North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 15

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 15

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www.NSJONLINE.com | wednesday, April 19, 2017

Inside The NCAA is back in North Carolina. Sports

madeline gray | North State Journal

The Air Hike Ropes Course is one of many new attractions open at the North Carolina Zoo.

the mid-week

News BRIEFing Police: Suspect in Facebook video murder case kills self Erie, Pa. The man who police said posted a video of himself on Facebook killing an elderly man shot and killed himself after a “brief pursuit” by Pennsylvania State Police officers on Tuesday.

Steve Stephens was accused of shooting Robert Godwin Sr., 74, on a Cleveland sidewalk on Sunday before fleeing in a car and uploading a video of the murder to Facebook, becoming the subject of a nationwide manhunt.

Police said on Tuesday they had more than 400 tips from the public in attempting to locate the 37-year-old Stephens, who worked as a case manager with troubled youths and young adults in Pepper Pike, Ohio, a Cleveland suburb.

BoA’s wealth revenue surges on assets under management, fees New York Bank of America’s wealth business reported revenue climbed 3 percent to $4.6 billion in the first quarter this year from last year on higher client assets under management and fees, Bank of America Chief Financial Officer Paul Donofrio said Tuesday.

The results come amid the backdrop of the bank’s decision to break from its wealth management peers and wind down its commissionsbased retirement business and the departure of 145 financial advisers from Merrill Lynch’s “thundering herd.”

The firm was committed to ending its IRA accounts last year in preparation for the U.S. Labor Department’s fiduciary rule that takes effect on June 9 and requires firms to eliminate potential conflicts of interest for advisers managing client’s retirement accounts.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

To veto, or not to veto That is the question for Gov. Roy Cooper as he weighs options on two bills he has criticized as Republican power grabs

By Jeff Moore North State Journal RALEIGH — In an otherwise slow start to the legislative week — state lawmakers took an extended break over the Easter holiday, returning Wednesday — two bills sit on the desk of Gov. Roy Cooper present a tricky problem of political calculus. Cooper has criticized both House Bill 239 and Senate Bill 68 as politically motivated power grabs by the Republican dominated General Assembly, but he may be considering if vetoes of the bills are the best use of his political capital when accounting for the likelihood of veto-overrides.

“This is going to be one of the ongoing calculations that Roy Cooper is going to have to make between now and the next legislative elections,” predicted Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst for the John Locke Foundation. “And that is: How often do I use the veto stamp with the strong likelihood that the veto would be overridden, versus how many times do I let something go into law with out my signature and issue some strongly worded statement of being against it, and how many times do I try to work with the General Assembly and come up with some sort of fix or alternative that might be more amenable.”

H.B. 239

gradually reduces the N.C. Court of Appeals to 12 judges from the current 15.

Three appellate court judges are expected to retire within the next few years.

S.B. 68

expands the State Board of Elections from five to eight members, all appointed by the governor, but evenly divided among Republicans and Democrats.

See NCGA, page A3

Jones & Blount Page 5 eamon queeney | North State Journal

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By Mollie Young North State Journal ASHEBORO — Climb aboard the open-air Dino Bus, balance 12 feet above the ground on the Air Hike ropes course, or cruise the lake on Dragonfly paddle boats and you’ll know that new things are happening at the North Carolina Zoo, but big plans for the future and an exciting new hire could mean Walt Disney-style magic might touchdown in our own backyards.

The zoo currently has two major subregions, North America and Africa, that highlight each continent’s native species and cultures. In her first visit to the zoo since being appointed secretary of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Susi Hamilton outlined the $25 million vision that will expand the park to include subregions Australia and Asia. Patrons will also say goodbye to the old Pavilion to resurrect a new home for the hamadryas baboons.

The 500-acre zoo certainly has the space to cover the expansion, while funding is afforded by the bond referendum that passed in March 2016, spearheaded by then-Gov. Pat McCrory.

The Asheboro renovations draw similarities to the layout and vision of Walt Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and with the hire of Gary Buchanan, a 19-year Disney veteran, the world’s largest zoo might be able to tap into some of that magic and innovation.

Buchanan, the new manager of Public Relations and Media, worked in Disney’s theme park division in Orlando, leading marketing and public relations projects for Disney World as well as satellite parks in

Gov. Roy Cooper speaks to the press after announcing a 410-job expansion by Corning Optical Communications in the old House Chamber of the North Carolina State Capitol building in Raleigh.

“One thing I love seeing is that they are focused on the guest here, and that’s something Disney teaches everyone.”

Gary Buchanan, NC Zoo

See zoo, page A2

British Prime Minister May calls for early election to strengthen Brexit hand Reuters

Expanded coverage of the North Carolina political scene

20177 52016

Plans for Australia and Asia subregions, more guest-friendly activities part of plan to increase interest and attendance

Polls show Conservative Party with 20-point lead

INSIDE

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Disney-inspired magic in store for NC Zoo

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May called on Tuesday for an early election on June 8, saying she needed to strengthen her hand in divorce talks with the European Union by shoring up support for her Brexit plan.

Standing outside her Downing Street office, May said she had been reluctant about asking parliament to back her move to bring forward the election from 2020, but decided it was necessary to win support for her ruling Conservative Party’s efforts to press ahead with Britain’s departure from the EU. Some were surprised by her move — she has repeatedly said she

does not want to be distracted by time-consuming campaigning — but opinion polls give her a strong lead, the economy is weathering the Brexit vote and she has faced opposition from her own party for some of her domestic reforms.

The pound rose to a two-and-ahalf-month high against the U.S. dollar after the announcement, but Britain’s main share index fell to its lowest point in more than seven weeks.

“It was with reluctance that I decided the country needs this election, but it is with strong conviction that I say it is necessary to secure the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us through Brexit and beyond,” May said. “Every vote for the Conservatives will make it harder for opposition politicians who want to stop See brexit, page A8

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

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Pine beetles, a miniature menace

wednesday

04.19.17 #71

Identification, prevention the best methods to minimize tree damage

By Dillon Whitley For the North State Journal What the Southern pine beetle and other similar species lack in size they more than make up for in destructive power. According to the North Carolina Forestry Service, the Southern pine beetle alone caused nearly $60 million in damages between 1998 and 2002.

Certain Southern states — Alabama and Georgia in particular — have seen a large resurgence of pine beetles due to factors such as wildfires and drought. While these effects have not been seen to the same extent in North Carolina, landowners should still be on guard against this alarming arthropod.

Jeremy Callicutt, a North Carolina forest ranger in Stanly County, shared some of his insight about the pest. While the Southern pine beetle is certainly a threat to be aware of, Callicutt said the more common bug in the area is the ips bark beetle. According to Callicutt, it has been roughly 47 years since a large scale (100-plus acres) infestation of Southern pine beetles has been found in North Carolina, though many smaller scale

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outbreaks have been found.

Signs of infestation Signs landowners may look for that indicate the presence of beetles include browning of the trees needles and the presence of pitch tubes, which are small nodes of sap from where the beetle has tried to enter or exit the tree.

Callicutt noted that if the aforementioned signs of pine beetle

presence are found it is important to distinguish which type of beetle is causing the damage in order to administer the proper treatment.

If the ips beetle is present there will be line-shaped grooves underneath the tree’s bark left over from the beetles burrowing, while the Southern pine beetle leaves winding S-shaped grooves under the bark. These grooves are what ultimately kill the tree by preventing the flow of nutrients.

Depending on which beetles are present the proper course of action will differ. If the ips beetle is found, simply removing the trees showing symptoms should be adequate to stop the bug. Southern pine beetles however require the removal of both symptomatic trees and nearby trees to stem the flow of the insect. Landowners can contact their local forest service for assistance in resolving the issue.

Callicutt added that the most effective method of treatment for the beetles is prevention. Ensuring that populations of planted pines aren’t overcrowded can provide an excellent defense against the pest.

Properly thinning tree populations makes for healthier plants that are more capable of repelling a pine beetle attack. Additionally, while certain species of pine such as the longleaf can be more resilient to the beetles, all breeds of pine are susceptible to some degree.

While the danger of these beetles is certainly present, North Carolina has done a very good job of keeping the pest’s population under control. Forest service actions such as the controlled burn program serve to curb the spread of the beetle, while the aerial survey program helps identify clusters of brown needles where the pine beetles may be present. Though there may not be a clear-cut solution to the problem posed by the beetles, maintained vigilance at both the state and local levels can effectively put a halt on the spread of these nuisances.

zoo from page A1

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Courtesy of North Carolina Forest Service

Browning tree needles is one of the signs of a beetle infestation.

Depending on the kind of beetle, treatment can include removing affected trees and sometimes surrounding trees.

Methods of treatment

California, Hong Kong and Paris. After “having a ball with the mouse for almost two decades,” Buchanan said parallels and potential is what drew him to the NC Zoo. “One thing I love seeing is that they are focused on the guest here, and that’s something Disney teaches everyone,” said Buchanan while watching families climb into the new paddle boats on North America Lake.

Guests can take a 30-minute paddle on one of 24 canopied boats. For those seeking a little more adventure, head over to the Africa region to harness up for the elevated Air Hike which features a series of obstacles designed to test balance and climbing skills, and increase self-reliance.

“We’re here to make the guest happy, and make everyone who walks through those front gates leave happier, a little more educated, and little more aware of their surroundings in the world around them, and enriched,” said Buchanan.

The beloved Dino Bus also returns this year with a few new Jurassic additions.

“I see a lot of opportunity here,” Buchanan raved. Only in his first week on the job, Buchanan is just beginning to lay out ideas to zoo leadership but says there have been discussions about rolling out a multiday experience pass, and bringing an Animal Kingdom-type lodge to the premises.

“We just finished a basic piece of a feasibility study of whether

madeline gray | North State Journal

Secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources Susi Hamilton and her husband ride the paddle boats at the North Carolina Zoo during her first trip there as secretary on April 11.

hotels, restaurants, shops and a lodge would make sense, and the information looks promising,” Patricia Simmons, director of the NC Zoo, said on Tuesday.

“I am extremely excited about that project development master plan, in fact we anticipate the zoo and society officials coming to Raleigh in the next few weeks to go over the timeline for that,” added

Hamilton.

Future developments will build upon an already-improving zoo.

In line with the report Visit NC released last month on 2016 tourism, the NC Zoo did not hurt for visitors last year, despite comments from leaders including Gov. Roy Cooper that H.B. 2 was putting negative pressure on North Carolina’s tourism and economy.

“Last year marked the third-highest visitation in the history of the zoo,” said Hamilton to the press. “We had close to 800,000 visitors last year.”

Hamilton hopes to see attendance reach 1 million in the next five years. With exciting current and future attractions, and a little bit of Disney magic, that goal will likely be met.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

A3

20 arrested in Berkeley clash between Trump supporters, critics Injuries reported after masked Trump opponents stage counter-protest next to Free Speech rally and picnic organized by Trump supporters

By Donna King North State Journal

Courtesy of Truckers Against Trafficking

The N.C. Human Trafficking Commission and Truckers Against Trafficking brought the Freedom Driver’s Project to the state to encourage truckers to get involved with combating sex trafficking.

How truckers, hotel workers can fight human trafficking N.C. ranks among the top 10 states for human trafficking, but officials hope awareness can help combat it

By Donna King North State Journal CHARLOTTE — For most of his 20-year trucking career, Antoine Sadler figured if he saw something untoward at the truck stops, travel plazas and motels along his cross-country routes, the police would handle it.

But three years ago, Sadler, who drives for Wal-Mart, took a special training course for truckers, which taught him how to identify potential victims of sex trafficking: SUVs full of young girls in revealing clothing or someone at a rest stop clearly under the control of someone else. He realized as a trucker, he was in a position to intervene by asking someone clearly in distress if they needed help or by calling the police.

“As drivers, we should be the front line,” said Sadler, 43, who lives in Charlotte and now educates other truckers about sex trafficking. “That’s the only way this epidemic will stop: if everyone’s watching.”

Some states are starting to agree with Sadler’s conclusion.

Ohio began requiring in July that commercial truck drivers be trained in how to spot telltale signs of sex trafficking and how to report it. Recently, the Arkansas House approved a bill that would require training for truckers.

N.C. is also considering strengthening penalties for human trafficking. In 2016, the N.C. General Assembly passed a law granting immunity from prosecution for any minor accused of engaging in prostitution and makes it a felony to solicit a minor for prostitution. The measure is to provide encouragement for teens and witnesses to come forward and report minors who are victims of human trafficking.

