Image credit: Claire Hambrick ( @clairebyphotos ) On March 7, more than 100 people gathered in Moore Square to oppose US aggression against Iran. The demonstration was organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, with support from CodePinkNC, the Palestinian Youth Movement, and other groups. The event also marked International Women's Day, observed the following day. A PSL member served as emcee, opening the rally with a warning against further escalation. “ American boots on the ground would be devastating,” he told the crowd. “It could lead to a long-term conflict with mass casualties on both sides. Guess who will be asked to fight and die for them. Will it be the children of the politicians and the billionaires? Will be the children of the weapons executives and the oil executives? No, it's going to be regular working-class people.” Saturday’s event in Raleigh was supported by Muslims for Social Justice and Triangle chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Moore Square has become a regular site of peace demonstrations since October 2023. Most protests have focused on the genocide in Gaza, though the gatherings regularly discuss and denounce US policy toward Lebanon, Venezuela, Iran, Cuba, and other states. Emily-Rose Gaeta, a member of CodePink, delivered the first speech. “ We are proud to be anti-war, to be anti-imperialist, to be human rights driven,” she said. “You are clearly on our side. We have to come together every day, as individuals, as humans, and see the atrocities that our country the United States of America is doing across the world. Right now, we’re at war with Iran. Why? Because power, because profits, because land. Everything that matters to us, our healthcare, our community, our families, our health, they don't care about.” Gaeta called out weapons companies with offices in the Research Triangle, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris Technologies. She urged activists organized campaigns against the companies to pressure their employees into resigning. Between speeches, the emcee led the crowd in chants such as “no threat, no bomb, no war on Iran”, “money for the people’s needs, not the US war machine”, "not a penny, not a dollar, we won't pay for war and slaughter”, and “we want justice, you say how, end the bombing right now”. Samira Haddad, speaking on behalf of the Palestinian Youth Movement, addressed the U.S.-backed Israeli invasion of Lebanon. “As of right now there are millions of people in Lebanon sleeping on the streets, on sidewalks, on beaches, in schools,” she said. “Entire families camping out with where to go. This comes after Israel ordered the forced displacement of more than 1,000,000 civilians. These evacuation orders were issued for all of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut with no clear timeline, no beginning, and no end.” Participants carried signs with messages like “let Gaza live”, “hands off Iran”, and “no troops on the ground, no bombs in the air”. Many attendees wore the Palestinian keffiyeh. PSL organizers were identifiable by bright red shirts with the words “socialism is the future” across the back. Juliana, an N.C. State University student and PSL member, spoke about the role of students in opposing the war with Iran. She drew comparisons to Vietnam-era campus protests, the Gaza encampments, and anti-ICE demonstrations that students led in 2026. She noted that N.C. State had just announced a tuition increase, even as the federal government moves to funnel hundreds of billions into the war effort. As speakers addressed the crowd, a few passersby on Hargett Street stopped to listen. PSL members were positioned nearby, ready to talk or offer flyers. The Marble Kids Museum was in the crowd’s line of sight, but too far away to see the reactions of the many families coming and going. A line of police vehicles waited on Hargett Street, not to suppress the demonstration, but to escort the march once the speeches ended. Among the most compelling speakers was Kalia Fitzgerald, a member of the Green Party. “ We are called to disrupt, to stand in the way, to being a roadblock when our government chooses to prosecute war as a business model,” she said. “This is not about defending our shores. It is about imposing rule by force completely outside the bounds of international law.” Fitzgerald highlighted a recent act of protest by Brian McGinnis, the Green Party’s candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. On March 4, McGinnis’ arm was brutally broken by  Capitol Police  and Senator Tim Sheehy after he interrupted a Senate subcommittee hearing to protest the Iran War . Tania Trejo-Mendez, a PSL member, was the last speaker. " The consequences of US imperialism are already devastating millions across the world,” she said. “For almost three years and beyond the world has watched the destruction of Gaza where women, children, and entire families have been killed in staggering numbers. Now the same war machine is threatening to expand that violence even further. " The human toll of US aggression and destabilization in the Middle East has been extensively studied. The Costs of War Project at Brown University estimates that between 2001 and 2023, wars directly killed approximately 940,000 people across Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Pakistan. When accounting for indirect deaths, stemming from the collapse of healthcare systems, economic devastation, environmental damage, the figure rises to at least 4.5 million people. Those figures do not include Palestine, Lebanon, Libya, or Iran [ 1 ]. The only politician present was Joshua Bradley, who has run for Raleigh city council several times. The Triangle chapter of the PSL has grown into a popular and active left-wing group, especially among young socialists of color, in part by keeping its distance from mainstream electoral politics. When the speeches ended, the crowd filed out of Moore Square, and their march wound through downtown Raleigh. Two banners led the procession: “Remember Iraq” and “Stop the War on Iran”. Many chants and signs also referenced the Vietnam War. Organizers brought along a powerful speaker mounted in a wagon, and a drummer helped the chanters keep their tune. The weather was so pleasant that the people on the sidewalks outnumbered the marchers. Chant leaders wove in tributes to International Women's Day such as "Women hold up half the sky, no to war and genocide", alluding to a saying from Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Bystanders overwhelmingly responded positively, probably a reflection of widespread opposition to the Iran War rather than an endorsement of the march’s strident anti-imperialism. The sole negative reaction came from an older white man dressed in country club attire. Standing with a younger person who appeared to be his son, he shook his head when he noticed the protest. Then the man grinned and gave a thumbs down. The March 7 demonstration also showed how PSL skillfully develops its membership.  While Victor Urquiza, a seasoned organizer, typically serves as emcee, a newer member filled that role on Saturday with considerable skill. Chant-leading duties during the march were rotated among several members. Some were confident and effective, while others were clearly new to the task and a bit shaky. The results might seem uneven to an outside observer, but the approach shows PSL’s deliberate effort to cultivate new talent. Western powers have spent more than a century tormenting the people of Iran. After oil was discovered, the UK turned Iran into a client state and controlled their oil through the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, which is today British Petroleum. When Iranians reclaimed their resources under the democratic government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh, the US and UK overthrew him in 1953 and installed a puppet dictatorship that lasted for more than two decades. In the 1980s, the US supported Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein when he invaded Iran in a conflict left between one and two million people dead. Decades of US sanctions on Iran followed. In June 2025, the US and Israel launched a brief war on Iran, and then attacked again in February 2026. The current war has killed more than 1,400 civilians and at least 200 children. Work Cited Human . (2026, March 3). Costs of War | Brown University. https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/costs/human

