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Food Hardship Lede // Rachel Hirsch

Winston-Salem was ranked number one in food hardship in households with children according to Food Research and Action Center(FRAC).

 

Beautiful Lede for Food Hardship Report

Winston Salem was found to be the country’s number one metropolitan “food desert” in 2010, with more than 35% of families struggling to buy food, in a nationwide study published today by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

Food hardship –Chris Caswell

According to a report released today by the Food Action and Research Center, almost 35 percent of households with children in Winston-Salem struggle to buy enough food for their families.

30th March In Class Activity – Suyash

The Food Research and Action Center report finds an alarming number of children facing food shortage in Winston Salem area.

The History of the Zika Virus: StoryMap – Meg

 

StoryMap is an effective tool to clarify stories that take place over a spread out geography. It helps to visualize a journey like that of an outbreak of the Zika virus. The online platform was easy to use, navigate, and design, and allowed you to choose places as specific as a building or as general as a country. Since the tool is interactive for the reader, it keeps them more engaged and the visuals help them fully understand the implications of the epidemic. To further clarify the history, I combined the map aspect with a timeline to give a relationship between the two. I would definitely recommend this tool to enhance a journalist’s story.

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B-matter

Democratic B-matter

Two remaining democrats in the field are Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Sanders is considered more leftist than Clinton and has relied heavily on social justice issues and youth and minority voters thus far in primaries. Hillary is more of an establishment candidate and relies on her experience and “realistic” promises moreso than Sanders.

In terms of Primary results and voter turnout, Clinton holds the edge over Sanders in both. Clinton won seven states on Super Tuesday to Sanders’ four. The two candidates saw a significant decrease in voter turnout compared to eight years ago, when Obama brought nearly 30% more voters to the polls than both Clinton and Sanders combined.

Based on the results of Super Tuesday it looks likely that Clinton will receive the Democratic nomination over Sanders, by a fairly wide margin of both voters and delegates. Many pundits attribute this to Sanders’ highly progressive agenda, which many voters see as too idealistic and extreme to work in American politics. Clinton’s slightly more conservative agenda seems to be working with voters who feel struck and disconcerted by the absurdity of many of the candidates in the entire field.

Historically, the democratic candidate who has performed better on Super Tuesday has gone on to win the nomination and pundits believe this year’s election to be no different. Sources have the odds of Clinton winning the nomination over Sanders at 95%.

March 15th will be the date of four other primaries besides North Carolina. Those states are Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and Missouri.

Republican B-Matter

The Republican field is currently made up of four candidates vying for the G.O.P. nomination: Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich. Currently Donald Trump is leading the Republican field after a strong performance on Super Tuesday, winning seven states conceding only four states to two of the other three candidates. Ted Cruz is currently polling second behind Trump, having won three of the four states not won by Trump. Cruz is followed by Rubio who had only one Super Tuesday victory in Minnesota. Kasich won no states and is expected to terminate his candidacy in the coming weeks.

Trump’s campaign is based on “telling it like it is” and referring to his Business experience as a demonstration of his economic expertise. Trump is mainly supported by undereducated lower class males who find his antics, vulgarity and his position as a political outsider attractive. In the last week, Trump has received an endorsement from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie much to the behest of the Republican Establishment.

Ted Cruz will likely be Trump’s main competitor leading to the Republican Convention after he was significantly closer to Trump’s numbers than either of the other two candidates. Recently, Cruz and Rubio have increased their efforts in knocking Trump from his top atop the podium. In debates and speeches the second and third place candidates are speaking out against Trump criticizing his lack of experience and his outrageous antics.

Republican candidates experienced record voter turnout on Super Tuesday with more than 8.5 million Republican voters voting. This is compared to the 4.7 million voters who voted in the 2012 Primaries in the same 11 states. This is a good sign for the Republicans because it shows these candidates can bring out high volumes of voters.

March 15th will be the date of four other primaries besides North Carolina. Those states are Illinois, Florida, Ohio, and Missouri.

 

Voter B-matter

North Carolina voting laws have changed significantly since the 2012 election due to the passing of a controversial bill in 2013 that effects many aspects of the North Carolina voting process. The largest effect that the bill will have is on voter ID regulations. Voters will now have to present a very specific form of ID upon entering the polling location. These forms of ID include a valid N.C. Driver’s License, a U.S. Passport or a special Identification card approved by the N.C. Board of Elections.

In 2013 the President of the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP filed a lawsuit against Governor Pat McCrory against voting laws that have curtailed or, in some cases, eliminated voting practices that blacks have disproportionately used. The new voter ID laws that require a more strict and specific form of identification in order to be allowed to vote is thought by many to be an attempt by the Republican Governor to reduce turnout of minority voters and thereby skew the results of elections in favor of Republicans.

There is also a controversy regarding the zoning of voting areas. Two voting areas in particular have come under scrutiny from minority justice seekers. The two areas are zoned in such a way that minorities are grouped together thereby limiting the value of their votes. This is seen as another attempt by the Republican majority that is made up, in large part, of non-minority voters.

These controversies will potentially effect voter turnout and thereby effect the results of the elections specifically in favor of the Republican Party, which is seen by many as the perpetrators of these unjust pieces of legislature.

B-Matter for Court TV (or 2016 Primaries) // Merritt Enright

VOTING

Almost 60 years after the Civil Rights Movement, the minority vote is being suppressed by North Carolina’s new identification law, requiring voters to show official ID at the polls. The law, which became effective in January, also inhibits low income individuals, out-of-state college students and others from voting.

