Jessica F. Simmons

‘This will delay care’: NC doctor warns of harm after Trump's rollback on emergency abortion rule Medical and legal experts say the federal change on emergency abortions could delay life-saving care and deepen confusion in emergency rooms.

NC doctors warn that a decision by Trump could endanger pregnant patients in medical emergencies. The move rolls back a 2022 federal rule that required hospitals to provide emergency abortion care under EMTALA, regardless of their ability to pay.

cardinalpine.com/2025/06/18/n...

Virginia passes two landmark bills to protect pregnant people behind bars With bipartisan backing and pressure from formerly incarcerated women, Virginia lawmakers have banned shackling during labor in jails—and made it easier for pregnant people to await trial at home.

Virginia lawmakers have passed two new laws to protect pregnant people in local jails—banning the use of shackles during labor and requiring judges to consider pregnancy and postpartum status during bail decisions.

vadogwood.com/2025/06/25/v...

House GOP fast-tracks budget bill that would cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood Abortion is already excluded from coverage—the new bill is going after all health care services the clinics provide for low-income Americans.

The US House passed a reconciliation bill that would bar patients from using Medicaid to access services at Planned Parenthood health centers—including nine clinics across North Carolina. The bill is expected to disproportionately affect low-income patients.

cardinalpine.com/2025/05/13/p...

As southern states ban abortion, thousands of patients head north—to Virginia With abortion bans tightening across the South, Virginia is absorbing a growing number of out-of-state patients—straining clinics, stretching support networks, and raising the stakes for future protec...

In 2024, Virginia saw the largest spike in abortions of any state, where nearly 1 in 4 patients traveled to the Commonwealth. After Florida's six-week ban and other states following suit, VA emerged as one of the only states in the southern region where abortion remains legal. bit.ly/4ddoZKn

Gov. Youngkin vetoes contraception protections—Again For the second year in a row, Virginia’s governor rejected legislation that would have guaranteed access to birth control. Advocates said the decision continues to leave Virginians vulnerable.

Gov. Youngkin vetoed two bills that would have guaranteed Virginians access to contraception, marking the second time in a row he has rejected the Virginia Right to Contraception Act aimed at protecting birth control rights through state law.

vadogwood.com/2025/05/05/y...

Trump Moves Waltz to the U.N. and Names Rubio His Interim National Security Adviser This is the first significant personnel overhaul of top White House aides, and the kind of shake-up President Trump has sought to avoid in his second term.

So let me get this straight: He got ousted from the president for leaking secrets in a Signal chat… and now he’s the pick for US ambassador to the United Nation?

That makes sense to me, you?

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/u...

Registration is open for Cardinal and Pine's May 20th event, Voices for Veterans. We're speaking with veterans and military families about the issues they're facing today.

*This event is FREE with food and drinks included.*

Follow the link to grab your tickets.
www.eventbrite.com/e/voices-for...

Georgia school investigating after segregation-era signs used in history lesson Signs that were posted in a Georgia elementary school as part of a history lesson recently have sparked concern among some parents.

This is the exact ammunition anti-DEI people are using to keep DEI out of public education..

abcnews.go.com/US/georgia-s...

A US Supreme Court case could end birthright citizenship. This NC mom is fighting back. For more than 150 years, children born on US soil have been considered US citizens. But next month, the US Supreme Court will hear a case that could change that—and leave some American-born babies wit...

The US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on May 15 in a case that could redefine who qualifies for US citizenship at birth. At the center is an executive order signed by President Trump the day he took office again—a direct challenge to the 14th Amendment.

cardinalpine.com/2025/04/23/b...

NC teen raises $18,000 to buy new shoes for every kid in this public school Hundreds of students at Sumner Elementary School in Greensboro tore into boxes of new sneakers, thanks to a high school senior who plans to become a public school teacher.

A NC teen raised over $18K to buy sneakers for all 561 students at Sumner Elementary, a Title I public school where all qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Kaleb Gatlin, known as “Mr. G," worked with Shoes That Fit to buy 611 pairs for every child, plus extras for future ones. bit.ly/42ByQVs

NC Republicans introduce bill to ban nearly all abortions statewide HB 804 would criminalize abortion from the moment of conception, with limited exceptions. If passed, this bill would be one of the most extreme measures the state has seen.

Republican lawmakers in the NC GA have filed a bill (HB 804) that would ban nearly all abortions in the state from the moment of conception, with an exception only if the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother—and no exceptions for rape or incest. cardinalpine.com/2025/04/08/a...

Virginia college launches first HBCU doula certification program in the state Felicia D. Cosby wasn’t expecting a student’s casual comment to spark a public health initiative. But when a student told her she’d love to be a doula, the idea stuck. Months later, Virginia Union Uni...

In a first for VA’s HBCUs, Virginia Union University launched a doula certification program to address Black maternal mortality rates across the South. Developed with nonprofit Birth in Color, it trains students in evidence-based, culturally aware birth support.
vadogwood.com/2025/04/14/f...

Virginia repro clinics face uncertainty as Trump administration halts federal health funding Without Title X federal support, repro clinics in Richmond, Hampton, and other cities may be forced to scale back essential care for low-income patients.

Clinics across VA face sudden disruptions in care after Trump abruptly froze federal Title X funding, a critical source of support for repro health services. The freeze, which took effect April 1, affects clinics that serve thousands of low-income patients each year. bit.ly/3E2N6hT

‼️ These Republican senators from NC are behind SB227. Under this bill, teachers could be punished for acknowledging systemic racism or even leading discussions about true, factual events that occurred in American history.

