Stalemate in Congress causes growing backlog of emergency aid loan applications in Helene-devastated North Carolina

Stalemate in Congress causes growing backlog of emergency aid loan applications in Helene-devastated North Carolina

By phone from her office, just steps from Main Street, the mayor of Brevard, North Carolina, shared the pain of the local businesses down the street.  For example, the hand-crafted gift shop called “Local Color” is accustomed to thousands of dollars in sales during an average weekend, Mayor Maureen Copelof said. But during one weekend…

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Hurricane Helene’s devastation hasn’t stopped western North Carolinians from voting early

Hurricane Helene’s devastation hasn’t stopped western North Carolinians from voting early

Hurricane Helene, North Carolina’s deadliest storm in modern times, ravaged communities in the westernmost corners of the state, but it has not deterred resilient residents from early voting. In fact, turnout is shattering records in a battleground state that could determine the outcome of the 2024 presidential election. “What most of the affected counties are…

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This historic Black Belt congressional district hasn’t elected a Republican since 1883, but it’s just been redistricted

This historic Black Belt congressional district hasn’t elected a Republican since 1883, but it’s just been redistricted

Princeville, North Carolina — On a single-lane road in Eastern North Carolina, surrounded by farmland, the congregation at Mark Chapel Baptist Church listens to a sermon on faith — and the importance of their vote as part of the “Black Belt,” a stretch of majority-Black congressional districts in the South.  The 1st Congressional District hasn’t…

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