RDU1 - Garner, NC "We started the fire, y'all have gotta keep it burning" - RDU1 associate. RDU1 workers were frustrated with management's handling of recent snowstorms: messed-up timecards & delayed closure announcements. One MyVoice message summed it up: "The upper management gonna be shocked when we are begging for CAUSE to come back. Half of the amazon facility is fed up with how you guys are putting us at risk driving on the ice. Y'all have proven over and over again these past couple days that profit matters more then our individual lives. You guys have taken forever to make decisions about the weather and then the timecards now this? Once Durham succeeds in their election y'all gonna be scared for Garner to be riding right behind their success." DRT8 - Durham, NC Message from DRT8 associate & former union postal worker: Amazon is the biggest corporation in the history of the world. Why do they hate unions? 4AM on the second day of training at DRT8, the 30 of us new hires were blessed with the presence of the warehouse's site leader. He had come to inform us of the evil of unions in general and CAUSE. The site leader started off his enlightening efforts with a tepid argument that you have the right to participate in a union, but you also have the right not to. Once the "cover our asses so we don't violate labor laws" portion was over he proceeded to the meat of his presentation. He informed us that Amazon loves its current model where workers can come directly to management without having a union as a middleman. It was hard not to laugh at this but I restrained myself. It's no surprise Amazon likes this model since it works entirely on their behalf. To test it out just go to the site leader and tell him how you deserve a raise and better benefits and you'll see why Amazon likes its methods so much. As individual workers we are absolutely powerless and that's how Amazon likes it. That means we're easily exploitable and we have to wallow in our grievances or quit. They'll never give you what you need out of pity or because you're just so convincing. If we want our issues addressed we need to be organized collectively as workers and that's exactly what a union is about. The site leader finished out his presentation with the great benefits Amazon workers receive that may be under threat if CAUSE wins the majority of the workers to join it. He spent the most time talking about free Amazon Prime. The irony wasn't lost on me that none of us could get that benefit until we'd worked for 60 days; something that wasn't assured since we were all hired as seasonal workers and had absolutely no job security or guarantees we'd be kept on past peak season. What was funnier was the great benefit we might have missed out on if we had a union was worth $15 a month. All of us were hired on as flex and consequently were given no healthcare or limited healthcare after making it through a period of working there. Amazon can keep its $15. We need job security, good healthcare, retirement, and other benefits that the richest company in the world won't give us out of sympathy or pity. I came out of this meeting even more sympathetic to CAUSE. As a former postal worker, I did the same type of work I do now, but I was represented by a union. I had guaranteed wage increases and cost of living adjustments every year, great healthcare benefits, a retirement plan, and even stock options. Beyond that I had job security and wasn't at the mercy of management. The management had to follow the contract and if they didn't, I had the union to fight for me and get my grievances addressed. I was a union member before and I will continue to be a union member now because I've seen first-hand that the only way workers can get respect is when they band together, organize, and take up fights as one. No employer, especially Amazon, wants their workers to have a say in how things run and what their laborers receive in compensation. They want us to be afraid that standing up for ourselves will only harm us. But as Frederick Douglass taught us, "power concedes nothing without a demand — it never has and never will." If you want better for yourself it's time to stand up and take it. It's time to get together with our coworkers and get what's ours. This is what a union is and that's what CAUSE is building. RDU5 - Durham, North Carolina Friday, Jan 23rd, night shift. Favoritism, hours & breaks. Observation by a RDU5 associate. I heard that an Amazon manager said that the rationale behind making some of us go home while others got to stay and get our full hours is to be "leaner". The manager explained that instead of keeping everyone for 30 more minutes and then having to give us a break, it's cheaper to keep only a few people for an hour and pay fewer people for a break. Amazon's priorities are clear: the bottom line. While some people were happy to leave after 3 hours, others felt cheated out of hours they need to make ends meet. Hours were given to certain workers simply based on their assigned department. Fairness? Integrity? Amazon could give a damn. Profit? That's more like it. It can be easy to be distracted by the free food & happy smiles of the PAs/managers at RDU5. There have been shifts where I walk out of there feeling like, "Hey, this job ain't so bad." But we have to stay focused on the bigger picture. As we piece together each other's stories, we begin to see a larger mosaic of exploitation. Giving certain workers 4 hours of work while giving the rest 3 hours of work is Amazon choosing profit over people and favoritism over equality. The manager was clear that the work could have been accomplished in 3.5 hours if everyone had been kept on. But Amazon would have had to give us a paid break. Oh, by the way: if you make $18.50 an hour, your break costs Amazon $4.63. But apparently, Amazon's so cheap, they don't want to pay for our $4.63 break. Think that's bad? In late 2025, Amazon changed its policy so that you have to work 3.5 hours in order to receive a break, when previously you only had to work 3 hours to get a break. Yeah, Amazon pinches pennies like a mf-er. Weird, considering that Amazon saw a significant increase in its sales in 2025. SNC3 - Durham, NC Moisturizer Instead of a Holiday Bonus. A handwritten message from a SNC3 associate after the holiday peak. In lieu of a holiday bonus, the cracked hands at SNC3 were granted a mere paltry recognition for our hard work over peak: a bottle of moisturizer in the bathroom. Each dollop serves as a reminder that Amazon will always choose a remedy over a reward. Their salve of choice this time was a cheap and pre-packaged solution - that will soften the evidence of hard work, setting in to our otherwise empty palms. National Amazon News Dec 16, 2025: Amazon workers at DJT6 in Riverside, CA walked out at midnight in protest of unsafe working conditions. DJT6 is now the 5th Amazon facility in California to unionize. They are calling all Amazon workers to unionize. Dec. 9 - 11, 2025: More than 200 drivers at the DBK1 warehouse in Woodside, NY, rallied with the Teamsters to demand union recognition and better conditions, with the possibility of future strikes if demands aren't met. In 2023, UPS union workers negotiated a new union contract which: (1) sets starting pay for new hires at $21 per hour, which will reach $23 per hour by 2028, (2) secured part-timers with the same high-quality health, welfare, and pension benefits as full-time employees, (3) guaranteed a minimum of 3.5 hours of work per workday. This article was first published by Amazon CAUSE .

