(Sierra Club) – Most people think of “tree hugger” as a casual insult for a certain kind of environmentalist. The term actually has a proud history. It is time to take it back. In 1730, 363 members of Bishnois branch of Hinduism in India clung to – or “hugged” – the trees in their village to stop them from being cut down to build a palace. The protesters were killed for their cause. But the incident led to a royal decree that outlawed any more trees being cut down in Bishnoi villages. More than 200 years later, a group of peasant women inspired by the Bishnoi “hugged” trees to stop them from ..read more

(Special to The Dallas Examiner) – More than 2.5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis were reported in the United States in 2022, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In response to the trend, Parkland Health has launched a series of initiatives aimed at curbing the spread of these sexually transmitted infections and raising awareness about the importance of STI screenings. Dr. Emily Adhikari, director of Perinatal Infectious Diseases for Parkland Health, underscored the urgency of addressing this public health crisis locally. Related Stories “Syphil ..read more

(The Dallas Examiner) – Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, the newly installed president and CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, announced his immediate resignation on Tuesday. “After continual prayer and deliberation, I have decided to step down from the position of chief executive officer and president of Rainbow Push Coalition [RPC], effective immediately,” he wrote on official letterhead. “I remain committed to honoring the rich history of RPC and the legacy of its esteemed leader, the incomparable Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr., and, most significantly, to the calling and pursuit of social justi ..read more

(CNN) – Dr. Versha Pleasant has dedicated her career to finding ways to erase the racial health inequities facing Black mothers. A clinical assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan Medical School, Pleasant said she developed a curriculum that teaches the history of racism in obstetrics and gynecology in the U.S. The curriculum was part of a pilot project and covered James Marion Sims – a doctor who once performed experimental surgeries on enslaved Black women without anesthesia, Pleasant said. Related Stories This treatment, she added, inspired the false ..read more

(CNN) – Hundreds of women in the United States die from complications related to pregnancy, childbirth and the time after giving birth each year, and the country’s high maternal death rate makes it an outlier among developed nations. Federal data shows that maternal mortality has surged in the U.S. in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and experts have expressed concern that the problem is getting worse. In 2022, the Biden administration launched a plan to address the maternal health crisis facing the nation, highlighting that pregnancy and childbirth are “traumatic experi ..read more

(The Dallas Examiner) – “COVID-19 affected the Black community at an alarming rate,” said Debra Fraser-Howze, founder and board chair of Choose Healthy Life, during a recent webinar, “Somebody asked me when we were going to go back to normal, and my response was, ‘We’re not going back to normal. We died in normal. We’ll never go back to normal again.’” Black people are infected, hospitalized and die from COVID-19 at a higher rate than any other race. Because of a combination of past and current injustices and lack of access to care, the Black community has more vaccine hesitancy than any othe ..read more

(The Dallas Examiner) – A major revitalization project is officially underway at the historic Forest Theater. Located in “Sunny South Dallas,” the theater’s history spans 75 years. It is known as a “sister” to the Majestic, Lakewood and Inwood theaters of Dallas, which were all built around the same time. However, Forest is the only one of the four which, soon after construction, had to compete with a major highway that was suddenly built to divide its surrounding neighborhood. The result of this new highway, known as U.S. 175, drastically changed the South Dallas area from predominantly Jewi ..read more

(Special to The Dallas Examiner) DESOTO – DeSoto Independent School District will host a student job fair on May 2 at DeSoto High School, located at 600 Eagle Drive in DeSoto. Leading up to that point, district teachers and leaders are working with students on interview prep and skill development, resume development and other nuances associated with job readiness. The job fair is aimed at pairing students with employment opportunities in three capacities: Related Stories Summer Employment Longer-Term Employment Post Grad Employment The DeSoto High School Career and Technical Education depar ..read more

(The Dallas Examiner) – The City of Dallas Department of Public Works is seeking input from residents on an initiative to modernize the city’s communication kiosks with digital elements that provide an interactive platform to raise awareness of local businesses and events, encourage community engagement and enhance neighborhood safety. The proposal would allow for the installation of interactive digital kiosks in commercial, mixed-use, retail and entertainment areas within the city’s right-of-way in high pedestrian traffic areas. Related Stories The kiosks would be equipped with SmartCity tec ..read more

Safeguarding your financial documents is crucial for protecting sensitive information and maintaining financial security. Organizing and securing your important financial records – whether in physical or digital formats – is a key step in preventing identity theft, fraud, and financial loss. Risks of financial document breaches Failing to safeguard your financial documents exposes you to risks with severe consequences for your financial well-being and personal security. These include: Related Stories Identity Theft. Sensitive information like Social Security numbers, bank statements, and cred ..read more