Author

Arianna Skibell

Arianna Skibell

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

Voting by mail gains traction, but advocates warn it’s not ‘a panacea’ 

By: - April 11, 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. But for large swaths of the population, voting by mail isn’t a viable option. The voting debacle in […]

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

By: - March 27, 2020

WASHINGTON — States are receiving old or expired medical supplies from the federal stockpile. The Centers for Disease Control 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 protective equipment […]

A woman holds her hands in front of her face.

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

By: - January 22, 2020

WASHINGTON — For decades, the Violence Against Women Act 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 several […]