Newsletter 5.10.25
From Ethan Kucera and the Newsletter Committee
CSU Updates
CSU has continued to meet regularly the past few weeks and members have attended several local government meetings. We are preparing for our summer activities and will soon have several plans for meetings and events over the summer—be on the lookout!
Recent Activities
East Meck CSU end-of-year party, 05/08: We had many people attend to finish out the school year at the East Meck chapter, and registered and swore in several new members! We are looking forward to the next school year at East Meck!
Recent Meetings
Metropolitan Transit Committee meeting, 04/30: CSU members attended an MTC meeting in order to learn more about the transit process and get an update on the second round of public feedback for the planned transit expansion, as well as an update on the planned sales tax referendum progress through the NC legislature. Email csu@charlottestudentsunited.org if you’re curious about the details!
Upcoming Dates
05/17: Eastside Summit and Mobile Resource Fair, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The summit will offer opportunities to learn about available community resources, engage with local leaders, and receive updates on development and transit. CSU members are encouraged to come! The summit will be located at Bojangles Coliseum.
May Board and Membership meeting: to be scheduled! We will let you know the date as soon as possible.
News:
World - Prevost surprises as first US pope, takes name Leo XIV
Thursday this week, the first American pope was elected after just 1 day and 24 minutes of deliberation. This was the third pope elected in under three days, breaking a long tradition of the conclave process taking almost a week. The outcome was a surprise, as Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected to be the newest leader of the Catholic Church, and the first ever American Pope. Prevost, 69 and originally from Chicago, has spent most of his career as a missionary in Peru and has dual Peruvian nationality. He became a cardinal only in 2023. Prevost served in Latin America as a missionary, and after being announced, he chose the name Leo. Massimo Faggioli, an Italian academic, suggested the Trump presidency could have influenced the cardinals to elect a pope from the U.S., who could possibly refute the president in global affairs.
National - A New Era in the Trump-China Trade War
The first round of person to person discussions went down this week since Trump imposed 145% tariffs on China and Beijing imposed 125% reciprocal tariffs back on America. This has big economical opportunities for both countries, as currently the tariffs are negatively affecting civilians in both countries. While the country itself makes more money from tariffs, the consumer ends up paying more. These talks pose the hope of tariff concessions by both sides, lowering prices for both. Tariffs have been a large part of Trump's plan to fix the American economy, by getting better trade deals with our allies. While these talks are still preliminary, they have the chance to end in lower prices for all.
State - NC bill aims to protect coastal homes from shoreline erosion
A bill to assist shoreline homeowners from erosion may soon be introduced in North Carolina. Erosion has begun to be a large problem across the North Carolina coast, with houses being washed away from rotten foundations. The bill includes: Authorize NFIP payouts for structures condemned due to chronic erosion or unusual flooding., Allow advance payouts for demolition or relocation: up to 40% of the home's value up to $250,000., Limit payouts to 40% if owners neglect to act before a collapse., Reduce confusion in attributing damage to specific floods., Encourage proactive demolition or relocation to prevent collapses and reduce cleanup costs and environmental hazards. Currently erosion serves as a public health concern for many, and a possible loss of property to others. This is the first step in the right direction to continue fighting erosion along our shoreline.
https://abc11.com/post/north-carolina-bill-aims-protect-coastal-homes-shoreline-erosion/16377212/
Local - Trump endorses NCGOP Chairman Jason Simmons for re-election
President Trump in the last week endorsed the North Carolina GOP Chairman Jason Simmons to be re-elected. He states “Chairman Jason Simmons is doing a tremendous job leading the North Carolina Republican Party”. Trump claims that Simmons is key to Republican victories across the state, with wins in 2016, 2020, and 2024. Simmons has also been elevating the amount of mail in ballots to over 1.4 million votes, up from 1.2 million in 2020, and 1 million in 2016. Simmons seems key to another victory, stating that he wants to keep working with Trump in the future to restore the Republican Party to the “dominant party”. This will be difficult as North Carolina has voted blue in local governments, winning the vote in the last federal election for the majority of the local spots.
https://www.carolinajournal.com/trump-endorses-ncgop-chairman-jason-simmons-to-continue-in-post/
Policy Breakdown:
State Legislature - The NC General Assembly is currently in session.
The House passed Bill 171, prohibiting the usage of state funds for DEI programs in government hiring and blocking federal grants tied to DEI. The bill imposes civil penalties
A new $55 million grant program to support small businesses negatively impacted by Hurricane Helene. The program is part of a broader $1.5 billion state and $16 billion federal recovery effort.
With the May 8 crossover deadline, over 150 bills were rushed through committees to remain eligible this session. Committee chairs played a key role in determining which proposals advanced, resulting in intense behind-the-scenes advocacy and scheduling pressure.
Congress - Recent congressional actions include the Senate reviewing and passing various resolutions, such as one recognizing May 10th as "World Migratory Bird Day."
President Trump's FY 2026 "skinny budget" outlines major cuts to discretionary spending, particularly targeting education, health, and housing programs. Meanwhile, House Republicans are developing a reconciliation package, though progress has been slowed by internal debates over potential impacts on the social safety net. Among the legislation under consideration is H.R. 276, which seeks to rename the Gulf of Mexico
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05/02/us/trump-budget-2026