Economy
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…
Read MoreSince March 16, North Carolina Division of Employment Security has reported over 200,000 new unemployment claims, of which applicants have filed their job loss due to COVID-19’s impact on their employment. North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s executive order on March 17, expanded access to unemployment benefits in an effort to minimize the economic impact of…
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 MoreYesterday, 10 demands were expressed during a press conference hosted by over 60 North Carolina organizations in a coalition effort to address needed protection for vulnerable communities during the COVID-19 outbreak. North Carolina’s Governor Roy Cooper and the General Assembly, were called out to prioritize the health and safety of NC families, workers, uninsured immigrants,…
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…
Read MoreNorth Carolina farmers in several counties across the state are providing communities with access to fresh produce in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. With over 230 farmers markets and roadside stands in North Carolina, residents will be able to get local fresh food in their communities, rather than at grocery stores. From North Carolina…
Read MoreOn 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…
Read MoreDuke 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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