Image credit: Durham Association of Educators Tonight begins a new era for public schools and a new era for politics in Durham. Tonight has shown us that it is possible for everyday working parents, unionized school staff, and community members to band together and beat entrenched status quo politics. Tonight begins a new era for families who have felt let down or scared by our district's lackluster response to ICE. Tonight begins a new era for every student who was late to school or missed school completely due to the DPS transportation crisis. Tonight begins a new era for every school community that has lost countless veteran educators to turnover. And tonight begins a new era for the over 1,000 classified (hourly) DPS workers who are still not paid a living wage for their essential labor in our school system because it is not politically expedient for the current decision makers. We are thrilled to announce that all four of our endorsed pro-union, pro-worker candidates - Natalie Bent Kitaif, Nadeen Bir, Gabby Rivero, and Xavier Cason - have won their races for Durham School Board. These candidates earned our trust by pledging to hold DPS leadership accountable to improving staff working conditions and student learning conditions. They are explicitly committed to supporting workers' rights, fighting for better staff pay, taking action to protect immigrant families, and increasing budget transparency in DPS because they know that all Durham students deserve safe and fully staffed schools with high staff retention and low turnover. Making this vision for Durham Public Schools a reality will only be possible because of the coalition that came together to earn us this victory: Durham for All, Carolina Federation, and thousands of union members, neighbors, parents, and community supporters who put in the hard work these last few months to make this moment of hope possible. Together, we filled over 500 canvass shifts, knocked almost 10,000 doors, organized our school buildings, poll greeted during early voting and today on Election Day, and committed 3,000 votes for our slate. This is people power and this is how we win - whether it's winning an election or building our union, we know that there are no shortcuts to organizing, and there is no replacement for the value of face-to-face conversations. We decided to approach this School Board election cycle differently. Instead of waiting to see who self-selected to run for School Board, our members and community allies decided to be proactive. We identified candidates who have a track record of fighting for classified pay with us on the picket line, who fought back against ICE in their school communities, who have organized with DPS workers and parents to win improvements, and who have experience running transparent budgeting processes with financial constraints. No more rubber stamping whoever the Durham political insiders choose and then having to face the fact that they are more accountable to other politicians than to their own community. In January, we held a robust, democratic endorsement session where our members spent five hours meeting and deliberating over all twelve candidates who were running. DAE members overwhelmingly voted to endorse Natalie Bent Kitaif, Nadeen Bir, Gabby Rivero, and Xavier Cason, and then put in the work to get them elected. We are up for the challenge to win the budget we deserve, and we are ready to begin the work to co-govern with all of the School Board candidates that Durham just elected. Let's celebrate tonight and let's get back to work tomorrow! We must win a DPS budget by March 26th that prioritizes a living wage for classified DPS workers and that rewards all DPS workers for their unpaid extra duties. That budget will reduce DPS's high rates of staff burnout and turnover, which is currently impacting our most vulnerable students. Mark your calendar to join us for our rally & picket next Thursday 3/12, at 4:45pm before the School Board meeting! RSVP at bit.ly/March12BudgetAction . We are clear that the work to improve our schools does not end tonight - tonight is just the beginning. Our members know that in order to win the DPS budget that we deserve, we will need to organize just as hard as we did to elect our endorsed candidates. This statement was first published by Durham Association of Educators .

Image credit: Artivista Karlin On Thursday, March 5th, around 20 Duke students, workers, and professors organized a rally on Duke’s Bryan Center Plaza to demand that Duke University protect Durham workers and students by becoming a Fourth Amendment campus, and pay their workers a $25 per hour “living wage.” The demonstrators unfurled a massive butterfly and displayed banners reading messages such as “ICE out of Duke! 4th Amendment Campus” and “Duke Rise Up! $25 per Hour Living Wage.” The rally comes a day after the Duke Student Government Senate advanced a student-led Fourth Amendment campus referendum co-sponsored by Sunrise Duke, Mi Gente, Beyond Borders, Asian Students Association, and Duke Migrant Roots Media. According to the referendum petition, by becoming a Fourth Amendment campus, “Duke would implement measures that reduce the risk of unconstitutional entry by federal agents and encourage employees and students to understand their rights in the event of an unexpected visit by federal agents.” A Fourth Amendment campus would require federal agents to show a valid judicial warrant before entering private areas on campus, and have all private areas on campus visibly marked and designated as such. Leila Zak, an organizer with Duke Beyond Borders, delivered a speech emphasizing the lawlessness and lack of accountability for ICE and CBP agents. She drew attention to the actions of ICE at Columbia University, where they used false pretenses of searching for a missing child to gain entry into private spaces. She said, “We know that no one, regardless of their background, regardless of their status, should have to go to school [or] work... in fear that, just like that, they could lose their place in this country.” CBP agents arrived in Durham on November 8th. Since then, they have detained over 250 individuals across North Carolina. The president of the Duke chapter of the American Association of University Professors, Emily Rogers, came forward to raise outcry over a disciplinary investigation initiated by Duke toward one of the students present, Artivista Karlin. Back in November, Karlin was unlawfully arrested for photographing a peaceful protest by 30 protestors with the Sunrise Movement that temporarily shut down the ICE Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida. Rogers said, “I’m appalled and furious at the disciplinary actions taken against one of my dear former students... What is going on in the disciplinary cases and the silencing of free speech across campus is not normal. It is nuts! It is fascist inculturation, and we must stop it.” The rally also comes a day after Duke University announced a $20 per hour minimum wage effective July 1st. Brandon Ruffin, a representative and worker leader with the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW), came forward to speak in support of both a Fourth Amendment campus and a $25 per hour living wage for all Duke employees. He emphasized the $20 per hour minimum wage increase as a direct result of Durham Rising’s advocacy, while expressing it is still not enough to afford to live in the City of Durham. Ruffin expressed USSW’s deep solidarity and the earnest belief that if some workers are treated unfairly, all are treated unfairly. “We are standing together to demand two important, simple things... number one, a $25 per hour minimum wage, and the protection of our Fourth Amendment rights under the US Constitution here on campus and in workplaces.” Karlin closed the rally with an energizing speech, declaring “we are on our way to winning a full Fourth Amendment campus here at Duke, and we’re going to do it together, fighting hand in hand – marching hand in hand – to win a better campus for all.”

