Author

Arianna Skibell

Arianna Skibell

Arianna Skibell is a Washington-based correspondent for States Newsroom.

Mail-in voting gains traction, but concerns remain for disabled, Native people

By: - April 12, 2020

WASHINGTON — As the COVID-19 virus continues to sweep the country, voting rights advocates are demanding Congress fully fund a national vote-by-mail program so people aren’t forced to choose between their health and their right to vote. In Michigan, voters approved a slew of voting reforms in 2018, including measures to allow no-reason mail-in voting. […]

Health care workers using expired gear during pandemic and ‘hoping for the best’ 

By: - March 30, 2020

WASHINGTON — States are receiving old or expired medical supplies from the federal stockpile. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s advice: Use them anyway. The shortage of vital medical supplies, such as masks and ventilators, in the face of COVID-19 has led public health officials to advise hospital workers to reuse personal […]

‘It’s a real loss for survivors.’ Domestic violence law remains stalled in U.S. Senate.

By: - January 22, 2020

WASHINGTON — For decades, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was an issue that could transcend partisan politics on Capitol Hill.  Not anymore.  The landmark law — first passed in 1994 to protect victims of domestic crimes — funds programs like rape crisis centers, shelters and legal services to victims of domestic abuse.  But after […]