North State Journal Vol. 8, Issue 20

the BRIEF this week

Buc-ees planning NC location in Alamance County

Mebane

Buc-ees, a Texas-based gas station and cultural phenomenon, has its eyes on a site along Interstates 85 and 40 between Greensboro and Raleigh.

The company initially sought to come to western Orange County in 2021 but withdrew those plans following opposition from some residents and the county board of commissioners.

According to local news reports, the Mebane Town Council will vote on the proposal once it clears the local planning board sometime this fall.

The largest Buc-ee’s in the United States recently opened in Tennessee and the company has 58 locations across the southeast.

NSJ STAFF

Older Americans can get RSV vaccine this fall after consulting their doctor, CDC says Atlanta Americans 60 and older can get a new RSV vaccine but should discuss it with their doctor first, said U.S. health officials.

The newly approved vaccines are expected to be ready in the fall. Those eligible for the RSV vaccine should talk with their doctor to see if it is right for them, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of coldlike symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and the elderly.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Army combat veteran to take over federal election security role

Washington, D.C.

Cait Conley, an Army combat veteran with extensive cybersecurity and counterterrorism experience is taking over as one of the nation’s top election security officials, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency announced.

Conley previously served as a director for counterterrorism on the National Security Council. She also was the executive director of the Defending Digital Democracy Project, based out of Harvard University’s Belfer Center.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lawmakers continue override streak of Cooper vetoes

By A.P. Dillon North

Journal

State

RALEIGH — Last week, the North Carolina General Assembly successfully overrode six additional vetoes of legislation issued by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

The overridden vetoes included Senate Bill 582, (North Carolina Farm Act of 2023); Senate Bill 364, (Nondiscrimination and Dignity in State Work); Senate Bill 331 (Consumer Finance Act Amendments), Senate Bill 329 (Retail Installment Sales Act Amendments); Senate Bill 299 (Reimburse Late Audit Costs with Sales Tax Rev.); and House Bill 750 (Address ESG Factors).

Both Senate Bills 331 and

229 passed the legislature with unanimous support from both parties, however, during the override votes nearly every Democrat who voted to pass the measures flipped their vote to uphold the governor’s veto.

The Senate overrode Cooper’s veto of this year’s Farm Act bill by a vote of 29-17.

Sens. Gale Adcock (D-Wake), Sydney Batch (D-Wake), Dan Blue (D-Wake), Mary Willis Bode (D-Wake) Rachel Hunt (D-Mecklenburg), Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth), Kandie Smith (D-Pitt), Joyce Waddell (D-Mecklenburg), and Mike Woodard (D-Durham) had all previously voted in favor of concurrence on the bill but reversed their votes to uphold

See COOPER , page A2

US Supreme Court rules in pair of NC-centric cases

By Matt Mercer North State Journal

RALEIGH

— The U.S. Supreme

Court ruled in a pair of cases with big implications for North Carolina in the final week of their term that ended in June.

The court announced its ruling in Moore v. Harper on Tuesday, June 27, largely siding against the plaintiffs in the case which included state legislative leaders in a 6-3 decision.

“The Elections Clause does not carve out an exception to that fundamental principle. When state legislatures prescribe the rules concerning federal elections, they remain subject to the ordinary exercise of state judicial review,” read part of the holding in the de -

Rockets’

red glare

Fireworks light up the sky over Clayton during the town’s annual Independence Day celebration.

State Treasurer wants to overturn retirement benefits case ruling

Local governments face $7.6B shortfall in retiree health care benefit costs, per Folwell’s office

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — State Treasur -

er Dale Folwell filed a writ of prohibition that seeks to overturn a 2022 ruling issued by the then-Democrat majority state Supreme Court in a case involving retirement health care benefits.

The writ alleges “this court acted without the quorum of four neutral Justices” as required by state law in ruling the case could proceed and that the court “therefore acted without jurisdiction or legal authority.”

“This court’s decision was without jurisdiction and legal authority, so it is void,” the writ’s conclusion states. “Without this court’s intervention, the Superior Court will continue to proceed without lawful authority. Defendants therefore seek this Court’s issuance of a writ of prohibition to correct its own past irregular and unauthorized actions.”

Tim O’Connell, the executive director of the NC Retired Governmental Employees Association, disagrees.

“To take care of them in the

retirement years, based upon a contractual promise, is being a good steward for North Carolina,” O’Connell, told ABC 11 in an interview about the case.

In 2022, the N.C. Supreme Court ruled 4-2 down party lines that the case involving retirees seeking premium-free retirement benefits could proceed despite a unanimous N.C. Court of Appeals ruling in 2019 that was upheld by an appellate court which said the plaintiffs had failed to prove there was a valid contract.

The case originated with actions taken in May 2011 by the General Assembly that allowed the State Health Plan to charge premiums for some health care options covered by the plan. A lawsuit was filed in April of the following year by former N.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverly Lake, who passed away in 2019. That lawsuit became a class-action suit in 2016.

In February 2020, the then-Democratically controlled state Supreme Court agreed to take the case. A few months later, in January 2021, the high court announced the disqualification of five of the seven sitting justices due to conflicts of interest, but only one justice ended up recusing — Chief Justice Paul Newby, who was then the highest-rank-

See BENEFITS , page A3

cision.

Chief Justice John Roberts delivered the opinion joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Kavanaugh also filed a concurring opinion. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a dissenting opinion in the case, which was joined by Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito in part.

Initial reports said that plaintiffs, led by the legislative leaders, lost the case. But, in part of his dissent, Justice Thomas noted that the N.C. Supreme Court’s 2023 rehearing essentially made the case before them moot.

“In short, this case is over, and petitioners won. The trial court’s original final judgment in favor

of petitioners, affirmed by the State Supreme Court in Harper III, represents ‘the final determination of the rights of the parties’ in this case,” wrote Thomas. “Harper I has been overruled, and plaintiffs-respondents’ claims for relief have been dismissed on adequate and independent state-law grounds. As a result, petitioners’ alternative Elections Clause defense to those claims no longer requires decision; the merits of that defense simply have no bearing on the judgment between the parties in this action. That is the definition of mootness for an issue.”

The decision comes at the N.C. Supreme Court earlier this year vacated rulings from the 2022 court in both redistricting and voter ID. Moore indicated as much in April, telling North State Journal at an event he expects new maps for the 2024 elections for Congress and both chambers of the General Assembly.

Redistricting litigation is far

“One of One”

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from over, though.

Philip R. Thomas, a member of Chalmers, Adams, Backer & Kaufman, LLC* and president of Taxpayers for Honest Elections*, told North State Journal the decision leaves open many questions about where the line is to be drawn, which will result in additional elections-related litigation going forward.

“This decision confirms that while state judicial review remains part of the process, state courts cannot commandeer the role of state legislatures to impose their will when it comes to federal elections.

(* These comments reflect the personal views of Mr. Thomas and do not necessarily reflect the views of his law firm, its clients, or any other person or organization.)

In a decision announced on Thursday, June 29, affirmative action practices within college admissions were declared unconstitutional in a 6-3 decision.

Roberts also wrote the opinion of the court in this case, which was joined by Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett. Notably, there were a number of concurring and dissenting opinions, led by strong words by Justices Thomas and Jackson. The court’s two black justices also made a point by reading their entire opinions aloud at the Supreme Court building.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Declaration of Independence

As we reflect upon the founding of the United States of America, it is evident the principles and ideals upon which this nation was built. The Founding Fathers, in their wisdom and vision, drew inspiration from both divine truth and human reason, intertwining biblical principles with their pursuit of liberty and justice.

The Declaration of Independence, a foundational document of this great nation, boldly declares that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. This profound statement echoes the teachings of the New Testament, which emphasizes the inherent worth and dignity of every individual as children of God. The apostle Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This biblical truth affirms the equality and inherent value of every person, transcending social divisions and emphasizing our shared humanity.

The Founding Fathers recognized the importance of moral and ethical principles in governing a just society. They sought to establish a system of government that would secure the unalienable rights bestowed upon each individual by their Creator. Their belief in divine providence is evident in their writings and speeches. John Adams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and later the second President of the United States, stated, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

The teachings of Jesus Christ and the principles of love, compassion, and justice found in the New Testament influenced the Founding Fathers’ vision for America. The concept of “unalienable

“Writing the Declaration of Independence, 1776” by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (circa 1921). The painting is part of a series of 78 scenes from American history titled “The Pageant of a Nation” — the largest series of American historical paintings by a single artist. The painting is part of the collection of the Virginia Historical Society, Richmond, Va.

rights,” which includes the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, finds its roots in biblical teachings. Jesus proclaimed in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” The founders understood that true freedom and happiness are intimately connected to the pursuit of virtue and adherence to moral principles.

The signers of the Declaration of Independence, guided by both reason and faith, sought to establish a nation that would uphold the ideals of equality, justice, and freedom. Their reliance on divine wisdom and the biblical principles of love, compassion, and human dignity laid the groundwork for the United States of America.

Jesus taught us to seek justice, promote peace, and extend love to all. As we commemorate Independence Day, we should remember our dependence on God, who has granted us the privilege and responsibility of living in this land of freedom and opportunity.

A lawsuit spurred by Students for Fair Admission, a nonprofit membership group of more than 20,000 students, parents and supporters, said racial classifications and preferences in college admissions are unfair, unnecessary, and unconstitutional and sued Har-

vard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill over their admissions policies.

“A student’s race and ethnicity should not be factors that either harm or help that student to gain admission to a competitive university,” the group said, and prevailed in the case.

The justices agreed, with Roberts writing in part, “Eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it. And the Equal Protection Clause, we have ac-

cordingly held, applies “without regard to any differences of race, of color, or of nationality”— it is “universal in [its] application.” Colleges and universities as a result must reshape admissions practices, with many committing to finding alternate ways to maintain diversity on college campuses.

University of North Carolina System President Peter Hans issued a statement in the case, saying his team was reviewing the decision but will follow the law.

“Our public universities do extraordinary work every day to serve students of all backgrounds, beliefs, income levels and life experiences. The most important work of higher education is not in deciding how to allocate limited admissions slots at highly competitive schools, but in reaching and encouraging more students to take advantage of our 16 remarkable public universities,” said Hans.

“We have permitted racebased admissions only within the

confines of narrow restrictions. University programs must comply with strict scrutiny, they may never use race as a stereotype or negative, and— at some point — they must end. Respondents’ admissions systems — however well intentioned and implemented in good faith—fail each of these criteria. They must therefore be invalidated under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,” the Chief Justice added in his opinion. Cooper’s veto.

In the House override of the North Carolina Farm Act of 2023, the vote was 78-40. Five Democrats voted with Republicans to override the veto: Reps. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford), Carla Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg), Nasif Majeed (D-Mecklenburg), Garland Pierce (D-Scotland), Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe), and Michael Wray (D-Northampton).

State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who has consistently opposed the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) movement, applauded the override of House Bill 750.

“This is a good day in North Carolina. We are grateful to those lawmakers who understand the need to shield the state pension plan against the movement to weaponize public retirement systems to achieve extreme agendas,” Folwell said in a statement.

The House overrode the ESG Bill by a vote of 72-46 and the Senate overrode the veto 29-16.

No Democrats in either chamber voted to override the veto despite five Democrats originally voting in favor of passing the House Bill 750, which included Reps. Cecil Brockman (D-Guilford) Frances Jackson (D-Cumberland), B. Ray Jeffers (D-Person), Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe), and Michael Wray (D-Northampton).

In addition to the six overrides conducted in June, two other bills saw successful overrides; Senate Bill 41, which repealed the state’s duplicative pistol purchase permit law, and Senate Bill 20, which enacted shorter limitations of 12 weeks on selective abortions in North Carolina. A lawsuit has already been filed challenging the new abortion law.

Over the course of his two terms, Cooper has issued 83 vetoes as of June 29, 2023. Of those vetoes, 31 had been overridden, there were 16 unsuccessful override attempts, and 36 had no override attempt made. The largest number of successful overrides (28) occurred during the 2017-18 legislative sessions.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”

Psalm 33:12

The Supreme Court on Wednesday afternoon, April 19, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

SCOTUS from page A1

COOPER from page A1

Gov. Roy Cooper gestures during a speech at the Emergency Operations Center in Raleigh.

June Council of State news roundup

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — The Council of State’s news for June included the governor continuing his “education emergency,” a future presidential endorsement, an opioid settlement, multiple agency promotions, summer meals for kids, and several audits finding issues in school districts.

The North Carolina Council of State (COS) is an administrative body of 10 elected officials who are heads of their departments. Council members include the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of insurance, commissioner of labor, secretary of state, state auditor, state treasurer and superintendent of public instruction.

G ov. Roy Cooper’s “education emergency“ continued and around a third of the state’s K-12 districts and State Board of Education Chair Eric Davis, a Cooper appointee, joined the governor’s opposition to the General Assembly’s school choice bill. He also made two judicial appointments at the end of June, naming new judges to the Mecklenburg County District Court and N.C. Business Court.

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson garnered a future endorsement from former President Donald Trump during a speech given at the NCGOP Convention on June 17. Trump said he would save a formal endorsement for another time but told Robinson from the stage, “You can count on it, Mark.” He referred to Robinson as “one of the great stars of the party, one of the great stars in politics.” Robinson returned the favor, endorsing Trump and the annual Faith and Freedom Coalition’s ‘Road to Victory’ gathering in Washington, D.C. on June 23.

Secretary of State Elaine F. Marshall and Robert M. DeWitt, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Charlotte field office, joined U.S. Attorney Dena J. King in announcing t wo Cornelius businessmen had pleaded guilty to wire fraud and operating a “large-scale” investment scheme that spanned from 2009-21. Marlin Hershey and Dana Bradley admitted to defrauding numerous victims who invested in two unregistered securities offerings promoted by the defendants: Performance Retire on Rentals, LLC (Performance Retire) and Distressed Lending Fund (DLF).

Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey presented the Order of the

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council of State will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 1 in the DOT Board Room (#150) of the Transportation Building, 1 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh.

Long Leaf Pine to retiring Fire Chief Vence Harris of the Chapel Hill Fire Department during a special ceremony on June 16. Causey’s office also issued a reminder to citizens to check their insurance policies in the wake of several recent earthquakes that registered over 2.0 in the area just northwest of Asheville.

Attorney General Josh Stein announced a $102.5 million multistate settlement involving alleged monopolistic behavior by Indivior Inc. North Carolina’s share of the settlement funds comes to around $2.96 million. Indivior is known for its production of the opioid use treatment drug Sub-

Audit cites lack of monitoring of $635M by NC Pandemic Recovery Office

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH

— The N.C. State Auditor’s Office has cited issues with the monitoring of $635 million in federal recovery funds by the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office known as NCPRO.

NCPRO was established by Gov. Roy Cooper in May 2020 and is housed under the Office of State Budget and Management oversight. NCPRO was set up to oversee the State Fiscal Recovery Fund established by the legislature during the pandemic.

The audit report found that NCPRO had distributed $635 million of State Fiscal Recovery Funds “with limited monitoring” and “without ensuring recipients had a method to measure results.”

NCPRO “did not design and implement procedures to ensure that State Fiscal Recovery Funds were being spent in accordance with State Fiscal Recovery Fund legislation or that programs operated by recipients of State Fiscal Recovery

State Audit report

Funds were achieving their legislatively intended results,” the press release for the audit states. “As a result, there was an increased risk that recipients could have misused the funds without the misuse being detected and corrected timely.”

In addition, the audit claims NCPRO was “limited in its ability to know whether funds were achieving legislatively intended results and take timely corrective action if necessary.”

The auditor’s office recommended NCPRO should develop policies and procedures to correct the lack

of monitoring, including the independent verification of recipient spending.

In its response, the Office of State Budget and Management agreed with the audit’s results and indicated it would discuss corrective actions, some of which were already planned, in process, or had already occurred following the audit.

The audit report on NCPRO follows a statewide audit published earlier this year that delved into federal awards totaling $38.2 billion that included findings of inadequate monitoring of Coronavirus Relief Funds by NCPRO.

Similarly in the previous year’s statewide audit, NCPRO was cited as failing to properly monitor $2.92 billion in federal funds used for COVID-19 expenditures. The audit says NCPRO did not review subrecipient expenditures or complete separate monitoring activities for high-risk subrecipients nor did it review subrecipient audit reports or direct expenditures of state entities.

oxone. Stein also announced a man from Kernersville, Aljihad Shabazz, had pleaded guilty to his part in a scheme of defrauding the North Carolina Medicaid program of more than $4.7 million. In late June, Stein held a ‘public safety roundtable’ in Pittsboro with Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson and other elected officials. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt highlighted $3 million in new financial assistance to aid new and preservice teachers in the state with the cost of taking state-required license exams. The Department of Public Instruction’s TeachNC initiative will provide reimbursements for licensing exam costs or study materials for licensing exams. Those costs can be steep, running on average around $450. Funding for the initiative will come from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction also announced free summer meals for K-12 kids ages 18 and under. To locate the free meals for kids, text “Food” to 304-304 for information in English or “COMIDA” to 304-304 for information in Spanish. There is also a meal site locator that can be accessed online at https://bit.ly/3MhnX1S. Local district websites should also have

information as does a special website for summer meals: http://summermeals4nckids.org.

Several audits were published in June by the office of N.C. State Auditor Beth Wood. One report found that the Scotland County Public Schools district had made overpayments of more than $15,000 to a past superintendent. Another audit of Guilford County Public Schools found that at least three vehicles were being improperly used for personal travel. A third report found that the N.C. Department of Commerce did not properly monitor $128 million in federal funds related to job seeker programs.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced three employees had accepted new leadership roles in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Joe French will serve as assistant commissioner of agricultural services as of July 1. French will replace Sandy Stewart, who is departing to become the president of Sandhills Community College. Promotions included Pam Hess, director of the Human Resources Division, and Patrick Jones, director of the Structural Pest Control and Pesticides Division.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council of State will be held at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 in the DOT Board Room (#150) of the Transportation Building, 1 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh.

Charlotte-area charter school teacher alleges he was fired over book

NC DPI contradicts lawsuit claim, says it received no complaint about Gray

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — A fired Charlotte-area charter school teacher has filed a lawsuit alleging he was dismissed over a book he used in class, Critical Race Theory accusations and racial discrimination.

The lawsuit was filed by Markayle Gray, a black teacher who was hired in October 2022 by Charlotte Secondary Academy to teach English classes.

Gray is seeking economic damages of back pay, front pay and lost benefits as well as noneconomic compensatory damages, attorneys’ fees and costs of litigation.

Gray claims he was told he was being terminated over complaints about his use of “Dear Martin” and teaching biased content on race. However, the school has indicated his employment contract was subject to renewal on an annual basis and that his termination “was based on legitimate, nondiscriminatory, non-retaliatory reasons.”

Gray held a North Carolina teaching license in the area of English 9-12 that was issued for just a two-year period from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2022.

ing associate justice.

Folwell’s writ argues that complying with the plaintiff’s demands comes at a high cost that “may significantly affect the State’s future budgets.”

“If the trial court’s order is affirmed, that affirmance could generate a damages award that exceeds one hundred million dollars,” states the writ. “The trial court also entered injunctive relief that would require the State to provide all 220,000 class members with a particular level of premium-free health benefits for the duration of their retirements. The costs to comply with the injunctive relief over the course of all class members’ retirements would far exceed the amount of direct monetary damages.”

Retired workers are already covered under a zero-cost Medicare plan, per Folwell’s office.

Following the filing by Folwell in the retirement health care case, his office issued a press release indicating according to audits conducted, local governments in the state are facing a $7.6 billion shortfall in retiree health care.

“Those are jarring numbers to be sure,” Folwell said. “For far too many years local governments typically budgeted on a pay-asthey-go basis, covering only today’s costs with no plan for the future expenses. That is a risky, kick-the-can-down-the-road approach. Deferred liabilities increase liability costs.”

In question are health care supports for retirees known as Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEBs).

“In addition to the $7.6 billion amassed by local governments,

State Treasurer Dale Folwell

the state of North Carolina has incurred a $25 billion shortfall,” Folwell’s press release says. Additionally, of the 287 local governments providing OPEB, only 23 have assets in legally binding trusts to address long-term shortfalls.

Per the release, an April 2022 report indicated the median

OPEB liability among towns and counties is $5,251,338, but Folwell says 59 counties and 41 municipalities have OPEB unfunded liabilities of $10 million or more and another 185 are under $10 million.

OPEB unfunded liability examples included Charlotte at $531,962,000, Mecklenburg County at $514,883,109, Raleigh at $190,900,860, and Wake County overall at $415,753,783.

Retirees living longer will be more costly and strain local governments who give retirees the option to stay on their health plans, per Folwell’s release. Similarly, inflation is also a factor.

“The cost of medical care typically outpaces other sectors of the economy, and local governments are saddled with higher expenses,” the press release states. “The price of medical care has grown 110.3% since 2000, according to the Peterson-Kaiser Family Foundation Health System Tracker.”

In the filing, Gray alleges “racial discrimination” in his firing from the Charlotte Secondary School, a public charter school, after using a book called “Dear Martin” written by Nic Stone.

“We have no record of this complaint.”

NC DPI Communications Director Blair Rhoades

The book was objected to by parents in January 2023 for its use of excessive racial slurs, profane language and divisive racial themes that some, including Gray in his filing, have linked to Critical Race Theory.

A review of an online copy of “Dear Martin” 13 uses of the F-word as well as various other curse words. Racial slurs also appear at least nine times in the book. As an example, page 89 of the book uses several obscenities along with racial slurs.

In chapter five, one of the characters comes up with an idea for the other characters to dress up as “stereotypes” that include a “thug,” a “token Black man,” a “yuppie/politician,” a “surfer dude,” a “redneck” and a “Klansman.” Additionally, references are made to a gang called “Black Jihad.”

The passage reads, “Bros,” he said, “let’s all dress as different stereotypes for Halloween, and then go out together. It’ll be this massive political statement about racial equality and broken barriers and s---.”

“Dear Martin” has already been pulled in at least one North Carolina district, Haywood County. According to that district’s Superintendent, Bill Nolte, the intended educational purpose of the book “was being diminished by the way it was written, by the amount of profanity and innuendo.”

In the month following the book objections, on Feb. 2, the school’s principal Keisha Rock, who is also black, allegedly informed Gray he was being terminated immediately.

According to the lawsuit, this past March, Gray filed a racial discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC later issued a letter to Gray that said the matter was investigated but the EEOC would not pursue a case against the school, but the letter also authorized Gray to file a legal challenge. The lawsuit makes other claims such as white teachers not facing firing or discipline for “lessons that conveyed their views on politically polarizing topics from race to gender and sexual orientation without encountering corrective action or discipline from the school’s administration.”

Gray’s lawsuit also accused a white student of making racist comments to nonwhite students and that same student “openly violated school policies by using a cell phone to take pictures of audio-visual and written instructional materials in Gray’s classroom.” Gray says the school did not discipline the student but claims black students had received discipline for the same infraction.

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction has refuted one of the key claims made by Gray.

