The Greenville News
DOJ cuts grants, halting public safety efforts across U.S.
The United States is experiencing one of the steepest declines in violent crime in modern history, including a murder rate at its lowest point in more than a century. Homicides across 35 major American cities fell 21% in 2025, amounting to 922 fewer...
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‘Be cautious’
If you walk into one of these jellyfishlike creatures at South Carolina’s beaches this summer, you might get yourself into a jam. Portuguese man o’ wars, the fluorescent blue marine hydrozoans recognized by their balloon-sail, are reportedly washing...
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Church Street Bridge project concludes
A day that downtown commuters have longawaited has arrived – the Church Street Bridge is officially reopend to traffic. “I can say with full confidence that this is a day that every resident in the city of Greenville has eagerly awaited,” said...
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2 injured in shooting at Haywood Mall
Greenville police responded to reports of gunfire at Haywood Mall on Saturday afternoon, June 13, when two groups of individuals got into a verbal altercation that escalated into gunfire, sending two people to the hospital, officials said. A...
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Greenville County ‘success story’ in economic uncertainty
In a time of extreme economic uncertainty, experts say that Greenville County has stood out as an economic success story. University of South Carolina research economist Joey Von Nessen said international trade and tariffs have increased uncertainty...
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YMCA projects aim to address growth at branch locations
Nine years ago there were about 6,500 youngsters in youth sports at the YMCA of Greenville. In the past year participation has jumped to about 13,000 with a growing waitlist. Only one new sports program, girls flag football, has been added in that...
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Greenville restaurants working to combat rising food costs
As inflation remains on the rise, many Greenville restaurants are seeing their food and operating costs at an all-time high. Essentials like meat and produce are more expensive, with the cost of ground beef rising by 31 percent from February 2024 to...
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SBC pushes a ban on women pastors
With new wind in its sails, a campaign to enshrine a ban on women pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention passed the first of two necessary hurdles. The nation’s largest Protestant denomination affirmed a proposal at the 2026 SBC annual meeting in...
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Johnson wins his primary; Evette, Wilson head to runoff
The Republican race for governor of South Carolina will head into a runoff with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson, while State Rep. Jermaine Johnson has been declared the winner in the Democratic primary. Five Republican...
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Friends’ plans take flight
An easy rapport between Lauren Good and Trish Ballentine is evident when discussing their new project. The two, who have known each other for nearly three decades, can not only understand what the other is thinking with just a few words, but can also...
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Cleveland Park, part of Swamp Rabbit Trail closed
Greenville’s oldest and largest public park will be closed for renovations this summer. A $3 million Cleveland Park Zoo Playground Revitalization Project will close the playgrounds and shelters below the zoo, along with a portion of the Swamp Rabbit...
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‘It feels like we’re committed to success’
Fans cheered as the Greenville Triumph claimed its first win at its new stadium in front of a sold-out crowd. The Triumph opened the GE Vernova Park on June 3 against Forward Madison in front of a crowd of around 4,300, winning a gritty 1-0. GE...
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Economic issues weigh on voters
Asteady stream of voters filed into the Greenville County Voter Registration and Elections Office in McAlister Square early in the morning on June 3, looking to cast their ballots before a much busier election day. South Carolina shattered state...
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A verdict undone: Netflix doc reveals new details in Murdaugh case
A new Netflix documentary has revealed some startling and contrasting views from people behind the scenes of the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, as well as the lingering and painful impacts this high-profile case continues to have on the lives it...
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Greenville native and Grammy-Award winning singer, dies
Peabo Bryson, a Greenville native and Grammy Award-winning singer best known for his songs “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World,” has died at age 75. h The popular R&B singer died on Tuesday, June 2, in Marietta, Ga., according to the New York...
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‘Fight for SC values’
running for governor of South Carolina are packing their schedules with Upstate meet-and-greats with just one week until the primary elections. Three Republicans running for governor campaigned in the Upstate on June 1, where they hosted events to...
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‘Greenville is ready for a home like this’
The Greenville Triumph will open GE Vernova Park to fans with a home match against Forward Madison FC, marking the club’s first game in its long-awaited permanent stadium beside BridgeWay Station in Mauldin. The match will take place at 7 p.m. on...
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Event draws energized Dems after redistricting
Hundreds of people poured out on to the EdVenture Children’s Museum late Friday for an energetic evening of food, dancing and politics. National and state Democratic Party leaders arrived in Columbia on May 29 for an evening of state party events,...
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City hopes to ‘close critical financial gaps’
Greenville’s new city budget includes a combined $3.75 million in funding for affordable housing. Affordable housing is income restrictive housing in which rent varies by individual and should cost no more than one third of their monthly income,...
