.

It is another milestone in a season that has already included 30 regular-season victories, tying the franchise record, and home-court advantage in the opening round.

But Wednesday’s victory may have demonstrated something that will matter even more as the competition gets tougher.

Atlanta showed it could win when the game became uncomfortable.

The Dream was outrebounded.

Three starters battled serious foul trouble.

A double-digit advantage dwindled to three.

And with its season not yet in danger but its control of the game suddenly threatened, Atlanta responded with 13 straight points.

Canada had seen the alternative before.

This time was different.

The Dream had learned how to close.

And for the first time since 2018, Atlanta is headed to the WNBA semifinals.

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Angel Reese Makes Dream History as WNBA Defensive Player of the Year

Angel Reese becomes the first Atlanta Dream player named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year after a historic season defined by defense and record-setting rebounding.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | October 1, 2026

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese said it before the regular season was over.

“The Defensive Player of the Year is in Atlanta!”

On Thursday, the league made it official.

Reese has been named the 2026 Kia WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in Atlanta Dream history to earn the league’s top individual defensive honor.

The award caps a historic first season in Atlanta for Reese, who helped anchor one of the WNBA’s most disruptive defensive units while putting together one of the most productive rebounding seasons the league has seen.

Reese received 46 of 74 votes from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Golden State Valkyries forward Gabby Williams finished second with 20 votes.

But when Reese received the trophy, she quickly turned the attention toward two of her teammates.

“I have the trophy, but I definitely want Jordin and Rhyne to sign it because I think they deserve it just as much as I do,” Reese said, referring to Jordin Canada and Rhyne Howard. “I’m grateful for Atlanta, I’m grateful for my teammates and my coaches and all the supporting staff that supports us.”

Her reaction reflected the collective nature of Atlanta’s defense.

Reese, Canada and Howard gave the Dream three high-level defensive playmakers capable of pressuring ballhandlers, disrupting passing lanes, switching across positions and creating turnovers.

Reese’s individual impact, however, was difficult to overlook.

She finished the regular season first in the WNBA in Defensive Win Shares at 3.39 and ranked among the league leaders in several other defensive categories.

Atlanta allowed 7.9 fewer points per 100 possessions with Reese on the floor than when she was off it, the largest defensive on-off differential among Dream rotation players.

Reese also averaged 1.8 steals per game, ranking third in the WNBA.

But some of her most important defensive work occurred after opponents missed.

Reese’s ability to end possessions became one of the defining elements of her season.

She averaged 7.3 defensive rebounds per game, ranking fourth in the league, and helped Atlanta limit opponents to a WNBA-low 9.5 second-chance points per game.

Her performance on the defensive glass was part of a record-setting rebounding season.

Reese became the first player in WNBA history to collect 500 rebounds in a single season. She finished with 521 total rebounds and set league records for total rebounds and offensive rebounds.

She also established a WNBA single-game record when she grabbed 26 rebounds against the Los Angeles Sparks in August.

Rebounding was hardly her only contribution.

Reese finished the regular season averaging a career-high 16.4 points and a league-leading 12.1 rebounds per game. She also set a WNBA record with 32 double-doubles.

Those numbers earned Reese WNBA Peak Performer honors as the league’s leading rebounder. She was selected to her third consecutive WNBA All-Star Game and became the first player in Dream history to earn Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors in three consecutive weeks.

The Defensive Player of the Year award, however, carries particular significance for a Dream franchise that entered the WNBA in 2008.

No Atlanta player had won it before.

Reese changed that in her first season with the organization.

She did it while playing alongside Canada and Howard, whose pressure and activity helped establish defense as a defining part of Atlanta’s identity.

The Dream finished the regular season 30-14, tying the franchise record for victories and earning the No. 4 seed in the WNBA playoffs.

For Reese, the individual recognition provides another milestone in a season already filled with them.

But her first reaction to receiving the trophy may say as much about Atlanta’s defensive success as the statistics themselves.

The trophy belongs to Reese.

One of the first things she wanted to do with it was have Canada and Howard sign it.

For a player whose individual honor grew out of Atlanta’s collective defensive identity, it is a fitting way to mark the first Defensive Player of the Year award in Dream history.

And Reese made clear that she does not consider the award an ending.

“This is just the beginning.”

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Who Owns What AI Creates? Your Photos, Your Voice, Your Writing, and the New Question of Digital Ownership

What Happens When AI Becomes Part of Healthcare? What Patients Should Know Before the Machine Helps Make the Decision

By Florita Bell Griffin, Ph.D. | Houston, TX | September 29, 2026

For most of modern creative history, people had a reasonably intuitive understanding of authorship. A writer wrote a book, a photographer took a photograph, a musician composed a song, and an artist painted a picture. Questions of ownership could still become complicated, particularly when employers, publishers, contracts, or collaborations were involved, but the connection between human creator and creative work was usually easy to see.

Generative artificial intelligence has made that connection far more complicated. A person can now type a few sentences and receive an original-looking image, song, essay, voice recording, video, logo, or design. The result may never have existed before, yet the person who requested it may not have physically drawn, photographed, performed, or written most of what appears. This raises a simple-sounding question with a surprisingly complicated answer: Who owns it?

In the United States, copyright protection has traditionally been based on human authorship. The U.S. Copyright Office stated in its 2025 report on AI and copyrightability that material produced by generative AI can receive copyright protection when sufficient human-authored expression is involved, but purely AI-generated material is not protected merely because a person supplied prompts. The Office also explained that using AI as a tool does not automatically prevent a larger human-created work from qualifying for copyright.

For everyday users, the easiest way to understand this is to think about creative control. If someone asks an AI system to “create a beautiful sunset over the ocean” and simply accepts the first image, the human contribution may be limited. If a person creates original material, repeatedly modifies elements, combines AI-generated portions with substantial human work, edits the composition, and makes creative choices about the final result, the analysis becomes different.

The exact legal outcome can depend on the particular work and circumstances, so people creating valuable commercial material should seek appropriate legal advice. The broader principle, however, is useful for everyone: asking a machine to make something and personally authoring the creative expression are not necessarily the same thing.

The issue becomes even more interesting with photography. Suppose someone uploads a family photograph to an AI system and asks it to change the background, improve the lighting, alter clothing, or create a painting based on the image. The original photograph may already have a human photographer whose copyright exists independently of the AI-generated version.

People often assume that because they appear in a photograph, they automatically own the photograph. Copyright generally belongs initially to the photographer unless some other legal arrangement changes that result. This is one reason professional photography agreements often specify what the customer may reproduce, publish, or distribute.

Voice raises another set of questions because a voice is not simply a piece of creative content. It is part of a person’s identity. AI voice-cloning technology can reproduce the sound of someone speaking words that person never said. This creates issues involving consent, impersonation, privacy, publicity rights, fraud, contracts, and other laws that go beyond ordinary copyright.

The U.S. Copyright Office devoted the first part of its AI report to digital replicas and recommended federal legislation addressing unauthorized replicas of a person’s voice or appearance. That demonstrates how quickly the idea of digital identity is becoming a serious legal and social issue.

Everyday people should begin thinking of their voices as digital assets. A recording posted publicly can potentially become material from which technology learns vocal characteristics. The same is true of video. People who once thought nothing of posting long recordings of themselves online may increasingly want to consider how those recordings could be reused.

This is especially relevant to performers, speakers, teachers, musicians, influencers, actors, executives, and anyone whose voice or appearance has professional value. A contract allowing a company to use a recorded performance may need to address whether the material can also be used to generate future synthetic performances.

Writing creates another interesting boundary. Many people now use AI to improve emails, articles, reports, books, advertising copy, and social-media posts. If the person begins with original ideas and writing and uses AI mainly for editing, restructuring, or assistance, the human creative contribution remains clear. If the machine generates nearly everything and the user merely accepts it, the situation becomes less straightforward.

The safest practice for creators who want to maintain a strong record of human authorship is to preserve their own contribution. Keep drafts, notes, outlines, revisions, source materials, photographs, sketches, or other evidence showing how the work developed. These records can demonstrate that AI functioned as a tool within a broader human creative process rather than serving as the only source of expression.

Ownership also depends on the terms of the AI service being used. A platform may allow users broad rights to use outputs while imposing other conditions through its terms of service. Those terms can change, and commercial users should understand them rather than assuming every AI service operates under the same rules.

Businesses face additional concerns when employees create material with AI. A worker may use a generative system to create a company logo, advertisement, training manual, presentation, or design. The company should understand what tool was used, what source material was entered, and what rights exist in the resulting work.

