NC Senate uses Juneteenth holiday to advance numerous bills, including DEI ban

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1228"] The North Carolina Legislative Building (Photo: Clayton Henkel)[/caption] By: Rob Schofield In a move that raised eyebrows and drew criticism from members of the public and Democratic lawmakers, the North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday - the day of the national Juneteenth holiday - advanced a controversial bill to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in state government. Juneteenth has been a federal holiday since President Joe Biden

Study shows housing affordability continues to bedevil teaching profession

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1536"] This workforce/teacher housing development in Bertie County opened last summer. Dream Point can house as many as 40 people. (Photo: Bertie County Schools)[/caption] Even as teachers' salaries have risen in some states, the changing housing market has left many of them "priced out" of communities where they work, according to a recent paper by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) titled "Priced Out: The Growing

What’s Going Down in Taylortown: Black Town Fights for Its Future Against Developers

By Ms Jheri Worldwide Staff Writer In the heart of Moore County, a battle is brewing that pits a small, historically Black town against the formidable forces of corporate developers and political pressure. Taylortown, named for its founder an emancipated enslaved man who traced his roots to Nigeria, Remus Taylor. A favored caddy on the Pinehurst greens, Taylor obtained land and founded a community that has long carved its own

‘Not Our War’: Some US Lawmakers Back Resolution To Block Involvement In Iran

[caption id="attachment_12377" align="alignnone" width="683"] Iran Israel Military Crisis and armed confrontation or Israeli Iranian proxy war conflict with two opposing governments in a dispute as a persian gulf and armed middle east.[/caption] By Chris Stein The Guardian As Donald Trump publicly threatens to join Israel in attacking Iran, an unlikely coalition of lawmakers has moved to prevent the president from involving US forces in the conflict without Congress's approval. On

Advocates call for North Carolina budget to support Black mental health

NC Newsline - Advocates representing the group Advance Carolina and a coalition of progressive nonprofits gathered in front of the North Carolina Legislative Building Tuesday morning to raise awareness about the mental health of Black people. Speakers from a variety of backgrounds targeted the state budget, asking lawmakers to support increased funding for mental health services in schools and communities and halt the dismantling of mental health resources in public

SB 153 – Sweeping Immigration Bill On Governor’s Desk, New Mandates Coming

By Ms Jheri Worldwide Staff Writer A controversial bill that would enlist state and local agencies in federal immigration enforcement has passed the North Carolina Congress and now awaits a decision from the Governor, who may sign it into law or issue a veto. The bill, SB 153, mandates a significant shift in the responsibilities of numerous state agencies, requiring them to actively determine the immigration status of individuals in

Witnesses testify about Black communities split by NC Republicans’ redistricting plans

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1536"] A map of new proposed congressional districts appears at North Carolina Senate Redistricting Committee meeting - Photo: Lynn Bonner[/caption] NC Newsline - Former state Rep. Earl Jones said Monday that Republicans' plan for congressional districts in Greensboro looked like a glass smashed against the pavement. Jones testified on the first day of the federal trial of North Carolina's congressional and state legislative districts. He is a

Civil rights agency moves to fire judge fighting Trump directives

[caption id="attachment_12337" align="alignnone" width="980"] Karen Ortiz, an administrative judge at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, poses for photos, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, file)[/caption] (AP NEWS) The federal agency tasked with protecting workers' civil rights has moved to terminate a New York administrative judge who has resisted compliance with directives from the White House, including President Donald Trump's executive order decreeing male and female as two

The man suspected of shooting 2 Minnesota lawmakers is in custody after surrendering to the police

BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (AP) - The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge. Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He is accused of posing as a police officer and

Protester shot and killed at ‘No Kings’ rally in Utah, police say

(AP NEWS) A man who was believed to be part of a peacekeeping team for the "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City shot at a person who was brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, striking both the rifleman and a bystander who later died at the hospital, authorities said Sunday. Police took the alleged rifleman, Arturo Gamboa, 24, into custody Saturday evening on a murder charge, Salt Lake City Police Chief