Our take
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.
WRAL: EDUCATION Student newspaper says secret negotiations leading to ‘Silent Sam’ deal broke NC law
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Daily Tar Heel student newspaper has sued the UNC Board of Governors over the Silent Sam bribe. The lawsuit alleges that the BOG violated the North Carolina Open Meetings Law by making secret deals with the white supremacist group behind closed doors without any public acknowledgment. From WRAL: Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour…
Settlement forces Duke Energy to clean up coal ash ponds — but who will pay for it?
After years of Duke Energy trying to shirk its responsibility to clean up its coal ash ponds, a new settlement means the energy giant will finally have to clean up these polluted ponds which have leaked countless tons of toxic chemicals into North Carolina waterways. From WRAL: Frank Holleman, senior attorney for the Southern Environmental…
NC voter ID law put on hold as more gerrymandering evidence comes to light
NC voter ID law put on hold as more gerrymandering evidence comes to light North Carolina’s voter ID law is temporarily on hold after a federal court ruling. This comes as new files have been released showing more details on NC Republicans’ plan to rig elections and undermine the will of voters. Last week’s ruling…
Statement on federal court ruling on the Affordable Care Act
RALEIGH — Progress NC, the NC Justice Center, and partner organizations released the following statement on Thursday in response to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on Texas v. United States regarding the Affordable Care Act: Wednesday’s Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling on the Texas v. United States decision means that millions of North Carolinians with…
‘Silent Sam’ deal cost UNC-CH a $1.5M grant from major foundation donor
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in the world and they are in the final stages of withdrawing their grant after finding out the UNC Board of Governors agreed to a settlement giving the Sons of Confederate Veterans the monument and $2.5 million to maintain it. The Andrew W.…
Leandro report released: What it will take for NC children to receive a sound, basic education
In the Leandro vs North Carolina case back in 1997, the North Carolina Supreme Court decided that the state was not meeting its constitutional obligation to provide all students with a sound basic education. More than 20 years later, the situation is worse, not better. Judge David Lee came up with recommendations to meet the mandates of…
WRAL: NC sees decline in teachers passing exams and decline in teachers from colleges of education
A 20% drop in the number of teachers being produced in North Carolina can be directly related to a lack of real investment into teacher pay by lawmakers in Raleigh. The most recent and rejected pay plan gave hard-working educators a paltry pay increase with some outrageous political strings attached. Our legislators need to address this teacher…
The Washington Times: FDA must fast track insulin for the millions of Americans living with diabetes
Did You Know? Three Canadian researchers discovered insulin almost a century ago and sold the patent for $1 so the world could access this life-saving medicine for diabetics. Today just three big Pharma companies control the U.S. market for insulin. Result? The price of insulin has gone up 900% in the last 18 years. From…
2020 legislative maps finalized, congressional maps still up in the air
Could it be? Is our long statewide nightmare over gerrymandered political maps finally over? Well… not quite yet. The 2020 legislative maps appear to be final after the State Supreme Court declined last week to take up yet another legal challenge. However, we’re still waiting to find out whether the newly-passed congressional maps will pass a court…
NC Teachers Back Governor’s Choice to Veto Pay-Raise Bills
Gov. Cooper on Friday vetoed what he called “paltry” pay raises for public school educators that were passed by state lawmakers with almost no Democratic votes in the state legislature. Teachers stood with Gov. Cooper during his veto announcement and teachers across the state are thanking Cooper for standing up for public education and against…