Legislation is also moving forward in the N.C. General Assem-

bly that would strengthen regulations on opioid distribution.

According to trafficking experts, the exploding opioid addiction epidemic may be a contributing factor — and drug treatment clinics may be yet another place where traffickers go in search of people to target.

“Traffickers will literally line up outside clinics and try to lure women into this industry with promises of drugs,” Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey of Massachusetts told the Boston Herald this month.

Human trafficking is a $32 billion per year industry. According to N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein, N.C. consistently ranks high in human trafficking due to our proximity to the coast, I-95 and I-85, an agrarian economy and high number of military installations and college campuses.

Stein recently met with the N.C. Human Trafficking Commission and Truckers Against Trafficking when the organization brought its Freedom Driver’s Project to the state to encourage truckers to get involved.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, there were 181 human trafficking cases reported in N.C. in 2016 and 2,700 cases over the last decade.

The state ranks in the top ten in total number of cases reported.

Getting truckers and other professionals involved represents a new attempt by states to enlist the public’s help in combating sex trafficking where it’s likely to occur — at highway truck and rest stops and in hotels and motels — or in hospitals, where victims sometimes end up.

“If hotel workers see a girl hidden in a room for days, or if they see the same girl being brought back four or five times a week, they look the other way,” said New York Assemblywoman Amy Paulin who introduced a bill this month that would require training for hotel workers. “But if they’re taught what to do, they can help those victims in a serious and positive way.”

Involving people like truckers

“The more people we can train, the more eyes and ears are going to be out there.”

Arkansas state Rep. Charlotte Douglas also makes sense to Kendis Paris, executive director of Truckers Against Trafficking, a nonprofit that works with states’ attorneys general to implement training programs for truckers.

After all, she said, there are more truck drivers on the road than police.

“There are 3 million truckers,” Paris said. “If we can empower and equip them to be a transient army for law enforcement, think how many victims could be identified, and how many perpetrators could be arrested.”

States in recent years have enacted tough laws that target sex traffickers. Last year N.C. passed a law to dramatically lessening the penalties for minors involved in prostitution, in an effort to encourage more disclosure from witnesses.

An estimated one in six runaways reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as missing were likely to be victims of sex trafficking. As reported numbers of cases of prostitution and sex slavery rise, indications are the nation’s enlisting members of the public, especially truckers, as crime fighters is a next logical step in combating the trafficking, said Arkansas state Rep. Charlotte Douglas, a Republican who sponsored the trucker training bill in her state.

“The more people we can train, the more eyes and ears are going to be out there,” Douglas said. “It’s not a burden to get this training.

It’s an opportunity to save lives.”

Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Trust Foundation, contributed to this article.

NCGA from page A1

House Bill 239 would reduce the N.C. Court of Appeals to 12 judges from its current 15 members. Republicans view the bill as good policy, while Democrats claim it is an attempt to limit the governor’s influence. The governor has appointment powers for vacant seats and three judges will reach retirement age in the next few years.

“Judicial branch statistics indicate that over the last decade, the caseload before the North Carolina Court of Appeals has decreased,” said Rep. Justin Burr (R-Stanly), the primary sponsor of H.B. 239. “The number of filings, trials and dispositions they consider have reached levels similar to those prior to the court being packed for political purposes in 2000. House Bill 239 also allows the Court of Appeals to share its caseload with the state Supreme Court. As the same judicial branch reports and statistics indicate, the Supreme Court does not have a significant workload and this reform seeks to equalize the burden

“My guess is that in both cases the governor’s inclination is to issue a veto, but I also expect that he is calculating at this point the likelihood of having those vetoes overridden and whether that would lead to negative political consequences for him.”

Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst for the John Locke Foundation on both.”

The Cooper administration came out swinging against the bill upon its passage, with Cooper communications director Sadie Weiner issuing an aggressive statement.

“The Republican effort to reduce the number of judges on the Court of Appeals should be called out for exactly what it is: their latest power-grab, aimed at exerting partisan influence over the judicial branch and laying the groundwork for future court-packing,” said Weiner.

Senate Bill 68 is an adjusted attempt to reform the State Board

of Elections after a court ruled the original law violated the separation of power clause of the N.C. Constitution.

“In this bill, we have addressed the concerns of the three-judge panel and this is no longer a separation of powers issue as the court ruled because we’ve given the executive branch the power to appoint members of the board,” said House Rules Chairman Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) when presenting the refashioned bill. “Also we have acknowledged and overcome the concern the court raised about the operation of the board by requiring only a simple majority of the board

BERKELEY, Calif. — A melee erupted on Saturday in a Berkeley, Calif., park after opponents of President Donald Trump staged a counter-protest next to a Patriot’s Day free speech rally and picnic organized by Trump supporters.

At least 20 people were arrested as police struggled to keep the two camps apart.

As fist fights broke out between the two sides and people threw bottles and cans over a barricade separating them, police resorted to using to an explosive device at one point in a bid to restore order.

Several people were observed by a Reuters reporter with bloodied faces and minor injuries, but there was no official word on casualties from authorities. Media, citing police, reported that at least 11 people were injured.

Police said more arrests could follow after video shot during the melee was reviewed.

The trouble unfolded when hundreds of Trump opponents staged a counter-rally alongside an event billed as a “Patriots Day” free-speech rally and picnic, organized by mostly Trump supporters.

Between 500 and 1,000 people were in the park as the rallies peaked, according to an estimate by a Reuters reporter.

Among the Trump opponents were some dressed in black and wearing masks. The other side included self-described “patriots” and “nationalists,” Trump supporters, free speech advocates and other groups.

Daryl Tempesta, 52, who said he served in the U.S. Air Force near the end of the Cold War, went to the rally to show his support for Trump.

“As a veteran, I like the track America is on, and that Trump is willing to stand and say we are still America and we are not going to be globalist, we’re not going to be a communist country,” Tempesta said. “That’s a message I can get behind.”

A weekly farmers market was canceled ahead of the rally due to concerns about violence. Even so, a stall selling fresh vegetables was open for business amid the fist fighting, explosions from firecrackers and smoke wafting through the air.

“We decided to show up anyway because this is our livelihood,” said Tim Mueller, a farmer who owns the stall, surrounded by protesters on both sides.

At least 100 people from both camps eventually moved out of the park and into one of the city’s main intersections, where they continued to fist fight, hurl insults and chant at each other.

The police presence was light there, and only two or three officers were seen near the crossroads.

Berkeley has a long history of liberal activism and the University of California, Berkeley, was a center of protests in the 1960s.

“As a veteran, I like the track America is on, and that Trump is willing to stand and say we are still America and we are not going to be globalist, we’re not going to be a communist country.”

Daryl Tempesta, Air Force veteran

Reuters News Service contributed to this report.

Stephen Lam | Reuters

A police officer detains a demonstrator as groups for and against President Donald Trump clashed during a rally on April 15 in Berkeley, Calif.

to take action on all routine matters pertaining to the administration of elections.”

Predictably, Cooper opposes the adjusted bill after having sued the legislature over the original bill.

“Their first attempt to gain control of elections boards through a law passed in December was recently found unconstitutional.

And now the legislature is at it again, simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic,” said Cooper in a written statement.

If 10 days pass after legislation is presented to the governor, it becomes law without his signature, making Friday the deadline for action of some kind.

While both bills passed with solid majorities, each fell just short of veto-proof vote tallies, leaving a possible opening for political wrangling.

“If he thought that there was a chance the a veto would hold, he probably would have issued the vetoes already,” said Kokai. “Perhaps one of the other complicating factors at this point is that he and his team may be talking with mem-

bers of the General Assembly to see if there is anyone who voted for this bill the first time around who might be inclined to hold out for a veto override vote.”

While vote whipping on both sides may be taking place in earnest before Friday, Kokai said he believes the governor could still score political points while letting one the bills become law.

“If for some reason he didn’t want to have to see an override, he might still let [H.B. 239] go into effect without his signature and issue some statement complaining about the General Assembly and changing the court system without consulting members of the court,” said Kokai. “It’s possible that he could get his points across without having to issue a veto.”

As for the board of elections reform, Kokai said he believes Cooper has an option to allow the bill to become law while arranging for yet another legal challenge to its constitutionality.

One thing is for sure — the clock is ticking and a decision will made

by Friday.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

MURPHY To MANTEO

Jones & Blount

A4

Stokes

A5

Wake

Watauga

Henderson McDowell Craven

Randolph Cumberland

TINT OF CORN: COUNTY NAMES: west C: 0 Benton Sans Bold, M: 12 12pt.

Dobson Knob fire 96 percent contained Y: 59.4 McDowell County K: 6

The Dobson Knob fire that burned nearly 1,200 acres of state park land and 560 acres of state and private land was nearly extinguished on Monday, and all but about 25 of 200 firefighters had left.

Monday showers helped extinguish the fire.

Portions of the Grandfather District in Pisgah National Forest including Mountains-to-Sea Trail along edge of the fire will remain closed.

BLACK RULE: PIEDMONT Solid black, .5 pt weight

Western region: Piedmont Green EAST Piedmont region: NState Red Eastern region: NState Navy

ABC13 WLOS

Poet laureate to visit public library Watauga County North Carolina’s poet laureate, Shelby Stephenson, will visit Watauga County Public Library on April 2 at noon. Stephenson grew up in Benson and most of his poems reflect his background. Aside from being a professor of English and editor of Pembroke Magazine until his retirement, Stephenson has been awarded the Playwright’s Fund of North Carolina Chapbook Prize, the Bellday Poetry Prize, the Zoe Kincaid Brockman Award and the Oscar Arnold Young Award.

** All counties have a 1.5 pt. white stroke

Flood plain changes approved

Stokes County Lowell Ross Martin Jr., 25, and Shawn Henry Scott, 18, were both charged with felony breaking and entering and larceny in Stokes County. The break-ins occurred over the past two months at Hilltop Baptist Church and Riverside Baptist Church. Musical instruments, money and tools were stolen from the churches.

New Hanover County An initial OK has been accepted by North Carolina flood plain mapping officials for Wrightsville Beach. Severe flood zone restrictions have been approved after Wrightsville Beach appealed a state decision to designate several destinations as having a 1 percent chance or greater for flooding. Wrightsville Beach Town Manager Tim Owens said the new designation could be in place by the end of year. The new ruling means property owners in the area could potentially save money.

Winston-Salem Journal

Bayer Bee Care Celebrates 10,000 visits

Henderson County The Henderson County board of health passed a resolution for state assistance in regulation on top of state law that governs tobacco products. The county’s Department of Public Health would like to increase legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21, and have further regulations to help keep those under 18 years old from smoking. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports 30 percent of high school students use tobacco products.

Construction on the roof of the North Carolina General Assembly building on April 10.

Two charged with church break-ins

Asheville Citizen-Times

Henderson County seeks more smoking regulations

Photo credit | North State Journal

New Hanover

Wake County Bayer Bee Care Center will celebrate its 10,000th visitor and third anniversary on April 20. The bee care center will welcome 75 fourth-graders from Ravenscroft School in Raleigh to learn about bees and pollinators through hands-on activities. Since opening in 2014, the center serves as a community resource for education and awareness on “power pollinators.”

Bayer Bee Care Center

Wilmington Star News

Officials investigate suspicious fires Craven County Officials are investigating three fires set within 20 minutes of each other that burned three abandoned homes. Authorities are treating the fires that burned two homes and one mobile home in the James City area of New Bern as arson.

Hickory Daily Record

Human remains same as those from Winston-Salem Randolph County The human remains found in Randolph County matched those found in a townhouse in WinstonSalem. The dismembered body of John Douglas Agnew, 75, were originally discovered by a transportation crew during roadwork off Canter Road in Randolph County.

Adrion Demare Whorley, 31, was arrested Thursday and charged with concealment of death and general murder in the case.

HCPress

Fox8 WGHP

Former soldier files PTSD lawsuit Cumberland County A former Fort Bragg solider filed a class-action lawsuit Monday stating the army has failed to consider the affects of post-traumatic stress disorder on veterans who received less-than-honorable discharges. Stephen Kennedy, a former 82nd Airborne Division soldier, filed the lawsuit through Yale Law School Veterans Services Clinic. The lawsuit could potentially benefit 59,000 veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan war.

