“Losing this support is devastating, not merely because of the financial setback, but because it directly affects an essential lifeline connecting agriculture, regional economic well-being, and the health of WNC families,” Claire Neal, CEO of MANNA FoodBank, told Asheville Citizen-Times.
Days after the Trump administration announced plans to cut funding and jobs from the Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans across the country joined together to rally against the attack on the crucial federal agency. According to PBS, these cuts come at a time when veterans’ healthcare needs are increasing, hundreds of VA centers are facing staff shortages, and approximately 400,000 veterans are uninsured.
The Senate held votes on two major pieces of legislation in the North Carolina General Assembly. Senate Bill 58, entitled AG/Restrict Challenge to Presidential EOs, would prohibit North Carolina’s Attorney General Jeff Jackson from participating in any legal action that would invalidate an executive order from Trump.
The North Carolina Senate voted along party lines to ban Attorney General Jeff Jackson from suing the president over any executive orders — a surprise vote announced only moments ahead of time.
“Protecting North Carolinians’ health care access is critically important,” said Stein. “I am proud of our state’s bipartisan work to expand Medicaid, and I call on that same bipartisan spirit in Congress to stand up and protect Medicaid so we can continue to provide critical care across our state.”
As North Carolina continues to recover from the devastation of Hurricane Helene and battles ongoing wildfires across the state, the Trump administration—along with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency—has set its sights on slashing federal spending, with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as its latest target, according to WECT.
Concerned about the devastating impact of the Trump administration’s goal to eliminate the US Department of Education, North Carolina educators and parents recently delivered letters to Senator Thom Tillis, urging him to oppose efforts to dismantle the department. Despite the opposition from his constituents, Sen. Tillis ignored these concerns and voted to confirm McMahon, alongside every other Senate Republican who cast a vote.
In Raleigh, hundreds of scientists, educators, and supporters warned about the generations-long impact of gutting scientific and medical research.
The North Carolina General Assembly has seen a number of bills being introduced ranging from education policy to governmental powers. This week, North Carolina Republican Senators in the Rules Committee moved along legislation that: prohibits phones from being on during classroom instruction, requires state officials to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and restricts the state’s Attorney General from taking legal action against the executive orders of President Donald Trump.
Taking a cue from President Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, Republican state lawmakers in North Carolina are beginning to probe state agencies.
Republicans have been in full control of state government spending in North Carolina for the last 14 years. However, the allegations of fraud and waste made by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, have grabbed the attention of conservative politicians.