There is also the question of what was used to train generative AI systems in the first place. Writers, artists, publishers, photographers, and other creators have raised significant questions about whether copyrighted works can be used for AI training and under what circumstances. The Copyright Office has separately examined those issues, which remain part of an evolving legal and policy landscape.

For ordinary users, the important point is that “AI made it” does not answer every ownership question. One must still ask what human material went in, who contributed creative expression, what platform terms apply, whether another person’s image or voice was used, and whether the final work will be used privately or commercially.

Consent may become as important as ownership. A person might legally possess a photograph of a friend but still create serious ethical problems by using that photograph to generate embarrassing or deceptive material. The ability to create something does not automatically create the right to use another person’s identity however we choose.

Families will face these questions too. Parents may use AI to create imaginative pictures of children. Relatives may animate old family photographs or recreate the voice of someone who has died. These uses can be meaningful and emotionally powerful, but they also introduce questions about dignity, consent, memory, and the line between preserving history and manufacturing events that never happened.

Technology has made creation easier than ever before, but easier creation requires more thoughtful decisions about authorship and responsibility. We are entering a period in which people may possess thousands of digital objects that were partly created by humans and partly created by machines. The most useful question may therefore be larger than “Who owns this?” We may also need to ask who authored it, who consented to it, what source material contributed to it, what rights were granted, and how honestly the final work is being presented.

Artificial intelligence has opened extraordinary creative possibilities to people who may never have considered themselves artists, writers, musicians, or designers. That expansion of creativity can be exciting. It also means that ordinary people now encounter questions once reserved for publishers, lawyers, studios, and professional creators.

In the AI era, creativity is becoming easier to produce while authorship is becoming harder to define. Understanding that difference will be increasingly important for anyone who wants to create, publish, sell, share, or protect digital work.

What Happens When AI Becomes Part of Healthcare? What Patients Should Know Before the Machine Helps Make the Decision

AI Can Save You Time, but Can It Make You Smarter?

Living With AI: How It Is Changing Work, Family, and Community

When Systems Forget Who They Were Built For

Why Familiarity Is Not the Same as Understanding

What is AutoLore?

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Dream Turn Defense Into Game 1 Playoff Victory Over Mystics

Atlanta Dream defense forced 23 turnovers and a postseason-record 16 steals in a 92-77 Game 1 playoff victory over the Washington Mystics.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | September 28, 2026

For much of the first half Sunday, the Atlanta Dream did not look like the team that had surged into the WNBA playoffs with home-court advantage.

Shots were not falling. Washington was finding open looks. Atlanta fell behind by double digits.

Then the Dream turned to the part of its game that did not require the ball to go through the basket.

Defense

Atlanta forced 23 turnovers, recorded a franchise postseason-high 16 steals and overcame an 11-point deficit to defeat the Washington Mystics 92-77 at State Farm Arena in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round playoff series.

“A good way to start the series, but we know we have to get another win,” Dream head coach Karl Smesko said. “That’s what we plan to do.”

The victory gave Atlanta a 1-0 series lead heading into Game 2 Wednesday in Washington and improved the Dream’s all-time postseason record against the Mystics to 7-4.

Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 26 points and five steals. Allisha Gray added 22 points, while Angel Reese recorded 13 points and 12 rebounds in her playoff debut.

DeWanna Bonner scored 13 points off the bench, and Jordin Canada finished with 10 points and 10 assists.

But the numbers that told the story were 23 and 27.

Atlanta forced Washington into 23 turnovers and converted those mistakes into 27 points.

Howard dribbles up court – courtesy photo

Those extra possessions helped the Dream overcome a difficult start.

Atlanta missed nine of its first 10 shots and trailed 14-5 with 5:14 remaining in the first quarter. Washington eventually pushed its advantage to 11 before the Dream began working its way back into the game.

“We realized that they were getting too many easy looks,” Howard said. “We didn’t show up with the aggressiveness that we’ve had the last four games before this.”

Atlanta recovered enough to cut Washington’s lead to 26-21 by the end of the first quarter but still trailed by five at halftime.

Reese and Gray combined to shoot 4-of-22 during the first half, leaving Atlanta searching for another way to change the game.

It found it on defense.

The Dream opened the third quarter with seven unanswered points to take a 43-41 lead.

Then Bonner helped change the energy of the game.

The veteran forward scored 11 of her 13 points during the third quarter as Atlanta turned a halftime deficit into control of the game. Bonner’s ninth point of the night also pushed her past 1,300 career postseason points.

“She made so many big plays for us, and the enthusiasm she played with, the joy of playing basketball, was huge for us,” Smesko said.

Atlanta kept coming

Gray’s layup pushed the lead to 10. Reese completed a three-point play to make it 61-48, and Gray followed with a jumper in the lane as Atlanta took control.

By the end of the third quarter, the Dream led 65-53.

Washington made just three of 15 shots during the period. Six Mystics turnovers became 14 Atlanta points.

“We let them get comfortable offensively,” Washington guard Sonia Citron said. “We let some of our discipline slip. Once they get going, it’s really hard to stop them.”

Smesko gave Washington another challenge early in the fourth quarter when he put Reese and rookie center Madina Okot on the floor together, a combination Atlanta rarely used during the regular season.

Okot responded immediately.

She scored on a layup assisted by Reese, then made a steal and found Howard for a 3-pointer that extended Atlanta’s lead to 70-53.

“We hoped she would be an X-factor for us,” Smesko said.

Okot finished with four points, five rebounds, a steal and a block in her first postseason appearance. Reese, Okot and Isobel Borlase all made their WNBA playoff debuts Sunday.

Washington, however, was not finished.

The Mystics took better care of the basketball as the fourth quarter progressed, forcing Atlanta to operate more frequently in the half court. The Dream’s offense again began to slow, and Washington cut what had been a 17-point Atlanta lead to 81-74 with 3:26 remaining.

Smesko called timeout.

He returned with Canada, Reese, Bonner, Gray and Howard.

This time Atlanta closed the door.

Reese grabbed an offensive rebound to keep one possession alive. Canada extended it again with a steal. Gray completed the sequence with a three-point play that restored Atlanta’s lead to 10 with 2:41 remaining.

Bonner stopped Washington’s next possession with a defensive rebound, drew a foul and made both free throws to extend the lead to 86-74 with 2:29 left.

The threat was over

Atlanta’s 16 steals established a franchise high for a postseason game, surpassing the previous mark set in 2011. Howard’s five steals tied the Dream record for a playoff game and moved her into sixth place on the franchise’s postseason steals list.

Canada moved into fifth place on Atlanta’s postseason assists list. Her 10-point, 10-assist performance was the second playoff double-double of her career.

Reese delivered one of her own in her postseason debut, finishing with 13 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and a block.

The Dream also made Washington pay at the free-throw line, shooting 96.2 percent.

For Atlanta, the victory demonstrated how its defense can change a game even when its offense struggles.

That may become increasingly important as the postseason moves forward.

The Dream has not advanced beyond the first round of the playoffs since 2018. One more victory would change that.

But Atlanta leaves State Farm Arena knowing that the first half Sunday also offered Washington a blueprint for what the Dream cannot afford to repeat.

“We realize the next game is going to be harder than this one,” Howard said. “What we did in the first half, we can’t have again.”

The Dream has its first playoff victory.

Now it needs one more to advance.

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Colin Took a Knee for Justice. Jay-Z Took a Seat at The NFL Table of White Supremacy.

Lola Renegade examines Colin Kaepernick’s sacrifice, Jay-Z’s NFL partnership, racial justice, power, protest, and the true cost of solidarity in America.cal Commentary
Lola Renegade

What Are You Willing to Lose for Justice?

By Lola Renegade | Atlanta, GA | September 24, 2026

I recently had the opportunity to meet Colin Kaepernick at his book signing in Atlanta, Georgia.
Afterward, I read his book overnight, The Perilous Fight, a must read. I came away quite
impressed by this young man because he demonstrates something increasingly rare in America,
especially Black America: he was willing to lose something for what he believed.

And lose he did. Colin lost the career he had spent most of his life preparing for and potentially
millions of dollars in future earnings. He endured ridicule, death threats, political attacks and
accusations that he hated the very country he was challenging to live up to its professed ideals.
Colin wasn’t protesting America because he hated America. He was demanding that America
confront the killing and mistreatment of Black people and the enormous distance between this
nation’s promise of liberty and justice for all and the lived reality of too many of its citizens.

