Democracy
COVID-19 cases are approaching 12,256 in North Carolina; 1.2 million in the nation and 3.7 million worldwide. Instead of increasing testing and treatment; providing adequate protection for healthcare workers; and reducing the spread of the virus that is taking a toll on lives and the economy — Trump chooses to dodge responsibility and deny the…
Read MoreOn May 2, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a $1.57 million COVID-19 relief package. Votes in both the House and the Senate during the Saturday session were unanimous, marking the legislature’s first response to the pandemic. The $1.57 billion package contains funding for education, health care, small business loans, food banks, medical research, testing…
Read MoreFrom Trump’s suggestion of “injecting” disinfectant into the body to arguing with state governors asking for crucial aid, the long list of the Trump administration’s mismanagement of the health crisis continues as the U.S. climbs to over 960,000 COVID-19 cases. Trump, who called for governors to “liberate” their states by lifting lockdown restriction — despite…
Read MoreOn Thursday, Gov. Roy Cooper announced a three-phase outline the state is implementing as it looks to ease the COVID-19 restrictions. During a press conference, Cooper presented the gradual reopening benchmarks that aim to keep as many North Carolinians as possible safe and healthy while easing the state back open. In order to lift restrictions,…
Read MoreThe North Carolina General Assembly convenes on Tuesday for its short session — the focus is only on temporary and immediate fixes in response to the current public health crisis. Several bills and summaries that the General Assembly will consider during the short session this week, include small business loans, resources for remote teaching, increased…
Read MoreBy Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter A new coalition of left-leaning groups came together over the last month and a half, and it’s pushing state leaders to address economic inequality as government responds to COVID-19, and longer term. The group, NC United for Survival & Beyond, lists some 200 organizations as members. Many are smaller grassroots operations,…
Read MoreThe question of when to start reopening the country has been part of the coronavirus conversation in the U.S. for the last few weeks. With Trump’s constant push to reopen the economy despite a chronic lack of test kits, medical supplies and an overwhelmingly strained health system, the proposed quick turnover is not sitting well…
Read MoreThe Trump administration’s failure to quickly scale up testing continues to cripple the U.S. response to the coronavirus pandemic. Three months after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the states, a chronic lack of testing kits remains a burden on states as Trump focuses on reopening the economy rather than increased test kit distribution. …
Read MoreLast Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper outlined the benchmarks North Carolina needs to accomplish first before reopening business during the pandemic. In the press conference, the governor stated that expanded testing capacity, ability to trace contact of all infected people, and improved trends — in terms of the number of cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and the availability…
Read MoreA 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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