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Black Women-Led Nonprofits Face Severe Underfunding Despite Critical Community Contributions

Black Women-Led Nonprofits Face Severe Underfunding Despite Critical Community Contributions

Organizations led by Black women are experiencing a significant funding contraction, despite being crucial for community well-being and civic engagement. According to Nonprofit Quarterly, these organizations are systematically underfunded, even as they bear a heavy civic burden. The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium, an intermediary funder, reported a surge in grant applications, receiving over 227 applications across southern states with a funding need of $20 million, but could only accept 24 awardees, distributing approximately $350,000. This represents an 89% increase in applications, highlighting a substantial gap between available funding and community needs. The underfunding leads to the loss of vital services such as trusted maternal health providers, culturally competent mental health services, housing advocates, and voter engagement infrastructure, eroding community trust and institutional knowledge built over decades. The pressure to achieve more with fewer resources is also negatively ...

Jeremy Renner Stars in Critically Acclaimed Neo-Western Crime Film 'Wind River'

Jeremy Renner Stars in Critically Acclaimed Neo-Western Crime Film 'Wind River'

Jeremy Renner Stars in Critically Acclaimed Neo-Western Crime Film 'Wind River'

Hawaii Establishes Public Land Trust Working Group to Address Native Hawaiian Revenues

Hawaii Establishes Public Land Trust Working Group to Address Native Hawaiian Revenues

The Public Land Trust Working Group has been officially formed in Hawaii, with appointments completed by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), Governor Josh Green, Senate President Ronald Kouchi, and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura. This group is set to convene its first meeting in the coming weeks to address longstanding issues concerning the inventory, accounting, and distribution of revenues generated by Hawaii’s Public Land Trust. The working group's central mission is to ensure a complete and accurate accounting of Public Land Trust lands and revenues and to determine the 20% pro rata share of income and proceeds due annually to OHA for the betterment of Native Hawaiians. The group was established under Act 226, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2022, and its responsibilities were expanded under Act 32, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi 2026 (Senate Bill 903). OHA Board Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele emphasized that this initiative is a crucial opportunity to resolve an issue that has remained unresolved for decades.

Dr. David J. Johns Publishes 'The Black Papers' Offering Policy Agenda for Black Liberation

Dr. David J. Johns Publishes 'The Black Papers' Offering Policy Agenda for Black Liberation

Dr. David J. Johns, CEO and executive director of the National Black Justice Collective, has edited and published 'The Black Papers: A Policy Agenda for Black Liberation in the 21st Century.' This book, published by Routledge on November 13, is a compilation of 26 policy briefs. It provides a comprehensive roadmap for systemic change across various critical areas, including health equity, housing, education, criminal justice reform, environmental justice, and reparations. The project originated from a 13-city grassroots tour and was initiated after Johns was approached by Angela Rye and political commentator Joy Ann Reid, who were leading the 'State of the People' movement. The book aims to counter misinformation and disinformation, enabling informed decision-making, and highlights individuals actively working within communities. It also translates complex policy analysis from experts into actionable steps for federal, state, and local implementation, presenting diverse perspectives on issues like communit...

Los Angeles Public Health Responses Show Evolving Equity Focus in Disease Outbreaks

Los Angeles Public Health Responses Show Evolving Equity Focus in Disease Outbreaks

Los Angeles has demonstrated an evolving approach to health equity in its public health responses to disease outbreaks over time, according to a recent analysis. Historically, responses to diseases like tuberculosis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were marked by significant racial and economic discrimination, with public health officials often blaming immigrants and poorer communities and restricting their access to care. Decades later, the HIV/AIDS epidemic saw Los Angeles emerge as a national leader in equitable responses at the city level, passing landmark anti-discrimination laws, though county-level responses were slower. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic saw health equity explicitly integrated into public health strategies in Los Angeles and California, with policies aimed at directing resources to communities with the greatest need. Despite these advancements, underlying structural factors continue to create uneven impacts, indicating that while equity is emphasized, sustained effort is...

South Dakota Attorney General Appoints Marlys Big Eagle as MMIP Specialist

South Dakota Attorney General Appoints Marlys Big Eagle as MMIP Specialist

Marlys Big Eagle has been appointed as South Dakota's new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person (MMIP) Specialist by Attorney General Marty Jackley. Big Eagle emphasizes that the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people extends beyond tribal communities, affecting public safety for everyone. She views this cause as deeply personal, having friends who have been victims of such crimes. Her primary goal in this role is to ensure that affected families are treated with dignity, respect, and that the culture of Indigenous people is honored throughout the process. This appointment highlights a concerted effort to address a critical and widespread issue within the state.