UE150 DHHS Council leaders met with DHHS Secretary Devdutta Sangvai on January 15, 2026 in Raleigh. (Pictured Left to Right) Rakesh Patel (CRH), Sekia Royall (O'Berry), Peggy Briggins (Caswell), Sec. Devutta Sangvai, Christine Jiggetts (Murdoch), William Young (Cherry Hospital), Lora Tate (VE staff) UE150 DHHS Council leaders participated in two actions the second week of January 2026 to demand use of the $386 Million DHHS lapsed salary fund. This included demands around an immediate $3,000 bonus, 10% temporary bonus, creation of a Safe Staffing Task Force and advocacy for raising the minimum wage to $25 per hour. On January 13, 2026, UE150 DHHS Council leaders attended the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee meeting for DHHS. This committee includes elected House and Senate members who oversee DHHS. Before the meeting, UE150 members hosted a press conference in front of the Legislative building. During the committee meeting, union members delivered over 650 petition signatures to high-ranking officials. William Young, UE150 President at Cherry Hospital told the press: "We are here today because hundreds of healthcare workers are upset that we have not received a raise this year, and yet DHHS is sitting on $386 million worth of lapsed salary funds. This is not acceptable. We need a raise! Everything is going up. Our insurance has gone up." UE150 DHHS Council Leaders Meet With DHHS Sec. Sangvai and DSOHF Leadership On January 15, UE150 DHHS Council leaders also met with DHHS Secretary Devutta Sangvai, along with DSOHF Director Nikki Ashmont, Karen Burkes, and other DHHS officials. In addition to delivering our petitions, this was a high-level meeting where UE150 put forth the following proposals: Communication strategy A. Quarterly meeting between UE 150 leadership and DSOHF Director. B. Yearly site visits by DHHS leadership where they will hold meetings with frontline workers without the presence of supervisors. C. Help UE 150 with facilitating meet and confers with CEOs. D. Authorize access to new employee orientation in addition to monthly access for union meetings. Raises - Audit revealed significant money in the lapsed salary fund A. Presented petitions demanding an immediate $3000 bonus to all active employees without exceptions. B. 10% temporary pay raise to high vacancy positions. C. Paychecks every 2 weeks instead of monthly. D. Advocate to the legislature for a $25 minimum wage and 20% salary increase for all employees. E. Institute a 7-year Step Pay Plan. Safety issues A. Recognition that patient characteristics are changing. B. Improved training for new hires and annual trainings. C. Enhance safety protocols given the high rate of ITP patients. D. More visible law enforcement presence. E. Metal detectors at visitor entrances. F. Separation of patient with forensics charges from IVC patients. G. Instituting a zero-tolerance policy for physical violence perpetrated upon health care workers. H. DSOHF create a Safe Staffing Task Force. Workplace culture A. Recognition that significant improvements are needed to create and sustain healthier workplaces with true safety cultures. We need workplaces without bullying or retaliation. B. Create a yearly feedback system where workers can anonymously evaluate their supervisor. C. Stay Interviews (This will provide valuable feedback) D. A grievance procedure for reporting incidents of supervisor bullying. E. Institute a more effective method than HR (ombudsman) to investigate repetitive violations of hospital policy by supervisors. Well-known bullies should not be allowed to thrive. Secretary Sangvai listened intently to these proposals. He was especially interested in creating a workplace with zero tolerance for workplace bullying and in pursuing the creation of a Safe Staffing Task Force. Workers must stay active in their workplaces and in the union so we can achieve these needed changes! Sekia Royall delivers petition signatures to DHHS. Sec. Sangvai and Nikki Ashmont, DSOHF Director on Jan 15. DHHS Workers Speak out for Safe Staffing, and a Real Raise The following are quotes from DHHS UE150 union worker leaders during the January 15, 2026 meeting with DHHS Secretary Sangvai and DSOHF Director Ashmont. Peggy Briggins, Caswell Center, UE150 DHHS Council Chair "We represent the most vulnerable individuals. I have been there 28 years. We used to receive merit bonuses. Now everything is changing. We need a $3,000 bonus with no strings attached. For someone to have a written warning and be knocked out of bonuses, even though they have given 15-20 years, that is not fair. We need a raise to $25 per hour minimum and 20% for all DHHS workers. There is no reason a state employee should work a second job. We are losing people to private facilities and factories because they are paid better than us." Rakesh Patel, Central Regional Hospital, UE150 Chapter President "70% of our patients are coming in from jail. There forensics patients are placed on the same units as our community mental health patients. This creates safety issues for both patients and staff. UE 150 has always strived for Safety, Fairness, and Excellence, providing the best care possible. We are worried about the census at the hospital. There are not enough staff CNA's or RN's. We have shared our concerns with the legislature. Some of them are not as committed to the DHHS mission as we are. DHHS continues to spend a ton of money to pay temporary staff (2-3 times the salary paid to permanent staff). This is not a good business model. 60% of RN's at CRH are agency. It is really hard to run a hospital with all that chaos and lack of training. We are hoping to work with you all to establish a Safe Staffing Task Force." William Young, Cherry Hospital, UE150 Local Vice President "We are requesting quarterly meetings between UE 150 leadership and DSOHF Director. We also need help with facilitating UE150 meet and confers with CEOs. Cherry Hospital is currently denying our requests, violating DHHS policy. We would also like you to authorize access to the new employee orientations in addition to monthly access for union meetings." Sekia Royall, O'Berry Center "Workers are frustrated. We keep getting the end of the stick. We do not have a state budget, and state workers have not received any raise this year. That is why we can't keep people. We collected over 600 signatures from DHHS workers across the state on our petition demanding the use of the $386 million in lapsed salary fund to pay us now!" UE150 and Community Win! State Divests Pension from Israeli Bonds Members of UE Local 150 joined a coalition of unions and organizations throughout North Carolina at the end of last year to demand the state divest state workers' and teachers' pensions from Israeli bonds. After holding rallies and speaking out at meetings at the state treasurer's office, the coalition succeeded in pressuring the state to sell $6.7 million in Israeli government bonds held in the state pension fund. Over 40 unions, community organizations, and faith groups across the state supported the efforts of the coalition. On October 29, workers held a rally at North Carolina Treasurer Brad Briner's office. They then delivered a petition signed by over 5,000 people alongside 37 organizations and unions demanding he divest state workers' pensions from Israeli bonds because, as the petition stated, "The people of North Carolina do not want a retirement fund invested in genocide, occupation, and apartheid." The petition also cites the declining economy of Israel as an additional reason to divest. At the October rally, Local 150 member and NC State graduate worker Katie Boatner explained the returns on the pension investments in Israel were extremely low, lower than a high-yield savings account. Reflecting on the event, Broatner said, "Some of the key points of my speech were that state pension holders themselves expressed a desire for their pension funds to serve the dignity of people. They are not doing that." Sekia Royall, a member of Local 150 and state worker for the Department of Health and Human Services in Goldsboro, NC, attended both the late October rally and a committee oversight meeting on November 19, where she spoke to the state investment board about the need for divestment. She explained during her public comment that the workers of North Carolina did not want their pensions to be financially tied to the violence Israel is committing on Palestinians. During the committee oversight meeting, State Treasurer Brad Briner recognized Local 150 members from other actions organized throughout 2025 where they pressured legislators to protect their state health plan. Two days after Royall spoke at the meeting, the state treasurer announced $6.7 million had been divested from Israeli bonds. Reflecting on the successful campaign, Royall said, "We wanted to make it clear that we did not support what Israel is doing to the Palestinian people. Our bonds weren't even making us money due to the bad economy." Boatner said, "North Carolina has a history of activism in the South and it is important that we keep pressure on our leaders. Without community, large community coalition involvement, I do not think the success would have been as resounding." When asked about her thoughts on the divestment, Royall said, 'This is a coalition that is standing up against oppression anywhere and everywhere, in Israel and throughout the world. And we won!" This article was first published by UE Local 150 .

