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Everyday the government makes decisions that affect our lives; from the water we drink, the food our kids eat and how much money we bring home. Being informed is one of the first steps in building our power and creating change in our communities.
After fourth COVID-19 cluster students, prominent faculty and medical experts call for UNC-Chapel Hill to go online
Just a month ago, current and former faculty from across the UNC system sent a letter to top UNC System leadership and the UNC Board of Governors, urging them to join other university systems in making online instruction the default for the coming Fall semester as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Despite their concerns, the BOG…
Trump’s attacks on voting-by-mail and the Post Office
In a long list of false claims and furious objections to voting-by-mail, Trump admitted on Thursday that he’s willingly blocking proposed federal aid for the U.S. Postal Service in an attempt to make it harder to expand voting by mail. For years, the Postal Service has struggled to stay afloat, and with Louis DeJoy, a…
The Hill: Senate adjourns until September without COVID-19 relief package
Last Thursday, the Senate adjourned until September 8, without reaching a deal for the next round of coronavirus relief legislation. The lack of a deal leaves millions of Americans in financial peril, as the $600 per week federal unemployment benefit, the nationwide moratorium on evictions and the window to apply for Paycheck Protection Program small…
NPR: Census Cuts All Counting Efforts Short By A Month
Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that its ending all counting efforts, including door knocks, responses by mail, over the phone and online, for the 2020 census on Sept. 30 — a month sooner than previously announced. The last minute change imposed by the Trump administration, could threaten the accuracy of population numbers, especially…
WRAL: Relief packages should be about helping Americans, not just boosting Trump’s reelection
On Saturday, Trump signed three memoranda and one executive order at his exclusive New Jersey golf resort, ahead of any stimulus bill agreement between the House and Senate. In an attempt to appear to come to the nation’s rescue, Trump’s measures would provide $300 per week in federal unemployment assistance with another $100 a week…
Congress leaves town without a coronavirus stimulus deal, allowing $600 unemployment benefit to end
Another round of coronavirus relief package talks began today, as Congress adjourned for the weekend without coming to any deal on the program or a larger emergency stimulus package. The $600 weekly unemployment benefit that helped 32 million Americans stay afloat, officially ended on Friday — leaving unemployed Americans in limbo while Congress continues to…
Port City Daily: The Covid-19 safety nets are gone. Now a flood of evictions is here.
Last week marked the end of statewide eviction moratoriums in more than 30 states, including North Carolina, that had protections for renters in the CARES Act. More than 40 million Americans may lose their homes — almost four times the amount seen during the Great Recession. In North Carolina, Gov. Cooper mandated a months-long statewide…
The News & Observer: With weekly $600 gone, NC unemployment benefits alone are not enough, workers say
As Congress debates how to shape the next phase of coronavirus relief, the extra $600 federal unemployment benefits that were legislated through the CARES Act have now expired for millions across the country. The last payment rolled out this past weekend, as the House and Senate are considering different economic stimulus packages. Instead of extending…
Millions of Americans are about to experience utility shutoffs, evictions and loss of homes
Numerous moratorium on evictions across the nation, including in North Carolina, are set to end in the coming days. According to a Census Bureau survey, almost 24 million Americans say that they don’t expect to be able to make their next monthly rent or mortgage payment, as the blockage of utility charges and the eviction…
Progressive Pulse: N.C. is fifth in the nation in lost health insurance coverage due to the COVID-19 recession
According to a new report from researchers at the group Families USA, North Carolina is one of the hardest hit state by COVID-19’s economic impact with 238,000 people losing health insurance through May. One-in-five adults under age 65 in North Carolina was uninsured as state lawmakers refused to pass Medicaid expansion in the latest legislative…