The claim states, “The Principal of Charlotte Secondary, Keisha Rock, has acknowledged in conversations after Gray’s termination that she also feared pressure from North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction (‘DPI’), in that she knew a complaint had been circulated to DPI that a teacher at the school was teaching “Critical Race Theory”. As Rock related it, “it was him [Gray] or me.”

We have no record of this complaint,” NC DPI Communications Director Blair Rhoades told North State Journal in an email. “However, if we did, it would be considered a confidential personnel record as it relates to school employees and would therefore not be subject to public disclosure. Again, though, our agency has no record of this complaint.”

“As a result, there was an increased risk that recipients could have misused the funds without the misuse being detected and corrected timely.”

“For far too many years local governments typically budgeted on a pay-as-they-go basis, covering only today’s costs with no plan for the future expenses. That is a risky, kick-the-can-downthe-road approach.”

FILE PHOTO

State Treasurer Dale Folwell is shown in this undated file photo.

Murphy to Manteo Jones & Blount

Celebrate NC watermelons

Juicy, sweet watermelon almost synonymous with North Carolina summers In the same family as pumpkin, cucumber, squash and specialty melons, watermelon is over 90% water and its pulp is an excellent source of lycopene and vitamin A, B6, C, potassium, and citrulline.

With most watermelon seeds planted from late March to May the annual harvest usually begins in July and runs through most of August.

NC ranked sixth in watermelon production nationally in 2020 and over 8,700 acres of watermelons harvested in that year.

The NC Watermelon Festival takes place Aug. 2-5 in Murfreesboro.

Counties with commercial watermelon production

WEST PIEDMONT EAST

Funding for App State sports facility improvements approved

Watauga County House Bill 364 was signed into law by the governor, approving the funding of several capital improvement projects across the state through bond sales and other methods. One of the projects included in the funding bill is App 105, Phase 3 of Appalachian State’s proposed improvements to the Women’s Softball and Indoor Tennis facilities. The school was cleared to raise $10 million through bond sales and other methods of raising revenue.

NC.GOV

Lowe’s to help BeLoved Asheville battle housing insecurity

Buncombe County

BeLoved Asheville is building a village of 12 microhomes to sow the seeds of community, while bringing home community members who’ve struggled with housing insecurity. Six homes are already underway and the organization was recently awarded a 2023 Lowe’s Hometowns grant, which will be used to build the final six homes on the property. This nonprofit has developed a replication toolkit so that other communities who are struggling in the housing crisis can learn and adopt this model.

School activity bus in head-on collision

Transylvania County A school activity bus from Rosman High School was involved in a head-on crash in Johnston County last week. State highway patrol officers responded to the crash on Highway 55 near Meadowjust on Saturday. The bus was in a ditch on one side of the road, and a Chevrolet Camaro was in a field on the other side of the road. The bus reportedly had 14 teens and two adults on board at the time of the crash. No information about injuries or causes of the accident were immediately released. WTVD

Western Carolina to make $30 million in improvements to athletic facilities

Jackson County

Western Carolina will be able to raise $30 million to make improvements to the school’s athletic facilities, after a capital improvements funding bill was signed into law. The revenue can be raised through fees, bond sales and other methods.

LOWE’S

Amusement park closes ride after discovering crack in support beam

Mecklenburg County

An amusement park closed one of its roller coasters after a crack was found on a support beam. Carowinds shut down Fury

325. The park’s website advertises the ride as the “tallest, fastest, longest giga coaster in North America.” Carowinds officials say safety is their “top priority” and that the park undergoes daily inspections. Fury 325 first opened to the public in 2015 and cost approximately $30 million to build, according to news reports. Carowinds did not say how long repairing the ride would take. The rest of the park remains open.

NC.GOV

University Towers acquisition and renovation approved for funding

Wake County

Delta passengers exit flight using jet slide after plane lands without front gear extended Mecklenburg County Officials say a Delta flight landed roughly but safely at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport without its front landing gear extended. No injuries were reported and all passengers were taken to the terminal. The airport says it was working to remove the aircraft and reopen the runway. Delta says the flight left from Atlanta with 96 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants and was on its way to Charlotte. Delta says in a statement that safety is a priority and crews train extensively to safely manage through many scenarios and the flight landed safely.

AP

Western Carolina plans to make several improvements to its football stadium, including a new press box, premium space for fans, a rebuild of the east concourse and new football offices and meeting rooms. There will also be expansions to areas for strength and conditioning, sports medicine and student athlete academic spaces. A new facility for golf, track and women’s soccer is also planned.

NC.GOV

The governor signed a bill into law to fund capital improvements at several North Carolina colleges. NC State got the green light for the acquisition and renovation of property related to University Towers. The school can raise $52 million through various bond sales and other methods to help fund the project, which is expected to include purchasing a nine-story apartment building and converting it into college student housing.

NC.GOV

Charter school lost case over skirts rule for girls, but debate over charter autonomy isn’t over Brunswick County One of the mothers who successfully sued a charter school over its requirement that girls wear skirts says she always knew she’d prevail. Bonnie Peltier said the requirement was “a ridiculous thing.”

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by Charter Day School to review its skirt requirement, leaving in place a lower court ruling that struck down the dress code on equal protection grounds. The Supreme Court’s denial was a win for those who believe charter schools are public institutions. Experts say the debate over whether privately run charter schools can forgo constitutional protections is far from settled.

Lowe’s to fund recreational areas at Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center Scotland County The Lumbee Tribal Cultural Center in Maxton was one of the 100 organizations awarded a Lowe’s Hometowns grant, sponsored by the national chain of home improvement stores. With the Lowe’s Hometowns grant, the Lumbee Tribe Cultural Center will upgrade their outdoor recreation areas to make them safer and more ADA accessible. Work will involve removing wood ground cover and adding rubberized surfacing to two existing play spaces, installing border edging and a new play structure will be purchased and installed.

LOWE’S

Several UNC projects funded Orange County Five capital projects at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill will be able to seek funding through bond sales and other methods, after a state bill was signed into law by the governor. UNC will raise a total of $79 million for the projects, which include a $30 million renovation of Avery residence hall, $9 million for a comprehensive renovation of Bingham Hall, $15 million for an addition to the McColl Building at the business school, $15 million for phase 1 of the chilled water infrastructure expansion and $10 million for the redevelopment of Carrington Hall at the nursing school.

NC.GOV

Outdoor sports complex approved for UNC Pembroke

Robeson County

UNC-Pembroke will be able to raise money for an outdoor baseball and softball sports complex, after a capital improvements funding bill was signed into law. The new law approves several schools across the state to fund work through bond sales. The complex, which will be part of Campus Recreation, will develop a revamped sports complex to improve student access. The school is approved to raise $3,420,000.

AP

Truth Foundational Ministries receives Lowe’s Hometown grant Edgecombe County

The volunteers of Truth Foundational Ministries CDC received a grant from Lowe’s home improvement stores as part of the Lowe’s Hometowns project.

Truth Foundational works to support the community of Edgecombe County that has limited access to affordable and nutritious food. The grant will help their work by upgrading a 10-ft. building with an ADA compliant bathroom, kitchenette, office space and closet with storage. This will allow the organization to provide better access to healthy, fresh food for this community in need.

NC.GOV

LOWES

School

threat assessment teams bill goes to the governor

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

RALEIGH — On June 28, House Bill 605, titled School Threat Assessment Teams, received final approval votes and was sent to Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper.

The eight-page bill’s primary sponsors are House K-12 Education Committee

Co-chairs: John Torbett (R-Gaston), Tricia Cotham (R-Mecklenburg) and Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke).

The measure would require threat assessment teams to be formed in public school units. Currently, there is no law requiring such teams. Additionally, the bill would require public schools to participate in school safety exercises and programs as well as requiring local school board to establish peer-to-peer support programs. Private schools are also encouraged to participate in school safety exercises and programs under the bill.

The bill passed its first reading in the House 106-7.

The Senate unanimously passed a preferred committee substitute to the bill by a vote of 46-0 on June 21 and on June 27, the House concurrence vote passed the measure by a vote of 115-4.

The only House members voting against the measure were all Democrats; Reps. John Autry (D-Mecklenburg),

Amber Baker (D-Forsyth), Maria Cervania (D-Wake) and Julie von Haefen (D-Wake).

The bill received support from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Center for Safer Schools. Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) Executive Director Karen W. Fairley said in a statement that she and N.C. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt have advocated for threat assessment legislation since coming into office in 2021.

“It’s not punitive – it allows us to identify children who might be a danger to themselves or others and gives them the assistance and resources that they deserve,” Fairley said.

“Nothing is better than having fullyformed threat assessment teams in our schools,” Truitt said. “A fully-functioning threat assessment team is a critical component of keeping schools safer and preventing violence.”

Under the bill, the CFSS will develop guidance for threat assessment teams for public schools.

“Students trust their peers. Other than their parents, no one knows them better,” Fairley said of the peer-to-peer support program in the bill. “It’s crucial to a child’s mental health for them to be able to confide in and receive assistance from someone they can relate to.”

Cooper signs law clearing up several aspects of new abortion law

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — Last-minute revisions to North Carolina’s new abortion restrictions that took effect this past weekend were signed into law shortly before July 1 by Gov. Roy Cooper.

The Democratic governor’s decision to act quickly on changes from the Republican-controlled legislature should minimize the immediate results from a pending legal challenge.

Cooper vehemently opposed the underlying abortion law, which creates a ban on most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, replacing the current ban on most abortions after 20 weeks. He vetoed that measure in May, but veto-proof GOP majorities in both chambers completed an override.

While the clean-up bill was “important to clarify the rules and provide some certainty,” Cooper said in a written statement,

“we will continue fighting on all fronts the Republican assault on women’s reproductive freedom.”

The latest bill signed, described by Republicans as containing technical and clarifying language, attempted to make clear medication abortions are permitted through 12 weeks just like procedural abortions — often referred to as surgical abortions — and not through 10 weeks. It also changes a numerical reference to a law to ensure that a lawful abortion is an exception to North Carolina’s fetal homicide statute. And a provision that raised questions whether the state’s 72-hour waiting period to obtain an abortion had to restart if certain information wasn’t available was repealed.

Cooper had until next week to decide what to do with the proposed revisions, which were attached to a state health agency measure and approved by strong bipartisan majorities.

north STATEment

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

EDITORIAL | FRANK HILL

The Gordian Knot, affirmative action and public education

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION in college admissions was a decadeslong attempt to get rid of the “everything else” category when it came to applying to two prestigious universities, Harvard and UNC Chapel Hill.

Any disparity in grade point average or standardized test scores was attributed to “everything else” such as differences in family income; health status; housing ― but mostly systemic racism.

The affirmative action which needs to be undertaken in North Carolina has to include every elected leader, parent, special interest group and voter to band together to do whatever it takes to dramatically reform and improve North Carolina’s public education system.

The Law of Unintended Consequences. It happens all the time in politics.

While the goals were laudable ― rectification of years of racism ― affirmative action tried to use the collective coercive power of government to short-circuit the admissions process for AfricanAmerican students which wound up discriminating against another ethnic minority, Asian-American students who had higher qualification scores as a racially identifiable group.

The Law of Unintended Consequences. It happens all the time in politics.

Fortunately, there is one way to fix any statistical disparity in academic performance in America ― but it is going to take a herculean amount of thought, cooperation, compromise and creative ideas to accomplish:

Fix our public education system.

Children come into the public education system with all sorts of background experiences, financial situations and psychological states of mind. To ask any school teacher or public school to try to solve all of our nation’s ills facing our families is totally unfair.

However, we can ask public school teachers and administrations to be a critical factor in the education of every young person for twelve years so they A) stay in school through high school and B) leave with a full panoply of reading, writing and math and science skills so they can be fully-functioning independent citizens of this country.

Any truly motivated and gifted student who comes out of such an improved public education system will be able to compete with anyone whether it is admission to Harvard or UNC Chapel Hill or entering the work force. There would not be any need for any government-sanctioned initiative such as affirmative action which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional last week.

The time for real and substantive “affirmative action” is way before students apply to a college such as Harvard or UNC-CH.

EDITORIAL | STACEY MATTHEWS

The state of Mississippi has recently undertaken such a revolutionary mission. So far, the improvement in reading and math skills across all ages and racial designations has been remarkable and statistically significant.

If Mississippi can do the impossible, North Carolina can surely do the same.

Maybe the Asian-American parents who get their children to do hundred calculus problems every afternoon when they come home from school before they go out and play basketball with their friends can help shape the new reforms in North Carolina. We saw such academic discipline and implementation among our sons’ friends in Northern Virginia and while the young boys would rather be shooting hoops, they did the homework first and then played hoops and are today reaping the benefits of the public education they received.

No matter what happens with opportunity scholarships and school choice, over 80% of our students are going to be enrolled in North Carolina public schools for coming decades ― we owe it to them to have the “choice” to stay in their public school with their friends and get a great education.

Legend had it that whoever untied a seemingly-impossible-tountie rope knot attached to an oxcart in Gordium, Phrygia would become ruler of all Asia. When Alexander The Great was asked to untie it in 333 BC, he took out his sword and cut right through it ― and also later became ruler of all Asia.

If we North Carolinians can cut through the Gordian Knot of our state’s public education system, that will be the most affirmative of all actions we can possibly ever take.

Shameful reactions to SCOTUS affirmative action ruling

ON THURSDAY, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the race-based college admissions processes used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, effectively striking down the use of affirmative action programs in college admissions.

“No black person will be able to succeed in a merit-based system which is exactly why affirmative-action based programs were needed. Today’s decision is a TRAVESTY!!”

“No black person will be able to succeed in a merit-based system”

“University programs must comply with strict scrutiny; they may never use race as a stereotype or negative, and — at some point — they must end,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “Respondents’ admissions systems — however well-intentioned and implemented in good faith — fail each of these criteria. They must therefore be invalidated under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

Similar to their reactions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, Democrats, progressive activists, and their media allies melted down, and in the process put on a shameful display in essentially suggesting that black people could not succeed without affirmative action.

For instance, the New York Times wrote in a breaking news tweet that “the major ruling curtails race-conscious college admissions in the U.S., all but ensuring that elite institutions become whiter and more Asian and less black and Latino.”

Career Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) pinned the blame squarely on Justice Clarence Thomas.

“Clarence Thomas has just struck a blow against children of color being able to get educated, take positions of power, and eradicate discrimination and racism that denies full equality and opportunity,” Waters raged on Twitter.

Former Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Catherine Christian, a Democrat, predicted we’d see only three students of color at law schools in the aftermath of the ruling.

“You’re going to go back to a three-person, black-person class in a class of 200, and that’s just not a good thing,” Christian said on MSNBC.

“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a direct attack on black people,” so-called “proud Democrat” Erica Marsh, a former field organizer for Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, said in a tweet that got a lot of attention.

And if that wasn’t bad enough, there was this disgusting message failed former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien wrote to Asian-American activist Yiatin Chu, the latter of who had applauded the ruling on behalf of her daughter and all Asian-Americans who have been passed over in higher ed so just so universities could meet a quota.

“Congrats on screwing over other people of color, ma’am! (Particularly those whose efforts in civil rights paved the way for your family to come to America!),” O’Brien whined as if Asian Americans should be required to sit back and accept unlawful discrimination over some perceived debt they allegedly owe to the black community.

Conservative writer A.G. Hamilton hit the nail on the head in his reply to O’Brien.

“That mother was fighting to ensure that our country lived up to our ideals and it was no longer legal to discriminate against her daughter based on her race. Lecturing her about how she just should have accepted such discrimination because it makes you feel better is gross.”

Indeed.

As they did after the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, many on the left are showing their true colors once again. And they are ugly and dare I say a tiny bit un-American?

This is in part why I get giddy when landmark rulings are handed down by our nation’s highest court. Because when they go against the activist left, we get a very revealing look into who they really are, and believe me, they reaffirmed to us who they really are last week.

North Carolina native Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah and is a media analyst and regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.

Another victory for free speech

Tolerance, not coercion, is our Nation’s answer.

LAST FRIDAY’S decision by the Supreme Court in the case of 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis is a huge victory for the free speech rights of every American.

The six-member majority, in an opinion authored by Justice Gorsuch, held that the state of Colorado cannot force website and graphic designer Lorie Smith, doing business as 303 Creative LLC, to design websites for same-sex marriages. The Court reversed a 2-1 decision against Smith by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Smith is quite willing to offer her professional services to all people regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, or gender, but she will not produce content that contradicts her belief that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. The parties stipulated that Smith’s graphic and website design services are “expressive” in nature, and that there are numerous companies in Colorado and across the nation available to same sex couples for custom website design services.

However, the Tenth Circuit decided the case against Smith even though, per Gorsuch, that court “recognized that the coercive elimination of dissenting ideas about marriage constitutes Colorado’s very purpose in seeking to apply its law to Smith.”

The dissenting justices tried to analogize the case to public accommodation laws that guarantee access to restaurants, hotels, etc., but the majority accurately framed the issue this way: Can a State force someone who provides her own expressive services to abandon her conscience and speak its preferred message instead?

Maoism in America

If tyranny comes to America, where can I go to find freedom?

MAO ZEDONG became one of the last century’s most powerful dictators by completely transforming Chinese society through a systematic use of violence, coercion, and aggressive propaganda. His method was so unique — and ruthlessly effective — it was codified by historians and political scholars as Maoism.

Today, a new kind of Maoism is developing in the American left, and it is a direct threat to the American traditions of individual rights, the rule of law, the Constitution, and personal freedom.

I was recently reminded how real the threat of renewed Maoism is — and how little it is understood — when a Chinese American woman confronted me at a hotel during breakfast.

She was so emotional, she was shaking. She said, “you must save America.”

She explained that she left China 30 years ago after Mao’s dictatorship destroyed the lives of Chinese citizens with his bloody 10-year Cultural Revolution. When she came to America, she said she felt she had found freedom. What she said next struck me:

“Now, I am watching people who are disciples of Mao — whether they know it or not. They are going to destroy my new country and turn it into the nightmare I fled three decades ago.”

Her message resonated with me intellectually and emotionally. As an historian, I have deeply studied Mao and the Chinese Communist dictatorship.

The Maoist levels of violence and mass murder have not occurred here (thank God), but the patterns of psychological coercion and propaganda are thriving. Maoist-style groupthink and forced confession and coercion have been spreading through our top universities and the corporate news media for decades. They have recently permeated our governmental bureaucracies, military, and even large American corporations.

I was especially impacted by the woman’s warning, because I previously spoke with Xi Van Fleet, a survivor from Communist China who played a leading role in standing up to the Loudon County, Va., school board. Board members were committed to teaching propaganda and ignoring parents’ concerns about transgender policies. Xi’s anger and clarity of message earned a great deal of media coverage and helped oppose the school board position.

After thinking about my conversation with Xi and the woman at breakfast, I sought out other insights from people I trust on this arising threat.

Justice Gorsuch concluded the majority opinion with this stirring endorsement of Americans’ precious right of free speech: “A commitment to speech for only some messages and some persons is no commitment at all. By approving a government’s effort to eliminate disfavored ideas, today’s dissent is emblematic of an unfortunate tendency by some to defend First Amendment values only when they find the speaker’s message sympathetic. But if liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear [quoting George Orwell].

“In this case, Colorado seeks to force an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance. In the past, other States . . . have similarly tested the First Amendment’s boundaries by seeking to compel speech they thought vital at the time. But, as this Court has long held, the opportunity to think for ourselves and to express those thoughts freely is among our most cherished liberties and part of what keeps our Republic strong.

Of course, abiding the Constitution’s commitment to the freedom of speech means all of us will encounter ideas we consider unattractive, misguided, or even hurtful. But tolerance, not coercion, is our Nation’s answer. The First Amendment envisions the United States as a rich and complex place where all persons are free to think and speak as they wish, not as the government demands.”

John Stuart Bruce is an attorney who lives in Raleigh.

Assault on Western civilization

WESTERN CIVILIZATION was founded on a set of philosophies that focus strongly on the sanctity of individuals and their power of logic and reason. This belief led to a desire to trust things that could be proven to be true or legitimate, from government to science. Judeo-Christian morality has formed the basis of most Western notions of ethics and behavioral standards. Thus, the attack on Western civilization must begin with the attack on the church and Christian values, and, just as important, the family unit must be undermined. The reason why the church, Christian values and family are targets of the left is they want people’s loyalty and allegiance to be to the state. The church, Christianity and the family stand in the way. Let’s look at some of the left’s agenda.

Joe Biden, criticizing sexual assault, said, “This is English jurisprudential culture, a white man’s culture,” adding, “It’s got to change.” The Western world’s culture isn’t perfect, but women fare better under it than any other culture. Just ask yourself: If you’re a feminist, in which countries would you like to live? Would it be Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, China or countries on the African continent, north or south of the Sahara? In those countries, women encounter all kinds of liberty restrictions, plus in at least 30 countries on the African continent, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, female genital mutilation is practiced. You might ask Biden what part of the “white man’s culture” needs to be changed.

The fear of a new American-style Maoism was reinforced by Dimon Liu, a brilliant human rights activist who is herself a survivor from China. She wrote to me in an email that the key to the new style of Maoism in America is identity politics.

Weaponizing class through critical class theory and other pseudo-scholarly propaganda allows the new Maoists to designate what classes are approved or blacklisted — then label who belongs to what class on their terms.

Dimon wrote, “Our identities are who the usurpers of power say we are, and we get persecuted or rewarded accordingly. … Maoist identity politics has come to America — just switch ‘class’ to ‘races,’ and things fall into the exact same places.”

As my co-author Christensen wrote to me, you can see new Maoist patterns in America through the left’s radicalization of youth, destruction of history, and widespread use of propaganda.

“Recall the objective of Mao’s Cultural Revolution (in addition to eliminating his opposition) and the aim of the Red Guards was to destroy the ‘four olds:’ old ideas, old customs, old habits, and old culture. Mao made an enemy out of history and tradition,” she wrote.

When I reached out to Ben Domenech, the brilliant editor of “The Transom,” he wrote me that Maoism is, “distributed [or] networked tyranny: The motivated masses provide the mechanism, not a central organ. Nazism required the Gestapo, Stalinism required the NKVD, Maoism can rely on the man on the street.”

Domenech then wrote there is a “moving frame of reference: there is no logical endpoint to the agenda. Any effort to assert a terminus is taken as evidence of inadequate dedication. The result is an organic drive toward accelerating radicalization — a society-wide example of the ‘who first stops clapping for Stalin’ problem...

[Finally, Maoism must include] the destruction of institutions. Institutions are limiting mechanisms: you take them over, yes, but only to destroy them.”

We need to be clear about the nature of this new Maoism with American characteristics — and take head-on those who use Maoist tactics to dominate our schools, media, bureaucracies, companies, and society.

Our freedom is at stake.

As one Chinese survivor asked me, “I could flee tyranny and come to America. But if tyranny comes to America, where can I go to find freedom?”

This question should haunt all of us.

The greatest efforts to downplay the achievements of Western civilization start at our colleges and universities. An American Council of Trustees and Alumni 2016 study reported that “the overwhelming majority of America’s most prestigious institutions do not require even the students who major in history to take a single course on United States history or government.” Because of this ignorance, our young people fall easy prey to charlatans, quacks and liars who wish to downgrade our founders and the American achievement.

