Alanna Joyner

Coronavirus reveals vulnerabilities within states like N.C. that rejected Medicaid expansion

By Alanna Joyner / March 30, 2020 / Comments Off on Coronavirus reveals vulnerabilities within states like N.C. that rejected Medicaid expansion

Uninsured people within the 14 states, including North Carolina, that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, could face numerous challenges as COVID-19 cases increase. Almost 5 million people across the country are without access to health care coverage and states that have turned down billions of federal dollars that would have come…

Read More

200,000 NC residents have filed for unemployment benefits. Here’s how to apply.

By Alanna Joyner / March 27, 2020 / Comments Off on 200,000 NC residents have filed for unemployment benefits. Here’s how to apply.

Since March 16, North Carolina Division of Employment Security has reported over  200,000 new unemployment claims, of which applicants have filed their job loss due to COVID-19’s impact on their employment. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s executive order on March 17, expanded access to unemployment benefits in an effort to minimize the economic impact of…

Read More

North Carolina ranked among the bottom 10 states for Census response, researchers say

By Alanna Joyner / March 26, 2020 /

According to research by Carolina Demography, a research group affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill, in the first 12 days that the 2020 Census forms were made available, only 16.6 percent of North Carolina households filled theirs out. Compared to the national average of 19.2 percent, North Carolina currently is ranked 41st for its response rate —…

Read More

Area hospitals seek donated protective gear, medical supplies amid pandemic. Here’s how to help.

By Alanna Joyner / March 25, 2020 / Comments Off on Area hospitals seek donated protective gear, medical supplies amid pandemic. Here’s how to help.

As coronavirus cases continue to surge across the nation, hospitals in every state are dealing with the stressful demand to combat the virus, but with limited resources. North Carolina hospitals, along with others around the country, are asking for donations of medical supplies, especially personal protective equipment, or PPE, for health care providers.   Health care…

Read More

Senate passes ‘Families First Coronavirus Response Act’

By Alanna Joyner / March 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Senate passes ‘Families First Coronavirus Response Act’

A second coronavirus emergency aid package came into law last week, named the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The latest package includes a federal emergency paid-leave benefits program, free COVID-19 testing for the public and expanded unemployment benefits. The first emergency bill allocated over $8 billion for coronavirus prevention, preparation, and response efforts across the…

Read More

Appalachian Voices: NC groups call for prohibition of all utility shut-offs in state due to covid-19

By Alanna Joyner / March 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Appalachian Voices: NC groups call for prohibition of all utility shut-offs in state due to covid-19

Over 30 North Carolina organizations are calling for the suspension of all utility shut-offs across the state during the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter addressed to the NC Utilities Commission, Governor Roy Cooper and key officials, the groups are urging for an immediate suspension of service disconnections and late payment fees for customers.  The letter…

Read More

Sen. Richard Burr Sold a Fortune in Stocks as G.O.P. Played Down Coronavirus Threat

By Alanna Joyner / March 23, 2020 / Comments Off on Sen. Richard Burr Sold a Fortune in Stocks as G.O.P. Played Down Coronavirus Threat

In mid-February, North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, sold almost $1.7 million in stocks, including hotels chains, after receiving daily classified information from the Senate Intelligence Committee briefings that confirmed COVID-19’s impending threat to the United States.  Around the same time, Burr was reassuring Americans about the coronavirus crisis while he disclosed the virus’ economic impact…

Read More

NC United for Survival & Beyond calls for needed protection of vulnerable populations during the outbreak

By Alanna Joyner / March 20, 2020 / Comments Off on NC United for Survival & Beyond calls for needed protection of vulnerable populations during the outbreak

Yesterday, 10 demands were expressed during a press conference hosted by over 60 North Carolina organizations in a coalition effort to address needed protection for vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 outbreak.  North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper and the General Assembly, were called out to prioritize the health and safety of NC families, workers, uninsured immigrants,…

Read More

The time to fix NC’s broken unemployment insurance system is right now

By Alanna Joyner / March 20, 2020 / Comments Off on The time to fix NC’s broken unemployment insurance system is right now

North Carolina’s Former Gov. Pat McCroy passed unemployment insurance reforms in 2013  with an objective to reduce unemployment taxes on businesses. Seven years later, the reforms have done little.McCroy’s House Bill 4 cut the eligibility and benefits for all unemployed workers, leaving thousands of workers without financial assistance over the years. As the coronavirus outbreak…

Read More

Need food during your coronavirus quarantine? NC farmers want to provide it.

By Alanna Joyner / March 18, 2020 / Comments Off on Need food during your coronavirus quarantine? NC farmers want to provide it.

North Carolina farmers in several counties across the state are providing communities with access to fresh produce in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. With over 230 farmers markets and roadside stands in North Carolina, residents will be able to get local fresh food in their communities, rather than at grocery stores.  From North Carolina…

Read More