www.abccolumbia.com – Associated Press – 2025-07-21 09:33:00

SUMMARY: U.S. stocks rose Monday, nearing record highs ahead of a busy earnings week, despite tariff pressures from President Trump. The S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq all gained, led by Verizon’s strong quarterly profit and raised forecasts. Block jumped 8.2% after being added to the S&P 500, while steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs gained 6.6%, benefiting from tariffs boosting domestic manufacturing. Some companies like Domino’s saw weaker profits. Upcoming earnings from GM, Alphabet, Coca-Cola, and Tesla will test tariff impacts. U.S. consumers show strength in travel and retail data. Treasury yields declined, and European markets slipped. Japan’s ruling party lost parliamentary majorities, signaling political and economic uncertainty.

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The post Wall Street rises toward records as Verizon begins a big week for profit reports with a beat appeared first on www.abccolumbia.com

carolinapublicpress.org – Lucas Thomae – 2025-07-21 08:21:00

by Lucas Thomae, Carolina Public Press
July 21, 2025

Last month, Jackson became the second county in Western North Carolina to vote to exit its library system following local controversy over books with LGBTQ+ content. The move is the latest example of public libraries in the region being turned into political battlegrounds over such issues.

On June 24, the Jackson County Board of Commissioners voted to exit the Fontana Regional Library it shares with Macon and Swain counties. Four members of the five-person commission voted in favor of the exit. The lone “no” vote was Board Chairman Mark Letson, who cited increased financial burden on the county as the reason for his opposition.

Months of impassioned public comments at meetings of the county commissioners and public library board preceded the deciding vote. As in Yancey County, which on July 1 officially exited its former library system, a group of conservative residents ignited the movement to leave the system with complaints over materials in the library that they deemed inappropriate for children.

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Yancey locals who supported remaining in the library system spent months trying to convince county commissioners to reverse course through protest and threat of legal action, but their efforts fell short.

Now, a strikingly similar situation is playing out in Jackson, and supporters of the library system there are aiming for a different outcome. They are joined by the several municipalities within Jackson County who have signaled that they also want Jackson to remain a part of Fontana Regional.

Jackson County has until July 2026 to reverse its decision. At that time, the control of two system libraries within Jackson County — one in the community of Cashiers and the other in the county seat of Sylva — will be turned over to the county commissioners.

Lead-up to the Jackson County vote

Although rumors of a potential exit from Fontana Regional have circulated ever since Yancey County’s consequential vote to leave its library system, Jackson County commissioners began serious talks earlier this year.

County Manager Kevin King told commissioners in previous public meetings that the transition would require hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional county spending to maintain the same level of services offered by the regional system.

All the while, a contingent of conservative commissioners sympathetic to the idea of leaving the system accused the libraries of espousing liberal ideologies and questioned whether safety measures at the library branch in Sylva were up to par.

Commissioners called upon Tracy Fitzmaurice, who serves both as the librarian of the Sylva branch and the director of Fontana Regional, to respond to their concerns at several public meetings.

On June 19, the Jackson commissioners conducted a joint meeting with the Fontana Regional board of trustees during which they peppered library officials with questions about library administration, funding, safety measures and the book challenging process.

Despite claims of inappropriate materials in the children’s section of the library, only one book has been challenged in the last five years in Jackson County, and none have been removed from the collection. One book over that span, a sex education graphic novel, was reclassified from the youth to the young adult section.

Library officials hoped that the joint meeting would allow Fontana Regional and Jackson County to come to an understanding and avoid the county’s exit. But five days later, commissioners voted to break away from the system.

Fitzmaurice told CPP in an email that she was “saddened and disappointed” by the vote.

“I thought that the joint meeting between the (Fontana Regional) Board of Trustees and the Jackson County Commissioners on June 19th would have cleared up some of the legal aspects of how the libraries in Jackson County are managed,” she said.

“I also hoped the commissioners would give the (Fontana Regional) Board members time to review the commissioners’ concerns. Everyone is aware that by leaving (Fontana Regional) the Jackson County libraries will cost more to operate and the taxpayers will carry this cost.”