In 2012, 2014 and 2015, an ACTAcommissioned survey of college graduates found that less than 20% could accurately identify the effect of the Emancipation Proclamation. Less than half could identify George Washington as the American general at Yorktown. One-third of college graduates were unaware that FDR introduced the New Deal. More than one-third of the college graduates surveyed could not place the American Civil War in its correct 20-year time frame. Nearly half of the college graduates could not identify correctly the term lengths of U.S. senators and representatives.

The left in our country often suggests that people who stand up for Western civilization are supporting a racial hierarchy. The fact is that the history of the world is one of arbitrary tyrannical abuse and control. Poverty has been the standard fare for a vast majority of mankind. America became the exception to what life was like. That exceptionalism inspired imitators, and our vision of freedom and liberty spread to what has become known as the Western world.

Many do not appreciate the fact that freedom and competition in both the marketplace and idea arena unleashed a level of entrepreneurism, risk-taking and creativity heretofore unknown to mankind. Look at the marketplace of ideas. The Nobel Prize has been awarded to 860 people since its inception in 1901. The prize winner distribution: Americans (375), United Kingdom (131) Germany (108), France (69) and Sweden (32); that’s 83% of Nobel Prizes won. The large majority of other Nobel winners are mostly westerners. I might add that Japan has 27 Nobel Prize winners, but their first winner was awarded in 1949, after WWII led Japan to became more westernized. There’s a reason why the West leads the world in terms of scientific innovation, wealth and military might and it has little to do with genetics. Instead, it’s the environment of freedom, both in the market for goods and in the idea marketplace. Rigorous competition brings out the best in mankind. Leftists and would-be tyrants find Western values offensive.

Walter E. Williams was a professor of economics at George Mason University. This column originally ran on July 3, 2019.

Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@nsjonline.com or 1201 Edwards Mill Rd., Suite 300, Raleigh, NC 27607. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@nsjonline.com.

COLUMN | NEWT GINGRICH

NATION & WORLD

Diverse Republican presidential primary field sees an opening in 2024 with voters of color

The Associated Press CHICAGO — Race has emerged as a central issue — and a delicate one — in the 2024 presidential contest as the GOP’s primary field features six candidates of color, making it the party’s most racially diverse ever.

Former Texas congressman Will Hurd, who was the only black Republican in the House of Representatives during his final two years in office, launched his candidacy in late June.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who is of Cuban descent, entered the race as well, vowing to create a new brand of politics. He joined South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, the first black senator in the South since Reconstruction. Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, is of Indian descent, as is Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who describes himself as “a cultural thought leader.” Also in the race is Larry Elder, an African American raised in Los Angeles’ South Central neighborhood who came to national attention as a candidate in the failed effort two years ago to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.

The GOP candidates of color are considered underdogs in a field currently dominated by former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Yet the party’s increasingly diverse leadership suggests the GOP may have a real opportunity in 2024 to further weaken the Democrats’ grip on African Americans and Latinos. Those groups have been among the most loyal segments of the Democratic coalition since Republican leaders fought against the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, said the GOP’s policies

The ChatGPT app is displayed on an iPhone in New York, May 18, 2023. A federal judge on Thursday, June 22, imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm in an unprecedented instance in which ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.

are far more important than the racial and ethnic diversity of their presidential candidates. He noted there also were four Republican candidates of color in 2016, the year Trump won the White House.

With few exceptions, the Republican candidates who have entered the presidential primary field have embraced the GOP’s “anti-woke” agenda, which is based on the notion that policies designed to address systemic inequities related to race, gender or sexuality are inherently unfair or even dangerous.

DeSantis describes such policies as “cultural Marxism.”

Scott insisted that America is not a racist country in his recent announcement speech.

“We are not defined by the color of our skin. We are defined by the content of our character. And if anyone tells you anything different, they’re lying,” he said.

In her announcement video, Haley noted that she was raised in a small town in South Carolina as “the proud daughter of Indian im-

migrants — not black, not white, I was different.” Like Scott, she has defended the GOP against charges of racism.

“Some think our ideas are not just wrong, but racist and evil,” Haley said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.” Elder is quick to criticize the Democrats’ “woke” agenda, Black Lives Matter and the notion of systemic racism. Before Suarez’s announcement, the GOP did not have any Hispanic candidates in the 2024 contest. He said his ethnic background matters.

“I’m the only Hispanic candidate in both parties who’s running. I think that’s incredibly important,” he said in an interview on ABC, noting that roughly 20% of the U.S. is made up of Hispanics, who have trended Republican recently. “I’m focused on not just winning the 2024 election. I’m focused on creating a brand of politics that can win generational elections.”

A majority of Latino voters sup -

ported Biden in the 2020 presidential contest, according to AP VoteCast, an extensive national survey of the electorate. But Trump cut into that support in some competitive states, including Florida and Nevada, revealing important shifts among Latinos from many different cultural backgrounds.

In last fall’s midterm elections, support grew for Republican candidates among black voters, although they remained overwhelmingly supportive of Democrats, AP Votecast found. Overall, Republican candidates were backed by 14% of black voters, compared with 8% in the midterm elections four years earlier.

While the shifts may be relatively small, strategists in both parties acknowledge that any shift is significant given how close some elections may be in 2024.

In Chicago, Tyrone Muhammad, who leads Ex-Cons for Social Change, lashed out at Republicans for being “losers” for not seizing a very real opportunity to win over more African Americans. While sitting next to Ramaswamy on stage, he also declared that the Republican Party is racist.

Later, he said he actually voted for Trump in 2020 because Trump enacted a criminal justice bill that aimed to shorten prison sentences for nonviolent drug offenders. While the GOP has since embraced tough-on-crime rhetoric, Muhammed noted that Biden as a senator helped pass the 1994 crime bill that led to the mass incarceration of black people.

Muhammad said he might vote Republican again in 2024, despite the party’s shortcomings. He pointed to the GOP’s fight against illegal immigration as a core reason for support.

“I may not like you as an individual, but I like your issues, I like your policies,” he said.

NATO members have tentative agreement to extend SecretaryGeneral Stoltenberg’s tenure another year

Washington, D.C.

NATO members have reached a tentative agreement to ask SecretaryGeneral Jens Stoltenberg to remain head of the 31-member transatlantic alliance for another year, according to a U.S. official familiar with the decision.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision still needs to be finalized by alliance members. The muchanticipated decision to formally ask Stoltenberg to extend his tenure for another year is expected to happen soon, the official said.

NATO members are scheduled to hold their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. President Joe Biden conveyed to Stoltenberg during their recent meeting at the White House that it was evident there wasn’t going to be consensus in the near term among NATO allies on picking a new permanent leader, the official said. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has been NATO’s top civilian official since 2014. His term was due to expire last year but was extended for a second time to keep a steady hand at the helm after Russia’s fullscale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Associated Press

NEW YORK — A federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on two lawyers and a law firm in an unprecedented instance in which ChatGPT was blamed for their submission of fictitious legal research in an aviation injury claim.

Judge P. Kevin Castel said they acted in bad faith. But he credited their apologies and remedial steps taken in explaining why harsher sanctions were not necessary to ensure they or others won’t again let artificial intelligence tools prompt them to produce fake legal history in their arguments.

“Technological advances are commonplace and there is nothing inherently improper about using a reliable artificial intelligence tool for assistance,” Castel wrote. “But existing rules impose a gate -

keeping role on attorneys to ensure the accuracy of their filings.”

The judge said the lawyers and their firm, Levidow, Levidow & Oberman, P.C., “abandoned their responsibilities when they submitted non-existent judicial opinions with fake quotes and citations created by the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, then continued to stand by the fake opinions after judicial orders called their existence into question.”

In a statement, the law firm said it would comply with Castel’s order, but added: “We respectfully disagree with the finding that anyone at our firm acted in bad faith. We have already apologized to the Court and our client. We continue to believe that in the face of what even the Court acknowledged was an unprecedented situation, we made a good faith mistake in fail-

ing to believe that a piece of technology could be making up cases out of whole cloth.”

The firm said it was considering whether to appeal.

Castel said the bad faith resulted from the failures of the attorneys to respond properly to the judge and their legal adversaries when it was noticed that six legal cases listed to support their March 1 written arguments did not exist.

The judge cited “shifting and contradictory explanations” offered by attorney Steven A. Schwartz. He said attorney Peter LoDuca lied about being on vacation and was dishonest about confirming the truth of statements submitted to Castel.

At a hearing earlier this month, Schwartz said he used the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot

to help him find legal precedents supporting a client’s case against the Colombian airline Avianca for an injury incurred on a 2019 flight.

Microsoft has invested some $1 billion in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.

The chatbot, which generates essay-like answers to prompts from users, suggested several cases involving aviation mishaps that Schwartz hadn’t been able to find through usual methods used at his law firm. Several of those cases weren’t real, misidentified judges or involved airlines that didn’t exist.

The judge said one of the fake decisions generated by the chatbot “have some traits that are superficially consistent with actual judicial decisions” but he said other portions contained “gibberish” and were “nonsensical.”

In a separate written opinion, the judge tossed out the underlying aviation claim, saying the statute of limitations had expired.

Lawyers for Schwartz and LoDuca did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The US flies nuclearcapable bombers in a fresh show of force against

North Korea

Seoul , South Korea

The United States flew nuclear-capable bombers to the Korean Peninsula on Friday in its latest show of force against North Korea, days after the North staged massive anti-U.S. rallies in its capital.

The long-range B-52 bombers took part in joint aerial drills with other U.S. and South Korean fighter jets over the peninsula, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a statement. The bombers’ flyover is the latest in a series of temporary U.S. deployments of strategic assets in South Korea in response to North Korea’s push to expand its nuclear arsenal.

Two weeks ago, the U.S. deployed a nuclearpowered submarine capable of carrying about 150 Tomahawk missiles to South Korean waters for the first time in six years. The USS Michigan’s arrival came a day after North Korea resumed missile tests to protest previous U.S.-South Korean drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

UN nuclear agency chief to visit Fukushima plant to see final preparations for release of wastewater

Tokyo

The chief of the U.N. nuclear agency will visit Japan to meet with Japanese leaders and see final preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, officials said.

Japan’s government hopes the visit by International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi will add credibility to the discharge plan. It has been strongly opposed by local fishing groups and by neighboring South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations over safety concerns.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

AP PHOTO

Republican presidential candidate South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott speaks during a town hall meeting, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa.

THE

AP PHOTO

Lawyers submitted bogus case law created by ChatGPT; Judge fines them $5K

SOCCER

U.S. reaches Gold Cup quarters with 6 - 0 win in Charlotte

Charlotte Jesus Ferreira became the first American to score international hat tricks in consecutive games, and the United States advanced to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals with a 6 - 0 rout of Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. Ferreira scored in the 14th and 38th minutes, then converted a penalty kick in the third minute of first-half stoppage time. Cade Cowell, Gianluca Busio and Brandon Vázquez also scored as the No. 11 Americans won by six goals for the second straight game. The U.S. will face Canada, Guatemala or Guadeloupe in the quarterfinals in Cincinnati on July 9.

NBA

Former UNC guard

Cam Johnson gets $108M deal from Nets

New York Cam Johnson is staying with the Brooklyn Nets on a four-year deal worth about $108 million after quickly becoming one of their top players following his arrival in the trade for Kevin Durant. Johnson, who played his final two seasons at UNC after transferring from Pitt, averaged 16.6 points in 25 starts after coming from Phoenix in February. The forward became a full-time starter for the first time in his career earlier in the season with the Suns. Johnson’s agent, Steven Heumann, confirmed the deal. Johnson was a restricted free agent, so the Nets could have matched any offer for him. But general manager Sean Marks had stressed that the team wanted to keep Johnson and didn’t wait to see if other offers would materialize. Johnson and close friend Mikal Bridges, who came together from Phoenix, helped the Nets earn the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference despite dealing All- Stars Durant and Kyrie Irving within days of each other.

Hornets lock up Ball on big 5-year deal

Miles

Bridges signed

his

$7.9 million qualifying offer to stay in Charlotte

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets can rest easy — their franchise player isn’t going anywhere.

Star point guard LaMelo Ball has agreed in principle to a fiveyear designated rookie max extension that will pay him up to $260 million, according to multiple reports. The All-Star and former Rookie of the Year was heading into the final season of his rookie contract and subsequently eligible for an extension. The deal keeps Ball with Charlotte through the 2028-29 season.

Although some doubted he would agree to the proposed terms, Ball became the first Hornets player to sign a max extension to a rookie contract since Michael Jordan bought the franchise 13 years ago.

While an injury-plagued campaign last season raises some concerns about Ball’s ability to stay on the court, he told reporters in March that he expects to be ready

for training camp in September.

“It’s tough,” Ball said on March 20, referencing the fractured right ankle he suffered in February. “I mean, probably annoying just going through it, but I’m still alive and stuff like that, so you can’t really be too mad. Just go through the rehab, do that whole process and try to come out on top.”

After the draft, where Charlotte landed Alabama star wing Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick, Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak spoke to reporters about Ball’s status.

“His bone was 100% healed six weeks ago,” Kupchak said. “He’s been on the basketball court for four to six weeks, running and jumping on the court. He has not done any scrimmages yet. He hasn’t done any one-on-one or any two-on-two. He could, but what’s the rush? We’re not even to July 1 yet. He’s not ahead of schedule — and this is exactly what the doctors expected — but we’re good.”

Ball could use ankle braces going forward to avoid further injuries.

The Hornets are also getting back Miles Bridges.

The 25-year-old forward signed his $7.9 million qualifying offer from Charlotte on Sun-

Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak on guard LaMelo Ball

day, according to reports. Bridges missed all of last season after he was charged with domestic violence in July 2022. He pleaded no contest last November and is serving three years of probation. The NBA gave Bridges a 30-game suspension earlier this offseason but added that because Bridges missed the entirety of last season that 20 of those games are considered already served.

He will miss the first 10 games of this season.

Bridges was coming off a career season in 2021-22 when he averaged a team-high 20.2 points and 7.0 rebounds and appeared on the verge of signing a multiyear contract worth more than $100 million last summer.

Hurricanes bolster lineup with Orlov, Bunting

Carolina also re-signed forward Jesper Fast and goalies Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

RALEIGH — The combination of cap space and a soon-to-berising salary cap turned into the perfect storm for the Hurricanes at the start of the NHL’s free agency period on Saturday.

“Cap space,” Hurricanes GM Don Waddell said, “is like gold.”

That Carolina had it — and many other teams didn’t — allowed the team to sign two of the bigger names on the market.

The Hurricanes first added former Capitals and Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov on a two-year contract worth an average of $7.75 million annually, further bolstering an already stacked blue line.

“I think he was ranked as the top defenseman on everybody’s list as far as free agents,” Waddell said.

Orlov, who played 42 games against Carolina during his 10plus seasons with the Metropolitan Division rival Capitals, men-

tioned having three times been on a Presidents’ Trophy winner and coming up short in the playoffs. In his first opportunity to be a free agent, he said he was looking to go to a team with a chance to win it all.

“So I think I made a good decision,” Orlov, a Stanley Cup winner with the Capitals in 2018, said during a video press conference,

“and I’m happy to be with Carolina right now. … I want to be on a good team who have a big goal to get to the end.”

The 5-foot-11, 214-pound Orlov has been a workhorse for Washington — and briefly Boston this season — throughout his career, averaging more than 20 minutes a game while posting 64 goals and 273 assists in 709 regular

By signing the qualifying offer, Bridges would become eligible to become an unrestricted free agent after next season.

Charlotte also extended qualifying offers to two other players: P.J. Washington and Theo Maledon. Washington, 24, could be looking at a deal worth upward of $15 million per year and will likely draw interest from teams looking for a power forward that can stretch the floor.

Multiple outlets have reported that Charlotte is also considering making an offer to restricted free agent and Boston Celtics forward Grant Williams, whose potential addition wouldn’t necessarily prevent the Hornets from re-signing Washington.

As for Maledon, the Hornets will have to decide if he factors into the team’s future as a rotational guard.

Per reports, the Hornets free agent guard Dennis Smith Jr. has agreed to a one-year deal with the Nets, a move that could lead to Charlotte re-signing Maledon. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 6.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 44 games last season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

season games.

He had eight assists for the record-setting Bruins, who acquired him at the trade deadline, in their stunning seven-game exit against the Panthers in the first round of this year’s playoffs.

Waddell and the Hurricanes’ front office weren’t done. Michael Bunting, who was ranked ninth on The Athletic’s list of the top free agents (Orlov was second), also agreed to a contract with the Hurricanes that will pay him an average of $4.5 million for three years.

Bunting, a 27-year-old left wing, scored 23 goals in each of the last two seasons with Toronto, finishing in third place in Calder Trophy voting for the league’s top rookie in 2022. He also brings another element the Hurricanes have often lacked: The 6-foot, 192-pound winger is one the league’s top agitators.

“Whenever you go out and, especially in a case like this where you spend $13.5 million on a player, you want to make sure you get a player that can contribute offensively,” Waddell said of Bunting. “He just had that extra knack, the way he plays, that’s something that we definitely wanted and (coach) Rod (Brind’Amour) wanted. So that was a bonus to be

“He’s not ahead of schedule — and this is exactly what the doctors expected — but we’re good.”

CRAIG LASSIG | AP PHOTO

LaMelo Ball and the Hornets have agreed to a rookie max extension that will pay the star guard up to $260 million.

JESS RAPFOGEL | AP PHOTO

The Hurricanes signed former Capitals and Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year, $15.5 million contract on the first day of NHL free agency on Saturday.

TRENDING

Devonte’ Graham:

The Spurs guard and Raleigh native has pleaded guilty to a DWI charge stemming from a July 2022 speeding stop. The Wake County District Attorney’s office confirmed the deal Thursday and said the speeding charge was dismissed. Graham faces sentencing on July 27. According to the police report, Graham — who played three seasons for the Hornets before being traded in August 2021 — was pulled over 2:39 a.m. on July 7, 2022, for driving 63 mph in a 40 mph zone. During the traffic stop, Graham displayed signs of impairment.

Bernhard Langer:

The 65‑year‑old won the U.S. Senior Open on Sunday at SentryWorld to break the PGA Tour Champions’ career victory record. The German star broke a tie with Hale Irwin for the victory mark with No. 46. Seven strokes ahead on the back nine, Langer bogeyed the final three holes for 1‑under 70 and a two‑stroke victory over Steve Stricker. Langer finished at 7‑under 277, with only eight players breaking par for the week.

Rickie Fowler:

The 34‑year‑old made a 12‑foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, outlasting Collin Morikawa and Adam Hadwin two weeks after squandering a chance to win his first major at the U.S. Open. The 34‑year‑old Fowler got his first PGA Tour victory since winning the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open. He had the 54‑hole lead at last month’s U.S. Open and in one tournament in each of the previous two years.

Beyond the box score

POTENT QUOTABLES

In a first‑of‑its‑kind race on the streets of the Windy City, Shane van Gisbergen won his NASCAR Cup Series debut. Van Gisbergen chasing down Justin Haley and Chase Elliott in a memorable finish to the series’ first street race on a rainy Sunday in downtown Chicago. After passing Elliott, van Gisbergen dueled with Haley in the final laps before the three‑time Supercars champion moved in front for good.

Greensboro native John Isner on bringing his wife and four children to Wimbledon this year.

Mike Babcock, who was fired as coach of the Maple Leafs in 2019 for mistreating players, during his introductory news conference with the Blue Jackets.

PRIME NUMBER

Goals for Jesus Ferreira in the USMNT’s 6‑0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday at the Gold Cup in Charlotte, becoming the first U.S. player to score consecutive hat tricks in international competition.

The Yankees’ Domingo Germán became the 24th pitcher to throw a perfect game in major league history, retiring every Oakland batter in an 11‑0 victory over the Athletics last Wednesday. It was the first perfect game since Seattle Mariners ace Félix Hernández threw one on Aug. 15, 2012.

NBA

Former App State defensive lineman

Demetrius Taylor was suspended by the NFL last week for gambling. Taylor was released by the Lions on May 10 and cannot seek reinstatement until after 2023 season. The 24‑year‑old played from 2017 to 2021 with the Mountaineers and made Detroit as an undrafted rookie last season.

Former UNC forward Harrison Barnes is staying with the Sacramento Kings, agreeing to a three‑year, $54 million contract last week. Barnes will be entering his sixth year with the Kings, who went to the playoffs this past season for the first time since 2006, and has averaged 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds during his 11‑season NBA career.

NASCAR

MORRY GASH | AP PHOTO

NFL PAUL SANCYA | AP PHOTO

MLB GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ | AP PHOTO

“Change in all of us takes time.”

KYLE ROBERTSON | AP PHOTO

JEFF CHIU | AP PHOTO

“It made sense for us all to make the trip this year.”

AURELIEN MORISSARD | AP PHOTO

Panthers still have handful of open offseason issues

The team may have a few moves left before camp starts this month

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

NOW THAT THE calendar has flipped from July, we can say that the NFL returns this month. Training camps will open in two weeks, officially transitioning us from the offseason to the preseason.

The Carolina Panthers will be closing the books on a very successful offseason that saw the team bring in a new coaching staff and aggressively fill holes and improve the roster in free agency and the NFL Draft. The Panthers traded up, dealing a key player in receiver DJ Moore, to acquire the top overall pick, then chose their quarterback of the future in Alabama’s Bryce Young.

Carolina also signed a large group of veterans expected to contribute at key positions, including receiver (Adam Thielen and DJ Chark), tight end (Hayden Hurst), running back (Miles Sanders), safety (Vonn Bell) and both lines (Justin McCrary, Shy Tuttle, DeShawn Williams). The team also focused on those areas in the draft, adding receiver Jonathan Mingo, edge rusher DJ Johnson, lineman Chandler Zavala and safety Jammie Robinson.

It’s hard to find flaws with the team’s offseason accomplishments, but it’s not quite over yet. There’s still time to make a few more additions and upgrades before the team hits the practice field.

Here are a few dangling threads that could be pulled before training camp.

Quarterback transition plan

Whenever an NFL team brings

in a highly drafted rookie quarterback, the front office and coaching staff preach patience. Handing the keys to the offense to a newcomer before he’s ready could lead to disaster. It’s better for a team to bide its time, let the rookie develop behind a veteran and wait until he is far enough along in his NFL career to take over the highest-profile spot in the franchise.

Frequently, those teams are then unable to follow their own advice, making faster-than-expected switches to the new quarterback.

The Panthers seem to be planning the wait-and-see approach,

bringing in veteran Andy Dalton, who has plenty of experience starting in Cincinnati and Dallas, to run things until Young is ready.

Of course, on day one of rookie minicamp, new coach Frank Reich had this to say about the rookie: “Bryce made a great impression. Obviously, mentally and physically, looked the part in every way. Threw the ball exceedingly well. You could tell he was in a good space mentally. Really had a firm grasp on everything we asked. I think he’s going to progress quickly in anything he does.”

At the start of June, Young was moved to the QB1 spot on the depth chart, although Reich has

held off on naming him the starter. It was enough for Dalton to say last week that he still views himself as an NFL starter.

