'Obvious Conflict of Interest': Report Reveals 50+ US Lawmakers Hold Military Stocks

By Brett Wilkins

"It's abjectly terrifying that the personal benefit of any member of Congress is factored into decisions about how to wield and fund the largest military in the world," said one critic.

At least 50 U.S. lawmakers or members of their households are financially invested in companies that make military weapons and equipment—even as these firms "receive hundreds of billions of dollars annually from congressionally-crafted Pentagon appropriations legislation," a report published Thursday revealed.

UNC System eliminates dozens of positions as campus DEI initiatives come to an end

By Clayton Henkin

North Carolinians are getting their first look at the impact of the UNC System’s decision to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs from its campuses.

The UNC Board of Governors voted in May to repeal the policy in favor of “principled neutrality.” Campuses within the system had until September 1st to issue reports on how they followed the new directive, detailing the steps taken to achieve that compliance.

Andrew Tripp, the UNC System’s senior vice president and general counsel, told the Board of Governors on Wednesday that a total of 59 positions had been eliminated and 132 were realigned to other areas.

Congressional Democrats, civil rights leaders call for changes in the Senate filibuster

 By Ariana Figueroa

WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers and a coalition of civil rights leaders Tuesday urged Congress to reform the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation next Congress.

“Voting rights, succinctly put, are preservative of all other rights,” U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, said at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol.

Warnock was joined by Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Reps. Joe Morelle of New York, Terri Sewell of Alabama and John Sarbanes of Maryland, as well as dozens of representatives of civil rights groups, including plaintiffs in voting rights lawsuits in South Carolina and Alabama.

UNC Chapel Hill’s incoming class is less diverse after Supreme Court affirmative action ruling

 By Christine Zhu

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s newest class is less diverse following the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling, according to its latest student enrollment data released this week.

The percentage of first-year and transfer students identifying as white or Asian increased this year from 88.5 percent to 89.6 percent, compared to the fall 2023 report.

Meanwhile, the number of Black, Hispanic, and Native American students declined from 22.9 percent to 19 percent.

Sec of State LaRose says it’s easy to vote in Ohio, but critics say he’s making it more difficult

Secretary of State Frank LaRose is fond of saying that “it’s easy to vote and hard to cheat” in Ohio elections. But his recent — and not-so-recent — conduct seems to contradict both halves of that formulation, a watchdog says.

Just two months before a presidential election, the state’s top elections officer continues to change the rules in ways that make it more difficult for some Ohioans to vote — particularly new citizens and the disabled. Meanwhile, he’s supposed to conduct elections neutrally, but the things he’s done concerning the state’s extreme partisan gerrymandering are clearly biased in favor of his own party and his friends, the watchdog said.

University faculty in the South increasingly worried about political climate, survey shows

 By Piper Hutchinson

A survey of higher education faculty in the South found that professors are increasingly worried about political interference in higher education, with 80% of respondents ranking the political atmosphere surrounding colleges and universities as poor or very poor. 

AT&T strike continues in Southeast as company presents ‘final offer’ for union contract

By Cassandra Stephenson 

Thousands of unionized AT&T workers across the southeast marked their 20th day on strike Thursday amid a bargaining stalemate over a new contract with the telecommunications giant.

AT&T on Wednesday presented the southeast district of The Communications Workers of America (CWA) with what it calls its “final offer,” proposing cumulative wage increases of up to 18% over the life of the 5-year agreement and higher company contributions to employees’ health care benefits.

SC’s 1st inmate to be executed in 13 years will die by lethal injection, attorney decides

 By Sklar Laird

COLUMBIA — Death row inmate Freddie Owens will die by lethal injection, his attorney decided Friday.

That is, if the execution is carried out as scheduled. His attorneys filed another petition Thursday night seeking to stop it.

Owens’ execution, scheduled for Sept. 20, is set to be the first in the state since 2011. Five more executions could follow in five-week intervals.

Trump promotes raising tariffs, corporate tax cut in battle over economy with Harris

By Jacob Fischler and Ashley Murray

Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he would protect American industries if he is reelected by increasing tariffs on imports while cutting other taxes and regulations, in a speech to the Economic Club of New York.

The GOP presidential candidate’s remarks came as the economy has taken center stage in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. Both Trump and the Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, have criticized a ballooning national deficit, high housing costs and increasingly expensive groceries

Catastrophic hunger doubles in 2024; Gaza and Sudan worst hit

By Vibru Mishra 

The updated Global Report on Food Crises reveals that nearly two million people are now grappling with the most critical level of food insecurity, classified as Phase 5 on the global IPC scale, which tracks acute hunger.

This level represents an “extreme lack of food and exhaustion of coping capacities,” with a sharply increased risk of acute malnutrition and death.

“As well as causing widespread acute malnutrition and death in the short term, it has major human, social and economic impacts in the long term,” the report noted.