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WRAL: UNC leader says ‘Silent Sam’ won’t return to Chapel Hill campus

By Alanna Joyner / February 25, 2020 / Comments Off on WRAL: UNC leader says ‘Silent Sam’ won’t return to Chapel Hill campus

On Friday, a judge imposed a 45-day deadline on the Sons of Confederate Veterans to return the Silent Sam statue to the University of North Carolina. This comes after the Orange County Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour’s ruling that the Sons of Confederate Veterans must return the remaining balance of the $2.5 million bribe that…

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Seven years later, the GOP’s unemployment reforms still haunt NC

By Alanna Joyner / February 24, 2020 / Comments Off on Seven years later, the GOP’s unemployment reforms still haunt NC

On Tuesday, the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee, composed mostly of Republican lawmakers, met on the subject of Unemployment Insurance.Lawmakers are reconsidering a 2013 reform called the “Carolina Comeback”,  backed by Pat McCrory and the GOP, that was an initiative to reduce unemployment taxes on businesses., but seven years later has seemingly failed to return job…

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2019 was the worst year for rural hospital closures this decade, a new report finds

By Alanna Joyner / February 21, 2020 / Comments Off on 2019 was the worst year for rural hospital closures this decade, a new report finds

According to a new report from the Chartis Center for Rural Health, 19 rural hospitals closed across America in 2019. Almost one out of every four open rural hospitals are at risk of closing in the near future. States like North Carolina, that have chosen not to expand Medicaid have experienced the most rural hospital…

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ECU trustees: Speaker Tim Moore seeking chancellor’s post

By Alanna Joyner / February 20, 2020 / Comments Off on ECU trustees: Speaker Tim Moore seeking chancellor’s post

Two members of the ECU Board of Trustees have confirmed North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore’s interest in seeking the open chancellor’s position at East Carolina University. The two board members, who remain anonymous, told NC Policy Watch about discussions among members of the UNC Board of Governors about Moore’s candidacy. On Monday, East Carolina…

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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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