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‘Insane’ congestion
Even on a Friday morning the parking lots of Woodruff Road stores are packed, bustling with shoppers trying to get their errands done before the real rush hits the area. Sarah Hoffman has to plan out her trips to Trader Joe’s – her primary grocery...
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Policy and personal jabs mark event at Wofford
A nearly full Leonard Auditorium in Wofford College’s Main Building was the scene of a Republican gubernatorial debate on May 26 that focused mostly on policy but featured several testy, even personal, exchanges between candidates. The one-hour debate...
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Solving big issues
The Spartanburg home of Karen Floyd was the scene of a forum that brought women together for discussions about big-picture issues and proposed solutions to create long-term change. Billed as the inaugural Call for Humanity Summit, the gathering...
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Loss of natural habitat
The concept of a plant that “eats” animals provokes the darker regions of the imagination. In the 1980s musical comedy “Little Shop of Horrors,” a giant Venus flytrap named Audrey II consumes human flesh. The royalty-free photography and graphic bank...
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‘TO ANY EOPLE ARE DYING’
Law enforcement leaders delivered a blunt warning ahead of the summer travel season: Too many people are dying on Spartanburg County roads, and officials say unsafe driving is to blame. At a press conference on May 21 in front of the Spartanburg...
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Battle of Cowpens viewed by historians as key U.S. victory
It’s a classic underdog story – and one that many historians believe holds a key to the success of the American Revolution. The Cowpens National Battlefield, located in Cherokee County near Chesnee, is where it took place. The Battle of Cowpens...
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TOWN TRANSFORMS
JWOODRUFF ust six years ago, Scurry’s on Main barber shop was one of only a few businesses operating on the city of Woodruff’s Main Street. h Derek Scurry, who has been cutting hair in Woodruff for more than 40 years, sat inside his barber shop on a...
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Court rules with Greenville in Frankie’s Fun Park crash
A Greenville County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the family of a teenager who died in a 2024 Frankie’s Fun Park go-kart crash. According to Greenville County Court documents, Greenville County Circuit Court Judge Jessica Salvini granted the...
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New NorthMark data center under scrutiny
Kara Bui said the glare of bright lights at the NorthMark Strategies construction site is an ongoing aggravation. But, long-term, she feels like she’s in the dark. Bui said she’s unsure about the possible impacts of the $2.8 billion data center under...
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Elizabeth Davis, Furman’s first female president, to step down
Furman University President Elizabeth Davis is stepping down. Davis announced her decision to the university’s board of trustees on May 16. The campus was informed on May 18. The 2026-27 academic year will be Davis’ final year as Furman’s 12th...
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Upgrades on the way
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is in line for new air traffic tower, according to an announcement from federal officials on May 15. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Trump administration is working toward what he called...
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Civil Rights PIONEER
South Carolina is honoring civil rights pioneer Robert Smalls with a monument on the State House grounds in Columbia. h The once enslaved man who seized his freedom during the Civil War and served as a Union naval pilot and later became a U.S....
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Countering ‘a massive environmental footprint’
A team of researchers at Clemson University has been awarded $11 million to study and develop materials that are helping fuel a more sustainable fashion industry worldwide and a more dynamic agricultural economy in South Carolina. The grant is one of...
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State Supreme Court: Trial was unfair
The South Carolina Supreme Court has decided that formerly convicted murderer Richard “Alex” Murdaugh deserves a new trial. So, what comes next? On May 13, the Palmetto State’s highest court issued a ruling reversing a post-trial appeal denial of a...
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McMaster calls for special session amid redistricting
Gov. Henry McMaster has issued an executive order calling a special session of the South Carolina General Assembly, giving lawmakers the opportunity to continue redistricting and budget discussions. McMaster issued the order calling lawmakers back for...
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Jury meddling leads to new Murdaugh murder trial
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 murder convictions and ordered a new trial on Wednesday, May 13, citing improper jury communication and tampering by former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill, among other legal...
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Legislative subcommittee gives approval to new voting map
Protesters erupted in chants of disapproval after a subcommittee of lawmakers in Columbia voted to advance a bill to redraw South Carolina’s congressional map. South Carolina Republican lawmakers are trying to fast track policies to redraw the state’s...
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OPENING DAY OF ARTISPHERE
ABOVE: Wilder Things Than Us performs during Artisphere. ABOVE, LEFT: “The Granite Goddess” walks through the street during Artisphere. LEFT: Blocks for screen printing are set out during Artisphere.
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GCS budget includes teachers, employees pay raises
Greenville County Schools proposed an almost $1 billion FY27 General Fund Budget, which included teacher and district staff pay raises without a millage rate increase. A first reading of the proposed FY 27 General Fund Budget was presented by...