Fayetteville Observer

Wrapping up $5.1M renovations at General Assembly Half-century-old legislative building receives a face-lift

By Mollie Young North State Journal RALEIGH — For those who frequent the state legislative building for business, the silence of drilling and removal of scaffolding this week will be a welcomed sound. For Paul Coble, chief legislative services officer at the General Assembly, the end of the multimillion dollar project that he didn’t anticipate tackling just one year into the job is a bit nerve-wracking.

“If we have any leaks when this is all done, I might just pack up my stuff and quietly leave,” Coble joked. Coble was hired to the legislative branch in August 2015, having previously served as mayor of Raleigh from 1999-2001 and more recently as a Wake County commissioner. The following month, lawmakers would include $9 million in the state budget for renovations on the building he would manage.

“When they hired me that was not one of the job duties,” Coble said, “but like an onion, my job duties have been revealed over time.”

The project was a long time coming, with leaks manifesting years ago.

“I would be in the gallery and water would be running down the columns, soaking the rug below,” Coble said, describing incidents in

the House chamber after he started.

The history of the State Legislative Building began in January 1963, when the General Assembly relocated from the Old Capitol Building on Edenton Street. The structure was designed specifically to house the expanding legislative branch by American architect Edward Durell Stone, who notably designed structures such as the Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall and New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The building cost approximately $5 million to erect.

As time elapsed, there was general wear and tear on the building, but it has also hit road bumps with innovation. Anyone who works in or visits the “LB” knows that you can’t rely on the Wi-Fi or expect to see Fox News running on a TV in a staffer’s office like when you visit Washington, D.C. “The Wi-Fi is so weak that I often can’t check email, don’t get notices if a committee has moved to another room, and miss correspondence from legislators and clients,” said one young lobbyist.

“It hampers my ability to perform everyday duties.”

Coble said the 1960s building was simply not built with Wi-Fi or cable access in mind and because of that and the volume of traffic, they often run into limitations.

“Every time we update, the bandwidth keeps getting eaten up,” he said. “I don’t know if we’ll ever overcome it completely — especially when everyone that walks

Photos courtesy CHARLIE SARRATT

Photos courtesy CHARLIE SARRATT

in here has three devices."

Construction began in August, with the goal of restoring the building to its former glory before lawmakers adjourned for the 2017 long session. Replacing cracked pavement squares around the complex was one of the first and ultimately most time-consuming tasks, while work on the custom

roof was the most dire and intricate.

And like any construction project, renovations encountered a few hiccups.

“Weather and two special sessions in December were intrusive on the roof project,” explained Coble. “Hurricane Matthew slowed us down, but didn’t really dam-

Promoting and Protecting the Honey Bee for 100 years The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association will celebrate its 100th Anniversary, during its Summer Meeting, July 13-15 in Winston-Salem, the city where it first met and organized January 11, 1917.

Since that initial meeting with just 38 charter members, the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association has grown to an average of 4,000 members and has become the largest and one of the best organizations to work to protect and promote the honey bee.

Altogether, an estimated 15,000 North Carolina beekeepers manage approximately 150,000 colonies and produce $15 million worth of honey each year. However, honey bee pollination is valued as more than $180 million to various fruit and vegetable crops.

Honey bee pollination is essential to the continued success of the North Carolina $84 billion agricultural economy since more than one third of all the food we eat is dependent upon the honey bee for pollination.

Despite heroic efforts to protect the honey bee it remains in crisis, having seen losses of 40 percent and more for each of the past three years.

The North Carolina State Beekeepers Association, in cooperation with the North Carolina State University Apiculture Program and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences is committed to the continued promotion and protection of the honey bee and the good it does for our agriculture economy.

For more information about the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association visit our website at www.ncbeekeepers.org

age anything — we just lost work days.”

Either way, the early months required extra precaution as the material of choice for ceiling tiles in the 1960s was asbestos. Coble says they spent $900,000 alone on asbestos remediation, including daily air quality monitoring to ensure staff and visitors were safe.

In November, the old copper roof was peeled back and sold for scrap. The technique required to remove the copper made the old panels impractical to reuse, dissimilar to most other elements in the building. Teams took great care removing gigantic glass windows and working around brass chandeliers, because almost everything at 16 West Jones St. is custom-made and expensive to replace. Rumor has it that the medium-sized disco ball-esque lights that hang from in the third floor lobby cost $15,000 a piece.

And the teams from Owens Roofing, Raymond Engineering, Clear Sites Industrial and the State Construction Office did a pretty good job — only cracking one glass panel in the process.

As scaffolding comes down, the project appears to have come in under budget, using only about $5.1 million of the $9 million allocated — a testament to the supervision of Coble, who also credits Saffron Law Firm and Charles Weathersby, the facilities and maintenance officer at the General Assembly.

“The tendency is to stay away from fixing government buildings. Critics will say that money is better spent somewhere else ... but you can’t have a functioning government if everyone is sitting at their desks with an umbrella,” cracked Coble.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

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north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Drew Elliot, opinion editor | Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor

Visual Voices

EDITORIAL | Ray Nothstine

The enduring importance of working with your hands There will be 2 million unfilled trade jobs by 2025.

Political cartoons can be a good way to deliver truth, and there is fairly accurate one that depicts the demand for skilled labor.

The cartoon shows two high school graduates: one tells an impending college student that he is going to a trade school to be a welder.

Predictably, the future liberal arts student at generic university scoffs at the other guy, calling him a “loser.” Of course, the cartoonist prints the average starting salary for the welder, which is double that of a recent liberal arts grad, assuming he even lands a job.

Recent stories out of Charlotte and Raleigh reinforce the need for more skilled labor and trade work. Because of the strong economic growth in North Carolina, the demand for more commercial construction and homes is skyrocketing. However, some projects are slowed significantly, which is increasing costs for buyers and developers alike.

WRAL and WSOC-TV reported recently that skilled craftsmen are being poached from jobsites, lured away by higher pay. It’s a dilemma many employees dream of facing as many of the so called white-collar professions experience wage stagnation. In the Raleigh construction industry, instead, plumbers, electricians, and framers are seeing significant upticks in compensation. Construction companies are reaching out to area high schools and community colleges to encourage them to revive or bolster their trade programs.

“Many of the best opportunities that exist today require a skill, not a diploma,” says popular “Dirty Jobs” television host Mike Rowe. The television personality even offers scholarships for those foregoing college to learn skilled trades. Rowe argues in favor of young people learning a skill where there is an actual demand. There will be 2 million unfilled trade jobs by 2025.

Still, Washington politicians and many parents cling to the notion that completion of a four-year college degree is the only rewarding or lucrative path forward. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the supposed hero of the working man, ignorantly tweeted during his presidential campaign: “At the end of the day, providing a path to go to college is a helluva lot cheaper than putting people on a path to jail.” Welders, especially the highly skilled variety who are willing to travel, can easily earn over $100,000 annually. Not to mention, many who learn a trade are often better positioned to start their own business.

While there were certainly many cringeworthy moments of Donald Trump’s historic campaign for the presidency, he deservingly received a lot of support from blue-collar workers by not ignoring them. Eric Hoffer, the notable longshoreman philosopher, proclaimed that it would be the working classes, and not the central planning elites, who could save America in a crisis.

America needs to do a better job at affirming

skilled trades and manual labor. No longer merely seeing it as a fallback option, or somebody not living up to their potential.

Professions such as machinist and welder are vital to our national security. After all, it was the industrial might of America that was pivotal to winning two world wars. As the country music singer Alan Jackson reminds us, “There is nothing wrong with a hard hat and a hammer.”

Sure, skilled manual labor may not be a vocational calling for many, but even choosing it for a time will give citizens a renewed appreciation for those who utilize both body and mind in their profession.

The demand for many skilled-labor positions continues to grow. While more and more work is outsourced, Americans still need people to fix their vehicles, upgrade infrastructure, and build things like bridges and skyscrapers. This is especially true as many Americans, especially men, are becoming more ignorant in repairs and even operating basic tools.

As the college price tag continues to climb, and campuses become more radicalized with entitled students, the demand for more trade skills should be enticing for those looking for not just more, but often better options.

EDITORIAL | Drew Elliot

Reality limits foreign policy options, but signals matter Trump sent a signal that Obama was no longer in charge and that there will be consequences, worldwide, for evil.

There is an old story about a Georgian running for Congress in the 1870s. When he finished making his stump speech, a woman in the crowd asked “Why should we vote for you? You told us we could beat the Yankees with cornstalks!”

“And we would have, too,” the candidate responded. “But they wouldn’t fight that way.”

Campaign-trail rhetoric is notoriously flawed, if sometimes humorous. For the most part, this lack of reality is not explained by politicians being incapable of dealing with it, but rather because politicians are just as aware as the rest of us that you can’t factcheck the future.

All politicians fall into the trap of overpromising, and while Donald Trump was more bombastic about it than others, the last few weeks have shown what many have long recognized: especially in foreign affairs, presidents have very little range of motion.

But before we get to Trump, let’s go back to one of his predecessor’s most oft-repeated campaign promises to see this concept in action. Repeatedly on the campaign trail, Barack Obama promised to close the terrorist detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. In his first week in office, he signed an executive order to close “Gitmo” within a year.

Yet, eight years later, Gitmo is still very much functioning. What happened?

One problem was that Obama’s central argument — that not all the accused terrorists at Guantánamo Bay were dangerous — ran up against its own logic, viz., that many of the detainees are dangerous. But Obama could have worked through that problem if he had proved the other part of his argument

— that the existence of Gitmo itself bred new terrorists. That failed because Americans are more inclined to believe that terrorism is rooted in extreme religious adherence than to believe that potential terrorists are driven to extremism by the existence of a small-scale detention center (or that by removing the “Gitmo provocation,” the Islamist recruiters suddenly would have nothing to preach about).

Thus, Obama ran up against strong bipartisan Congressional opposition to his promised policy. Still, he could have closed Gitmo unilaterally. Gitmo is a federally controlled military base. That location, combined with the national security powers of the presidency, mean that Obama had the power to close the center.

The root of the Gitmo problem is that it was created to solve a more complex problem: prosecuting the War on Terror means capturing foreign nationals whose home countries are not at war with the United States. Many of the detainees’ home countries are providing much-needed cooperation in the global war, so what to do when they decline to accept the captured fighters back? Gitmo was the answer, and since Obama couldn’t solve the root problem (who can?), he left office with his campaign promise unfulfilled.

Trump, for his part, has promised to “fill up” Guantánamo. He also promised to rebuild the nation’s military might and to pursue an “America First” policy in international affairs, meaning less actively meddling in the affairs of other nations unless a vital American interest is not at stake.

So what are we to make of the Tomahawk missile strike April 7 against a Syrian air

base?

First, the strike was more a continuation of America’s global policies than a break from it. Since Bill Clinton was commander-inchief, every president has used diplomacy-bymissile-and-drone to keep the world’s more ambitious regimes in check. When Obama drew his infamous “red line” and then failed to enforce it, Assad was emboldened to deploy nonconventional weapons.

Trump, then, was sending a signal that Obama was no longer in charge and that there will be consequences, worldwide, for evil.

Signals are very important in global affairs.

While conservative hawks have made too much of Obama’s “apology tour,” the former administration’s stated strategy of leading from behind sent a signal to many around the world that there was no sheriff in town.

Trump will have to make up for lost time, and probably felt that Assad’s crime could not go unanswered. Otherwise, considering Trump’s America First rhetoric, he might seem to be doubling down on Obama’s strategy.

As with Gitmo for Obama, Trump’s options were limited by the actions of his predecessor and the global balance of power. Whether we’re talking about cornstalks or Tomahawks, foreign policy answers are never as pithy and easy as campaign bluster — not in the 21st century any more than in the 19th century.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

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Guest Opinion | Mohamad Bazzi

Clarence Page

Cultural appropriation? Try cultural sharing s a fan of Mother Jones magazine, I don’t often disagree with the progressive A monthly’s editor in chief Clara Jeffery. But she

Photo Courtesy of SANA

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Croatian newspaper Vecernji List in Damascus, Syria.

Why Assad used chemical weapons Assad has relied on another tactic he learned from his father: The Syrian regime does not make compromises under pressure, whether external or internal.