Ten years ago, he peacefully lowered himself onto one knee, and America lost its damn mind.
Racist white America, and the coloreds who love them, always lose their effing minds when the
subject comes up that everyone deserves to be treated as human beings with equal rights and
opportunities.

Years later, however, the question that troubles me isn’t merely what America did to Colin
Kaepernick. It is what some Black people with the illusion of power failed to do afterward. Too
many discovered that their access, influence, and even their voices could be bought cheaply, and apparently with change left over. They had wealth without independence, proximity without courage, and seats at tables where they mistook being welcomed to drink glasses of expensive liquor for actually possessing power. The cost of this liquor is nothing compared to the return for selling out Black people and our culture.

At times, their willingness to accommodate the very structures Colin challenged makes D. W. Griffith’s movie, The Birth of a Nation, seem less like a century-old piece of racist propaganda and more like an audition script they were handed and willingly performed. Colin’s sacrifice exposed an uncomfortable truth: there is a profound difference between having money, having access, and having the courage to exercise power when exercising it might actually cost you something.

But what should we expect from some who sold crack in the Black community, destroying
children, youth and families, a pure sense of consciousness? Not hardly.

In 2019, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entered into a partnership with the NFL (National Football League)
involving entertainment and the league’s Inspire Change social-justice initiative. When the
inevitable question arose about Colin Kaepernick, Jay-Z argued that we had moved beyond
kneeling and needed actionable change.

That statement has bothered me ever since. How in the hell do we get “past kneeling” while the
man who took the knee is still paying the price for taking it? How do we get “past kneeling”
when people of color are dying in ICE custody, families torn apart in massive deportations,
700,000 and counting Black women who have lost their careers when Donald Trump and his
Project 2025 kakistocracy took office, white immigrants being flown in from South Africa to
take up residency in America while people of color are forcibly sent to unfamiliar countries?

Who created the urgency that made all this supposed action necessary? Who forced professional
football, and America, to confront a conversation it desperately wanted to avoid? Colin did.

If Jay-Z had any sensitivity or clout with the NFL, he would have demanded Colin’s career back.
But those of us who have seen this syndicated movie before know that the League was simply
looking for an influential Black face – someone who could effectively lead a minstrel show.
Someone who would willingly run into the white masters’ burning houses to save the furniture.

We still don’t know what Jay-Z and Roc Nation were paid to take that seat at the NFL table. The
financial terms of the deal were never publicly disclosed. But we certainly know what Colin
Kaepernick paid for taking a knee.

That is the contradiction I cannot ignore. Colin Kaepernick took a knee for justice; Jay-Z took a
seat at the NFL’s collection of racists white billionaires’ table. One challenged institutional power and accepted the consequences. The other chose to work with institutional power and told us it was time for actionable change. We are still waiting for that change but won’t hold our breath.

If only Black people would stop holding up these vacuous buffoons as though they are some
semblance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Ida B. Wells, Malcolm X, Stokley Carmichael, Fannie
Lou Hamer, and those of that ilk.

Forty Million Dollar Slaves

William C. Rhoden warned us about this contradiction years ago in Forty Million Dollar Slaves
The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. We can also add the cockroaches in the
other entertainment industries – the Stephen character in Django Unchained. One of Rhoden’s
most important concepts is wealth without control. A Black athlete (entertainer) can earn $40
million, $100 million or $300 million. He can even be a billionaire. He can buy mansions,
Bentleys, private jets, jewelry and virtually every luxury imaginable. But who owns them? Who
controls the league, negotiates the television contracts and writes the rules? Who decides who
gets hired, who gets fired and who gets another opportunity?

More importantly, what happens when the highly compensated Black athlete stops entertaining
the institution and starts challenging it?

Colin gave us the answer. So did Curt Flood, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Muhammad Ali, and others.

Suddenly the multimillion-dollar athlete discovers exactly where the real power remains. That is
why Rhoden’s thesis remains so important. Wealth is not necessarily power; access is not
ownership; proximity is not control; representation is not liberation. And having a seat at
somebody else’s table does not mean you own the damn table.

To Jay-Z and the rest of you Step-and-Fetchit Black folks, a golden shackle is still a shackle.

Where Were the Rest of the Players?

There is another uncomfortable question Black America should ask: Where were Colin’s fellow
NFL, NBA (National Basketball Association), and other professional sports players? The NFL
player workforce was predominantly Black—roughly two-thirds of the league around the time
Colin began his protest. The NBA is 80% Black. To be fair, Colin was not entirely alone. Eric
Reid knelt beside him. Brandon Marshall knelt. Arian Foster, Kenny Stills and others
participated in protests, while some players raised fists or demonstrated in other ways. Their
courage deserves acknowledgment.

But they represented only a fraction of professional leagues overwhelmingly powered by Black
athletic talent. Many others remained standing and many remained silent. Contemporary
accounts indicated that some players who sympathized with Colin feared the consequences of
joining him.

Afraid of what? Losing a contract, playing time, an endorsement, an owner’s approval or the
adoration of fans? Afraid the less-than average white women would no longer want them? If
some of the wealthiest and most physically powerful Black men in America believed peacefully
joining another Black man in protest could jeopardize their livelihoods, then Rhoden’s argument
about wealth without control becomes painfully real.

The NFL could depend upon Black bodies on Sunday afternoon, but could those Black men
safely exercise their consciences, if they were in possession of one? Colin became the face of the
protest, absorbed the hatred, became the political target and ultimately lost his NFL career while
the machine kept humming.

And Where Are We Ten Years Later?

The rest of Black America doesn’t escape this examination either. We kept watching. We bought
jerseys, purchased season tickets, paid for sports packages, tailgating at games, watched the
commercials and held Super Bowl parties. We continued financing the machine that hates us
even while debating what had happened to the man who challenged it. Self-hatred is real.
Perhaps Colin’s protest remains uncomfortable because it exposes not merely the courage, or
lack thereof, of professional football. It exposes ours.

It is easy to admire courage from the safety of your living room and backyard, or with a bunch of
family and friends over eating chicken wings and drinking liquor. It is considerably harder to
stand beside the courageous person while the stones are still flying. That is the difference
between admiration and solidarity: admiration applauds the person taking the risk; solidarity
takes the risk with him/her.

When Equality Feels Like Oppression

There is an observation frequently made about privilege: when people become accustomed to
privilege, equality can feel like oppression. Equality isn’t actually oppressing anyone; it is simply
removing an advantage someone has become accustomed to possessing simply because of the
color of their white skin. When someone accustomed to having the entire table is finally asked to
share it, sharing can feel like loss. When someone accustomed to always being heard is finally
required to listen, listening can feel like silencing.

The same dynamic becomes visible when an institution accustomed to Black athletes and their
minstrel shows entertaining white America encounters a Black athlete demanding that America
listen to him. The Black football player is celebrated when he runs, cheered when he catches,
rewarded when he tackles and marketed when he entertains. But what happens when he thinks?
What happens when he speaks? What happens when he says, “I am not merely your
entertainment. I am a citizen. I possess a conscience, and I will use my platform to demand that
this country live up to its promises”?

Suddenly protest becomes disrespect, patriotism requires silence, and the multimillion-dollar
Black athletes discovers the limits of their perceived power.

Don’t forget, America had the felonious (p)Resident of the White House screaming, “Get that
son-of-a-bitch off the field.” Donald Trump, someone who has proven to be even God’s reject,
someone who checks every page in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders).

And then, there was that empty-headed Carolyn Bryant, look-alike (woman who lied
on Emmett Till) Fox News host, Laura Ingraham, yelling at LeBron James to, “shut up and
dribble” when he made political comments. These are the types of women who have resigned
themselves to existing to gain favor and power with racist white men, especially if they are
considered powerful. They are plain and simple unconscionable semen receptacles.

Stephen and the Seduction of Proximity

Which brings me to an intentionally uncomfortable metaphor: Stephen, the fictional character
from Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.

Stephen is disturbing because he represents something larger than himself. He is enslaved, yet he
has achieved unusual proximity to the master. He understands the plantation, its hierarchy and
where the power resides. Rather than using that proximity to undermine the system, he becomes
deeply invested in protecting the hierarchy that gives him elevated status within it.

That is the metaphor. I am asking whether Black America sometimes produces modern versions
of the dilemma Stephen represents: What happens when proximity to power becomes more
valuable than solidarity with those without it? What happens when being invited into the house
becomes more important than remembering the people still outside? What happens when access
itself starts masquerading as liberation?

So, Stephen—I mean, Jay-Z—where are those actionable actions now?

