For the second time in two weeks Kai Ryon joined hundreds of Buncombe County Democrats at a town-hall gathering to protest the Trump administration’s blitzkrieg attacks on federal programs.
Last week, Ryon was among the overflow crowd of protesters who jammed and surrounded the Ferguson Auditorium on Asheville’s A-B Tech campus to rain fury on Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards, who hosted the town hall despite warnings from GOP leaders that such meetings could turn ugly.
It did exactly that, prompting the congressman to leave amid tight security as some in the crowd — the 32-year-old Ryon among them — shouted “save our democracy” and a chorus of f-bombs in his wake.
Ryon was back in the same auditorium Thursday night, this time in a much smaller and more restrained audience of Buncombe Democrats. There were no throngs of counter-protesters, no angry placards or banners, and mostly respectful silence as Democratic speakers detailed their efforts to mitigate the massive cuts in federal programs and staff through the state’s budget.
Although these legislative actions may be worthy, Ryon said, they aren’t enough.
“I know I am not alone when I say that I’m frustrated, angry, shocked about what’s happening right now,” the lanky construction worker said when he was called on to speak from his seat near the back of the packed auditorium.
Kai Ryon, who lives in Candler, spoke at the Buncombe County Democratic Party’s Town Hall March 20 at A-B Tech in Asheville. Ryon, a construction worker, galvanized the crowd with a call for the party to “show some teeth” in opposing what he called the Trump administration’s illegal cuts to federal programs. // Watchdog photo by Katie Shaw
“I’m trying to figure out a way to leverage my privilege to help those that are less privileged,” Ryon said. “I am through with civil-engagement protest and, frankly, I’m looking to see the Democratic Party show some teeth.”
The audience erupted in cheers and applause, quieting only when Ryon continued to detail recent reprisals by the Trump administration on its policy critics.
“My question to you guys,” he said, addressing the panel of state legislators, “is: How concerned are you moving forward as things get worse, and, what can we do in the meantime?”
The legislators — state Reps. Lindsey Prather, Brian Turner and Eric Ager, and state Sen. Julie Mayfield — each explained a variety of bills working their way through the Republican-controlled state General Assembly, and the work of the party’s legislative delegation in countering the federal cuts.
“Show some teeth”
But it was Ryon’s demand for the Democrats to “show some teeth” that appeared to encapsulate the audience’s mood and trigger the loudest responses.
Ager replied directly to Ryon’s appeal, though with a modest recommendation. “We are all in a place where we are really wondering how and what we can do,” he said. “This is a great start. Showing up at these things shows you pay attention and want to make a difference.”
Ager and his colleagues urged the audience to channel their anger into community networking by joining clubs, attending school board meetings, befriending “people who don’t hold the same political views,” or doing public-service volunteer work for nonprofits and other agencies experiencing or facing budget and staffing cuts under the Trump administration.
Ager, a farmer and U.S. Navy veteran who represents District 114 south and east of Asheville, also said that mass protests and individual outreach might persuade even incumbent Republicans to find “the courage to stand up” against the Trump administration and exercise the constitutional role of oversight and budgeting.
Mayfield, an attorney who represents District 49 in the state Senate, urged Democrats to be willing to work with Edwards and the state’s Republican U.S. senators, Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, who have been instrumental in steering federal money into the region to assist in the recovery from Tropical Storm Helene.
State Sen. Julie Mayfield (D-Duncombe, in white blouse, center) watches March 19 as North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein signs the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025 Part 1, which includes $524 million in total aid for western North Carolina following Tropical Storm Helene. Mayfield spoke March 20 at the Buncombe County Democratic Party’s Town Hall. // Photo courtesy Governor’s Press Office
A self-described “practical progressive,” Mayfield said that while many residents may be angry with the Republican administration, if they phone these three GOP lawmakers, they would do well by starting the conversation by expressing gratitude for their efforts in sending federal dollars to the region.
“Then you can go ahead and fuss at them,” she said.
Prather also emphasized the value of direct involvement in countering the GOP’s policies. “Your Facebook screams and posting comments under [news media] articles doesn’t count,” she said. Among the actions people can take is to push back against bias and false information, to be willing to confront someone by saying, “that’s actually not true.”
“We all have to believe that truth still matters,” Prather, a former teacher who represents District 115 north and west of Asheville, continued. “If we don’t believe that, we’re absolutely lost.”
Change of mood
The Buncombe Democratic gathering was part of the party’s effort to build interest in advance of a protest rally planned for Pack Square in downtown Asheville on Sunday.
The mood at Thursday’s town hall suggested that local Democrats are shifting their posture from one of stunned shock to calls for action. Ager told The Watchdog in an interview that he sensed this change in mood.
“The Trump administration’s strategy has been to overwhelm their critics by throwing everything at them at once,” Ager said. “The Democratic Party has been pushed onto its back foot by these things. But I see that we’re getting off that back foot now and moving forward; we’re seeing things starting to change.”
One woman in the audience, identified only by her zip code, said she previously worked in programs supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) combating the spread of COVID-19.
“It was shocking to have an agency ended in 10 days, its website taken down and 13,100 projects cut with lighting speed,” she said. “The courts can’t even stay or keep up.”
Even if federal courts eventually rule against the Trump administration’s cuts, “the damage is done and the nonprofits doing the good, local work in the field for the poorest people, they’re gone.”
