For storm-ravaged communities, little has changed. Aid has been slow, and Whatley has been largely absent from the disaster zone, with Smoky Mountain News reporting that Whatley has “rarely, if ever” visited the area. Records show the FEMA council has met only twice in seven months, totaling about three hours.
Durham is just the latest city to utilize the American Rescue Plan to expand broadband access for working-class families. Signed into law by President Biden in 2021, the ARPA has funded over 240 broadband projects in 25 states.
Gun safety advocates gathered last week to sound the alarm over Senate Bill 50, legislation that would allow North Carolinians as young as 18 to carry concealed, loaded handguns without a permit. With legislators back in town, the bill remains on the House calendar. If Republicans believe they have the votes, the chamber could move quickly to override Stein’s veto.
For North Carolina, the cuts proposed in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act are projected to erase $32 billion in Medicaid funding over the next decade, along with food assistance, funding for public schools, and clean energy tax credits.
Ahead of Hurricane Erin’s arrival last week, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein highlighted how the federal government has yet to provide adequate aid to the communities of western NC. Nearly a year since Hurricane Helene made landfall, the federal government has covered only 8% of Hurricane Helene’s damage, according to Gov. Stein.
The tour will kick off on Tuesday, August 19th, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Galilee Ministries in Charlotte, where dozens of community leaders, concerned North Carolinians, and local advocates are invited to share their concerns around Trump’s costly budget bill.
Officials at the organization, which was founded more than 60 years ago, say they are focused on helping local stations figure out how to cope with sudden budget shortfalls. Harrison has warned that some stations, particularly in rural areas, will have to shut down without federal support.
The group held a town hall in Raleigh to highlight how Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” further rigs the system against hardworking people and cuts crucial health care and food assistance for millions of Americans.
The newly formed statewide coalition is made up of voting rights advocates, community leaders, voters, and progressive groups who are highlighting “the corruption of the Newby-Berger court”, according to the group’s press release.
Congressional Republicans have decided to supercharge those efforts, setting aside roughly $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security efforts, including $75 billion in extra funding for ICE, making it by far the highest-funded law enforcement agency in the federal government.