The team will likely still expect Young to win the job in camp, but that road seems to be tilted in his favor a little more than expected.

Pass rush help

As the Panthers move from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4, the team still seems a bit thin at edge rusher, whether he’s coming from a defensive end spot or linebacker.

Brian Burns gives the Panthers an elite young player who can produce sacks and pressure, although

Leaders, prospects on NC’s minor league rosters

A look back at the first half of the minor league season across the state

By Shawn Krest North State Journal

THERE’S STILL HOPE!

The minor leagues have been undergoing substantial change over the last few seasons. Several teams were eliminated during the pandemic, and the remaining minor league franchises were reshuffled into new leagues.

The minors have also been a hotbed of testing, with the rules that have transformed MLB (pitch clock, placed runner in extra innings, bigger bases) getting their origins over the past few seasons at various levels of the minors. This year, the minor leagues at all levels have embraced a split-season model. Long used at lower levels, the split season crowns a first-half champion, then restarts the season with everyone at 0-0. With roster turnover high, that allows a team that may look very different later in the season to still have a chance to make the postseason.

This year, even Triple-A is using the split season model, and, with the perennial contender Durham Bulls 8.5 games back and the Charlotte Knights 13.5 games off the pace, the change couldn’t have come at a better time.

Here’s a look at the first half of the season for the state’s minor league teams with some highlights and bests as we reset everyone for the second half.

Top team

The only area team to claim a

able to get that type of player.”

Bunting ranked second in the NHL last season in drawn penalties with 43, behind only Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who had 45. Over the past two seasons, Bunting ranked third (behind McDavid’s 95 and Pierre-Luc Dubois’ 92) in drawn penalties with 88.

Bunting also takes penalties, totaling 197 in 187 career regular season games, but his combination of grit and scoring touch was something Carolina couldn’t pass up. “We wanted to add to our forward group,” Waddell said. “(He’s)

first-half crown is the Down East Wood Ducks, which took the Carolina League North Division at 37-24. The Ducks lead the league in ERA (3.03), WHIP (1.167) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.77). At the plate, their 59 home runs are tied for the best in the Carolina League, and their .695 OPS puts them in second place.

Buy stock in

For all of Down East’s accomplishments to start the year, Hickory, which finished seven games under .500 in the South Atlantic South Division in the first half,

a player that brings lots of intangibles. He can score, hits. He’s a feisty guy.”

On top of landing two of the bigger fish in the free agency pond, the Hurricanes were able to re-sign three of their own pending UFAs.

First was Jesper Fast, who agreed to a two-year extension worth $2.4 million annually to return to the Hurricanes.

“He’s a true pro,” Waddell said of Fast, who got a 20% annual raise on the three-year, $6 million contract that just expired.

“He comes to the rink every day (and) you get the same effort in practice as you do in a game.”

Carolina also reunited its

may be the team to watch in the second half. The Crawdads have opened the second half with eight straight wins, and counting, to jump out in front.

Top player

The state is home to two home run leaders at the halfway point. Tim Elko of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers leads the Carolina League with 17 home runs. His 57 RBIs also are tops in the league. He’s 12th in batting average, 10th in OPS and earned a promotion to Winston-Salem. Jase Bowen of the Greensboro Grasshoppers

NC first-half minor league All-Stars

1B: Abimelec Ortiz, Down East/Hickory

2B: Jonathan Aranda, Durham

3B: Zach Dezenzo, Asheville

SS: Tsung-Che Cheng, Greensboro

LF: DJ Gladney, WinstonSalem

CF: Jase Bowen, Greensboro

RF: Drew Gilbert, Asheville

C: Tucker Mitchell, Down East

DH: Tim Elko, Kannapolis/ Winston-Salem

Starting Pitchers

Evan McKendry, Durham

Nate Fisher, Charlotte

Josh Stephan, Hickory

Shane Murphy, Kannapolis

Trey Dombrowski, Fayetteville

Relievers

Lane Ramsey, Charlotte

Tristan Stivors, Winston-

Salem

Jose Fleury, Fayetteville

Nolan DeVos, Fayetteville

leads the South Atlantic with 15 home runs and 55 RBIs.

However, our pick for the firsthalf MVP is someone who split his time between two area teams.

Texas Rangers prospect Abimelec

Ortiz currently ranks second in both the Carolina League and

he’s still recovering from an ankle injury that required surgery. He’ll still be recovering at the start of camp. Draft pick Johnson and veterans Marquis Haynes, Amare Barno and Yetur Gross-Matos are the options to line up opposite Burns currently on the roster. Rumors have linked the Panthers to former University of South Carolina star Jadaveon Clowney almost from the outset of the offseason. The Browns free agent is 30 years old and has had just 11 sacks in the last three seasons combined, so the production may not match the name at this point. Still, he could be a high-profile addition on the eve of camp to help solidify one of the remaining soft spots on the roster. For his part, Clowney has been talking about the Texans and a return to the Browns as ideal landing spots.

Receiving help

The Panthers sent away a potential game-breaker in Moore to land the top draft pick. Thielen and Chark are proven but aging contributors at the position, and tight end Hurst and running back Sanders give the team playmakers elsewhere to take on some of Moore’s production.

The biggest name still on the board as the offseason ends is former Clemson standout DeAndre Hopkins. He has visited the Titans and Patriots in recent weeks, and his most likely landing spot is probably in New England. But ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio said recently that Carolina is still “lurking” as an option. Most of the team’s beat reporters seem to be leaning away from a Hopkins-Panthers connection, however, as Reich and the coaching staff seem content with the team’s depth chart at the receiver unit.

South Atlantic in OPS, hitting over 1.000 in both leagues. Ortiz has seven homers and 20 RBIs at low A Down East and was promoted to High A Hickory, where he’s produced 11 homers and 33 RBIs. He’s hitting .332/.409/.678 on the year.

Best pitcher

Fayetteville may have the best pitching staff in the minor leagues with three Woodpeckers in the top five for strikeouts and four in the top 11. Trey Dombroski leads the league with 88 Ks. Jose Fleury has 76, and Nolan DeVos has 74. The best pitcher in North Carolina’s minor leagues might be in Durham, however, where Evan McKendry leads the International League with a 7-1 record. His 3.52 ERA is third among pitchers with 10 starts, and his 70 strikeouts are seventh in the league.

Top prospect

The MLB Futures Game will be held this weekend to help kick off the All-Star Game week in Seattle. Durham Bulls first baseman Kyle Manzardo was chosen for the American League squad. His 11 home runs and .811 OPS are part of the reason why he’s a top-40 prospect in the minor leagues.

Top pitching prospect

A pair of local team pitchers made the Futures Game rosters. Jonathan Cannon of the Winston-Salem Dash is on the A.L. roster. He’s 5-2 with a 3.69 ERA and 66 strikeouts making him a top-10 White Sox prospect. The National League welcomes J.P. Massey of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, who is 1-1 in two games with the team after getting a promotion from low A, where he struck out 57 in 49.1 innings.

Dmitry

three-head goalie rotation, re-signing both Frederik Andersen (two years, $3.4 million annually) and Antti Raanta (one year, $1.5 million). Both goalies took less money to return to Raleigh, and when grouped with the upand-coming Pyotr Kochetkov,

the Hurricanes have three goalies signed to a combined $6.9 million for the 2023-24 season.

“There’s a lot of goalies in the league, starters, that make more than all three of those guys (combined),” Waddell said. “So if we were going to bring them back, I felt that we needed the insurance to have all three of them back.”

The Hurricanes also plan to follow through on their trade for defenseman Tony DeAngelo — Waddell even spoke at Saturday’s press conference as if DeAngelo was already on the books, mentioning the team’s remaining cap space ($2.5-3 million) as if it already included the $2.5 million Carolina will pay DeAngelo after

Philadelphia retains half of his $5 million contract. That leaves the Hurricanes with a wealth of talent on the blue line — and the likelihood that one of Brett Pesce or Brady Skjei will be traded to make way for Orlov in the top four. Pesce and Skjei are both entering the final year of their contracts, and Carolina will want to get something for at least one member of last year’s second pairing.

“We’re at a point we’re in a good spot where we don’t feel compelled that we have to do anything else right now with the guys we signed today,” Waddell said. “But there’s a lot of moving pieces.”

I-HWA CHENG | AP PHOTO

Tsung-Che Cheng, pictured while playing for Taiwan at this spring’s World Baseball Classic, was batting .308 for Single-A Greensboro before being promoted to Double-A Altoona.

ERIK VERDUZCO | AP PHOTO

Brian Burns will continue to be a primary pass rusher for the Panthers as the team switches from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4.

HURRICANES

from page B1

“I want to be on a good team who have a big goal to get to the end.”

Orlov, new Hurricanes defenseman

Hurricanes pick 10 players at NHL Draft

Carolina used the 30th overall pick on sniper Bradly Nadeau

By Cory Lavalette North State Journal

NASHVILLE, Tenn.

— The Hurricanes finished off their week in Nashville by drafting nine players in Rounds 2-7 on Thursday at the 2023 NHL Draft, adding a stockpile of prospects to go along with Friday’s first-rounder, Bradly Nadeau.

The Hurricanes made 10 picks in all, one of seven NHL teams to make double-digit selections over the past two days. Half of Carolina’s picks were on Russian players, the second consecutive year the Hurricanes have chosen more players from Russia than any other country.

There has certainly been a reluctance by some NHL teams to draft Russian players due to the war in Ukraine and the uncertainty it presents, but the Hurricanes’ scouting staff focuses on the player and not his nationality, said Darren Yorke, a Hurricanes assistant general manager who also oversees the team’s amateur scouting and the draft.

“I think every organization is going to look at that differently,” he said. “We can’t really control what other organizations do. We can’t control what’s happening in the world. We’re trying to make it as simple as possible and just draft the best player available.

“It just happens that the last few years there’s been a little bit more Russians available to us in our draft list and where we take them. But it doesn’t matter if they’re Canadian, American, Russian, we’ll just really take the best player that we have available.”

Carolina also tapped into some resources to take players their staff knew particularly well.

Bradly Nadeau, LW 1st round, 30th overall

Before Carolina’s Russian blitz began, the Hurricanes selected three players in the opening three rounds, starting with Nadeau.

“Probably the best way to describe him is he just scores goals,” Yorke said for Nadeau, who was picked 30th overall out of Penticton of the BCHL and is headed to the University of Maine. “It’s pretty remarkable the types of goals that he was able to score this year.”

On top of being one of the draft’s best skaters and a prolific goal-scorer, Nadeau fits the Hurricanes’ hard-working player mold.

“He’s incredibly hard to play against,” Yorke added. “So you have this blend of competitiveness. You have this blend of just a high-end offensive player. It sort of fits in exactly what we want for our players.”

Felix Unger Sorum, RW 2nd round, 62nd overall

Let the “Odd Couple” jokes commence. With its second pick, Carolina selected Unger Sorum, a winger who played a handful of games last season in the Sweden Hockey League. Unger Sorum, who won’t turn 18 until Sept. 14 and was born in Norway, is more of a passer and distributor than Nadeau.

“He sees the ice incredibly well, Yorke said. “He’s a guy that we saw who kept on getting better and better and better right from the November tournament and all the way through to April.”

Jayden Perron, RW 3rd round, 94th overall

The Hurricanes were originally set to draft 71st with one of the three picks they received from Philadelphia at last year’s draft to send Tony DeAngelo to the Flyers. Instead, Carolina used the 71st to land two picks — reacquiring the 94th overall pick they sent to San Jose in the Brent Burns deal and adding the 100th overall at the start of the fourth round from the Sharks.

At No. 94, Carolina took Perron, a member of the USHL’s Chicago Steel who two years ago played coach Brock Sheahan. Sheahan served as the Hurricanes’ coach for their top affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, last season and surely had valuable insight into Perron.

Yorke compared Perron — who is 5-foot-9, 166 pounds — to Unger Sorum in his playmaking ability and said he can also carry the puck well in the offensive zone. Perron is headed to North Dakota to play with Jackson Blake, a 2021 fourth round pick by Carolina.

“(He’s) a kid that we know really well given that Brock coached him two years ago,” Yorke said. “A kid that we’re really familiar with … really didn’t expect to see him that late in the draft.”

Perron mentioned both his connections to Sheahan and Blake, as well as one to a fellow Winnipeg product, Seth Jarvis.

“I’ve met him a few times,” Perron said.

Perron said his goal is to be able to “play with the top players” once he reaches the NHL.

“I think I’m a smart player,” he said. “I think I have tons of skill. I think that’s what I could bring down Carolina and hope to do that.”

Alexander Rykov, RW 4th round, 100th overall

The Hurricanes selected the first of five Russians with the extra pick they received from the Sharks.

Rykov, a 6-foot, 176-pound winger, played six KHL games with Traktor Chelyabinsk but missed much of last season.

“One of the highest-scoring alltime VHL players for 18 years old,” Yorke said of Rykov’s play in Russia’s second-tier league. “Competitive, smart, playmaking — able to handle the men which isn’t something you normally see from an 18-year-old.”

“I’m a two-way wing,” Rykov — who actually doesn’t even turn 18 until next month — said through a translator. “I can play in the defensive zone. I can score, I can pass. I can do everything in the offensive zone.”

He added he is a fan of fellow Russian Andrei Svechnikov, a Hurricanes winger, and tries to play the same style. Rykov has two years remaining on his contract in Russia and hopes to come to Carolina after that.

Stanislav Yarovoi, RW 4th round, 126th overall

With their own fourth round pick, the Hurricanes selected a second straight Russian in Yarovoi. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Yarovoi will turn 20 in August and spent most of last season playing in the KHL, scoring nine goals with 16 points with Vityza Moscow. He went undrafted in his first two years of eligibility but caught the Hurricanes’ eye this past year with his play in the KHL.

“High-end skill, high-end compete, high-end motor,” Yorke said, “really sort of that Carolina prototypical forward. At the same point, he’s been able to score and produce (against) men. It’s not something you normally see from 19-year-olds.

Charles-Alexis Legault, D 5th round, 139th overall

The Hurricanes are certainly familiar with Legault, who played with coach Rod Brind’Amour’s son Skyler on Quinnipiac’s national championship team last year.

Brind’Amour said Legault “checks all the boxes” as far as his character and work ethic, and since the Carolina coach watched every one of the Bobcats’ games, he also is familiar with his play.

“He’s got real good instincts

and skates really well,” Brind’Amour said. “and he’s 6-4 and a right-shot D-man. It’s pretty much a no-brainer to use a pick on him. And he’s undervalued, in my opinion — he didn’t play much because they have such a good team.”

Yorke said Legault is a fit for Carolina’s system.

“He plays the defensive style of game that we want to play, which you don’t normally see from college kids,” Yorke said. “He’s able to get up in the offensive zone, flush down the wall, seal off in the defensive zone, plays a really fast defensive game, and that’s something that we want in our defenseman.”

The fact that he’s only used up one year of eligibility also gives Legault more runway to develop as he takes on more responsibility on the Bobcats’ blue line.

Ruslan Khazheyev, G 5th round, 158th overall

It’s never a bad idea to take a chance on a goalie in the later rounds, and Carolina did it twice. The first was the 6-foot-4, 201-pound Khazheyev.

“Incredibly powerful, balanced,” Yorke said. “He’s had unbelievable years the last few years in Russia. Our goalie coaches were just so impressed with the feet, the balance in combination with that power.”

Timur Mukhanov, LW 6th round, 163rd overall

Don’t let the diminutive Mukhanov’s size deceive you — the Hurricanes believe the 5-foot-7 Russian makes up for his size with his competitiveness.

“He probably slipped in the draft a little bit (because of) his size, which is really not entirely fair to him because of how hard he works and everything that he’s accomplished to this point,” Yorke said.

Mukhanov attended the draft and was all smiles after being selected.

“He said he’s a fast player,” a translator relayed for Mukhanov. “He can play in the offensive and defensive zone. Every time, he said, that he is doing everything for the team and the main thing with him in the game is to win.”

Mukhanov, who previously played on a line with Carolina 2022 second round pick Gleb Trikozov, said he enjoys the style of Kirill Kaprizov along with Evgeny Svechnikov. He then added, “and Andrei Svechnikov, too.”

Michael Emerson, RW 6th round, 190th overall

The Hurricanes tapped into their connections with the USHL’s Chicago Steel again in taking Emerson. Like Perron, he also played for Sheahan two years ago and will head to North Dakota this fall.

“He probably would have got drafted last year but he got hurt,” Yorke said of the 6-foot1, 192-pound forward. “Straightline speed — he was able to get the puck from the neutral zone to the net. Probably one of the best players in the USHL this past year.”

The New York native had 30 goals and 64 points in 60 games with the Steel last season.

Yegor Velmakin, G 7th round, 222nd overall

With their final pick, the Hurricanes selected another Russian goalie. Velmakin had a .937 save percentage in 12 VHL games last season and could play for Dynamo Minsk of the KHL this coming season.

“We were impressed here with how his season went,” Yorke said. “It got a little bit better each and every game. A kid that we’re happy to get there right at the end of the draft.”

CORY LAVALETTE | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Hurricanes first round pick Bradly Nadeau speaks to the media last Wednesday after being selected 30th overall on the NHL Draft in Nashville, Tennessee.

CORY LAVALETTE | NORTH STATE JOURNAL Hurricanes fourth round pick Alexander Rykov poses shortly after he was selected 100th overall last Thursday at the NHL Draft in Nashville, Tennessee.

“Probably the best way to describe him is he just scores goals.”

Darren Yorke, Hurricanes assistant general manager, on first round pick Bradly Nadeau

CHRIS O’MEARA | AP PHOTO

The Hurricanes drafted Quinnipiac defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault, left, in the fifth round of last week’s NHL Draft.

INFLATION from page B5

flation-adjusted paychecks and disrupted businesses. The Fed’s policymakers, as a group, envision two additional rate hikes this year.

“The bottom line is that (interest rate) policy hasn’t been restrictive enough for long enough,” Powell said in his remarks at an international forum in Sintra, Portugal. He reiterated his view that prices for services, such as restaurant meals, hotel rooms and health care, are still rising too fast, driven in part by the need of many companies to raise pay to attract and keep workers.

Inflation has also eased in the 20 countries that use the euro, according to a separate report released Friday. Prices rose 5.5% in June compared with a year ago, down from 6.1% in May. But as in the United States, core inflation has proved more stubborn: It ticked up from 5.3% to 5.4%.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, along with Powell, warned in remarks at the Sintra conference that they, too, will keep raising borrowing costs to fight high inflation.

The U.S. inflation gauge that was issued Friday, called the personal consumption expenditures price index, is separate from the government’s better-known consumer price index. The government reported earlier this month that the CPI rose 4% in May from 12 months earlier.

The Fed prefers the PCE index because it accounts for changes in how people shop when inflation jumps — when, for example, consumers shift away from pricey national brands in favor of cheaper store brands. And rents, which are among the biggest inflation drivers but many economists think aren’t well-measured, carry about half the weight in the PCE than the CPI.

Beginning with its first hike in March 2022, the Fed has lifted its benchmark interest rate to about 5.1%, its highest level in 16 years, before forgoing a hike at its most recent meeting earlier this month.

The economy has shown surprising resilience despite the Fed’s rate hikes, defying long-standing forecasts of a recession. A measure of the economy’s growth in the first three months of the year was sharply upgraded Thursday to a solid annual pace of 2%, from a previous estimate of 1.3%.

Still, the economy’s durability could prove a mixed blessing. The Fed is raising rates to try to cool borrowing and spending by businesses and consumers. It hopes employers will then reduce their demand for workers, which, in turn, could slow wage increases and inflation pressures.

Yet if the economy continues to expand at a solid pace, the Fed would likely feel compelled to send rates even higher to achieve its goal of bringing inflation back down to 2%.

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden on Monday said that high-speed internet is no longer a luxury but an “absolute necessity,” as he pledged that every household in the nation would have access by 2030 using cables made in the U.S.

“These investments will help all Americans,” he said. “We’re not going to leave anyone behind.”

Biden announced that more than $40 billion would be distributed across the country to deliver high-speed internet in places where there’s either no service, or service is too slow.

“But it’s not enough to have access — you need affordability and access,” the president said, adding that his administration is working with service providers to bring down costs on what is now a household utility — like water or gas — but often remains priced at a premium.

With Monday’s announcement, the administration is launching the second phase of its “Investing in America” tour. The three-week blitz of speeches and events is designed to promote Biden’s previous legislative wins on infrastructure, the economy and climate change going into a reelection year. The president and his advisers believe voters don’t know enough about his policies heading into his 2024

reelection campaign and that more voters would back him once they learn more.

Biden’s challenge is that investments in computer chips and major infrastructure projects such as rail tunnels can take a decade to come to fruition. That leaves much of the messaging focused on grants that will be spent over time, rather than completed projects.

The internet access funding amounts depended primarily on the number of unserved locations in each jurisdiction or those locations that lack access to internet download speeds of at least 25 megabits per second download and upload speeds of 3 Mbps.

Download speeds involve retrieving information from the internet, including streaming movies and TV. Upload speeds determine how fast information travels from a computer to the internet, like sending emails or publishing photos online.

The funding includes more than $1 billion each for 19 states, with remaining states falling below that threshold. Allotments range from $100.7 million for Washington, D.C., to $3.3 billion for Texas. Biden said more than 35,000 projects are already funded or underway to lay cable that provides internet access. Some of those are from $25 billion in initial funding as part of the “American Rescue Plan.”

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore,” he said. “It’s become an absolute necessity.”

More than 7% of the country falls in the underserved category, according to the Federal Communications Commission ‘s analysis.

Sen. Joe Manchin, who Biden called out as a “friend” during today’s announcement, celebrated the $1.2 billion West Virginia will receive to expand service in the rural, mountainous state of around 1.8 million.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Gina Raimondo joined Manchin at a press conference after Biden’s announcement and said West Virginia’s allotment would be enough money to “finally connect every resident.”

“When I say everyone, I mean everyone,” she said. Raimondo said the reason that hasn’t happened in the past is because it’s expensive to lay fiber in a rural or mountainous area.

“And so the internet providers

haven’t done it — it doesn’t make economic sense for them,” she said. “What we’re saying to them now is, ‘With this money, $1.2 billion to connect about 300,000 folks in West Virginia, it is plenty of money to get to everyone.’”

Congress approved the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, along with several other internet expansion initiatives, through the infrastructure bill Biden signed in 2021.

Earlier this month, the Commerce Department announced winners of middle mile grants, which will fund projects that build the midsection of the infrastructure necessary to extend internet access to every part of the country.

States have until the end of the year to submit proposals outlining how they plan to use that money, which won’t begin to be distributed until those plans are approved.

Once the Commerce Department signs off on those initial plans, states can award grants to telecommunications companies, electric cooperatives and other providers to expand internet infrastructure.

Under the rules of the program, states must prioritize connecting predominantly unserved areas before bolstering service in underserved areas—which are those without access to internet speeds of 100 Mbps/20 Mbps—and in schools, libraries or other community institutions.