The woman placed the blame for this on billionaire Trump backer Elon Musk, who contributed $288 million to the president’s campaign and is orchestrating the federal cuts as the nominal leader of the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
She asked the legislative panel if anything can be done to stop or reverse Musk’s activities. “This is the dismantling of the federal government,” she said.
Mayfield, the sole lawyer on the panel, offered a blunt reply: “Almost everything he is doing is illegal, is unconstitutional, and there will be consequences for that.”
“We’re going to go through a messy, horrible time,” Mayfield said. “And then judges, I hope, will start throwing some people in jail.”
State Rep. Eric Ager (D-Buncombe, center) chats with constituents at a March 20 Democratic Party town hall called to discuss Tropical Storm Helene recovery efforts and efforts to mitigate GOP-ordered budget and staff cuts to federal agencies. // Watchdog photo by Katie Shaw
In an interview after the program, Ryon had a more measured response. “The Democratic Party is at a crossroads,” he said, adding that this was his reason for attending the meeting and speaking up.
“Maybe it’s naive, but I would like to think that my being here maybe helps steer it in the right direction,” Ryon said.
Asheville Watchdog welcomes thoughtful reader comments on this story, which has been republished on our Facebook page. Please submit your comments there.
Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit news team producing stories that matter to Asheville and Buncombe County. Tom Fiedler is a Pulitzer Prize-winning political reporter and dean emeritus from Boston University who lives in Asheville. Email him at tfiedler@avlwatchdog.org. The Watchdog’s reporting is made possible by donations from the community. To show your support for this vital public service go to avlwatchdog.org/support-our-publication/.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Alan Wooten | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-07-12 07:01:00
A Pennsylvania-based company, part of Viatris, will pay over $284 million as part of a $720 million opioid settlement distributed among nine states, including North Carolina, California, and New York. North Carolina is set to receive $23 million, with 85% allocated to local governments. The settlement prohibits seven companies from marketing opioids, limits oxycodone pill strengths, and requires monitoring of suspicious orders. Indivior agreed to stop manufacturing and selling opioids for 10 years but can market addiction treatments. Attorney General Jeff Jackson emphasized holding these companies accountable for fueling the opioid crisis and aiding addiction recovery efforts.
(The Center Square) – A Pennsylvania company boasting the reach of 1 billion patients annually and twice consecutively recognized by TIME magazine’s most sustainable companies list is paying nine states more than a quarter-billion dollars over the next years.
The settlement state prosecutors say “worsened the nationwide opioid crisis” will yield $23 million to North Carolina. Mylan, now a part of Viatris, owns a $284,447,916 share of the $720 million going to the Tarheel State, California, Colorado, Illinois, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and Virginia.
As part of the deal, some states can get free pharmaceutical products instead of cash. Seven companies in the deal are “prohibited from promoting or marketing opioids and opioid products, making or selling any product that contains more than 40 mg of oxycodone per pill, and are required to put in place a monitoring and reporting system for suspicious orders. Indivior has agreed to not manufacture or sell opioid products for the next 10 years, but it will be able to continue marketing and selling medications to treat opioid use disorder.”
North Carolina is sending 85% of the settlements to local governments.
The companies and their amount owed to all states collectively are Mylan (now part of Viatris), $284,447,916 paid over nine years; Hikma, $95,818,293 paid over one to four years; Amneal, $71,751,010 paid over 10 years; Apotex, $63,682,369 paid in a single year; Indivior, $38,022,450 paid over four years; Sun, $30,992,087 paid over one to four years; Alvogen, $18,680,162 paid in a single year; and Zydus, $14,859,220 paid in a single year.
“These companies didn’t do enough to prevent misuse of the addictive opioids they manufactured and helped push us into the nationwide opioid crisis that continues to take lives in North Carolina every day,” said first-term Democratic Attorney General Jeff Jackson. “Today’s settlements hold them accountable for hurting the people of our state and give us resources to help people struggling with addiction.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on a legal settlement involving pharmaceutical companies and the opioid crisis without endorsing or criticizing any particular political ideology. It provides factual information about the settlement amounts, participating companies, and the intended use of the funds by state governments. The inclusion of a quote from a Democratic Attorney General is presented as part of reporting on the response rather than promoting a partisan view. The tone remains objective and informative, avoiding emotionally charged or partisan language, which indicates adherence to neutral reporting rather than an ideological stance.
SUMMARY: Many residents in Durham, Orange, and Chatham counties are dealing with severe flooding damage to homes, cars, and belongings. Navigating insurance claims can be challenging. The state Department of Insurance (DOI), local agencies, and nonprofits have set up a victim assistance center in Carrboro to help. Experts advise contacting your insurance company promptly, documenting all damages, making temporary repairs to prevent further harm, and verifying if your home is still safe to live in. DOI also helps resolve slow or denied claims and offers a complaint hotline for disputes, ensuring victims get the support they need.
After a storm, insurance specalists suggest following a checklist, including contacting your insurance company.
SUMMARY: Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in critical decisions like hiring, loans, and policing, but the ACLU warns it can perpetuate racial and disability discrimination. AI systems often reflect past human biases, leading to unfair outcomes, such as an autistic man being excluded during AI-driven hiring or facial recognition causing wrongful arrests, predominantly of Black individuals. The ACLU advocates for federal legislation ensuring civil rights protections for AI use, transparency requirements, and limits on technologies like facial recognition. They emphasize that digital rights must become part of civil rights to prevent AI-driven inequality and protect individuals’ freedoms.
