North State Journal — Vol. 2., Issue 44

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 44

inside

|

WWW.NSJONLINE.COM |

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

Boston College basketball is starting two N.C. players, Sports

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Pumpkins and scarecrows for sale sit in the sun at Ken’s Produce and Garden Center in Garner, N.C., on Oct. 31. Fall is an important time for the garden center as they also operate Ken’s Korny Corn Maze, a 6-acre corn maze surrounded by a host of other activities for families and children. See more fall fun on page 8.

the Wednesday

NEWS BRIEFING

Premiums for health insurance to surge 37 percent Raleigh Enrollment in Obamacare insurance plans opens November 1 and the federal government said they expect premiums to increase 37 percent in 2018. The average monthly premium for the second-lowest cost “silver” plan for a 27-year-old will rise to $411 a month in 2018 from $300 a month this year, before tax credits are applied.

Taxpayer-paid credits to help individuals buy coverage will also rise sharply, according to a report from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.

The N.C. Department of Insurance approved a 25 percent rate increase by Cigna in N.C., where the operator has health insurance exchange customers in five counties. Open enrollment closes December 15, 2018.

Trump likely to pick Fed's Powell to lead central bank Washington, D.C. President Donald Trump is expected to pick Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell to replace Janet Yellen as head of the U.S. central bank on Thursday, said a source. Powell, Yellen and Stanford University economist John Taylor are among those on the Republican president's short list. Powell, 64, has supported Yellen's general direction in setting monetary policy, and in recent years has shared her concerns that weak inflation justified a continued cautious approach to raising rates.

First snow of the season Asheville N.C. got its first taste of snow Sunday night into Monday as a winter storm moved through the western part of the state.

Power outages and a freeze warning blanketed much of the region, but snow remained at a dusting. Temperatures across the state are expected to climb back into 70s by late Thursday.

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

Mueller investigation leads to indictment Top Trump aids charged for old dealings with Ukraine

By Sarah N. Lynch and Karen Freifeld Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal investigators probing Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election charged President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide, Rick Gates, with money laundering on Monday, in charges stemming from activities that pre-date their involvement with the Trump campaign.

A third former Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI, it was announced on Monday.

It was a sharp escalation of U.S. Justice Department Special Counsel Robert Mueller's fivemonth-old investigation into allegations that Russian tried to tilt the election in Trump's favor.

Manafort, 68, a longtime Republican operative, and Gates were arraigned at a federal courthouse in Washington.

Both men pleaded not guilty to the 12-count indictment, ranging from money laundering to acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine's former pro-Russian government. The charges did not directly point the finger at Russia over alleged meddling in U.S. politics.

The judge ordered house arrest for both, setting a $10 million unsecured bond for Manafort and a $5 million unsecured bond for Gates. They were released without having to pay, but will owe money if they fail to appear in court. There will be another hearing on Thursday.

— White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

See MANAFORT, page A3

HOPE MILLS — Republicans in Congress are looking to deliver pro-growth tax reform before the end of 2017. The Trump Administration, the House Committee on Ways and Means, and the Senate Committee on Finance are banning together to develop a framework for a 21st century tax code.

The plan is designed on the premise it will provide tax relief for middle-class families; establish a “postcard” tax filing; provide tax relief for businesses with a focus on small business; end incentives that ship jobs, capital and tax revenue overseas; broaden the tax base; and close special interest tax breaks and loopholes.

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) hosted a tax reform roundtable with small businesses in Hope Mills with a goal of sharing the plan and hearing feedback on what matters to business owners.

8

— Rep. Richard Hudson (R- N.C.)

HANDOUT

U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) speak with small business owners and their employees at a tax reform roundtable discussion at Jeb Designs in Hope Mills. The Committee on Ways and Means is hoping to pass legislation to reform tax policy before the year ends.

Lawmakers object to NC maps review by California professor Lawmakers say they are examining their legal options after judge appoints “special master

By Donna King North State Journal

Jones & Blount

$2.00

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

“We want feedback from real people in the real world about what concerns them because tax reform will affect them.”

“We’ve been saying from Day One there’s no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all.”

A long-time N.C. House Democrat switches to the GOP

20177 52016

Rep.Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) works to drum up support for tax effort among N.C. small business owners

See TAX REFORM, page A3

INSIDE

5

Tax reform tops to-do list in D.C.

PHOTO COURTESY OF REP. BRISSON

RALEIGH — North Carolina lawmakers reacted Thursday evening to a ruling from federal judges that sent the state's legislative district maps to a California-based “special master” to examine and potentially redraw.

The three-judge panel is hearing the case North Carolina v.

Covington, a lawsuit over gerrymandering.

“After careful review of the parties’ written submissions, arguments and evidence, the Court is concerned that 2017 Enacted Senate Districts 21 and 28 and 2017 Enacted House Districts 21, 36, 37, 40, 41, 57 and 105 ... either fail to remedy the identified constitutional violation or are otherwise legally unacceptable. In anticipaSee REDISTRICTING, page A3

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A2 WEDNESDAY

11.01.17 #100

Pruitt taps van der Vaart for federal science advisory board Former DEQ secretary joins scientists from state agencies focused on building partnership between states and federal environment agency

By Donna King North State Journal

“Elevate the conversation” Visit North State Journal online! nsjonline.com jonesandblount.com nsjsports.com carolinabrewreview.com chickenbonealley.com

We stand corrected To report an error or a suspected error, please email: corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

North State Journal (USPS PP 20451) (ISSN 2471-1365) Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Editor Cory Lavalette Managing/Sports Editor Ray Nothstine Opinion Editor

Published each Wednesday

by North State Media, LLC 819 W. Hargett Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27603 TO SUBSCRIBE: 866-458-7184 or online at nsjonline.com Annual Subscription Price: $25.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: North State Journal 819 W. Hargett Street Raleigh, N.C. 27603.

Daylight Saving Time is this weekend On Saturday, November 4, before you go to bed, remember to set your clocks back one hour. Smart phone and tablets will generally adjust automatically.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has tapped Donald van der Vaart, N.C.’s former environment secretary, to the federal agency’s Scientific Advisory Board. Once considered a contender to lead the EPA, van der Vaart served in the McCrory administration at the head of the Department of Environmental Quality and holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Cambridge in England. He also holds a law degree from N.C. Central University, a master’s degree in chemical engineering from NC State University and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UNC Chapel Hill.

Pruitt’s announcement of the appointments came in a press conference Tuesday in which he also announced a new policy limiting appointee’s ability to receive research grants from the agency.

Under prior administrations scientific panels for the EPA drew heavily from the academic community. Now, van der Vaart joins a new slate of scientists from around the country who have previously served in state and local governments or trade groups.

“Being named to this science advisory board is very gratifying,” said van der Vaart on Tuesday. “To be able to contribute as a scientist to the important tasks before the EPA, while allowing the policymakers to do their job is liberating in many ways.”

The appointments reflect a dramatic shift in the approach to managing the EPA. In November 2016, just after the presidential election, van der Vaart penned a letter to President Donald Trump calling for the EPA to be more of a partner with states in managing their environmental policy.

“Our country still needs the EPA, but not the EPA of recent years,” he wrote. “We need research targeted at our specific, clear environmental challenges.

This can best be done by coordinating industry-level initiatives that cross state lines, which can be defined by measurable success.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina Secretary of Department of Environmental Quality Donald van der Vaart discusses environmental issues with an Advanced Placement Environmental class at Broughton High School in Raleigh.

We must put an end to the idea that more regulation is always good, and instead allow state and local experts to improve the environment.”

Several other appointees announced on Tuesday are also scientists from state and local agencies, many of whom have been vocal critics of what they say is overreach in the EPA’s recent increase in regulations over business.

Chairing the SAB will be Michael Honeycutt, director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Toxicology Division. Honeycutt has openly criticized the EPA's Integrated Risk Information System.

The terms of the SAB’s current board members expired on Sept.

30, and Pruitt reportedly elected to not renew any of their terms.

Earlier this year he removed the members of the EPA’s Board of Scientific Counselors, even if they were eligible to serve another term.

Former SAB chairman Terry Yosi, who served in the Reagan administration, is already criticizing it publicly, telling EPA-focused website insidetheepa.com, “SAB will become a much less active participant in EPA decision-making as various EPA offices choose not to engage the SAB for scientif-

Dismissed employees win lawsuit against Cooper administration

By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — Veronica Wright, a former state employee, won a lawsuit against Gov. Roy Cooper's administration for wrongful termination. An administrative

judge ruled last week that Wright was unlawfully removed from her state position when Cooper took office, according to the Associated Press. Wright was the Diversity & Inclusion Division director at the state’s Office of Human Resources.

JOSHUA ROBERTS | REUTERS

Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt testifies before a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 18.

ic reviews.”

New faces and new policies are becoming the norm at the EPA, as Pruitt works to make changes that are not always sitting well with the long-term federal supporters of the agency. Among the changes, Pruitt issued an agency-wide directive designed to end “sue and settle” practices within the agency.

“The days of regulation through litigation are over,” said Pruitt.

“We will no longer go behind closed doors and use consent decrees and settlement agreements to resolve lawsuits filed against the agency by special-interest groups where doing so would circumvent the regulatory process set forth by Congress. Additionally, gone are the days of routinely paying tens of thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees to these groups with which we swiftly settle.”

Penalties for her wrongful termination could include thousands of dollars in back pay and she could be reinstated in her old job.

Wright is the second of three former state employees so far to sue the administration over wrongful termination. Last month, Steve Grant, former policy and governance manager at the Office of Human Resources, won his lawsuit as well.

The case of a third employee, David Prickett, has not been decided yet. Since filing his suit, Prickett was hired as a communications specialist at the state’s Department of Public Instruction, working on communications for

the Innovation School Districts program, which steps in and provides state-level help to low-performing schools.

All three were hired under Republican Gov. Pat McCrory's administration and then fired when Cooper took office with the administration saying they were exempt from job protection under state law. However, the Republican-led General Assembly passed a law after the election that dramatically reduced the number of exempt positions from 1,500 to less than 500. Those positions included ones held by the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Cooper sued over the law and his suit is still pending.

Want to learn more about North Carolina Agriculture?

The First Furrow www.FirstFurrow.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017 MANAFORT from page A1

JONATHAN DRAKE | REUTERS

Shannon Allen (C), wife of former U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Mark Allen (not pictured), who was badly injured while searching for Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl after he abandoned his post in Afghanistan, leaves the courthouse after testifying on the fourth day of sentencing proceedings in Bergdahl’s court martial at Fort Bragg, Oct. 30.

Bergdahl takes the stand after soldiers detail gruesome injuries suffered in search for him Soldiers suffered near fatal and life-changing injuries after sergeant walked away from his post saying he wanted to highlight problems in leadership

By Donna King North State Journal FORT BRAGG — U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl took the stand at his sentencing on Monday, apologizing to the troops who got hurt searching for him after he deserted in Afghanistan in 2009 and detailing the harsh conditions of Taliban captivity.

"I made a horrible mistake," the 31-year-old soldier said during his most extensive comments to date at Fort Bragg. "Saying I’m sorry is not enough."

His statements marked the opening of the defense's case, which suffered a blow earlier in the day when the presiding military judge said President Donald Trump had not damaged Bergdahl's chances of a fair sentence.

The judge allowed Bergdahl’s fellow soldiers, many of whom were critically injured during the search for him to testify in the trial. Army Spc. Jonathan Morita testified about how a rocket-propelled grenade mangled his right hand.

Minutes later, a second grenade exploded and sent shrapnel into the rifleman's left elbow.

"I definitely thought I was going to die in Afghanistan," the former soldier testified.

The consequences of Bergdahl’s actions for fellow troops are now the focus for prosecutors seeking his punishment. With his plea, he could face up to life in prison and a dishonorable discharge.

Bergdahl, 31, said he left his combat outpost in Paktika Province in 2009 to report "critical problems" in his chain of command. He considered himself a “survivalist” and fellow soldiers said he spent hours studying

maps of the surrounding area in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. He was captured

by Taliban fighters less than 24 hours after disappearing.

The Idaho native said he suffered torture and neglect during five years in captivity before being released in a 2014 swap for five Taliban leaders being held at Guatanamo Bay. The prisoner exchange was orchestrated by the Obama administration and was highly criticized by Republicans.

During a Rose Garden ceremony in 2014 announcing the swap, then-president Barack Obama said that Bergdahl served with honor.

Service members recounted before the court a hastily organized mission in July 2009 to search villages near Forward Operating Base Kushamond that ended in a Taliban ambush.

Soldiers took direct fire and attacks from improvised explosive devices every day in the first six weeks of the search, Col. Clinton Baker said. Fresh socks and T-shirts were flown to one unit whose clothes rotted off during a 37-day mission.

"The only time you slept was when you couldn’t stay conscious anymore," said Baker. "Everybody was out looking. That was it. We were tapped out.”

On Oct. 16, the 31-year-old Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

Former Navy SEAL James Hatch was one of several service members injured during searchand-rescue efforts, prosecutors said.

He testified last Wednesday that he has had 18 medical procedures to repair the damage to his leg after being shot by an enemy fighter's AK-47 during a July 2009 raid. A military dog named Remco died during that effort.

Capt. John Billings, Bergdahl’s platoon leader, said he and another soldier contracted dysentery during the search operations.

“Imagine putting yourself on

REDISTRICTING from page A1 tion of the likely possibility of such a finding, in view of upcoming filing period for the 2018 election cycle, and upon consideration of the technical nature of determining an appropriate remedy when district lines are at issue, the Court finds exceptional circumstances and intends to appoint a Special Master pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 53. In general terms, the Court expects to direct the Special Master to assist the Court in further evaluating and, if necessary, redrawing the Subject Districts by developing an appropriate plan remedying the constitutional violations allegedly rendering the Subject Districts legally unacceptable,” the order read.

The judges appointed Nathaniel Persily of Stanford University's James B. McClatchy School of Law as the special master. Persily earned a doctorate and master's degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from Stanford. Persily performed a similar role in redistricting efforts in New York, Maryland and Georgia. He also served under the Obama Administration as the senior research director of the Pres-

“Being provided only two days to respond to such a strange order … is an outrageous and extraordinary violation of the principles of federalism and our state’s sovereignty.”

— Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) and Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) idential Commission for Election Administration (PCEA), set up by the administration after the 2012 elections to make recommendations on elections policy changes.

Thursday's order gave the parties in the lawsuit two days to respond or point out any conflict of interest that Persily may have.

North Carolina state Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) and Sen. Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell), chairmen of their respective chambers’ redistricting committees, issued a statement following the panel's order.

The only time you slept was when you couldn’t stay conscious anymore.

Everybody was out looking.

That was it. We were tapped out.”

— Col. Clinton Baker the side of a mountain with little water, little sleep, little chow, having not showered in 10 days, and not knowing when you’re going to get to talk to your family next,” Billings said. “That’s about what it was like.”

Early the morning of July 9, 2009, troops came under heavy fire. A grenade exploded near Texas Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Jason Walters, then an Army Ranger.

"Everything went black," he testified. "I saw stars."

As soldiers scrambled back to their position behind a berm, Walters saw Sgt. 1st Class Mark Allen get shot in the head. Allen suffered a traumatic brain injury and is now confined to a wheelchair and unable to communicate, according to prosecutors.

His wife, Shannon Allen, was the last to testify on Monday.

"Instead of being his wife, I'm his caregiver," she said. "Which doesn't mean I love him any less, but it's a very different dynamic.

We can't even hold hands anymore without me prying open his hand and putting mine in."

Morita, who was hurt in the same ambush, underwent three surgeries to repair his hand.

He said he directs his anger "toward one person in particular."

As Morita left the courtroom on Monday, he leveled a steady glare at the defense table where Bergdahl sat.

Reuters News Service contributed to this report.

“Similar to this same federal court’s order for a special election in North Carolina that the U.S. Supreme Court reversed, this unusual and vague order provides absolutely no legal or factual basis for objecting to the new maps, while also potentially delegating the legislature’s constitutional authority to draw districts to a lone professor in California with no accountability to North Carolinians,” Hise and Lewis said in a joint statement.

“Being provided only two days to respond to such a strange order that could seize a fundamental right from the people of North Carolina and hand it to a single person on the other side of the country is an outrageous and extraordinary violation of the principles of federalism and our state’s sovereignty.”

Plaintiffs claim that the state’s district maps unconstitutionally took race into consideration in designing the districts.

“Race was not used at all as a factor in the drawing of these districts,” said Lewis and Hise on Thursday. “Further, these maps split fewer counties, towns and precincts than any map in recent North Carolina history. We are exploring all our legal options.”

