The gatherings at a Winston-Salem funeral home are part of a global movement to make talking about death less taboo.

The link between plant-based foods and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease has been well documented. A&T Distinguished Professor Shengmin Sang will research how it works and which populations receive the most benefits. The NIH recently awarded him and his team $1.4 million for his new study.

The closures could impact roughly 4,500 children in the state — many in rural counties where other child care options are limited, or nonexistent.

The government shutdown is exacting a heavy mental toll on the nation's military families, leaving them not knowing from week to week whether their paychecks will arrive.