Viewpoints

Every time it rains, a neighborhood near Carrboro Town Hall holds its breath. As temperatures worldwide continue to rise with increased greenhouse gas emissions, so does the intensity of storms and rainfall.

It’s not only in coverage of foreign affairs that I feel the need for independent news media. Plenty of pundits have analyzed recently the angst and soul-searching among Democrats about what they should do in order to win in the mid-terms and in 2028.

Last month, WRAL reported that Triangle hospitals have seen a rise in tuberculosis cases. Yet, the reassurance offered—that three-quarters of these cases originated outside the U.S.—misses a crucial point: diseases do not respect borders.

It’s hard to keep up with the headlines these days, but if you are following along, you may have seen recent news about proposed cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

In Jesus’ famous parable of the Good Samaritan, we are challenged to consider what it truly means to be a good neighbor – someone who offers help and compassion without hesitation. Who are we called to help? Who deserves our care?

In the wake of natural disasters, the images of destruction—homes reduced to rubble, streets submerged under floodwaters, and entire communities left in tatters—are devastating. But what is often hidden beneath the visible wreckage is the invisible chaos that follows: the legal struggles that survivors face.

Since 1992, I have been a Biology professor at UNC and the leader of a research lab funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  This semester I am teaching a course called Cancer Biology to 28 juniors and seniors. 

We need to face the fact that the future health of Orange County’s fresh water resources is threatened by the amount of development that takes place under current development policies and practices. The more development – the more harm to our freshwater resources.

Every year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day gives us the chance to honor the life and legacy of a remarkable leader. Dr. King was a visionary who held up a mirror to our country and showed us our flaws and our potential.