Allegations that Russia interfered in the election by hacking and releasing embarrassing emails via social media to discredit Hillary Clinton have cast a shadow over Trump's first nine months in office, while he worked to refocus attention on tax reform, immigration reform, and repeal and replacement of Obamacare.

Neither Trump nor his campaign was mentioned in the indictment against Manafort and Gates. The charges, some going back more than a decade, center on Manafort's work for Ukraine.

The indictment includes accusations of conspiracy against the United States, failure to report foreign bank accounts to the U.S. government and conspiracy to launder money, a count that carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence.

A White House spokeswoman said the indictment had nothing to do with Trump or his campaign and showed no evidence of collusion between the campaign and Russia.

"We've been saying from Day One there's no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing.

Manafort's attorney, Kevin Downing said in a statement that there was no evidence the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government. Downing said Manafort's work for the Ukrainians ended in 2014, two years before he joined the Trump campaign.

Downing accused Mueller of using a "novel" legal theory to prosecute Manafort under a law requiring lobbyists to register with the Department of Justice when they are doing work for a foreign government.

In a development directly related to Trump's 2016 election campaign, it emerged on Monday that Papadopoulos, a former campaign adviser, pleaded guilty earlier this month to making false statements to Federal Bu-

TAX REFORM from page A1 “We want people to have higher wages, more job opportunities, and we want to bring jobs back to America. We want to simplify the tax process for most Americans,” said Hudson. “We passed a budget this week that sets the table for tax reform and we hope to have a tax bill out of the House by Thanksgiving and have tax reform to the president

by Christmas,” said Hudson.

“People will see more job opportunities, businesses here expanding and more opportunity for everybody,” he added.

Under the tax reform framework, typical middle-class families should see less of their income subject to federal income tax. The plan simplifies the tax code and doubles the standard deduction to $24,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, and $12,000 for single filers.

“This plan is going to benefit everyone. You think about someone who is single and has their own small business, we are doubling the standard deduction,” said McMorris Rodgers. “The child tax credit, if she is a single mom with kids, she will see an increase in the child tax credit.”

To simplify the tax rules, the additional standard deduction and personal exemptions for the taxpayer and spouse are consolidated into this larger standard deduction.

Under current federal law, taxable income is subject to seven tax brackets. The framework aims to consolidate the current seven tax brackets into three brackets of 12, 25 and 35 percent.

“Tax reform is long overdue and there is so much potential for everyone in this country.

We want more jobs, bigger paychecks and to simplify the tax code,” said McMorris Rodgers.

“We have been working on this for months, the House, Senate and the White House,” she added. “The tax code is very complicated, with a lot of details. Each member of the Ways and Means Committee has been vocal in the discussion. Even after the first draft is completed, we are going to continue working, obtaining feedback and hear people’s concerns so we get it right.”

“We are having this debate (about tax reform) out of closed doors, in front of and with the American people,” said Hudson.

“We want feedback from real people in the real world about what concerns them because tax reform will affect them.”

A3 reau of Investigation agents.

Mueller's office said Papadopoulos lied to FBI agents about the timing of contact between him and a professor in London who claimed to have information that would hurt Clinton.

Papadopoulos, a little-known former foreign policy adviser in the campaign, made a plea bargain that stated he had since "met with the Government on numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions," according to a court document.

Sanders, the White House spokeswoman, said Papadopoulos' role in the campaign was "extremely limited" and that he was a volunteer.

"He asked to do things (and) he was basically pushed back or not responded to in any way," she said.

In a May 4 email quoted in the Papadopoulos indictment, a Trump campaign employee forwarded a message from Papadopoulos proposing a meeting between Trump and the Russian government to another campaign official.

The employee included a note, according to the indictment, that read: "Let's discuss. We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips. It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal."

A source in Washington, who did not want to be identified and who has seen the email, said the sender was Manafort and the recipient was Gates.

Manafort ran the Trump campaign from June to August of 2016 before resigning after the campaign leadership was restructured to minimize his influence. The restructure came amid reports he might have received millions of dollars in illegal payments from a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.

The indictment alleges that both Manafort and Gates generated tens of millions of dollars of income from Ukraine work and laundered money through scores of U.S. and foreign entities to hide payments from American authorities.

People that will be affected by the tax reform include small businesses in North Carolina like JEB Designs of Hope Mills.

JEB Designs is a small business with 30 employees that have supplied screen printing, embroidery and trophy sales for 30 years.

“The employees and management team of Jeb Designs are representative of the millions of small businesses that form and maintain the economy of the United States,” said John Buie, JED Designs chief financial officer.

“The promise coming out of Washington is both a reduction of the tax burden and an overhaul of the internal revenue code,” he continued. “Through the reduction of tax burdens, the hope is that it will free up funds to allow businesses, including ours, to buy machinery. Buying an embroidery machine will cost about $60,000. With a new machine, we will need new people.

The hiring of additional employees is another factor that will come into play with tax reform.”

While the plan has several components, small businesses like JEB Designs are slated to see some relief. The proposed framework limits the maximum tax rate applied to the business income of small and family-owned businesses conducted as sole proprietorships, partnerships and S corporations to 25 percent.

The tax structure for corporations will see a change as well.

The tax reform framework reduces the corporate tax rate to 20 percent — which is below the 22.5 percent average of the industrialized world.

McMorris Rodgers is leading roundtable discussions across the country to gain feedback from individuals, families and small businesses that would see changes as a result of the tax reform plan. While the House of Representatives and the Senate are working to pass the plan, an implementation process, should the plan pass into law, has yet to be decided.

“The first step is get it passed through Congress and get it signed by Congress,” said McMorris Rodgers. “That is where we are right now and we are very excited to be moving forward on what we see as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring down tax rates, create more jobs and increase wages. That is what tax reform represents. It is truly going to increase people’s lives, that is what tax reform represents in this country.”

A4

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Nation & WORLD

Turkey detains 61 people over suspected Islamic State links Erzurum, Turkey Turkish police detained 61 people over suspected links to Islamic State in anti-terror operations in two cities, the state-run Anadolu Agency said on Sunday. Counterterrorism police raided houses in Bursa, a northwestern province of Turkey, and detained 39 people including 28 Syrian nationals and two Azerbaijani nationals, Anadolu said. Eight of the detained suspects were minors, it said.

Several killed as truck drives down New York City bike path New York A pickup truck struck down multiple people on a bike path in lower Manhattan, killing several and injuring numerous others on Tuesday afternoon, before the driver was shot and taken into custody, the New York City police said. The pickup truck crashed into another vehicle after striking bicyclists and pedestrians, and the driver got out wielding what police later said were “imitation” guns.

Taiwan president arrives in Hawaii despite Chinese objections Honolulu Taiwanese President Tsai Ingwen landed in Honolulu on Saturday en route to the island's diplomatic allies among Pacific nations and set off for a visit to a Pearl Harbor memorial, despite strong objections to the visit from China. China regards self-ruled Taiwan as sovereign territory and regularly calls it the most sensitive and important issue between it and the United States, complaining to Washington about transit stops by Taiwanese presidents.

Rouhani says Iran will continue to produce missiles Tehran, Iran Iran will continue to produce missiles for its defense and does not consider that a violation of international accords, President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday in a speech broadcast on state television. Rouhani spoke days after the U.S. House of Representatives voted for new sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program, part of an effort to clamp down on Tehran without immediately moving to undermine an international nuclear agreement.

Cuba to make it easier for Cuban-Americans to visit

Havana Cuba will make it easier for its U.S.-based citizens to travel to the island, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Saturday, in a gesture to win support from Cuban-Americans during a diplomatic crisis over allegations of mysterious health attacks. "The U.S. government closes, and Cuba opens," Rodriguez told a meeting of pro-Havana Cuban Americans in Washington.

Texas costume party turns deadly when man in Santa suit opens fire A man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit opened fire at a weekend Halloween party in his Texas home, killing one person and injuring three others, Austin police said on Monday. The shooting occurred early Sunday morning after Randall Gaston Jones, 32, allegedly became “highly intoxicated” during the costume party and was asked to leave by his roommates, Austin Police Lt. Jason Staniszewski told a news conference. He later returned to the party with a handgun and began firing at the party-goers.

ALVIN BAEZ | REUTERS

Workers from Montana-based Whitefish Energy Holdings help fix the island’s power grid, damaged during Hurricane Maria in September, in Manati, Puerto Rico, on Oct.25.

Puerto Rico moves to cancel Whitefish power contract $300 million deal was not put out for bid

By Ginger Gibson and David Gaffen Reuters WASHINGTON/NEW YORK — Puerto Rico's government power company said on Sunday it will cancel a $300 million contract with a tiny Montana company to restore power to the storm-hit U.S. territory after an uproar over the deal.

The contract between Whitefish Energy Holdings and Puerto Rico's bankrupt power utility came under fire after it was revealed last week that the terms were obtained without a competitive public bidding process. Residents, local officials and U.S. federal authorities all criticized the arrangement.

The cancellation could further complicate Puerto Rico's most pressing challenge from the territory's worst storm in 80 years — restoring power to its 3.4 million residents. Nearly six weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, only about a quarter of homes and businesses have power, and the utility has set a goal of having 95 percent of power back by the middle of December.

Several other utilities have been involved in recovery efforts, but Whitefish said it had more than 350 people on the island.

Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority's (PREPA) Director Ricardo Ramos said he had to consider the "delay risk" of agreeing to cancel the contract. The territory has reached out to officials in Florida and New York, which have already sent people to Puerto Rico, to send more crews in the event that Whitefish departs.

Whitefish said in a statement it was "disappointed" in the decision, adding it will "only delay what the people of Puerto Rico want and deserve — to have the power restored quickly in the same manner their fellow citizens on the mainland experience after a natural disaster."

Earlier on Sunday, Puerto Rico's governor, Ricardo Rosselló, had called for the contract with Whitefish to be canceled, and PREPA's Ramos said he had accepted the governor's recommendation.

“Following the information that has emerged, and with the goal of protecting public interest, as governor I am asking government and energy authorities to immediately activate the clause to cancel the contract to Whitefish Energy,” Rossello said in a statement.

WH chief of staff calls for special counsel to investigate Democrats

By Eric Beech Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said on Monday a special counsel should be appointed to investigate Democrats over a uranium deal during the Obama administration and a dossier compiled on Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

“I think probably as a layman looking at this kind of thing we need to find someone who is very, very objective who can get to the bottom of these accusations,” Kelly said in an interview on Fox News.

A special counsel would be appointed by the Justice Department.

Republicans in Congress last week launched parallel investigations, one into an Obama-era deal in which a Russian company bought a Canadian firm that owned some 20 percent of U.S. uranium supplies. Critics of the deal say the State Department approved it after Clinton’s husband's charitable foundation received a

$145 million donation. Clinton says she did not actively participate in the decision.

The other inquiry is into whether Democrats funded a dossier put together during last year's presidential campaign that detailed accusations about Trump’s ties to Russia.

The Democratic National Committee allegedly commissioned opposition research by Fusion GPS, a firm hired by a lawyer for Clinton named Marc Elias. Elias is also the lawyer for N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper and led Cooper’s recount arguments following the tight outcome of the race that unseated Republican Gov. Pat McCrory.

The investigation centers around whether the dossier was the foundation of the FBI’s investigation into allegations that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. So far, there no evidence to support the allegations.

“This is a really simple request.

Did you rely on the dossier, and if so, did you vet it before you relied upon it?” Gowdy said on Fox News

Ramos, in a press conference Sunday, noted that the initial enthusiasm from residents over Whitefish employees coming to the island had shifted in the last several days after media reported the details of the contract.

“As soon as this whole issue was interpreted by the tabloids that PREPA has given away $300 million to a company with little experience … if you read that, and you have no light and no water, that perception changes abruptly to the extent that the last four days they’ve been throwing stones and bottles (at workers),” Ramos said.

Whitefish, which has a fulltime staff of two, said it would complete any work that PREPA wanted it to, and noted its initial efforts "exceeded all other efforts by other parties."

It said they completed work on two major transmission lines that

crossed the island's mountainous interior, and that PREPA's decision to contact them "only sped up the repairs."

Criticism increased after a copy of the contract with PREPA surfaced online Thursday night and raised more questions, particularly over language blocking oversight of costs and profits.

Ramos noted that the federal contracting process is a long one, and that PREPA "could not wait."

Efforts to restore power have been bumpy. It took more than a week for a damage assessment to be completed, and PREPA did not immediately ask for what is known as "mutual aid," whereupon utilities send workers in droves to restore power to hard-hit areas.

Residents have been forced to rely on diesel generators and most of the island remained in darkness. Eventually, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was put in charge of power restoration.

PREPA declared bankruptcy in July. It has a $9 billion debt load caused by years of unsuccessful rate collection efforts, particularly from municipal governments and state agencies, and a lack of investment in equipment and maintenance.

The Puerto Rican government is bracing for the possibility that Whitefish could sue for breach of contract if the cancellation is approved, according to sources familiar with discussions. The government already paid Whitefish $8 million and does not expect the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse that sum, the sources said.

Sunday over the weekend. “You can answer that in 30 seconds, but it's taken three months for the Department of Justice, and only recently have they agreed to give us the information. The battle is not just with House Democrats, unfortunately it's also with the Department of Justice.

“If they relied on that dossier and they didn't corroborate it or vet it, then we have a serious issue and that's the next thing that House intel is trying to find out, whether or not the U.S. government relied on it,” he added.

Kelly's call for a special counsel to investigate Democrats comes as a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians produced its first charges and a guilty plea.

A grand jury impaneled by Mueller indicted former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates on Monday.

A third former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI, it was announced on Monday.

Following the indictment, prominent Washington lobbyist Tony Podesta stepped down from his lobbying firm, Podesta Group.

Podesta is the brother of John Podesta, who served as chairman of Clinton’s presidential campaign and was a senior White House ad-

viser to Democratic former President Barack Obama.

The indictment against Manafort and Gates listed two unnamed firms as “Company A” and “Company B” that lobbied several lawmakers on behalf of Ukraine at Manafort's request.

The indictment did not name Podesta Group.

A spokesperson for the Podesta Group said after Podesta stepped down on Monday that it had been in contact with investigators on Mueller's team and was fully cooperating with the probe.

The spokesperson also said the Podesta Group fully complied with the law in disclosing its lobbying on behalf of the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, a group linked to Manafort and named in the indictment.

Podesta Group filed lobbying disclosures with the Department of Justice in April and August saying it did work in 2012 for the same pro-Russian Ukrainian group for which Manafort had worked. Podesta Group worked alongside another Washington lobbying firm, Mercury LLC, which also said on Monday that it also was cooperating with Mueller's team.

Podesta is listed as a lobbyist on several of the firm's largest accounts including Wells Fargo, Lockheed Martin, Oracle, Walmart, Textron and General Dynamics.

“The last four days they’ve been throwing stones and bottles (at workers).”

— Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s Director Ricardo Ramos

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A5

Thai king’s remains laid to rest at end of five-day ceremony

By Chayut Setboonsarng Reuters

FEISAL OMAR | REUTERS

Somali security officers secure the scene of a suicide car bomb explosion, at the gate of Naso Hablod Two Hotel in Hamarweyne district of Mogadishu, Somalia, on Oct. 28.

At least 29 dead after Islamist attack on Somali hotel Islamist group al-Shabaab claims responsibility; death toll could rise

By Abdi Sheikh and Feisal Omar Reuters MOGADISHU, Somalia — An Islamist attack on a hotel in Mogadishu ended on Sunday after 29 people were killed during a siege lasting nearly 12 hours, police said, prompting the Somali government to sack two top security officials over their failure to stop repeated attacks.

The attack proved once again that insurgents can carry out deadly assaults in the heart of the Somali capital. Twin bombings in Mogadishu two weeks ago killed more than 350 people, the worst such attacks in the country's history. More than 50 people are still missing. Islamist militants alShabaab claimed responsibility for this weekend's attack, which took place ahead of a planned meeting to try to defuse tensions between the federal government and regional states. Government officials had begun to meet at the hotel to discuss strategy.

"So far I am sure 29 people died — the death toll may rise," Abdul-

lahi Nur, a police officer, told Reuters.

At least 12 of the dead were police officers, Nur said. A woman was beheaded while her "three children were shot dead," he said.

A Reuters witness saw seven bodies lying inside the hotel.

Three militants were captured alive and two others blew themselves up after they were shot, police said. Some militants may have disguised themselves and escaped with the residents who were rescued from the hotel, one police officer said.

The attack began around at 5 p.m. on Saturday when a car bomb rammed the gates of Nasahablod Two hotel, which is close to the presidential palace, and destroyed the hotel's defenses. Then gunmen stormed the building.