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Why Independent Journalism Must Speak Out on the White House Media Ban

White House, Press Freedom, Independent Journalism, First Amendment, Media Access, Freedom of the Press, Journalism, CNN, Politico, Democracy

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | September 24, 2026

When the White House barred reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from entering the grounds, revoking or deactivating their press credentials overnight, it was more than a dispute between a president and three major outlets. It was a direct challenge to the principle that the government does not decide what the press may report, a principle those outlets immediately defended through legal action.

For small independent publications like The Truth Seekers Journal, the implications are even more profound. If we had attempted to secure White House media credentials and they were denied or revoked, we would not have the institutional resources to mount a lawsuit, mobilize national legal teams, or wage a public fight for reinstatement. We would simply be silenced.

That reality is precisely why we must lend our voice to this moment.

A Dangerous Precedent

According to multiple reports, the journalists were denied entry the morning after President Trump declared their reporting “fake news,” and security personnel confiscated or disabled their credentials. Legal scholars and press‑freedom advocates have warned that the danger is not only the act itself, but the precedent it sets: if a president can ban coverage he dislikes today, what prevents a future administration from expanding that power tomorrow?

We have seen this pattern before. When President Trump wins a small victory, whether in media conflict, administrative maneuver, or public narrative, he often elevates that moment into a broader justification for further action. This is not speculation; it is a documented pattern of behavior across multiple episodes of press conflict.

Why Independent Outlets Must Speak

Independent journalism is not a luxury in American democracy; it is a cornerstone of First Amendment protections. When large outlets are targeted, smaller ones must recognize that the threat is not isolated. It is structural.

If the White House can remove CNN today, it can ignore or erase independent voices tomorrow, voices that lack the legal, financial, and institutional armor of national networks.

Our publication may not have the reach of CNN or Politico, but we have something equally important: the freedom to speak without fear of government retaliation. That freedom is only real if we defend it when it is threatened, even when the threat is directed at others.

The Stakes for Democracy

A government that chooses which journalists may enter its halls is a government that chooses which truths may be told. That is incompatible with a free society.

The banning of these outlets is not merely a media story—it is a civic story, a constitutional story, and a warning. If independent journalism does not respond, we risk normalizing a future in which access to power is granted only to those who praise it.

Our Position

As a small, independent publication, The Truth Seekers Journal stands firmly against the White House’s decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. We stand with every journalist whose credentials were confiscated, every newsroom forced to defend its right to report, and every reader who depends on a free press to understand the world.

Silencing one outlet endangers all outlets. Silencing major outlets endangers the smallest ones first. And silencing the press endangers democracy itself.

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Dream Wins Fifth Straight, Clinches No. 4 Seed and Home-Court Advantage

Atlanta Dream wins its fifth straight, secures the No. 4 WNBA playoff seed and earns home-court advantage with an 83-65 win over New York.

By Milton Kirby | Brooklyn, NY | September 24, 2026

The Atlanta Dream will open the WNBA playoffs at home.

Atlanta secured the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage in the first round Wednesday night with an 83-65 victory over the New York Liberty at Barclays Center.

The victory was the Dream’s fifth straight and its 30th of the season, tying a franchise record and giving Atlanta consecutive 30-win seasons.

“That was an important win for us,” Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko said. “We wanted to make sure we got home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, and we were able to accomplish that.”

The Dream finished the regular season 30-14 and will host its first playoff game Sunday. Atlanta will face either the Indiana Fever or Washington Mystics, with the matchup and game time to be determined after Thursday’s final regular-season games.

For a team that went 15-7 at home during the regular season, securing the fourth seed gives Atlanta something potentially significant when the postseason begins: another game in front of its own crowd.

“Just being able to go home in front of our fans and put on a show, I think that little things matter in the playoffs, and that might be one of them,” forward Naz Hillmon said. “Just having that energy behind us from our fans.”

Defense Makes the Difference

Atlanta did much of the work needed to secure Wednesday’s victory before halftime.

Naz Hillmon is set for two of her 16 points – courtesy photo

The Dream held New York to seven points in the second quarter and 26 points in the first half, both season-best defensive marks for Atlanta.

Despite shooting just 39 percent in the opening half, the Dream took a 41-26 lead into halftime by forcing turnovers and creating scoring opportunities from its defense.

Atlanta forced 12 Liberty turnovers in the first half and converted them into 13 points. By the end of the game, the Dream had forced 20 turnovers, recorded 12 steals and scored 15 points off New York’s mistakes.

“We know that we’re looking forward to the playoffs, and we wanted to play our best basketball,” Hillmon said. “So, whatever that was supposed to look like, that was our focus.”

Allisha Gray led Atlanta with 24 points, four rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block. It was Gray’s 21st game this season with at least 20 points.

Hillmon finished with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists, while Jordin Canada contributed 12 points and five assists.

Rhyne Howard added eight points, four rebounds and a team-high six assists. Angel Reese finished with six points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals.

DeWanna Bonner came off the bench to contribute nine points and eight rebounds.

Atlanta also converted 86.7 percent of its free throws.

The starting lineup of Canada, Gray, Howard, Hillmon and Reese improved to 30-8.

The Playoffs Come to Atlanta

Atlanta’s first-round opponent remains unsettled.

The Dream went 2-2 against Indiana during the regular season and 1-2 against Washington. The first round of the WNBA playoffs is a best-of-three series.

Atlanta will enter that series having won five consecutive games, including back-to-back victories over New York.

More importantly, Wednesday’s victory means the Dream will begin the postseason where it wanted to be — at home.

Thirty wins.

The No. 4 seed.

A home playoff game.

And now, a chance to see how far this season can go.

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SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

By Ted Knorr | Harrisburg, PA | September 22, 2026

… this column exists for only one purpose and that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you don’t already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next.

Nobody asked me but …here is a list of all Major League players that his four triples in one game:

George Strief, Philadelphia Athletics, American Association, on June 25, 1885,against the Brooklyn Grays at Washington Park, Brooklyn, NY
Bill Joyce, New York Giants,National League, on May 18, 1897,against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Exposition Park, Pittsburgh, PA.
Rap Dixon, Baltimore Black Sox, Negro National League I, on Augus6, 1930,against the Birmingham black Barons at Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL

Strief and Joyce had long been the only two Major League players to achieve this feat of four triples in one Major League game. However, on December 16, 2020,Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that “Major League Baseball was correcting a longtime oversight in the game’s history by officially designating seven specific Negro Leagues as ‘Major League’.”One of those seven leagues was the Negro National League I (1920-1931). Making that August 6^th game officially a Major League game. Overnight two four triple games became three. The August 7^th edition of the Montgomery Advertiser covered the four triple game and noted that feat. No box score has been found so the statistics will not enter into the record book, but the event cannot be excluded.

Major League baseball is just completing its 151^st season and only those three players have hit four triples in one game.

There have only been about sixty instances of Major League players striking three triples in one game only three of them resulting in a 4^th three bagger.
Of those sixty, 12 were by Hall of Famers: Sam Crawford, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Goose Goslin, Heinie Manush, Jim Bottomley, Earle Combs, Charlie Gehringer, Joe DiMaggio, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, and Ernie Banks.
Only one four triple event – the one in Montgomery – occurred in the 20^th century. Only one in the past 129 years.
Rap Dixon, the only Major League player with four triples in one game since 1897 has an inordinate amount of “unicornian legends.”In addition to the four triples game, he achieved a potential Major League record with 14 consecutive hits in 1929, those hits were part of another potential “modern” Major League record 16 consecutive reaches, in 1930 he hit the first homerun by an African-American in Yankee Stadium, in 1933 hestole the first base in the first Negro League All Star game, in 1934 he was the first professional manager for future Hall of Famer Leon Day, that same year he was offered straight up for Cool Papa Bell, in 1942.

Last Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Question of the Week

Q: In 1937, Monte Irvin joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name. What was it? In 1942, Larry Doby joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it? No one submitted either answer. Since no one has yet submitted the correct answers, I am going to let this question ride for another couple of weeks.

This Week’s Shadow Ball Significa Questions of the Week

In 1937, Monte Irvin joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it? In 1942, Larry Doby joined the Newark Eagles under an assumed name — what was it?

Ted Knorr is a Negro League baseball historian, longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and several local Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania.

Beyond his research and organizing work, Ted is frequently invited to speak at sporting events, community programs, family gatherings, and educational forums, where he brings Negro League history to life. His deep knowledge of the players, teams, and cultural impact of Black baseball has made him a trusted voice for audiences who want to understand the legacy and significance of the Negro Leagues.