New Mexico Judge Rules State Education Reform Plan Deficient, Orders Additions by 2027

New Mexico Judge Rules State Education Reform Plan Deficient, Orders Additions by 2027

A New Mexico judge has ruled that the state's plan to address the Yazzie/Martinez education equity lawsuit is deficient and has ordered the New Mexico Public Education Department (PED) to supplement the plan by March 2027. First Judicial District Judge Matthew Wilson issued the order on November 2, finding that PED's remedial action plan, designed to reform equitable education for at-risk students, was not comprehensive. The judge identified gaps in the plan, specifically citing inadequate provisions for class sizes, textbook funding, and summer school programs. This ruling follows objections filed by organizations such as the New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty and Transform Education NM, which had requested a complete rewrite of the plan. While the court agreed on the plan's insufficiency, it did not mandate a full rewrite or require stakeholder input for the supplemental plan. PED spokesperson Janelle Taylor García stated that the department welcomes the order, viewing it as a roadmap that confirms the...

Utah Leads Nation in Charitable Giving and Volunteerism, WalletHub Study Reveals

Utah Leads Nation in Charitable Giving and Volunteerism, WalletHub Study Reveals

A recent study by personal finance company WalletHub indicates that Utah ranks first nationally in charitable contributions, encompassing both financial donations and volunteer hours. The study analyzed various metrics of charitable behavior, highlighting the significant generosity of Utahns. Specifically, Utah leads in four out of five key metrics: the percentage of income donated to charity, the number of people who volunteer their time, the overall volunteer rate, and volunteer numbers per capita. The state also placed third for the number of individuals who donate money. Approximately 47% of Utah's population volunteers, contributing over 45 hours per capita, which is the highest in the country. Beyond formal volunteering, the study found that over 68% of Utahns engage in informal acts of kindness for neighbors, such as house-sitting, childcare, or lending tools, at least once a year. Families in Utah donate an average of 3% of their income to charities, also the highest percentage nationwide.

Study Reveals Most Eligible U.S. Teens Miss Out on Advanced Obesity Treatments

Study Reveals Most Eligible U.S. Teens Miss Out on Advanced Obesity Treatments

A new study from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, published in JAMA Pediatrics, indicates that the majority of eligible U.S. adolescents are not receiving advanced obesity treatments, despite the availability of new medications and evidence supporting weight-loss surgery. Researchers analyzed electronic health records of over 1.4 million U.S. adolescents who met the criteria for metabolic and bariatric surgery between 2017 and 2025. The study found a significant increase in the use of GLP-1 medications, such as semaglutide and liraglutide, during this period. Prescribing rates for GLP-1s surged from 301 prescriptions per 100,000 eligible adolescents in early 2017 to 10,676 per 100,000 by the end of 2025, a 35-fold increase. Conversely, bariatric surgery rates, which had steadily increased until 2022, saw a 29% decline by the end of 2025, coinciding with the FDA approval of semaglutide for adolescent obesity. Despite these developments, less than 1% of eligible adolescents underwent sur...

AWS Health Impact Initiative Commits $100 Million to Advance AI and Cloud Technology in Underserved Health Communities

AWS Health Impact Initiative Commits $100 Million to Advance AI and Cloud Technology in Underserved Health Communities

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched the AWS Health Impact Initiative, a five-year, $100 million commitment aimed at providing AI and cloud technology to organizations serving underserved communities in healthcare. This initiative seeks to bridge the gap between prototype and production for smaller non-profits and organizations working in areas such as expanding access to care, advancing women's and children's health, and ensuring access to healthy food. The program emphasizes the importance of involving organizations closest to these communities in the development and application of AI in healthcare. Applications for the initiative are currently open, with several organizations already highlighted as catalytic support recipients, including Admera Health, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, Care 2 Communities, Eve's Ark, and U.S. Hunger. The goal is to ensure that AI solutions are built with data representative of the communities they aim to serve, addressing a common challenge where most health AI is trained ...

The Latest: Hegseth slams his potential impeachment as a ‘political spectacle’ as House vote looms

The Latest: Hegseth slams his potential impeachment as a ‘political spectacle’ as House vote looms

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is slamming the impeachment effort against him

Bryan Stevenson's Question on Death Penalty Highlights Systemic Failures in Alexander McClay Williams Case

Bryan Stevenson's Question on Death Penalty Highlights Systemic Failures in Alexander McClay Williams Case

Bryan Stevenson's question, 'Do we deserve to kill?', is central to a discussion surrounding the 1931 execution of Alexander McClay Williams, a 16-year-old Black boy in Pennsylvania. Williams was convicted of a crime he did not commit, based on coerced confessions and a rushed trial. His defense attorney, William H. Ridley, faced a system that quickly turned Williams into a suspect. The case involved alleged alterations to Williams' death certificate to make him appear older and a lack of proper legal representation during interrogations. In 2022, a Delaware County judge vacated Williams' conviction and death sentence, and the charges were dismissed. Pennsylvania's governor apologized to Williams' family. Williams' two-year-old sister, Susie Carter, now 95, is pursuing accountability for the state's actions. The family is suing the state for reparations, proposing a $500,000 scholarship for legal careers.