The explosion destroyed the front of the three-story hotel and damaged the hotel next door.

Many Somali officials live in fortified hotels for the security they offer.

The attack presents a further challenge to the new government of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, whose defense minister and chief of army staff resigned this month. They did not give their reasons for leaving.

Airlines launch new U.S. security rules Travelers to United States could face check-in security interviews

By David Shepardson Reuters WASHINGTON, D.C. — New security measures — including stricter passenger screening — took effect over the weekend on all U.S.-

bound flights. The new rules are to comply with government requirements designed to avoid an in-cabin ban on laptops.

New measures, which may include short security interviews, will affect 325,000 airline passengers on about 2,000 commercial flights arriving daily in the United States, on 180 airlines from 280 airports in 105 countries.

The federal government an-

On Sunday, the government sacked the country's police commander, Abdihakin Dahir Saiid, and the director general of the National Intelligence Security Agency, Abdullahi Mohamed Ali, the prime minister's office announced.

Abdikadir Abdirahman, director of Amin ambulances, complained the emergency service had been denied access to the blast sight.

"After the hotel operation was over, we wanted to transport the casualties ... all entrances of the scene were blocked by security forces.

Al-Shabaab said 40 people had been killed, including three of its fighters who stormed the hotel.

The government and al-Shabaab typically give different figures for victims in such attacks.

The twin bombings in Mogadishu on Oct. 14 killed at least 358 people and ignited nationwide outrage. Al-Shabaab has not claimed responsibility for that attack, but the method — a large truck bomb — is one it has often used.

The militant group wants to overthrow the weak, U.N.-backed government and impose a strict form of Islamic law.

nounced the new rules in June to end its restrictions on carry-on electronic devices on planes coming from 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to unspecified security threats.

Those restrictions were lifted in July, but the Trump administration said it could reimpose measures on a case-by-case basis if airlines and airports did not boost security.

European and U.S. officials told Reuters at the time that airlines had 120 days to comply with the measures, including increased passenger screening. Airlines had until late July to expand explosive trace detection testing.

Lufthansa said last week that

BANGKOK — The bones and ashes of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej were brought to their final resting places on Sunday, the fifth and last day of an elaborate funeral ceremony that drew hundreds of thousands of mourners to the streets of Bangkok.

King Bhumibol, the world's longest reigning monarch when he died last year at the age of 88, ruled Thailand from shortly after World War II and was revered as a stabilizing figure through coups, protests and natural disasters. The nation’s year-long official mourning period ended on Monday.

The $90 million royal funeral drew mourners clad in black from across the country to Bangkok, where King Bhumibol was cremated on Thursday in an elaborate gold crematorium built for the ceremony outside the Grand Palace.

Over 19 million Thais — more than a quarter of the 69 million population — participated in ceremonies by presenting symbolic sandalwood flowers to be burned at temples and crematorium replicas across the country, according to the government.

On Sunday, the late king’s bones were moved to the Chakri Throne Hall, where royal relics are kept within the Grand Palace in a ceremony that involved senior monks from temples across the country.

His son, new King Maha Vaji-

ralongkorn, led the religious rite.

On Sunday evening, Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana led the final royal procession on horseback to the Wat Rajabopidh and Wat Bovoranives temples where her grandfather's ashes were placed in keeping with a ceremony steeped in religious symbolism and tradition. Mourners, some in tears, were gathered outside the temples.

"I will always have him stored in my heart. Whether as pictures, however old and torn, the memory of him will always be kept in my heart," said Chalermporm Prabutr, 72.

Wat Rajabopidh was built by the late king’s grandfather, King Chualalongkorn, and houses the remains of other royals including the late king’s father, Prince Mahidol and the princess mother, Srinagarindra.

Some of the late king’s ashes were also be laid at Wat Bovoranives, the temple where he entered the monkhood in 1956 after his grandmother’s death, a custom for Buddhist males after the death of a relative.

Wat Bovoranives is also the center of the more austere strain of Thai Buddhism founded by the late king's great grandfather, King Mongkut.

Many Thais have worn black for the past year in official mourning for King Bhumibol. The military government told people to wear bright clothes starting Monday, when the mourning period formally ends.

DAMIR SAGOLJ | REUTERS

The Royal Urn of Thailand’s late King Bhumibol Adulyadej is carried during the Royal Cremation ceremony at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 26.

travelers could face short interviews at check-in or at the gate. Economy passengers on Lufthansa's Swiss airline have been asked to check in at least 90 minutes before departure.

Cathay Pacific Airways said it would suspend in-town check-in and self bag-drop services for passengers booked on direct flights to the U.S. The airline said passengers may also have short security interviews and it has advised travelers to arrive three hours before departure.

Airlines for America, a trade group, said the changes "are complex security measures" but praised U.S. officials for giving airlines flexibility in meeting the new rules.

U.S. authorities in June also in-

creased security around aircraft and in passenger areas, and other places where travelers can be cleared by officials before they depart.

A Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said, "the United States continues to work with our partners to raise the baseline of global aviation security and keep the entire traveling public safe."

The TSA said in July it was imposing new security rules requiring domestic airline travelers to remove all electronic items larger than mobile phones — such as tablets, e-readers and video game consoles — from carry-on baggage for screening.

THANK YOU TO OUR 2017 SPONSORS

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A6

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Murphy to Manteo

Jones & Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

Thankful for turkeys

NC ranks in top 3rd of states after economic “stress test”

North Carolina companies that produce and process turkey are an integral part of the state’s economy. Turkey producers along with the companies that provide supplies and materials to the industry provide well-paying jobs in the state and pay significant amounts in taxes to state and federal governments.

By Donna King North State Journal

9,135

people are employed by the turkey industry in North Carolina

TINT WEST

OF CORN:

C:closed 0 or delayed after Schools high winds M: knock 12 out power Y: 59.4 K: 6

Buncombe, Avery, Mitchell, Madison and Henderson counties Nearly 2,000 people were without power on Monday after high winds ripped through the N.C. mountains. According to Duke Energy, in Buncombe County alone 1,200 residents are in the dark.

In Henderson County, 1,500 people are without power. Avery County schools closed as a result of the weather and several other districts, including Mitchell and Madison counties, were on a twohour delay.

COUNTY NAMES:

North Carolina college to cover Benton Sans tuition cost for some nextBold, year

12pt.

Buncombe County A private college in Swannanoa says it will cover tuition for all incoming, in-state students eligible for federal or state need-based aid starting next year.

Warren Wilson College announced it will offer an N.C. Free Tuition Plan and Milepost One, which awards 25 fulltuition scholarships to incoming students whose families earn $125,000 per year or less. The school has approximately 718 undergraduates and costs $24,400 a year to attend after financial aid.

MOUNTAIN XPRESS

WLOS-TV

Masonry training program canceled Buncombe County A job training program in Asheville’s Southside neighborhood is being “tabled”

by United Community Development after the program’s first quarterly reports were reviewed and “is considered to be a performance deficiency.” The beginning masonry program received $111,804 from Buncombe County in an Isaac Coleman Community Investment Grant.

Negotiations with the masonry skills trainer reportedly broke down over disagreements on pay rates, paid time off and other contract provisions. To date, the project has spent $8,051.37 of its budget.

4 plead guilty in marriage fraud ring Cherokee County Four people who are accused of fraudulently marrying non-U.S. citizens will plead guilty to marriage fraud, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Jessica Marie Gonzalez, Kaila Nikelle Cucumber, Jordan Elizabeth Littlejohn and Kevin Dean Swayney, all of Cherokee. The defendants are part of a larger case charging 12 people in an organized effort to allegedly make money by performing marriages between U.S. citizens and non-citizens for their immigration status.

SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

A7

7.81

billion dollars was brought to N.C. by the turkey industry in 2016

BLACK RULE: Western region: Piedmont Green PIEDMONT EAST 2 charged with felony abuse Solid black, .5 dies pt weight Piedmont region:New NState Third corrections officer U.S attorneyRed for eastern NC on disabled woman from injuries sworn in Monday Johnston County Eastern region: NState Navy Wake County The N.C. Department of Public Safety has announced that Officer Wendy Shannon died Monday from injuries she sustained during a deadly escape attempt at Pasquotank Correctional Institution on Oct. 12. Shannon, 49, is the third officer to die following an incident where inmates attacked staff, set a fire in the facility’s sewing plant, and tried unsuccessfully to escape. “We mourn the loss of our colleague Correctional Officer Shannon,” said DPS Secretary Erik A. Hooks. “Our deepest condolences go out to the Shannon family during this difficult time.”

A 28-year-old handicapped woman is in critical condition after being found severely malnourished and injured in her Johnston County home. Her stepsister and stepsister’s boyfriend are her designated caretakers and were arrested Sunday after county deputies and EMS found the woman barely conscious with lacerations and bruises. Johnston County Sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Caldwell said this is of the worst cases of abuse in the history of the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office. The accused, Rosemary Christina Zaranka, 32, and her boyfriend, Damian Wayne Armstrong, 35, were charged.

Gaston County At New Hope Elementary School in Gastonia, the PTA’s annual bake sale came up short after a bag of money disappeared from the fundraising table.

The money was intended to purchase additional books for the school’s library.

Other tables at the PTA’s event raised more money, but the school is launching a drive to replace the stolen funds while police investigate the incident.

GASTON GAZETTE

WITN-TV

WSOC

N.C. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

$500 dollars stolen from school bake sale

Pitt County Robert Higdon Jr. was sworn in as the new U.S. attorney for the eastern district of North Carolina. Judge James Dever administered the oath on Monday afternoon in Raleigh. Higdon, a native of Greensboro, was nominated by President Donald Trump in August and confirmed by the Senate in September. Higdon will oversee a staff of 100, including 51 attorneys, covering the easternmost 44 counties of N.C. Higdon was a federal prosecutor for nearly 24 years.

ToyMakerz season two starts on Velocity network Rockingham County Cable and satellite network Velocity announced the second season of ToyMakerz, a show about Reidsville resident David Ankin and his custom vehicles. The eight, one-hour episodes are based on Ankin, owner and proprietor of ToyMakerz, Inc. The series production is currently scheduled to begin in April with filming to take place in N.C., Virginia and Florida. Ankin is a former stuntman who used to perform with motorcycles, race cars and at Universal Studios in the Water World shows.

CITIZEN-TIMES

The voice of the North Carolina poultry industry since 1968.

PR NEWSWIRE

Coast Guard rescues man near Figure Eight New Hanover County A man kayaking Sunday morning near Figure Eight Island in New Hanover County had to be rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard. Rescuers responded to a 911 call placed at 7 a.m. and found the man near Masonboro Inlet suffering from hypothermia. A Coast Guard spokesman warned people to be careful as Tropical Storm Phillippe passes well off the N.C. coast this week, creating good surfing conditions, but also cold and windy conditions that could be risky.

** All counties have a

Funding to bring books to Wayne 1.5 pt. white stroke County’s youngest children Wayne County The Partnership for Children of Wayne County announced they’ve been awarded a $61,000 grant from the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The money will be used for an Imagination Library program to purchase books for local families to help preschool-aged children get ready for kindergarten. The books are written in English and Spanish and will be free of charge for the families.

The North Carolina Legislature set aside $3.5 million for the first budget year of the Imagination Library program, and that figure will double to $7 million in the second year.

GOLDSBORO DAILY NEWS

Hospital to close on Outer Banks Dare County The Sentara Kitty Hawk will close in December after nearly 30 years in operation. One of the first medical centers to open on the Outer Banks, the facility reportedly had consistent problems with its building and been suffering financial losses. Sentara Family Medicine Physicians in Manteo and Sentara Cardiology Specialists in Kitty Hawk will remain open.

THE VIRGINIA PILOT

WCTI-12

RALEIGH — Researchers at Moody’s Analytics say that only 16 states are wellprepared for the next recession. Success was determined by whether or not a state has at least 10 percent of its budget in reserves to use in a recession without disruptive fiscal measures like sudden budget cuts or tax increases.

“No matter how high-flying an economy might appear, another recession is coming sooner or later,” said Dan White of Moody’s in the study’s paper. “It can be difficult, if not impossible, to regularly predict when one might occur, or how severe it may be, but recessions and their place in the business cycle are an accepted fact of economic life.

Therefore, preparing for recessions is an equally inescapable concept.”

Researchers also took into consideration the percentage of citizens a state has on Medicaid, its tax rates, and the built-in fiscal flexibility of its budget and planning.

Approximately 85 percent of the simulated fiscal stress in the test boiled down to lost tax revenue as opposed to greater Medicaid needs.

N.C. has a record $1.5 billion savings reserve and reduced personal and corporate income taxes over the past three years. In past years, Moody’s said that “North Carolina’s reserves have been below average.”

“The people of North Carolina can have confidence our state is well-prepared for emergencies thanks to a better budget process and smarter savings by Republican leaders

in Raleigh,” said House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain). “I’m proud the North Carolina House has served families and businesses responsibly with careful planning of our state’s financial security.”

Moody’s said the Great Recession technically ended in 2011, but state and local governments are still feeling the damage.

They say the states hit hardest are those with volatile industries as large parts of their economy and with high tax rates. In preparing for a coming downturn, Moody’s economists recommend that state’s increase the money in a reserve, or “rainy day,” fund, and ensure that any economic development incentive package minimizes impact to taxpayers, and they warn to carefully watch Medicaid enrollment rates.

In 2008, Medicaid enrollment jumped significantly nationwide as the number of unemployed Americans began to rise, almost a full nine months before state taxes began their first year-over-year declines. They also recommend that states regularly “stress test” their economies to see the potential impact of a sudden loss of tax revenue.

“Unpreparedness can lead to disruptive decisions to drastically cut spending or raise revenues just at the time the economy can least afford it,” said the analysts.

N.C. fell in Moody’s Analytics study among the 16 states that “have the funds they need” for a recession. Nineteen states “have most of the funds they need,” and 15 states “have significantly less funds than they need.”

Moody’s Analytics provides financial insights on capital markets and credit risk management for investors, strategic planners and policymakers.

NC House Democrat switches to GOP

By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — Eastern N.C. Democrat Rep. William Brisson announced Wednesday that he will switch his party affiliation to Republican ahead of his run for a seventh term.

“I'm elated that Rep. Brisson has decided to come over to become a Republican,” said Rep. Pat McElraft (R-Carteret) “He is not a party person. He is a person for his constituents. The GOP is a better fit for him. His constituents have conservative values — both socially and economically — and he has always been focused on voting the way his constituents believe.”

Brisson, 71, represents District 22 in N.C. which includes Bladen, Johnston and Sampson counties. He voted with Republicans on many key votes including the 2017 budget and supported the vote to override Gov. Roy Cooper's veto of the budget. Brisson voted in favor of the 10 overrides of Cooper's vetoes since January, often as the only "aye" vote among the House Democrats. He was also the only Democrat to vote in favor of sending

money to UNCW and the Cape Fear Public Utilities Authority to get started cleaning GenX out the the drinking water source and studying its effects. Most recently he voted to override Cooper's veto of the Elections Freedom Act of 2017.

Brisson told local TV station WECT that he's been under pressure from constituents to make the switch because he'd always considered himself a conservative Democrat but recently felt he had less in common with the state Democratic party as it had become too liberal.

Since the sudden announcement Wednesday morning, Twitter has been full of comments on the switch, including the NCGOP and House Republicans welcoming him to the team.

“Rep. Brisson has been a hardworking and conservative voice in our state legislature for quite some time now,” said NCGOP Chairman Robin Hayes. “We are elated with his decision to switch his registration to a party that will better serve himself and his constituents. I look forward to working with him to spread Republican values and make the 22nd district the best that it can be.”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

BUSINESS

An over view of the Curious George themed maze at Ken’s Korny Corn Maze behind Ken’s Produce and Garden Center in Garner, on Oct. 31.

n.c.

FAST FACTS Sponsored by

Focused on improving the economic well-being and quality of life for all North Carolinians, a collaborative team of regional partners, allies and education institutions represents the economic interests of businesses and towns from across the state.

Approved Logos

This week, NSJ highlights the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities

NCICU is comprised of 36 nonprofit, private liberal arts, research and comprehensive colleges and universities across North Carolina. From traditional four-year coeducational institutions to women’s colleges to historically black colleges and universities, NCICU colleges and universities offer the full spectrum of the college experience. The oldest private two-year college in the nation also is part of the NCICU family.

North Carolina independent colleges and universities serve the needs of: • 68,054 undergraduate students • 21,893 graduate and professional students • 52,062 students total from N.C. NCICU’s colleges and universities award 30% of the bachelor’s degrees in the state, as well as 49% of the medical degrees, 60% of the law degrees, 37.5% of the physical therapy degrees, 92% of physician assistant degrees and 55% of the pharmacy degrees.