Neither King nor Letson responded to a request for an interview prior to the publication of this article.

Municipal governments push back

Several weeks before the commissioners’ decision, the Village of Forest Hills and Town of Webster passed resolutions in support of Jackson County remaining in the regional library.

“Withdrawal from the Fontana Regional Library System would result in increased operational costs for a standalone system, diminished resources, reduced programming, and potentially limit the scope and quality of library resources available to Jackson County residents, thereby negatively impacting the educational opportunities and quality of life for its citizens,” the Town of Webster’s resolution read.

That resolution and a similar one passed by the Forest Hills council were sent to Jackson County officials.

Webster and Forest Hills, each of which comprise fewer than 400 residents, are only tiny enclaves in the 44,000-person county. Much of Jackson’s population lives in unincorporated areas, giving county officials an outsized amount of governing power.

The largest community, Cullowhee, is the site of Western Carolina University, which boasts 11,000 students. It is located just south of Sylva and, being a large public university, is home to a sizable LGBTQ+ population.

However, there exists no municipal government in Cullowhee that could weigh in on the Jackson County library situation.

The one municipal government that could wield significant influence is Sylva, the county seat and largest incorporated community with more than 2,000 residents.

Town commissioners were set to vote on a similar resolution in support of Fontana Regional during their regular meeting on June 12, but it was scratched from the agenda following a motion from commissioner Jon Brown.

Brown told CPP that although he supported Jackson remaining in the regional library, he didn’t think it was appropriate for Sylva to pass a resolution on a divisive issue that the town ultimately didn’t have control over.

“It’s been a real hot topic in our community,” Brown said.

“There’s been a lot of conversation. A lot of folks feel passionately about the library. We have one of the best libraries I’ve ever seen — it’s a real treasure for Jackson County and Sylva, and I hope that we can keep the doors open, keep the funding it needs and keep all the great services.”

Brown said commissioners will likely vote this week on a revised resolution in support of a compromise between Fontana Regional and Jackson County.

Sylva Commissioner Brad Waldrop, who also supports Jackson remaining with Fontana Regional, confirmed in an email that town commissioners are working on a new resolution.

“I am still in favor of a resolution from the Town of Sylva in support of remaining in the FRL and am working to make that happen,” Waldrop said.

“Although Jackson County commissioners already voted to leave the FRL, that doesn’t actually occur until July 2026 so there’s still time to reverse course from this bad decision that looks certain to significantly increase costs, decrease library services, or both.”

This article first appeared on Carolina Public Press and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Jackson Co. threatens to break up another NC regional library appeared first on carolinapublicpress.org

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The article from Carolina Public Press presents a largely factual account of Jackson County’s decision to exit the Fontana Regional Library system, but its framing subtly favors those opposing the exit. Language choices such as describing residents supporting LGBTQ+ content as seeking “compromise” and opponents as part of a “conservative movement” suggest a slight ideological slant. Emphasis on cost increases, community opposition, and emotional reactions from library officials also leans toward supporting the library system’s continuation. However, the piece includes multiple perspectives and quotes from both sides, maintaining a mostly balanced tone with a modest left-leaning tilt.

www.youtube.com – WPDE ABC15 – 2025-07-21 05:17:58

SUMMARY: A fire destroyed Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Darlington County, but the congregation held Sunday service outdoors despite the loss. The 156-year-old church, with a close-knit community, was consumed by flames Saturday night. Pastor Eugene Thomas arrived to find the church nearly gone and was heartbroken. Longtime member Deborah Moses recalled the church’s welcoming spirit. Determined to stay connected, members gathered with lawn chairs outside to worship and support each other. Pastor Thomas shared a hopeful message about rebuilding. Authorities are investigating the fire’s cause. The church asks for prayers and aims to rebuild on the same property once the inquiry concludes.

A Darlington County church is a total loss after a fire broke out Saturday night.

Despite the tragedy, members of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church didn’t let the fire keep them from worshipping together on Saturday.

“This fire has not destroyed God’s church because I see them sitting in front of it,” an Evangelist said.

Read more: https://wpde.com/news/local/darlington-church-holds-service-outdoors-after-devastating-fire-destroys-building#

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