In addition, the law shortens the early voting period and eliminated same-day voting registration, making it difficult for working class members to reach the polls.

Although there are more registered Democrats than Republicans in North Carolina, the law is predicted to hurt voter turnout for Democratic candidates – especially Sanders. Talk about feeling the burn.

GOP15

Super Tuesday revealed Trump as the leading candidate for the GOP party. Trump won over Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia. Ted Cruz came in a not-so-close second by winning Alaska, Oklahoma, and Texas while Miami Senator Marco Rubio trailed behind with a single win in Minnesota.

Trump is notorious for his hardline foreign policies and stance on immigration. He wants to build a wall along the Mexican boarder to keep out illegal immigrants and ban Muslims from entering the country.

Rubio has been far less straight-forward on immigration, stating that the US simply needs to “modernize legal immigration.” Cruz is more known for his nonchalance towards environmental issues, stating that “there has been no meaningful warming in years,” which could cost him a huge number of votes environmentally-concerned conservatives.

DEM15

Bernie Sanders might have won over the working class and youth, but his Super Tuesday were no match for Hillary Clinton. Clinton won over Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. Sanders was left with Colorado, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Vermont.

While Sanders appeal towards young and working class voters has boosted his campaign, the enthusiasm didn’t help him in much in the polls. The strenuous work hours of low income individuals and academic schedules of student voters greatly affected Sanders’ voter turnout. With a higher turnout from black Southerners, Clinton emerged as the Democratic leader of Super Tuesday.

 

B Matter-Annabel Love

Voter ID B Matter:

The photo ID requirement was set to go in effect for 2016 under a larger elections bill passed by the GOP-controlled state legislature in 2013. The new voter ID law in North Carolina says voters will need to show acceptable photo ID to vote in person at the polls.

Voters who are unable to obtain an acceptable photo ID due to a reasonable impediment may still vote a provisional ballot at the polls.

Examples of reasonable impediment include but are not limited to the lack of proper documents, family obligations, transportation problems, work schedule, illness or disability, among other reasonable impediments faced by the voter.

The ID provision along with other voting restrictions were challenged by civil rights groups in a federal court in Winston-Salem.

Those opposed to voter ID laws say low-income voters, seniors, students and those with disabilities can be disenfranchised by these policies, even if free IDs are provided, given the cost of taking time off work to go to the DMV or the challenges of tracking down missing birth certificates.

The state defends its law as necessary to prevent voter fraud and keep public confidence in the electoral process.

Democratic B Matter:

The Democratic race’s two front-runner candidates are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2001 and later became the 67th U.S. secretary of state in 2009, serving until 2013.

Sanders started his political career as the mayor of Burlington Vermont in the early 80s and has served 16 years in the House of Representatives making him America’s longest-serving independent politician in Congress.

In the past primaries, Clinton has won in Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina. On the other hand, Sanders has won New Hampshire.

After Super Tuesday, Clinton won Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and although Massachusetts was tight Clinton prevailed there for her 7th win. The other 4 states were taken by Bernie Sanders, as he won the caucus states of Colorado and Minnesota as well as Oklahoma and his home state of Vermont.

Republican B Matter:

For the Republican nominee, it is a three-person race between Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio.

Trump is best known for being a businessman and real estate mogul. Cruz worked as an attorney and served as an advisor on the 20000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush. In 2012 Cruz won election to the U.S. Senate in Texas. Rubio won a Florida seat in the U.S. Senate and is running as a Republican for presidency.

In the past primaries, Trump has won New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada with Cruz winning in Iowa.

Donald Trump strengthened his status as Republican frontrunner on Super Tuesday, winning 7 of the night’s eleven contests.

Trump swept the Southeastern states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Tennessee, as well as New England (Massachusetts and Vermont) and Virginia. Ted Cruz won his home state of Texas, neighboring Oklahoma and Alaska. Marco Rubio got his first victory of the campaign, winning the Minnesota caucus.

 

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B Matter // Rachel Hirsch

DEM15

Democrats casted their votes on March 15th in five different states. These include Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio, which is the biggest voting day since “Super Tuesday.”

Hillary Clinton won big over Bernie Sanders a couple weeks ago on Super Tuesday. Clinton won seven of the eleven states and Sanders won four.

Sanders has done well with the votes of the younger generation; whereas, Clinton has done well with African-Americans. Bernie focused a lot of his campaign around students and Clinton is known for her work with President Obama.

GOP15

Republicans casted their votes on March 15th in Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina, the Northern Mariana Islands and Ohio.

Donald Trump won big over his two main competitors, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio when Republicans casted their votes on “Super Tuesday.”

Trump won seven out of the eleven states, doing well with conservatives because of his take on immigration. Cruz won three and Rubio only won one of the eleven states. Cruz and Rubio have been targeting Trump throughout the entire race.

VOTERS15

Democrats and Republicans in Winston-Salem casted their votes on Tuesday, March 15th for the North Carolina Democratic and Republican primaries.

There is a new voter ID law that requires all voters to show their government ID before they can cast their vote. This was the first vote that North Carolina has participated in where the law has been enforced.

This new voter law did not fare well with the NAACP. They claim that making a law where voters have to show their government ID is a form of discrimination. They went on to file a lawsuit against the state for targeting African Americans and limiting their chance to vote.