Here’s news to know going into the weekend.

Editor’s Top Story of the Week

Dallas Public Libraries Face $4.5 Million Budget Cut: Why It Matters for Our Communities

The City of Dallas has proposed a $4.5 million cut to the Dallas Public Library budget, which could result in the closure of up to five library branches, reduced staffing, and fewer community services, and the Friends of the Dallas Public Library is calling the community to action to protect these vital resources.


Rep. Nicole Collier spends night on Texas House floor after refusing police escort

By Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune

August 20, 2025

Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, refused to sign a permission slip allowing her to leave the House floor with a police escort, and remained in the Capitol overnight in protest of the GOPโ€™s mid-decade redistricting [โ€ฆ]

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Texas Senate panel again advances redrawn congressional map

By Alex Nguyen, Texas Tribune

August 17, 2025

A Texas Senate panel again cleared a congressional map that aims to create five new Republican districts ahead of the 2026 election, despite hearing overwhelming pushback during a Sunday hearing. The chamberโ€™s redistricting committee voted [โ€ฆ]

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Fort Worth Hires Eddie Garcรญa as Police Chief, a Controversial Choice

By editorial

August 21, 2025

Eddie Garcรญa has been appointed as Fort Worthโ€™s newest police chief, bringing with him a [โ€ฆ]

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Congress Moves to Block Trumpโ€™s Social Security Assault

By Stacy M. Brown, Black Press USA

August 18, 2025

The Trump administration is proposing to cut Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, which would strip [โ€ฆ]

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Dallas Mavericks and Paul Quinn College Launch Groundbreaking Sports Management Major

By editorial

August 18, 2025

The Dallas Mavericks and Paul Quinn College have partnered to launch a new Mavs Sports Management Major, which will provide students [โ€ฆ]

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Back-to-School Prep Must Include ACE Trauma Scores Discussion

By Houston Defender, Word In Black

August 14, 2025

As children return to school this year, teachers and families will face more than just academic challenges.ย  Increasingly, they must also [โ€ฆ]

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Dallas ISD Prepares for New School Year with Low Teacher Vacancies and New Facilities

By editorial

August 12, 2025

Texas schools are implementing new policies, facilities, and legislative mandates for the 2025-2026 school year, including a ban on personal communication [โ€ฆ]

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Industrial Heat Pumps Could Clear the Air in Black Neighborhoods

By Willy Blackmore, Word In Black

August 21, 2025

A new report from the American Lung Association finds that replacing 33,500 fossil fuel boilers with zero-emission heat-pump boilers could significantly reduce emissions and pollution, prevent 33 million asthma attacks, and save $1.1 trillion in health care costs by 2050.

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Guns, Race, and Profit: The Pain of Americaโ€™s Other Epidemic

By KFF Health News

August 20, 2025

Bogalusa, Louisiana has seen a decrease in homicides from 9 in 2022 to 2 in 2024, which Mayor Truong attributes to a summer jobs program, while the city continues to grapple with the trauma of gun violence and has not [โ€ฆ]

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Facial Recognition Expands in Airports as Congress Eyes New Limits

By Stacy M. Brown, Black Press USA

August 19, 2025

TSA and CBP are expanding their use of facial recognition technology and biometric processing at airports, with the aim of speeding up inspections and improving security, though critics have raised privacy concerns and lawmakers are seeking stricter protections.

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When a President Tries to Whitewash Slavery

By Mustafa Ali, Word In Black

August 21, 2025

Whitewashing slavery is a dangerous and calculated erasure of the truth, and if we are to move forward, we must [โ€ฆ]

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Have a great weekend!