The Associated Press DETROIT — A key U.S. automotive industry organization says it will set performance standards for Tesla’s electric vehicle charging cords in another move toward using the Tesla plug on all EVs. The move Tuesday by SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, comes just weeks after Ford, General Motors and Rivian said they would join Tesla’s large Supercharger network and adopt its North American Charging Standard connector in new versions of their electric vehicles. But a rival connector called CCS is still in thousands of current EVs and will stay in use.

Also Tuesday, Volvo Cars said it had become the fourth automaker to sign an agreement with Tesla to join the company’s charging network, starting next year. Volvo said it will adopt Tesla’s charging connector in new electric vehicles starting in 2025. SAE said that it’s already working on the standards and hopes to finish them within six months. The standards would govern how the plugs connect with charging stations, cybersecurity measures,

charging speeds and reliability requirements, said Frank Menchaca, president of sustainable mobility solutions for the innovation arm of SAE’s nonprofit parent company. The move likely spells the end of CCS, which was developed to standards set by SAE, said Guidehouse Research e-Mobility an-

alyst Sam Abuelsamid. “It’s only a matter of time before no one is building new EVs with CCS connectors on them,” he said.

CCS, he said, is much harder to maneuver and plug into vehicles than Tesla’s NACS connector, he said. Most consumers who have used both would choose Tesla’s connector, Abuelsamid said.

But he said charging stations will have to accommodate both plugs for many years because so many vehicles are equipped with the CCS connectors.

Menchaca said Tesla and industry engineers are working on the standards in partnership. He said automakers and consumers won’t have to pay royalties to Tesla, but EV owners will need to pay Tesla to charge on its network.

The organization, he said, is not picking which connector will be used and said the industry still wants to support CCS.

Menchaca said SAE is setting standards for NACS because Ford, GM and Rivian have adopted it and it “looks like it’s poised to become really widely used. So in talking to all of the stakeholders we decided it needs to be standardized.” The standards, he said, will provide more choice and convenience and access to a bigger charging network. “Who knows if others come on board, it could be the dominant way that people charge,” he said.

Other automakers such as Stellantis and Hyundai are considering switching to Tesla’s connector.

At present, nearly all automakers other than Tesla use CCS. Tesla’s Superchargers are coveted by other automakers because it has more direct current fast-charging plugs in the U.S. than any other network, and its stations are in prime locations along freeway travel corridors.

GM, Ford, Rivian and Volvo owners will get access to more than 12,000 Tesla Supercharger plugs. In the U.S., Tesla has 1,797 Supercharger stations and more than 19,000 plugs, according to the Department of Energy.

Since the stations are direct current fast-chargers, they can charge EVs relatively quickly as people travel.

ChargePoint has the biggest charging network in the U.S. with more than 32,000 stations and 55,000 plugs, but most of them are Level 2 chargers that can take up to eight hours to get a battery up to a full charge.

The Energy Department says there are about 54,000 public charging stations nationwide with more than 136,000 plugs. While most are slower Level 2 chargers, the network of DC fast chargers is growing.

Still, industry analysts say there is growing momentum to switch to Tesla’s connector to become the standard in the U.S., although vehicles likely will need to be able to use both connectors for a while.

GM and Ford say they’re not paying Tesla anything for access to the network.

High-speed internet is a necessity, President Biden says, pledging all US will have access by 2030

“High-speed internet isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s become an absolute necessity.”

President Biden

A router and internet switch are displayed in East Derry, N.H., June 19, 2018. President Joe Biden is expected to announce his administration’s plans Monday, June 26, 2023, to distribute billions of dollars appropriated by Congress to bring the internet to every household and small business in the U.S.

Tesla’s EV plug is closer to becoming the industry standard following a move by an automotive group

AP PHOTO

Tesla’s EV charging connector is pictured at a charging station in Anaheim, Calif., June 9, 2023.

The most pro super duty yet

By Jordan Golson North State Journal

ROMEO, Mich. — The Ford Super Duty is one of the most interesting vehicles I get to drive as an automotive journalist.

Unlike nearly every other car I drive, the Super Duty is nearly 100 percent used to get a job done. It’s a tool. I got to see this firsthand at Ford’s Michigan Proving Grounds a few weeks ago, when — in addition to the typical pickup truck testing of on-road and off-road driving — the assembled journalists got to see the all-new 2023 Super Duty put through its paces in a variety of industrial arenas.

There was the towing demo, including a very specific configuration of F-450 that can tow a 40,000-pound load — an outrageous amount that requires a commercial driver’s license and is fast approaching what big rigs haul. Ford execs told me that 90 percent of Super Duty owners tow at least once a month, while that number is closer to 25 percent for the smaller Ford F-150.

To help those hauling horses or tractors or logs or boats or whatever you need to move from point A to point B, the new Super Duty is equipped with all manner of fancy technology to make life easier, and a couple of those are worth calling out.

One of the most annoying parts of towing is aligning the hitch with the ball at the back of the truck. You have to drive in reverse and get everything lined up with less than an inch of play. The advent of backup cameras makes this a bit easier, but it’s still tricky, especially if you’re alone — there’s little more frustrating than getting out of a truck, seeing that you’re not aligned properly, and needing to get back in and do it over. And over.

That’s why Ford created Pro Trailer Hitch Assist. Everything on this truck is “Pro” something, it seems. The system can automatically locate the hitch on your trailer and automatically back the

truck and align everything properly without you touching the wheel or pedals. Many luxury cars have been able to parallel park themselves for a few years now, and this is an advanced, towing-specific version of that.

I can already hear the truck purists gnashing their teeth and wailing that real truck drivers can back a truck up and hook up a trailer with their eyes closed, uphill both ways. But why would you want to work harder when the truck can do it for you, getting it right on the first try? You don’t send hand-written letters anymore, do you? No, you send a text. Work smarter, not harder. A few years ago, when Ford began

introducing some towing-related driver-assist features in the F-150, company reps said it was starting there because those drivers might not be as familiar with towing. Now the tech has made its way to the bigger Super Duty trucks — the F-250, F-350, and F-450, depending on how much hauling capability you need — and we’ll see if those folks towing trailers every day want to make use of all the newfangled sensors and tech.

Some of it is more immediately useful, too. Though trucks have had backup cameras for years, they were generally installed on the back of the liftgate. If you drop the liftgate, the backup camera immediately ceases to be useful. But in the new Super Duty, there’s an additional backup camera built into the top of the liftgate — that means when the gate is down, you still get a backup camera. Why did that take so long to come to fruition?

There’s a knob you can use to “steer” the back of the trailer when reversing, a feature called Pro Trailer Backup Assist brought over from the F-150. Ford demonstrated it by backing a 30-foot trailer into a slot with 6 inches of clearance on each side. Could a very experienced driver do the same? Absolutely, but now it’s a lot easier.

And that’s the whole point of this truck. It’s a tool, with lots of technology and features meant to make your life easier. It’s the first Ford pickup with a head-up display, a huge, full-color unit that will make long highway cruises a bit easier on the eyes.

There are off-road features like Trail Turn Assist, where the truck can lock the inside rear wheel to make extremely sharp turns on loose surfaces, something that will be of great use to off-roaders since this truck is absolutely massive, and anything that can narrow the turning circle is a good thing. And there’s even a cool new hardware interface for upfitters that allows all manner of addon features, from plows and salt spreaders to cranes and water pumps, to be directly integrated with the in-cab screen and pull all sorts of data from the car. With this, deploying the crane could automatically engage the parking brake, or the salt spreader could be set to automatically adjust its speed based on how fast the truck is going. For commercial users, this feature alone could be worth the price of admission.

The Built Ford Tough slogan is more than just a tagline for the folks who worked on this truck. They live and breathe it, and so do the folks buying these trucks. More than once, Ford reps said that this was the truck building America. They’re not wrong. Super Duty has a huge market share across a ton of different industries. Keep an eye out while you’re driving around, and you’ll see them working as fire trucks, utility vehicles, in construction, or for the phone company. The Super Duty is everywhere, and now there’s a new one. It’s just like the old one, only with a bunch more Pro and more Assist. Let’s get to work.

merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. that the Deed of Trust be foreclosed, the undersigned Substitute Trustee will offer for sale at the courthouse door or other usual place of sale in Wake County, North Carolina, at 10:00AM on July 19, 2023, and will sell to the highest bidder for cash the following described property, to wit: Being all of Lot 23, Greyston Subdivision, Phase 5, as shown on map recorded in Book of Maps 2000, Page 826, Wake County Registry. Together with improvements located hereon; said property being located at 400 Wood Green Drive, Wendell, NC 27591. Tax ID: 0272707 Third party purchasers must pay the recording cost of the trustee’s deed, any land transfer taxes, the excise tax, pursuant North Carolina General Statutes §105-228.30, in the amount of One Dollar ($1.00) per each Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or fractional part thereof, and the Clerk of Courts fee, pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §7A-308, in the amount of Forty-five Cents (0.45) per each One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) or fractional part

Trustee Services, LLC thereof with a maximum amount of Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00). A deposit of five percent (5%) of the bid or Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00), whichever is greater, will be required at the time of the sale and must be tendered in the form of certified funds. Following the expiration of the statutory upset bid period, all the remaining amounts will be immediately due and owing. Said property to be offered pursuant to this Notice of Sale is being offered for sale, transfer and conveyance AS IS WHERE IS. There are no representations of warranty relating to the title or any physical, environmental, health or safety conditions existing in, on, at, or relating to the property being offered for sale. This sale is made subject to all prior liens, unpaid taxes, special assessments, land transfer taxes, if any, and encumbrances of record. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the undersigned, the current owners of the property are Heirs/Devisees of Sandra Tart. PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: An order for possession of the property may be issued pursuant to North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.29 in favor of the purchaser and against the

Trustee party or parties in possession by the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the property is sold. Any person who occupies the property pursuant to a rental agreement entered into or renewed on or after October 1, 2007, may, after receiving the notice of sale, terminate the rental agreement by providing written notice of termination to the landlord, to be effective on a date stated in the notice that is at least 10 days, but no more than 90 days, after the sale date contained in the notice of sale, provided that the mortgagor has not cured the default at the time the tenant provides the notice of termination (North Carolina General Statutes §45-21.16A(b)(2)). Upon termination of a rental agreement, the tenant is liable for rent due under the rental agreement prorated to the effective date of termination. If the Trustee is unable to convey title to this property for any reason, the sole remedy of the purchaser is the return of the deposit. Reasons of such inability to convey include, but are not limited to, the filing of a bankruptcy petition prior to the confirmation of the sale and reinstatement of the loan without the knowledge of the trustee. If the validity of the

sale is challenged by any party, the Substitute Trustee, in their sole discretion, if they believe the challenge to have merit, may request the court to declare the sale to be void and return the deposit. The purchaser will have no further remedy. Anchor Trustee Services, LLC Substitute Trustee By: ________________________________________ David W. Neill, Bar #23396 Brian L. Campbell, Bar #27739 McMichael Taylor Gray, LLC Attorney for Anchor Trustee Services, LLC 3550 Engineering Drive, Suite 260 Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 404-474-7149 (phone) 404-745-8121 (fax) dneill@mtglaw.com

Trump rallies in South Carolina

COUNTY NEWS

Albemarle wins $270K grant for downtown revitalization

29 local governments in rural areas across the state were awarded grants from the Rural Transformation Grant Fund, a robust source of support for rural economic development projects in North Carolina. A total of $8 million will be issued from the Fund, which helps local governments overcome challenges that limit their economic competitiveness.

“ These transformative grants can make a real difference in rural communities by reviving downtowns and strengthening neighborhoods,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “These funds, with the support of our rural development team at the Department of Commerce, will bring more economic opportunity to people across the state.”

The Rural Transformation Grant Fund, the centerpiece of a broader Rural Engagement and Investment Program from Commerce, addresses a wide variety of needs, from revitalizing downtown districts, building the capacity of local government staffs, revitalizing neighborhoods, fostering small business recovery, and generally supporting economic growth initiatives.

The city of Albemarle received a $270,000 grant that will support downtown revitalization improvements including new sidewalks, installation of tree wells and decorative lighting. The anticipated outcome will make the area safer for pedestrians and will promote traffic calming and improved pedestrian amenities for the Pfeiffer Campus and surrounding businesses.

City of Oakboro celebrates Fourth of July festivities for 65th year

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

— In an annual set

OAKBORO

of festivities that have brought in attendees from all across North Carolina, the Oakboro Fourth of July Celebration returned over the past week with its 65th year of Independence Day events.

The full slate of parade, rides, pageants, talent show, live bands and fireworks ran from June 25 to the end of July 4.

“Today is what living in rural Oakboro/Stanly County is all about,” Oakboro Police Chief T.J. Smith stated in a social media post for the event. “Listening to good music, smelling the different delicious foods, watching our hard-working friends/neighbors win prizes for their babies/wives, and simply saying hi to all of the great people of our community.”

State

Oakboro Fire & Rescue has hosted the Oakboro celebration ever since 1958.

The Oakboro Fire Department has estimated that on certain occasions in the past, anywhere from 30,000 to 40,000 people have traveled to Oakboro to partake in the Independence Day events. Over time, the celebration has become one of Stanly County’s most anticipated yearly traditions.

“It’s a great night in Oakboro!” event planners posted on social media, highlighting attendees that have turned a July 4 trip to Oakboro into an annual tradition.

“Some of these smiling faces have been coming out year after year! We love our hometown!”

The week’s lineup of events officially kicked off on June 25 with a community worship service at the Oakboro District Park pavilion, followed by the opening of the

“This celebration puts us on the map. We have people who come from multiple counties away.”

Shea Morton, the assistant fire chief and chairman of the Fourth of July Celebration Committee for the Oakboro Fire Department

rides (provided by the B&K Carnival Company) on June 29; the events concluded on the evening of July 4 with a fireworks show. Each night featured free live music acts performing on the Union Power Stage, including Too Much Sylvia, Ryan Perry, The Entertainers, Cat5 Band, and festival

headliner The Tonez.

The annual Oakboro Fourth of July parade was followed by patriotic ceremonies, a speech by Oakboro Mayor Chris Huneycutt, and the Miss Stanly County Fire Queen Pageant.

“This celebration puts us on the map. We have people who come from multiple counties away,” Shea Morton, the assistant fire chief and chairman of the Fourth of July Celebration Committee for the Oakboro Fire Department told SCJ. “There’s even a lady from Florida who came across us about 12 years ago, and now she makes the drive every year.”

The Oakboro festivities will return again next summer for their 66th incarnation as July 4 lands on a Thursday. Information regarding the annual celebration can be found at www.oakboro4th.com.

Outgoing NC Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan considering gubernatorial bid

North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) met on Tuesday, June 27, and approved temporary rules related to the implementation of voter ID rules in North Carolina elections.

Beginning with Fall 2023 municipal elections, all voters will be asked to show a form of photo ID when voting in-person and via absentee ballot.

“The agency is proposing rules to ensure uniform, standard implementation of the photo ID requirements in all 3,000-plus polling locations and among all 100 county boards of elections,” a statement from the NCSBE read. The board also reviewed more than 1,300 comments on the proposed rules, making some changes based on feedback from the public.

The state’s Rules Review Commission, which reviews proposed rules from state agencies for approval, will now conduct reviews of the proposals

for adoption.

Rules approved by the board focused on the responsibility of poll workers to examine the appearance and name of voters based on their identification provided and that any outside evidence beyond the four corners of the ID is not to be used.

The board also unanimously approved two voter ID exception forms, which were required in the underlying statute. The NCSBE must adopt a reasonable impediment exemption form which must, “at a minimum,” include specific reasons listed in the statute that a voter may select. Voters claiming an exception to showing photo identification must attest that they are the voter casting the ballot.

The NCSBE also appointed four members – two Democrats and two Republicans – to each of the 100 county boards of elections.

In Stanly County, the two Democrats chosen were Joanne Hesley and

The Associated Press RALEIGH — North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan, who announced last month he won’t seek reelection to the court next year, says he’s weighing a 2024 bid for governor.

Morgan, one of two registered Democrats on the state’s highest court, said this week that many within the party are asking him to look at a gubernatorial candidacy. Attorney General Josh Stein has been the only high-profile Democrat to get into the race, announcing his plans in January. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is barred by term limits from running again now.

“I’ve been asked, quite frankly, to look at the race for governor,” Morgan told the NC Insid-

Board of Elections approves voter ID rules, appoints county board members

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Pickens, S.C.

AP PHOTO

WEDNESDAY 7.5.23 #295

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CRIME LOG

♦ BLALOCK, LISA HIATT (W /F/52), RESISTING PUBLIC OFFICER, 07/01/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ GREEN, JAMES RICHARD (W /M/61), FELONY SECRET PEEPING, 06/30/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ SAWYER, BERNARD DUBOIS (B /M/30), FLEE/ ELUDE ARREST W/MV (F), 06/30/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ KIMREY, CHRISTOPHER LANE (W /M/40), CIVIL ORDER FOR ARREST - CHILD SUPPORT, 06/29/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ AKERS, STEVEN EDWARD (W /M/41), ASSAULT ON FEMALE, 06/28/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ CATRON, JOHNATHAN ULYSSESS (B /M/32), POSSESSION OF FIREARM BY FELON, 06/28/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ RIGGINS, CARL LEE (B /M/44), COMMUNICATE THREATS, 06/28/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ FORTSON, DARRIL LINN (W /M/38), INDECENT LIBERTIES WITH A CHILD, 06/27/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

♦ GILLIS, JAMES EDWARD (W /M/32), STAT SEX OFF W/CHILD BY ADULT, 06/27/2023, Stanly County Sheriff’s Office

The Associated Press U.S. HEALTH OFFICIALS will start formally tracking infections caused by the rare but potentially deadly germ that sickened babies and triggered a nationwide shortage of infant formula last year.

A group that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed Thursday to add infections caused by cronobacter to the list of serious conditions reported to the agency. There are about 120 infections and diseases on the national watchlist.

States will be asked, but not required, to notify the CDC about cronobacter infections, although they usually comply. Such infections are required to be reported now in only two states, Minnesota and Michigan. The change will take effect next year, though states may begin reporting earlier.

The action by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, a

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Deadly germ behind infant formula shortage joins CDC watchlist of bad bugs

nonprofit group, caps months of demands from experts and food safety advocates who called for better surveillance of the deadly infections that typically strike the most vulnerable babies. The move establishes standard criteria for identifying and counting probable and confirmed cronobacter cases and recommends that states require them to be reported.

Cronobacter is a type of bacteria found widely in the environment. When the bug gets into a food such as powdered formula, it can cause life-threatening bloodstream infections and meningitis in very young or ill infants.

Dr. Julia Haston, who has studied cronobacter infections at the CDC, said earlier this year that the agency has typically received reports of two to four of the invasive infections a year, rather than the 18 that are estimated to actually occur.

“Because we don’t routinely perform surveillance, we don’t know

the true incidence of infection or the number of deaths per year,” she said.

Though the infections are rare, up to 40% of babies who fall ill will die, Haston added.

An outbreak of cronobacter infections that started in 2021 sickened four infants fed formula from Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan, plant. Two of the babies died. No direct link was found between the Abbott products and the infections, but FDA officials shuttered the plant after contamination and other problems were detected. Abbott recalled top brands of infant formula, triggering a massive nationwide shortage that lasted for months.

So far this year, one case of cronobacter infection in an infant has been reported to the CDC, an agency spokesman said. An investigation found the bacteria in an open can of powdered formula in the child’s home. Cronobacter was not found in an unopened can of formula. The location and brand of formula wasn’t

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“It is abundantly clear that consumers do not know the risks associated with use of powdered formula.”

Mitzi Baum, CEO Stop Foodborne Illness

disclosed.

Most parents don’t realize that powdered formula isn’t sterile or that they must be scrupulous about how they handle the product, the bottles — even the sinks and countertops where formula is prepared, said Mitzi Baum, chief executive of Stop Foodborne Illness, a nonprofit group that advocates for food safety.

In March, the CDC warned parents to sterilize equipment used for both bottle- and breastfeeding after a baby died from a cronobacter infection traced to a contaminated breast pump.

“It is abundantly clear that consumers do not know the risks associated with use of powdered formula,” Baum said.

Bed Bath & Beyond lives on!(line). Overstock.com buys rights to bankrupt retailer and changes name

The Associated Press NEW YORK — Bed & Bath & Beyond will live on, online at least, after Overstock.com acquired the bankrupt retail chain’s intellectual property assets for $21.5 million.

The online retailer Overstock. com is dumping its name online and will become Bed & Bath & Beyond, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Overstock.com’s CEO Jonathan Johnson told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Thursday that the company is considering changing its corporate name but won’t make any decisions until after it digests the assets.

The switcheroo to a very recognizable brand was cheered on Wall Street. Shares of Overstock. com Inc., based in Midvale, Utah, soared nearly 20% during afternoon trading Thursday.

The deal doesn’t include Bed Bath & Beyond stores, the last of which are expected to be shuttered Friday, or the Buybuy Baby chain.

The name change will roll out in Canada next month and in August, a relaunch of the company’s website and mobile app as Bed Bath & Beyond will appear in the U.S. Those visiting overstock.com will

MORGAN from page 1

er state government news service in a phone interview. “And while I highly respect the declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, I feel inclined to respect the calls that I’m getting.”

Morgan has been on the bench for over 30 years, serving as an administrative law judge, a Wake County District Court judge and a Superior Court judge before being elected to the Supreme Court

ELECTIONS from page 1

Sherrill Smith, and the two Republicans were William Rigsbee and Frank Sparger. Their terms will begin when they are sworn in on July 18. County board members serve two-year terms.

“We are happy to welcome new members to North Carolina’s elections team,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Together, we will continue to ensure that our elections are accessible, safe, and secure, and that every eligible vote counts.”

AP PHOTO

Shoppers enter exit a Bed Bath & Beyond store Monday, May 29, 2023, in Glendale, Colo.

be redirected to bedbathandbeyond.com.

The name Overstock still confuses some customers and suppliers who thought it was a liquidator. That’s how it got its start in 1999. It transformed in 2004 into a general merchandise retailer, selling a wide variety of items. In 2021,

in 2016.

At the time of his announcement last month to leave the court, Morgan told The Associated Press that he didn’t know whether he’d serve out the remainder of his term through the end of 2024 or step aside early. Morgan said then he was keeping his options open for future endeavors and didn’t rule out seeking another elected office. Cooper would appoint someone to serve out Morgan’s term should he step down early.

Overstock finetuned its strategy to focus on furniture and home decor, getting rid of items like clothing.

When Bed Bath & Beyond’s financial woes deepened last year, Overstock.com tried to court the retailer’s suppliers but it met with some skepticism. But after its bid for Bed Bath became public last

The Republican field for governor includes state Treasurer Dale Folwell, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker.

Morgan, who like Robinson is black, told the NC Insider that Democratic voters need more than one option heading into next March’s primary given the full plate of GOP candidates and that his entry would enhance Democrats’ chances to retain the executive mansion. “There are some disturbing voic-

week, it was able to add 100,000 bed and bath items to its site, Johnson said. He expects that pace will pick up.

“I can’t count how many times we were asked when we were going to change the company name,” he said. “This opportunity is too good to be true. We are Bed Bath and a bigger beyond.”

