Author: The Carolinian

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.    

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

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, 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

The Conversation - Rising energy costs consume a bigger and bigger chunk of family budgets in the United States. Our research has found that for many African American families, those costs take an extra big bite out of their incomes. This bite, the percentage of a household's income used to pay energy bills, is called a household's "energy burden." Households with high energy burdens struggle to adapt to rising prices.

AP NEWS - Kwanzaa has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States since its founding in 1966 and also is celebrated in countries with large African descendant populations. The holiday, which serves as a nationwide communal event reinforcing self-determination and unity in the face of oppression, spans seven days from the day after Christmas through New Year's Day. It is observed in large,

RALEIGH, NC - Along a quiet tributary to Marks Creek, 28 acres of pines, hardwoods and streambanks are now protected in perpetuity and connected to a growing network of open space thanks to new conservation easements completed by Wake County's Farmland Preservation Program, Wake County's Open Space Preservation Program and Triangle Land Conservancy. This is the first project to combine funding from the Wake County Farmland Preservation Program and the

[caption id="attachment_15174" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Ernest C. Withers, I Am A Man, Sanitation Workers Strike, Memphis, Tennessee, March 28, 1968[/caption] The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., is presenting the first exhibition to explore photography's impact on a cultural and aesthetic movement that celebrated Black history, identity, and beauty. The exhibition, titled Photography and the Black Arts Movement, 1955-1985, focuses on the contributions of American and Afro-Atlantic diaspora photographers in

NEW YORK (AP) - Are you feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to spend money on gifts, parties, and travel this holiday season? The job market is tough, student loan and credit card debt are rising, and prices for many items remain high due to inflation. If you're feeling financially strained, know that you're not the only one feeling that way, said Lindsay Bryan-Podvin, a financial therapist and host of the

Carolina Public Press - Disagreements have always existed over early voting sites in North Carolina, no matter who is in power. County election board members regularly debate over whether to allow Sunday early voting, how many sites to use, where they should be located and how long they should be open. But in Jackson and Guilford counties, Democratic board members are raising concerns over the exclusion of early voting sites