“Leandro v. The State of North Carolina was first brought before the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1994. Fast forward almost 30 years later to March 2022 and Leandro is back on the docket of the state’s highest court. The Leandro litigation team brought to the courtroom a sense of deja vu, again arguing that the state of North Carolina was violating its students’ right to a sound education by underfunding its public education system.”
“One of the biggest questions tackled by the UNHCR is not necessarily if we help refugees, rather how we best help refugees. This question may seem like it has some far away answer in the stormy seas off the Italian coast or the heavily guarded Turkish border. However, the question and its answer applies to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community more than one may think.”
“Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, but growing up all over the world in countries such as Japan, Australia, and China, he brings an interesting and unique perspective due to his time spent abroad and the lessons he learned in those years . . . Throughout his senatorial career, he has led numerous campaigns to improve the campus experience for students and fight discrimination throughout the University. Some of these campaigns have included rallying support for Purple Bowl . . . Other initiatives of his include a bill that asked the University to recognize Islamic holidays and make resources available during holidays such as Ramadan. Recently, I received the opportunity to sit down and talk with him about his career within the Senate.“
Read More“Excerpt: On the 75th anniversary of Dr. Frank Porter Graham’s negotiation of the Renville Treaty, the Carolina Asia Center held a joint conference between The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Universitas Pelita Harapan (UPH) in Jakarta which discussed Indonesia’s past, present, and future on the world stage…Indonesia is rapidly gaining economic and political influence on the world stage via increasingly diverse foreign direct investment, Indonesia’s sway within ASEAN, and the desire to forge an independent Indonesian path.“
Read More“The North Carolina Supreme Court has restored the right to vote for 55,000 individuals. As a result, the swing state of North Carolina may have new tie breaking voters in its midst.“
Read More“On December 3, 2022, an unknown individual or group of individuals sent Moore County residents into darkness. When all was said and done, about 45,000 customers were left without power, with many customers not regaining power until four days later.”
Most recently, in Chatham County, a landmarker has been accepted by Karen Howard, the Board of Commissioners Chair for the county. The marker includes information about the lynching of at least six Black community members, specifically Jerry and Harriet Finch, John Pattishall, Lee Tyson, Henry Jones, and Eugene Daniel.
Read More“The new Republican dominated court will begin hearing important North Carolina cases after the two newly elected justices are sworn in at the beginning of the new year. In the words of candidate Lucy Inman, the court is “being asked to make some of the most difficult decisions they've been asked to make in my lifetime.”
Read More“On October 31st, the Supreme Court began hearing oral arguments regarding the case of Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, marking the beginning of what could be the end of affirmative action in higher education. This highly-publicized case stems from a lawsuit brought against UNC-Chapel Hill in 2014 by Students for Fair Admissions, a membership nonprofit group that advocates for ending the use of race as a factor for undergraduate admissions.”
Read More“With the recent announcement from the White House and an increasing number of states legalizing marijuana, North Carolinians are left wondering about the future of marijuana legalization in their state. While both Governor Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein have voiced their support for legalization of marijuana, the ultimate decision lies in the hands of North Carolina’s Republican-controlled state legislature.“
Read More“While this decision for voters is mainly about choosing a representative for the Tarheel state, this senate seat could be the linchpin crucial to either party gaining control of the U.S. Senate. North Carolinians could ultimately “quietly determine the balance of power in the Senate” as they enter the voting booth this November.”
Read More“In diaspora communities, the journey to maintaining cultural ties is narrow and arduous. Distanced by oceans and borders, immigrant communities – especially second and third generation-descendants – are prone to frayed ties to home. Commonly, the only window to the culture of their mother lands is through static-filled Facetime videos and phone calls. However, UNC’s Asian groups are striving – and flawlessly succeeding – in providing a connection that transcends geography. Faced with such a flourishing, I had the honor of delving ‘behind the scenes’ of UNC Ek Taal, the University’s competitive Indian classical dance group.”
Read More“Considering the forthcoming election cycle for senate and house seats on both a state and national level, an additional 55,000 ballots — approximately how many previously incarcerated persons would be eligible if CSI v. Moore is affirmed — would immensely alter voter demographics throughout the state. It is imperative for folks to keep a watchful eye on the unfoldings of this court case; not only will it dictate the extent of natural rights for a neglected group of the state’s citizenry, but it also has the power to reconfigure the political makeup of North Carolina.“
Read More“In 2021, Governor Roy Cooper, also a Democrat, proposed a budget that would have allocated $1.7 billion to fund a two-year remedial action plan for North Carolina schools, but the funding fell short. Since late 2021, Lee has again been pushing for the state to fund the Leandro plan, but the Republican-controlled legislature is reluctant to appropriate money on the basis of a court order, which they consider a constitutional overreach, as the legislature is endowed with the power of the purse, not the judicial system.”
Read More“At face value, this conflict might appear as no more than a partisan power grab at controlling the status of S.B. 824 — a frequent occurrence in our contemporary political system. Yet, the effects of this case are more pivotal and far-reaching. If a Supreme Court decision favors Senator Berger and Representative Moore, the legislature will be granted broad autonomy regarding intervention in future cases. A move in this direction might blur the lines between the roles of the Legislature and the Executive, and thus create a more nebulous governmental landscape.”
Read More“At the present moment, given its rocky start, doubts remain high about the initiative’s capacity to create meaningful change for Charlotte’s citizens.”
Read More“Janice Robinson, the North Carolina director for Red, Wine, and Blue, an Ohio-based organization that supports local moms and seeks to prevent book bans, believes that the concerns about explicit material are ‘just a smokescreen for the anti-CRT.’ What book bans are actually doing, claims Ms. Robinson, is allowing the "right wing" to push "their political agenda at the expense of our kids," as they are unable to use literature to encounter uncomfortable experiences of those outside their community, which would prepare them for life beyond the classroom.”
Read More“Many states with Republican governors have already ended the mask mandates and now some states with Democrat governors are following suit. There is evidence supporting claims that masks are not effective for young children and therefore there is no need for them. Additionally, there is evidence that shows that masks have harmed children in both educational and social development. Due to this impact, states are having to reevaluate the cost of wearing masks and if the benefits of masks outweigh the educational and social development of children.”
Read More“As public health concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased attention on jail populations and the national racial reckoning after George Floyd’s death forced communities to reconsider the current criminal justice system, pretrial reform in North Carolina has become a prominent topic of interest.”
Read More“The letter to the Commission, referenced earlier in the article, that recommended rejection of the vaccine mandate did include, however, the caveat that "the Commission could consider adding a COVID-19 vaccine to the childhood immunization schedule at a later date." But, observing the repealing of mask mandates, the plummeting daily COVID cases, the opposition from state officials on all sides of the aisle, and the objections from state health officials, it seems highly unlikely that the Commission will institute a mandate for Covid-19 vaccines for school-aged children in North Carolina.”
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