The stories of Hurricane Helene through comics
The Appalachia Comics Project is working to produce its first book, “Islands in the Sky” (which will be available in digital and print formats) about Hurricane Helene.
Melissa Castillo: Let’s stop breaking our promise to migrant workers
What is changing is that despite decades of anti-immigrant rhetoric, I believed the line would be drawn at turning these services into weapons. That the government would not use school records, Medicaid applications, or tax forms to target the families that feed our nation.
Martin Henson: The unfulfilled promises of George Floyd’s legacy
Five years after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, Black Lives Matter activist Martin Henson reflects on Floyd’s legacy and the change that hasn’t come.
Dalton George: Psst, elected officials — get out there and talk to people
Regardless of party, most people hate politics, they distrust the system, and they feel left behind, unheard, and sidelined. I understood how they felt. So how could I reconcile this with being an elected official? I decided on an “ambitious” idea — aiming to talk to people.
These town halls have very little format, lots of me answering questions, sharing frustrations, and inviting people to help me solve the problems. It’s risky, no doubt, for an elected official to deviate from the script, but to meet this moment it’s also necessary. Opening yourself to a dialogue, answering any question asked can be a challenge, but importantly it also humanizes our decision-makers.
Ernestine Ledbetter: Duke Energy’s costly plans don’t help bills or the environment
We depend on Duke for electricity. They need to deliver that. But Duke also shouldn’t put shareholder profits over careful stewardship of the natural resources that we all depend on.
Denzel Burnside: Housing in N.C. is a roadblock to the American Dream
A staggering 86 percent of voters between 30-40 years old say housing costs are impacting their ability to reach other financial goals, like saving for retirement, starting a family, or buying a first home.
I see this data as a call to action—not just for lawmakers, but for all of us.