In the early hours of April 7, the U.S. military launched a series of missile strikes against an air base in northern Syria, in retaliation for the Syrian regime’s chemical weapons attack against civilians three days earlier.

The strike shows that President Donald Trump is more willing to use military force in Syria than his predecessor. But it raises another crucial question: Why would Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime has consolidated control over Syria’s largest cities in the past year and put the rebels on the defensive, risk a new international backlash by using chemical weapons? If he’s winning, why would Assad take such a risk?

The answer lies in Assad’s refusal to compromise or offer any significant concessions since the Syrian uprising — now a civil war — began in March 2011.

Assad overplayed his hand this time, after being emboldened by recent statements from White House officials that it was time for Western powers to accept the “political reality” of Assad’s continued dominance.

Assad did not expect Trump to respond militarily because the U.S. president has made it clear that he sees fighting Islamic State as his highest priority in Syria and Iraq.

Aside from his brutality, Assad’s staying power is rooted in a convoluted foreign policy, pioneered by his father, Hafez al-Assad. Syria played the role of a regional broker and Arab nationalist standardbearer since 1970, when the elder Assad seized power.

He perfected the art of creating defensive alliances, nurturing proxies in neighboring countries and keeping his enemies stalled in costly battles.

Since he rose to power after his father’s death in June 2000, the younger Assad learned to keep all of his options open and to play Syria’s friends and enemies off one another. To the West, Assad projected himself as the lesser evil compared to Islamic State and other jihadists.

When popular protests first swept the Arab world in early 2011, the “axis of resistance” — Iran, Syria, and the Islamist militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas — boasted that the revolts had proven that they are the true representative of the majority of people in the Arab and Muslim worlds. In refusing to make substantial concessions, Assad has relied on

another tactic he learned from his father: The Syrian regime does not make compromises under pressure, whether external or internal.

Assad also saw the initial response to popular protests in Tunisia and Egypt, and he likely concluded that by not cracking down forcefully, those rulers appeared weak. So when his own people revolted, Assad decided to hunker down and crush the uprising.

At the start of the rebellion in 2011, Assad used Islamic militants to destabilize his opponents. The Syrian regime released hundreds of al Qaeda activists and other militants from its prisons, and they went on to become leaders of Islamic State and other jihadist groups. Many of those militants ended up fighting Assad’s regime, but they also became the focus for Western leaders.

Throughout the presidential campaign, Trump said he wanted to avoid direct U.S. involvement in Syria. After Trump was elected, Assad became more confident because Trump had pledged to end U.S. support for rebels fighting the Syrian regime and direct most American efforts to fighting Islamic State. Assad and his allies have rarely fought directly against the jihadist group, which established its selfproclaimed capital in the eastern city of Raqqa.

Since November, the United States has helped mobilize nearly 50,000 Kurdish and Sunni Arab fighters to encircle Raqqa. The offensive is supported

by American air strikes and hundreds of U.S. troops.

But Trump’s missile strikes could slow the offensive to oust Islamic State from Raqqa and other parts of eastern Syria. The Pentagon coordinates with Russian forces in Syria, especially in launching air strikes, and Russian officials threatened to suspend the communications hotline after the April 7 U.S. attack.

Assad has now suffered a setback because of the American attack, but Trump’s limited intervention is unlikely to change the course of the Syrian war — and Assad will continue his scorched earth policy against rebels and civilians, even if he will now think twice about using chemical weapons.

Mohamad Bazzi is a journalism professor at New York University and former Middle East bureau chief at Newsday.

column | Walter Williams

Worse than racists

Chief among the policies that reward inferiority and irresponsibility is the welfare state.

As a group, black Americans have made the greatest gains — over some of the highest hurdles and in a very short span of time — of any racial group in mankind’s history. What’s the evidence? If one totaled up the earnings of black Americans and considered us as a separate nation with our own gross domestic product, we would rank among the 20 richest nations. It was a black American, Gen. Colin Powell, who once headed the world’s mightiest military. Black Americans are among the world’s most famous personalities, and a few are among the world’s richest people.

The significance of these and other achievements is that at the end of the Civil War, neither a slave nor a slave owner would have believed such progress would be possible in a little over a century — if ever. As such, it speaks to the intestinal fortitude of a people.

Just as importantly, it speaks to the greatness of a nation in which such gains were possible. Nowhere else on the face of the earth would such progress be possible except in the United States of America.

The big and thorny issue that confronts our nation is how these gains can be extended to the one-third or more of the black population for whom they have proved elusive.

A major part of the solution should be the elimination of public and private policy that rewards inferiority and irresponsibility. Chief among the policies that reward inferiority

and irresponsibility is the welfare state. When some people know that they can have children out of wedlock, drop out of school and refuse employment and suffer little consequence, one should not be surprised to see the growth of such behavior. The poverty rate among blacks is about 30 percent. It’s seen as politically correct to blame today’s poverty on racial discrimination, but that’s nonsense. Why? The poverty rate among black intact husbandand-wife families has been in the single digits for more than two decades. Does one want to argue that racists discriminate against female-headed families but not husband-and-wife families?

Education is one of the ways out of poverty, but stupid political correctness stands in the way for many blacks. For example, a few years ago, a white Charleston, South Carolina, teacher frequently complained of black students calling her a white b----, white m-----f-----, white c--- and white ho. School officials told her that racially charged profanity was simply part of the students’ culture and that if she couldn’t handle it, she was in the wrong school. The teacher brought a harassment suit, and the school district settled out of court for $200,000.

To suggest that such disrespectful and violent behavior, though it’s observed in many predominantly black schools, is part of black culture is an insulting lie. Worse than that is the fact that such destructive

behavior and lack of respect for authority is rewarded. We can see some of the results by visiting some city public schools where violence, disorder and disrespect is the order of the day.

Many whites are ashamed and saddened by our history of slavery, Jim Crow and gross racial discrimination. As a result, they often hold blacks accountable to standards and conduct they would never accept from whites. A recent example is black students at colleges such as NYU, UC Berkeley, UCLA and Oberlin demanding racially segregated housing. Spineless college administrators have caved to their demands. These administrators would never even listen to a group of white students demanding white-only housing accommodations. These administrators and other guiltridden whites have one standard of conduct for whites and a lower standard for blacks.

Black people can be thankful that racist forms of double standards and public and private policies rewarding inferiority and irresponsibility were not broadly accepted during the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. There would not have been the kind of intellectual excellence and spiritual courage that created the world’s most successful civil rights movement.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

asked for it with this breathtaking tweet after President Donald Trump fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase: “That the missiles are called tomahawks,” she tweeted, “must enrage a lot of Native Americans (sic).”

Or maybe not? I suspect fewer Native Americans were upset by the Tomahawk reference than other Americans who were upset by Jeffery’s presumption, judging by their snarky responses to her tweet.

Yet her concern is widely shared these days under the heading of “cultural appropriation.”

It means what it sounds like, the appropriation by a privileged group of an oppressed group’s culture without permission.

It used to be discussed in terms of black music, for example, which was appropriated by white performers back in the day when opportunities and audiences were strictly separated by race.

Unfortunately, when taken to extremes the fight against cultural appropriation can turn into a divisive fight against one of this land’s most underappreciated opportunities: cultural sharing.

A surprising example recently came out of Pitzer College in Claremont, California, in a dust-up over — of all things — hoop earrings.

Yes, some Hispanic students accused white women who wear hoop earrings of appropriating Latina culture, according to Inside Higher Ed. Three Latina students reportedly started the controversy by writing “White girls, take off your hoops” on a campus free-speech wall.

When the story boiled over into the conservative blogosphere, the young Latinas predictably received a wave of nasty emails from off campus. Some sounded threatening enough for the college’s president, Melvin L. Oliver, to issue an open letter headlined “Hate Speech is NOT Free Speech.”

I agree with that. But the more reasonable conservatives raised a fair point, too. We all should be wary of the thin line between racial pride and racial supremacy.

The hoop earring dispute reminds me of similar complaints raised about Bo Derek’s blonde cornrows in her hit 1979 movie “10.” The movie turned out to be her biggest hit anyway.

Yet rows over cornrows still erupt today.

Fashion designer Marc Jacobs faced charges of “cultural appropriation” last September when he closed New York Fashion Week with a parade on the runway of models, who happened to be white and dressed in wigs that looked like dreadlocks. Culture will not be contained.

Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of ABC’s “The View,” said as much when she recently called the “cultural appropriation” issue overblown.

If black women who oppose cultural appropriation are going to be consistent, she said, they should stop straightening their hair and wearing weaves. After all, “if we’re wearing white lady hair,” she said, “isn’t that appropriation as well?”

Maybe so. Look around. Cultural appropriation is no less American than Apple pie, pizza and spring rolls. America is a land of dynamic innovation in the arts and sciences precisely because we have so many cultures learning from each other, when we’re not at each other’s throats.

Yes, I, too, want to wince when I see, for example, non-Native Americans wearing sacred Native American artifacts as if they were mere fashion statements.

Or when white college kids think it’s cool to wear blackface on Halloween and call themselves Kanye West or Beyonce. But I am even more disturbed by the recent protests mounted by black artists against a painting by white artist Dana Schutz at the Whitney Museum in New York. The abstract painting called “Open Casket” depicts the mutilated body of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old black Chicago teenager who was lynched by two white men in Mississippi in 1955, allegedly for whistling at a white woman.

Schutz based her work on photographs, published in Jet magazine and the Chicago Defender newspaper at the urging of Till’s mother, that were powerful enough to help ignite the civil rights movement.

But now, more than 60 years later, Schutz’s abstract depiction has had to withstand protests and calls for the work to be destroyed, mainly because the artist is not black.

“The subject matter is not Schutz’s,” wrote one protest leader, Hannah Black, a Britishborn black writer and artist living in Berlin, in a Facebook message that was signed by more than 30 other artists she identifies as nonwhite.

“White free speech and white creative freedom have been founded on the constraint of others, and are not natural rights. The painting must go.”

Yet, mainstream culture won’t be made any less white if we African Americans segregate ourselves into our own monocultural enclaves.

We don’t have to steal each other’s cultures if we learn to share.

Clarence Page is a syndicated columnist and a member of The Chicago Tribune’s editorial board.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Nation & WORLD

week in images

the BRIEF Charlotte boy crushed to death at Atlanta revolving restaurant Atlanta A 5-year-old boy from Charlotte sustained fatal injuries at a rotating restaurant atop a skyscraper in downtown Atlanta when his head became lodged between a stationary wall and a table affixed to the slow-moving floor, officials said. The Sun Dial restaurant’s automatic systems stopped the floor’s rotating motion when the child became stuck on Friday and employees dislodged him from the tight space, Atlanta police said, but he was critically injured and died later that day at a hospital.

Amir Cohen | reuters

Christian worshippers react as they take part in the Christian Orthodox Holy Fire ceremony at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City on April 15.

Regis Duvignau | reuters

A competitor jumps over a cow during a Course landaise (cow race) in the Landes region in Aignan, France, on April 17.

Iraqi forces in Mosul fight door-to-door as battles enters seventh month Mosul, Iraq Iraqi forces gained fresh ground in door-to-door fighting in the Old City of Mosul, a military spokesman said Monday, as the U.S.backed offensive to capture Islamic State’s de facto capital in Iraq entered its seventh month. A Reuters correspondent saw thick smoke billowing over the Old City, near the Grand al-Nuri Mosque, from where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a “caliphate” spanning parts of Iraq and Syria.

Pierre Albouy | reuters

662 participants pose for the world’s largest gathering of people dressed as The Tramp to mark Charlie Chaplin’s 128th birthday and Chaplin’s museum’s first anniversary, in Corsier sur Vevey, Switzerland, on April 16.

Damir Sagolj | reuters

North Korean soldiers march during a military parade marking the 105th birth anniversary of the country’s founding father, Kim Il Sung, in the capital of Pyongyang on April 15.

Pence reassures Japan of U.S. resolve on North Korea, to work with China Defiant communist state vows to continue with missile tests

By Roberta Rampton Reuters TOKYO — Vice President Mike Pence reassured Japan of American commitment to reining in North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions on Tuesday, after warning that U.S. strikes in Syria and Afghanistan showed the strength of its resolve.

Pence arrived in Tokyo from South Korea, where he assured leaders of an “iron-clad” alliance with the United States in the face of the reclusive North, which has conducted a series of missile and nuclear tests in defiance of U.N. sanctions.