According to FEC filings, the Jobs and Democracy PAC reported around $1,600,000 in spending on behalf of Rep. Valerie Foushee as of Feb. 26, 2026. The funds are being used to buy TV ads in the North Carolina Fourth District Congressional race, where Foushee is being challenged by Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam in the Democratic primary [ 1 ]. Anthropic   recently announced a donation of $20 million to a nonprofit called Public First Action that was established in Nov. 2025. That 501(c)(4) organization it turn runs Super PACs called the Jobs and Democracy PAC , aimed at Democrats, and Defending Our Values PAC, aimed at Republicans [ 2 ][ 3 ] [ 4 ]. Foushee is a co -chair of a new House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy. Another member of the committee, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, has also received support from the Anthropic- backed Jobs and Democracy PAC. In Apex, on the southeast edge of the Fourth District, opposition has been growing to the construction of a new data center. Around 250 residents recently signed a letter asking Allam and Foushee to oppose the project [ 5 ]. Allam agreed to the request, while Foushee took a neutral position (she personally opposes the project but said that she defers to the decision of local officials). Foushee often takes campaign contributions from industries she is tasked with regulating. She serves on Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Mater ials, but has received contributions from three railroad companies (BNSF, CSX, and Norfolk Southern). Foushee sits on the   Subcommittee on Energy and has accepted donations from Entergy, a fossil fuel company. She serves on the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics but has taken contributions from airlines (Delta Air Lines), space (Blue Origin), and weapons companies (Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and more) [ 6 ]. Allam has refused corporate PAC money. Her candidacy has garnered support from Sen. Bernie Sanders, Justice Democrats, Working Families Party, and others. Foushee is endorsed by Gov. Josh Stein, former Gov. Roy Cooper, and most major figures within the North Carolina Democratic Party establishment. The Fourth District primary is a rematch of a 2022 race between Allam and Foushee, which became the most expensive primary in state history. In 2022, Foushee benefitted from around $4 million in outside expenditures by pro-Israel groups like AIPAC and pro-crypto organizations like Protect Our Future PAC. Work Cited "Jobs and Democracy PAC"  Federal Election Commission , 26 Feb. 2026, https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00928374/1950503/se . "Anthropic is Donating $20 Million to Public First Action."  Anthropic , 12 Feb. 2026,  https://www.anthropic.com/news/donate-public-first-action . "Chris Stewart, Brad Carson Announce New Organization and Bipartisan Super PACs to Support AI Safeguards."  Public First Action , 25 Nov. 2025,  https://publicfirstaction.us/news/chris-stewart-brad-carson-announce-new-organization-and-bipartisan-super-pacs-to-support-ai-safeguards . "Foushee for Congress"  Federal Election Commission , 2025-26,  https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee_id=C00794727&two_year_transaction_period=2026&data_type=processed . " Signed Open Letter on AI Data Centers to NC-04 Congressional Candidates", Apex Residents, https://docs.google.com/document/u/1/d/e/2PACX-1vT04t8dopMLqhK7qfCR__W17nRQXabKU5GuB2QcxVFHXm9jXByZp6eGI-G1JiPjkiqgoqvzd-v_jYGI/pub "The Corporate Money Taking Over 2026."  Punchbowl News , 19 Feb. 2026,  https://punchbowl.news/article/washington/pac-2026/ .

Rep. Valerie Foushee has long been criticized for her campaign finance practices. During the 2022 Democratic primary against Nida Allam, Foushee significantly outspent her opponent due to almost $4 million in outside expenditures by pro-Israel and and pro-crypto PACs. Since 2023, Israel’s public image has been tarnished by the genocide of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. In August 2025, Foushee announced she would not accept AIPAC support during her reelection campaign. Foushee has continued to accept donations from a wide range of corporations. In the third quarter of 2025, according to FEC filings, she took contributions from t echnology, weapons, pharmaceutical and fossil fuel corporations  [ x ]. Since 2024, Foushee has taken $21,000 in donations from weapons manufacturers [ x ]. The donation totals break down as such: 3M: $1,000 RTX (Raytheon): $1,000 General Dynamics: $1,000 Caterpillar Inc: $2,500 Garmin International: $2,500 Northrop Grumman: $3,000 Lockheed Martin: $3,000 Honeywell: $7,000 With the exception of Garmin, all of Foushee’s weapons donors appear on the American Friends Service Committee list of “Companies Profiting from the Gaza Genocide” [ x ]. In June 2024, United Nations experts reiterated their call for states and companies to stop arms sales to Israel [ x ]. Lockheed Martin provides the Israeli military with F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, along with a number of missile systems, including the Hellfire Missile. Northrop Grumman supplies Israel with M197 cannons. Caterpillar sells the D9 Armored Bulldozer, used to demolish homes in Gaza and the West Bank. Honeywell has supplied Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) for Boeing weapons such as Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)  kits and GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs. GBU-39s have been dubbed the Israeli military's “weapon of choice” in Gaza [ x ]. In June 2024, a Honeywell IMU was used in an Israeli airstrike that killed 40 people who were sheltering in a UN school [ x ]. Donations from weapons companies to Foushee could be linked to her House committees. In Feb. 6, 2025, she was appointed to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, serving as the Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. In this position, Foushee helps to oversee NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP) [ X ]. On Feb. 26, 2025, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing to discuss NASA’s Artemis Program, where Foushee gave a statement in support of the Artemis and other similar NASA programs [ x ]. Lockheed Martin builds the Orion spacecraft, which is the spacecraft used in the Artemis Program [ x ]. In the past year alone, NASA has awarded weapons manufacturers the following in federal funding: Lockheed Martin: $1.25 billion [ x ] Northrop Grumman: $1.23 billion [ x ] Honeywell: $4.11 million [ x ] RTX: $340,000 [ x ]  Weapons donors have not contributed money to Foushee’s primary challenger, Durham County Commissioner Nida Allam, who has rejected corporate PAC funding.