✏️: Jessica F. Simmons

bit.ly/3Y2OcRh

🔥Senator @corybooker.com: Let this be the moment that you say: ‘Enough is enough.’ Stand up, speak up, and push this president back from hurting fellow Americans.

‘It’s about surviving the next 4 years’: LGBTQ+ and repro rights advocates share why the stakes are so high at Raleigh rally At the Rainbow Repro Advocacy Day event, advocates for reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ rights unified behind “middle ground” legislation.

Advocates for repro rights and LGBTQ+ protections gathered in Raleigh for Rainbow Repro Advocacy Day, rallying against NC’s tightening abortion restrictions and efforts to curtail LGBTQ+ freedoms.

✏️: Jessica F. Simmons

bit.ly/43xGW3E

Justice Dept. says it will seek death for Luigi Mangione in UnitedHealthcare killing Luigi Mangione is charged with fatally shooting United Healthcare chief executive Brian Thompson in Manhattan late last year.

Breaking news: Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal prosecutors to seek capital punishment for Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing a health-care executive in Manhattan last year.

Amid growing threats to repro rights in Virginia, a local clinic is still trying to expand access Gov. Youngkin’s changes to the Virginia Right to Contraception Act and the Contraceptive Equity Act will leave Virginians with fewer contraception and other reproductive health care options.

Gov. Youngkin’s recent amendments to two contraception-related bills could limit Virginians’ access to birth control and repro health care. As access to contraception faces new threats, Meadow Reproductive Health & Wellness, a clinic in Northern Virginia, is working to fill the gap.
bit.ly/3E5p7hZ

Teachers worry over new bill banning DEI in NC public schools North Carolina teachers face growing uncertainty as a state Senate Bill threatens to outlaw lessons on diversity, equity, and inclusion in public schools.

NC teachers are facing new challenges as SB 227, which aims to eliminate DEI programs in K-12 public schools, advances through the legislature. The bill targets classroom discussions on race, gender, and cultural history that contain "divisive concepts." bit.ly/3Y2OcRh

#ncgov #ncpol

Trump signs order to eliminate US Department of Education, raising questions for North Carolina schools With an executive order signed, President Trump’s move to dismantle the US Department of Education could strip North Carolina public schools of critical federal funding—raising questions on how the st...

Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the US DoE—a move that could have big consequences for NC public schools. Advocates fear the Republican-led state legislature may not step in to replace lost funding. bit.ly/4c2K9dI

Beyond birth: The missing postpartum care putting North Carolina mothers at risk While North Carolina has expanded Medicaid for postpartum care, gaps in maternal support persist. Entrepreneurs and lawmakers are stepping in to provide critical resources for new mothers who lack ess...

Postpartum care remains a critical issue. Despite NC's Medicaid expansion, many mothers still struggle to access support after leaving the hospital. With 21% of NC counties as maternity care deserts, challenges of finding postpartum services continue to affect mothers statewide. bit.ly/4c3sW3D

New Bern prostate cancer survivor hopes a NC lawmaker’s plan will help more men survive ‘the Big C’ Rep. Rodney D. Pierce, a Democrat representing Halifax, Northampton, and Warren counties, has an idea for a statewide screening program to help men detect prostate cancer before it’s too late.

NC lawmakers are considering a bill that would fund free and low-cost prostate cancer screenings for uninsured and underinsured men in the state. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men, and cases have risen 3% per year since 2014.
cardinalpine.com/2025/03/11/n...

Local nonprofit fills gap left by Virginia law that requires—but doesn’t fund—free period products in schools While state law requires period products in Virginia public schools, the absence of state funding forces nonprofits to shoulder the burden.

1 in 4 teens can't complete schoolwork because they lacked a pad. VA law requires schools to offer free period products—but without funding, many can’t. Lawmakers left a proposed $250K grant out of the 2025 state budget, forcing students to rely on donations or go without.

bit.ly/4bvCKTQ

Thanks #hulu for cutting the #oscars early 🤧

60,000 votes in NC are being challenged in an effort to overturn the Supreme Court race between Dem. Allison Riggs and Rep. Jefferson Griffin. If your vote is one of them, we want to know.

To find out if you or someone you know is on the list, click the link
terrymah.github.io/challenge/

GD is what JYP HOPES he looks like when he performs.

#mama2024 #kpop

Farewell to the Longtime Home of Wilmington's Black Press Earlier this month, a wrecking crew tore down the building that housed The Wilmington Journal, one of the state’s oldest Black papers.

"According to the city and Jervay, the family felt they had no choice but to have the building demolished. As a crew crushed the old building earlier this month, copies of nearly century-old papers were strewn about, lying tattered in the dirt."

💔💔💔

www.theassemblync.com/media/wilmin...

This is ridiculous

New Bern settles $100K lawsuit over unlawful detention of autistic child A $100K settlement comes after a 2023 incident where New Bern police forcibly separated a 10-year-old nonverbal autistic child from his mother.

The City of New Bern settled a $100K lawsuit over a 2023 incident where a 10-year-old autistic child was handcuffed and separated from his mother.

As part of the settlement, the city revised its involuntary commitment policies to prevent future unlawful detentions.

cardinalpine.com/2024/11/20/n...

Texas education board supports Bible-based lessons in elementary schools Critics say the curriculum, which would be optional, unfairly promotes Christian beliefs in public schools in Texas.

So much for separation of church and state I guess 🤷🏿‍♀️

wapo.st/40PDa4g