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Message laundering: How the far right is getting its dirty work done at UNC

By Alanna Joyner / May 25, 2021 / Comments Off on Message laundering: How the far right is getting its dirty work done at UNC

The uproar over Nikole Hannah-Jones’ hiring at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill roots itself in not only race, but the GOP’s coordinated effort to incite division and control any corner of our society that goes against their efforts to gain power.  From pushing laws to make it harder for North Carolinians to…

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Money for families, internet expansion, hard-hit businesses part of Cooper’s plans for $5.7B in federal pandemic aid

By Alanna Joyner / May 24, 2021 / Comments Off on Money for families, internet expansion, hard-hit businesses part of Cooper’s plans for $5.7B in federal pandemic aid

On Wednesday, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper unveiled a list of proposals for North Carolina’s $5.7 billion share from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed by federal lawmakers in March.  Calling it a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to make transformational changes, Gov. Cooper proposed widespread investments to expand high-speed internet access across the state, give checks…

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Health care professionals condemn proposed abortion ban in open letter to legislative leaders

By Alanna Joyner / May 14, 2021 / Comments Off on Health care professionals condemn proposed abortion ban in open letter to legislative leaders

Last week, the North Carolina General Assembly has fast tracked two intentionally inflammatory anti-abortion bills — House Bill 453 and Senate Bill 405, which aims to further restrict abortion rights in the state.  If enacted, House Bill 453, would prevent a person from obtaining an abortion based on the presumed race of the fetus or…

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Advocates blast NC Republican legislation targeting protesters

By Alanna Joyner / May 12, 2021 / Comments Off on Advocates blast NC Republican legislation targeting protesters

In a virtual rally, called the “Protest Jim Crow 2.0 Rally Press Conference”, local organizers, activists, and community leaders called out the harmful anti-protest bill, House Bill 805 and the disparate impact the measure will have on Black and Brown North Carolinians.  House Bill 805, which cleared the crossover deadline, is an egregious attempt to…

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North Carolina House Passes Anti-Protest Legislation

By Alanna Joyner / May 11, 2021 / Comments Off on North Carolina House Passes Anti-Protest Legislation

Yesterday, the N.C. House of Representatives passed House Bill 805, a bill that would stifle free speech and discourage protests by imposing extremely harsh criminal penalties on people charged with “rioting”. If enacted, the bill would not only discourage North Carolinians from exercising their constitutional right to peaceably assemble, but would disproportionately impact Black and…

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NC House passes bill to limit how racism is taught. Democrats call it ‘book burning.’

By Alanna Joyner / May 11, 2021 / Comments Off on NC House passes bill to limit how racism is taught. Democrats call it ‘book burning.’

North Carolina’s legislature is the latest state to block the teaching of critical race theory in public schools, as a number of Republican-led states have taken steps to limit or ban parts of the nation’s history being taught. House Bill 324, which cleared the crossover deadline, prohibits schools from teaching how systemic racism has been…

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North Carolina among states introducing laws targeting peaceful protesters

By Alanna Joyner / May 6, 2021 / Comments Off on North Carolina among states introducing laws targeting peaceful protesters

Over the last year, more than 90 anti-protest bills have been introduced in at least 36 states, including in North Carolina.  The wave of bills aimed at criminalizing our constitutional right to peaceably assemble, comes after a historic summer in which millions of us joined together to condemn the killing of Black people by the…

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Gov. Roy Cooper to legislators – ‘Let’s make a deal. Let’s get this done’

By Alanna Joyner / May 3, 2021 / Comments Off on Gov. Roy Cooper to legislators – ‘Let’s make a deal. Let’s get this done’

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s State of the State address laid out the vision the governor has for moving the state forward. From the COVID-19 pandemic to fighting racial injustice, Gov. Cooper’s main message to North Carolinians was one of resilience, hope and unity.  Cooper called for more bipartisan support in hopes of passing common…

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In police killing of Andrew Brown Jr., a small NC town crisis on national stage

By Alanna Joyner / April 27, 2021 / Comments Off on In police killing of Andrew Brown Jr., a small NC town crisis on national stage

In the wake of the conviction of Derek Chauvin, North Carolinians have taken to the streets of Elizabeth City after Pasquotank County deputies shot and killed Andrew Brown Jr., an unarmed Black man in his car, while serving a warrant Wednesday.  While the guilty verdict from the Chauvin trial felt like a victory for some,…

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WBTV: Lawmakers push for PPP change that would give them tax break

By Alanna Joyner / April 26, 2021 / Comments Off on WBTV: Lawmakers push for PPP change that would give them tax break

Last week, prominent Republicans pushed forth the passage of  House Bill 334, a bill that would change North Carolina’s tax code with respect to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The catch? House Speaker Tim Moore and other lawmakers would benefit from the tax cut.  Under the new changes, PPP loans would remain un-taxed and companies…

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