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Local farms, big flavor
Red clay and relationships are at the fabric of the Upstate’s farm-to-table industry. It’s embedded into the potency of the South Carolina Chef Ambassador’s crème brûlée, in the distinct sweetness of carrots used by a Michelin Guide-recommended...
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‘It will never be developed’
Ashley and Platt Moore drove their Kawasaki Mule across rolling hills in Fountain Inn on a chilly February afternoon, pointing out calves born during a winter storm along the way. The couple owns AM-PM Farms, a roughly 500-acre cattle farm that they...
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Charting his own path
It’s been nearly 1,000 years since King Henry IV stood barefoot in the Italian snow to beg forgiveness after clashes with Pope Gregory VII, and over two centuries since Napoleon imprisoned Pope Pius VII in France. Now, a battle is underway between a...
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Artisphere brings art, music for Mother’s Day weekend
Greenville’s top art expo takes place this Mother’s Day Weekend, featuring 140 artists along downtown Main Street, with food, music, and family activities, free for all to enjoy. In an event that attracted around 80,000 patrons in 2025, the three-day...
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Senate, House at odds over details
The South Carolina legislature is fine-tuning a bill to speed up road repair work. The South Carolina House and Senate each drafted a bill this legislative session to reform the South Carolina Department of Transportation: House Bill 5071 and Senate...
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SC State Univ. funding in jeopardy
At a campaign stop in Spartanburg on May 1, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette would not say whether she agreed with nine state lawmakers who have called for South Carolina State University to lose funding after school leaders rescinded Evette’s invitation to give...
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Anderson, Spartanburg counties short poll workers
Two election offices in the Upstate are facing critical shortages of poll workers leading up to the June 9 primary elections. The Anderson County and Spartanburg County Voter Registration and Elections offices are amplifying calls for more poll...
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Evette will not speak at SCSU’s commencement after student protests
The South Carolina State University’s president said student civic engagement and safety concerns led the school to rescind the lieutenant governor’s commencement invitation. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette was invited to speak at SC State’s May 8 graduation,...
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Once a Giant
Forty years ago, the New York Giants achieved their first Super Bowl win, defeating the Denver Broncos in Pasadena, Calif. h The win left a lasting legacy on the franchise and the athletes who played the game. h Today, the victors of Super Bowl XXI are...
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World’s great fish migrations collapsing
Hidden beneath the surface of the world’s rivers, some of Earth’s great animal movements unfold – migrations that rival, in sheer biomass, the famous mass movements of zebra and wildebeest across the Serengeti. h For centuries, fish migrations were as...
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MUCH-NEEDED
“Much-needed” rainfall has reached Upstate South Carolina, and more is expected over the coming weekend. Storms and rain showers continue to move across the Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson area on Wednesday, April 29, bringing “much-needed” rain...
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A look inside the steakhouse filling Urban Wren spot
A new steakhouse is opening in downtown Greenville, replacing a longtime favorite, and with a menu featuring dry-aged steaks, 100-plus wine options, and a fresh-faced dining experience in the West End. Located at 116 N. Markley St., Cork & Cleaver...
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GOING BANANAS
Greenville went bananas for Banana Ball. Even without the actual Savannah Bananas in town, there were three days of sold-out performances ending April 26 at Fluor Field for baseballbased Banana Ball Championship League games between the Firefighters...
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Nicholtown Community Center reopens after $4.9M renovations
Nicholtown Community Center reopened in Greenville on April 23 to hand claps and cheers from an excited community. At the ribbon cutting, Greenville officials showcased significant changes to meet the needs of the local community, including interior...
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Candidates outline plans to govern at recent forum
Three of the six Republican candidates for governor made their stances known on topics like abortion, gambling and energy sustainability at a recent governor’s forum. Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman,...
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Searching for the perfect date night experience, expanding your social circle, and even activities for the kids? There are various food-centric, live-music, and arts-education events to attend in the Upstate in 2026. In Greenville, Spartanburg, and...
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Lebanese see echoes of civil war
BEIRUT – An Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, bombings in Beirut, massive displacement and rising sectarian friction. The year is 2026, but for those who lived through Lebanon’s civil war five decades ago, it may as well be the 1970s. Lebanese who...
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Novant Health expands by buying TD Bank campus
North Carolina-based Novant Health wants to be a competitor in the Upstate's healthcare industry, and its latest property acquisition along Interstate 85 in Greenville will continue its mission. Greenville County property records show the former TD...
