How Western North Carolina can turn Helene disaster into opportunity

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has experienced a significant departure of over 100 attorneys following a directive from Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, indicating a shift in priorities under President Trump. This change moves focus away from traditional civil rights issues, like voting rights enforcement, towards culture war topics, with Dhillon asserting that the division should not enforce "woke ideology." As resignations continue, Dhillon seeks to recruit more personnel to address new administration initiatives,...

SummaryHarvard University President Alan Garber has issued an apology following reports revealing antisemitic and anti-Muslim sentiments on campus, with students feeling alienated and pressured to hide their identities. In response, Harvard is reviewing its academic offerings and admissions policies, although its actions may not fully satisfy White House demands for merit-based admissions. Amidst tensions from the recent Israel-Gaza conflict, Harvard faces threats from the Trump administration regarding foreign student enrollment and tax exemptions, prompting the...

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only Black, all-female unit serving in Europe during World War II, received the Congressional Gold Medal at the U.S. Capitol, presented by Speaker Mike Johnson to the family of unit commander Lt. Col. Charity Adams Earley. This recognition follows years of advocacy for the battalion, which addressed a significant mail backlog in 1945 and is now celebrated for its contributions to military history. The ceremony highlighted the battalion's...

Yorely Bernal Inciarte was deported to Venezuela without her two-year-old daughter after being detained in Texas, where she and her partner were separated upon entry into the U.S. Inciarte's partner, Maiker Espinoza Escalona, was later transferred to a prison in El Salvador, while the child remains in U.S. government custody, leading to accusations from DHS labeling the parents as gang affiliates, which they deny. Venezuelan officials have condemned the U.S. for the separation, with Inciarte...

Jacob Vereb, owner of Vereb Funeral Home and Eternity Pet Memorial in Pittsburgh, has been charged with improperly disposing of thousands of pets' bodies and giving owners the ashes of other animals, defrauding them of over $650,000 from 2021 to 2024. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday stated that Vereb misled pet owners who paid for private cremation services, with more than 6,500 victims identified. He faces felony charges, including theft by deception, and the investigation...

Idaho Court Rules on Media Access to ExecutionsA federal judge ruled that Idaho prison officials must allow media witnesses to observe the preparation and administration of lethal injection drugs during executions, as part of a First Amendment lawsuit by several news organizations. U.S. District Judge Debora K. Grasham emphasized the public's right to access execution processes, noting that the state's current protocols keep this critical aspect hidden. The ruling aims to enhance transparency in the...