NC Lawmakers Pass Medicaid Funding

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer North Carolina lawmakers have approved a sweeping Medicaid funding measure that will keep the state's program operating through the end of the fiscal year while introducing a series of new eligibility requirements and oversight provisions. House Bill 696, which passed in both chambers, allocates $319 million from state reserve funds to address a budget shortfall in the Medicaid program. The measure now heads to Gov.

Black Workers Face Steeper Job Losses Amid Economic Volatility

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Fresh signs of strain in the U.S. labor market are fueling concerns, as new data shows the economy shed 92,000 jobs in February and unemployment reached its highest level in years. Economists say the warning signs are especially pronounced for Black workers, who continue to face significantly higher unemployment rates than other groups. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Black unemployment measured 7.3%

Wake County Board Approves Affordable Housing But Rejects Property Tax Amendment To Limit Increases

[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 The Wake County Board of Commissioners tackled a wide-ranging agenda Tuesday afternoon, approving new affordable housing investments, infrastructure improvements, and unanimously adopting a resolution opposing a proposed state constitutional amendment that would limit local control over property taxes. A major

Federal Reserve Leadership Is Still In Limbo As Sen. Tillis Refuses To Budge

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Sen. Thom Tillis is escalating his standoff over the future of the Federal Reserve, doubling down Tuesday on his demand that the Department of Justice drop its investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell before he will support President Donald Trump's nominee, Kevin Warsh. The dispute, playing out in a high-stakes Senate Banking Committee hearing, has effectively stalled Warsh's path to confirmation and injected new uncertainty

Chief Addresses Recent Surge in Violent Crime

[caption id="attachment_17403" align="alignnone" width="1004"] Screenshot[/caption] By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer On Tuesday morning, Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce addressed the spike in violent crime across the city in recent weeks in a press conference outlining the scope of the violence and the department's plan to restore public safety. "This recent cluster of violence threatens the perception of safety of our residents, our visitors, and our overall sense of security within

The Ever-Evolving Life of Paul Robeson

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer He won 15 varsity letters in four sports. He graduated valedictorian from Rutgers. He earned a law degree from Columbia while playing professional football on weekends to pay tuition. He performed before sold-out crowds on stages from Carnegie Hall to London's West End, and could sing in more than 25 languages. He petitioned the President of the United States, fought for independence movements on multiple

Divine Nine Turns Out in Force for N.C. Legislative Day

[caption id="attachment_17287" align="alignnone" width="2560"] On April 8 the North Carolina Black Alliance hosted the Divine 9 Legislative Day, "Forging Our Future Together: Mobilizing for Maximum Impact."[/caption] By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Hundreds of members of historically Black fraternities and sororities filled Halifax Mall in downtown Raleigh on Wednesday, turning the North Carolina Black Alliance's annual Divine 9 Legislative Day into what organizers called the largest such gathering in more than

NC Educators Rally at State Legislature After Leandro Dismissal

[caption id="attachment_17222" align="alignnone" width="1536"] Advocates gather in front of the Legislative Building in Raleigh on April 8, 2026 to protest the Leandro ruling. (By Ahmed Jallow/ NC Newsline)[/caption] By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Dozens of educators, parents, and community members gathered outside the North Carolina General Assembly Wednesday morning to rally in the wake of the state Supreme Court's April 2nd decision to dismiss the Leandro case, a 32-year-old lawsuit

A Sanford Pastor Reflects On Leadership, Loss & Resilience

By Jheri Hardaway Staff Writer Sanford, N.C. - For Dr. Shawn E. Williams, the vision behind MINA Charter School of Lee County was never just about education-it was personal. The school was founded in honor of his mother, who passed away in 2016. "MINA" was the name she was affectionately called, and it became the inspiration behind the school's meaning: More Is Now Achievable. "What we built was rooted in

Paige Defied Age And Segregation In Baseball

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Born Leroy Paige on July 7, 1906, in Mobile, baseball legend Satchel Paige rose from difficult beginnings to become one of the most iconic figures in the sport's history. His family altered the spelling of their last name to distance themselves from his father, and he earned the nickname "Satchel" as a child while working as a porter at a train station, where he devised