Author: theparknews

A recent new survey by a global investment firm uncovers a rare area where Republicans and Democrats appear to agree: America is facing a retirement savings crisis. Only about half of American households have retirement savings accounts, and Social Security may soon be underfunded, but its benefits were never intended to cover all retirement costs. In an August survey, BlackRock asked 1,000 registered voters about their views on retirement security in America, and the responses cut across party lines. When the survey asked voters whether they believed there was a retirement savings crisis in the country, 93% of Republicans said…

(This story has been updated to add new information.)Rapper Sean Combs, commonly known as “Diddy,” is well known in music, business and political circles as both a Democratic and Republican candidate since the late 1990s.But federal prosecutors say Diddy, one of hip-hop’s biggest names, used his fame to coerce women into degrading sexual acts over a 16-year period and was indicted on three criminal counts of sex trafficking and extortion on Monday. Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all charges.Combs’ network of prominent politicians includes prominent figures in national and local politics, including presidential candidates, members of Congress and mayors.The…

(This story was updated to correct a typo.)WASHINGTON ‒ In their first and likely only presidential debate, Republican Donald Trump doubled down on his impertinent suggestion that his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, had only recently “turned Black.””All I can say is I read where she was not Black that she put out,” Trump told the moderators during the Philadelphia debate this month. “Then I read she was Black, and that’s OK.”The Democratic nominee appeared rattled for a moment, but she rebounded by casting the former president’s entire career as someone who has “attempted to use race to divide.”That’s what…

MVSB Fund grant applications are due October 15thSTATEWIDE — Local nonprofits interested in applying for grant funding from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s MVSB (Meredith Village Savings Bank) Fund can do so by Oct. 15. Applications and instructions can be accessed online at mvsb.com/community-involvement .The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s MVSB Fund was established in 1997 under the leadership of then-bank president and CEO John Starrett to make grant-based contributions to nonprofit organizations that enrich and improve the quality of life for residents living in the bank’s service area.”We recognize the important role local nonprofits play in strengthening our communities,” said…

The 2025 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings will be released on Sept. 24 and will feature more than 25 articles explaining the methodology the magazine uses to compile its annual rankings.In addition to a ranking list of colleges and universities across the nation, U.S. News also provides statistics such as which schools have the most or least student debt upon graduation, the most ethnically diverse campuses and schools with the highest four-year graduation rates.In advance of the announcement from this oft-referenced source, here is what the current list of Western North Carolina colleges has to say…

There were a number of big wins in fall sports across the Greater Savannah area last week.The Savannah Christian softball team won a big victory over South Effingham, while the Richmond Hill softball team swept Tift County in a crucial three-game region series.Effingham County’s softball team continued to play well, and volleyball also saw some noteworthy plays from some of the area’s powerhouse teams.Readers have the chance to select their Savannah Morning News Fall Sports Athlete of the Week in an open poll with no voting limits. Voting closes at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24.Here are this week’s nominees.Adrianna Williams,…

The News-Press selects players who stood out from the previous week based on coaches’ reports and school nominations sent to sports@news-press.com, as well as our own reporting. These players are voted on every Monday on news-press.com, where readers can vote for who they think performed best. The winner of the News-Press Player of the Week poll, sponsored by Elevate Home Services, will receive a T-shirt provided by BSN Sports and a tote bag provided by USA Today High School Sports Awards. To get to know the winners better, the News-Press will hold a Q&A with each player each week.Mariner High…

Each week during the school year, The News-Press will select a player who stood out from the previous week based on coaches’ reports and school nominations sent to sports@news-press.com, as well as our own reporting. These players will be voted on every Monday on news-press.com, where readers can vote on who they think performed best.The winner of The News-Press’ Athlete of the Week poll, sponsored by Elevate Home Services, will receive a T-shirt provided by BSN Sports and a tote bag provided by USA Today High School Sports Awards. Voting closes every Thursday at 10 a.m. Winners will be announced…

Co-presenters are often an essential part of major awards ceremonies and political commentary, and the 2024 Emmy Awards were no exception.Presenting the award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (to Jean Smart, her third win for “Hacks”), Candice Bergen took to the microphone to deliver some wry, biting political humor.The five-time Emmy winner, who has appeared in TV shows like “Murphy Brown” and films like “Congenital Beauty,” recounted a time when then-Republican Vice President Dan Quayle spoke out against “Murphy” during the run of her favorite sitcom after Bergen’s unmarried character got pregnant and decided to raise the baby…

Hello AJ readers!There was a lot of business news this week, including the closing of another pizza restaurant, a $6.6 million expansion at Covenant Children’s and the opening of Grassano & Pioquinto LLC CPAs.A second pizza place announced it would close this month due to costs and increasing competition.”Since we opened this location in 2022, six to eight competitors have opened within a three-mile radius,” Westside Pizza’s James “Red” Williams said, “which has taken a significant amount of pizza out of the market.”Westside Pizza (6616 Milwaukee Ave.) will close on Sept. 20, just two weeks after Urban Bricks (7610 Milwaukee…