Democracy
Across the state, food banks have responded to the COVID-19 outbreak by overhauling their food distribution to minimize social contact and focusing efforts on at-risk clients. But with unemployment claims soaring to over 474,466, food insecurity for thousands may produce challenges for food banks that distribute food within their communities. In response to the encroaching…
Read MorePivotal measures such as self-distancing and social-isolation have been mandated across the United States in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous states have implemented “stay-at-home” orders, but what if individuals do not have homes to go to? According to a 2018 report by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, on a…
Read MoreAccording to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina currently has 1,498 confirmed coronavirus cases across the state. As cases continue to rise, medical professionals remain concerned about lack of protective equipment, medical supplies and the potential for hospitals across the state to become overwhelmed by patients. At the first meeting…
Read MoreNorth Carolina Governor Roy Cooper has announced a stay-at-home order for the state of North Carolina that will go into effect at 5 p.m. today until April 29, but “can be revised or extended”. The mandate is an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to spread through the state. Travel is only…
Read MoreAccording to research by Carolina Demography, a research group affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill, in the first 12 days that the 2020 Census forms were made available, only 16.6 percent of North Carolina households filled theirs out. Compared to the national average of 19.2 percent, North Carolina currently is ranked 41st for its response rate —…
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 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 MoreBetween March 12 to 20, you will be invited to participate in the 2020 Census. With over 80 rural counties out of the total 100 counties in North Carolina, the census will be an important moment, as vital resources and programs will be decided for the next decade. Active participation in the 2020 Census will…
Read MoreOn Wednesday, Lawyers for Advance Carolina sued the state, in an effort to overturn absentee ballot security measures that the state General Assembly passed last year in the wake of major election fraud. The Senate Bill 683, passed by the General Assembly, contained numerous election measures as a response to the election fraud in the…
Read MoreAccording to media experts, a Facebook page, called “North Carolina Breaking News”, that reportedly shares breaking news, is a hub for misinformation. The page includes racially insensitive terms towards minorities, and numerous instances of incorrect information in which news stories from other states are rewritten to have occurred in North Carolina. With over 50,000 followers,…
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