“The era of strategic patience is over and while all options are on the table, President [Donald] Trump is determined to work closely with Japan, with South Korea, with all our allies in the region and with China to achieve a peaceable resolution and the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula,” Pence said in Tokyo before lunch with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Pence and Abe agreed that they needed to persuade China to play a larger role in dealing with North Korea, a Japanese government spokesman said.

North Korea regularly threatens to destroy Japan, South Korea and the United States and it showed no let-up in its belligerence after a failed missile test on Sunday, a day after putting on a huge display of missiles at a parade in Pyongyang, the country’s capital.

North Korea’s deputy representative to the United Nations, Kim In Ryong, accused the United States on Monday of creating “a situation where nuclear war could break out an any time” and said the North’s next nuclear test would take place “at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary.”

North Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Han Song-Ryol told the BBC that missiles would be tested on “a weekly, monthly and yearly basis.”

The North has warned of a nuclear strike against the United States if provoked. It has said it has developed a missile that can strike the mainland United States, but officials and experts believe it is some time away from mastering

“North Korea would do well not to test his resolve or the strength of the armed forces of the United States in this region.”

Vice President Mike Pence the necessary technology, including miniaturizing a nuclear warhead.

Pence said on Monday the world had seen Trump’s resolve in the past two weeks, with a U.S. missile attack on a Syrian airfield and the dropping of a powerful non-nuclear bomb on Islamic State fighters in Afghanistan.

The Trump administration has said military action remains an option for dealing with North Korea.

But, mindful that this would likely trigger massive retaliation and casualties in South Korea and Japan, U.S. officials say Trump’s main focus is on tougher economic sanctions.

U.S. officials say tougher sanctions could include an oil embargo, a global ban on North Korea’s

brexit from page A1

me from getting the job done.”

Britain joins a list of western European countries scheduled to hold elections this year. Votes in France this month and next and in Germany in September have the potential to reshape the political landscape around the two years of Brexit talks with the EU expected to start sometime in June.

May is capitalizing on her runaway lead in the opinion polls. The Conservative Party is around 20 points ahead of the main opposition Labour Party, a large lead for an incumbent party two years after the last parliamentary election.

The prime minister’s own personal ratings also dwarf those of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, with 50 percent of those asked saying she would make the best prime minister. Corbyn wins only 14 percent, according to pollster YouGov. Before holding the election, May must first win the support of two-thirds of the parliament in a vote on Wednesday. Labour said it will vote in favor of a new election, meaning she should be able to get

Stefan Wermuth | REUTERS

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to speak to the media outside 10 Downing Street, in central London on Tuesday.

it through.

“I welcome the prime minister’s decision to give the British people the chance to vote for a government that will put the interests of the majority first,” Corbyn said in an emailed statement.

Other members of his party were less enthusiastic and other parties criticized her decision.

Nicola Sturgeon, first minister of the Scottish government, described it as “huge political miscalculation” that could help her ef-

airline, intercepting cargo ships and punishing Chinese banks doing business with Pyongyang. They also say greater Chinese cooperation is vital.

Susan Thornton, acting U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and China’s top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, agreed in a phone call on Sunday on the need for strict enforcement of U.N. resolutions.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi repeated China’s line that the crisis could only be resolved by diplomacy.

“I’ve seen that the United States has reiterated it is willing to use political and diplomatic means to resolve this, as this is their first choice,” he told reporters in Beijing.

Pence’s economic discussions in Tokyo will be closely watched to see how hard a line Washington is prepared to take on trade. Trump campaigned on an “America first” platform, and has vowed to narrow big trade deficits with nations such as China and Japan.

However, Trump has also shown willingness to link trade to other issues, saying he would cut a better trade deal with China if it exerts influence on North Korea.

China banned imports of North Korean coal, its most important export, in February, and Chinese media have raised the possibility of restricting oil shipments to the North.

forts to hold a new independence referendum.

May, a former interior minister, was appointed prime minister after Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in June 2016 forced the resignation of her predecessor David Cameron. A new election will be a vote on her performance so far.

Her spokesman said she had the backing of her top team of ministers and had informed Queen Elizabeth of her plans.

If the opinion polls are right, she will win a new mandate for a series of reforms she wants to introduce in Britain and also a vote of confidence in a vision for Brexit which sees the country outside the EU’s single market.

“The decision facing the country will be all about leadership,” May said.

“It will be a choice between strong and stable leadership in the national interest with me as your prime minister, or weak and unstable coalition government, led

by Jeremy Corbyn, propped up by the Liberal Democrats who want to reopen the division of the referendum.”

Judge puts hold on Arkansas plan for successive executions Little Rock, Ark. A federal judge on Saturday temporarily blocked plans by Arkansas to carry out a rapid series of executions this month, after the inmates argued the state’s rush to the death chamber was unconstitutional and reckless. Arkansas, which has not carried out an execution in 12 years, planned to begin the lethal injections of at least six convicted murderers on Monday and complete the executions before the end of April.

As millions watch via webcam, giraffe gives birth in New York zoo Harpursville, N.Y. After weeks of suspense, April the giraffe finally gave birth on Saturday to a baby boy, delighting of hundreds of thousands of people who have been monitoring a live cam feed from a New York zoo.

April, who had been due to give birth in January or February at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, in western New York, was pregnant for at least 16 months, compared with the typical gestation period of 15 months, according to zoo officials.

Washington state mall shooting suspect found dead in cell Seattle The gunman accused of killing five people during a shooting rampage last year inside a Washington state shopping mall has been found dead in his jail cell, a local official said on Monday. Arcan Cetin, who was being held on five counts of aggravated murder, was found hanging in his cell at the Snohomish County jail on Sunday night, according to Rosemary Kaholokula, a prosecutor with the Skagit County prosecutor’s office.

Source: Boeing to lay off hundreds more engineers New York Boeing warned employees on Monday it planned another round of involuntary layoffs that would affect hundreds of engineers at its commercial airplanes unit, according to a source and a memo seen by Reuters. The latest job cuts followed a prior involuntary reduction of 245 workers set for May 19 as the company responded to increasing competition and slowing aircraft sales.

wednesday, April 19, 2017

Panthers provide big pay day for DT Short, Page 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL BRATTON

the Wednesday Sideline report

SPORTS

hockey

Checkers in postseason for first time since 2013

The No. 2 player in the Astros system looking to emerge from his brother’s shadow on Buies Creek’s temporary minor league team

The Charlotte Checkers, the top minor league affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes, earned a spot in the American Hockey League’s Calder Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years.

Charlotte will face the Central Division-winning Chicago Wolves in their first-round series. Games 1 and 2 of the five-game series will be at Bojangles’ Coliseum in Charlotte, with the series opener Thursday at 7 p.m. and the second game Friday at 7:15 p.m. Play then shifts to Chicago for the balance of the series.

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal UIES CREEK — The Astros Single-A Advanced affiliate B playing in Buies Creek is only a

ROBERT DEUTSCH | USA TODAY SPORTS

nfl

No NFL discipline for Talib in nightclub incident Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib will not be disciplined by the NFL for his role in a nightclub incident in Dallas last offseason according to multiple reports from USA Today and ESPN. Talib originally told police he did not know how he was shot in the leg, but later admitted he accidentally shot himself.

Talib was never charged with a crime and only given a warning by the NFL. nfl

OG Martin among fifthyear options picked up The Cowboys were one of multiple teams who made an easy decision this week, picking up the fifth-year option on offensive lineman Zach Martin. Martin is a three-time Pro Bowl player entering his fourth season. The Buccaneers also picked up the fifth-year option on wideout Mike Evans, as did the Rams on defensive tackle Aaron Donald and the Texans on defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney. mlb

MLB considering giving umpires crew chiefs mics Major League Baseball is interested in creating a little theater and offering a little bit of transparency by mic’ing up crew chiefs, according to a report from the Associated Press. MLB is discussing the possibility with the umpires union and would like to begin implementing the plan for having umps mic’d as soon as July 11 at the All-Star Game.

Kyle Tucker blazing his own trail with Buies Creek Astros

NCAA president Mark Emmert speaks to the media during a press conference at University of Phoenix Stadium.

NCAA selects several N.C. cities for 20192022 host sites Greensboro, Raleigh both retain NCAA March Madness hosting duties following repeal of H.B. 2

By R. Cory Smith North State Journal After months of angst about whether or not North Carolina would be considered for future NCAA hosting duties due to House Bill 2, several states were among those selected on Tuesday afternoon.

Following the repeal of H.B. 2 in late March, the NCAA announced it would consider N.C. again for future hosting dates. On Tuesday, multiple cities including Raleigh, Greensboro and Cary were on the list of hosts for NCAA Championships, including two NCAA March Madness bids.

“Normally we would have started making decisions about site locations actually months ago,” NCAA president Mark Emmert told reporters during the Final Four in Phoenix. “We worked with all of our sports committees to be able to extend those decisions as far as we could. We’ve reached a place where they actually need to start making those decisions — they’ve been meeting this week and they’ll be meeting next week as well — because we start losing sites.”

Greensboro, after losing its hosting duties in 2017, was selected to host the first and second rounds in 2020. Raleigh will host the following season in 2021, along with five other on-site hosting duties for NC State including women’s gymnastics regionals and women’s swimming and diving championships from 2020 to 2022.

Another site that came out a winner, despite not being listed by the NCAA on future hosting sites, was Charlotte. The city retains its bid for the first and second-round hosting duties for 2018 following the repeal of H.B. 2.

See NCAA, page B4

Greensboro, after losing its hosting duties in 2017, was selected to host the first and second rounds in 2020.

Raleigh will host the following season in 2021.

temporary fix for the next two seasons. Kyle Tucker, on the other hand, will likely only be in Buies Creek for an even shorter amount of time.

Tucker, 20, is the Astros’ No. 2 overall prospect and top position player in the team’s entire system. He entered the season listed as the No. 19 prospect in Baseball America’s Top 100 list and ranks as the No. 6 outfielder after being drafted with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft straight out of H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Fla. After playing nearly an entire season with the Quad Cities River Bandits in Davenport, Iowa, Buies Creek is a huge change for

Tucker. But it certainly has its advantages for one of the Astros’ emerging young stars.

“You can tell they’re excited for us to be here and we’re excited to have huge crowds come out,” Tucker said. “It’s been really unique because when we just go somewhere to eat like Chick-Fil-A or Subway even, we stand out. Fans just tell us how pumped they are for the season and how awesome it is to have us here.

“You don’t get that from every small town you play in on the way up, but Buies Creek has been great to us.”

Buies Creek isn’t only the home for a minor league club, it also happens to be off to one of the hottest starts in the country. The Astros lost just one of their first seven games, sweeping See TUCKER, page B5

Inside

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY Sports

There is a lengthy history of high-quality basketball on Tobacco Road, including the 2017 NCAA title the North Carolina Tar Heels brought back after their victory over Gonzaga. But where do the Heels stack up among the all-time title teams in Tobacco Road history? There’s a sweet science to the process, breaking down whether the 2017 Tar Heels would take down the 2009 version, and Shawn Krest has a formula to figure it out. Page B4

B2

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

mlb notebook

NFL notebook

Jays dealing with injuries, Britton to the DL The Sports XChange Jays battling injuries to rotation They placed right-hander Aaron Sanchez on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on his right middle finger, and Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ left in the fifth inning of Sunday’s game against Baltimore with a sore left elbow.

Taking Sanchez’s place on the 25-man roster is left-hander Matt Dermody, who was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo.

The move with Sanchez is retroactive to Saturday.

Sanchez is 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in two starts this season. He has been dealing with a blister since spring training.

Happ threw ball one to Orioles center fielder Adam Jones in the fifth and then was visited at the mound by a trainer and manager John Gibbons. After a short meeting, Happ walked from the mound with the trainer and was replaced by right-hander Joe Biagini.

Donaldson to the DL, out 2-4 weeks Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson was put on the 10-day disabled list before Friday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles and is expected to miss between 2 and 4 weeks with a calf injury according to reports.

Donaldson left the game Thursday when he aggravated the injury on an RBI double in the sixth inning in the 2-1 loss to the Orioles.

The Blue Jays selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Chris Coghlan from Triple-A Buffalo to replace Donaldson.

Coghlan is expected to share third base with Ryan Goins and Darwin Barney.

Barney started at third on Friday.

