Tabla de contenidos para July 18, 2025 en ScoopUSA Digital

Smith align with who we are, we say no to something that does. We chip away at our own joy, our energy, and our inner peace. And we wonder why we feel empty, tired, and frustrated. It’s because we’ve betrayed our own boundaries in the name of being “nice.” But what if I told you that being nice is not the same as being noble? What if the divine version of you—the version that knows their worth and walks in it—started saying yes only to the things that resonate with your soul? That version of you doesn’t fear saying no, because they understand that every no creates space for a more purposeful yes. In a world that constantly demands your “yes”—your time, your energy, your presence—it takes sacred courage to…

HARRISBURG, PA, July 14, 2025 – Continuing the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to strengthening our democracy and keeping our elections safe and secure, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt announced that the Department of State has redesigned the provisional ballot envelopes that counties use in an effort to improve legibility and make the envelope more user-friendly. “Every registered voter in our Commonwealth should have the opportunity to cast their vote and make their voice heard in each election,” Schmidt said during a press conference in Philadelphia. “We believe these changes to the provisional ballot envelopes will have a positive impact, just as the changes we made to mail ballot materials two years ago did.” This envelope update follows the Shapiro Administration’s successful redesign of mail ballot envelopes and materials in 2023.…

PHILADELPHIA, PA, July 11, 2025 — As the Living Legacy: William H. Gray III Memorial Project enters a pivotal stage with the selection of five finalists, the William H. Gray III Memorial Foundation, in partnership with Monument Lab and The ROZ Group, announced a two-week public engagement initiative designed to involve Philadelphia residents and communities in shaping the memorial’s final vision. From July 7–18, 2025, digital public-facing proposals by the five artist finalists will be available for viewing and comment through an online platform found at www.graymemorial.org. This virtual forum ensures broad access for individuals to share perspectives, reflections, and feedback on the future memorial honoring one of the nation’s most influential legislators, civic leaders, and faith voices. In tandem with online engagement, Public Engagement Week—running July 14–18, from 1:00–4:00…

HARRISBURG, July 15, 2025 – This week, the PA House of Representatives passed legislation sponsored by state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., to protect homeowners from unknowingly losing their home and generational wealth. Senior citizens and other homeowners on a fixed income often refinance their homes utilizing a reverse mortgage based on the benefit of an immediate financial gain without fully understanding the long-term outcome of the agreement. House Bill 1466 would ensure that anyone entering this type of transaction receives face-to-face financial counseling to make homeowners aware of the risks associated with a reverse mortgage. A reverse mortgage is a financial agreement that allows a homeowner to borrow on the equity in their home for a short-term monetary gain, such as a lump sum or a fixed payment. These complex…

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the nation's oldest civil rights organizations on Thursday declared a "state of emergency" for antidiscrimination policies, personal freedoms, and Black economic advancement in response to President Donald Trump's upending of civil rights precedents and the federal agencies traditionally tasked with enforcing them. The National Urban League's annual State of Black America report accuses the federal government of being "increasingly determined to sacrifice its founding principles" and "threatening to impose a uniform education system and a homogenous workforce that sidelines anyone who doesn't fit a narrow, exclusionary mold," according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press. "If left unchecked," the authors write, "they risk reversing decades of progress that have made America more dynamic, competitive, and just." Report critiques racism entering 'mainstream' of American politics…

A native of Glasgow, Kentucky. Willa Brown was born on January 22, 1906, to Reverend Erice and Hallie Mae (Carpenter) Brown. As a child, Willa’s parents moved her and her siblings to Indiana in hope of better educational opportunities within integrated schools. After graduating from Wiley High School in Terre Haute, Ind., Willa graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from Indiana State Teachers College (now Indiana State University). In later years, she earned an MBA from Northwestern University. Willa was an African American woman of great talents and abilities. Through hard work and dedication, she thrived in a variety of occupations, including those of a teacher, social worker, secretary, and even laboratory assistant during college. But after moving to Chicago, Willa sought greater challenges and adventures. What began as a hobby…