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Sen. Richard Burr, faces more scrutiny, this time over lobbyist’s purchase of his D.C. townhouse in 2017

By Alanna Joyner / April 15, 2020 / Comments Off on Sen. Richard Burr, faces more scrutiny, this time over lobbyist’s purchase of his D.C. townhouse in 2017

A new report discovers that U.S Senator and Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, sold his D.C. townhouse off-market for above market-price to a donor and powerful lobbyist connected to him, raising possibilities that the purchase could violate Senate ethics rules. In 2017, Burr sold the town house in the Capitol Hill neighborhood to a group…

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Years of cuts and lack of preparedness have left millions in North Carolina vulnerable

By Alanna Joyner / April 14, 2020 / Comments Off on Years of cuts and lack of preparedness have left millions in North Carolina vulnerable

The COVID-19 outbreak is exposing not only the weakness in the U.S health system and economy but the lack of preparedness plagued by decades of cuts and lack of concern. In North Carolina, working families, vulnerable populations, and children may be victims of a legislature that favored benefits for the wealthy at the expense of…

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Another Burr stock trade from 2018, raises eyebrows amid investigation

By Alanna Joyner / April 13, 2020 / Comments Off on Another Burr stock trade from 2018, raises eyebrows amid investigation

Senator Richard Burr’s illegal stock market trade-offs ahead of the COVID-19 stock market crash, are not the only time the North Carolina senator relied on internal reports for his own personal gains.  In 2018, Burr sold off almost $47,000 dollars worth of shares in a small Dutch fertilizer company, just weeks before its stock began…

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GOP pushes voting by mail — with restrictions — while Trump attacks it as ‘corrupt’

By Alanna Joyner / April 13, 2020 / Comments Off on GOP pushes voting by mail — with restrictions — while Trump attacks it as ‘corrupt’

Amid the deadly spread of COVID-19, public health officials view the safest and most effective option to vote is through an expanded use of voting by mail. Five states currently conduct all elections entirely by mail, with North Carolina among several other states, considering the option in order to protect voters from the virus.  Yet,…

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A triple disaster: Uninsured, living far from a hospital, and sick with COVID-19

By Alanna Joyner / April 10, 2020 / Comments Off on A triple disaster: Uninsured, living far from a hospital, and sick with COVID-19

Rural areas in North Carolina have seen numerous hospitals closed resulting in dwindling options on where to receive medical care. Out of the 100 counties in North Carolina, seventeen do not have state-licensed hospitals resulting in residents — if they are able — traveling up to 30 miles in some cases to the nearest medical…

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Progressive Pulse: N.C. Dems want more federal cash to combat hunger during pandemic

By Alanna Joyner / April 9, 2020 / Comments Off on Progressive Pulse: N.C. Dems want more federal cash to combat hunger during pandemic

Across the state, food banks have responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by overhauling their food distribution to minimize social contact and focusing efforts on at-risk clients. But with unemployment claims soaring to over 474,466, food insecurity for thousands may produce challenges for food banks that distribute food within their communities. In response to the encroaching…

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NC Policy Watch: Left behind: Immigrant communities try to navigate COVID-19 with language barriers, lack of resources

By Alanna Joyner / April 8, 2020 / Comments Off on NC Policy Watch: Left behind: Immigrant communities try to navigate COVID-19 with language barriers, lack of resources

Just two weeks ago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement(ICE) agents attempted to detain an undocumented worker in Cary just after the enforcement agency announced plans to limit enforcement actions amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the largest national public health crisis gripping the nation, already vulnerable communities are being left behind. For immigrant populations, safety concerns,…

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Winston-Salem Journal: NC’s status among lowest-paying states for unemployment benefits is by GOP design

By Alanna Joyner / April 7, 2020 / Comments Off on Winston-Salem Journal: NC’s status among lowest-paying states for unemployment benefits is by GOP design

Since mid-March, over 445,101 workers in North Carolina have filed for unemployment insurance and the sobering reality of how limited unemployment benefits are, is a challenge the state must face. North Carolina’s broken unemployment insurance system plagued by the GOP’s 2013 restructure of the system, has been stripped of its capabilities to deliver adequate aid…

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NC researchers: Models show social distancing makes big impact on hospital capacity

By Alanna Joyner / April 6, 2020 / Comments Off on NC researchers: Models show social distancing makes big impact on hospital capacity

New projection models released today shows that social distancing practices will significantly reduce the chance that hospitals will be overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. A team of local health experts determined that if social distance policies remain, predictions of increased cases could lessen — emphasizing the importance of maintaining social distancing.  From WRAL: The model shows…

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NCHN: COVID-19 accentuates barriers for the deaf and hard of hearing

By Alanna Joyner / April 6, 2020 / Comments Off on NCHN: COVID-19 accentuates barriers for the deaf and hard of hearing

In the midst of a public health crisis, various communities are being heavily impacted and the necessity to provide vital information for everyone as society consistently changes due to COVID-19, is important.  But that lifesaving information can be lost in translation or limited for those within the deaf community. In a state that has almost…

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