Donaldson is batting .310/.429/.586 with two homers and four RBIs through the first nine games of the season, in which Toronto posted a 1-8 record.

He missed a large portion of spring training with the strained calf, then aggravated the injury Sunday running to first base and left the game in the sixth inning. He was used only as a pinch hitter on Tuesday and started Wednesday and Thursday as designated hitter.

Orioles closer Britton to DL The Baltimore Orioles placed closer Zach Britton on the 10-day disabled list with a left forearm strain.

The left-hander has five saves this season, including two in the four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays that ends Sunday.

Right-hander Stefan Crichton was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk after he had been optioned there Saturday to make room for right-hander for Alec Asher, who started Saturday against the Blue Jays.

Brad Brach is expected to get save opportunities with Britton sidelined.

Brock battling cancer St. Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock is undergoing treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

Brock was recently diagnosed with the disease, according to the Cardinals. The

club said Brock is undergoing treatment in St. Louis.

The 77-year-old Brock was a six-time All-Star during 16 seasons with the Cardinals from 1964-79. The Hall of Famer stole 938 career bases, including 118 in 1974, a record later broken by Oakland’s Rickey Henderson.

Brock also battles diabetes and had his left leg amputated below the knee in 2015.

He has since been fitted with a prosthetic.

Correa out of lineup with hand injury Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa was held out of Monday’s lineup against the Los Angeles Angels while nursing a right hand injury.

Correa sustained the injury after being hit by a pitch in Saturday’s game against the Oakland Athletics.

“I didn’t feel comfortable swinging the bat today; it bothered me a lot,” the 22-year-old Correa said before Monday’s game at Minute Maid Park. “So they give me another day. Hopefully, it will heal soon and I’ll be ready to go back out there.

“It’s just bruised, it just hurts. I got hit by a 95 mph fastball.”

Semien set for surgery on wrist Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien is scheduled to undergo surgery on his fractured right wrist Tuesday.

Veteran Adam Rosales likely will see more playing time in place of Semien, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday. Oakland also recalled Chad Pinder from Triple-A Nashville to add depth to the infield.

“I don’t know any guy who would take this well,” Semien said. “You want to be out on the field, no matter what. I take pride in that.”

Semien has played through the injury dating to spring training before receiving an MRI to assess the injury.

The 26-year-old has struggled at the plate by going 6-for-35 (.171) in his first 11 games this season, although his 10 walks helped inflate his on-base percentage to .370.

Pirates acquire RHP Barbato from Yankees The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-hander Johnny Barbato from the New York Yankees on Monday in exchange for a player to be named or cash considerations.

Barbato, 24, was added to Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. He made one appearance for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season before being designated for assignment by the Yankees on April 12.

Barbato was originally selected by the San Diego Padres in the sixth round of the 2010 draft before being acquired by the Yankees on Dec. 29, 2014.

Barbato was a member of New York’s Opening Day roster last season and made 13 relief appearances for the Yankees in 2016, going 1-2 with a 7.62 ERA over 13 innings. He also made 31 appearances (one start) for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, posting a 3-2 record with three saves and a 2.61 ERA over 48 1/3 innings.

GREG M. COOPER | USA TODAY SPORTS

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) steals the Super Bowl jersey of quarterback Tom Brady prior to the Opening Day game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Luck hurt shoulder in 2015, Pats expected to open with Chiefs The Sports XChange Luck hurt shoulder in 2015 Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck revealed he originally injured his surgically repaired right throwing shoulder early in the 2015 season and played through pain the last two years.

Luck and the Colts decided to hold off on surgery after the 2015 season and go with rehab in his recovery. The franchise quarterback aggravated the injury last season and decided on surgery this offseason.

“It originally occurred a couple years ago against (the Tennessee Titans in Week 3),” Luck told reporters during the team’s first day of voluntary offseason workouts. “We sort of sat down after that year and felt like rehab (last offseason) was the way to go.”

Luck said he aggravated the shoulder in Week 2 of the 2016 season against the Denver Broncos.

The surgery on Luck’s shoulder is expected to keep him out of most of the team’s nine-week offseason workout program.

Pats reportedly expected to open against Chiefs The NFL’s 2017 regular-season schedule is set to be announced later this week with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots hosting the opening game on Sept. 7.

Ben Volin of the Boston Globe reported Sunday that the Patriots will “almost certainly” play the Kansas City Chiefs for the “Thursday Night Football” season opener at Gillette Stadium.

The Atlanta Falcons are on New England’s home schedule this season and could have been an option for a Super Bowl rematch in Week 1. But the Falcons are likely to open the season at home on “Sunday Night Football” to debut their new stadium, according to the report.

The Chiefs went 12-4 last season and lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the playoffs after winning the second seed in the conference as the AFC West champions.

The Patriots’ other home opponents in 2017 include the Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

CB Jones blows up at reporter

JOHN E. SOKOLOWSKI | USA TODAY SPORTS

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Josh Donaldson (20) grimaces as he runs to first base after hitting an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre.

Cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones of the Cincinnati Bengals yelled at a reporter in his first meeting with the media since his arrest in January on multiple misdemeanor charges.

Jones was incensed after he was asked by a local television reporter if he had anything to prove to Cincinnati’s fans in the wake of the arrest on Jan. 3.

The question came shortly after Jones,

in a response to the same reporter, thanked the organization, coaches, players and fans for publicly supporting him during his latest off-field incident.

Before the interview, Jones said he would not be taking any questions relating to the arrest.

“Didn’t I just tell you to not ask me that?”

Jones said. “You out [of this interview]. Turn around. Go back, go back that way. Bye. See you. Next question.”

Multiple media outlets reported that Jones followed the reporter and cursed him for the line of questioning, eventually causing Bengals coach Marvin Jones to intercede.

Martin returns to Bucs Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin was back for the first day of the team’s voluntary offseason conditioning program.

Late in December, Martin left the team to enter a treatment facility after announcing he violated the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy and would serve a four-game suspension.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Martin was out of rehab “and in a good place.”

Bucs general manager Jason Licht confirmed Martin’s attendance for the voluntary workouts.

Albert holding out for new deal in Jax Newly acquired Jacksonville Jaguars left tackle Branden Albert was not present for the start of the team’s voluntary offseason workouts.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Albert missed the Jaguars’ first team meeting because he is holding out for a new contract.

The Jaguars acquired Albert from the Miami Dolphins this offseason in exchange for a 2018 seventh-round pick.

Albert, 32, signed a five-year, $47 million contract in 2014 and will earn $8.875 million in 2017 and $9.575 million in 2018.

Johnson signs one-day deal with Texans Wide receiver Andre Johnson will sign a one-day contract with the Houston Texans in order to retire with the team.

The ceremony will occur on Wednesday for the 35-year-old Johnson, who was the Texans’ first-round draft pick in 2003.

Johnson is Houston’s all-time leader in nearly every receiving category including career receptions (1,012), receiving yards (13,597), receiving touchdowns (64) and 100-yard games (51). The seven-time Pro Bowl selection also holds multiple individual game records for the Texans, including most catches (14), receiving yards (273) and receiving touchdowns (three).

Johnson spent 12 seasons with the Texans before signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2015 and the Tennessee Titans the following year. He finished his career with 1,062 catches for 14,185 yards and 70 touchdowns.

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Kyle Terada | USA TODAY SPORTS

The 2017 NBA Playoffs are underway and even in a first round that featured plenty of heavy favorites, there is already an abundance of drama.

At the center might be the matchup between the Boston Celtics (No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference) and the Chicago Bulls (No. 8), although the drama primarily exists because of the personal tragedy surrounding MVP candidate and Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas, whose sister died in a single-car accident before the series began.

Thomas managed to play in Game 1, a surprising and was expected to play in Game 2 amid funeral plans. The Bulls are not making it easy on the No. 1 seed, going into Boston and upsetting Thomas and Co. 106-102 on the strength of 20 offensive rebounds.

Another upset was brewing in the Western Conference, where the Jazz decided to make life difficult for the Clippers with a 97-95 Game 1 upset thanks to Joe Johnson burying a

B3

2017 NBA Playoffs

last-second, game-winning shot. The win came with a loss, though, as Rudy Gobert would not be available for Game 2 and possibly longer.

The Hawks did not appreciate everyone picking against them, but John Wall showed why people did, pouring in 32 points in a massive second half to the give the Wizards the lead.

Milwaukee came strong against the Toronto Raptors, opening up a 1-0 lead on the road, sending the Raps to 1-11 all time in their Game 1 history.

The Cavaliers do not appear interested in allowing the Pacers to hang around, putting them away for a secondstraight game and jumping out to a 2-0 lead despite a late surge from Paul George.

Likewise, the Spurs appear more than willing to dispatch of the Grizzlies quickly, cruising to a 2-0 lead.

It all has the makings of some major drama yet to unfold.

David Richard | USA TODAY SPORTS

Troy Taormina | USA TODAY SPORTS

Soobum Im | USA TODAY SPORTS

Clockwise, beginning with main photo: A general view of Quicken Loans Arena before game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt puts on a Houston Rockets shirt before a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center.

Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter (11) is called for an offensive foul against Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42) during the third quarter.

San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) watches his three-point basket go in against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half in game two of the first round of the playoffs.

Troy Taormina | USA TODAY SPORTS

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

B4

The Triangle NCAA Champion power rankings

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams hugs forward Theo Pinson (1) after beating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Here’s a semi-scientific ranking of the Triangle’s 13 NCAA title teams

Final Rankings ‘74 NC State

17.5

‘92 Duke

24

‘57 UNC

25

‘01 Duke

27

‘09 UNC

34.5

‘82 UNC

40

‘93 UNC

47

‘05 UNC

47

‘91 Duke

51

‘10 Duke

51

‘15 Duke

55.5

‘17 UNC

58.5

‘83 NC State

68

By Shawn Krest North State Journal ith this year’s championship, the 2017 Tar Heels W become the thirteenth team from

the Triangle to win an NCAA title.

That raises an obvious question, especially considering the heated rivalries that Carolina, NC State and Duke fans carry on: Which of those 13 teams is the best?

To try to come up with a ranking of the 13 title teams, we’ve ranked them in several categories.

Here are the results: Overall record: The 1957 Tar Heels were the only undefeated national champion in Triangle history. (We’re excluding UNC’s 1924 Helms Foundation team from these rankings and only including NCAA Tournament winners.) The 1974 Wolfpack went 30-1. A pair of teams—1982 Tar Heels and 1992 Blue Devils— had two losses. At the other end of the spectrum are the 10-loss 1983 Wolfpack, the 32-7 1991 Blue Devils, and this year’s Heels, who went 33-7.

ROBERT DEUTSCH | USA TODAY SPORTS

ning by an average of 14.3 points, just ahead of the 1957 Tar Heels.

Three teams were bounced from the ACC Tournament by double-digit margins, including the last two champions, and the 1991 Blue Devils, who lost by 22.

Bad losses:

ACC Championship: A truly dominant team should also win the ACC regular season and tournament. Eight of the national champions won the regular season outright. Another three — 1982 UNC, 2001 Duke, 2010 Duke — tied for the regular season crown. The 2015 Blue Devils finished second, and the 1983 Wolfpack tied for third.

Seven of the champions won the ACC Tournament. The 2001 Blue Devils were most dominant, win-

Which Tobacco Road team is the best?

In our never-ending quest to solve the world’s most important questions, we broke down the various aspects of each team’s championship season.

Comparing overall records is, of course, critical, because going undefeated is better than losing 10 games.

Also important is how each team fared in the ACC regular season.

And winning the ACC Tournament, while certainly not a requirement for domination, is an important part of a team’s resume.

So is NCAA Tournament dominance.

20 points. The 2001 Blue Devils were the only other team to win every NCAA game by double digits. Four teams—1957 UNC, 1993 UNC, 1974 NC State and 1992 Duke—had overtime games in the tournament. Six others had one or two-point wins.

Star power:

In a remarkable streak, Wake Forest defeated five straight Triangle national champions: 1982 UNC, 1983 NC State, 1991 Duke, 1992 Duke and 1993 UNC. The Deacs also claimed wins over 2005 and 2009 UNC, giving them at least a small piece of the state’s NCAA title history. Ten of the champions had losses by double-digits.

