“Unfortunately, North Carolina’s minimum wage has long lagged behind what it actually takes to get by and work has lost its promise of prosperity,” according to the NC Justice Center.
Durham County will randomly select 125 families to receive $750 monthly for a year. In addition, participants will receive $100 a month to complete surveys so researchers can analyze the results.
With over 12,000 residents in the region lacking safe housing, Gov. Josh Stein’s initial executive order temporarily suspends procurement regulations to accelerate the availability of temporary housing.
“It’s not just the crop loss. It’s the land,” said Karen Blaedow, Henderson County’s horticultural agent. “Repairing the land is going to be the most costly part of the recovery.”
Knowing that they have lost their veto-proof supermajority for the next session, Republicans are attempting one last power grab at the expense of North Carolinians who need help putting their lives back together after Helene.
Last month, President Biden requested over $100B in emergency disaster aid to help Americans impacted by Hurricane Helene and other natural disasters. In NC, the Republican-led NCGA has only approved $877M in relief aid, equal to about 1.6% of the estimated total damage of $53B.
For the average American, the costs of electronics, clothing, and other consumer goods would surge as much as 45 percent, if Trump’s tariffs hit China.
“People need to know that they’re safe in their house, at least for the time being, until we can get things back on track,” said state Rep. Lindsey Prather (D-Buncombe).
“We’re going to do everything in our power here at the Department of Justice to stop the companies and telemarketers from violating our laws and stealing people’s hard-earned money,” AG Josh Stein said.
North Carolina has one of the highest rates of medical debt in the U.S., ranking 4th in the nation. In 2022, 20% of residents had medical debt in collections—equivalent to one in five people.