Johnson said that it will offer some coupons to cater to the Bed Bath & Beyond customers who were used to the popular perk, but he noted that customers will be surprised that the discounts offered by Overstock.com are actually better on an every day basis. He also added that Overstock plans to step up marketing to Bed Bath & Beyond customers to make them aware of the change. He estimated Overstock.com has about 5 million customers; Bed Bath & Beyond’s online customers number about 10 million. Bed Bath & Beyond — one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets — filed for bankruptcy protection in April. The filing followed years of dismal sales and numerous attempts to turn the flailing business around.

es that want to lead our state in a direction that’s backward, downward and wayward,” Morgan said. “If I would decide to run, it would strengthen our party going forward to the 2024 race and it would strengthen our ability to keep the governorship in a responsible leader’s hands.”

Morgan said he would evaluate his potential support and ability to raise campaign funds before deciding whether to get into the race.

Karen Brinson Bell, Executive Director of the State Board of Elections

as the chair a day later, naming Ronald Burris to the board ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting on July 18. THURSDAY JULY 6 HI 90° LO 7 1° PRECIP 5 8%

“Together, we will continue to ensure that our elections are accessible, safe, and secure, and that every eligible vote counts.”

We are part of the Randolph County School System

Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat.

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

“EXTREME HEAT KILLS more people in the United States than any other weather hazard,” is the first claim in this Washington Post piece warning about the deadly summer heat — and it is almost certainly false. Similar warnings about the deadly weather appear in virtually every mainstream media outlet.

First off, the only reason “extreme” temperature kills more people than other weather hazards is that deaths from weather have plummeted over the century — even as doomsday climate warnings about heat, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts have spiked. All extreme weather accounts for only about 0.1 death for every 100,000 people in the United States each year. That is a massive drop from the time of your grandparents. The Post and others should be celebrating the fact that humans have never been less threatened by the climate in history.

The Post also warns that 62 million people in the U.S. may be “exposed” to dangerous heat “today.” That’s a lot of people, even considering nearly all of them live in the southernmost spots in the country and it’s summer. The Post counts anyone exposed to heat over 90 F as being in some level of danger. Fortunately, most Americans enjoy the luxury and health

benefits of air conditioning, one of the great innovations of the past century. Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat. Anyway, it’s around 700 people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — if you liberally count heat as both the “underlying” and/or “contributing” causes. It is about 400 people when heat is the underlying cause. And that’s terrible. But, also, it’s around 3,600 fewer people than those who drown every year.

Though there has been an uptick in recent years — as Bjorn Lomborg has pointed out, this is almost surely due to an increasingly aging population that is more susceptible to heat — both numbers are still near-historic lows.

And most of those deaths, despite the Post’s claim, are from the cold, which is far more lethal to humans today, as it has always been. I come to this information via another Washington Post piece that ran this very winter, which helpfully notes that for “every death linked to heat, nine are tied to cold.” That piece relies on a recent peer-reviewed Lancet study to make that claim. Another recent peer-reviewed study in The BMJ found that “cold weather is

associated with nearly 20 times more deaths than hot weather.” Other studies have come to the same conclusion.

So where did the Post get the idea that heat was the leading cause of weather deaths? After following a few hyperlinks, I land on a National Weather Service chart from 2019 that lists heat as the leading cause of extreme weather deaths. Where it gets these numbers is a mystery to me. And though I’m sure they aren’t concocted by some bureaucrat, they certainly seem to be an outlier.

Not to worry. Even here we find promising news. Though the National Weather Service says the leading cause of weather deaths is heat, it also found that the average was only 103 deaths per year over the preceding decade. That’s hundreds of fewer deaths per year than the CDC reports — and hundreds fewer than die from, say, over-the-counter headache medicine overdoses.

Enjoy the summer.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of five books - the most recent, “Eurotrash: Why America Must Reject the Failed Ideas of a Dying Continent.”

Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and parental ‘love’

This was not the first piece of evidence clearly linking Joe to Hunter’s influencepeddling operation.

LAST WEEK, Republicans in the House of Representatives revealed the testimony of an IRS whistleblower who worked on the Hunter Biden investigation. That whistleblower had two revelations to present. First, he said that the federal prosecutor overseeing Hunter’s case told at least six witnesses that he had been blocked by Attorney General Merrick Garland from special counsel status — status that would allow him a free hand in fully investigating Hunter. Second, the whistleblower presented a WhatsApp message between Hunter Biden and a Chinese executive shaking down the executive for cash by leveraging Joe Biden’s presence in the room.

“I am sitting here with my father,” Hunter texted, “and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”

This was not the first piece of evidence clearly linking Joe to Hunter’s influence-peddling operation. Hunter’s laptop infamously contained a message from one of Hunter’s business partners, James Gilliar, suggesting that 10% of a deal with CEFC China Energy Co. be “held by H for the big guy.” Gilliar, in other texts, has also referred to Joe Biden as “the big guy.” And Hunter himself complained in text messages to his daughter, Naomi, “I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years. It’s really hard. But don’t worry, unlike pop, I won’t make you give me half your salary.”

Joe Biden, for the little it’s worth, has claimed to know nothing about Hunter’s business activities. That’s absolutely uncredible, considering that Joe squired Hunter around on Air Force Two, including to China — where Hunter signed lucrative deals — and that Hunter’s business partner Tony Bobulinksi alleges he met personally with Joe Biden over business issues.

The credulous reaction to this obvious trail of corruption from

many in the media has been incredible to behold. The going line these days in Biden-allied media is that Joe’s suspected influence-peddling operation and pressure on his Attorney General to dump the Hunter investigation isn’t corruption — it’s actually a sign of his magnificent parental love. In the words of The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof, “The real meaning of the Hunter Biden saga, as I see it, isn’t about presidential corruption, but is about how widespread addiction is — and about how a determined parent with unconditional love can sometimes reel a child back... That can give others hope.”

Meanwhile, this loving father isn’t exactly a loving grandfather when it comes to Hunter’s illegitimate child, Navy Joan. The same week Hunter was let off the hook by Biden’s Department of Justice, Biden signed a child support agreement with former stripper Lunden Roberts in which Roberts accepted a deal including a massive reduction in child support and a prohibition on Navy Joan using the Biden family name. Joe himself refuses to acknowledge the existence of Navy Joan. Yes, that famed Biden name is apparently reserved for raising cash in Ukraine and China; those who are actually sired by Hunter Biden in untoward circumstances are disowned by the upstanding Biden family. Joe surely loves Hunter. But that love is twisted. Hunter is a 53-year-old wreck of a human being with a trail of abuses of other human beings behind him. Joe may have helped curb Hunter’s addiction, but he has also apparently used his son as a tool and continues to use him as a crutch — and meanwhile, Joe has enabled Hunter throughout his adult life, humoring his egregiously evil behavior. The story here, then, is twofold: political corruption, and the corruption of familial love into something much uglier.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is “The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.”

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI

Americans have never been less threatened by ‘extreme weather’

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL Wright to initially remain with the Commanders

Washington, D.C.

Jason Wright is expected to retain his job as president of the Washington Commanders at least initially after Josh Harris’ group takes over. Wright has served in the role since the summer of 2020, according to a report by The Associated Press. It’s expected that he’ll be an important part of the transition between Dan Snyder and new ownership that also includes Magic Johnson. NFL owners are set to consider and potentially vote to approve the record $6.05 billion sale at a meeting July 20 in Minneapolis.

NBA Irving staying with Mavs, Curry back for third stint

Dallas

Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks have agreed on a $126 million, threeyear contract to keep the star guard in Dallas. The Mavericks paired All-Star starters for the first time in franchise history by adding Irving in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn last February to play him alongside Luka Doncic. Dallas also is bringing back shooting guard Seth Curry for a third stint with the club. Curry, who like Irving played at Duke, played the 2016-17 and 2019-20 seasons with the Mavericks. Curry played the last two seasons with Brooklyn and also has had stops in Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, Cleveland and Memphis.

COLLEGE SPORTS

NCAA mulls proposal to shorten transfer portal window

Indianapolis

The NCAA Division I Board will consider shortening the transfer window from 60 days to 30 after data showed most transfers enter the portal in the first few days. The window was created this year in an attempt to limit the amount of time athletes can move from one school to another and be immediately eligible to compete. Current rules give football players 45 days to enter the portal in the winter and 15 more in the spring. Athletes in winter sports have 60 days to enter the portal, while athletes in spring sports have a 45-day window.

GOLF Stanford wins Senior

LPGA

Jasper, Ind.

Angela Stanford took advantage of Trish Johnson’s late collapse Saturday at Sultan’s Run to win the Senior LPGA Championship.

Five strokes back entering the day and four behind playing the final hole, the 45-yearold Stanford birdied the par4 18th for a 7-under 65 and an eventual one-stroke victory over the 57-year-old Johnson.

After making four straight birdies, Johnson had a triple bogey on No. 17, and Stanford soon birdied 18 to make it a four-shot swing. Johnson bogeyed 18, missing a 12-foot par putt. The Englishwoman shot a 71. Stanford finished at 10-under 206. Karrie Webb closed with a 69 to finish third at 8 under.

IRS takes aim at nonprofit NIL collectives

A 12-page memo says donations used to pay athletes may not be tax-exempt

The Associated Press THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING landscape of nonprofit, donor-backed collectives paying college athletes to promote charities has been hit with a potentially seismic disruption.

A recent 12-page memo from the Internal Revenue Service determined that, in many cases, such collectives may not qualify as tax-exempt if their main purpose is paying players instead of supporting charitable works. If the collectives aren’t tax-exempt, the donations they collect that are used to pay quarterbacks, point guards and pitchers may not be, either.

“There’s a high likelihood we will cease operations, within the

next period of months,” said Gary Marcinick, founder of the Cohension Foundation, a collective formed to connect Ohio State athletes with charities for name, image and likeness (NIL) promotional deals. “In our space, we are donor driven .... It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast majority of cases.”

The collectives were born out of the massive change that hit college sports in 2021 when athletes were allowed to earn money in ways that had been prohibited for decades.

Some collectives — and there are dozens of them — are set up as for-profit entities that help connect athletes with endorsement deals as the new market swelled into the millions and NIL became a recruiting tool. Opendorse, a company that partners with schools to help initiate, track and monitor NIL deals, projected nearly $1.2 billion flowing through

empt status don’t lose it as a result of the June 9 memo. But it does lay out new guidelines for how they are expected to operate if they want to keep it.

“These collectives may face future examinations or enforcement action by the IRS,” the agency said without elaboration.

Gary

founder of the Cohension

the industry in 2023.

The nonprofit model was an attractive option for some donors and entrepreneurs, who tout such things as appearances at sports camps and fund-raisers and social media promotions for select charities. There are an estimated 80 such collectives. Charities gained exposure from star athletes who earned money. And donors got the promise of a tax-deductible donation.

According to the IRS, those collectives already granted tax-ex-

ESPN lays off about 20 personalities

The Associated Press

JEFF VAN GUNDY, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young are among roughly 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off on Friday as part of job cuts by the network.

ESPN had planned this additional round involving on-air talent to prevent further reductions to off-air staff after two rounds of mandated cuts by its corporate owner, the Walt Disney Company.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would reduce 7,000 jobs either through not filling positions or layoffs.

Friday’s announcement resembled what happened in April of 2017, when reporters and hosts were informed at one time that they would no longer be on the air.

“Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun. This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months

ahead,” ESPN said in a statement.

“This is an extremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”

The New York Post first reported the layoffs of Van Gundy and Rose. Van Gundy had been the network’s top NBA analyst since

colleagues who have been laid off.”

2007 and recently completed calling a record 17th NBA Finals. Kolber was a longtime ESPN veteran, including being the co-host of

A bipartisan bill filed in 2022 would limit tax deductions for bankrolling nonprofit NIL collectives, but it has yet to pass.

The IRS was granting tax-exempt status to collectives for more than a year before issuing the memo that determined, in many cases, paying players isn’t merely incidental to the charitable cause but “is the very justification for the organization’s existence.”

The NCAA has raised concerns about the collectives, but the federal government is a different story when it comes to enforcing rules that have been somewhat murky when it comes to athlete compensation.

a nightly show when ESPN2 debuted in 1993. She was also the host of ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” show. “Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off. Heartbreaking-but 27 years at ESPN was a good run. So grateful for a 38 yr career! Longevity for a woman in this business is something I’m especially proud of,” Kolber said on social media. Rose had also been with ESPN since 2007. He was mainly part of the NBA studio shows but also did a radio show for 11 years and was a co-host when Mike Greenberg’s “Get Up” morning show premiered in 2018.

ESPN’s NFL coverage and the radio side, were the ones to take the biggest hits.

Longtime draft analyst Todd McShay, who also contributed to college football coverage, and analyst Matt Hasselbeck were also laid off.

ESPN Radio’s morning show team of Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson as well as afternoon host Jason Fitz were also affected. Kellerman also did an afternoon show on ESPN, but that was unlikely to continue after Pat McAfee signed to bring his show to the network’s airwaves in the fall.

Others include “SportsCenter”

anchor Ashley Brewer, radio and ACC Network host Jordan Cornette, college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis, NBA reporter Nick Friedell, baseball writer Joon Lee and “College GameDay” analyst David Pollack.

Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose were among those let go

“It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast majority of cases.”

Marcinick,

Foundation

“Today I join the many hard-working

Suzy Kolber

AP PHOTO

A 12-page memo from the Internal Revenue Service released in June 2023 determined that in many cases, the nonprofit collectives may not qualify as tax-exempt if their main purpose is paying players instead of supporting charitable works.

AP PHOTO

Jeff Van Gundy, center back, is among the TV and radio personalities who have been let go by ESPN.

New pro women’s hockey league to launch in January

The NHL could get behind the new entity

The Associated Press ORGANIZERS announced plans Friday to launch a new women’s professional hockey league in January that they hope will provide a stable, economically sustainable home for the sport’s top players for years to come.

The North American league is expected to start with six teams — three in the U.S. and three in Canada — according to a person with knowledge of the league’s plans.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the details were not made public. There are still unanswered questions — where exactly teams will play, will the economic model work after earlier leagues fell short, will there be a broadcast deal — but an initial framework is in place as the new league prepares to join a crowded sports landscape. The effort also has deep pockets behind it: Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter and wife Kimbra, team President Stan Kasten and tennis legend Billie Jean King will help run the league.

“I don’t think there’s a more significant moment for the game

since women’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998,” Professional Hockey Federation Commissioner Reagan Carey said. “I think it will forever change the landscape of our sport — and certainly for the better.

The agreement ends a long standoff between the seven-team PHF and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association.

The latter group includes Kendall Coyne Schofield, Sarah Nurse, Hilary Knight and many other U.S. and Canadian national team players who were unwilling to join the PHF, whose assets were purchased by Walter’s firm.

“We’re not celebrating dissolving a league,” said Nurse, who helped Canada win Olympic gold last year. “We’re excited that we can continue forward together with a league that women’s hockey has really never seen before.

Pfeiffer University hires

Vontreece Hayes as women’s basketball coach

Hayes is a former member of the Falcons’ basketball team

By Jesse Deal North State Journal

MISENHEIMER — Pfeiffer University is bringing one of its own back to lead its women’s basketball program.

The Pfeiffer athletic department announced that former player Vontreece Hayes has been hired as the Falcons’ new coach, replacing fourth-year coach Tooey Loy after a 6-17 season. Hayes has spent the past two years as an assistant at Division II Millersville University in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

During her two seasons with the Marauders, the team improved from a 7-20 record to an 1812 mark that included a postseason run to the quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament for the first time in four years.

“I also have a special place in my heart for the USA South, so returning for the third time means everything to me.”

Vontreece Hayes, new Pfeiffer women’s basketball coach

There’s been so much hard work and time that has been put into this project, so we’re excited that it is paying off.”

The deal also could bring the National Hockey League to the table, perhaps in a way similar to how the NBA supports the WNBA. Commissioner Gary Bettman has said the NHL did not want to get involved in a dispute between leagues and would throw weight behind one, once it was formed.

“The National Hockey League congratulates the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association and the Premier Hockey Federation on their agreement,” the NHL said. “We already have initiated discussions with representatives of this unified group regarding how we can work together to continue to grow the women’s game.”

Kasten said he called Bettman to deliver the news, which was greeted with satisfaction and excitement.

“He offered all the help he could give us,” Kasten said. “We are going to take him up on that. It’s going to help make our runway a little smoother because we’re playing in January and I have a lot to do between now and January. I don’t even have a name for this league yet.”

“First and foremost, I would like to thank President Scott Bullard, Athletic Director Zac Chilton, and Vice President of Athletics Jeff Childress for believing and entrusting me with this opportunity,” Hayes said in a press release. “I am excited to collaborate with the Athletic Department and the University to continue to progress the University and create memorable experiences for students here at Pfeiffer University.

“I am honored to become the next head coach at Pfeiffer University. This is a full-circle moment from all spectrums; to return to The Village to begin my head coaching career, where I started my collegiate career 13 years ago, is nostalgic. I also have a special place in my heart for the USA South, so returning for the third time means everything to me.”

Before her time at Millersville, Hayes was head coach at Robert B. Glenn High School in Kernersville in 2020-21, coaching two All-Central Piedmont 4A honorees.

Dating back to her playing career, Hayes spent time at Pfeiffer before transferring to Greensboro College for her final two seasons of eligibility. She graduated there with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics in 2015. She served as a team captain her senior year as she led The Pride to an undefeated 11-0 home record. Her team also won the USA South regular season and tournament championships to earn an NCAA Tournament appearance.

After graduating from Greensboro, Hayes joined its coaching staff as the lead assistant and had two stints as interim head coach. Her teams had a 19-7 record and 15-11 record in back-toback seasons.

She is also the founder of the Check Up seminar that focuses on individual growth from a mental health perspective and combines book readings and self-awareness exercises to help players achieve their personal goals.

Wozniacki returning to tennis 3 years after retiring

The former No. 1-ranked women’s player will get a U.S. Open wild card

The Associated Press

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced Thursday that she is returning to competition three years after she retired to start a family.

The U.S. Tennis Association said it will grant Wozniacki a wild card invitation to participate in the U.S. Open, which begins in New York on Aug. 28. She also is receiving a wild card entry for a tournament in Montreal that begins earlier in

August, she intends to play in the Australian Open next January and hopes to represent Denmark at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Another aim: She wants to show women that it is possible to combine motherhood with a career.

Wozniacki, who turns 33 in July, has not played an official match since losing to Ons Jabeur in the third round of the Australian Open in January 2020. Wozniacki revealed a month earlier that her appearance at Melbourne Park would be the last of her career.

She and her husband, former NBA player David Lee, have a 2-year-old daughter and an 8-month-old son.

“Over these past three years away from the game I got to make

up for lost time with my family, I became a mother and now have two beautiful children I am so grateful for. But I still have goals I want to accomplish. I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter your age or role,” Wozniacki wrote Thursday on Twitter. “We decided as a family it’s time. I’m coming back to play

and I can’t wait!”

She was No. 1 in the WTA rankings for a total of 71 weeks — first reaching that spot in 2010 — and earned 30 titles, including the first in Grand Slam singles for a player from Denmark when she triumphed in Australia about 5½ years ago.

Wozniacki twice was the runner-up at the U.S. Open, in 2009 to Kim Clijsters and in 2014 to good friend Serena Williams, and reached the semifinals at Flushing Meadows three other times.

She announced in October 2018 that she has rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that can cause pain and swelling in the wrist and other joints.

She wrote in a first-person

piece for Vogue magazine posted Thursday about speaking to women “who gave up on their own dreams because they wanted to be with their families, but somewhere deep down they have this yearning to do something they’re passionate about.”

Wozniacki said she began hitting tennis balls last year and, after her father — who was her coach for much of her career — agreed she was striking shots well, she “knew” she had to return.

“How long will I be able to play at my highest level — a year, two years, three years? I don’t know. But I know that five years from now, when the kids are in school, it will be too late,” she wrote. “I’m not going to make any bold predictions — but if I didn’t believe in myself, I wouldn’t be doing this: I’m too competitive to just show up and not feel like I’m going to be one of the best players out there.”

“There’s been so much hard work and time that has been put into this project, so we’re excited that it is paying off.”

Sarah Nurse

“I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter your age or role.”

Caroline Wozniacki

AP PHOTO

Los Angeles Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter, left, and Billie Jean King led a group that bought out the PHF women’s hockey league with their sights set on creating a new professional league in January.

AP PHOTO

Caroline Wozniacki, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced last Thursday that she is returning to competition three years after she retired.

The Supreme Court rules for a designer who doesn’t want to make wedding websites for gay couples

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a win for religious freedom, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled on Friday that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. One of the court’s liberal justices wrote in a dissent that the decision’s effect is to “mark gays and lesbians for second-class status” and that it opens the door to other discrimination.

The court ruled 6-3 for designer Lorie Smith despite a Colorado law that bars discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics. Smith had argued that the law violates her free speech rights.

Smith’s opponents warned that a win for her would allow a range of businesses to discriminate, refusing to serve black, Jewish or Muslim customers, interracial or interfaith couples or immigrants. But Smith and her supporters had said that a ruling against her would force artists — from painters and photographers to writers and musicians — to do work that is against their beliefs.

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court’s six conservative justices that the First Amendment “envisions the United States as a rich and complex place where all persons are free to think and speak as they wish, not as the government demands.” Gorsuch said that the court has long held that “the opportunity to think for ourselves and to express those thoughts freely is among our most cherished liberties and part of what keeps our Republic strong.”

In a dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote: “Today, the Court, for the first time in its history, grants a business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class.” She was joined by the court’s two other liberals, Justice Elena Kagan and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Sotomayor said that the deci-

sion’s logic “cannot be limited to discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.” A website designer could refuse to create a wedding website for an interracial couple, a stationer could refuse to sell a birth announcement for a disabled couple, and a large retail store could limit its portrait services to “traditional” families, she wrote. The decision is a win for religious rights and one in a series of cases in recent years in which the justices have sided with religious plaintiffs. Last year, for example, the court ruled along ideological lines for a football coach who prayed on the field at his public high school after games.

The court has been careful to say those with differing religious views needed to be respected. The belief that marriage can only be between one man and one woman is an idea that “long has been held — and continues to be held — in good faith by reasonable and sincere people here and throughout the world,” Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the court’s 2015 gay marriage decision.

The court returned to that idea five years ago when it was confronted with the case of a Christian baker who objected to designing a cake for a same-sex wedding.

The court issued a limited ruling in favor of the baker, Jack Phillips, saying there had been imper-

missible hostility toward his religious views in the consideration of his case. Phillips’ lawyer, Kristen Waggoner, of the Alliance Defending Freedom, also brought the most recent case to the court. On Friday, she said the Supreme Court was right to reaffirm that the government cannot compel people to say things they do not believe.

“Disagreement isn’t discrimination, and the government can’t mislabel speech as discrimination to censor it,” she said in a statement.

