Biden evokes history at campaign rally in Charleston

CHARLESTON, SC - At a historic Black church in Charleston where a hate-fueled massacre shocked the nation in 2015, President Joe Biden evoked the memories of that horrific night as he campaigned for a second term. "The word of God was pierced by bullets of hate, rage, propelled by not just gunpowder but by a force, a force that for too long has poisoned our nation," Biden told an audience

Hospitality workers’ wages are rising faster than high earners’ in most states

NC NEWSLINE - Pay hikes over the past four years have lifted the wages of people who work in hospitality - the nation's lowest-paid industry - nearly 30% on average, reversing much of the wage inequality that has been growing for decades in the United States. In 40 states, even those that haven't raised their minimum wage beyond the $7.25 federal floor, the recent pay jumps outpaced those of earners

Wisconsin Assembly task force releases slate of bills to combat human trafficking

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A task force that Assembly Speaker Robin Vos created last summer to bolster Wisconsin's response to human trafficking finished its work Wednesday by introducing a slate of bills that would increase awareness of the issue, impose tougher punishments for soliciting prostitutes and make it easier for victims to sue traffickers. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security defines human trafficking as using force, fraud or coercion to

Tiger Woods, Nike end partnership after more than 27 years

AP News - Tiger Woods has gone from "Hello, world," to saying goodbye to Nike. Woods ended months of speculation by making it official Monday that the partnership between golf's biggest star and the powerful Swoosh brand is ending after 27 years, a move that raises questions about the future of both in the sport. Woods in a social media post thanked Nike co-founder Phil Knight for his "passion and

Barack Obama, John Mulaney and Carol Burnett are among the winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Barack Obama won his second Emmy, John Mulaney won his third, and Carol Burnett took her seventh Sunday on night two of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Obama won the Emmy for best narrator for his Netflix documentary series, "Working: What We Do All Day," repeating in a category he previously won for narrating a Netflix series on national parks. He also has two Grammys for his voice work on the audiobooks of

Angela Bassett to receive honorary Oscars at starry, untelevised event

[caption id="attachment_5797" align="alignnone" width="888"] (AP News) Angela Bassett receiving her honorary Oscar.[/caption] LOS ANGELES (AP) - Mel Brooks received his second Oscar Tuesday night at a private dinner in the heart of Hollywood. The event, the 14th Governors Awards, was untelevised but the crowd was as starry as they come with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Penélope Cruz, Natalie Portman, Bradley Cooper and Jon Batiste in

King’s daughter says wars, gun violence, racism have pushed humanity to the brink

ATLANTA (AP) - Citing gun violence in the U.S., the deaths of families in Ukraine and Gaza from war, and threats from artificial intelligence, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s daughter said Thursday the world urgently needs to study and adopt her father's philosophy of nonviolence to avoid self-destruction. The Rev. Bernice King used an address to announce events for the upcoming holiday in honor of her father to warn

NC Elections Board debates using race as a criterion in signature verification pilot

Durham is the most populous county that will take part in the ballot signature-matching pilot program for the upcoming primary elections. The State Board of Elections on Tuesday approved the 10 counties that will participate in the mailed ballot signature-matching pilot as required under a new law. In addition to Durham, Halifax, Bertie, Wilkes, Montgomery, Rowan, Jones, Pamlico, Henderson, and Cherokee will use signature matching software for the primary. The

Civil rights leader removed from movie theater for using his own chair

AP NEWS - Civil rights leader, Rev. William Barber II, was escorted by police out of a North Carolina movie theater after he insisted on using his own chair for medical reasons, prompting an apology from the nation's largest movie theater chain. The incident occurred Tuesday in Greenville during a showing of "The Color Purple." Rev. William Barber II said he needs the chair because he suffers from ankylosing spondylitis,

Georgia agency awards contract to raise Savannah bridge to accommodate bigger cargo ships

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - The Georgia Department of Transportation said Wednesday it has chosen a general contractor to oversee a $189 million project to raise Savannah's towering suspension bridge so that larger cargo ships can pass underneath and reach one of the nation's busiest seaports. Maintenance and construction on the Eugene Talmadge Memorial Bridge are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025, the DOT said in a statement announcing that Kiewit Infrastructure