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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 20h

North Carolina's democracy needs an upgrade.

Our state's elections could be far more representative, responsive, and fair than they are today. "Our Indivisible Destiny" is a package of reforms to make NC's government more accountable to us - the people.

carolinaforward.org/indivisible-...

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 1d

The Republican leaders of North Carolina's state legislature called everyone back to Raleigh to find a way to rig another US House seat for Donald Trump, but not to pass a state budget, or fund our state's Medicaid system.

Do you get it now? 🤡

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 1d

You've heard about new 🤖datacenters coming to North Carolina. But do you know why so many are landing in our state?

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 2d

In other words, American consumers are paying higher costs for everything due to the Trump tariffs, and then the government will turn around and use the revenue for welfare to farmers, instead of just letting them sell their products.

Quite a plan.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 2d

To make it up, the Trump administration is now proposing to use some revenue from tariffs to send government welfare checks to those farmers, even though that won't come close to making up their entire losses.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 2d

First, the Trump tariffs jacked up the cost of critical inputs like fuel and fertilizer. Then came the administration's latest trade war with China, which is a major customer of North Carolina soybeans. Now, China has suspended all purchases of U.S. soybeans at all.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 2d

Soybeans are one of the biggest cash crops that North Carolina farmers rely on. And those farmers are now facing financial disaster.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 3d

The average cost of electricity in America is skyrocketing.

We know how to provide electricity reliably and cost-effectively. But some people have allowed the deep ruts of our political partisanship to warp how they think about the best way to generate electrons, somehow making this political.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 4d

Here's what happened this week in North Carolina politics.

Some of these guys just need to be kicked out of office. 🥾

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 5d

More than 660,000 North Carolinians are projected to lose their healthcare coverage under the Trump GOP's "One Big" federal budget, which Congress passed earlier this year. The bill effectively kills North Carolina's historic Medicaid expansion, which just passed in 2023.

Map: t.co/oPxNzOay76

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 7d

We invite you - yes, you! - to join the Carolina Forward community.

When you make just a $10/month sustaining commitment, you become a partner this movement to build a better, stronger and fairer North Carolina for all of us. Will you join us?

Start here: secure.actblue.com/donate/carol...

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 7d

JetZero has announced plans to invest $4.7 billion and create nearly 15,000 jobs in Greensboro. This is a massive project - and it seems to have legs.

NC was the birthplace of American aviation. Could we also become the aviation manufacturing hub of the future?

carolinaforward.org/blog/jetzero...

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 8d

North Carolina is one of 27 states in the U.S. that still has the death penalty on its books. There are a lot of moral arguments to be made about the death penalty, but setting those aside, there are also a lot of really practical nuts-and-bolts issues with how the system actually works in NC.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 9d

Every single one of these North Carolina politicians voted to shut down the federal government rather than allow the Affordable Care Act to continue operating, which will result in a doubling of everyone's health insurance premiums.

Of course, their healthcare will remain unaffected.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 9d

The "One, Big Beautiful Budget" that Republicans in Congress passed earlier this year massively cut taxes for high earners, while making deep cuts to healthcare coverage for the needy.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 10d

Housing is the single biggest expenditure for the average American household, followed by transportation and food.

To bring down the cost of living, the biggest "bang for your buck" is zeroing in on those three - especially housing.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 11d

Here's what happened this week in North Carolina politics.

Somehow, we're talking about maps - again! 🗺️

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 12d

Yesterday, Duke Energy released its new long-term investment plans. North Carolina's monopoly power corporation says it's going to:
👉 Ramp up fossil fuels use
👉Scale back investment in solar energy
👉Extend the life of dirty coal plants and cancel planned retirements
www.wral.com/business/duk...

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 13d

Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House, and are still unable (or unwilling) to pass a federal budget to fund the government that they lead. Just like here at the state level in North Carolina, the lack of an operating budget has serious consequences for the rest of us.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 14d

Because North Carolina's state lawmakers refuse to pass a basic state budget, teacher pay is still stuck at near the bottom in the entire southeast.

North Carolina is one of only 3 states in the entire nation that still hasn't passed a state budget this year.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 15d

If you want to know where crime is worst in North Carolina, don't rely on social media - look at the actual data instead. 📊

The places where rates of violent crime are the worst are all low-income, mostly rural counties where law enforcement is stretched thin and a lot of people are desperate.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 16d

Something that a lot of people don't know is that the number of all immigrants in the United States, regardless of legal category, is just pretty small.

Credit: @statisticurban.bsky.social

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 17d

🚑 Thursday's healthcare panel was a huge success! We dove into Medicaid expansion cuts, the VA, foster care, and vaccine rollouts. Thank you to our panelists, facilitator Hannah Preston, + everyone who joined us for an honest, hopeful conversation in Durham.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 17d

Yes, let's absolutely talk more about the North Carolina state budget.

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Carolina Forward @carolinaforward.bsky.social · 18d

Here's what happened this week in North Carolina politics.

Our legislature is disgraceful, but we're keeping our mountains in our hearts. ❤️⛰️

(Shout out to Good Company Pizza in Swannanoa, btw 🍕)

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