Smith, who owns a Colorado design business called 303 Creative, does not currently create wedding websites. She has said that she wants to but that her Christian

Gun advocates challenge Biden administration rules on handgun braces at appeals court

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Appellate court judges in New Orleans closely questioned a government attorney on Thursday over a Biden administration rule aimed at curbing the use of stabilizing braces, which are handgun attachments that have been used in multiple mass shootings in recent years. The braces attach to the back of a gun, lengthening it, and strap to the arm. They were originally developed for disabled people. However, gun-safety groups say they essentially can be used to lengthen a concealable handgun so that it can be braced against the shoulder and fired like a rifle or shotgun.

Advocates for the rule point to deadly mass shootings while arguing that the braces make concealable handguns more deadly. Opponents of the rule say the devices make handguns safer to use by making them more stable, comfortable to fire and accurate

— an argument noted in questions from appellate panel judges Don Willett and Stephen Higginson at Thursday’s hearing. “All that to me seems synony-

mous with safer. Do you disagree with that?” Willett asked administration attorney Sean Janda. Janda argued that regulating the braces is consistent with

longstanding federal law outlawing sawed-off shotguns or other short-barreled non-handguntype firearms.

“That particular combination, Congress has determined, is dangerous,” Janda said.

In May, the 5th Circuit issued an order preventing enforcement of the rules against plaintiffs in the case, who include two Texas gun owners and a firearms accessory manufacturer. It’s uncertain when the three-member panel that heard arguments Thursday will rule on whether to permanently block the rule. It’s also not clear whether the judges will apply their ruling nationwide or just within the circuit, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

The rule is also being challenged in other parts of the country, attorneys said. The issue may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

Arguments during the nearly 90-minute hearing dealt with whether the rule is simply a rea-

faith would prevent her from creating websites celebrating samesex marriages. And that’s where she runs into conflict with state law.

Colorado, like most other states, has a law forbidding businesses open to the public from discriminating against customers. Colorado said that under its so-called public accommodations law, if Smith offers wedding websites to the public, she must provide them to all customers, regardless of sexual orientation. Businesses that violate the law can be fined, among other things. Smith argued that applying the law to her violates her First Amendment rights. The state disagreed.

sonable interpretation of existing congressionally passed firearms law or an overreach by the administration; and whether it’s fair and legal to make an estimated 3 million-plus owners of the devices register them and pay fees if they want to use them.

A stabilizing brace was used in March by the shooter who killed three students and three staff members at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2021, the man who killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, also used one. And in 2019, a stabilizing brace was used in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that left nine people dead.

That the devices can be used by criminals is not sufficient reason for the regulations, argued plaintiffs’ attorney Erik Jaffe. “They don’t think they’re bad because they’re dangerous. They think they’re bad because criminals liked them. But criminals like handguns too. Just because criminals like something is not a reason why it’s dangerous.”

On Thursday’s panel with Higginson, who was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama, and Willett, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, was Jerry Smith, who was nominated by former President Ronald Reagan.

AP PHOTO

Lorie Smith, a Christian graphic artist and website designer in Colorado, right, accompanied by her lawyer, Kristen Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom, second from left, speaks outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C.

AP PHOTO

Semi-automatic handguns are displayed at shop in New Castle, Pa., March 25, 2020.

STATE & NATION

Republicans expand their Hunter Biden investigation by seeking an interview with the lead prosecutor

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans last week requested voluntary testimony from nearly a dozen Justice Department officials involved in the investigation of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter as GOP lawmakers widen their scrutiny into what they claim is improper interference by the agency.

Leaders of the Republican-controlled House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees asked in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland for nine officials from the Justice Department and two from the FBI to appear for the interviews to address recent allegations made by two IRS employees who worked on the federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business dealings.

“Recent startling testimony from Internal Revenue Services whistleblowers raises serious questions about the Department’s commitment to evenhanded justice and the veracity of assertions made to the Committee on the Judiciary,” Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky and Jason Smith of Missouri wrote in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The individuals named in the letter include David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware in

charge of the investigation, as well

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf of Delaware and the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves. Garland said last week that the Justice Department will not object to Weiss testifying to Congress.

A department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter but declined further comment.

The request comes about a week after Biden, 53, reached an agreement with the government to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. The plea deal would

Safety concerns dominate Norfolk Southern railroad CEO’s job since Ohio derailment

The Associated Press ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s CEO has spoken often of safety and better service since he took the job over a year ago, but it’s safety that has dominated discussions after one of his trains derailed and caught fire in February in Ohio, creating towering black smoke, forcing evacuations and raising environmental worries.

Alan Shaw has said his plans include adding more trackside detectors to help spot mechanical problems. He also has hailed work with unions to improve safety — something labor leaders say Norfolk Southern hasn’t done much of since it began overhauling operations in 2019.

“That interaction and that engagement with our craft colleagues is really important to me,” Shaw said in an interview with The Associated Press at the railroad’s Atlanta headquarters last week, a day before federal hearings on the East Palestine derailment began. “I need all 20,000 voices at Norfolk Southern pushing for safety. And that’s what you’re going to see.”

Scrutiny over safety

The railroad — and the entire industry — is under intense watch because chemicals spilled in the East Palestine derailment, and because thousands of people had to evacuate when officials blew open cars of vinyl chloride to burn

it and prevent cars from exploding. Several other industry derailments reinforced concerns.

East Palestine highlights that even though freight railroads are regarded as the safest way to ship cargo over land, just one derailment can be disastrous.

The railroad has spent months removing contaminated water and soil, and the cleanup continues. Meanwhile, residents worry about potential long-term harm, though health officials insist the air and water are safe.

Shaw believes “we’re a safe railroad” because Norfolk Southern had its fewest derailments and injuries last year in more than a decade. But some other Federal Railroad Association measures have worsened, like the rates of total accidents and railyard accidents.

An FRA report on Norfolk Southern’s safety culture is expected soon, and the National Transportation Safety Board continues to examine its safety practices as it investigates what caused the Ohio derailment.

Worker concerns

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union was the only of Norfolk Southern’s 13 unions that didn’t sign a letter last month promising to cooperate to improve safety. It doesn’t think Shaw’s pronouncements have translated into meaningful changes and worries new employees and those return-

ing from furloughs might not have enough safety training.

“Mr. Shaw comes across to me as kind of as that used car salesman trying really hard to sell Norfolk Southern and saying all this great stuff,” said James Orwan, a Machinist Union general chairman on Norfolk Southern.

Shaw said he has met with that union and is glad officials feel comfortable raising concerns. And Shaw knows “you judge me by the results,” but he’s convinced the railroad is “making a lot of progress.”

Operations and hiring

Unions say the new lean operating model that Norfolk Southern and the other major freight railroads are using — known as “precision-scheduled railroading” — has made the industry more dangerous because deep workforce cuts make it hard to keep up with jobs and preventative maintenance. And workers say an increasing reliance on longer trains is a safety concern.

Examples cited most often by unions, including at the Friday’s NTSB hearing, are that inspectors who used to have several minutes to check each car are pressured to do so in one minute or less, and that Norfolk Southern relies too much on abbreviated inspections by train crews instead of detailed ones by experts.

But Shaw said Norfolk Southern’s safety record has improved

also avert prosecution on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as Biden adheres to conditions agreed to in court.

Days later, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Smith, voted to publicly disclose congressional testimony from the IRS employees.

The testimony from Greg Shapley and an unidentified agent detailed what they called a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” and delaying enforcement actions in the months before the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.

It is unclear whether the conflict they describe amounts to internal disagreement about how to pursue the investigation or a pattern of interference and preferential treatment. Department policy has long warned prosecutors to take care in charging cases with potential political overtones around the time of an election, to avoid influencing the outcome.

The Justice Department has denied the claims and said Weiss, appointed to his job when Donald Trump was president, had full authority over the case.

The letter provided a deadline of July 13 for the department to begin scheduling the individuals for transcribed interviews. It said that if the deadline is not met, the committee chairmen will resort to using a congressional subpoena

to force cooperation. Beyond Hunter Biden, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee led by Comer has undertaken a broader review of the Biden family’s finances and foreign dealings, issuing dozens of subpoenas to business associates and financial institutions.

Republicans have focused much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. The unsubstantiated claim, which first emerged in 2019, was that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, an oiland-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board.

Democrats said in a letter Thursday to Comer that the Justice Department investigated the claim when Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” that it was true. Democrats highlighted the transcript of an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s co-founder, in which he denied having any contact with Joe Biden while Hunter Biden worked for the company. “Mr. Zlochevsky’s statements are just one of the many that have debunked the corruption allegations,” said the committee’s top Democrat, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin.

since it started using precision scheduled railroading in 2019. The model’s core concepts are something “any industrial company would fully support,” he said — while noting that he has also tempered his railroad’s approach to that model in the past year to focus more on long-term revenue growth and less on short-term cost-cutting.

And Norfolk Southern, he said, is backing away from rushing inspections.

“My expectation is, is that we will not put an unsafe railcar out onto our network,” Shaw said. “In the past, we’ve had guidelines on inspection times. We’ve removed those recently.”

Derailment aftermath

Steps like adding more trackside detectors — devices that

check indicators like wheel-bearing temperatures — after the East Palestine derailment seemed obvious, given that the NTSB has said that an overheating bearing that triggered a warning likely caused the crash.

Norfolk Southern has also pledged over $62 million to help East Palestine recover. Resident Misti Allison, who hosted Shaw at her home for lunch after she testified alongside him at a congressional hearing, said things like $25 million to improve East Palestine’s parks are welcome but tangential.

“While I think that he is doing a good job, they are doing it in a way to benefit Norfolk Southern and not necessarily the priorities of the residents,” Allison said. “I wish Norfolk Southern’s priorities would be about the health and safety of the families.”

AP PHOTO

Norfolk Southern Railroad CEO Alan Shaw speaks during an interview Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, walks from Marine One upon arrival at Fort McNair, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The Biden’s are returning from Camp David.

Randolph record

Asheboro ZooKeepers

COUNTY NEWS

Police investigating vehicle break-ins at Asheboro Apartment Complex following chase

Last week, police officers responded to several reports of vehicle breakins at the Mathew Grande Apartments, located on N. Fayetteville Street in Asheboro. A similar series of thefts took place late last year near the same complex. According to an official with the Asheboro Police Department, an officer spotted a suspicious vehicle leaving the area at a high rate of speed. When the officer attempted to stop the black Honda CRV, the driver took off onto I-73/73 northbound, resulting in a vehicle pursuit. The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office took over the pursuit and stayed with the vehicle as it entered Greensboro city limits. In a press release, the sheriff’s office stated that the vehicle turned onto a dead-end road in Greensboro, and all four occupants fled on foot. Two of the suspects were quickly apprehended and identified as juveniles. Officers with the Greensboro Police Department and deputies with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, including a K9 unit, responded to assist in looking for the two remaining suspects. The third suspected, Jyreke Shahien King, was caught and charged with felony breaking and entering a vehicle, felony larceny of a motor vehicle, felony possession of stolen goods, and felony larceny. He was given a $30,000 secured bond. The fourth suspect has yet to have been located. Anyone with any information about the identity of the suspect is asked to contact the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office at (336) 318-6698.

Board expresses concerns over middle school athletics

Board continuing to advertise Randolph Virtual Academy

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

ASHEBORO — The Randolph County Schools Board of Education met Thursday, June 29, with primarily discussions and presentations on the agenda.

The board was given an update on the status of the Randolph Virtual Academy following the decision to emphasize endorsing the school rather than closing it.

“Since May 1, enrollment has continued to grow,” said Superintendent Stephen Gainey. “On May 10, it had grown to 59, and it has continued to grow since. [On] May 17, it went to 70. May 24, to 83.

June 4, to 86, and the last enrollment number I have for this week is June 27. We have grown to 94 students, and the number of students who will be new to the school next year continues to grow as well. We are up to 45.7% of those 94 students being new to that school next

year. “Obviously, there’s been some big changes in the growth from 35 students since May 10. In 2021-22, there were four in-person activities on the campus. We were still dealing with a lot of pandemic restrictions then. For 2022-23, that number increased to six. The staff is working to further increase those in-person events as well.”

Gainey discussed that even though it’s a virtual academy, the staff believes that an increase in the availability of in-person events can only help the school grow and continue to build that school’s culture.

“We’re in a very different position than we were on May 15,” Gainey said. “There’s still a lot of work to do, and we’ll continue to work at it. We’ll continue working to promote it.”

The enrollment deadline for the Randolph Virtual Academy is August 1. The board was also presented with the quarterly student assignment report, which showed that as of June 9, there were 15,227 students enrolled in RCS.

State Board of Elections approves voter ID rules, appoints county board members

North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) met on Tuesday, June 27, and approved temporary rules related to the implementation of voter ID rules in North Carolina elections.

Beginning with Fall 2023 municipal elections, all voters will be asked to show a form of photo ID when voting in-person and via absentee ballot.

“The agency is proposing rules to ensure uniform, standard implementation of the photo ID requirements in all 3,000-plus polling locations and among all 100 county boards of elections,” a statement from the NCSBE read.

The board also reviewed more than 1,300 comments on the proposed rules, making some changes based on feedback from

the public. The state’s Rules Review Commission, which reviews proposed rules from state agencies for approval, will now conduct reviews of the proposals for adoption. Rules approved by the board focused on the responsibility of poll workers to examine the appearance and name of voters based on their identification provided and that any outside evidence beyond the four corners of the ID is not to be used.

The board also unanimously approved two voter ID exception forms, which were required in the underlying statute. The NCSBE must adopt a reasonable impediment exemption form which must, “at a minimum,” include specific reasons listed in the statute that a voter may select. Voters claiming an excep -

Also in the report was the fact that RCS has a net loss of 18 students between releases to other school systems of students within RCS’ attendance zone and additions to their school systems from outside attendance zones.

“When we started down this road with this report and the student assignment rules were put in place in 2014-15, in the first quarter of 14-15, we had a difference of 153 students,” Gainey said. “So, it’s been pulled in. It’s taken a while, but we’ve worked with people that have been released and tried to work with them.”

Finally, the board discussed some of the growing concerns with middle school athletics involving discrepancies in team size and overall consistency of participation.

“High school athletics are governed by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. Middle school athletics are governed by the Department of Public Instruction,” Gainey said. “There are a lot of similarities. Right now, we have our seven middle schools, two from Asheboro City Schools and

Uwharrie Charter Middle School, that gives us a 10-team conference.”

According to Gainey, rules from the NCDPI dictate that all middle school sports other than football can play up to 14 games plus a single-elimination tournament or 16 games overall. For football, teams are allowed to play in seven games plus a tournament or eight games overall.

“We will talk to the leadership of the other school system because that comprises their representation in the conference, to share our concerns about the teams and how we’ve had some situations where we’ve had low participation and either our teams didn’t participate or played with the low numbers, and we want to talk about our concern with the longevity of this conference should it continue,” Gainey informed the board. “I think that we need to talk to the conference members about if we get to the point where we know a team is not going to be fielded, we don’t want our kids missing play dates any more than we want their kids missing play dates. If it means playing somebody three times, then sure, because that’s really what middle school athletics is about. More than winning. I get they want to win and win championships, but you need kids at that level playing.”

The Randolph County Schools Board of Education will next meet July 17.

Outgoing NC Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan considering gubernatorial bid

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan, who announced last month he won’t seek reelection to the court next year, says he’s weighing a 2024 bid for governor.

Morgan, one of two registered Democrats on the state’s highest court, said this week that many within the party are asking him to look at a gubernatorial candidacy.

Attorney General Josh Stein has been the only high-profile Democrat to get into the race, announcing his plans in January. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is barred by term limits from running again now.

“I’ve been asked, quite frankly, to look at the race for See ELECTIONS, page 2 See MORGAN, page 2

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Asheboro ZooKeepers shortstop Alex Lodise tags out High Point-Thomasville HiToms’ Andrew Fernandez on an attempted stolen base at McCrary Park last week. Read more on page 5.

WEDNESDAY 7.5.23

Power outages strike Ramseur area

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

RAMSEUR — More than 1,000 power outages were reported in Randolph County after severe thunderstorms rolled through late Saturday after-

noon. The hardest hit area was in Ramseur, where the total outages exceeded 950. By Sunday afternoon, there were no outages in the county listed on Duke Energy’s “Outages in the Carolinas” map.

The National Weather Service also issued flood advisories for parts of Randolph County stemming from the line of storms.

Locations in Guilford County and Alamance County also reported power outages.

Bed Bath & Beyond lives on!(line). Overstock.com buys rights to bankrupt retailer and changes name

The Associated Press NEW YORK — Bed & Bath & Beyond will live on, online at least, after Overstock.com acquired the bankrupt retail chain’s intellectual property assets for $21.5 million.

The online retailer Overstock.com is dumping its name online and will become Bed & Bath & Beyond, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year. Overstock.com’s CEO Jonathan Johnson told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Thursday that the company is considering changing its corporate name but won’t make any decisions until after it digests the assets.

The switcheroo to a very recognizable brand was cheered on Wall Street. Shares of Overstock.com Inc., based in Midvale, Utah, soared nearly 20% during afternoon trading Thursday.

Bed Bath & Beyond — one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets — filed for bankruptcy protection in April.

The Randolph Guide is a quick look at what’s going on in Randolph County.

July 6

Liberty Summer Hose Down 6pm

DEATH NOTICES

♦ Andrea Colette Pacheco, age 58 of Ramseur, died Wednesday, June 28, 2023 at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill.

WEEKLY FORECAST

The deal doesn’t include Bed Bath & Beyond stores, the last of which are expected to be shuttered Friday, or the Buybuy Baby chain.

The name change will roll out in Canada next month and in August, a relaunch of the company’s website and mobile app as Bed Bath & Beyond will ap -

CRIME LOG

pear in the U.S. Those visiting overstock.com will be redirected to bedbathandbeyond.com. The name Overstock still confuses some customers and suppliers who thought it was a liquidator. That’s how it got its start in 1999. It transformed in 2004 into a general merchandise retailer, selling a wide variety of items. In 2021, Overstock finetuned its strategy to focus on furniture and home decor, getting rid of items like clothing. When Bed Bath & Beyond’s financial woes deepened last year, Overstock.com tried to court the retailer’s suppliers but it met with some skepticism. But after its bid for Bed Bath became public last week, it was able to add 100,000 bed and

bath items to its site, Johnson said. He expects that pace will pick up.

“I can’t count how many times we were asked when we were going to change the company name,” he said. “This opportunity is too good to be true. We are Bed Bath and a bigger beyond.”

Johnson said that it will offer some coupons to cater to the Bed Bath & Beyond customers who were used to the popular perk, but he noted that customers will be surprised that the discounts offered by Overstock.com are actually better on an every day basis. He also added that Overstock plans to step up marketing to Bed Bath & Beyond customers to make them aware of the change.

He estimated Overstock.com has about 5 million customers; Bed Bath & Beyond’s online customers number about 10 million.

Bed Bath & Beyond — one of the original big box retailers known for its seemingly endless offerings of sheets, towels and kitchen gadgets — filed for bankruptcy protection in April. The filing followed years of dismal sales and numerous attempts to turn the flailing business around.

Come out to Freedom Park for the Liberty Summer Hose Down! Sunset Slush will be onsite so bring cash!

July 7

Music & Market – Trial By Fire

5pm – 10pm

Come out to Commerce Square Park, located at 120 Commerce Square in Randleman, for live music by Trial By Fire! There will be food on site!

July 8

Asheboro Farmers Market

7am – 1pm

Come out to the Asheboro Downtown Farmers Market, located at 134 S. Church Street. This event is free and open to the public!

CALL OR TEXT

SPONSORED BY 336-629-7588

WEDNESDAY JULY 5

♦ Grace, Miranda (F, 33), Arrested on charge of Possess Schedule I CS, on 6/28, at 551 Daisy Rd.

♦ Jones, Edward (M, 48), Arrested on charge of Fail Notify New Address - Sex Off, on 6/28, at 811 New Century Dr.

♦ Powers, Thomas (M, 49), Arrested on charge of Larceny of Motor Vehicle, on 6/28, at 176 E Salisbury St.

♦ Rivera, Dwayne (M, 20), Arrested on charge of PWISD Marijuana, Felony Possession of Marijuana, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, on 6/29, at Caraway Mtn Rd and Old County Farm Rd.

THURSDAY JULY 6

♦ Stevens, Jeffrey (M, 30), Arrested on charge of DV Protective Order Violation, Communicating Threats, on 6/28, at 5682 US Hwy 64.

♦ Adkins, Thomas (M, 56), Arrested on charge of Possess Meth, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, on 6/27, at 857 Frank Lamb Dr.

♦ Bernal, Santiago (M, 38), Arrested on charge of Breaking and or Entering, Larceny after Break/ Enter, Possession of Stolen Goods, Second Degree Trespass, Burning Personal Property, on 6/27, at Brittain St.

♦ Brady, Chasity (F, 48), Arrested on charge of Intoxicated and Disruptive, on 6/27, at 112 McMasters St.

MORGAN from page 1

FRIDAY JULY 7

♦ Caudle, Samantha (F, 27), Arrested on charge of Misdemeanor Larceny, Possession of Stolen Goods, on 6/27, at 3342 Hall Rd.

♦ Gannon, Dalton (M, 26), Arrested on charge of Assault on a Female, on 6/27, at 9245 US Hwy 220 S.

♦ Minton, Justin (M, 39), Arrested on charge of Possess Heroin, Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Simple Possess CS Schedule VI, on 6/27, at 2100 Interstate Hwy 73/74.

♦ Cuevas-Vera, Eliza (F, 33), Arrested on charge of Second Degree Trespass, on 6/27, at 1132 Northside Ter.

Earl Nilsson Benefit – BBQ & Gun Raffle

11am – 3pm

Come out to the Ulah Fire Department Station 11, located at 2067 Pisgah Covered Bridge Rd. in Asheboro, for a BBQ Plate and Raffle! All proceeds go towards the medical expenses of Earl Nilsson. BBQ is $4 for a sandwich and $10 for a plate. The Gun Raffle is $10 per ticket or $50 for 6.

governor,” Morgan told the NC Insider state government news service in a phone interview.

“And while I highly respect the declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, I feel inclined to respect the calls that I’m getting.”

SATURDAY JULY 8

68

58% HI 84

66

SUNDAY JULY 9

58% HI 85

MONDAY JULY 10

67

TUESDAY JULY 11

66

Morgan has been on the bench for over 30 years, serving as an administrative law judge, a Wake County District Court judge and a Superior Court judge before being elected to the Supreme Court in 2016.

At the time of his announcement last month to leave the court, Morgan told The Associ-

ELECTIONS from page 1

tion to showing photo identification must attest that they are the voter casting the ballot.

The NCSBE also appointed four members – two Democrats and two Republicans – to each of the 100 county boards of elections.

In Randolph County, the two Democrats chosen were Tiffany Alson and Chapin Oldham, and the two Republicans were Mary Pugh and John Williams. Their terms will begin when they are sworn in on

ated Press that he didn’t know whether he’d serve out the remainder of his term through the end of 2024 or step aside early. Morgan said then he was keeping his options open for future endeavors and didn’t rule out seeking another elected office. Cooper would appoint someone to serve out Morgan’s term should he step down early.

The Republican field for governor includes state Treasurer Dale Folwell, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker.

Morgan, who like Robinson is black, told the NC Insider that Democratic voters need more than one option heading

July 18. County board members serve two-year terms.