The 1982 Tar Heels had Michael Jordan. The 1974 Wolfpack had David Thompson. ‘82’s supporting cast of James Worthy and Sam Perkins gives the Heels the slight edge. The early 90s Duke teams with Christian Laettner, Bobby Hurley and Grant Hill are next, and the loaded 2001 Blue Devils rounds out the top five.

Close calls:

Final results:

The 2009 Tar Heels stormed to the title, winning their six NCAA games by an average of

In a surprise result by the margin of victory, if not the team, the David Thompson-led 1974

Wolfpack swept to the win by a 6.5-point margin. The Pack finished second in four of the six categories and no worse than fifth in any.

The 1992 Blue Devils, Coach K’s second of back-to-back champions, were in second place, one point ahead of the undefeated 1957 Tar Heels. Two points behind that team were the 2001 Blue Devils.

UNC teams took the next four spots in the rankings. The 2009 Heels were fifth, followed by 1982.

The 1993 and 2005 squads tied for seventh.

Two Duke teams tied for ninth—the 1991 Blue Devils and the 2010 team.

The two most recent champions were in the bottom three. 2015 Duke was in eleventh place, three points ahead of the 2017 Heels.

The 1983 Wolfpack brought up the rear.

ACC Regular Season

Record Comparison W

L

Pct.

‘57 UNC

32

0

1.000

‘74 NC State

30

1

‘92 Duke

34

‘82 UNC

Won by 5 games

‘05 UNC

Won by 1 game

0.892

‘74 NC State Won by 3 games

‘01 Duke

Tied with UNC

5

0.875

‘92 Duke

‘82 UNC

33

7

0.825

Won by 3 games

Tied with UVA

‘93 UNC

‘10 Duke

‘91 Duke

32

7

0.821

Won by 2 games

Tied with Maryland

‘83 NC State

26

10 0.722

‘09 UNC

Won by 2 games

‘15 Duke

Second place

‘17 UNC

Won by 2 games

‘83 NC State

Third place tie

‘91 Duke

Won by 1 game

W

L

Pct.

‘09 UNC

34

4

0.895

0.968

‘05 UNC

33

4

2

0.944

‘10 Duke

35

32

2

0.941

‘17 UNC

‘01 Duke

35

4

0.897

‘15 Duke

35

4

0.897

‘93 UNC

34

4

0.895

NCAA Close Calls Avg. victory margin

Note

Avg. victory margin

Note

‘09 UNC

20.2

Won every game by double digits

‘15 Duke

13.8

Had second-half comeback vs.

Wisconsin

‘01 Duke

16.7

Won every game by double digits

‘92 Duke

12.5

Overtime vs. Kentucky in Elite Eight, won by 3 over Indiana

‘93 UNC

15.7

OT with Cincinnati in Elite Eight

‘17 UNC

11.2

Trailed late vs. Arkansas & Kentucky, won by one over Oregon

‘10 Duke

14.5

Won by 2 over Butler on missed buzzer beater

‘57 UNC

8.4

Both Final Four wins were triple overtime

‘74 NC State

14.3

Went to OT vs. UCLA

‘83 NC State

5.3

Two one-point wins, two two-point wins

‘91 Duke

14.0

Won by 2 over UNLV in Final Four

‘82 UNC

4.6

Won by 2 vs. James Madion, 5 vs.

Alabama, 1 vs. Georgetown

‘05 UNC

13.8

Won by 1 vs. Villanova

‘57 UNC

ACC Tournament Comparison Conference champ?

‘01 Duke Yes, by 14.3 ppg

‘83 NC State Yes, by 3.7 ppg

‘57 UNC

‘93 UNC

No, lost by 2 in final

‘92 Duke Yes, by 13.3 ppg

‘05 UNC

No, Lost by 3 in semis

‘74 NC State

Yes, by 12 ppg

‘09 UNC

No, Lost by 3 in semis

‘82 UNC Yes, by 10 ppg

‘15 Duke

No, lost by 10 in semis

‘10 Duke Yes, by 6 ppg

‘17 UNC

No, lost by 10 in semis

Yes, by 14 ppg

ncaa from page B1

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina’s Isaiah Hicks dunks during practice for an NCAA Tournament first round game at PNC Arena in Raleigh March 16, 2016

Conference champ?

“We are actively determining site selections, and this new law has minimally achieved a situation where we believe NCAA championships may be conducted in a nondiscriminatory environment,” the NCAA Board of Governors stated in a release earlier this month. “If we find that our expectations of a discrimination-free environment are not met, we will not hesitate to take necessary action at any time.”

Along with the March Madness dates returning to N.C., the NCAA also approved several dates in Cary, including the D-II World Series from 2019-22, men’s soccer College Cup in 2019 and 2021 and women’s soccer College Cup in 2018 and 2020.

In total, N.C. will host 23 NCAA Championship events from 2019 through 2022. Of those, 10 will be from Division I, five from Division II and eight from Division III. “We’re pleased the NCAA is bringing championship play back

to North Carolina and we eagerly await the return of these games,” UNC President Margaret Spelling said in a statement. “These events are great opportunities to showcase remarkable student athletes, provide an arena for fans to celebrate our state’s proud tradition of collegiate sports, and spur economic activity across our communities and the state. And we continue to applaud our elected leaders for recent efforts to make this opportunity possible.”

Prior being stripped of its NCAA March Madness hosting duties in 2017, N.C. had hosted the opening rounds in 11 of the previous 13 seasons. Following Tuesday’s announcement, it will now host in three of the next five years.

In addition to the North Carolina announcement, the NCAA announced that Dayton would continue to host the First Four through at least 2022.

The NCAA previously announced Final Four locations: San Antonio (2018), Minneapolis (2019), Atlanta (2020), Indianapolis (2021) and New Orleans (2022).

North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Kawann Short deal keeps Panthers’ draft plans on track Josh Norman experience last year forced lastminute shift in focus

By Shawn Krest North State Journal he Carolina Panthers locked up defensive tackle T Kawann Short, signing the stand-

out defensive lineman to a longterm contract on Monday.

The deal keeps Short, who had 17 sacks over the last two seasons, in the middle of Carolina’s defensive line for the next five years. The contract is also worth a reported $80 million in total, with more than $40 million in money being paid out in the first two years. The $16 million annual value is a topfive number for defensive tackles in the NFL. More importantly, a week and a half before the NFL Draft started, it eliminated a position from the Panthers’ shopping list.

Short was given the non-exclusive franchise tag in February.

That kept the four-year veteran off the open free-agent market. The tag guaranteed Short a one-year contract with the Panthers with at least a 20 percent raise, while giving Carolina the chance to match any offers from other teams seeking to sign Short.

Often, the tag is used to buy a team and player time to negotiate a longer deal, which is what the Panthers and Short were able to do. The Panthers were able to sign Short through 2021.

It was just the seventh time in team history that the Panthers have used the franchise tag, but last year’s experience didn’t go anywhere near as smoothly.

Cornerback Josh Norman received the tag in February 2016.

Norman had recorded four interceptions during the Panthers’ Super Bowl season the year before and was the heart and soul of the Carolina secondary.

The negotiations on a longer deal stalled, however.

“We were at an impasse,” head

a four-game series to start the team’s two-year tenure at Campbell’s baseball field.

Tucker has been a huge part of that success, hitting a home run and cranking out another three doubles for a .333/.368/.611 stat line to go along with his ridiculous 1.036 OPS before the first road trip. His swing and athleticism earned him comparisons to the likes of Christian Yelich and High Point native Wil Myers from Baseball America editor John Manuel.

“He brings some pretty significant star power to Buies Creek,” Manuel said. “We’ve compared him to guys who are some of the elite young hitters in the game.

That’s good company. I’m fairly certain he’s going to hit for high batting averages at the highest level.

“Then you look at his body and his swing and you know there’s some untapped power that could come out this season. Long term, he’s just a rung below being

Patrick Leonard succeeding in second stint with Bulls Demoted after two months last season, Leonard looks ready to stick around awhile

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

JEREMY BREVARD | USA TODAY SPORTS

Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short (99) applies pressure to San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium.

coach Ron Rivera told Sports Illustrated’s MMQB. “Things weren’t happening, and the one thing we didn’t want to do is go into training camp not knowing. I think that was part of the decision.”

Rather than having the fiery Norman on the team for a lameduck season, the team rescinded the franchise tag on April 20, making Norman an unrestricted free agent. He quickly signed with the Washington Redskins.

The decision essentially torpedoed the Carolina board a week before the start of the draft. The Panthers used three of their top four draft picks on cornerbacks James Bradberry (second round), Daryl Worley (third) and Zack Sanchez (fifth).

In addition to forcing the team to ignore other needs in the draft, the attempt to replace Norman

The deal keeps Short, who had 17 sacks over the last two seasons, in the middle of Carolina’s defensive line for the next five years.

The contract is also worth a reported $80 million in total, with more than $40 million in money being paid out in the first

two years.

with quantity was doomed from the start. The rookies combined for fewer interceptions and tackles than Norman had the previous season, and the Panthers fell from

ninth to 28th in the league in pass defense.

Nearly a year to the day after Norman’s tag was lifted, the Panthers were able to secure Short, performing draft board addition by subtraction—removing the defensive tackle position and allowing the team to focus on other areas.

After virtually ignoring one side of the ball in the 2016 draft, the Panthers will be able to focus on offense this season, with depth at offensive tackle and running back being two likely areas of concentration. On defense, Carolina may look to add a pass-rushing end.

Those have been the Panthers’ priorities since draft planning began. Unlike last season, with their franchise player wrapped up for the future, those plans can remain on track for the final stretch.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WILL BRATTON

TUCKER from page B1

B5

the best hitter on a championship-caliber team. That’s lofty.”

Unlike most young prospects making their way through the minor league baseball system, Tucker isn’t alone on his journey.

Similar to the likes of Kyle and Corey Seager, two players from N.C., Tucker can share his experience with his brother Preston.

So what makes their situation unique? Both are in the Astros system. Having a brother to lean on is one thing. Having one that can break things down every step of the way is something Kyle doesn’t take for granted.

“I got to watch him go all the way through the minor leagues up to the big leagues, so I kind of know what to expect,” Kyle Tucker said. “Watching him play in this organization and knowing how they’ve treated him let’s me know this is where I need to be.

I’ve actually never been on the same team as him, but playing on the Astros together would be a once in a lifetime experience.”

Preston set career records with the Florida Gators for hits

(341) and RBI (258) while finishing second in home runs (57) before being drafted in the seventh round by the ‘Stros in the 2012 draft. Kyle, on the other hand, was taken in the first round at 18 years old after winning the Baseball America High School Player of the Year in 2015.

While Preston has had to prove himself as an undersized player at nearly every level, Kyle was blessed with a 6-foot-4 frame that he has yet to fully grow into two years removed from high school.

“He’s had a target on his back for a while because of his brother,” Manuel said. “So he came in with high expectations, but has a lot of accolades for a guy his age. ... It is a pretty interesting situation for both of them to have a brother in the same system. Preston wishes he had Kyle’s body, because if he was 6-foot-4, he might be the Astros first baseman right now.

“But I’ll say that having his brother drafted by the Astros was really important for Preston.

Having him drafted that high was a great part of Preston’s career, too.”

Regardless of the size advantage or where he was drafted, Kyle said he still gets ripped on by his brother.

“He’s still my big brother, so he gives me a hard time about a lot of things,” Kyle said with a laugh.

“Last year, I only hit nine home runs, so he never let me hear the end of it. He’s like, ‘C’mon, man!

Nine home runs? That’s nothing.’

But he can say that when he’s hit home runs at the big league level.”

Kyle will get there soon enough and does have a chance to join Preston if they both stay in the Astros system. With an estimated arrival date of 2019 in Houston by Baseball America, the time is coming for Kyle Tucker in the near future.

For now, fans in Buies Creek not only get to enjoy minor league baseball, but one of the best players Houston’s organization has to offer. Both will be gone soon, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to enjoy either while they last.

DURHAM — For the second straight year, Patrick Leonard opened the season with the Durham Bulls. For the first time, however, he feels like he belongs.

Leonard is the often-forgotten piece of the Rays’ blockbuster trade with Kansas City prior to the 2013 season. Tampa dealt starting pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis for a treasure trove of prospects, including outfielder Wil Myers, who won A.L. Rookie of the Year with the Rays, Mike Montgomery, who picked up a World Series ring with the Cubs last season, and Jake Odorizzi, a member of Tampa’s starting rotation.