Send questions or Significa answers to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033.

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What Happens When AI Becomes Part of Healthcare? What Patients Should Know Before the Machine Helps Make the Decision

Discover expert insights, practical tips, and trusted solutions designed to boost performance, save time, and deliver lasting results for individuals and businesses worldwide today online

By Florita Bell Griffin, Ph.D. | Houston, TX | September 22, 2026

Most patients do not walk into a doctor’s office expecting to meet artificial intelligence. They expect to see a physician, nurse, technician, receptionist, or other healthcare professional. Yet AI may already be involved in parts of the healthcare experience without appearing as a separate machine at all.

Artificial intelligence can assist with medical imaging, record review, risk assessment, scheduling, documentation, monitoring, and other tasks. Software may help identify patterns in scans, organize large amounts of clinical information, or flag something that deserves a professional’s attention. The FDA maintains a public list of AI-enabled medical devices that have met applicable premarket requirements, illustrating that AI is already part of regulated medical technology in the United States.

For patients, this can be encouraging. Healthcare produces enormous amounts of information, and no human being can process every data point instantly. A computer system capable of examining images or recognizing patterns quickly may help clinicians notice something sooner, reduce repetitive work, or bring useful information together before a decision is made.

Consider medical imaging. Radiologists may examine large numbers of X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, mammograms, and other images. AI-assisted systems can help identify patterns or areas that may deserve closer examination. The purpose is not necessarily to remove the radiologist from the process but to provide another analytical tool.

The distinction between assisting and deciding is important. Patients should not imagine healthcare AI as one giant machine that determines whether someone is sick. Many systems perform narrow tasks. One may analyze a particular kind of image, while another helps organize records or predict a specific risk.

AI may also help reduce a less visible burden in medicine: documentation. Doctors and nurses spend significant time recording visits, completing forms, reviewing histories, and navigating electronic medical records. Generative AI tools are increasingly being explored for summarizing conversations and preparing clinical notes, potentially allowing healthcare professionals to spend more of the visit interacting with patients rather than typing.

That could improve the patient experience if it works well. A physician who can maintain eye contact and listen carefully instead of focusing on a computer screen may have a better conversation with the person seeking care. At the same time, a generated medical note must accurately reflect what occurred. A polished summary that leaves out a symptom or incorrectly records a medication could create problems later.

Patients already have a practical tool for dealing with this possibility: read their medical records when they are available. If the summary of a visit contains an error, ask for it to be corrected. This was good advice before AI entered healthcare and becomes even more important as documentation grows more automated.

Personal health devices are another part of the story. Smartwatches and other consumer technologies can collect information about heart rate, movement, sleep, exercise, and other patterns. Some people may discover useful changes and bring them to a doctor’s attention. Others may become anxious about numbers they do not fully understand.

More data is not automatically the same as better health. A device may produce information without understanding the full medical context. Patients should distinguish between wellness information, a medical-device function, and an actual clinical diagnosis.

AI chatbots have added another layer because people increasingly ask them medical questions before speaking with a healthcare professional. Someone may describe a symptom, ask about a laboratory result, or request an explanation of a medical term. This can be enormously helpful when the goal is understanding.

The risk appears when explanation becomes diagnosis or when general information is treated as personalized medical advice. An AI system cannot necessarily examine the patient, feel an abdomen, listen to breathing, observe subtle physical behavior, confirm every medication, or know the entire history unless that information has been reliably provided.

A useful approach is to use AI to become better prepared for medical care. Ask it to explain unfamiliar vocabulary in plain English. Use it to create a list of questions for the doctor. Ask what information might be useful to bring to an appointment. After a visit, use it to help organize instructions while verifying anything important against the official medical record.

Privacy is especially important with health information. A person may be comfortable telling an AI system intimate medical details because the conversation feels private and nonjudgmental. Different services, however, may handle data differently, and not every consumer AI tool operates under the same privacy rules as a physician’s office or hospital.

Before uploading complete medical records, users should understand the service they are using and consider whether names, addresses, dates of birth, identification numbers, and other unnecessary details can be removed. The AI may need the laboratory value to explain what it means, but it usually does not need the patient’s Social Security number.

Patients should also become comfortable asking whether AI played a role in important medical decisions. The question does not need to be confrontational. Someone might simply ask, “Was software used to help interpret this scan?” or “Was this recommendation generated or assisted by an automated system?” Understanding the role of technology can help the patient understand the decision-making process.

The FDA has continued developing regulatory approaches for AI-enabled medical devices and, in August 2026, specifically sought public feedback about generative AI-enabled medical devices, including questions involving risk assessment, premarket evaluation, and monitoring after products reach the market. The fact that regulators are actively examining these systems reflects both their promise and their growing importance.

AI systems can also change over time. Traditional medical equipment may perform essentially the same function each time it is used. Software can be updated, and certain AI systems may be designed to evolve or be modified. This creates important questions about how changes are tested, documented, and monitored.

Patients do not need to understand software engineering to care about the answer. They simply need confidence that the tool influencing their healthcare has been appropriately evaluated and that qualified professionals remain responsible for how it is used.

Bias is another concern because medical data reflects real populations, and populations do not always receive equal care or appear equally in research datasets. An AI system trained on incomplete or unrepresentative information may perform differently across groups. Healthcare professionals and regulators therefore need to evaluate not just whether a system works on average but whether it works reliably for the kinds of patients who will actually depend on it.

The presence of AI does not automatically make a medical decision better or worse. A highly skilled clinician using a well-designed tool may make a better-informed decision. A poorly designed system used without sufficient oversight could create new problems.

The patient’s role remains important. Ask questions. Keep accurate medication lists. Review test results. Correct errors in the medical record. Seek another professional opinion when a major decision remains uncertain. AI does not eliminate any of these traditional forms of patient participation.

It may eventually strengthen them. A patient who once left an appointment confused by unfamiliar language can now receive an explanation in ordinary terms. Someone preparing for surgery can organize questions in advance. A caregiver managing information for an older relative can create a clearer timeline of appointments and instructions.

The best future for healthcare AI is not one in which machines quietly make decisions while patients simply accept them. It is one in which technology helps clinicians see more clearly, reduces unnecessary administrative work, gives patients better access to understandable information, and leaves responsibility where it belongs.

Medicine has always combined science with judgment. Artificial intelligence adds a powerful new source of analysis, but it does not change the basic truth that healthcare involves a real human being whose body, history, fears, goals, and circumstances cannot be reduced to a collection of data points.

Patients do not need to fear the machine entering healthcare, and they should not worship it either. They need to understand when it is present, what role it plays, and who remains responsible for the final decision. That knowledge can help ensure that artificial intelligence becomes a tool that strengthens medical care rather than something that quietly separates patients from the people caring for them.

Can You Trust What You See? Deepfakes, Altered Images, and the New Reality of Digital Evidence

Living With AI: How It Is Changing Work, Family, and Community

What Happens to Your Information After You Type It Into an AI Chatbot?

AI Can Save You Time, but Can It Make You Smarter?

Living With AI: How It Is Changing Work, Family, and Community

When Systems Forget Who They Were Built For

Why Familiarity Is Not the Same as Understanding

What is AutoLore?

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From AI Curiosity to Digital Mastery: Atlanta Entrepreneurs Put Artificial Intelligence to Work

Atlanta entrepreneurs move from AI curiosity to practical application through the Atlanta Business League’s Digital Mastery program, learning technology, strategy, security and business growth.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | September 22, 2026

By the time a group of Atlanta-area entrepreneurs gathered at the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs on July 31, artificial intelligence was no longer simply something to ask questions.

It had become something they were expected to put to work.

For months, participants in the Atlanta Business League’s Digital Mastery program had worked through online visibility, email marketing, social media, automation, data management, cybersecurity, business expenses and artificial intelligence.

Now came the harder question: What were they going to do with it?

The final session was designed to bring the lessons together as participants developed 30-day, 90-day and year-long AI plans for their businesses.

It was the culmination of a 10-session program called “Digital Mastery for Small Business Growth: From Online Presence to AI-Powered Success,” sponsored by Comcast and taught by Dr. Kimberly N. West, founder of Magnum Opus Consulting and an Atlanta Business League board member.

Fifty-three people registered for the 2026 program, following more than 35 business owners and professionals who received certificates of completion in 2025.

Atlanta Business League President CEO Leona Barr Davenport, who attended most of the sessions, said the commitment required from the entrepreneurs was itself significant.

