Alanna Joyner

News & Observer: Another court blocks NC voter ID law, citing ‘racially discriminatory intent’

By Alanna Joyner / February 19, 2020 / Comments Off on News & Observer: Another court blocks NC voter ID law, citing ‘racially discriminatory intent’

On Tuesday, a North Carolina Court of Appeals blocked the NC voter photo ID law, saying that the law was passed with discriminatory intent and will cause irreparable harm. A federal court has already blocked the voter ID mandate until the 2020 primary, but the state courts ruling could extend the blockage until the general…

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Group says NC must take ‘immediate action’ to provide students a sound basic education

By Alanna Joyner / February 19, 2020 / Comments Off on Group says NC must take ‘immediate action’ to provide students a sound basic education

With the recent decision in the Leandro case, an advocate group says NC must take ‘immediate action’ to meet the state’s Constitutional obligation to provide students with a sound basic education. In January, Superior Court Judge David Lee signed a court order in the long-running Leandro school funding case ordering state leaders to provide enough…

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WRAL: North Carolina Facebook page is ‘disinformation campaign,’ experts say

By Alanna Joyner / February 18, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: North Carolina Facebook page is ‘disinformation campaign,’ experts say

According to media experts, a Facebook page, called “North Carolina Breaking News”, that reportedly shares breaking news, is a hub for misinformation. The page includes racially insensitive terms towards minorities, and numerous instances of incorrect information in which news stories from other states are rewritten to have occurred in North Carolina. With over 50,000 followers,…

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WRAL: Immigrants and city leaders speak out against ICE arrests, family separations

By Alanna Joyner / February 18, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: Immigrants and city leaders speak out against ICE arrests, family separations

On Monday, city leaders from Raleigh and Durham spoke out against recent ICE arrests in North Carolina. Joined with several immigrant families, leaders are calling out ICE’s actions as undermining the judicial system. Since January, ICE agents have detained 32 people in 10 counties, including 16 in Wake County last week.  From WRAL:  With lawmakers…

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Duke Energy still seeks rate hikes even as profits are up

By Alanna Joyner / February 18, 2020 / Comments Off on Duke Energy still seeks rate hikes even as profits are up

Duke Energy turned a profit of $660 million for the last three months of 2019, up 42% from a year ago. This comes after Duke Energy’s proposed rate hike request to raise over $123 MILLION on the backs of rate-payers to pay for their toxic coal ash clean up.  From WFAE: Duke CEO Lynn Good…

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NC Senate leader Phil Berger made $80,000 selling his house to a lobbyist

By Alanna Joyner / February 17, 2020 / Comments Off on NC Senate leader Phil Berger made $80,000 selling his house to a lobbyist

Long-time government watchdog Bob Hall, filed a complaint last week with the General Assembly’s Legislative Ethics Commission, alleging that NC Senator Leader Phil Berger benefited financially from the sale of a campaign-bought townhouse in Raleigh. Berger sold the townhouse to a lobbyist, pocketing $80,000 in the process. In addition to the $80,000 profit, Berger previously…

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Judge voids UNC’s shady settlement over confederate statue

By Alanna Joyner / February 17, 2020 /

Last week was a win for UNC students, faculty and alumni as a state judge vacated the UNC settlement over Silent Sam. Judge Allen Baddour held a hearing to reconsider his initial approval of the deal back in November, now ruling that the SCV did not have standing to bring the lawsuit in the first…

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Crisis at a Durham public housing complex reflects neglect and calls for change

By Alanna Joyner / February 14, 2020 / Comments Off on Crisis at a Durham public housing complex reflects neglect and calls for change

Friday, residents of McDougald Terrace are set to go home after more than a month in hotels. The Durham Housing Authority hoped to have 12 units ready for occupancy by the end of the week. However, some families are finding out their homes are not ready, and they feel they are not safe yet. Since…

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News & Observer: One ECU trustee resigns, another is censured after they meddled in student election

By Alanna Joyner / February 11, 2020 / Comments Off on News & Observer: One ECU trustee resigns, another is censured after they meddled in student election

One member of the East Carolina University Board of Trustees abruptly resigned and another was censured during a hearing before the UNC Board of Governors last Friday.  ECU Trustees Phil Lewis and Robert Moore were brought before the BOG after evidence revealed the two members offered money for an ECU student to run for SGA…

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NC Policy Watch: Duke Energy says it will fully excavate coal ash from unlined ponds, but that won’t fix the legacy of contamination

By Alanna Joyner / February 11, 2020 / Comments Off on NC Policy Watch: Duke Energy says it will fully excavate coal ash from unlined ponds, but that won’t fix the legacy of contamination

For the next two weeks, the NC Department of Environmental Quality is hosting six coal ash cleanup public meetings across North Carolina. Duke Energy’s closure plans for the ash basins at the remaining six plants in North Carolina will be up for discussion in Person, Wayne, Chatham and Robeson counties. Monday kicked off the first…

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