The Good Place or The Bad Place?

Louisiana man sentenced to 25 years for burning Black churches Holden Matthews, 23, set fire to three churches in an effort to boost his standings with a metal music community. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau investigators work the crime scene of the burnt ruins of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, one of three that burned down, in Opelousas, La., on April 10, 2019. Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Bureau investigators work the crime scene of the burnt ruins of the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, one of three that burned down, in Opelousas, La., on April 10, 2019.Gerald Herbert / AP file Nov. 2, 2020, 7:39 PM CST By Phil Helsel A Louisiana man was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday for setting fire to three historically Black churches, federal prosecutors said. Holden Matthews, 23, in February pleaded guilty to setting fire to the Baptist churches in spring 2019 and said he did it to boost his profile in the "black metal" community, the Justice Department said. Black me...

'It's too important now': Record turnout, Black voters fuel Democratic hopes in Georgia An influx of newly registered voters, most of them Black, could make Joe Biden the first Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state since 1992. Image: Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden Campaigns In Georgia Joe Biden speaks at a drive-in campaign rally in Atlanta on Oct. 27, 2020.Drew Angerer / Getty Images Nov. 1, 2020, 3:30 AM CST By Adam Edelman This is the final story in a series on battleground states poised to play a pivotal role in Tuesday’s general election. The series has spanned over six months and nine states, focusing on issues like the dual public health and economic crises caused by the pandemic, the protests around the country for racial justice, trade and voter turnout efforts. Read about Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, and Arizona. Norman Williams hadn’t voted in 52 years. But the 75-year-old retired Atlanta resid...

Increasing the minimum wage would help, not hurt, the economy A minimum wage that hasn’t risen since 2009 will only become increasingly unsustainable for the people relying on it, experts say. Image: Americans Watch Final Presidential Debate Between Donald Trump And Joe Biden The final debate between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden on Thursday, as seen from a restaurant in New York.Spencer Platt / Getty Images Oct. 23, 2020, 3:00 PM CDT By Martha C. White The minimum wage in the United States hasn’t budged in 11 years. Whether it should was a hotly contested question during Thursday’s final presidential debate. President Donald Trump asserted that increasing the minimum wage would crush small businesses, many of which are already struggling as a result of the pandemic, arguing that the decision should be left to the states. Democratic nominee Joe Biden repeated his campaign pledge to raise the minimum wage from its current $7.25 to $15. Establishing a $15 wage floor has been a l...