“These are entrepreneurs who, despite being busy, took the time to learn,” Davenport said.

She credited Comcast, West and the participants with making the experience “both valuable and enjoyable.”

The course promised practical instruction aimed at helping entrepreneurs strengthen their online presence, streamline operations and use digital tools and AI to improve visibility, automate workflows and increase revenue. Each session was structured around instruction, hands-on implementation, questions and real-world application.

But learning artificial intelligence turned out to involve considerably more than learning how to write a good prompt.

For some participants, it meant reconsidering how customers find their businesses. For others, it meant discovering where important company information was stored, who had access to it or how much money was disappearing each month into software subscriptions.

And for at least one participant, it began with a more basic question:

What does any of this have to do with running a newspaper?

Learning From Inside the Classroom

Disclosure is important here.

I was not an outside observer of Digital Mastery. I was a participant.

Comcast asked me to document the cohort’s journey in a feature for The Truth Seekers Journal. When I invited classmates to share their experiences, I told them the story would not be written “from the outside looking in,” but from “right here in the trenches” with them.

That gave me an unusual position from which to report the story.

Dr, Kimberly N. West 7-31-26 session – (*Milton Kirby*)

I was simultaneously learning the material and evaluating whether it had practical value for the newspaper I publish.

Halfway through the course, I wasn’t convinced.

During a May conversation with fellow participant Delphyne Lomax Taylor, we talked about having to go back and watch the Zoom sessions again to fully absorb the material.

“My intentions was to apply the class to the newspaper,” I told her, according to a recording of the conversation. “And so far not much has been covered that actually applies to the newspaper.”

I had asked West for at least “one nugget” each week that could specifically apply to a newspaper because I saw publishing as different from many of the other businesses represented in the class.

Taylor was wrestling with the material in her own way.

She was already using ChatGPT for practical business tasks. She described writing proposals and emails herself and then putting them into AI to have the language tightened. At one point, she said she began paying for ChatGPT after reaching a usage limit while trying to complete her work.

The conversation captured something that could easily be lost in all the excitement surrounding AI.

Using it is one thing.

Understanding how it fits into an actual business is another.

More Than ChatGPT

That distinction was central to West’s approach.

Her course did not treat AI as a stand-alone technology that business owners needed to bolt onto their companies.

In one session, West urged participants to think about technology they were already using. AI capabilities were increasingly appearing inside existing business software, she explained.

Delphyne Lomax Taylor 7-31-26 session (*Milton Kirby*)

“The question is not which shiny tool you should chase,” West said. Instead, businesses should ask whether they are using the AI capabilities already available inside their existing tools.

“Because that’s really where the work is actually happening.”

That approach matters at a time when entrepreneurs can be bombarded with new AI applications promising to write, design, automate, analyze or otherwise transform their businesses.

West’s advice was to begin with the business problem.

When one participant asked how many AI tools a business should use, West said there was no universal answer.

“What you need to do is you have to look at your business and look at what the business needs are and then find the tool or tools that are going to satisfy the needs of your business,” she said.

It was a less glamorous lesson than simply demonstrating the newest AI product.

But it may have been one of the course’s most useful.

Getting the House in Order

That became particularly apparent during the May 14 session.

West called it “Get Your House in Order.”

The subjects were money, data and security.

“This is not the sexiest module that we have,” West told the class. “It’s a little boring sometimes. But it is probably one of the most important modules that we will have.”

One exercise was what West called the “seven day disappearance test.”

Suppose the owner became completely unavailable for seven days.

What would break?

What would stall?

What would become confusing?

Participants were told to think about passwords, backups, systems, vendors, approvals, money, data, security and operations. Some said payroll or operational decisions could suffer. Others said their businesses could continue. Taylor said her business partner could step in, but if both were unavailable, most or all of the business could be affected.

Then West turned to data.

“Data is the asset that most business owners do not realize that they own,” she said.

Customer records. Contracts. Vendor records. Receipts. Reports. Standard operating procedures. Content libraries. Training materials.

“Data is business memory.”

For a newspaper publisher wondering how this course applied to journalism, that was one of those nuggets I had been asking for.

A newspaper’s memory is its reporting.

Recordings. Transcripts. Photographs. Source documents. Research. Contacts. Drafts. Published articles.

Lose control of those assets and AI is the least of the problem.

The session also pushed participants to examine recurring technology expenses and security practices. West encouraged them to know what they were paying for, whether tools were actually being used and whether critical accounts had backups, multifactor authentication and recovery plans.

Suzanne Forte, senior director of public relations for Comcast’s Big South Region, said business owners are confronting economic uncertainty, rising costs and a technology environment moving faster than many can track.

At the same time, they are increasingly expected to understand cybersecurity, digital operations and customer experience while still operating their businesses.

The cohort was intended to help entrepreneurs apply technology to customer engagement, operations and business decisions.

“Technology and digital skills help people connect, learn, work, and thrive,” Forte said in written responses to questions from The Truth Seekers Journal.

She said Comcast’s support was intended to help entrepreneurs “access tools and knowledge they can use to adapt, grow, and participate more fully in the digital economy.”

But Forte’s definition of success did not stop at completing a class or receiving a certificate.

“When participants apply what they learn, share those skills, and strengthen their businesses and networks, that demonstrates meaningful progress,” she said.

By that measure, the question becomes not what was taught during the 10 sessions, but what participants did afterward.

From Understanding to Execution

Dr. Patricia Kelly Marsh came to Digital Mastery with a considerable head start.

Marsh is a physician and CEO of Ask Me Your MD, Inc., or AMY MD. Her company was already using AI to support what she described as a scalable telechat care model.

She joined the program because she wanted a better understanding of available AI and digital tools and how they could be strategically applied to healthcare delivery, technology development and company growth.

For Marsh, one of the most significant changes involved digital visibility.

Before the course, she said, digital visibility seemed important but broad. The program helped her become more deliberate about brand awareness, online engagement and the company’s digital footprint.

Marsh reported that after applying lessons from the program, AMY MD experienced more than a 400% increase in engagement across its social media platforms. She also said website events per session increased and the site’s key-event rate nearly tripled.

Those results were reported by Marsh and were not independently verified by The Truth Seekers Journal.

She described the experience as taking her “from basic understanding to bold execution.”

The program, she said, gave her the tools and confidence to use AI and digital strategy to help grow and scale the company.

When the Person Outranks the Business

Yvonne Bryant Johnson found a different lesson.

Johnson said an AI and strategic branding exercise revealed that her own name had greater online visibility and recognition than her company, Bryant & Associates..

“That realization was both humbling and transformational,” Johnson wrote.

It made her reconsider the relationship between her personal brand, the company’s identity and her long-term business strategy.

Johnson said assignments that initially felt like homework became opportunities to sharpen her thinking about branding, search-engine optimization, visibility and trust.

She also praised West’s ability to turn complicated concepts into “practical tools and actionable frameworks.”

Johnson’s perspective comes with relevant context: she has longstanding ties to the Atlanta Business League. She described herself as a founding faculty member of ABL’s Take Your Business 2 the Next Level program and a past ABL board member.

Still, her experience illustrates one of the course’s broader lessons.

AI does not necessarily have to invent something new for a business.

Sometimes its value comes from revealing something about the business that was already there.

Owning the Audience

West also repeatedly pushed participants to distinguish between digital platforms they use and digital assets they own.

After a session devoted to email systems, she reminded participants that social media companies can come and go and algorithms can change.

An email list, however, belongs to the business.

“If you walked away understanding that one thing, Session 2 did its job,” West wrote afterward.

Another session dealt with finding where an audience actually lives online and using AI to create content that sounds like the business rather than like everyone else using the same technology.

For small businesses, those lessons can be easy to overlook amid fascination with generative AI.

The technology may be new.

The underlying business questions are not.

Who are your customers?

How do they find you?

What information do you own?

What are you paying for?

Who has access to your systems?

What happens if you disappear tomorrow?

And what problem are you actually trying to solve?

Consumers or Creators?

By the final session, the conversation had moved beyond simply learning to operate AI tools.

West challenged participants to think about their relationship to the technology itself.

“We are consumers, right?” she said, according to a recording of the session. “We need to be creators or producers.”

She continued: “We need to be decision makers about the data and where it’s used and how it’s used.”

The recording is imperfect, but the larger point is clear: learning to use AI should eventually mean understanding enough to make informed choices about how it fits into a business.

That is a considerably higher standard than learning how to ask ChatGPT a question.

And it helps explain why the final assignment mattered.

Months of individual exercises were supposed to become an operating plan.