North Carolina students at independent colleges and universities receive more than $88.4 million in need-based financial aid from the state.

Family farm events sustain growing agritourism sector Local farmers bridge seasons by opening properties and sharing traditions with their community, offering many a glimpse into the state’s stillvibrant rural economy

n.c.

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Sponsored by

Experience the wonder of whirligigs in Wilson

By Liz Moomey North State Journal RALEIGH — Pumpkin patches, corn mazes and pick-your-own farms are a classic fall staple in North Carolina, but also a trip to a North Carolina farm gives the economy a significant boost.

Agritourism in 2012 brought $17 million to the North Carolina economy, an increase of 39 percent from 2007.

“It’s an opportunity for folks from the urban areas to connect with rural communities and help support them so very much,” Annie Baggett, the agritourism marketing specialist for N.C. Dept. of Agriculture, said. “Agritourism is an agriculture economic driver.”

Visiting a farm not only bring in money for family farms, but also is an opportunity for people to learn about the history of agriculture, where their food comes from and the environment.

“People are welcomed with open arms, and there is such a southern hospitality, and I find it on our farms in a big way,” Baggett said. “Farmers get very enthusiastic about sharing their stories. They have an opportunity to teach about history and about heritage about the agriculture on their farms. Many of our farms are Century Farms, which means that they have been in their family for 100 years or more. Some of those farms are moving into 200 year-old farms and there’s so much intrenched. There are social, environmental and economic reasons and benefits on both sides for vis-

PHOTOS BY EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Plan some fall farm fun

plained the fields can give ease of mind for parents of young children because they will be far away from Call ahead: Make sure the farm is open and has what you’re looking traffic and can explore to their heart’s content. to do “The toddlers are able to free Think about age appropriateness: range on a farm,” Baggett said.

Can the whole family have fun?

“There is something of interest on a farm for all walks of life and all Dress for the farm: Wear sturdy generations.” shoes and warm clothes for the Farms can offer a variety of temperature drop at night activities depending on what they Wash hands before and after being grow, what the season is and the around animals culture of the farm. Baggett said Plan on prices If you’re on a budget, one farm she visited ran out of make sure you look at entrance pumpkins the week before Halloween but was telling visitors to come and activity prices back in late November to get their Christmas trees.

“Every farm is different,” Bagiting a farm.”

According to Visit NC’s North gett said. “What they grow is difCarolina’s Visitor Profile 2016 ferent, how they interact with the Study, rural sightseeing was the community is different, what their sixth most popular reason to stay goals are are different, and their overnight in North Carolina with stories are different, which is all 12 percent of visitors participat- great for the public. You can go to ing in that activity. Out-of-state any farm every day of the year and visitors are also increasingly con- not be on the same farm and have a sidering North Carolina as a des- different experience.”

Baggett recommends some tination, with 13 percent of them choosing to make a trip for rural planning ahead but urges visitors to remember to just plan on enjoysightseeing.

Baggett said there is something ing all a farm has to offer.

“It is a form of recreation, so get for everyone at a farm — from activities to roam around a big open out there, move around and have a field for kids to hanging out in a good time with your family,” Bagrocking chair on the porch. She ex- gett said.

Listen Live Weekdays 9am - 11am

CHADADAMSSHOW.COM

Listen to the north state journal staff every monday at 10:05am

If you’ve never heard of machinist and folk artist Vollis Simpson or seen one of his whirligigs, you’re missing out. Imagine gigantic, brightly painted, spinning sculptures created from scrap metal and junk parts, like HVAC fans, milkshake canisters, and stovepipes. Now adorn them with rockets, angels, stars and thousands of reflectors. Simpson’s whirligigs are such a big deal that, in June 2013, they were adopted as the official folk art of the state of North Carolina. This is a true must-see situation.

Good news: You have two great opportunities this week to experience whirligig wonder!

For starters, Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park is set to open Nov. 2 in downtown Wilson, a public power community. The two-acre park features 31 of Simpson’s whirligigs, including some of his largest.

Learn more at www.wilsonwhirligigpark.org.

The weekend brings the North Carolina Whirligig Festival. This two-day celebration of the arts brings more than 35,000 attendees and 200 vendors to downtown Wilson and features three entertainment stages, arts and crafts, a Whirli-Kidz zone and much more. Get details at

www.whirligigfestivalnc.org.

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A9

THE BRIEF U.S. consumer spending grows at fastest pace since 2009, savings drop

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL | FILE

Cathi Kendrick of Durham tests her blood sugar before eating lunch at The Blue Note Grill. She takes insulin shots four times a day and checks her blood sugar several times throughout the day.

Young diabetics may check sugar more when money’s at stake Duke medical study explores use of “behavioral economics” by offering financial incentives and penalties to motivate teens in daily diabetes monitoring

By Lisa Rapaport Reuters DURHAM — Teens and young adults with diabetes may do a better job of checking their blood sugar when they get daily financial incentives than when there’s no cash on the line, a recent experiment suggests.

Researchers tested out the potential for money to motivate young people to test blood sugar daily by offering $60 a month up front and then subtracting $2 for each day a participant didn’t follow through on required testing.

For three months, researchers randomly selected 90 teens and young adults to get these cash incentives or no reward at all.

Overall, the youth with money at stake met their daily blood sugar testing goals half of the time, while without rewards, participants only met their testing goals 19 percent of the time.

“The young people felt motivated and empowered to find ways to check their glucoses more

with money on the line,” said lead study author Dr. Charlene Wong of Duke University in Durham.

“They were especially motivated by the increasing losses if they missed the goal multiple days in a row,” Wong said by email.

All of the study participants had what’s known as type 1 diabetes. This chronic condition, typically diagnosed in children and young adults, occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone needed to allow blood sugar, or glucose, to enter the body’s cells.

People with type 1 diabetes typically have to test their own blood sugar levels throughout the day and inject insulin to manage it. Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to cardiovascular disease, kidney complications and death.

While young children typically manage their blood sugar with a lot of help and supervision from their parents, daily blood sugar monitoring often gets worse in adolescence as children start to take over responsibility for their own care, researchers note in JAMA Pediatrics.

To see if cash could help improve the odds of teens doing these daily tests, researchers turned to what’s known as behavioral economics to see if the threat of losing prize money might be a more powerful moti-

Your Partner in Precision Agriculture

“This study shows that there are new opportunities to ‘nudge’ healthy behaviors in teens with type 1 diabetes using connected diabetes devices and mobile technology.”

— Dr. Joyce Lee, University of Michigan medical researcher vator than the promise of winning money.

Study participants were 16 years old on average, and most of them were full-time students living at home.

All of them were given daily blood sugar monitoring goals of testing at least four times a day with at least one result within a safe or normal range.

The teens who could get cash did better at testing during the three months when the financial incentives were offered.

But when researchers followed participants for an extra three months without any cash on the line, the differences between the groups disappeared.

There also wasn’t a meaningful difference in blood sugar

Washington, D.C. U.S. consumer spending recorded its biggest increase in more than eight years in September, likely as households in Texas and Florida replaced flood-damaged motor vehicles, but underlying inflation remained muted. Households, however, dipped into their savings to fund purchases last month, pushing savings to their lowest level since 2008. Against the backdrop of lackluster wage growth, the drop in savings suggests that September's robust pace of consumer spending is probably unsustainable. "Relying on consumer savings to move the economy forward is not going to last for long," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG in New York. The Commerce Department said on Monday consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, jumped 1.0 percent last month after an unrevised 0.1 percent gain in August. The increase, which also included a boost from higher household spending on utilities, was the largest since August 2009.

Economists had forecast consumer spending increasing 0.8 percent in September. The data was included in last Friday's third-quarter gross domestic product report, which showed consumer spending growth slowing to a 2.4 percent annualized rate after a robust 3.3 percent pace in the second quarter.

Lennar buys CalAtlantic to become largest U.S. homebuilder levels based on whether or not the youth could receive cash rewards, either at three months or at six months.

“The intervention was designed for the teenage brain, as it provided short-term monetary rewards for health behaviors,” said Dr. Joyce Lee, a researcher at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor.

“However, the study did not necessarily translate to better controlled blood sugar in the long-term,” Lee said by email.

“Checking blood sugars is important for diabetes care, but taking insulin is also really important and the study did not incentivize behavior related to insulin dosing.”

That doesn’t mean there is no place for behavioral economics in trying to motivate teens to take charge of their health, Lee said.

The idea of loss aversion, or offering a prize that that can go away, may have potential to get youth to meet testing goals.

“This study shows that there are new opportunities to “nudge” healthy behaviors teens with in type 1 diabetes using connected diabetes devices and mobile technology,” Lee added. “But I would caution parents that we need more studies to determine the long-term efficacy of these behavioral economics interventions.”

Miami, Fla. Lennar Corp will buy smaller rival CalAtlantic Group Inc for $5.7 billion, creating the largest homebuilder in the United States as it strives to deal with higher land acquisition costs and a tighter labor market. The deal announced by the companies on Monday is the first major merger in the U.S. housing sector in more than two years and will make the unified firm one of the top three homebuilders in 24 of the United States' 30 biggest markets. Valued at $5.66 billion in stock and shares, plus $3.6 billion in net debt, analysts said the buyout would give Lennar a better foothold in booming housing markets in California from which CalAtlantic drew a third of its revenue last year. But the move also reflects the pressure on builders due to a shortage of skilled labor that is constraining the supply of homes and pushing costs up even as U.S. house prices rise for a seventh straight year. CalAtlantic's shares jumped 23 percent after the announcement of the deal, which valued its shares at $51.24 per share a premium of 27 percent to Friday's close, but Lennar's fell almost 3 percent. "Builders are increasingly seeking greater volume and cost controls in order to offset higher land and input costs and drive better profitability and returns,” said industry analyst Susan Maklari.

Helping farmers grow with technology www.vantagesouthatlantic.com

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A10

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Ray Nothstine, opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

EDITORIAL | RAY NOTHSTINE

Why conservatism is the best path forward One only needs to look to large swaths of the culture to see the despair of secularism.

NEBRASKA SEN. BEN SASSE said it well recently when he stated that he was an “American first, a conservative second, and a Republican third.” Sasse’s point was that we endanger the Republic when we get those rankings out of order. The American historian H. Stuart Hughes noted that “conservatism is the negation of ideology.”

The great conservative intellectual Russell Kirk expanded on this important truth. Kirk stressed understanding the human condition and the moral order for citizens, and in effect, how that helps to sustain a healthy nation.

Fixed political ideology is less important than “a deep attachment to the permanent things.”

Those non-material things that can never be replaced by collectivism or the state.

I was introduced to conservatism and to a lesser extent the Republican Party through Ronald Reagan’s presidency. I am just old enough to remember the election of 1984. In kindergarten, I knew that Walter Mondale wanted to raise taxes. I knew enough to understand that meant the government got more of your income and property.

My father, a retired Air Force pilot, was stationed in Saudi Arabia while my mom and brother and I were living in the Philadelphia suburbs close to my grandparents. Reagan was strong on defense and was generally seen as great for the military, so I was for Reagan.

In what was a harbinger for the election, we took a poll in our kindergarten class on who

our parents were voting for and Reagan won easily.

The 1980s were fraught with problems, many which seem much worse than today’s ailments. However, despite fringes on the far left, the nation was largely united in a common purpose — checking and even rolling back what was then a real Red Menace.

Movies like Rocky IV and Red Dawn proved as much. In any event, Reagan was able to fuse together a broad and winning coalition of social conservatives, free-market libertarians, and national defense hawks.

In some respects, it’s hard to say where conservatism is headed today. Conservatism inherently needs a stable and healthy culture and we are anything but that now.

The two largest political forces appear to be populist movements spearheaded by Donald Trump on the right and Sen. Bernie Sanders on the left. Republican mismanagement of the conservative brand in Washington D.C. undoubtedly helped to usher in the Trump presidency. Some of his efforts have been good and some bad, but the collective freak-out over Trump only reinforces the problem with elevating politics over anything and everything in life. The collectivist sees the political sphere and the omnicompetent state as the best ways to perfect man and the created order.

Of course, conservatism charts a whole different path, well beyond merely the material world. It elevates the moral order

and the virtues necessary for the ideals of self-government to succeed. “Freedom is the recognition that no single person, no single authority of government has a monopoly on the truth, but that every individual life is infinitely precious, that every one of us put on this world has been put there for a reason and has something to offer,” declared Ronald Reagan during his landmark address at Moscow University in 1988.

Conservatism is the best path forward for this nation because it posits the fact that the citizen under the authority of the Creator automatically limits the state. The conservative mind is essential today because it wreaks havoc on secularism and all its discontents.

One only needs to look to large swaths of the culture to see the despair of secularism.

It inevitably leads to chaos and a lack of a deeper purpose and meaning. Conservatism is so essential going forward because it can recognize this and speak truth to our cultural despair and politics. Most importantly, conservatism often deals with universal truths and nothing is I needed more for America today amidst the clamoring darkness.

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

Why not add a 70 percent tax bracket for the uber-wealthy?

If there is a very wealthy person actually paying 39.6 percent on any income, they need better tax accountants and lawyers.

SUPPORTERS OF the progressive income tax think it is the greatest thing since sliced bread because it makes taxes more “fair.”

Wrong. It just makes everyone who supports class warfare feel better because they think they are sticking it to the rich when, in reality, it doesn’t impact very high net worth individuals.

The proposed new tax brackets would collapse the existing 7 tax rates down to three: 12, 25 and 35 percent. There is speculation that the tax package now under consideration by Congress will not reduce the highest tax rate for multi-millionaires from 39.6 percent and might, in fact, raise it on them.

It won’t matter. For reasons discussed below.

The top marginal income tax rate is 39.6 percent today and is effective on taxable income of $418,400+ for single filers and $470,700+ for married couples filing jointly.

The premise behind keeping a 4th bracket at 39.6 percent and/or adding a much higher tax rate for the super-wealthy is that “rich people should pay more in taxes!” without really specifying how much more would be satisfactory.

The real question is: Would a super high income tax rate on the uber-wealthy bring in a lot more tax revenue to pay for all the stuff we want our federal government to

pay for?

Probably not.

Uber-wealthy people have access to unbelievably smart and clever tax accountants, estate planners and tax lawyers. If you don’t believe it, ask one of them.

As long as we have a tax code rife with hundreds of specific personal and corporate tax deductions, exemptions and tax credits, very wealthy people will be able to hire enough tax accountants and lawyers to drive their effective tax rate down to whatever level they choose to pay.

If there is a very wealthy person actually paying 39.6 percent on any income, they need better tax accountants and lawyers.

Why is this true?

Most very wealthy people do not take any salary once they reach a certain point in wealth accumulation. Therefore, many do not pay ANY income tax at all. Period.

No federal or state income taxes are paid since they don’t take any income in salary. No payroll taxes are paid into Social Security or Medicare Part A withheld each pay period because they don’t get paid like the majority of other taxpayers who earn a paycheck every week.

They collect income in the form of capital gains or qualified dividends which are taxed at the 20 percent rate, not 39.6 percent. Many capital gains are offset by tax losses on other investments or in

like-kind exchanges in which case, no tax revenues are generated from asset sales by many rich people in a given year.

They invest in tax-free municipal bonds for example. Hard to collect taxes from taxfree incomes.

The number of legal tax schemes available to the super-wealthy in America today to offset non-salaried income are legion. Why any colossally-wealthy people pay any tax every year except for perhaps public relations purposes is mind-boggling.

Since CBO doesn’t use dynamic scoring, perhaps Congress should add on a superduper marginal tax rate of 70 percent on everyone in the highest earned income salary levels since static scoring would presume little-to-no change in behavior, although we all know it does.

Based on other similar projections, CBO might end up with a score of at least $1.5 trillion of increased revenues over the next 10 years at least on paper. Technically, that would make this bill budget-neutral, even though hardly any of these projections would come true.

The people who would be thrilled with this new tax bracket, besides advocates of the progressive income tax, would be the very same tax accountants and lawyers who have already figured out how to minimize tax exposure for super-wealthy people at 39.6 percent today.

They can do it at 70 percent or above, too.

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A11

GUEST OPINION | TROY L. KICKLER

Making sense of America and its distinctions

A Burkean would argue, for example, that America is an “extension of European and especially British laws, institutions, and religious beliefs.”

SOMETIMES seemingly easy questions are the most difficult to answer. For instance, have you ever asked: “What is the United States?”

Many people think they know the answer and have dogmatic opinions. Yet ask them a few followup questions demanding answers that require an explanation or that go beyond parroting a few sound bites. People are left befuddled.

