DOE Shifts Focus On Dismantling Special Education And Civil Rights

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday accelerated its dismantling of the Education Department, delegating much of its work to protect the nation's at-risk students in a move that carves away the vast majority of its functions for other agencies to handle. The Department of Justice will take on enforcement of civil rights in education, while the Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education, administration

‘Ragtime’ Is Still Resonating With Audiences After 30 Years On Broadway

New York (AP) - It's been nearly 30 years since Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens wrote the music and lyrics for the musical "Ragtime," an American epic tracking the intertwining lives of three families in New York at the turn of the 20th century. Staged at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater, the musical is in its third run on Broadway - and earned 11 Tony nominations, including for best revival.

Largest Study of AI Hiring Algorithms To Date Finds ‘Clear Racial Disparities’ — Over 25% of Black Applicants Tainted By Bias

FORTUNE - The most comprehensive independent study of AI-powered hiring algorithms ever conducted has found stark racial disparities embedded in the tools used to screen millions of job applicants, with more than one in four applications submitted by Black job seekers directed to positions where the algorithm produces outcomes that trigger federal discrimination scrutiny. The paper, "Algorithmic Monocultures in Hiring," was authored by researchers at Stanford University, Chapman University, and

A US spying law expires amid distrust of Trump moves on national security

NC Newsline - For the first time in nearly two decades, Congress missed a deadline for reauthorization of a key surveillance authority, raising questions about whether the U.S. government can continue to monitor certain communications. Lawmakers have regularly approved short- and long-term extensions for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act since 2008, clearing the way for intelligence agencies to collect and analyze electronic communications from people living in

Scientists Warn El Niño Could Bring Extreme Weather Disasters This Year

WASHINGTON (AP) - El Nino, Nature's chaotic climate agent, has formed in a warmed-up Pacific Ocean and is expected to grow to historic strength, meteorologists announced Thursday. Experts said the El Nino, a natural warming cycle, should further heat a globe already warming from fossil fuel pollution and will likely turbocharge extreme weather across the planet. Meteorologists forecast it will rival - or exceed - a record El Nino that

Crypto ATM Regulations Move Forward In North Carolina despite pushback from industry 

NC NEWSLINE - A proposal to regulate the growing cryptocurrency ATM industry in North Carolina is moving forward in the state House - but not without some concessions to the industry. Crypto kiosks are ATMs that allow a user to convert currency to blockchain cryptocurrency. They're currently unregulated in North Carolina, and they're often used in criminal scams because cash converted to crypto can't be traced or retrieved. For example,

Could New Tax Credit Scholarships Help Public Schools?

WUNC - In the first successful veto override of this year's legislative session, North Carolina lawmakers are opting the state into a new federal tax credit program. The federal program lets taxpayers get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $1,700 for making a donation to North Carolina non-profits that grant scholarships to K-12 students. The federal bill that originally proposed the tax credit was designed to support scholarships for private

Cisco Connected Black Professionals For AI Ready Summit

Raleigh, NC - Cisco Connected Black Professionals (CBP) RTP, in partnership with the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) Raleigh-Durham Chapter, proudly hosted the "AI Readiness Summit", bringing together more than 165 professionals, executives, entrepreneurs, educators, and emerging leaders for a day of learning, collaboration, and future-focused conversations centered on artificial intelligence. The summit was designed to move beyond the headlines and hype surrounding AI, equipping attendees with practical insights on how

Duke Energy Offers $500,000 To Support Small Businesses In NC

CHARLOTTE, N.C.- The Duke Energy Foundation today announced $500,000 in grants to support nonprofit-led programs that help small businesses start, grow and thrive across North Carolina. Zoom in: Nonprofit organizations can apply for $25,000 grants, which will then fund microgrants of up to $5,000 to individual small businesses. Funding can be used by local businesses like restaurants and retail stores to complete renovations, buy equipment or technology, purchase inventory or

For Black women in abusive relationships, gun‑control loopholes can engender deadly disparities

The Conversation - In April 2026, Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax was shot and killed by her husband while their divorce was pending. She had done what she was supposed to do. She had initiated the legal process to leave Justin Fairfax, the former lieutenant governor of Virginia. It didn't save her. What happened to Wanzer Fairfax has a name: femicide. Femicide is the intentional killing of women on the basis