Tips on stepping back from screens and starting a new hobby

AP NEWS - During the winter of 2024, Rachel Martin came to a startling realization: She spent most of her free time staring at screens. "I couldn't really think of hobbies or things that I did that took a break from the digital world," she said. With pastimes like watching television, playing video games and creating digital art, Martin, 33, sometimes spent more than 12 hours per day looking at

Unpaid caregiving work can feel small and personal, but that doesn’t take away its ethical value

THE CONVERSATION - As child care costs outpace wages, more families are facing difficult decisions about whether to scale back work in order to care for loved ones. Caregiving remains the top reason women ages 25-54 leave the workforce. And it's not just parents who struggle. Nearly 60 million Americans provide care for an adult family member, and two-thirds say they have trouble balancing their jobs with their caregiving responsibilities.

Lumbee Tribe’s federal recognition is assured after final push by Trump

AP NEWS - With the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act by the Senate on Wednesday, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is all but assured to become a federally recognized tribal nation. The state-recognized tribe, whose historic and genealogical claims have been a subject of controversy, has been seeking federal recognition for generations. Congress has considered the issue for more than 30 years, but the effort gained momentum

My Prescription Costs What?! Pharmacists Offer Tips And Tricks That Could Reduce Your Out-Of-Pocket Drug Costs

The Conversation - Even when Americans have health insurance, they can have a hard time affording the drugs they've been prescribed. About 1 in 5 U.S. adults skip filling a prescription due to its cost at least once a year, according to KFF, a health research organization. And 1 in 3 take steps to cut their prescription drug costs, such as splitting pills when it's not medically necessary or switching

Health Insurance Costs Surge as Policy Fight Drags On

The Conversation - Dec. 15, 2025 - the deadline for enrolling in a marketplace plan through the Affordable Care Act for 2026 - came and went without an agreement on the federal subsidies that kept ACA plans more affordable for many Americans. Despite a last-ditch attempt in the House to extend ACA subsidies, with Congress adjourning for the year on Dec. 19, it's looking almost certain that Americans relying on

’60 Minutes’ report on Salvadoran prison pops up online after being pulled by CBS

NEW YORK, Dec 22 (Reuters) - A "60 Minutes" report on a Salvadoran mega-prison housing U.S.-deported migrants spread online on Monday, a day after CBS News pulled the segment before its scheduled Sunday broadcast, saying it needed more reporting. The segment, which included allegations that Venezuelan deportees sent to the prison were tortured and raised questions about how the U.S. characterized them, had first mistakenly streamed on Canada's Global TV

Housing affordability, availability top the news in 2025

NC NEWSLINE - Housing affordability and availability spent a lot of time in the headlines in North Carolina and across the country in 2025. Rents have risen faster than incomes, pushing rental units out of reach of many modest income tenants. And while interest rates have begun to come down, higher rates in recent years and climbing home prices have pushed  homeownership out of reach for many Americans.    

UN Recognizes Haitian Music And Dance

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Compas, a beloved Haitian music and dance genre inspired by merengue and infused with percussion, made UNESCO's cultural heritage list on Wednesday. The syncopated rhythm, created in the 1950s, wafts from bars, bedrooms and businesses across Haiti, lifting spirits and providing solace from the country's grinding poverty and soaring gang violence. On the night of Nov. 18, when Haiti classified for the World Cup for the

A New USW Leader Prepares To Take Office And Is Also Making History

Pittsburgh - A historic new slate of officers will take over leadership of the United Steelworkers (USW) in March following the union's regular four-year nomination and election process that took place this fall. Roxanne Brown, currently serving as USW international vice president at large, will be sworn in March 1, 2026, as the union's next international president. Brown replaces David McCall, who did not seek reelection, having served as USW

Carl Carlton, Soul And Funk Icon Behind “Bad Mama Jama,” Dies

Carl Carlton, the Detroit-born singer whose voice helped shape generations of soul, funk, and R&B, has died at the age of 72. His death was confirmed by family members on December 14, 2025. Carlton had experienced ongoing health issues in recent years following a stroke in 2019. Carlton, born Carlton Hudgens on May 21, 1953, showed musical talent early. Raised in Detroit, he began singing as a child and entered