It is truly a difficult question to answer, and many times, our definition is linked to our definition of patriotism.

Many believe the United States is primarily an idea and subscribe to an American creed that is continually progressing. Others believe that the United States is a place with a particular culture, informed by many distinct yet assimilated cultural influences. These two can be in tension, but they are not mutually exclusive.

The titles of history texts can reveal whether an author is influenced more by the abstract or the particular, or put another way, by a creed or by a nation.

Here is an incomplete list, without respective subtitles: 1. Unto a Good Land 2. A Patriot’s History of the United States 3. A People’s History of the United States 4. Give Me Liberty 5. Voices of Freedom 6. A History of the American People 7. Out of Many 8: Unfinished Nation In many ways, differing definitions of America resulted from a longstanding intellectual schism during the 1700s Enlightenment: Skeptical and Radical.

(There were other Enlightenment schools, too). Many historians argue there was a distinct American Enlightenment that combined elements of the two.

A Burkean would argue, for example, that America is an “extension of European and especially British laws, institutions, and religious beliefs.” As historian Wilfred McClay relays, that is a good question to ask. Does also common American history, legal tradition, and shared experiences unite us?

Intellectual descendants of the Radical Enlightenment would argue that America is a nation built primarily upon abstract principles. So, suggests McClay, another good question is whether America is a “post-ethnic nation built upon universal individual

SUSAN ESTRICH

rights” rather than, for example, tradition, conventions, and language.

Let’s take the query further. Is America both a creed and a particular nation? Is America, asks McClay, “distinctive?”

The United States is based on the abstract and particular, a creed and a nation.

Let’s consider the Declaration of Independence. It declares, “All men are created equal, and bestowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights . . . Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The notable part of the “American creed” is located near the beginning. This is one of two precepts commonly invoked by Americans—the other being America is a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

The Declaration of Independence was not simply the product of abstract thinking. The document was also a product of shared experiences across the American colonies and a growing sentiment of the people. A list of 27 grievances is in the middle part of the document.

(It must be remembered that, in North Carolina alone, the Halifax Resolves, the Mecklenburg Resolves, the Martinsborough Resolves, and similar declarations preceded the Declaration of Independence.)

America’s founding document, the Declaration of Independence, then, is a mixture of the abstract and the particular, a creed and a nation. American patriotism, then, can be a combined belief in a creed and an acknowledgement of shared experiences, with a devotion to the particular and the nation.

If America is only a creed, it is easy to point out hypocritical “sins” and let the defects distract from the whole. Critics often fail, as McClay writes, to “weigh America’s problems on the scale of all human history.”

A devotion to the particular—as evidenced by a love for family or appreciation for Burkean “small platoons,” those local associations and institutions, Americans hold dear—can foster patriotism for the nation, and thereby a creed.

A few days ago, I saw a fellow wearing a T-shirt. On the back, was a picture of John Wayne, and a quote: “Sure, I wave the American flag. Do you know a better flag to wave?” America has faults that we try to learn from, but it is our country.

Troy L. Kickler, Ph.D., is an alumnus of the University of Tennessee and N.C. A&T State University.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin listens as U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a tax reform industry meeting at the White House in Washington.

ERE’S AN IDEA: Declare the American opioid epidemic a H health emergency. It’s not a very

original idea, as people have been sounding the alarms on this crisis for years now. But when you’re president of the United States, such a declaration can really mean something. When you’re president of the United States, you can do more than talk. You can take action: Make existing funds available, reallocate priorities, send funds to the states for treatment, ask Congress for new money or new programs, ask the agencies for new regulations.

Or then again, you can just talk.

We have a president who, at least when it suits him, is content to just talk.

The opioid crisis is killing Donald Trump’s voters.

I have the kind of doctors who would be all over me if I started taking more painkillers than I need. But it is easy to see— painfully easy, if you’ll pardon me—just how quickly you can get addicted in America today if you don’t have the best health care, or even if you do. You can shop doctors. People do. And what is even clearer is that if you don’t have good health care it is easier to stay addicted than it is to find the help and support you need to get off and stay off.

The president’s declaration on the opioid epidemic isn’t even aiming to change anything. He didn’t request the allocation of any funds. While you can’t solve problems by throwing money at them, it’s even harder to solve them when there’s no help to be had.

If only he were so hapless when it came to impacting the environment.

While you can’t solve problems by throwing money at them, it’s even harder to solve them when there’s no help to be had.

KEVIN LAMARQUE | REUTERS

GUEST OPINION | JOHN T. MCNABB

Tax reform facts trump political rhetoric It will be up to President Trump and the GOP to hold the line against these cynical and dishonest attacks.

A Trump crisis

THIS WEEK PRESIDENT TRUMP and Congressional Republicans will unveil their tax reform proposal and begin the grinding work of overhauling America’s complex and burdensome system. When it comes to economic growth and job creation there is no greater priority than tax relief for working class Americans before the end of the year. Not surprisingly Democrat leaders Schumer and Pelosi have come out strong against Republican tax reform efforts with charges that the GOP is giving tax breaks to the rich. This is a sad and familiar refrain. One that looks foolish in the face of the facts and the promise of President Trump and Congressional Republicans that tax relief will be centered on the middle class and working families.

Fortunately, if Congressional Republicans can maintain unity they can deliver tax relief to the American people with or without help from liberal Democrats in Congress.

In a positive sign for the effort, the House and Senate GOP rallied to pass a FY 2018 budget. In doing so they set up a process called “budget reconciliation.” For purposes of tax reform this means that, should Congressional Democrats continue to oppose tax relief efforts, Republicans can pass tax reform with simple majorities in the House and Senate.

As of now there is little sign that Congressional Democrats are willing to abandon their class warfare tactics and join the GOP in providing relief to the American people. Nancy Pelosi has called the GOP tax relief proposal “Armageddon.” Chuck Schumer is using the class warfare playbook in accusing the GOP tax relief plan as a give-away to big corporations and the wealthiest Americans. The senseless rhetoric from the left goes onand-on. Let’s look at the facts. The GOP proposal would do the following: Simplify the tax code for all Americans, reducing the number of brackets from seven to three – 12 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent. President Trump has also proposed a potential fourth tax bracket for those earning over $1 million annually.

Doubles the standard deduction and enhances the Child Tax Credit.

Eliminates loopholes for the wealthy and protects key tax provisions for the middle class such as the mortgage interest deduction, deductions for charitable contributions as well as tax incentives for work, higher education and

retirement security.

Repeals the death tax and the AMT. Lowers tax rates on family businesses to 25 percent.

Levels the playing field for US businesses by establishing a 20 percent corporate tax rate. Today, the average corporate tax rate among foreign competitors is 22.5 percent. The current US corporate tax rate is 39 percent.

Allows businesses write off expenses in the first year which will spur investment, creating jobs and economic growth.

Allows companies to bring home billions in profits that are stranded of-shore due to prohibitively high US tax rates.

Congressional Republicans will release draft legislation this week and move to mark-up that bill next week. They expect to bring tax relief legislation to the floor of the House of Representatives before Thanksgiving with the Senate to follow. The goal is to send tax cut legislation to President Trump before the end of the year. This would provide hard working Americans desperately needed tax relief in time for the 2017 tax-filing deadline.

Congressional Democrats will continue the class warfare rhetoric, once again attempting to pit American against American in a desperate effort to regain political power.

It will be up to President Trump and the GOP to hold the line against these cynical and dishonest attacks. And it will be up to all of us to hold both Republicans and Democrats accountable for getting the job done.

According to the Tax Foundation in 2016 the average American paid more federal, state and local taxes than on food, clothing and housing combined. Collectively, Americans worked over half the year, April 24th, to pay this staggering tax burden that includes $3.3 trillion in federal taxes, $1.6 trillion in state and local taxes for a combined total of nearly $5 trillion. This is madness.

For too long our elected officials have put their political interests ahead of the American people. The vacuum of their inaction has seen a staggering growth in the cost and size of government at the expense of hardworking Americans. Enough is enough.

John T. McNabb is vice chairman, American Leadership Council. co-founder, Trump Leadership Council and Former Chairman and CEO, Willbros Group.

Trump owes his own voters better. They, and their children, are suffering. Poor rural Americans are at risk for opioid addiction, along with veterans, and housewives and the kid next door.

Every day, people of every stripe shake their heads and ask, “What will it take?” We see and hear things we thought we’d never see: former President George W. Bush coming out to assail a successor of his own party; senior Republican Senators openly and eloquently criticizing their president.

Ho-hum. Do they matter? Do the numbers inch down a crack or so? It is hard to see. Things like this are supposed to matter. In the Washington I grew up in, they would be huge deals — or, at least, everyone would act like they were huge deals, which may have made them so.

But Trump doesn’t let them.

And if he doesn’t let them, why should anyone else?

So he declares a crisis with no funding. Let the liberals poke fun; Trump doesn’t care. He will laugh.

So you’ve got Republicans such as Bob Corker and Jeff Flake unloading on the president.

Unheard of. But does it bother Trump? I’m sure he’s delighted that they’re leaving: He doesn’t care what the Bush crowd has to say, or Bush himself, for that matter.

There is a new swamp king.

And until someone figures out how to dislodge his base, until those who oppose him in Congress outnumber those who will not vote to oust him, there he sits. He lives for the division. Were the party united, he could not survive. Were the country united, it would be in opposition to him.

By spinning political turmoil, he limits the ability of anyone or anything to gain traction against him.

It is sometimes terrifying to watch, as with North Korea, and sometimes just terrifyingly sad, as with the opioid epidemic.

Susan Estrich is an attorney and former campaign manager for Democrat presidential nominee Michael Dukakis

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

A12 NEWS IN IMAGES

A visitor wearing a T-Rex costume uses the lavatory at the London Comic Con, at the ExCel exhibition centre in east London, Britain, Oct. 27.

PETER NICHOLLS | REUTERS

CARLOS BARRIA | REUTERS

President Donald Trump gives out Halloween treats to children of members of press and White House staff in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on Oct. 27.

JOSE LUIS GONZALEZ | REUTERS

A boy dressed as the clown “It” poses for a photo during a Halloween party in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Oct. 27.

CARLO ALLEGRI | REUTERS

CARLO ALLEGRI | REUTERS

A woman crosses 42nd Street amid steam in the Manhattan borough of New York City, Oct. 27.

Tiger “Maruschka” (not pictured) and her four cubs meet the cubs’ father “Yasha” for the first time in Hagenbecks zoo in Hamburg, Germany, on Oct. 26.

NOT ALL VODKA IS MADE FROM POTATOES SWEET POTATOES ARE VEGETABLES VEGETABLES ARE GOOD FOR YOU

— YOU’RE WELCOME Covington vodka is available in 750 mL and 1.75 L. covingtonvodka.com

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2017

JOHN QUACKENBOS | BCEAGLES.COM

the Wednesday SIDELINE REPORT

SPORTS

Guards Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman flying high with the Eagles

NFL

Panthers trade Benjamin to Bills for two picks The Panthers apparently waited long enough for Kelvin Benjamin to become a No. 1 receiver. Carolina dealt its 2014 first-round pick to Buffalo in exchange for the Bills’ thirdand seventh-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline.

Buffalo coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane both worked for the Panthers when the team selected Benjamin 28th overall. Benjamin, 26, had 32 receptions for 475 yards and two touchdowns this season for Carolina. The Bills are a surprising 5-2 and behind only the Patriots in the AFC East, while Carolina sits at 5-3 in the NFL South, a half game behind 5-2 New Orleans.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Elon football continues climb in FCS poll Elon jumped three spots to No. 7 in this week’s STATS FCS Top 25 after rallying in the fourth quarter for a 19-14 win against Villanova on Saturday in a battle of ranked Colonial Athletic Association rivals. The win was the seventh straight and fourth this season against a ranked opponent for the Phoenix, which enhanced its FCS playoff chances by improving to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in conference play. Villanova came into the game ranked 12th. Trailing 14-10 with 12:05 remaining, Elon took the lead on a 21-yard pass from Davis Cheek to Tre Marsh. Although kicker Owen Johnson missed the extra point, he connected on a 28-yard field goal — his second of the game — to provide the final margin.

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal

MATT CASHORE | USA TODAY SPORTS

NC State Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley looks to throw against Notre Dame last Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.

Wolfpack still controls its ACC destiny Despite loss at Notre Dame, NC State can make ACC title game if it wins out

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal SOUTH BEND, Ind. — NC State got a glimpse at what big boy football looks like Saturday.

It’s a lesson that cost the Wolfpack a 35-14 loss to Notre Dame and an end to its six-game winning streak.

But if there was a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing day under a blue-gray October sky in South Bend, it’s the lesson Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren’s team learned as it turns its attention to another heavyweight opponent, national champion Clemson, for a game this weekend that will likely determine the ACC Atlantic Division championship.

“We just have to be way more physical,” sophomore safety Jarius Morehead said after the ACC’s best rushing defense got pounded for 318 yards on the ground by the bigger,

stronger Irish. “I didn’t expect gaps to be open that big, but it happens.”

The Wolfpack came into Saturday’s game riding high with visions of a top-10 ranking and spot in the College Football Playoff dancing in its head.

After getting off to a promising start, though, those dreams were dashed by an opponent that dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and systematically wore State down into submission.

It didn’t help matters that three members of the Wolfpack’s vaunted defensive line — end Darian Roseboro, tackle Justin Jones and his backup Eurndraus Bryant — were knocked out of the game with injuries.

Even with them on the field, State had its hands full trying to bring down Notre Dame’s 6-foot-2, 225-pound steamroller of a running back Josh Adams, who enhanced his Heisman Trophy resume with a 202-yard performance that included a 77-yard touchdown run.

“I thought we had a good See NC STATE, page B3

Wake loses Dortch for the season Wake Forest freshman wide receiver Greg Dortch set a school record with four touchdown catches in Saturday’s win over Louisville, earning ACC Receiver of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week honors.

Unfortunately, it will be the last game of the season for the Deacons standout rookie.

Dortch suffered an abdominal injury in the 42-32 win over the Cardinals that required surgery. He had 53 catches for 722 yards and nine touchdowns in Wake Forest’s first eight games.

BC’s backcourt has an NC flavor

CHARLOTTE — The two guards many rank as the top backcourt tandem in ACC basketball this season both come from North Carolina.

They just don’t play for a North Carolina school.

Overlooked by the highest profile teams in their home state, including their childhood favorite UNC, Jerome Robinson and Ky Bowman had to travel to the farthest reaches of the conference’s geographic footprint to make a name for themselves and realize their dream of ACC stardom.

“Any kid that grows up in North Carolina and plays basketball wants to go to a Carolina school,” said Robinson, a 6-foot-5 junior from Raleigh’s Broughton High School. “We predominantly run the basketball scene.

“You don’t really want to leave, but you definitely want to play someplace just as big. So you’ve got to take your opportunities when you get them.”

Neither Robinson nor Bowman were heavily recruited out of high school by UNC, NC State, Duke or Wake Forest.

For Robinson, it was because he was a late bloomer that didn’t get fully recognized until late in the process. It wasn’t for a lack of exposure, though.

One of his teammates at Broughton was Cameron Gottfried, the son of then-NC State coach Mark Gottfried. As such, Robinson would often wander over to State to play pickup games with members of the Wolfpack.

Although the college players welcomed him with open arms and got along with him well enough, they

“Whenever one of us would make a good play, we’d look at the other, nod and say it’s the North Carolina connection.”

— Jerome Robinson, Boston College shooting guard

See BOSTON COLLEGE, page B4

JOHN QUACKENBOS | BCEAGLES.COM

North Carolina natives Jerome Robinson (1) and Ky Bowman hug after Boston College’s loss to Wake Forest at the ACC Tournament in Brooklyn last March.

INSIDE

RICHARD MACKSON | USA TODAY SPORTS

Three North Carolinians are playing key roles for the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers in this year’s World Series. Houston outfielder Cameron Maybin became the best friend of taco lovers with his stolen base in the 11th inning of the Astros’ Game 2 win (don’t forget to get your free Doritos Locos taco at Taco Bell on Wednesday), while Los Angeles shortstop Corey Seager and pitcher Alex Wood are trying to bring a title back to the Dodgers. Maybin is a native of Asheville, while both Seager and Wood are from Charlotte. B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

B2 WEDNESDAY

11.1.17

TRENDING

Chesson Hadley: The Raleigh native finished second at last weekend’s Sanderson Farms Championship, the PGA Tour stop at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi. Ryan Armour won the event at 19-under, besting Hadley by five strokes.

Hadley now has topthree finishes in his first two PGA events of the 2017-18 season, having finished tied for third at the Safeway Open earlier in October. He is currently sixth in the early-season FedExCup Standings.

