Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.
Reynolds, Activists Oppose Trans Bathroom Bill on Capitol Steps
Houston Press - Texas
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July 31, 2025
Black activists gathered on the steps of the State Capitol on Wednesday to oppose two new bills that would ban transgender Texans from restrooms before the legislature. Antonio Ingram II, Senior Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational...
Daily Briefing: Pre-2026 redistricting race
USA Today
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Good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. "Zootopia 2" is the cinema news we needed. Take a look at Thursday's news: A pre-2026 redistricting race is heating up Democrats across the country are searching for ways to block or counter a Trump-led...
Generational dimensions of decolonisation
The Guardian (Nigeria)
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August 2, 2025
From the first encounters with British colonial forces in the late 19th century to the postcolonial challenges of nationhood in Nigeria, the Igbo have been active agents in shaping their destiny across generations. Each generation of...
Amid shift in public opinion on immigration, Catholic advocates praise bipartisan attempt at reform
Catholic Standard - Washington D.C.
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Catholic immigration advocates praised the bipartisan effort behind the reintroduction of legislation in Congress that would give legal status to some eligible immigrants who currently lack legal authorization to be in the U.S. The bill...
Trump's Texas power grab is happening — and Democrats have a choice to make
MSNBC
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July 31, 2025
We’ve seen this playbook before. After the 2020 election, Donald Trump infamously called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and asked him to “find 11,780 votes.” Now, he’s calling on Texas Republicans to find five congressional seats —...
Port Houston’s equity push yields mixed results for minority-and-women-owned businesses
Defender Network - Texas
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July 31, 2025
The Port of Houston officials say it is committed to creating an inclusive economy and the numbers show progress. However, challenges remain. Between 2021 and 2024, the Port awarded more than $1 billion to small, minority—and women-owned business...
Live updates: Texas Rangers acquire three pitchers before MLB trade deadline
The Dallas Morning News - Texas
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July 31, 2025
SOMEWHERE ABOVE THE WEST COAST - Welcome to Trade Deadline Day, 2025: The Hunt for a Closer. With today’s MLB trade deadline passing at 5 p.m. CT, we will keep you posted on Rangers trades, trades that impact the Rangers, various opinions on...
Houston’s CURVchella empowers plus-size women to thrive in fashion, business
Defender Network - Texas
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July 30, 2025
Houston-based stylist Kimberly Williams was quietly battling stage 4 breast cancer in 2022. Instead of going public, she kept the diagnosis within a tight inner circle. But before stepping away from the spotlight, she wanted to leave the city she...
Sheldon Rankins returns to Texans with ‘culture set,’ overcame medical ordeal with viral meningitis, shingles last year
KPRC - Texas
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July 29, 2025
HOUSTON – For Sheldon Rankins, being back with the Texans on a football field, shedding blocks and enjoying his health aren’t things he takes for granted. Not after the extremely difficult medical ordeal the veteran defensive tackle endured last...
Texas Redistricting: How we got here and where we are headed
Defender Network - Texas
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July 30, 2025
Everything truly is bigger in Texas — including redistricting drama. According to state lawmakers and community leaders, the current GOP-led effort to redraw Texas’ congressional voting maps—five years ahead of schedule—threatens to silence the...
Heat plagues East Texas, but a cooler weekend is ahead
Longview News-Journal - Texas
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July 31, 2025
Published 5:35 am Thursday, July 31, 2025 It’s hot — dangerously hot. And while high heat indexes have plagued East Texas during the last couple weeks, some relief is in sight — even if only for a brief period. Local experts say a rare summer cold...
Congresswoman Escobar criticizes expansion of immigration detention at Fort Bliss site
KDBC - Texas
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EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Congresswoman Veronica Escobar voiced her opposition to a new immigration detention facility under construction at Fort Bliss, calling it a waste of government money. The facility is expected to initially hold 1,000...
Texas Gun Shows Embrace The Growing Female Customer Base
105.1 KEAN Radio - Texas
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July 29, 2025
Texas Women Are Changing the Gun Industry, One Caliber at a Time For the past few years, more women in Texas have been stepping up to the firing line, literally. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), women are now outpacing...
Kristin Landers: Alabama DHR is failing children
1819 News
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The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) has faced years of criticism for having policies that can harm families and endanger at-risk children. Concerns about the welfare of children in the agency’s care have been substantial. Tragically,...
TEXAS VIEW: Amid the Epstein circus, we must remain focused on what it’s really about
Odessa American - Texas
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July 30, 2025
Many people are attracted to the salacious. That appears to be a major element of the circus that has become of the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case. People allegedly involved include celebrities, high-level political officials and donors from...
As an immigrant, Beyoncé’s 'Cowboy Carter' shaped my American dream
USA Today
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In April 2024, I sat across from a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer in a cream blazer, answering questions I had memorized from middle school civics. A few days earlier, I had stayed up past midnight listening to Beyoncé’s...
Sapphire Golf Tour Wants Black Women To Tee Up, Mark Their Place In The Sport
Black Enterprise
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July 30, 2025
The tour was created by the United Golfers Association to showcase Black women players—and introduce more Black women to the game. To mark its 100 years of elevating the sport, The United Golfers Association (UGA) has launched the Sapphire Golf...
SFA women athletes fight for their sports in court
KTBB - Texas
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July 31, 2025
Posted/updated on: July 31, 2025 at 4:58 am LUFKIN, Texas (KETK) – A Title IX lawsuit has been filed against Stephen F. Austin State University after three women’s sports and one men’s sport was cut. SFA forced to cut several athletic programs due...
Trump administration authorizes deployment of National Guard at Immigration facilities
The Economic Times
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July 31, 2025
The Trump administration authorized the deployment of National Guard units at immigration facilities, escalating its use of the military as part of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. In a private memo obtained by The New York Times,...
The Fed holds interest rates steady. And, Texas releases bid for new redistricting map
KASU - Arkansas
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July 31, 2025
Good morning. You're reading the Up First newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. Today's top stories Federal Reserve policymakers voted 9-2...