Image credit: WUNC In 2025, the Durham City Council and Planning Commission voted on 34 development cases. Of those, 29 were approved, five denied, and one withdrawn. Before members changed in December 2025, the council approved 90% of items it voted on, while the commission approved 80%. Durham Dispatch has analyzed how council and commission voted on this year’s annexation and rezoning cases. That data is available here . This  2025 tracker emulates a 2024 project from Bull City Public Investigators  [ 1 ]. In 2024, the council voted on 45 development cases and approved all but three. The Planning Commission recommended approval in 76% of cases, compared to the council's 93% approval rate. The two-faction dynamic was also present in 2024. Caballero, Middleton, Rist, and Williams voted similarly 95% of the time when all four were present, while Baker, Cook, and Freeman were more likely to dissent. The council overrode a negative commission recommendation three times. For the Pickett Apartments case, the commission rejected it 2-8, yet the council approved it 4-3. Durham Gateway at Brier Creek was similar. Despite a 1-8 commission rejection, the council approved 4-2. Heartland Park Subdivision followed the same pattern, with a 4-7 commission denial reversed by a 4-3 council vote. In these three cases, a minority of Baker, Cook, and Freeman voted with the commission. The majority of Caballero, Middleton, Rist, and Williams voted to approve regardless. Annexation and rezoning votes in 2025 created two factions on Durham City Council. Baker, Cook, and Freeman formed a more skeptical bloc. Caballero, Middleton, Rist, and Williams voted together as a more permissive majority. This division shows up on the three overrides of commission recommendations, but also on Howard Property (4-3), Danube Lane Townhouses (6-1, with Baker dissenting) and Wake Olive (5-2, with Baker and Freeman dissenting). Middleton was the most reliable yes vote at 97%, while Baker was the most frequent no at 70%. The majority bloc (Caballero, Middleton, Rist, Williams) had an average approval rate of about 90%, compared to about 75% for the minority bloc (Baker, Cook, Freeman). Only four items in 2025 were decided with the new council (Matt Kopac and Shanetta Burris replacing Freeman and Middleton). However, all seven members voted the same on every item and the sample size too small to draw conclusions. For years, one of the most divisive topics in Durham politics has been how to address a chronic crisis of high rents and home prices. One answer has been to build outward, approving new developments on cheap land at the city's edge. Critics say this approach helps private developers more than cities themselves, since fringe development needs roads, water lines, and schools that cost more than the tax revenue they produce, leaving cities to foot the bill for decades. Fringe developments are also built around car ownership, making it harder to create walkable and bikeable communities [ 2 ]. In addition, annexations and rezonings aimed at spurring new construction could only help in a crisis that was simply a matter of supply. However, the core problem is that the US political system is committed to high rents and home values, and has been on a bipartisan basis for decades [ 3 ]. For example, federal laws such as the Faircloth Amendment cap public housing construction, while North Carolina laws bar municipalities from competing with private developers, through the Umstead Act, and prohibit rent control, through NC GS 42-14.1. Works Cited 1. Marohn, Charles. "America Should Sprawl? Not If We Want Strong Towns." Strong Towns, May 5, 2025.  https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2025-05-05-america-should-sprawl-not-if-we-want-strong-towns 2.  Marohn, Charles. “The Housing Debate Is Finally Catching Up to Reality.” Strong Towns, February 9, 2026. https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2026-2-9-the-housing-debate-is-finally-catching-up-to-reality 3. Constantine, Lucia. "How Durham City Council Voted on Development in 2024." Bull City Public Investigators, December 17, 2024.  https://bcpi.substack.com/p/how-durham-city-council-voted-on How Durham City Council and Planning Commission Voted on Development Cases in 2025 ( Complete Data ) Type Name City Council Vote City Council Date Planning Commission Vote Planning Commission Date Zoning Map Change 3112 South Alston Avenue 7 to 0 1/21/25 10 to 1 11/12/24 Zoning Map Change Brickworks 7 to 0 1/21/25 9 to 1 11/12/24 Zoning Map Change Davis Park West 7 to 0 1/21/25 10 to 1 11/12/24 Consolidated Annexation 2613 Carpenter Road 5 to 0 2/3/25 9 to 1 11/12/24 Consolidated Annexation Moriah Ridge 0 to 5 2/3/25 2 to 6 12/10/24 Consolidated Annexation Polanco Residence 7 to 0 2/17/25 8 to 0 12/10/24 Zoning Map Change Hoover Road Assemblage 7 to 0 2/17/25 8 to 0 12/10/24 Zoning Map Change Chin Page Road Apartments 7 to 0 3/17/25 8 to 0 1/14/25 Zoning Map Change Pickett Apartments 4 to 3 3/17/25 2 to 8 11/12/24 Consolidated Annexation 1012 Valmet Drive 7 to 0 3/17/25 8 to 0 1/14/25 Consolidated Annexation Sheffield Farms 2 to 5 4/7/25 1 to 7 1/14/25 Consolidated Annexation Romero Residence 7 to 0 4/21/25 8 to 0 2/11/25 Consolidated Annexation Page Corners 7 to 0 4/21/25 7 to 2 3/11/25 Zoning Map Change 1202 Ellis Road 7 to 0 4/21/25 8 to 0 2/11/25 Consolidated Annexation Howard Property 4 to 3 5/5/25 7 to 1 2/11/25 Zoning Map Change Strauss Drive Townhouses 7 to 0 5/5/25 8 to 0 2/11/25 Consolidated Annexation Danube Lane Townhouses 6 to 1 5/19/25 9 to 0 3/11/25 Consolidated Annexation Brier Creek Multifamily 7 to 0 5/19/25 6 to 3 3/11/25 Zoning Map Change Methodist Street Townhouses 6 to 1 6/16/25 10 to 0 4/8/25 Zoning Map Change 1606 and 1608 East Cornwallis Road 7 to 0 6/16/25 10 to 0 4/8/25 Zoning Map Change Durham Rescue Mission East Main Street 1 to 6 8/4/25 1 to 9 4/8/25 Zoning Map Change Fayetteville Flats 6 to 0 8/18/25 9 to 0 6/10/25 Zoning Map Change 4218 South Alston Avenue 6 to 0 8/18/25 12 to 0 5/13/25 Zoning Map Change 303 US 70 Warehouse 6 to 0 8/18/25 12 to 0 5/13/25 Consolidated Annexation Courtyards at Oak Grove 6 to 0 9/2/25 7 to 2 6/10/25 Consolidated Annexation Durham Gateway at Brier Creek 4 to 2 9/2/25 1 to 8 6/10/25 Consolidated Annexation Heartland Park Subdivision 4 to 3 10/6/25 4 to 7 8/12/25 Consolidated Zoning Map Change Ravenstone Commercial 7 to 0 10/20/25 11 to 0 8/12/25 Consolidated Annexation Wake Olive 5 to 2 10/20/25 7 to 4 8/12/25 Consolidated Zoning Map Change 1607 East Cornwallis Road 7 to 0 10/20/25 11 to 0 8/12/25 Zoning Map Change East Geer Towns 7 to 0 12/1/25 10 to 1 9/9/25 Consolidated Annexation 3306 Page Road 7 to 0 12/15/25 9 to 0 10/14/25 Consolidated Annexation Hamlin Reserve 0 to 7 12/15/25 0 to 11 8/12/25 Zoning Map Change 3404 Page Road Amendment 7 to 0 12/15/25 9 to 0 10/14/25