Leonard is the only player acquired by Tampa who hasn’t yet made it to the big leagues.

He made his Triple-A debut with the Bulls last season and struggled through the first two months. When he was finally demoted to Double-A Montgomery, Leonard was hitting .198, with twice as many strikeouts (54) as hits (26).

“He took it as a positive,” Rays manager Jared Sandberg said of Leonard being sent down a level.

“He went down there and played very very well and earned the right to come back here.”

“He’s definitely earned the right to stay,” Sandberg added.

In the first week of his second stint with the Bulls, Leonard is among the International League’s leaders in RBI. He’s hitting .464 with three doubles, three steals, a homer and 10 RBI. “He’s just more comfortable,” Sandberg said.

The soft-spoken Leonard tried to downplay his hot start.

“I’m doing good,” he said. “I’m seeing the ball well, having fun.”

His struggles last year could have intimidated Leonard, but, much like his demotion, he looks at it as a positive.

“I think it helped just having those two months under my belt from last year,” he said. “Toing down to Montgomery just kind of reinforced things, I guess. I had experienced success at that level already. I’d done well there before. When I went back there, it kind of got me back to myself.

Coming here I have that experience under my belt now.”

Leonard also has the experience of a successful spring in big league camp. He hit .303 with a 1.040 OPS, five doubles and two home runs for the Rays in spring training.

Leonard also has a home on the field, which helps put his mind at ease.

“He’s playing third base,” Sandberg said. “So he’s comfortable there.”

Last season, while adjusting to Triple-A pitching, Leonard was also playing four different positions, including two that were brand new to him.

“I think I played about an equal number of games at third, first, left field and right,” Leonard said. “I don’t want to blame that for what I was doing wrong last year, but I like third. That definitely helps take the pressure off, because I’d never played outfield before. I’m not thinking about what I have to do out there. I’m familiar with third.”

Along with the demotion, Leonard got word that he’d be at third to stay.

“When I went down to Montgomery, I think I played the outfield for the first series and then third base the rest of the time.”

“When you’re comfortable with your defensive position, it helps,” Sandberg said. “Last year, he moved around so much. It’s just hard for a young player to do that. He’s comfortable paying third. He’s working good at bats.

He’s hitting with two strikes. He’s driving the ball all over the field.”

“I’ll say it every night,” Sandberg said. “He was my pick to click before the season started.”

the BRIEF

WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2017

BUSINESS

BofA beats estimates on strength in trading, investment banking New York Charlotte-based Bank of America Corp reported a higher-than-expected jump in quarterly profit as trading surged and the lender earned more from underwriting debt and equity offerings and advising on deals. Wall Street banks have been vitalized by increased market activity prompted by the so-called “Trump trade.”

Investors also changed their positions around the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes, boosting trading revenue for big U.S. banks. BofA also benefited from loan growth as customers borrowed more. But the pace of growth slowed, mirroring the broader U.S. banking industry, as higher interest rates crushed a wave of mortgage refinancing. “We saw good client activity in our balanced portfolio of businesses ... The U.S. economy continues to show consumer and business optimism, and our results reflect that,” BofA Chief Executive Brian Moynihan said in a statement.

Golden Years

Eamon queeney | north state journal

Guests and residents mingle during the grand opening of The Cardinal at North Hills in Raleigh, April 6. The Cardinal, a brand-new, senior living center, celebrated its official opening with tours, refreshments and a ribbon cutting.

It’s move-in day as seniors look for a new take on retirement living From movies and trips to classes and gourmet food, this isn’t your grandmother’s retirement home

By Donna King North State Journal

R

ALEIGH — The new place to rub elbows with N.C. business leaders and local celebs might just surprise you. A senior living community with an emphasis on urban luxury finally opened its doors this month. New residents at The Cardinal in Raleigh showed up with bags and boxes, seeming more like college freshmen waiting to launch a new phase of life. However this time their digs are a bit more high-end and their neighbors and friends already come with lengthy resumes.

“I never dreamed I could live in a place like this,” said Lou Galifianakis. She and her husband, Nick, are settling into their new home in the independent living apartments.

Their name might sound familiar.

That is because Nick is a former U.S. congressman from the 1960s who represented the Durham area.

Their nephew is comedic actor and director Zack Galifianakis, who has Wilkes County roots.

“We were both born in Durham and lived there through our lives,” said Lou. “Now lots of our neighbors are from Raleigh, but all over too.”

Through the building process, residents were able to customize their apartments with different countertops, floor plans and amenities. Upon move in, they each get an iPad loaded with contacts and schedules promoting The Cardinal’s multiple restaurants, activities and trips.

“I think it takes away all of the depressing parts of getting old — there is so much going on all the time,” said Lou. “And we’ve never had such good physical and occupational therapy. They want you to not just be back to the point you were before you were sick, but better

Eamon queeney | north state journal

Resident and former U.S. Congressman, Nick Galifianakis and his wife Lou pose for a photograph during the grand opening of The Cardinal at North Hills.

than you were before.”

The Cardinal, however, doesn’t come cheap. Places here start around $4,500 per month for independent living, and vary from there based on size of apartment and amenities. The residents include CEOs, former lawmakers and some of the real estate developers who helped make N.C. and the Triangle the place it is today.

The independent living residences are approximately 85 percent preleased with a waitlist for certain models. The Cardinal is a

product of Kisco Senior Living, which began in 1996 creating a new way to spend senior years. Kisco has plans to build similar facilities already on the drawing board.

They’ve just started an expansion project at their Abbotswood Irving Park location in Greensboro.

“The Cardinal is Kisco’s seventh North Carolina location, and first full-service CCRC model in the state,” said Tom Ford, executive director at The Cardinal. “We’re always on the lookout for development opportunities.”

Klear Optix launches at the NC Research Campus

By Jennifer Woodford NC Research Campus

New startup joins the NC Research Campus leasing laboratory and office space in the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building.

KANNAPOLIS, NC — Phones are smart. Homes are getting smarter.

Clothes are gaining intelligence too. So why not smarter contact lenses that can monitor health, help with healing or even dispense medicine?

For contact lenses to become more than substitutes for eyeglasses requires companies like Klear Optix, the latest startup to lease laboratory and office space in the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Building on the NC Research Campus in Kannapolis.

Launched in February 2017, co-founder Ramazan Benrashid, PhD, an expert in polymer chemistry who lives in Concord, NC, brings years of experience in

developing materials for opto-electronic, coating biocompatible polymers and contact lenses. He has worked for the largest companies in the contact lens industry and smaller startups tackling the challenges of “smart lens” technologies.

“Right now, we are working on two projects for a company,” Benrashid said.

“They have a material that needs to be scaled up to pass all of the FDA requirements and then transferred from research and development to manufacturing. We are also developing a new material with higher oxygen permeability for them that will be their future generation of rigid contact lenses.”

As research and development for these contracts continues, Benrashid and his partner Ali Dahi expect that the 500 square-foot laboratory and office

space that Klear Optix occupies won’t be enough. They anticipate expanding into adjacent laboratory space in the next year to accommodate additional testing and development. Dahi also co-founded the California-based company Synergeyes that develops and manufactures hybrid contact lens for stigmatism, presbyopia and irregular cornea conditions.

For Klear Optix, Benrashid and Dahi are looking ahead to projects where they can research new materials and designs for soft lenses, bandage lenses for healing and intraocular lenses used in cataract surgery. For the NC Research Campus, Klear Optix is the third startup company in the past six months to lease space in the Core Laboratory Building, reflecting the NCRC’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs in the region.

Trump administration drops North Carolina ‘bathroom bill’ lawsuit Washington, D.C. The Trump administration on Friday dropped a lawsuit accusing North Carolina of discriminating against LGBT residents after the state replaced its “bathroom bill,” although a key civil liberties group vowed to keep fighting the new law in court. In a two-sentence court filing the Justice Department said it had dropped its lawsuit, filed last year by the Obama administration, because the North Carolina legislature had replaced it with a new law called House Bill 142. The filing marks the first significant move in a complicated legal battle challenging the state’s nondiscrimination laws since the replacement of the original law, known as House Bill 2 or more commonly as the “bathroom bill.”

Unifi turns water bottles into graduation gowns Greensboro As college graduation approaches, a North Carolina company is trying to raise awareness about plastics recycling by putting those recycled materials to work on the big day. Greensboro-based textile manufacturer Unifi is educating college students, along with the general public, about the importance of recycling and buying products that are made with recycled materials. The company transforms recycled plastic bottles into fiber called REPREVE®, and works with Oak Hall Cap & Gown to turn it into fabric for graduation gowns worn by more than 400,000 graduates in schools across the country. Among those using REPREVEbased gowns are Brown University, Michigan State, University of Alabama and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as more than 1,250 other schools.

North State Journal for Wednesday, March 29, 2017

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FAST FACTS

Vice President Mike Pence and National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn (R) walk the colonnade behind U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the White House in Washington, April 3, 2017.

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Everyone likes to have a little trivia tidbit to break out at a dinner party or around the water cooler. Fortunately, we at NSJ just happen to be willing and able to oblige on most matters historical, geographical, statistical, botanical, and of course gastronomical when it comes to the Old North State.

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Did you know?

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

Hiram Revels, the first African-American U.S. congressman, hailed from North Carolina originally.

The town of Chadbourne, N.C. is home to a giant cigarette located on Rt. 410, and it actually blows smoke!

In 1995, school children in Wilson County successfully lobbied to have the sweet potato named as our state vegetable. N.C. is the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation.

The interesting (and infamous) Venus Fly Trap carnivorous plant is native only to southeastern N.C.‘s inner costal plain.

The Revolutionary War battle at Guilford Courthouse near Greensboro, costing British Gen. Cornwallis 25 percent of his army, is seen as the beginning of the final campaign that led to American victory.

Trump adviser backs firewall between commercial and investment banking

By Pete Schroeder Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Goldman Sachs Group executive and White House adviser Gary Cohn shocked more than a few of his former Wall Street colleagues recently when he showed support for reinstating a Depression-era law that could break up the biggest U.S. banks.

Here are some details about the law, called the Glass-Steagall Act, and why it has returned to the spotlight:

What is Glass-Steagall?

Originally passed as part of the U.S. Banking Act of 1933, Glass-Steagall established a firewall between commercial and investment banking activity. The law was whittled away over time as banks gained permission to engage in more trading activity, and was repealed altogether in 1999 with

the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

Who supports it?

Since the 2008 financial crisis, Glass-Steagall has become a calling card for politicians eager to crack down on Wall Street. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) frequently invokes it, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) made it a major part of his presidential campaign. President Donald Trump also seized on the policy during his campaign.

What does the White House say?

The Trump administration has not backed away from his campaign stance, but there are questions about how aggressively the president will push for a new law. The issue only tends to come up when officials are asked about it. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he supported a modern version of Glass-Steagall in response to a

question during his confirmation hearing. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the White House supports the proposal when asked by reporters. Cohn responded favorably when asked by Warren at a private meeting with senators.

What would a new Glass-Steagall look like?

There are number of ideas to create what some refer to as a “21st Century Glass-Steagall.” Warren has proposed splitting commercial and investment banking, and also barring depository institutions from using modern financial instruments like derivatives. Thomas Hoenig, the vice chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, has proposed a similar split, and would subject banks to a higher, 10 percent capital requirement. Neel Kashkari, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, would force big banks to take on so much capital they would prefer to

split into smaller institutions.

Could it happen?

Although many Wall Street critics have seized on Glass-Steagall, efforts to change the law have garnered very little support. Warren’s proposal received just a handful of legislative co-sponsors. And because Congress and the White House are still consumed with complex fights over health care and tax reform, there seems to be little appetite for a broad, controversial overhaul of the financial system.

Are there risks for banks?

Big U.S. lenders including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Citigroup would be most impacted, because their commercial lending and investment banking operations are closely intertwined, say analysts. Goldman Sachsand Morgan Stanley might be less impacted, although they would likely have to revert to being standalone investment banks and shed their deposit funding. But even if Glass-Steagall does not become law, the industry may have to spend money, time and energy lobbying against the idea, when they would rather focus on rolling back existing rules.

Supporting teachers and students.

Empowering our community.

Your electric cooperative does more than keep the lights on. By investing in scholarships, grants and other educational opportunities, we power and empower the people we serve.

Learn more at ncelectriccooperatives.com.

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North State Journal for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

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