What Does This Government Shutdown Mean?

After Democrat and Republican Senators were unable to agree on health policy, the federal government was driven to a shutdown on Oct. 1. The issue at hand relates to the cost of premiums for healthcare plans individuals purchase through the Affordable Care Act. The enhanced tax credits for these premiums are set to expire at the end of the year and have been a major factor at play in keeping ACA plans affordable for the millions of people who rely on them.

Democrats voted against Republican’s proposed short-term funding bill for a few different reasons, one of the main ones being because it did not include an extension for these enhanced tax credits. This issue will impact the more than 24 million Americans who don’t get health insurance through jobs and public programs like Medicare or Medicaid, but instead buy it through the ACA.

Folk Duo HuDost and the Collective Voice

HuDost is a Kentucky based musical group made up of members Moksha Sommer and Jemal Wide Hines. The folk duo recently released their newest album, ‘Anthems of Home’ with singles ‘Our Words Will Be Louder’ and ‘Home is Bigger Than Us.’ The single ‘Our Words Will be Louder’ was inspired by the painful polarization around BLM in their own community. The duo put together a powerful music video to match the song and invited friends and local activists to join. Additionally, all proceeds from the song went towards The Poor People’s Campaign, a local non-profit that empowers people with greater challenges to register to vote. Moksha and Jemal are also social activists and representatives for ONE, a non-profit organization working to end extreme poverty. The pair has lobbied with their representatives both locally and at their offices in DC on various issues such as extreme poverty, the rights of girls and women and HIV/AIDs. They also work with ONE’s sister organization Blood:Water, a grassroots organization that addresses the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. Read on in our interview with HuDost to learn more about their new album and the non-profit organizations that they partner with.

Art, zIssue 40Kaylyn WenzelFebruary 15, 2022Folk, Music, Music Group, Duo, Album, New Single, BLM, nonprofit, Vote, social activism, Poverty, HIV, AfricaComment