Thirty days.

Ninety days.

A year.

The participant now had to decide what deserved to be implemented.

The Work Begins After the Certificate

There is no single way to measure what 53 registrants took away from Digital Mastery.

The written participant responses available to The Truth Seekers Journal do not support claiming that every member of the cohort experienced the same transformation.

They clearly did not enter the program at the same place.

Marsh was already incorporating AI into a healthcare company.

Johnson discovered a branding issue.

Taylor was using AI to tighten proposals and emails while acknowledging that she needed to revisit some of the classes to fully absorb the material.

And I spent part of the program asking how lessons designed for conventional businesses applied to an independent newspaper.

That diversity may be one of the most useful things about looking at the program from inside the classroom.

“AI mastery” does not necessarily mean mastering the same tool.

It can mean understanding which technology a business needs, and which it does not.

It can mean discovering that information scattered across computers is an asset that needs to be organized.

It can mean realizing that another monthly subscription is not automatically an investment.

It can mean securing an account, owning an email list, understanding an audience or recognizing that the business cannot function for seven days without its owner.

And sometimes it can mean recognizing that the best use of artificial intelligence is not allowing it to make a decision, but becoming better prepared to make the decision yourself.

Davenport said the sessions challenged participants to reconsider how they operate their businesses and where new opportunities might exist.

“They challenged our thinking, broadened our perspectives, and opened our eyes to new opportunities for growth and innovation,” she said. “The experience encouraged us to think differently, embrace change, and explore new ways to stay current, strengthen, and grow our businesses.”

For Davenport, that willingness to change may ultimately matter more than mastering any particular technology.

“The future belongs to entrepreneurs who are willing to pivot, learn, adapt, and grow,” she said.

Comcast’s Forte said she hopes participants leave with the confidence to use technology more strategically to reach customers, streamline operations and identify new paths for growth.

The certificates can show that the participants completed the program.

They cannot show whether Digital Mastery worked.

That test began when the laptops closed, the participants left the Russell Innovation Center and returned to their businesses.

What they do differently next will provide the answer.

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ARTIST PROFILE: Jordan Powell

Professional dancer Jordan Powell blends discipline, culture and resilience across stages and continents while expanding representation and inspiring the next generation of Black dancers.

A Dancer Shaped by Discipline, Lifted by Culture, and Carried Across Continents

By Milton Kirby | New York, NY | September 20, 2026

There are dancers who learn movement.

Then there are dancers who build a life around it.

For Jordan Powell, dance has become both profession and language, a way of communicating across stages, cultures and, sometimes, barriers that spoken words cannot easily cross.

She has performed contemporary dance in New York. She has worked internationally in China. She has appeared in commercial projects, worked with different companies and choreographers, and earned a place among the Radio City Rockettes.

Yet behind those credentials is something less visible.

Discipline.

Powell grew up in New Jersey and began dancing as a child after her parents enrolled her in classes.

What began as a childhood activity became something more.

“I fell in love with it and haven’t stopped since,” Powell said.

Eventually, she decided to study dance at the University of Southern California, where intensive dance training existed within the larger university environment.

Since graduating in 2022, Powell has built a professional career that does not fit neatly into a single box.

She is a freelance dancer.

That means one performance may belong to one choreographer, the next to another company and another project somewhere else entirely.

Her professional work has crossed contemporary dance, jazz, modern dance, ballet and other styles.

That variety is intentional.

“There are a lot of different realms within dance that you could focus on,” Powell said. “For me, I found that I enjoy aspects of multiple different areas.”

That range has taken her from New York stages to Guangzhou, China.

When Dance Becomes the Common Language

Powell traveled to China as one of about five American dancers working with a dance company based in Guangzhou.

She did not speak Mandarin.

Some of the Chinese dancers spoke English. A choreographer who spoke both languages helped translate.

But something else began happening inside the rehearsal room.

The dancers watched one another.

They studied movement.

They learned cues.

They communicated through the work itself.

“At the end of the day, it didn’t feel any much different than a rehearsal that I would do in the States,” Powell said. “I think the dance is the dance and the rehearsal is rehearsal.”

That experience revealed something fundamental about the art form.

Movement could bridge what language could not.

Powell and the other dancers eventually performed at the Guangzhou Opera House. She remembers an audience excited not only by the performance, but by the cultural exchange happening onstage.

The production included live musicians and the use of paint on canvas.

For Powell, performing internationally was something more personal.

It was part of a dream she had carried since childhood.

“Doing the thing that I wanted to do since a little girl was really fulfilling,” she said.

But China also placed Powell in another familiar position.

She was the only Black woman in the company.

Being the Only One

That experience did not end when Powell returned to the United States.

In parts of the contemporary concert dance world, she said she has frequently found herself as one of a few Black women in the room—or the only one.

It is not a distinction she seeks.

It is a reality she notices.

“I don’t enjoy” being the only one, she said.

But Powell also understands what her presence can mean to someone watching from the audience.

She remembers wanting to attend performances and see someone who looked like her onstage.

Young Black dancers, she said, may want to explore ballet, contemporary dance or other genres but not always see themselves represented in those spaces.

That makes showing up important.

“It’s important to be in those spaces to remind everyone what Black dancers can do and what Black dancers are capable of,” Powell said.

Her presence, however, should not be mistaken for tokenism.

Powell has worked for it.

Asked whether her career reflects talent, tenacity or some combination of both, she resisted the suggestion that she might simply declare herself the best dancer in New York.

But she did not minimize the work required to get there.

“I have worked extremely hard to get where I am and to perform in all of the pieces that I’ve performed in,” she said. “So I think it does speak to both skill and also tenacity as well.”

What the Audience Doesn’t See

That tenacity matters because professional dance is physically demanding.

The audience sees the finished product.

The costumes.

The music.

The lights.

The bodies moving across a stage.

What it does not necessarily see are the hours of rehearsal, physical conditioning, mental preparation and decisions required to make those moments appear effortless.

“Dancing is extremely physical and intense,” Powell said.

But she said the job demands more than physical strength.

A dancer must understand musicality, timing and choreography. Dancers must communicate with partners and choreographers. They may have to step into a character or emotional state.

They also have to protect the instrument they depend upon most—their bodies.

Powell pays attention to nutrition, injury prevention and conditioning. She cross-trains and incorporates activities such as yoga, cardio and strength training into her routine.

In that respect, professional dancers are athletes.

But unlike many athletes, they are expected to turn all that physical preparation into art.

Then there is the unpredictability of live performance.

A dancer forgets choreography.

A prop fails.

A costume malfunctions.

Someone falls.

The audience may never know.

“You can never start over,” Powell said. “Once the show is going, the show is going.”

So the dancer adjusts.

Improvises.

Gets back up.

And keeps moving.

More Than One Stage

That ability to move between worlds has become part of Powell’s professional identity.

She has performed in works by contemporary choreographers such as Benjamin Freedman, including a recent collaborative production with the Seán Curran Company. Earlier in her career, she danced with Gibney Company in New York.

She has also become a Radio City Rockette, a role she describes as exciting and one she enjoys.

But no single company or title fully defines her.

Powell’s career is broader than one stage.

She sees possibilities in film, international performance, dance education and teaching. She wants to perform in places she has not yet reached.

She is also interested in making dance more accessible to communities that may not naturally see themselves connected to the professional dance world.

That matters because Powell believes dance belongs to far more people than those who train professionally.

People dance at family gatherings.

They dance with friends.

They dance as part of cultural and religious traditions.

They move to celebrate.

They move to express emotion.

In that sense, Powell argues, dance is already part of the human experience.

“I think it’s an extremely important part of our life,” she said.

Professional dance simply takes that human instinct and develops it through years of training, technique and discipline.

The Next Dancer

Powell knows there may be a young girl somewhere who loves to dance but cannot imagine making a career from it.

Maybe she does not see dancers who look like her.

Maybe she does not know anyone in the profession.

Maybe someone has already told her that the dream is unrealistic.

Powell has a message for her.

Keep dreaming.

Do not limit what you believe is possible.

Find people whose careers resemble the one you want. Reach out. Ask questions. Seek guidance.

And put in the work.

“There are plenty of people who will try to tell you what is or isn’t possible or what you can and can’t do,” Powell said.

If the passion is real, she believes people owe it to themselves to find out how far it can take them.

Powell is still finding out.

There are stages she has not performed on.

Countries she has not visited.

Films she has not appeared in.

Students she has not taught.

Audiences she has not yet reached.