Jay Ajayi: The running back was traded from the Miami Dolphins to the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m.

NFL trade deadline.

The Dolphins, the NFL’s lowest-scoring team at 13.1 points per game, received a fourth-round pick for Ajayi. The third-year back finished fourth in the league in rushing last season with 1,272 yards, but was averaging just 3.4 yards per carry this season.

Jim McElwain: The University of Florida parted ways with its embattled coach, athletic director Scott Stricklin announced Sunday. McElwain’s job status was already tenuous prior to Saturday’s 42-7 loss to No. 3 Georgia but the beat down from one of the school’s fiercest rivals sped up the process of ending McElwain’s tenure.

Defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, the head coach at Miami from 2007-10, will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season. The Gators are 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the SEC. Florida’s statement said the university is in the process of “negotiating terms of separation.” McElwain’s buyout is approximately $12.76 million.

beyond the box score POTENT QUOTABLES

NFL

While most San Francisco 49ers observers focused on signing Kirk Cousins in the offseason or using a high draft pick on a collegiate standout to serve the role as the club’s quarterback of the future, team management went in a different direction Monday, acquiring New England Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo in a trade.

The 49ers gave up a second-round pick in 2018 to get Tom Brady’s backup. It was also reported that Brian Hoyer, the 49ers’ starting quarterback for the first six losses of an 0-8 season, would be released.

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

“You don’t need to make it four. ...

Three is enough to win.”

Hurricanes coach Bill Peters after Carolina surrendered a 3-2 lead Sunday against the Ducks and lost in a shootout.

In five of Carolina’s first 10 games, the losing team has scored three goals.

GREG M. COOPER | USA TODAY SPORTS

NBA

NFL

JASON SILVA | USA TODAY SPORTS

“Check my hand wraps. Make sure I haven’t got anything in there.

Hey, I’m a bad man right now.”

Wilmington’s Derek Brunson after he knocked out MMA legend Lyoto Machida at a UFC Fight Night event Saturday in Sao Paola, Brazil.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

-6 Point differential for the Elon football team despite their 7-1 record.

The Phoenix have been outscored this year 193‑187, thanks to a 47-13 loss to FBS school Toledo in their season opener.

Elon has since reeled off seven straight wins but has a margin of victory of just four points. Elon’s biggest win of the season game Oct. 7, a 25-17 win over William & Mary. Four games have been decided by three points or less.

TROY WAYRYNEN | USA TODAY SPORTS

JUSTIN FORD | USA TODAY SPORTS

Russell Wilson needed a left tackle and he got it — along with $6.26 million. The Seahawks quarterback restructured his contract so the team could trade for Houston left tackle Duane Brown. Brown had returned to the Texans last week after holding out all season in a contract dispute.

Houston.

The Hornets improved to 4-3 Monday with a 104-99 win over the Grizzlies.

Kemba Walker led the way with 27 points and four other Charlotte players finished in double figures.

Dwight Howard had just two points and seven rebounds. He had averaged 17 rebounds in his first four games with the team.

NASCAR

With most of the field wrecking behind him, Kyle Busch took the lead on the final lap and won the First Data 500 on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. It was his fifth Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win of the season and clinched a position among the Championship Four at the 2017 season finale at HomesteadMiami Speedway on Nov. 19. Busch led a race-high 184 laps. Points leader Martin Truex Jr. finished second and Clint Bowyer was third.

MICHAEL SHROYER | USA TODAY SPORTS

Always Dry. Always Comfortable.

w w w . a l b e m a r l e b o at s . c o m

Find us on

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

B3 NC STATE from page B1

EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Head coach Danny Manning and the Demon Deacons expect to build on their NCAA bid from last season.

Deacons aim for more than just a bid After being knocked out in an NCAA Tournament play-in game last season, Danny Manning and Wake Forest plan to be an annual postseason threat

By Brett Friedlander North State Journal CHARLOTTE — Officially, the Wake Forest basketball team made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010 last season.

It just didn’t feel like it to the players that accomplished the goal and ended the drought.

“Even though we made it to the tournament,” senior guard Mitchell Wilbekin said, “we really didn’t make it to the tournament.”

Because the Deacons were one of the last four at-large teams selected to the field of 68, they were relegated to playing in the so-called First Four in Dayton instead of being seeded directly into the main bracket.

Their 95-88 loss to Kansas State in that game meant that they were already eliminated from the festivities two days before the madness actually kicked in. It was a disappointment that has only fueled Wake’s motivation to get back.

Even then, Wilbekin said that the experience of being part of the tournament environment was more valuable to his team than the NCAA tournament watches

each player received to commemorate his participation.

“When we get to that point, it’s lose or go home so you’ve got to take that lose or go home method and fight for everything,” Wilbekin said. “If there’s a loose ball on the floor, you’ve got to go down and get it. If there’s a rebound, you’re getting that rebound and if it’s your shot and you’re wide open, you better be sure you’re ready and prepared to make the shot.”

Those are things Wilbekin said he and his teammates didn’t always do in a game that saw Kansas State shoot a blistering 66 percent from the floor.

“I don’t feel like we approached that game in the correct way,” he said. “I think we were too excited.”

Now that the Deacons know what to expect, coach Danny Manning said the goal is to be more than just “happy to be there” next time around.

“We tell the guys that’s the basement of what we want to attain and where we want to be,” Manning said of the Deacons’ short 2017 NCAA tournament stay. “We don’t want to just get to the NCAA tournament every year. We want to say we’re an NCAA tournament team, now let’s do something a little bit more than that, something a little more special than that.”

Before Wake can think about going deeper into the tournament, however, it must first do enough during the regular season

“We want to say we’re an NCAA tournament team, now let’s do something a little bit more than that, something a little more special than that.”

— Danny Manning, Wake Forest coach to get back to the tournament.

That’s not necessarily a lock considering that the Deacons lost their best player, John Collins, to the NBA draft. Collins, a 6-foot10 sophomore, now plays for the Atlanta Hawks after being selected as the 19th overall pick.

While Collins’ loss was expected after averaging 19.2 points and 9.8 rebounds and being named the ACC’s Most Improved Player, Wake was surprised this summer when senior forward Dinos Mitoglou signed a contract to play professionally in his home country of Greece.

His departure leaves the Deacons dangerously short both in stature and low post experience. But it’s a problem Manning thinks his team can overcome because of an abundance of talented backcourt players.

It’s a group led by Bryant Crawford, a 6-3 junior who put up All-ACC numbers last season (16.2 points, 5.1 assists per

game) without gaining All-ACC recognition. Joining him are junior Keyshawn Woods, the team’s third-leading scorer at 12.5 ppg a year ago, along with steady veteran Wilbekin and sophomore Brandon Childress.

The backcourt rotation was strengthened even further by the addition of Florida prep Player of the Year Chaundee Brown, Wake’s highest-ranked recruit since 2007.

There are so many potential contributors at the two guard positions that Manning is going to have to find creative ways to get as many of them onto the court as possible.

“It depends on matchups. It depends on foul trouble. It depends on injuries,” the fourth-year coach said. “All I know is that at some point in time I’m going to have my four guards out there. What big guy is out there with them?

Whoever’s playing the best.”

Whether that turns out to be 7-foot junior Doral Moore, stocky sophomore Sam Japhet-Mathias or four-star freshman Olivier Sarr, Manning’s players are confident he’ll make the decision that gives his team the best chance of winning.

“Danny Manning wanted to change the culture of our team.

He wanted to bring in good guys, wanted to bring in people that love being in the gym and love to get better,” said Woods. “He did a great job with bringing in the right type of guys that we needed in order to win games.”

scheme. I think they did a good job of adjusting,” Doeren said. “You just have to tackle. That’s the No. 1 fundamental on defense and we didn’t do that well enough. Disappointing.”

Disappointing yes, but hardly disheartening.

That’s because the loss, as sound a beating as it was, had absolutely no bearing whatsoever on State’s chances of accomplishing its primary goal — winning the ACC Atlantic Division championship.

As the only team in the division without a conference loss, the Wolfpack still holds its destiny in its own hands heading into Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. showdown with Clemson on Carter-Finley Stadium.

“We’ve still got some opportunities in the ACC,” star defensive end Bradley Chubb said. “That’s our conference, so if we want to win that, we still have the opportunity to do it.”

In addition to Clemson, State has ACC games remaining at Boston College and Wake Forest and at home against rival North Carolina.

If there’s one thing the Wolfpack has going for it, it’s that none of those remaining opponents plays the kind of smash mouth, pound-itout style Notre Dame did.

But even though Clemson features a more diverse up-tempo attack on offense and a defense that relies on quickness not bulk, the Tigers are by no means soft. State is going to have to do a better job of matching them physically than it did the Irish, especially at the point of attack, if it wants to have any chance at keeping its ACC title hopes alive.

It’s also going to have to avoid the smaller mistakes that helped doom it at Notre Dame, where it committed a season-high 12 penalties, failed to pick up a yard on fourth down in the red zone, got shut out in the second half and gave up a back-breaking pick six on a play in which a mental lapse turned into a 69-yard defensive score for the Irish.

“There’s a lot to play for left in the season,” Doeren said. “I said to the guys we’re going to go home, we’re going to look at what happened, why we didn’t play the way we expected. We’ll have those answers as we watch the film, we’ll fix (the mistakes) and be ready to play Clemson at home, which is a game I know our guys are excited about.”

The Wolfpack’s level of excitement has increased exponentially with word that none of the injuries suffered at Notre Dame appear to be serious. The best news involved leading rusher Nyheim Hines, who was knocked out with a sprained ankle on State’s opening offensive series.

Although Doeren stopped short of declaring Hines ready to play by Saturday, he did say that the speedy junior was walking fine and “said he felt better.”

While the Wolfpack is still in the process of healing physically, its mental state is already back to full strength after the disappointing result against the Irish.

“I asked them yesterday, first thing, ‘Where do you think we’re at?’” Doeren said. “They said ‘We’re in first place and we control our own destiny.’ So that was a good sign to hear the first thing out of their mouths was that they knew we’re playing for a lot still.”

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEWS

Charlotte at Old Dominion S.B. Ballard Stadium Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

ESPN3

Preview: Charlotte is coming off of its first win of the season. Old Dominion hopes to snap a six-game losing streak.

Players to watch: In the last game, Charlotte receiver TL Ford became the third 49er in history to top the 1,000-yard mark. ODU’s Isaiah Harper is the CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week after returning kickoffs 97 and 98 yards for touchdowns in last week’s loss.

Fast fact: Foreman Field at Ballard Stadium has been the home of a World Football League team (Virginia Ambassadors) and the Washington Redskins used to play preseason games there. The CFL considered moving a team there as well. It also hosted the Oyster Bowl for 50 years, which featured future NFL stars Roger Staubach, Fran Tarkenton and Don Meredith.

What to expect: Charlotte has a legitimate chance to win its second straight game as the 49ers look to salvage the season.

— Shawn Krest

Appalachian State at Louisiana-Monroe Malone Stadium Saturday, 3 p.m.

ESPN3

Preview: App becomes bowl eligible with a win. ULM looks to snap a threegame losing streak.

Players to watch: With two touchdown passes last week, App’s Taylor Lamb now has 78 in his career, three away from the Sun Belt Conference record. ULM’s Marcus Green was held in check last game, but he’s among FBS leaders in all-purpose yards, kick returns and return yards. He also has 24 explosive plays to lead the team.

Fast fact: If you can find the home team’s broadcast online, give Frank Hoffman a listen. In his 42nd year as the voice of the Warhawks, Hoffman is the eighth-longest tenured playby-play announcer in FBS. He’s the second-longest from a non-Power Five school.

What to expect: Look for App State to bounce back from last week’s upset loss and move into first place in the Sun Belt. The Mountaineers are currently tied at the top with Arkansas State, who is off this week.

— Shawn Krest

East Carolina at Houston

Wake Forest at Notre Dame

TDECU Stadium Saturday, noon.

CBS Sports Network

Notre Dame Stadium Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

NBC

Preview: The Pirates (2-6, 1-3 AAC) are coming off a badly needed win against BYU and a bye week, but face a difficult road test against conference rival Houston, which is 5-3 (3-2) and coming off an upset of previously unbeaten South Florida.

Players to watch: Cougars QB D’Eriq King ran for the game-winning touchdown with 11 seconds left against USF on Saturday. RB Mulbah Car rushed for a career-high 137 yards in the game. Pirates WR Davon Grayson had 10 catches for 164 yards against BYU to help ECU break a seven-game home losing streak.

Fast fact: This is the 13th meeting between the teams, but first as members of the AAC. The Pirates beat Houston 38-32 in the 2009 Conference USA Championship Game.

What to expect: ECU’s defense is still ranked last in the nation in both scoring and yardage allowed, but could take another stride toward respectability against a Houston offense that ranks only eighth in the 12-team AAC. The Cougars, however, are a 24-point favorite.

— Brett Friedlander

Preview: For the second straight week, a state ACC team travels to South Bend to take on the fifthranked Irish (7-1). The Deacons (5-3) are coming off an impressive win against Louisville last week, but will have their hands full against a team they’ve never beaten in three previous meetings.

Players to watch: Notre Dame RB Josh Adams enhanced his Heisman Trophy credentials by rushing for 202 yards in a 35-14 rout of NC State last Saturday. Adams burned the Deacons for a 98-yard touchdown run against Wake last season. The Deacons’ defense that will try to stop Adams is led by DE Duke Ejiofor, a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award.

Fast fact: Notre Dame defensive coordinator Mike Elko held the same position at Wake Forest for the past three seasons.

What to expect: The Deacons are vastly improved and coming off a big win, but they’re likely to be overwhelmed physically by the bigger, stronger Irish. Losing star WR Greg Dortch to a season-ending injury won’t make their task any easier.

— Brett Friedlander

B4

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Three North Carolinians contributing to epic World Series L.A.’s Alex Wood and Corey Seager and Houston’s Cameron Maybin at the center of Fall Classic storylines After 11 years and 910 games, it took extra innings for Cameron Maybin to play in his first World Series game.

The former first-round draft pick out of Asheville’s Roberson High School joined the Houston Astros on Aug. 31, just before the deadline for postseason eligibility.

The last-minute move gave him his first taste of the postseason. He appeared as a late-game replacement in two Division Series games, then got one start in the ALCS. Maybin then watched the first 19 innings of the World Series from the dugout.

“It’s a lot of anxiety, sitting there, patiently, waiting, trying to cheer everybody on,” Maybin said.

Finally, in the bottom of the 10th, Maybin was put into the marathon Game 2 as part of a double switch. He led off the 11th inning with a single and, on the second pitch of the next at bat, stole second base.

“That’s my job,” he said, “to provide a spark. I had the opportunity to do that, and it turned out to be big. Whenever I get on base, good things happen.”

This time, it was an even better thing than he expected. Maybin’s steal won free tacos for the entire country, as part of a promotion by Taco Bell. The giveaway is sched-

MATT SLOCUM | USA TODAY SPORTS

uled for this afternoon.

Maybin embraced his newfound fame, dubbing himself America’s #StealaBaseStealaTaco guy on Twitter.

Maybin is just one of three North Carolina products at the center of this year’s epic Fall Classic between the Astros and Dodgers.

Corey Seager has been one of the key players for the Dodgers.

The Charlotte native and graduate of Northwest Cabarrus High has earned two All-Star Game appearances in his two full years in MLB, winning the National League Rookie of the Year last season.

The Dodgers had to make the World Series without him, however.

As the Dodgers completed their three-game sweep of Arizona in the Divisional Series, Seager slid

into second base safely on a ground ball in the first inning of Game 3.

“It was a very normal slide,” Seager said. “I watched it over and over again to see if I landed awkward, hit awkward. I mean, it was extremely normal. I felt it on the slide right away. Really wasn’t kind of sure what it was.”

Seager “put a bunch of hot stuff on it” to make it through the game, but it didn’t improve over the next few days. That left him and the Dodgers with a very tough decision: He sat out the League Championship Series against the Cubs to get rest and treatment. He didn’t even travel with the team, to avoid aggravating the injury on a cross-country flight.

“Yeah, this sucks, to be honest,” he said as the LCS opened. “Obviously you try to be the best team-

mate that you can right now, try to not be a distraction. Try to be as positive and inspirational, whatever you want to say, to help your team right now.”

The Dodgers got past the Cubs, and Seager was added back to the roster for the World Series.

“It was hard,” he said. “You wish you could’ve been there with your team, wish you could’ve celebrated with them and been a part of it. But it was the right move to stay behind.”

The Dodgers are glad to have him back. He had two hits in the Game 1 win over Houston, then hit a dramatic go-ahead home run in Game 2. He’s hit in four of the first five World Series games and scored in the game where he was held hitless.