In an unincorporated community in North Carolina, two smokestacks reflect on a nearby lake, a dimly lit building standing in the background. The lake is surrounded by an idyllic park and hiking trail, sharply contrasting the streams of toxic coal ash  leaking into groundwater supply.  Four months ago, Duke Energy extended the life of the Belews Creek Power Plant for three to four more years , prolonging a painful legacy of cancer, reproductive failure, and neurological harm. In addition to delaying the retirement of coal plants, Duke Energy also has slashed renewable development  and increased the construction of fossil fuel facilities. Despite recently proposing a rate hike  of 15%, Duke Energy justified their energy plan by modeling cheap prices  for consumers and estimating the reliability of renewable and nonrenewable energy types.  Just like North Carolina’s taxpayers, these estimates are victims of a flawed modeling process, controlled and created by Duke Energy. In the process, millions of Carolinians are deprived of clean energy sources and instead left with mounting energy bills as Duke Energy chooses to align with an increasingly fossil fuel–dependent future.  Modeling Process To begin their analysis, Duke Energy tested the fidelity of different energy sources to see their contribution to the power grid. When inputting reliability scores in the modeling software, Duke Energy operated under the assumption that natural gas and coal energy were perfectly reliable. In a shareholder meeting in July,  Duke Energy admitted that they gave natural gas and coal a 100% reliability score. In reality, coal and natural gas reliability is deficient - outages caused by Winter Storm Elliott in 2023 impacted  more than 300,000 customers across the Carolinas. Current renewable facilities were also   excluded  from reliability calculations, although historical coal and natural gas plants were included. Maria Roumpani, an expert in energy planning  from Stanford University, testified that the 2023 plan, which used similar modeling and assumptions to the one in 2025, created up to a 20% overestimation in nonrenewable energy capacity.  Conversely, Duke Energy downplayed the reliability of cleaner energy. Renewable energy capacity scores were calculated separate from energy storage. For solar energy, that means energy is solely generated when the sun is shining. Only battery storage up to 10 hour s was considered, although existing technologies can store energy for up to 100 hours .   When asked about multi-day storage, Duke Energy argued that   long term battery storage was “lower on the readiness level” and inefficient . However, Duke Energy implemented other developing technologies like small modular nuclear  reactors (SMRs) in their calculations, which are not on the market yet. Futuristic technologies like SMRs make it appear that the 2050 net zero goal will be fulfilled while delaying the building of green energy sources.  Solar energy has especially endured this delay. Duke Energy cut solar energy installations roughly in half compared to the already conservative 2023 plan, shifting an annual goal of 1,600 megawatts (MW) of solar energy per year to just 770 MW after 2026. This is because Duke Energy systematically limited the amount of renewable energy possible under its simulations. In its earlier climate plans, Duke Energy confined the amount of solar energy capacity in its modeling to just 2800  megawatts per year after 2032. Duke Energy has the ability to implement more than two times that amount  compared to similar companies in California and Texas, according to the 2024  expert testimony of Michael Goggin, the Vice President of Grid Strategies and a Harvard graduate. Duke Energy argued limitations on solar were due to cost constraints as well as temporary outages to power lines during construction. Systematic limits inputted into the modeling software allowed Duke Energy cut solar energy roughly in half compared to the already conservative 2023 plan, shifting an annual goal of 1,600 megawatts (MW) of solar energy per year to just  770 MW after 2026. To further inflate renewable energy costs, Duke Energy neglected to consider the full impact of tax credit policy. Duke Energy chose to model with  the old version  of a software called EnCompass, even though tax credits can be more accurately modeled in the new version. When questioned months before releasing the plan, representatives of Duke Energy responded  that they were not “able to evaluate the updated version of EnCompass with enough time to incorporate it [in the plan].” Duke Energy’s subtle combination of numerical inputs fundamentally biased decisionmaking, forcing EnCompass to automatically choose  higher levels of natural gas and coal. EnCompass had no objective carbon reduction criterion, making it unresponsive to long-term energy goals.  Broader Implications The Carolinas are no stranger to the suppression of clean energy technology. In 2024, with the passage of Senate Bill 266 , a targeted 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 was retracted. Environmental groups have long tried to contest  Duke Energy’s biennial plans, with four experts  testifying just last year about deep methodological flaws. The modeling software Duke uses is extremely time-consuming and expensive, though, so it remains largely inaccessible to nonprofits.  Some alternate models  have been able to use more widely available technologies like Excel, presenting the possibility of investing in wind energy, retiring coal units earlier, and building nuclear and solar power plants earlier in time to reduce emissions 70% by 2032. Nevertheless, a lack of capable technology means these experts’ claims are pushed aside in favor of corporate interests.  The pattern of blurring modeling with shareholder goals echoes in not only Duke Energy’s 2025 plan, it remains a long established practice. Opaque softwares leave consumers with mounting power bills and an increasingly expensive future. Investing in a more resilient energy grid means protecting the independence of utility planning, whether that looks like more energy storage, nuclear, solar, or wind power, depends on the voices of constituents.

Triangle DSA condemns the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores. As socialists, we can clearly see this for what it is – an imperial ploy to seize oil resources and destabilize the Bolivarian Socialist government of Venezuela. The American oligarchy acted with impunity, laying the precedent that any nation that does not submit to profit-seeking interests will face unjustified military aggression. On Saturday, TDSA members showed up alongside our comrades in PSL, other local organizations, and members of the public to protest this act of terror on civilians in Caracas and the escalation of the US’s ongoing war against Venezuelan sovereignty. The fight for socialism is necessarily international and anti-imperialist. The destructive path of domination and state terror by the US both in Latin America and the Middle East will bring nothing but suffering to innocent people in the global south and increased profits to the ruling class. This is a path to global ruin that can only be brought to an end by socialist revolution. By organizing within the imperial core, we stand with the workers of the world in a shared struggle to end imperialism, neocolonialism, and war, and to establish a new international order based on relations of solidarity, equality, and cooperation. Join DSA in demanding No War with Venezuela!   This statement was first published by Triangle DSA .