The little girl from New Jersey who fell in love with dance has already crossed an ocean doing what she once dreamed of doing.

But she is not finished. She keeps dancing.

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Dream Pull Away From Sky as Playoff Positioning Takes Center Stage

Atlanta Dream defeat Chicago Sky 106-81 behind Angel Reese’s historic rebounding performance, strengthening their position in a tight race for playoff home-court advantage.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | September 20, 2026

The Atlanta Dream have already secured a place in the WNBA playoffs.

Where they will begin the postseason remains unsettled.

Atlanta used a dominant second half Saturday to defeat the Chicago Sky 106-81 in its final regular-season home game at State Farm Arena, improving to 28-14 and strengthening its position in a tightly contested race for home-court advantage.

The Dream entered the final two games of the regular season in fourth place, one-half game behind third place and one-half game ahead of fifth.

“We have to pick up some wins,” Dream Head Coach Karl Smesko said.

Atlanta will finish the regular season with back-to-back road games against the New York Liberty in Brooklyn on Monday and Wednesday.

A Different Team After Halftime

Chicago kept the game competitive through the first half.

Allisha Gray takes a jump shot (*Casey Sykes*)

Atlanta changed that quickly after halftime.

The Dream scored 32 points in the third quarter and carried an 83-66 lead into the fourth. Allisha Gray scored 10 points during the quarter as Atlanta began creating the separation that had been missing earlier.

“We just came out with a different energy,” Gray said. “We knew we had to punch first.”

Atlanta never gave Chicago an opportunity to recover.

Isobel Borlase helped put the game away in the fourth quarter with three consecutive 3-pointers as the Dream extended their advantage and eventually walked away with a 25-point victory.

The win completed a three-game season sweep of Chicago.

Atlanta shot 52.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range while scoring 46 points in the paint. The Dream also received 39 points from its bench.

Five Atlanta players scored in double figures.

Reese Reaches 500

Angel Reese led the Dream with 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and three blocks.

The performance gave Reese her 31st double-double of the season, extending her WNBA single-season record.

It also produced another milestone.

Reese became the first player in WNBA history to collect 500 rebounds in a single season.

She entered the game with 495 rebounds and finished with 505.

The 23-point performance was Reese’s 13th game with at least 20 points this season.

Reese joined Atlanta in April after spending her first two WNBA seasons with Chicago. The Dream acquired the two-time All-Star from the Sky in exchange for Atlanta’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, with Atlanta also receiving second-round pick-swap rights in 2028.

Against her former team Saturday, Reese’s rebounding milestone became part of a much broader Atlanta performance.

Production Throughout the Lineup

Borlase scored a career-high 18 points and added three steals.

Gray finished with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Rhyne Howard added 14 points and four assists. Her fifth made field goal of the night gave her 1,000 for her WNBA career.

Jordin Canada recorded a double-double of her own with 11 points and a game-high 10 assists. It marked Canada’s 10th game this season with at least 10 assists.

The starting combination of Canada, Gray, Howard, Naz Hillmon and Reese improved to 27-8.

Atlanta also continued to generate offense through its defense.

The Dream recorded 13 steals against Chicago, with Borlase and Gray collecting three apiece.

Those steals pushed Atlanta’s season total to 374, establishing a WNBA single-season record and surpassing the previous mark held by the 2009 Indiana Fever. The 374 total was also reported following Saturday’s game as the Dream’s new league record.

Two Games Left

Atlanta’s 106 points and collection of individual milestones made Saturday a memorable regular-season home finale.

But the larger question facing the Dream will be answered away from State Farm Arena.

The playoff berth is secure.

The positioning is not.

DeWanna Bonner – Courtesy photo (*Casey Sykes*)

Atlanta has two regular-season games remaining, both against New York in Brooklyn. With teams separated by narrow margins in the standings, those games could help determine whether the Dream begin the postseason at home.

Saturday demonstrated what Atlanta can look like when its offense and defense are working together.

The Dream shot better than 50 percent from the field, placed five players in double figures, received 39 points from its bench and forced enough turnovers to add another league record to the season.

Now Atlanta has to take that performance on the road.

As Smesko put it, the assignment is straightforward.

“We have to pick up some wins.”

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When AI Makes the Lie Look Real: Warnock Warns of Threat to Democracy

Sen. Raphael Warnock warns about AI misinformation after fabricated health stories fooled constituents, raising questions about artificial intelligence, social media and election integrity.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | September 18, 2026

At first, some of the images were almost funny.

One showed Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock with a full head of hair. Another claimed he had become the grandfather of twins.

Neither was true.

“I should be so lucky,” Warnock joked about the hair. “I checked the mirror this morning. Not true.”

But other posts appearing on a Facebook page carried claims that were harder to laugh away.

One falsely claimed Warnock had collapsed on stage. Another said he had undergone surgery and was recovering from cancer.

Those stories were convincing enough that some people apparently believed them.

“Some well-meaning constituents and friends, well-wishers, actually called, saying that they were praying for my speedy recovery,” Warnock said.

Warnock had not suffered the health problems described in the posts.

Instead, the fabricated images and stories became the basis for a warning from the Georgia senator about artificial intelligence, misinformation and what could happen when false content becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic information.

On Sept. 15, Warnock released a video discussing the posts. His Senate office issued a statement the following day.

“What if hours before an election, someone created a page with AI-generated images, fake stories about the candidates?” Warnock asked. “How will voters know what’s true and what’s not true?”

From the Absurd to the Serious

Warnock said he recently encountered a Facebook page containing numerous AI-generated images and stories about him.

Some were strange enough for him to joke about.

There was the newly grown hair.

There were the nonexistent twin grandchildren.

Then came the health claims.

Warnock said posts suggesting that he was experiencing major health problems and had undergone surgery received “thousands of likes, thousands of views.” His Senate office said other fabricated material claimed he had collapsed on stage and was recovering from cancer.

The Facebook page was later taken down after Warnock’s team notified Facebook, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Available public reporting has not identified who operated the page or established why the false material was created.

“As these tools become increasingly powerful, it will get harder and harder to distinguish fact from fiction,” Warnock said.

What Happens Just Before an Election?

Warnock’s warning focused particularly on timing.

False information about a public official can be corrected. An artificial image can be identified. A fabricated story can be debunked.

But Warnock raised the possibility of false AI-generated information appearing only hours before voters go to the polls.

That could leave journalists, campaigns, technology companies and voters with limited time to determine whether rapidly circulating information is authentic.

Warnock called on social media companies to move quickly to label AI-generated material. He also called for congressional action.

“We need guardrails. We need regulations. We need to figure this out,” Warnock said. “The future is already here.”

He did not identify a specific piece of legislation in the video or detail precisely what regulations he wants Congress to adopt.

That leaves a larger policy debate unresolved.

Determining whether an image was generated by artificial intelligence is one question. Determining when and how government should regulate AI-generated political material raises additional questions involving technology, enforcement and free expression.

Warnock’s position is that additional safeguards are needed.

AI Concerns Extend Beyond Social Media

The false Facebook posts are not Warnock’s only recent encounter with questions surrounding artificial intelligence.

Weeks earlier, he visited the proposed site of OpenAI’s 3.2-gigawatt data center in Effingham County. After meeting with residents, Warnock announced his support for a statewide moratorium on new data center construction unless projects meet safeguards involving utility costs, transparency and pollution. His Senate office also referenced the data-center issue when announcing his response to the false AI posts.

The issues are different.

One concerns the physical infrastructure needed to support artificial intelligence and large-scale computing.

The other concerns information produced with AI and how that information reaches the public.

Warnock acknowledged that artificial intelligence is already part of everyday life and said policymakers must also address questions involving jobs and safety.

But the false reports about his health gave him another issue to raise: what happens when something created by artificial intelligence is accepted as real.

When the False Story Looks Real

There is still much that is unknown about the Facebook page.

Publicly available reporting has not established who created it, whether the operator had a political or financial motive, or whether the material was produced simply to attract online traffic.

Those distinctions matter.

Without that information, there is no basis to conclude that the posts were created specifically to influence an election or damage Warnock politically.

What is known is more straightforward.

The page contained fabricated images and stories about a sitting United States senator.

Some of the posts attracted thousands of likes and views.

Some falsely said he was seriously ill.

And some people who encountered the claims apparently believed them.

They called.

They offered prayers for his recovery.

That real-world reaction is what Warnock pointed to when he raised a larger question about artificial intelligence and elections.

“What if hours before an election,” he asked, “someone created a page with AI-generated images, fake stories about the candidates?”

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