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As the U.S. hits 4.3 million COVID-19 cases, medical experts are urging leaders to consider shutting down the country and start over to contain the pandemic. Since the early months of the year, the Trump administration missed or ignored the mounting signals of the impending crisis. Yet, while Trump fumbled our nation’s response and assigned…
Read MoreThis week, millions of North Carolinians and people across the country will see a drastic reduction in unemployment benefits as the additional $600 federal UI is set to stop at the end of the month. In March, the federal government agreed to send an additional $600 to unemployed workers from the CARES Act. Talks of…
Read MoreAccording to a new report from researchers at the group Families USA, North Carolina is one of the hardest hit state by COVID-19’s economic impact with 238,000 people losing health insurance through May. One-in-five adults under age 65 in North Carolina was uninsured as state lawmakers refused to pass Medicaid expansion in the latest legislative…
Read MoreLast week, the Trump Administration stripped control of all COVID-19 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and has ordered hospitals to send the information to the Department of Health and Human Services through a private company. Since the pandemic began, the CDC has regularly published data on availability of hospital beds,…
Read MoreDecisions on reopening schools is happening across the country as the Trump Administration has pressured governors to reopen schools his fall. With numerous threats to cut school funding for states that do not adhere to Trump’s strong-arm approach, North Carolina was one of many states that announced school plans. For North Carolina, the choice of…
Read MoreThe General Assembly adjourned on Saturday, with lawmakers coming back into session on Sept. 2. In its most recent legislative session, Republican lawmakers did not set aside politics on many issues, but rather ignored public health officials and sought to force the reopening of the state. During an unprecedented moment, the demands of the wealthy…
Read MoreSince last week, Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos have issued federal funding threats to schools that don’t fully reopen in the fall. On Wednesday, Trump pressured the government’s top health experts to loosen safety recommendations for how the nation’s schools could reopen safely. Trump also threatened to pull tax-exempt status for schools and colleges.…
Read MoreBefore the mandatory Aug. 17 start of the school year, the state House wanted to make changes to a state law that requires all students to be in school, but the Senate, spearheaded by Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, refused to agree on the change. Proposed plans to rotate groups of students between in-person…
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A few weeks ago in an opinion editorial by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, Tillis claimed that he will remain committed to,“my work of listening to the concerns, opinions, and experiences of North Carolinians”. But since 2014, the senator yet has demonstrated a pattern of dodging voters’ concerns during his town halls and in his decisions.…
Read MoreAs Republicans lawmakers are supporting an Aug. 17 opening date for the upcoming school year, a new poll finds North Carolinians are deeply divided about the best way to send students and teachers back. Currently, the state has required each school district to have three plans with different levels of social distancing. One plan puts…
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