Statement From SAU Interim President Dr. Marcus H. Burgess

With unwavering confidence and determination, I address you today regarding Saint Augustine's University's response to SACSCOC's recent decision. I assure you that SAU will keep its doors open, and we have a clear plan to navigate the challenges ahead. Importantly, SAU will remain accredited throughout the arbitration and litigation processes. Our seniors will still graduate with a degree from an accredited institution, and our students will still receive college credit for

Texas School Legally Punished Black Student Over Hairstyle, Judge Says

ANAHUAC, Texas (AP) - A Black high school student's monthslong punishment by his Texas school district for refusing to change his hairstyle does not violate a new state law that prohibits race-based hair discrimination, a judge ruled on Thursday. Darryl George, 18, has not been in his regular Houston-area high school classes since Aug. 31 because the district, Barbers Hill, says the length of his hair violates its dress code.

HIV/AIDS Activist Hydeia Broadbent, Known For Her Inspirational Talks As A Child, Dies at 39

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Hydeia Broadbent, the HIV/AIDS activist who came to national prominence in the 1990s as a young child for her inspirational talks to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus she was born with, has died. She was 39. Broadbent's father announced on Facebook that she had died "after living with Aids since birth," but did not provide more details. The Clark County coroner's office said Broadbent died

South Carolina House approves Sunday liquor sales, potentially lifting another religious restriction

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The South Carolina House has given key approval to a bill allowing liquor stores to stay open on Sundays for a few hours if their local governments allow it. Supporters said it is time to update antiquated, centuries-old rules based on religion that designated Sunday as a day of rest. They said it would help businesses - especially those frequented by tourists who spend well over

Social justice advocates warn judges’ partisanship means ‘there are no guardrails’

North Carolinians should be concerned about the high stakes of the 2024  judicial elections  - and beyond, social justice leaders say. "Our courts have been, and should be, the guard rails. They should function as a way for checks and balances against unconstitutional things, things that are just unfair, things that give one group of people privileges or access to resources over another," said Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of

If court sinks Leandro, NC children will go down with it (Editorial)

By: Jonathan Sher ''Saturday Night Live's" Weekend Update" joked recently that the menu on the Titanic — the infamous, ill-fated luxury ocean liner — included not only gourmet foods, but also "bottomless water." Perhaps innocent joking about it has become acceptable. And yet, this preventable tragedy was no joke. The most fundamental lesson is that there's no such thing as sinking half a boat. Roughly two thirds of the Titanic's

DHHS putting $5.5 million into behavioral health program for formerly incarcerated people

BOSTON (AP) - Microsoft said Wednesday that U.S. adversaries - chiefly Iran and North Korea and to a lesser extent Russia and China - are beginning to use its generative artificial intelligence to mount or organize offensive cyber operations. The technology giant and business partner OpenAI said they had jointly detected and disrupted the malicious cyber actors' use of their AI technologies - shutting down their accounts. In a blog post, Microsoft said

Breast cancer cluster suspected at NC State’s Poe Hall, contaminated with PCBs; separate study shows those chemicals linked to that cancer

NC NEWSLINE - A 2020 study of nearly 800 North Carolina women found that PCBs might increase the risk death from breast cancer, raising questions about a suspected cluster at N.C. State's Poe Hall, which is contaminated with high levels of the toxic chemical. In addition, among women who already have breast cancer, the study found PCBs could contribute to deaths from all causes. PCBs are known to accumulate in breast tissue.

CVS Health grows more cautious about 2024 as it deals with rising Medicare Advantage costs

Busy Medicare Advantage businesses have CVS Health and other insurance providers spooked about the new year. The health care giant said Wednesday that it was scaling back already cautious expectations for 2024 as it tries to understand why costs keep rising from the privately run version of the government's Medicare program. Medicare Advantage plans cover people who are age 65 and older and others with severe disabilities or illnesses. CVS

Report finds 93 US deaths after cosmetic surgery in Dominican Republic since 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. health officials say 93 Americans have died after cosmetic surgery in the Dominican Republic since 2009, with many of the recent deaths involving a procedure known as a Brazilian butt lift. The operation has grown in popularity recently and has led to deaths in other countries as well, including the U.S. A report issued Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could not say