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.
WTVD – Patients and physicians call for expanded Medicaid coverage in NC
North Carolina is poised to make one of the biggest changes to state policy in a generation. Democrats have introduced a pair of bills that would make our state’s health insurance program, Medicaid, available to the very poor. And they’ll do so primarily at the expense of the federal government, who are already paying for…
WLOS: NC Democrats introduce bills to expand Medicaid
Last week almost every single one of the Democrats in the General Assembly gathered to announce two bills expanding the state’s Medicaid program. This was a huge move that could bring more than half a million people access to health care. Even better, the cost of this expansion would be almost entirely covered by the federal government.…
Democracy advocates force changes in voter ID bill
Last week, democracy advocates including Progress NC, the NC NAACP, Democracy NC, and NC Voters for Clean Elections held a day of action demanding that lawmakers not disenfranchise college students and other groups with their flawed new voter ID bill. Thankfully several of these demands were met, but the new bill still desperately misses the…
The Washington Post: Retired Justice Stevens calls Kavanaugh’s hearing performance disqualifying
Retired Justice John Paul Stevens has said he doesn’t believe that Brett Kavanaugh is the right person for the job of Supreme Court justice. And it’s not just Justice Stevens. Add to that over 2,400 law professors who think Kavanaugh is not a good fit. Yet the Republican-dominated Senate is still trying to ram his…
The Virginia Pilot: Editorial: Ignoring waste lagoons’ is a lasting risk
Cutting taxes has consequences. One of those is a lack of staff and funding to keep water clean and prepare for hurricanes. From The Virginia Pilot: The threat of hurricanes is a constant in eastern North Carolina, as much a part of the landscape as the golden fields of tobacco that once dominated the region…
Our View: Stopping GenX is only 1 step toward safer water
The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority is planning to install a water-treatment plant which would remove GenX and other pollutants (PFAS) from Wilmington customers’ water. The source of the pollution, Chemours, has stopped dumping PFAS into waterways and is incorporating new equipment to capture emissions. Experts plan to see a reduction of more than 70…
The New York Times: A Leader in the War on Poverty Opens a New Front: Pollution
Environmental justice has strong ties to economic and racial justice. Poor people, people of color, and people living in rural areas are disproportionately affected by climate change. In Forsyth County, coal ash from Belews Creek Steam Station is polluting drinking water and affecting the health of local residents. Belews Creek is a predominantly black community…
Daily Reflector: Activists rally around healthcare, reproductive rights at Greenville Town Hall
Several advocacy groups, including Progress, met in Greenville to speak on the issues of a second Trump Supreme Court confirmation. President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh after Justice Kennedy announced his retirement. Kavanaugh has a long history of ruling against contraception, abortion, and the Affordable Care Act, which makes his nomination all the more troubling. Because…
Spectrum News: Pro-Life group concerned free speech rights are jeopardized at clinics
Members of anti-abortion group, Cities4Life, are complaining about police officers ‘infringing on their First Amendment rights’. An executive director of Cities4Life cites a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer as the source of concern. The CMPD officer threatened to issue a citation to a member under an ordinance that prohibits blocking or interfering with pedestrian and vehicle traffic.…
Devastating: Argentina keeps abortion illegal
This week Argentinian senators created another roadblock for abortion rights in their country. Currently abortion is only legal in cases of rape or if the parent’s health is at risk. These conditions are difficult to prove, and many people in Argentina have suffered or even died because of this law. Senators voted 38 to 31…