“He really didn’t miss a beat in the batter’s box,” manager Dave Roberts said.

The Dodgers have another Charlotte product on the roster: Alex Wood, a product of Ardry Kell High School, started Game 4.

Wood also got a start against the Cubs in the LCS. “I feel fortunate that I’m finally getting to start in the postseason,” he said. “My three previous postseason experiences (with Atlanta in 2013 and the Dodgers in 2015 and 2016) have all been out of the bullpen.”

Wood didn’t get a win in either game, but that hasn’t dimmed his enjoyment of the trip to the Series.

“I think the biggest thing for me is just trying to kind of let it all sink in and enjoy the moment,” he said.

“I think a lot of people get caught up, and it goes by so fast and you turn back, and you’re like, wow, what happened?”

And, like his newly healthy teammate and the taco hero in the other dugout, he’s representing his home state.

MATTHEW EMMONS | USA TODAY SPORTS

Above, Dodgers starting pitcher Alex Wood throws a pitch against the Astros in the first inning of Game 4 of the 2017 World Series.

Left, Astros center fielder Cameron Maybin, a North Carolina native, steals second base as Dodgers infielder Austin Barnes cannot field the ball in the 11th inning in Game 2 of the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium.

GARY A. VASQUEZ | USA TODAY SPORTS

Above, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager hits a single against the Astros in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2017 World Series.

Panthers’ versatility has Ron Rivera excited Head coach raves about all the offensive weapons

By Shawn Krest North State Journal IT TAKES a lot to make an NFL coach happy.

Normally, coach press conferences are staid affairs — more board meeting than pep rally. If any emotion is shown, it’s usually annoyance with the line of questioning.

Unless there’s a drive like the Carolina Panthers’ second possession of the win against Tampa last weekend. Then it’s like Christmas morning for coaches.

Jonathan Stewart started it by running the ball. Sixteen plays and 8:38 later, Stewart finished it with a 1-yard touchdown run.

In between, Cam Newton, Cameron Artis-Payne and Christian McCaffrey ran it. Newton threw passes to Kelvin Benjamin, Curtis Samuel, Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard, Ed Dickson and McCaffrey.

Including kicker Graham Gano’s extra point, 10 different Panthers were given the chance to touch the ball on the drive, or more than one-fifth of the active roster.

“It was good to see,” said an upbeat Ron Rivera. “We’ll continue to do that.”

The Panthers hit the halfway point of the season with a 5-3 record and an extremely optimistic head coach.

“There are a lot of positives,” Rivera said. “If you look at tape, you see how close we really are.

When you see the missed opportunities, it’s a positive, because you see how close we are. I’m excited about it, because you see the potential for growth.”

That potential includes a wide

REINHOLD MATAY | USA TODAY SPORTS

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey splits two Buccaneers defenders during last Sunday’s game at Raymond James Stadium.

variety of formations and offensive weapons, as evidenced by the marathon touchdown drive.

“We’ll continue to do that,” he said. “Hopefully, if we can spread the ball around, it helps our offense, because now you can’t zone in on one guy and take him away.

You’ve got to respect everyone that’s out there. When you have 10 different guys touch the ball, that helps you.”

McCaffrey, the first-round draft pick, is the prototype for the new-look Carolina offense that treats touches like youth soccer trophies — everybody gets one.

“You’ve got to prepare for all

the possibilities,” Rivera said. “Is he going to be at tailback? Offset back? Is he going to be an F? The H? A wing? Lined up wide? Now you’ve got to account for wherever he is. And if you focus in on him, and he’s going one way, but we throw the ball back in a different direction, that opens things up. That’s what his versatility does for us.”

Early in the season, McCaffrey’s versatility seemed to have coaches and the rookie baffled.

The team seemed to be struggling with ways to fit him into the game plan. After half a season of learning by player and coaching staff, McCaffrey has

developed into the weapon everyone expected. He’s already set the team’s receptions record for running backs and has the second-most catches by a rookie in Panthers history. He also leads NFL rookies in catches and receiving yards.

“These young guys are beginning to understand. You see their growth,” Rivera said. “The more we rep them, the more we do it, we’ll get better at it. That’s the reason I’m so optimistic. They’re grasping it, they’re buying in. …

You get excited about what our potential could be.”

It’s enough to make a coach smile … almost.

BOSTON COLLEGE from page B1 never really considered the possibility of him becoming a teammate.

That turned out to be a mistake.

After a solid freshman season, Robinson blossomed last year by ranking fourth in the ACC in scoring at 18.7 points per game.

“He’s definitely not the same player that used to come into the gym and play with us,” State’s Lennard Freeman said. “He’s transformed himself.

“I thought he could play a little bit, but now he’s a first-team ACCtype talent. He did a good job of working on his game. It’s night and day now. He’s an amazing player.”

Unlike Robinson, Bowman was always considered a Division I talent. But he fell through the cracks on the hardwood because he was so good on the football field at Havelock High.

In fact, he originally committed to play wide receiver at UNC before deciding that basketball was his first love.

“Me and my brother had a little sit-down after he got into some trouble and it made me think about my choices,” Bowman said. “He knew that I wanted to play basketball, so he told me to go where my heart was.”

As it turned out, his attraction to BC was a case of love at first sight.

“I came on my official visit right after the ACC tournament (in 2015) and that was my only official visit in any sport,” the 6-1 sophomore said. “I went there and coach (Jim Christian) told me that I was going to have to work hard for my position. Other coaches told me I could come in and be a star, but that’s not what I wanted to hear. That was the good thing about coming to BC.” Although his starting backcourt was born and raised in the heart of Tobacco Road, Christian said the recruiting effort that brought them together in Chestnut Hill was more by accident than design.

“It just kind of happened,” Christian said. “You want to recruit in an area where the kids want to play in your league. For us North Carolina has been a great state because we’re in the ACC. But at the same time, they were smart enough to see the opportunity they would have by coming to BC.” It’s turned out to be a good decision for both players.

While Robinson is at or near the top of the list of the ACC’s best returning shooting guards, hitting for 20 or more points a league-leading 17 times last season, Bowman is rapidly emerging as a dynamic point guard equally adept at scoring as he is at distributing the ball to others. He averaged 14.3 points in his college debut, second only to Robinson, while handing out nearly three assists per game.

His numbers were even better against ACC competition, a performance that helped earn him a spot on the league’s All-Freshman team.

Bowman credited the chemistry between him and Robinson as a contributing factor to his immediate success with the Eagles.

Surprisingly, though, the pair had nothing in common other than the state in which they lived before being joined together as teammates at BC. “I didn’t know him until I was on my official visit and I found out that they had somebody from North Carolina,” Bowman said.

“That was the first time I’d seen him. Me and him made a connection real quick.”

Robinson said Bowman has become like a little brother to him.

It’s a bond that began through their mutual dislike of those long, cold Massachusetts winters and how much they miss late night runs to Cook Out — “Where else can you get a combo for $5.39?” Robinson said. “Five thirty-nine will barely get you a soft drink (in Boston)” — and eventually carried over to the court.

“Whenever one of us would make a good play, we’d look at the other, nod and say it’s the North Carolina connection,” Robinson said.

“Our biggest strength is the way we play off each other,” Bowman added. “If Jerome isn’t going well, I can usually get him going with a simple play or just patting him on the back.”

Now that they’ve had a full season together, the North Carolina natives are hoping their individual successes carry over to the team and help lift the Eagles to their first winning season since 2011.

BC was picked to finish 14th in the 15-team ACC in a preseason media poll taken earlier this month.

As much as they’re focused on exceeding those low expectations and getting their team to the postseason, both players said that their goals also include going back home and beating North Carolina teams on their own turf with their friends and family in attendance.

“For us, it’s fun to come back and play at those schools,” Robinson said. “There’s so much excitement when we do.”

WEDNESDAY

11.1.17

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL

Devil of a day, Page 6

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

play list

Nov. 1-5 Junior League of Raleigh’s A Shopping Spree Raleigh A Raleigh tradition for more than 30 years, this annual four-day shopping fundraiser showcases regional and national exhibitors for shoppers seeking the latest in fashion and home decor trends, unique gifts and holiday merchandise. This is a juried event ensuring a wellbalanced selection of products and quality merchandise.

Nov. 2-5 Junior League of Fayetteville’s Holly Day Fair Fayetteville The 51st Annual Holly Day Fair is the largest holiday gift and craft show in eastern North Carolina, and a one-stop holiday shopping event that draws an average of 22,000 attendees and more than 200 vendors. The fair includes handcrafted and manufactured holiday decorations, crafts, jewelry, clothes, children’s toys and food items.

Nov. 3-4

FILE PHOTO

Big house, Titanic fashion Biltmore celebrates 20th anniversary of James Cameron’s Oscar-winning film

Nov. 3-5 Holiday Market 2017 Greensboro This exciting Christmas extravaganza kicks off the holiday season with specialty gift stores, fashion jewelry, clothing, specialty foods, holiday decorations and ideas, home accessories and décor, food and wine sampling.

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal ASHEVILLE — Nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, you’ll find America’s largest home situated on 8,000 acres. Each year, millions of visitors’ flock to Biltmore Estate to see the 250room French Renaissance chateau exhibiting the Vanderbilt family’s original collection of furnishings, art and antiques.

In addition to home and garden tours, visitors spend afternoons sampling wines, riding horses, shopping and exploring the outdoors. During fall visits to Biltmore, the changing of the leaves attracts nature enthusiasts to the miles of hiking and biking trails.

While Biltmore traditions include Christmas at Biltmore in December and Biltmore Blooms in the spring, two large-scale exhibits will enhance the lineup of special events on the estate in 2018.

Leonardo DiCaprio fans and “Titanic” fanatics will melt as the Oscar-winning film celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. To help celebrate, Biltmore will host the first large-scale exhibition of fashions from “Titanic” in “Glamour on Board: Fashion from Titanic the Movie.”

Launching Feb. 9 and sailing through May 13, 2018, the exhibition represents the extensive wardrobes preferred by transatlantic travelers like George and Edith Vanderbilt in the early 1900s. Guests will learn more about the Vanderbilts’ extensive travels while viewing these award-winning costumes. “Titanic,” starring DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, won a record 11 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Costume Design.

The exhibition’s 45 costumes will be displayed in Biltmore House, evoking the lifestyle of an era when voyages on great ocean liners of the early 20th century offered luxury on ships known as “floating palaces.” First-class passengers took every opportunity to see and be seen in the fashions of

North Carolina Poultry Jubilee Rose Hill A tradition in southeast North Carolina for more than 30 years. Enjoy a parade, carnival rides, chicken fried in the World’s Largest Frying Pan, a chicken wing cook-off and live entertainment from The Embers, The Castaways, and Gary Lowder & Smokin’ Hot.

Nov. 3Jan. 7, 2018

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Mrs. J.J. “Molly” Brown presenting trophy cup award to Capt. Arthur Henry Rostron, for his service in the rescue of the Titanic.

Titanic at the docks of Southampton.

the time, from strolling the promenade deck to dining at elegant formal dinners.

And, just like in “Titanic,” the days at sea fostered friendships and romances, including George Vanderbilt’s courtship of Edith Stuyvesant Dresser.

Then, in May, a collection of enormous glass sculptures created

PUBLIC DOMAIN

by multimedia artist Dale Chihuly will glimmer in the gardens and in Biltmore House when “Chihuly at Biltmore” opens.

Chihuly’s creative vision utilizes light, space and form. Chihuly has employed a variety of media including glass, paint, charcoal, graphite, neon, ice and polyvitro to explore possibilities and realize

his vision. Acclaimed for his iconic glass sculptures, Chihuly is also known for ambitious and immersive site-specific public installations and exhibitions in museums and gardens around the world.

For the first time in North Carolina, Biltmore will host an exhibition of these monumental glass sculptures. Chihuly’s work has been exhibited at famous locations across the U.S., including the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, but this is the first time this breathtaking work will appear at Biltmore.

Opening on May 17, 2018, and running through Oct. 7, 2018, the exhibition will display Chihuly’s sculptures in the Winter Garden of Biltmore House, and throughout the estate, including the Italian Garden and Walled Garden.

The 2018 calendar of events at the Biltmore is filled with activities for visitors of all ages. To learn more about these events or Winter at Biltmore, Biltmore Blooms, and the annual Easter Egg Hunt visit www.biltmore.com.

Christmas at Biltmore Asheville The holidays arrive in style at America’s largest home.

More than a century ago, George Vanderbilt chose the holiday season as the time to unveil his new home to family and friends. This year’s Christmas at Biltmore promises another extravagant celebration, complete with dozens of Christmas trees, miles of ribbon, garland and lights. Festive menus in the restaurants and holiday wine tastings make for a memorable visit.

Nov. 4 Beaufort Wine and Food’s 4th Annual Oyster Roast Beaufort The gathering celebrates the bounty of eastern N.C. cuisine and will feature local steamed oysters, shrimp and other seafood selections along with North Carolina pork and poultry.

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

B6

NeCessities! history marked earlier Mitchell’s observations and measurements. On June 27, 1857, Mitchell slipped and fell to his death in a deep pool at the bottom of a 60-foot waterfall while exploring the Black Mountain range in an effort to prove his claim. Initially interred in a cemetery in Asheville, Mitchell’s remains were later moved in 1858 to the top of the mountain which was named in his memory at that time. Mount Mitchell became North Carolina’s first state park in 1915. The modern observation tower at the summit is adjacent to Elisha Mitchell’s gravesite.

Nov. 3, 1936 FILE PHOTO | JAREK TUSZYŃSKI / CC-BY-3.0 & GDFL

Nov. 1, 1859

Cape Lookout Light lit for the first time The Cape Lookout Lighthouse was lit for the first time in 1859. Construction began in 1857 and took two years to complete, replacing a previous light built around 1812. The present tower, rising 208 feet, became the model for all subsequent lighthouse construction along the Outer Banks, especially the Cape Hatteras, Bodie Island and Currituck lighthouses. Built to alert sailors of the dangerous shoals on the southern tip of Core Banks, an area known since the late 16th century as “horrible headland,” the light could be seen from up to 19 miles out at sea. Until the completion of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1870, the Cape Lookout light was the tallest such structure south of New Jersey. In 1873, the Light House Board assigned the familiar diamond pattern to Cape Lookout, and the small community around the lighthouse took the name “Diamond City” around 1885 as a result. Though the community prospered for a brief time, largely due to the success of the whaling industry, it was abandoned after a strong hurricane in August 1899 nearly destroyed it. Today, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse is one of the main attractions on the Cape Lookout National Seashore, administered by the National Park Service.

Thad Eure, N.C. secretary of state for over a half-century, wins vote On this day, Thad Eure was elected to his first term as North Carolina’s secretary of state. Eure would go on to hold the post for 13 terms, serving in the job for a total of 53 years. Born in Gates County in 1899, Eure served as mayor of Winton and a member of the General Assembly before he decided to run for secretary of state in 1931 at the behest of Gov. O. Max Gardner. Eure, like other secretaries of state, was responsible for chartering corporations and publishing the “North Carolina Manual,” a biannual compilation of laws, among other duties. He was known for being available to new legislators for advice and maintained a literal open-door policy; never closing his door to the public. Though Eure was famous for asking voters to “give a young man a chance” during his first campaign, he had the nickname of “oldest rat in the Democratic barn” by the end of his career. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan recognized Eure for holding public office longer than any official in United States history. Eure died in 1993.

Nov. 6, 1973

Honor for the State Capitol building On this day, the State Capitol became a National Historic Landmark. The designation by the U.S. secretary of the interior is reserved for nationally significant historic places that possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting American history. There are fewer than 2,500 of them across the country. The Capitol that stands today was not the first in Raleigh. That building was completed in 1794 and burned in 1831. The cornerstone of the present State Capitol was laid at the site of the former State House in 1833. The exterior walls are built of gneiss, a type of granite quarried in southeastern Raleigh and hauled to the site on the horse-drawn Experimental Railroad, the state’s first railway. Completed in 1840, the Capitol is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of a major civic building in the Greek Revival style of architecture. It housed all of North Carolina’s state government until 1888, when the Supreme Court Building (now the Labor Building) was completed across Edenton Street. The General Assembly left the Capitol and moved into the State Legislative Building in 1963.

Nov. 4, 1862 REUTERS

Richard Gatling patented the Gatling gun

FILE PHOTO | TWO HEARTED RIVER / CC BY-SA 3.0

Nov. 3, 1835

Mount Mitchell declared highest peak in Eastern U.S.