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Greenville eyes new 5-story condo plan on Main Street
A new five-story building will be up for discussion in June, a decision that would change one of downtown Greenville’s signature locations along Main Street. At 127 S. Main St., a residential, office-retail, and parking structure is being considered...
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Beloved campus dog honored with memorial
Students at Furman University gathered together on April 12 to paint a memorial tribute in honor of the school’s unofficial mascot: a special dog named Riley Knox. A rainbow bridge stretches between buildings A and F of North Village in remembrance of...
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Hotel would include speakeasy, rooftop bar, restaurant
The next steps to convert the former Café & Then Some building and the former Buick dealership into a 17-room boutique hotel and social space have been approved by the Greenville Design Review Board (DRB), subject to conditions. On April 16, the city...
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‘If you would, please let 212 live’
Just a few blocks from Unity Park in downtown Greenville sits a two-story home with chipped white paint and a crumbling stone walkway. While unassuming from the outside, 212 Asbury Avenue has a deep history in the Jim Crow era. Now, the owners and a...
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Blockbuster cancer drug corners the market
Just a few weeks after President Donald Trump’s December promise that prescription drug prices would plummet “fast and furious,” Patricia Brown checked into a California clinic for an infusion of Merck & Co.’s blockbuster cancer drug, Keytruda. When...
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Farmers markets to visit throughout Upstate SC
Produce growers, food producers, and craftspersons are approaching a prime season for locally sourced goods, as the Upstate’s farmers market season is upon us. According to South Carolina Certified — a subsidiary of the South Carolina Department of...
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Fort Hill has ties to politics, slavery, founding of Clemson
A white-columned house stands quietly preserved on Clemson University’s campus. Fort Hill is a national historic landmark and the former home of John C. Calhoun. The home has a layered history, from its ties to politics and slavery to its role in...
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Ambassadors for Israel, Lebanon to hold talks
The U.S. military is mustering forces in the Middle East again, this time to enforce a blockade of Iran-linked vessels leaving the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil shipping lane that has become a focal point of the war. The U.S. blockade involves...
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Airlines weather Iran war turbulence
A combination of rising prices and geopolitical uncertainty are making many American travelers question if it’s better to stay closer to home or travel farther afield this summer. “Out of the three international trips, I’ve already canceled the first...
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‘euphoria’ festival to return this fall
Greenville’s award winning food fest has announced its lineup for 2026. “euphoria,” the four-day weekend extravaganza showcasing the city’s culinary chefs and musicians, returns on Thursday, Sept. 17, running through Sunday, Sept. 20. Nearly 90...
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TINY DICE HOUSE
Step out of the earthly realm and into a board game paradise with Greenville’s whimsical Airbnb experience. h Stacked in the woods of Paris Mountain, the Tiny Dice House — also known as “Pairadice” — is one of the city’s best kept hideaways. Inspired...
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Public defender shortage ripples across legal system
The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5 issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants. Like other states, Oregon must provide...
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U.S.-Iran ceasefire on tenuous ground
President Donald Trump’s ceasefire with Iran was on tenuous ground on April 9 after Israel launched its deadliest day of strikes on Lebanon yet and Tehran vowed not to desert its allies. A day after announcing the Iran war ceasefire, Trump took to...
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‘Secession Hill’ is where South Carolina withdrew from Union
After the election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860, South Carolina began plans to withdraw from the Union, and the meeting grounds in Abbeville were an important site at the beginning of the Civil War. On Nov. 22, 1860, nearly 3,000 local...
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Reddy prepares for the challenge
Editor’s note: The Greenville News invited all current gubernatorial candidates to a sit-down interview on their campaigns and plans for the governor’s office. Rom Reddy, founder of DOGE SC, became the latest Republican to join the governor’s race on...
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Staley and SC overachieved, but loss is still crushing
PHOENIX — Dawn Staley woke up 40 minutes away from a fourth national championship, but the South Carolina women’s basketball coach fell short. The Gamecocks had no answers for their opponent once again, losing 79-51 to UCLA on April 5, one year after...
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Two Tigers help launch NASA’s journey to moon
On April 1, two Clemson University alumni carved their place in history as key contributors to the Artemis II launch team carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen on a 10-day crewed mission around the...
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SC poets decry pick made by McMaster
On March 20, Glenis Redmond received a call from a representative with the South Carolina Arts Commission. She was updated on a question she'd been wondering about for several years: Who would be the next South Carolina poet laureate? Redmond serves...
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Trump funding cuts axed nutrition program
If the government had found a way to save $10 for every dollar it spent helping low-income people get healthier, wouldn’t it make sense for it to keep doing that? Well, that’s exactly what the U.S. government did when it piloted the SNAPEd program in...
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