commentary
‘Must read’ report: The persistent and pervasive challenge of child poverty and hunger in North Carolina
Sometimes we get used to things we should never get used to. North Carolina countenances extraordinary levels of child hunger and poverty. For perspective, the United States, tragically, lets more of its citizens, especially its kids, live in wrenching poverty than almost any advanced, democratic nation. The United Nations rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights has decried the “shockingly high number of children living in poverty in the United States.” The U.S. has, by far, the highest child poverty rate among peer nations.
New climate change report brings grim news for North Carolina and the world
Embedded in bark, the Emerald Ash Borer gleams like the gem. Adult females lay their eggs in the cracks and crevices of ash trees, and once hatched, larvae, cream-colored and as thin as filament, gnaw into the deeper layers. They chisel fatal curlicues that disrupt the flow of nutrients. A few months later, the life cycle begins again, and the adults emerge through a D-shaped hole in the bark. By that time, the tree is dying or dead of starvation.
The Week’s Top Five on NC Policy Watch
1. Web of local money, political connections behind legislature’s decision to bypass DEQ in GenX clean-up The fire is elusive, but the smoke is thick. An analysis of professional and political relationships among major players in the GenX crisis shows the connections that led to a controversial state appropriation made by state lawmakers during the […]
The Week’s Top Five on NC Policy Watch
1. North Carolina voters give lawmakers tongue-lashing over new proposed legislative maps North Carolina voters’ message to lawmakers Tuesday evening was clear: they’re unhappy with their representatives and they’re unhappy with the new proposed legislative maps. Hundreds of speakers across the state attended public hearings to speak about the maps, which were released over the […]
Minneapolis moves ahead of North Carolina on paid leave
The Minneapolis city council recently voted unanimously to implement an ordinance requiring businesses to offer paid sick leave. Despite numerous opportunities, the North Carolina General Assembly has not taken similar steps to let workers take paid time off when sick, welcoming the birth or adoption of a new child, or recovering from a long-term illness. […]
HB2 threatens half billion dollar hit to NC economy
As the headlines pile up announcing business opposition to the pro-discrimination legislation HB2, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the law is placing North Carolina’s economy in jeopardy. In fact, a recent report from the Center for American Progress finds that HB2 threatens $567 million in economic activity from just the companies that have announced they […]