Richard Gatling patented his 6-barrel repeating gun known as the Gatling gun. Richard Jordan Gatling was born in Hertford County in 1818. His first invention was a screw propeller for a boat, but he lost the patent to another inventor. He then patented a rice-seed planter, which he converted to a wheat planter after moving to the Midwest. There he earned a medical degree and practiced as a physician. At the onset of the Civil War, Gatling was distressed by the number of troops dying from disease. He believed that if he could invent a gun that fired more efficiently, that the armies would need fewer soldiers. With that in mind, Gatling invented the gun that bore his name — the first Gatling gun was capable of firing 200 rounds per minute. He continued to improve upon the gun, patenting a new model in 1865. Before selling his patent rights to the Colt Firearms Company in 1870, he created a gun capable of firing 1,200 rounds per minute.

A GATLING GUN, MANUFACTURED BY COLT | MARTIN V. MORRIS / CC BY-SA 2.0

In November 1835, Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, announced that a peak in the Black Mountains of North Carolina was the highest in the eastern United States. The news aroused considerable interest. He estimated the mountain’s height at 6,672 feet, only 12 feet short of the present official height of 6,684 feet.

A “controversy of major proportions” ensued in the 1850s between Mitchell and U.S. Rep. (and later Sen.) Thomas L. Clingman, who called into question the accuracy of the

Nov. 7, 1918

Billy Graham born in Charlotte Billy Graham was born in Charlotte in 1918. A worldwide symbol of evangelism, he has preached to millions of people. Hundreds of millions more, in every corner of the globe, have heard his message through television, radio, print and film. Ordained by the Southern Baptist Convention in 1940, Graham studied Scripture at Florida Bible Institute and graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois in 1943.

It was during a tent crusade in downtown Los Angeles in 1949 that Graham and his evangelistic team were launched into worldwide prominence. Originally scheduled for three weeks, the meetings drew overflow crowds each night for more than two months. Subsequent crusades, both in the United States and overseas, witnessed similar enthusiasm.

In 1950, Graham founded the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The organization, now headquartered in Charlotte, is also home to the Billy Graham Library. The Billy Graham Training Center is located in Asheville. Often listed by the Gallup organization as one of the “Ten Most Admired Men in the World,” Graham has prayed with every U.S. president since Harry Truman. He now resides in Montreat in Buncombe County.

Information courtesy of N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

eat up November 2nd is National Deviled Egg Day

By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal WILSON — A staple of the South and a favorite side dish at potlucks and family dinners, the deviled egg has long remained a delicacy of goodness.

It’s only fitting that Nov. 2 is dubbed National Deviled Egg Day – a day in which we’re given the opportunity to pay homage to this egg-cellent dish.

The first time “deviled” appeared in the culture of cuisine dates back to 1786. “Deviled” came to be the term used when referring to spicy or zesty food which includes an egg prepared with mustard, pepper or other ingredients stuffed in the yolk cavity. Henceforth, the deviled egg was born.

The flavor profile of deviled eggs is vast. The egg yolk is mixed with mustard or mayonnaise, then splashed with paprika, bacon or chives for garnish. And voila, you have a humble egg turned fancy.

One of the best deviled eggs around can be found down at the Sugar Plum Shoppe in Wilson. The Sugar Plum is famous in its’ own rite for it’s madefrom-scratch menu and take-out

lunchboxes of chicken or pimento cheese sandwiches, chips, dessert of choice (chocolate cheesecake or carrot cake to name a few), a pickle and of course, the deviled egg.

“We are a light, old fashioned Southern lunch spot where you get the meals your grandmother makes,” said Chuck Pruden, manager.

Twelve dozen deviled eggs are made every morning starting at 3 a.m. with the mixture of their egg yolk remaining a secret. The non-spoken rules of the eggs used to be that customers couldn’t purchase extra and there was no trading (I’ll give you back the pickle for an extra egg.) This lasted for close to three decades until this year, when the purchasing of extras could be had. (50 cent a piece.)

Everything in the Sugar Plum is made fresh daily. Cooking begins at 2 a.m. with the cutting of chicken salad, cooking of drummettes and baking of desserts.

Fresh bread arrives each morning.

“The chicken is cut up with scissors just like your grandmother would do,” said Pruden.

“The lunchboxes were designed so the working man or woman could swing by, grab a box to go and

LAURA ASHLEY LAMM | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

continue working.”

It’s a small family business run by Pruden’s wife, Leigh Ann, and her mother, Betty Jean Davis. Most of the recipes have been passed down from the family of Davis, now aged 82, who purchased the Shoppe back in the mid-1980s and turned it from a bakery into a local tradition where customers begin lining up at 9 a.m. to pick up lunch.

“We’re a light, old fashioned Southern lunch spot,” said Chuck Pruden, manager of the Sugar Plum Shoppe in Wilson. The Sugar Plum Shoppe has been a staple of Southern goodness for more than three decades. A spot famous for its lunch boxes featuring chicken salad and a deviled egg.

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

B7

ENTERTAINMENT Early reviews say iPhone X is best yet

more battery life than the iPhone 7, but the Plus form factor is still tops in battery life.

10th Anniversary smart phone marks a total redesign of the monolithic Apple device

Fast charging While battery life is improved, the iPhone X, and iPhone 8, feature fast charging capabilities that can charge the phone to 50 percent is just 30 minutes. The needed accessories use USB-C technology which is not included with the iPhone X.

By NSJ Staff and Reuters APPLE ANNOUNCED its iPhone X back in September, but U.S. consumers will get their first hands-on experience with the 10th anniversary iPhone on Nov. 3. The phone — which the company pronounces as iPhone 10 — is a glass and stainless steel device with an edge-to-edge display that Chief Executive Tim Cook called “the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone.”

The first reviews of the phone are out and the verdict is clear: it is the best iPhone yet.

“It’s thin, it’s powerful, it has ambitious ideas about what cameras on phones can be used for, and it pushes the design language of phones into a strange new place,” Verge reviewer Nilay Patel said in a lengthy review, which he promised to keep updated as he explored more features.

CNET reviewer Scott Stein posted pictures of himself with various props, giving FaceID a thumbs up under most circumstances.

“I tried the phone with at least five of my coworkers. None of their faces unlocked it - although none of them look remotely like me,” he said, adding that all the tests worked far better than Samsung’s face unlock feature on the Galaxy Note 8.

Reviewers said FaceID, as well as the lack of a home button, would take some getting used to.

The phone’s $999 starting price

Water resistance The iPhone X is IP67 water and dust resistant. It is allegedly impervious to dust and can be submerged in water up to 3 feet for 30 minutes.

Portrait mode

IMAGE COURTESY OF APPLE

might be the biggest innovation as the iPhone X will be $200 more than Apple’s comparably screensized iPhone 8 Plus. Beyond the price, the new iPhone X has some evolutionary — if not revolutionary — improvements over phones currently in the hands of Apple users: Wireless charging Apple was somewhat late to the game with wireless charging features. However, the ubiquity of wireless charging capabilities in vehicles, hotels, and a bevy of accessories means that this improvement will allow the iPhone X to interface with a lot of existing technology.

No home button The traditional iPhone home button is gone and users will instead tap the device to wake it up. A simple swipe up from the bottom of the screen will bring up the Home screen. The side button picks up

new functions in the iPhone X and can be used to activate Siri.

Facial recognition The Facial ID system on the iPhone X uses an infrared camera that can detect faces in low-light conditions. The camera replaces the fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone since the edge-to-edge screen eliminated the fingerprint scan in the home button.

Super retina display The iPhone X screen is comparable to the screen of the current iPhone 7 Plus, though the outside dimensions of the X are smaller than the Plus format. A new screen technology called OLED provides higher resolution than the current LED technology in the iPhone 8 and previous versions.

Improved battery life The iPhone X has two hours

The new TrueDepth camera allows for Portrait Mode, which was previously available only on the iPhone 7 Plus, and the front-facing camera as well as the rear camera has this capability on the iPhone X. Portrait Mode allows for shallow depth-of-field effects to be added while the photo is being made. These effects make people in the photo sharper than the background.

Animoji This new feature is 3-D emoji created from the user’s facial expressions and voice. The iPhone X’s 3-D camera maps the user’s eyes, mouth and cheeks to emojis to bring them to life. A Japanese software company is suing Apple in a U.S. court over the trademark for the term “animoji”, alleging the U.S. technology company stole the name to use on a feature of its iPhone X. Tokyo-based Emonster kk sued Apple last Wednesday in federal court in San Francisco, saying it holds the U.S. trademark on the term animoji and that Apple’s use of the word is a “textbook case” of deliberate infringement.

NBC fires Mark Halperin in wake of harassment allegations HBO cancels planned series and publisher cancels new book

IMAGE COURTESY OF LIONSGATE PUBLICITY.

Horror film ‘Jigsaw’ dominates Halloween box office the Jigsaw style.

Matt Damon/George “Boo 2,” starring Tyler Perry Clooney effort “Suburbicon” as Madea, declined 53 percent struggles

By Dave McNary Variety LOS ANGELES — In one of the slowest weekends this year, horror titles dominated the pre-Halloween box with Lionsgate’s opening of “Jigsaw” leading the way at a respectable $16.3 million at 2,941 North American locations.

The second weekend of “Boo 2! A Madea Halloween,” also from Lionsgate, turned in a solid performance with $10 million at 2,388 sites, but no other title cleared the $6 million mark.

“Suburbicon,” starring Matt Damon and directed by George Clooney, struggled with about $2.8 million at 2,046 sites, and Miles Teller’s “Thank You for Your Service” finished with $3.7 million at 2,054 theaters; both came in below modest forecasts in their launch weekends.

“Jigsaw” is the eighth title in the “Saw” franchise, which centers on the deranged killer played

by Tobin Bell. Audiences gave the movie a B Cinemascore, and the film made about $4 million less than projected in its launch weekend. The movie, which has a budget around $10 million, is set a decade after the death of Jigsaw as police investigate a series of gruesome murders that fit

from its opening weekend and will wind up with $35.5 million in its first 10 days. Warner Bros.’ second weekend of weather disaster tale “Geostorm” finished a distant third with a 59 percent decline to $5.6 million at 3,246 venues, followed by Universal’s third weekend of “Happy Death Day” with about $4.7 million.

Warner’s fourth weekend of “Blade Runner” snagged fifth place and “Thank You for Your Service,” produced by DreamWorks Pictures and released by Universal, came in sixth in its opening weekend.

“Thank You for Your Service” follows a group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life. Teller stars along with Haley Bennett, Joe Cole, Amy Schumer, Beulah Koale, Scott Haze and Keisha Castle-Hughes.

“Suburbicon,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, centers on the dark side of a prototypical suburban community in 1959. Audiences were unimpressed and gave the comedy-drama a D- Cinemascore.

Paramount acquired U.S. distribution rights last year for $10 million with Black Bear Pictures financing.

The overall domestic weekend is heading for a total of about $75 million, according to comScore.

not name the accusers.

After the story was published, journalist Emily Miller tweeted that she “was NOT one of the victims in this story about Mark Halperin. I was ANOTHER juBy Ted Johnson nior ABC employee he attacked.” and Brian Steinberg She said that she did not report Variety it at the time “because I thought LOS ANGELES — NBC News I was the only one, and I blamed said it terminated the contract myself, and I was embarrassed of contributor and political jour- and I was scared of him.”

“During this period, I did purnalist Mark Halperin, the latest media outlet to cut ties with the sue relationships with women that prominent reporter in the wake I worked with, including some of revelations he harassed and junior to me,” Halperin said in a previous statement. “I abused women during now understand from an earlier tenure at these accounts that ABC News. my behavior was inapHalperin has been “During this propriate and caused a regular contributor others pain. For that, to shows such as MSN- period, I did I am deeply sorry and BC’s “Morning Joe.” pursue relaI apologize. Under the Halperin on Friday tionships with circumstances, I’m goissued an apology on women that I ing to take a step back Twitter. from my day-to-day “I am profoundly worked with, work while I properly sorry for the pain and deal with this situaanguish I have caused including tion.” by my past actions. some junior Showtime said last I apologize sincerely week that it “will conto the women I have to me.” tinue to evaluate all mistreated,” he wrote. options should we de“The world is now pub- — Mark Halperin cide to move forward licly acknowledging with another season” what so many women have long known: Men harm of “The Circus.” The network women in the workplace. The noted that “we have not seen nor new awareness is, of course, a have there been allegations of positive development. For a long any untoward behavior” during time at ABC News, I was part of Halperin’s tenure on the series.

During his tenure at ABC the problem. I acknowledge that, News, Halperin authored a daiand I deeply regret it.”

In the wake of the accusations, ly political news roundup called HBO canceled plans to make a The Note, which became a must project based on the next “Game read in Washington and among Change” book he was planning political junkies. He gained fame with co-author John Heilemann. and notoriety when he teamed Penguin Press, which was set with Heilemann for the book to publish their book, about the “Game Change,” an insider’s take 2016 campaign, also dropped on the 2008 election, and the follow-up “Double Down,” about the those plans.

“In light if the recent news re- 2012 race. HBO adapted “Game garding Mark Halperin, the Pen- Change” into a movie directed by guin Press has decided to cancel Jay Roach, focusing on John Mcour plans to publish a book he Cain’s selection of Sarah Palin as was co-authoring on the 2016 his running mate.

Halperin and Heilemann election,” Penguin said in a stateteamed up for “The Circus,” a ment.

CNN reported Wednesday weekly docuseries on the 2016 that five women had come for- election, and co-hosted “With ward accusing Halperin of sexual All Due Respect,” a daily show harassment in incidents ranging that ran on Bloomberg but endfrom propositioning them for ed its run last year. A represensex to kissing to grabbing one’s tative for Heilemann said he had breasts against her will. CNN did no comment.

‘Stranger Things 2’ gets darker in aftermath of death and Demogorgon A year has passed since a supernatural demon terrorized the town of Hawkins, Ind., but as Netflix’s hit 1980s science fiction series “Stranger Things” returned for a second season on Friday, life has not returned to normal for the unlikely heroes. The adults and teenagers of “Stranger Things 2” wrestle emotionally with the events of the first season: a town boy’s disappearance, a death, a mysterious girl with superpowers and a decaying parallel universe called the Upside Down.

George H.W. Bush apologizes after actress accuses him of groping Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush apologized through a spokesman on Wednesday for what an actress described as a sexual assault but which Bush said was intended as a friendly pat and a joke to put her at ease during a picturetaking session. Heather Lind, who starred in the AMC cable television network’s historical drama “Turn: Washington’s Spies,” accused Bush of groping her as they posed for photos together with his wife and others during a promotional event for the show in 2014.

Harvey Weinstein sues for company records The Weinstein Company on Thursday was sued by its founder and former cochairman Harvey Weinstein who is seeking information that could help defend himself against sexual assault allegations, and also help defend the company against potential liability. In the lawsuit filed in Delaware’s Court of Chancery, Weinstein said he needed the information to prevent the company, in which he and his brother remain the largest investors, from being harmed by unjustified legal settlements.

George Clooney rebukes racism in backdrop of thriller ‘Suburbicon’ As one of Hollywood’s most famous celebrities, George Clooney is not afraid to use his platform to speak up on issues close to him, but do not expect the actor to enter the political arena anytime soon.

“I’ve always been around and involved in politics and believe that we all have to participate one way or another. But no, I’m not going to get into it,” Clooney told Reuters.

‘Thor: Ragnarok’ tops international box office ahead of U.S. release Friday Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” has topped the international box office with $107.6 million in 52 percent of overseas markets, a week ahead of its U.S. release.

The U.K. is the top market with $15.8 million. It’s the biggest October opening ever for a movie in the U.K. except for James Bond titles. Disney said the opening of the third Thor movie is 4 percent ahead of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and 22 percent ahead of “Doctor Strange.” In many markets, “Thor: Ragnarok” posted the best October opening weekend ever. “Thor: Ragnarok” is directed by Taika Waititi from a screenplay by Eric Pearson and the writing team of Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost. It stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins.

North State Journal for Wednesday, November 1, 2017

B8

pen & Paper pursuits JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU

NORTH

STATE

JOURNaL ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

The whole state.

The whole story.

SOLUTIONS FROM 10.25.17

Every Wednesday.

To subscribe visit nsjonline.com or call 866-458-7184

North Carolina Arts, History & Nature

Fall in One Place Autumn is a perfect time to celebrate everything North Carolina has to offer, from the gorgeous weather to local foods to traditional music. From the annual tradition of the North Carolina State Fair to Wide Open Bluegrass to local county fairs and festivals, North Carolina has it all, all in one place.

Explore our complete list of Fall Festivals and Fairs across the state.

#allinoneplaceNC

NC DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES

dncr.nc.gov/allinoneplace