On December 12, we held our end of year celebration, where we honored individuals and organizations that have championed our work. With just two people on staff, we couldn’t make the impact we do without so many partners and supporters. Our allies help us keep the momentum going in the struggle for farmworker justice. Here are the “Noise Makers” we honored with our homemade matracas (loud, ratcheted wooden noisemakers typical in Mexico). Organizations honored: Toxic Free NC, Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW), NC Latinx Collaborative Individuals honored: Sylvia Zapata, Susan Alan, Dave Austin, Melissa Harrison, Lori Khamala Looking Ahead We need everyone’s help as we begin to gear up for the coming season. Last year was a year of intense challenges and we are expecting even more in 2026. Here’s some of what we are anticipating, Obviously, immigration issues are a top concern. Even our members, who work in the US on H2A visas, face increased scrutiny, discrimination, and danger at the border, as well as in the communities where they work. We are training our members on how to deal with this situation and we are remaining vigilant. In addition, the Administration’s dramatic slashing of the H2A wage rate - most H2A wages will fall by more than 20% this season, plus additional new cuts to worker pay for “housing”. Naturally, this is of great concern to the workers who have to make big decisions about whether it’s even worth it to make the journey. Stay tuned on this. Read more details about the H2A wage rate cuts in our October 2025 newsletter . With climate change, we expect continued oppressive heat streaks during the summer harvest. We will continue our Collective Responsibility trainings to ensure that our members are educated and prepared to help each other in the fields. This approach was greatly successful last year and we look forward to our Health & Safety Committee members continuing to take leadership in their own and surrounding camps. Finally, last year, we also experienced increased issues of access into camps , with growers threatening, and /or attempting to prevent organizers from visiting workers. We have partnered with the ACLU to respond to one incident with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Department, and it remains to be seen how growers will respond this year. But we know one thing: we’ll be ready! Caring for Injured Workers There are currently two workers staying in the trailer we are using as a temporary shelter: A., whose leg was amputated after a serious work accident, and E., who developed a serious infection due to tobacco pesticides. These workers stayed in North Carolina after the season ended, and they continue to need care. Thanks to a generous donor, they were able to purchase groceries, and pay for their medications. For many cases of injured workers, EFEN often partners with farmworker clinics such as NCFIELD and the NC Farmworkers Project to provide medical services and access different resources such as food pantry and prescription discounts. Thank you NCFIELD and Farmworker Project for your work; we are always grateful for your partnership and support. Just Between Us: Alberto's Song To end on an encouraging note, we want to share a powerful song by our very talented member Alberto, who once toured Europe with a mariachi band.   This is a new version of renowned Mexican Mariachi superstar Vicente Fernandez’ song “Acá entre nos”. The lyrics were written by Student Action with Farmworkers (SAF) summer interns and workers at a labor camp in 2025, and Alberto added his revisions and put it to music. Here are the lyrics in English: To show off to my friends, I told them That in the US, no job could break me. And that I harvested green bills among the furrows. And a few sips of beer were enough To remember a hardworking friend And that his arms were covered in rashes And that he worked in these foreign lands To give his children more opportunities. Just between us I want you to know the truth That among the furrows I gambled My health and well-being, my dignity, my freedom To get ahead and make the best life for my family. Just between us El Futuro Es Nuestro, the place That gave me light and hope When I encountered injustices and deception In the US with a grower and supervisor Who didn't care about my life. Go, Leti! Here comes the grower Speed it up, Maria! Yes, sir! Just between us El Futuro Es Nuestro, the place That gave me light and hope When I encountered injustices and deception In the US with a grower and supervisor Who didn't care about my life. Just between us Among the crops and the tobacco fields I found El Futuro Es Nuestro while working For a bad boss who dismissed my health and dignity And ignored the risks to my life. This article is a condensed version of a newsletter first published by EFEN .

Opening page of the No Practical Alternatives Application for Howard’s Place. It’s unclear why the form is titled “Cape Fear Riparian Buffers.” A process allowing developers to change approved development plans is under scrutiny in Durham. Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop is speaking out about what she calls a loophole in which developers can work around environmental protections with No Practical Alternative Applications. “Essentially, it is a process where developers can apply to impact streams, vegetative, Riparian buffers and other natural resources that would otherwise not be allowed to be impacted according to Durham statute,” she said. “The problem is — and it’s a major problem — this NPAA process happens behind closed doors, without any public notification and does not require approval by Durham’s elected officials.” Samantha was tipped off to the use of NPAAs by a community member who discovered the process through a public records request from the city. Samantha’s own public records request revealed a widely used, but little known, workaround for developers. “I learned that city staff approved 20 NPAAs, which resulted in over 195,000 square feet of stream and buffer impacts, in 2025 alone,” Samantha said. “The only reason I found about that is because of my public records request. Council doesn’t even know that these are necessarily happening.” Samantha also discovered the developer of 86-acre tract of land in the Lick Creek watershed, rezoned by the city last year, currently has an NPAA under review. She and many others spoke out against the rezoning of Howard’s Place, citing the land’s listing on the state’s Natural Heritage Registry and potential impacts to streams in a watershed already overburdened with development and sediment pollution. Part of the developer's application to impact 2.65 acres of buffers in the Howard's Place development. “The developer submitted a request for almost 115,500 square feet of buffer disturbance, which equals about 2.65 acres. That was alarming,” Samantha said. “What really got me upset about this, is that there was a lot of conversation during the rezoning of Howard’s Place. The developer said explicitly in the hearing that they were required to protect water resources. So, it got approved, and months and months later, they came back and asked for an NPAA that would actually disturb those water resources. Developers can get on the dias and assure city council members they’ll follow the rules, and basically, the Council goes ‘OK, well, we don’t have to worry about it,’ then turn around and request all these impacts later. And no one knows about it except the city’s planning department. This is a particularly egregious example, but the city has not approved the Howard’s Place NPAA yet — it’s still under review.” Samantha brought the lack of transparency in the process to the attention of Durham City Council, which in turn asked the planning department to make an NPAA presentation at the Council’s Feb. 5 work session. “We’re asking for more public transparency in the process, for the city to make a public notification system so that people who want to know what NPAAs have been submitted for which properties can find out easily, without making a public records request,” she said. Samantha is encouraging Durham residents to watch or attend the Durham City Council work session on Feb. 5 at 1 p.m. in the Committee Room at 101 City Hall Plaza, and comment on the NPAA process. Find out more here. Like the work your Riverkeeper is doing to protect your waterways? We love it! Donate today to support her work! This article was first published by Sound Rivers .