Democracy
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…
Read MoreAmid 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,…
Read MoreAcross 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…
Read MorePivotal measures such as self-distancing and social-isolation have been mandated across the United States in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous states have implemented “stay-at-home” orders, but what if individuals do not have homes to go to? According to a 2018 report by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, on a…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has announced a stay-at-home order for the state of North Carolina that will go into effect at 5 p.m. today until April 29, but “can be revised or extended”. The mandate is an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to spread through the state. Travel is only…
Read MoreAccording to research by Carolina Demography, a research group affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill, in the first 12 days that the 2020 Census forms were made available, only 16.6 percent of North Carolina households filled theirs out. Compared to the national average of 19.2 percent, North Carolina currently is ranked 41st for its response rate —…
Read MoreA second coronavirus emergency aid package came into law last week, named the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. The latest package includes a federal emergency paid-leave benefits program, free COVID-19 testing for the public and expanded unemployment benefits. The first emergency bill allocated over $8 billion for coronavirus prevention, preparation, and response efforts across the…
Read MoreAppalachian Voices: NC groups call for prohibition of all utility shut-offs in state due to covid-19
Over 30 North Carolina organizations are calling for the suspension of all utility shut-offs across the state during the coronavirus outbreak. In a letter addressed to the NC Utilities Commission, Governor Roy Cooper and key officials, the groups are urging for an immediate suspension of service disconnections and late payment fees for customers. The letter…
Read MoreIn mid-February, North Carolina Senator Richard Burr, sold almost $1.7 million in stocks, including hotels chains, after receiving daily classified information from the Senate Intelligence Committee briefings that confirmed COVID-19’s impending threat to the United States. Around the same time, Burr was reassuring Americans about the coronavirus crisis while he disclosed the virus’ economic impact…
Read MoreNorth Carolina’s Former Gov. Pat McCroy passed unemployment insurance reforms in 2013 with an objective to reduce unemployment taxes on businesses. Seven years later, the reforms have done little.McCroy’s House Bill 4 cut the eligibility and benefits for all unemployed workers, leaving thousands of workers without financial assistance over the years. As the coronavirus outbreak…
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