A look at how work requirements could impact people who receive public benefits

AP NEWS - The Trump administration made work requirements for low-income people receiving government assistance a priority in 2025. The departments of Health and Human Services, Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development have worked to usher in stricter employment conditions to receive health care, food aid and rental assistance benefits funded by the federal government. The idea is that public assistance discourages optimal participation in the labor market and that

Trump Administration Rolls Out Rural Health Funding, With Strings Attached

(AP)-States will share $10 billion for rural health care next year in a program that aims to offset the Trump administration's massive budget cuts to rural hospitals, federal officials announced Monday. But while every state applied for money from the Rural Health Transformation Program, it won't be distributed equally. And critics worry that the funding might be pulled back if a state's policies don't match up with the administration's. Officials

Zebulon Mayor to Lead National Equity Council

Zebulon, N.C. - Mayor Jessica Harrison has been appointed chair of the National League of Cities' 2026 Race, Equity and Leadership (REAL) Council. Harrison was elected to a one-year term and will help develop and guide programs for local elected officials from communities with similar demographics, size or geographic characteristics. The appointment was announced by National League of Cities President Kevin Kramer, a Louisville, Kentucky, council member. "This council's work

The Reopening of Liberation Station Bookstore in SE Raleigh

By: Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Liberation Station, North Carolina's first Black-owned children's bookstore, has officially reopened its doors in Raleigh.  Now the Miller family-owned bookstore returned before a large and celebratory crowd in a recommitment to its original mission: creating a safe, affirming space where children can see themselves reflected as heroes, leaders, and central figures in the stories they read.  For owner and founder Victoria Scott-Miller, the moment represents

After Approving Ban On DEI, NC House Votes To Honor The Tuskegee Airmen

[caption id="attachment_15442" align="alignnone" width="2048"] The Tuskeegee Airmen[/caption] By Clayton Henkel NC Newsline The irony of the moment was likely not lost on Rep. Renée Price. Shortly after a tense, hours-long debate in the state House and the passage of a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) across North Carolina government, it was her time to speak on House Bill 254. The Orange County Democrat stood and asked her colleagues

Gut-amend-release. How NC’s translucent lawmaking tactics hurt democracy.

WFAE - What you see is not always what you get in the North Carolina legislature. For decades, lawmakers have used a "gut-and-amend" strategy to quickly pass legislation without much, if any, time for the public, opposing advocacy groups - and sometimes, other lawmakers - to weigh in. This year, an effort to regulate cellphone use in schools transformed into an anti-squatter law. A campaign finance bill turned into a

Greg Rice and the Foundations of BCG Concrete Construction

By Jheri Hardaway Staff Writer In the world of commercial construction, "solid foundations" usually refers to the PSI of a concrete slab. But for Greg Rice, founder of BCG Concrete Construction, the foundation of his firm is built on something far more enduring: a commitment to Christian values, family legacy, and a standard of customer service that he feels the industry has long missed. I recently sat down with Greg

Trying to improve your health and wellness in 2026?

AP NEWS - The new year is a time when many try to start new good habits and commit to improving health and wellness. But resolutions, lofty as they may be, can turn daunting quickly with all the advice and sometimes contradicting information coming at you from news reports, advertisers, influencers, friends and even politicians. But they don't have to be. This year, The Associated Press got the downlow on

Tarboro Road Tradition Serves Holiday Joy At Breakfast With Santa

  By Judaea Ingram Staff Writer The line stretched out the door as cars filled the parking lot and spilled onto Tarboro Road outside the Tarboro Road Community Center, where hundreds of families gathered Saturday morning for the 44th annual Breakfast With Santa, a holiday tradition rooted in the Tarboro Road community and led for decades by Octavia Rainey. Held from 10 a.m. to noon on the Saturday before Christmas,

Older Black Men Are Affected More By The Overdose Crisis

By Dr. Nora Volkow NIH Saturday, August 31, was International Overdose Awareness Day, when we collectively remember those who have lost their lives to drug overdose, support those who grieve those losses, and offer encouragement to those who seek recovery from addiction. It is also an opportunity to share new knowledge about the overdose crisis and strategies for confronting it. There is some very good news this year: Provisional data