Freedmen win citizenship, medical debt ban, and Osage News collab
VNN Weekly Digest September 25- October 1
Here’s a look at the week’s top stories:
Black Creek Freedmen win citizenship, Muscogee judge rules
(OKLAHOMA) A Muscogee judge ruled in favor of two Black Muscogee (Creek) Freedmen seeking citizenship on Wednesday, in a historic decision that opens the door for reinstatement into the tribal nation of their ancestors. Witnesses at the court hearing, an Indigenous affairs reporter for KOSU and an assistant to civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons confirmed the win for plaintiffs Rhonda Grayson and Jeff Kennedy.
Biden Administration to Ban Medical Debt From Americans’ Credit Scores
(NATIONAL) The Biden administration announced a major initiative to protect Americans from medical debt on Thursday, outlining plans to develop federal rules barring unpaid medical bills from affecting patients’ credit scores. The regulations, if enacted, would potentially help tens of millions of people who have medical debt on their credit reports, eliminating information that can depress consumers’ scores and make it harder for many to get a job, rent an apartment, or secure a car loan.
Osage News and VNN team up to strengthen Native news sustainability
(OSAGE NATION) For over 40 years, Osage News has kept their community members informed with accurate, in-depth reporting and timely information. In the early 2000s, Osage Nation updated their constitution to ban tribal leadership from making or enforcing laws that would restrict a free press. The tribe later banned defunding the paper and added protections for journalists who choose not to reveal their sources.
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WEATHER ACROSS AMERICA
(NATIONAL) A Slight Risk of excessive rainfall over parts of the east coast of Florida and over the Southern High Plains, a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Southern High Plains, and heavy snow over parts of the higher elevations of northeastern Utah.
NATIVE COMMERCE NEWS
Native partnerships lead to first Zona Verde affordable housing in the US
Native Commerce News is sponsored by the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma (AICCO), dedicated to expanding Indian Country commerce across the globe
(OKLAHOMA) For thousands of years, Native American people inhabited land that today encompasses states like Oklahoma. Despite this fact, it has been a challenge for many Native Americans living in Oklahoma and beyond to own their own homes, or even find rental property that is in good condition.
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