My husband and I are small business owners, so we rely on the Affordable Care Act for health care coverage. We currently pay $400 per month for medical and dental care. But, because of Republicans’ refusal to fix the crisis they’ve created, our monthly medical health premium is expected to cost us 240% more in 2026. And my daughter, a Medicaid recipient, could lose coverage altogether.
BEACON MEDIA GUEST FEATURE By Sam Grote, CEO of N.C. Business Impact Forum Duke’s latest request to the state to increase our power bills even
How I know people are struggling right now is the line to the food pantry at Episcopal Church The Redeemer near where I live in Shelby, N.C., has grown longer and longer with each passing week.
When I was teaching from 2011 to 2017, social studies was my favorite subject—not just for the maps and timelines, but for what they revealed about how power moves. The classes explained who makes decisions, who carries their cost, and how geography and governance collide.
What I’ve realized is that pride in being Latina is also pride in survival. We come from people who endured colonization, displacement, migration, and discrimination. And through it all, they carried their recipes, songs, and stories across generations. They built homes in unfamiliar lands, worked long hours, and sacrificed so much just so we could dream bigger. Their resilience flows in our veins, and it’s something no one can ever take away from us.
Unfortunately, this holiday season is different. Our business has been impacted by the reckless tariffs from Washington, DC. The tariffs are driving up prices of our goods 20 to 50 percent, and some vendors have used the tariffs to further raise the price of goods and even shipping. Some of our customers’ favorite brands have stopped shipping to the United States entirely. And unlike corporate retailers, we don’t have any negotiating power.
Like millions of mixed-status families, I witnessed how my siblings faced the constant fear of family separation, even though they were born here and became U.S. citizens.
As the child of immigrants and a first-generation American, I have lived the reality many of our lawmakers ignore. I grew up in a community that thrived through hard work, mutual aid, and resilience. My parents taught me love, compassion, and the value of helping others — lessons far removed from the greed and power games I see in Washington today.
My whole life, I’ve been going back and forth between cultures.
There was one constant that grounded me. Storytelling. I learned that regular working people – nurses, teachers, stay-at-home parents – have stories to tell, and if we actually listen to them, they can create solutions to some of our toughest problems.
The budget reconciliation bill Congress passed and that was signed into law in July puts North Carolinians like me at risk, including thousands of veterans. The bill includes deep cuts to Medicaid, a program that has now become essential as I search for affordable healthcare and support.