Efforts To Restrict Or Protect Libraries Both Grew This Year

By: Robbie Sequeira Stateline State lawmakers across the country filed more bills to restrict or protect libraries and readers in the first half of this year than last year, a new report found. The split fell largely along geographic lines, according to the report from EveryLibrary, a group that advocates against book bans and censorship. Between January and July 2025, lawmakers introduced 133 bills that the organization deemed harmful to

Violent Crime Continues To Drop Across Us Cities, Report Shows

By: Amanda Hernández Stateline Amid recent political rhetoric about rising crime and violence in American cities, a new analysis shows that violent crime has continued to decline this year. Homicides and several other serious offenses, including gun assaults and carjackings, dropped during the first half of 2025 across 42 U.S. cities, continuing a downward trend that began in 2022, according to a new crime trends report released Thursday by the

Youth & Leaders Address Crises at 19th Annual UN Human Rights Summit

NEW YORK (July 25, 2025) - Youth delegates from 38 nations joined distinguished veteran human rights advocates at the United Nations Headquarters to deliver a powerful indictment of global injustices - from state-sanctioned discrimination and human trafficking to nuclear threats and systemic violence - at the 19th International Human Rights Summit.  The three-day event, held under the theme, "Education for Peace," was hosted by United for Human Rights and Youth

Four Years Later, Louisiana Passes Accountability Law

[caption id="attachment_12950" align="alignnone" width="1536"] Photo of Shantel Arnold (Kathleen Flynn/Special to ProPublica)[/caption] By Richard A. Webster Verite News Louisiana passed a new police accountability law following allegations of civil rights violations against a sheriff's deputy caught on video dragging a Black woman by her hair and slamming her head into the ground. The woman, Shantel Arnold, sued the deputy and the sheriff, accusing the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office of conspiring

Insurers, Customers Brace For Double Whammy To Premiums

NC Health News - Most of the 24 million people in Affordable Care Act health plans face a potential one-two punch next year - double-digit premium increases along with a sharp drop in the federal subsidies that most consumers depend on to buy the coverage, also known as Obamacare. Insurers want higher premiums to cover the usual culprits - rising medical and labor costs and usage - but are tacking

Rural NC County Sees Rapid Rise In Unregulated Care Homes

By Jaymie Baxley NC Health News In the winter of 2021, social workers in rural Wilson County were overwhelmed by a surge in reports of adults with disabilities being abused. In a typical month, the county's Department of Social Services receives about 30 such complaints. But that February, the agency fielded 33 reports in just seven days. When Nichole Atkinson, manager of the department's Adult and Family Services program, began

From Chains to Companions: The Complex History of Black Americans and Dogs

By Ms Jheri Worldwide  Staff Writer Recently, I attended a Moral Mondays event with the Poor People's Campaign in downtown Raleigh. I brought my five-year-old German Shepherd, who was very friendly and adorable, if I can say so myself. An older black man remarked, "Wow! A peaceful German Shepherd, they used to chase us and bite us." I was glad he was not intimidated by my dog, but I also

NICB Warns Central North Carolina About Potential Contractor Fraud After Tropical Storm Chantal

OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Tropical Storm Chantal has led to flooding in Central North Carolina resulting in homes, schools and businesses being destroyed or severely damaged. In response to this catastrophic weather event, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the nation's leading non-profit association dedicated to preventing insurance fraud and crime, is warning residents and business owners about potentially fraudulent contractors who prey on consumers in disaster areas. NICB agents are

1,000+ Gather To Question Leaders On Housing Progress

[caption id="attachment_12919" align="alignnone" width="1140"] More than 1,000 people attended One Wake's assembly to advocate for affordable housing on July 12, 2025. Mary Kintz One Wake[/caption] By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer More than 1,000 Wake County residents gathered at Watts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in southeast Raleigh on July 12th with one pressing question for their city leaders: Have you kept your promises on affordable housing? The event, organized by One