“We are happy to welcome new members to North Carolina’s elections team,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Together, we will continue to ensure that our elections are accessible, safe, and secure, and that every eligible vote counts.”

Gov. Roy Cooper appointed the fifth member who will also serve as the chair a day later, naming Margaret Magerian to the board ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting on July 18.

into next March’s primary given the full plate of GOP candidates and that his entry would enhance Democrats’ chances to retain the executive mansion.

“There are some disturbing voices that want to lead our state in a direction that’s backward, downward and wayward,” Morgan said. “If I would decide to run, it would strengthen our party going forward to the 2024 race and it would strengthen our ability to keep the governorship in a responsible leader’s hands.”

Morgan said he would evaluate his potential support and ability to raise campaign funds before deciding whether to get into the race.

Liberty July Festival 4pm – 9pm

Come down to Fayetteville Street for the Town of Liberty’s July Festival! Enjoy great food, live music, and more!

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OPINION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Defending your rights and celebrating our nation

“WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

As Congress’ leading defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue to focus on solutions that protect our rights.

Since our nation’s founding 247 years ago, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have defined the American dream. In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers set the goal of building a land where all could live freely and peacefully.

As your Congressman, I will always defend your rights from those who seek to destroy life, threaten our liberties, or endanger your pursuit of happiness as an American citizen.

That’s why throughout my time in Congress, I have been a leading proponent of protecting your Second Amendment rights. In recent weeks, I have led multiple pieces of legislation that reverse government overreach into your home and on your right to keep and bear arms.

Earlier this year, President Biden’s ATF established a new pistol brace ban which turned millions of combat wounded veterans and law-abiding citizens into felons

overnight. These braces were first designed to help wounded veterans continue to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Following the Biden administration’s latest regulation, I took to the House floor to sponsor the legislation to block it and am proud my bill passed the House with bipartisan support.

The ATF’s brace rule illustrates the dangers of an unchecked federal agency that is willing to go around Congress and the millions of constituents we represent. Although our resolution was just a few votes short of passage in the Senate, I will always defend your Second Amendment rights and will never stop fighting for our nation’s heroes who have sacrificed for our country.

As Congress’ leading defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue to focus on solutions that protect our rights.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once

like in the United States where people were free.”

While there are many things that can divide us, being American unites us all and it’s up to us to preserve our nation for the next generation.

Independence Day is one of the most important holidays in our country, and I am, and always will be, proud to be an American. I am especially grateful to the millions of patriots who have served our nation in uniform and sacrificed along with their families, many of whom call our region home, for our freedoms.

As we commemorate the founding of our nation, I hope you are able to enjoy time with family and friends to celebrate the rights we enjoy as Americans and all the things that make our country the greatest on Earth.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat.

“EXTREME HEAT KILLS more people in the United States than any other weather hazard,” is the first claim in this Washington Post piece warning about the deadly summer heat — and it is almost certainly false. Similar warnings about the deadly weather appear in virtually every mainstream media outlet.

First off, the only reason “extreme” temperature kills more people than other weather hazards is that deaths from weather have plummeted over the century — even as doomsday climate warnings about heat, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts have spiked. All extreme weather accounts for only about 0.1 death for every 100,000 people in the United States each year. That is a massive drop from the time of your grandparents. The Post and others should be celebrating the fact that humans have never been less threatened by the climate in history.

The Post also warns that 62 million people in the U.S. may be “exposed” to dangerous heat “today.” That’s a lot of people, even considering nearly all of them live in the southernmost spots in the country and it’s summer. The Post counts anyone exposed to heat over 90 F as being in some level of danger. Fortunately, most Americans enjoy the luxury and health benefits of air conditioning, one of the great innovations of the past century.

Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat. Anyway, it’s around 700 people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — if you liberally count heat as both the “underlying” and/or “contributing” causes. It is about 400 people when heat is the underlying cause. And that’s terrible. But, also, it’s around 3,600 fewer people than those who drown every year.

Though there has been an uptick in recent years — as Bjorn Lomborg has pointed out, this is almost surely due to an increasingly aging population that is more susceptible to heat — both numbers are still near-historic lows.

And most of those deaths, despite the Post’s claim, are from the cold, which is far more lethal to humans today, as it has always been. I come to this information via another Washington Post piece that ran this very winter, which helpfully notes that for “every death linked to heat, nine are tied to cold.” That piece relies on a recent peer-reviewed Lancet study to make that claim. Another recent peer-reviewed study in The BMJ found that “cold weather is associated with nearly 20 times more deaths than hot weather.” Other studies have come to the same conclusion.

So where did the Post get the idea that heat was the leading cause of weather deaths? After following a few hyperlinks, I land on a National Weather Service chart from 2019 that lists heat

as the leading cause of extreme weather deaths. Where it gets these numbers is a mystery to me. And though I’m sure they aren’t concocted by some bureaucrat, they certainly seem to be an outlier.

Not to worry. Even here we find promising news. Though the National Weather Service says the leading cause of weather deaths is heat, it also found that the average was only 103 deaths per year over the preceding decade. That’s hundreds of fewer deaths per year than the CDC reports — and hundreds fewer than die from, say, over-the-counter headache medicine overdoses.

Enjoy the summer.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of five books - the most recent, “Eurotrash: Why America Must Reject the Failed Ideas of a Dying Continent.”

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI Americans have never been less threatened by ‘extreme weather’

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL Wright to initially remain with the Commanders

Washington, D.C.

Jason Wright is expected to retain his job as president of the Washington Commanders at least initially after Josh Harris’ group takes over. Wright has served in the role since the summer of 2020, according to a report by The Associated Press. It’s expected that he’ll be an important part of the transition between Dan Snyder and new ownership that also includes Magic Johnson. NFL owners are set to consider and potentially vote to approve the record $6.05 billion sale at a meeting July 20 in Minneapolis.

NBA Irving staying with Mavs, Curry back for third stint

Dallas

Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks have agreed on a $126 million, threeyear contract to keep the star guard in Dallas. The Mavericks paired All-Star starters for the first time in franchise history by adding Irving in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn last February to play him alongside Luka Doncic. Dallas also is bringing back shooting guard Seth Curry for a third stint with the club. Curry, who like Irving played at Duke, played the 2016-17 and 2019-20 seasons with the Mavericks.

Curry played the last two seasons with Brooklyn and also has had stops in Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, Cleveland and Memphis.

COLLEGE SPORTS

NCAA mulls proposal to shorten transfer portal window

Indianapolis

The NCAA Division I Board will consider shortening the transfer window from 60 days to 30 after data showed most transfers enter the portal in the first few days. The window was created this year in an attempt to limit the amount of time athletes can move from one school to another and be immediately eligible to compete. Current rules give football players 45 days to enter the portal in the winter and 15 more in the spring. Athletes in winter sports have 60 days to enter the portal, while athletes in spring sports have a 45-day window.

GOLF Stanford wins Senior LPGA

Jasper, Ind.

Angela Stanford took advantage of Trish Johnson’s late collapse Saturday at Sultan’s Run to win the Senior LPGA Championship.

Five strokes back entering the day and four behind playing the final hole, the 45-yearold Stanford birdied the par4 18th for a 7-under 65 and an eventual one-stroke victory over the 57-year-old Johnson.

After making four straight birdies, Johnson had a triple bogey on No. 17, and Stanford soon birdied 18 to make it a four-shot swing. Johnson bogeyed 18, missing a 12-foot par putt. The Englishwoman shot a 71. Stanford finished at 10-under 206. Karrie Webb closed with a 69 to finish third at 8 under.

IRS takes aim at nonprofit NIL collectives

A 12-page memo says donations used to pay athletes may not be tax-exempt

The Associated Press THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING landscape of nonprofit, donor-backed collectives paying college athletes to promote charities has been hit with a potentially seismic disruption.

A recent 12-page memo from the Internal Revenue Service determined that, in many cases, such collectives may not qualify as tax-exempt if their main purpose is paying players instead of supporting charitable works. If the collectives aren’t tax-exempt, the donations they collect that are used to pay quarterbacks, point guards and pitchers may not be, either.

“There’s a high likelihood we will cease operations, within the

next period of months,” said Gary Marcinick, founder of the Cohension Foundation, a collective formed to connect Ohio State athletes with charities for name, image and likeness (NIL) promotional deals. “In our space, we are donor driven .... It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast majority of cases.”

The collectives were born out of the massive change that hit college sports in 2021 when athletes were allowed to earn money in ways that had been prohibited for decades.

Some collectives — and there are dozens of them — are set up as for-profit entities that help connect athletes with endorsement deals as the new market swelled into the millions and NIL became a recruiting tool. Opendorse, a company that partners with schools to help initiate, track and monitor NIL deals, projected nearly $1.2 billion flowing through

majority of cases.”

Gary Marcinick, founder of the Cohension Foundation

the industry in 2023.

The nonprofit model was an attractive option for some donors and entrepreneurs, who tout such things as appearances at sports camps and fund-raisers and social media promotions for select charities. There are an estimated 80 such collectives. Charities gained exposure from star athletes who earned money. And donors got the promise of a tax-deductible donation.

According to the IRS, those collectives already granted tax-ex-

ESPN lays off about 20 personalities

The Associated Press

JEFF VAN GUNDY, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young are among roughly 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off on Friday as part of job cuts by the network.

ESPN had planned this additional round involving on-air talent to prevent further reductions to off-air staff after two rounds of mandated cuts by its corporate owner, the Walt Disney Company.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would reduce 7,000 jobs either through not filling positions or layoffs.

Friday’s announcement resembled what happened in April of 2017, when reporters and hosts were informed at one time that they would no longer be on the air.

“Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun. This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months

ahead,” ESPN said in a statement.

“This is an extremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”

The New York Post first reported the layoffs of Van Gundy and Rose.

Van Gundy had been the network’s top NBA analyst since

2007 and recently completed calling a record 17th NBA Finals. Kolber was a longtime ESPN veteran, including being the co-host of

empt status don’t lose it as a result of the June 9 memo. But it does lay out new guidelines for how they are expected to operate if they want to keep it.

“These collectives may face future examinations or enforcement action by the IRS,” the agency said without elaboration.

A bipartisan bill filed in 2022 would limit tax deductions for bankrolling nonprofit NIL collectives, but it has yet to pass.

The IRS was granting tax-exempt status to collectives for more than a year before issuing the memo that determined, in many cases, paying players isn’t merely incidental to the charitable cause but “is the very justification for the organization’s existence.”

The NCAA has raised concerns about the collectives, but the federal government is a different story when it comes to enforcing rules that have been somewhat murky when it comes to athlete compensation.

a nightly show when ESPN2 debuted in 1993.

She was also the host of ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” show.

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off. Heartbreaking-but 27 years at ESPN was a good run. So grateful for a 38 yr career! Longevity for a woman in this business is something I’m especially proud of,” Kolber said on social media. Rose had also been with ESPN since 2007. He was mainly part of the NBA studio shows but also did a radio show for 11 years and was a co-host when Mike Greenberg’s “Get Up” morning show premiered in 2018.

ESPN’s NFL coverage and the radio side, were the ones to take the biggest hits.

Longtime draft analyst Todd McShay, who also contributed to college football coverage, and analyst Matt Hasselbeck were also laid off.

ESPN Radio’s morning show team of Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson as well as afternoon host Jason Fitz were also affected. Kellerman also did an afternoon show on ESPN, but that was unlikely to continue after Pat McAfee signed to bring his show to the network’s airwaves in the fall.

Others include “SportsCenter”

anchor Ashley Brewer, radio and ACC Network host Jordan Cornette, college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis, NBA reporter Nick Friedell, baseball writer Joon Lee and “College GameDay” analyst David Pollack.

Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose were among those let go

“It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off.”

Suzy Kolber

AP PHOTO

A 12-page memo from the Internal Revenue Service released in June 2023 determined that in many cases, the nonprofit collectives may not qualify as tax-exempt if their main purpose is paying players instead of supporting charitable works.

AP PHOTO

Jeff Van Gundy, center back, is among the TV and radio personalities who have been let go by ESPN.

Post 45 learns hard lessons as streak ends

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — A dose of reality during the past week might not be as bad as it looked for Randolph County Post 45.

The American Legion baseball team had breezed through much of its schedule for the first month of the season. Then in a pair of Area 3 North Division games against High Point-Thomasville Post 87, things didn’t go their way.

“Ego got too high,” catcher Grat Dalton said. “We beat everybody. We thought less of this team and should have played a lot better.”

Post 87 made it a two-game sweep by winning 6-3 on Friday night at McCrary Park.

“Two pretty good ball games, and they played better than we did,” Randolph County manager Ronnie Pugh said.

The first of those was Post 87’s 8-5 victory last Tuesday night. Post 45 entered the stretch on a 13-game winning streak.

It’s far from a crisis for Randolph County, which improved to 17-3 with Saturday night’s 10-0 victory at Foothills Post 123.

“We’ve been playing real good so far,” Post 45 shortstop Tanner Marsh said of the season as a whole. “We just struggle hitting sometimes.” Randolph County had gone more than a month without losing

before the matchups with High Point-Thomasville.

“We seem to hit kind of a plateau,” Pugh said. “It will happen, and we’ll work through it. Sometimes you have to work your way through it.”

Pugh said player availability will fluctuate, with some players having college coursework commitments. Plus, third baseman Hunter Atkins missed Friday’s game because of illness, Pugh said.

“You always think you’re going to win all of them,” Pugh said.

“Sometimes you find some things out about your team, and it can pay off later on.”

Dalton pointed to mental mistakes as contributing to the shortcomings vs. Post 87.

“Things have got to pick up,” he said. “Play with more intensity.”

High Point-Thomasville scored two third-inning runs, beginning when Jake Little lofted a misplayed double to deep right field and scored on Yates Sikes’ hit. Tanner Royals’ groundout plated the next run in the inning. Sikes stole home for the third run.

In the bottom of the inning

Braylen Hayes’ two-out RBI double and Tyler Parks’ run-scoring single tied the game. Post 87 went back ahead with three runs in the fourth, and Randolph County’s only response came on Hayes’ RBI groundout in the fifth. Starting pitcher Drake Purvis of Post 45

David Elliott

took the loss, giving up five runs in four innings before Drew Harmon finished on the mound.

For Post 87, the week might have marked a turnaround.

“We finally started playing like a team and found a way to finish,” said shortstop Landon Mowery, a Trinity product who had two hits and a walk Friday night.

Tuesday night at Finch Field in Thomasville, Randolph County gave up seven runs in the Post 87’s last three at-bats in an 8-5 loss. The big blow was Tyler Shafer’s three-run homer in the fifth.

Post 45 didn’t get much going, scoring two runs in the third and two in the sixth – all on two-out fielding blunders that resulted in two runs on each play. It was 5-4 going to the bottom of the sixth when Post 87 tacked on three runs off reliever Robert Garner. Dalton’s RBI single in the seventh accounted for the last run. Starting pitcher Austin Lemons took the loss despite benefitting from three double plays.

Post 45 bounced back Thursday night to defeat Chatham County Post 292 by 7-2 behind Samuel Asbill’s pitching as he worked into the seventh inning in Siler City. Marsh had three hits, including a two-run homer.

And after the second loss of the week, there was a strong showing against Foothills. Josh Meadows smashed a grand slam, Marsh homered and Garner threw six shutout innings. Connor Adams threw in the seventh to complete a one-hitter.

Sunday’s make-up game against Greensboro Post 53 was canceled as Post 53 has called off the rest of its season.

ZooKeepers show signs of breaking through

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

ASHEBORO — The Asheboro

ZooKeepers didn’t make a push for the first-half title in the Coastal Plain League’s West Division.

But they did develop momentum and created some good vibes by the midway mark of the season.

Among the highlights was last Thursday night’s 5-4, 10-inning victory against visiting Holly Springs Salamanders at McCrary Park.

“We strung a couple of nights like that together,” first-year ZooKeepers coach Korey Dunbar said. “We’re starting to finish games.”

The next night, the ZooKeepers ended the CPL’s first half with a 12-5 loss at Holly Springs. That left Asheboro with an 8-12 record, though that’s washed away with the second half of the split season beginning on the weekend.

“I think we’re starting to figure it out as a team,” first baseman Tyler McPeak said.

The ZooKeepers were in their home ballpark for games for only a week during the season’s first half because of renovations. That created a bunch of road assignments and select home games at UNC Greensboro. There were logistical challenges as the roster continued to evolve.

“It seems like this first half has flown by,” Dunbar said.

McPeak set a Lenoir-Rhyne single-season home run record with 18 this year in his first season since transferring from Campbell. He said the ZooKeepers are starting to develop the right mindset.

“Just getting out here and playing every day,” McPeak said. “You can’t dwell on every game. You move on.”

In the first half’s home finale,

Asheboro, boys’ golf

Elliott wrapped up his high school career by tying for 57th in the Class 3-A state tournament this spring.

Elliott was a member of the Mid-Piedmont Conference all-conference team for the third year in a row. He was a three-time regional qualifier (while his freshman season in 2020 was cut short by the pandemic).

Elliott has competed in numerous youth and amateur tournaments.

** During the summer, we recognize seniors from the past school year.

Trinity’s Mowery picks Western Carolina

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

THOMASVILLE – Landon Mowery has had an eye on becoming a Division I college baseball player for quite some time.

From his perspective, there is no sense in putting that off.

Mowery, a Trinity standout, is considering reclassifying and heading to college a year early to join the Western Carolina program.

Last week, he committed to play for the Catamounts, and by the end of the week, things had accelerated.

“A big decision to be made,” Lowery said. “They want me to come up early to hopefully win a spot.”

Mowery, who plays for the High Point-Thomasville Post 87 American Legion team, will need to finish coursework this summer at Trinity to become eligible to head to Cullowhee.

“Ever since I was a kid growing up, to play for a Division I school is a dream come true,” he said.

Lowery is a 5-foot-8, 185-pound shortstop who says he takes pride in being a steady contributor. He was a three-year starter for Trinity.

“I’m not a numbers guy,” he said. “You have to see me.”

the ZooKeepers were one strike away from winning in the top of the ninth. An appeal on a checkswing by Nate Carriere was denied, and he took advantage of the chance by singling to left field to drive in two runs.

The Salamanders had runners at first and third with no outs in the 10th, but Jacob Halford escaped.

With a runner placed at second base based on the extra-inning rules, Todd Hudson, the first batter for Asheboro in the 10th, drilled a single to right-center field to drive in the winning run.

“It’s fun to do,” Hudson said of the walk-off hit. “You like it for the team.”

That marked the ZooKeepers’ second victory in a row following a doubleheader split with the High Point-Thomasville HiToms

on Tuesday night. Hudson, a rising sophomore for Liberty, said it might have been prior to high school when he had a previous walk-off hit. This might have been just what the ZooKeepers needed.

“We’ve been very close in a lot of games,” Hudson said. “Good to pull one out.”

Asheboro scored four second-inning runs on Jay Dillard’s three-run double and Cole Laskowski’s double.

ZooKeepers pitcher Jacob Dienes of North Carolina State rolled through five innings. Then he beaned Austin Hawke to begin the sixth, and that was followed by Win Johns’ home run.

On Friday night, Andrew Grande, who played for Asheboro last year, homered for the Salamanders.

If early entry to college doesn’t pan out, Lowery, 18, said he plans to play his senior season for Wesleyan Christian in High Point after holding key roles in Trinity’s 3521 record across the past two seasons.

There could be openings in Western Carolina’s middle infield. Pascanel Ferreras started all 54 games at shortstop as a junior and batted a team-best .325. He has been a first-team All-Southern Conference selection the past two seasons and is a potential draftee this month. Second baseman Brandon Butterworth is transferring to North Carolina State after two seasons with the Catamounts. Post 87 teammates Yates Sikes and Wyatt Stanley are also heading to Western Carolina, though they finished their senior seasons of high school.

Mowery said a strong showing last year in the State Games of North Carolina in Chapel Hill boosted his profile. He batted .423 with three home runs and 11 doubles in his final season at Trinity.

“I’m more of a contact hitter, gap to gap,” he said.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL David Elliott of Asheboro hits a shot to the green during the Class 3-A state tournament this spring at Foxfire Resort and Golf Club’s Red Course.

PJ WARD-BROWN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Samuel Asbill of Randolph County Post 45 throws a pitch during a victory at Chatham County.

BOB SUTTON | RANDOLPH RECORD Landon Mowery

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZOOKEEPERS

Jay Dillard had a three-run double and then scored a run for the Asheboro ZooKeepers against Holly Springs on Thursday night.

had room on

after last

track at times

Big turnout witnesses Larson, others at Caraway

Race result overturned as Riggs disqualified

By Bob Sutton Randolph Record

SOPHIA — It was as much about the scene as it was about the racing last Wednesday night at Caraway Speedway.

And the racing was pretty good. The biggest crowd in at least a decade showed up at the speedway, and there was quite a show.

The main event was the 125-lap CARS Tour Late Models feature.

The first to cross the finish line in the Firecracker 125 was Layne Riggs. But by Thursday, his victory had been overturned because of a failed post-race inspection.

Riggs was disqualified, and that moved Jared Fryar into the first-place spot. Riggs was steering a car owned by Kevin Harvick.

At issue was the size of the sway bars on Riggs’ car.

“I really hate this for the team and all my fans,” Riggs posted on social media. “I don’t think this should overshadow what a good showing we had. It’s disappointing that it was over something that was not a performance advantage and unintentional.”

The new runner-up is Mason Diaz, while Carson Kvapil was third and Kaden Honeycutt took fourth in the 32-car field.

Pole-sitter Chase Burrow, who had a qualifying time of 16.779 seconds, exited with car damage during a caution on the 45th lap

and didn’t return until the leaders were on the 60th lap, so he ended up in 22nd place.

“Biggest crowd I’ve seen out here in 10 years,” Caraway race director Doug Smith said. “You hope the stars line up. Tonight, they did.”

Crowd estimates ranged from 3,5000 to 4,000. Track publicist Randy Myers agreed with those numbers.

“I’ve never seen so many people here, and I’ve worked here since I was 15,” said a concessions worker, who’s now 26.

“I’ve never seen it like this,” Dale York, mother of Caraway regular Jason York, said of the masses on hand to witness the mid-week special.

The main attraction was Kyle Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup

Series champion. He placed seventh in his first Late Models competition in 10 years. He started in the 16th position.

“It was honestly much more fun than I was expecting,” Larson said. “The cars were much quicker than what I remembered them being. Obviously, I would have liked to have done a little better, but I’m not a short-track racer. This style of racing has been difficult for me, and it showed against the guys who do this for a living.”

Many fans showed up clearly supporting Larson based on their apparel.

The experience at Caraway might have perked Larson’s interest in Lake Models.

“This obviously worked out because it was a good week and close to home, so that makes

Gun advocates challenge Biden administration rules on handgun braces at appeals court

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Appellate court judges in New Orleans closely questioned a government attorney on Thursday over a Biden administration rule aimed at curbing the use of stabilizing braces, which are handgun attachments that have been used in multiple mass shootings in recent years.

The braces attach to the back of a gun, lengthening it, and strap to the arm. They were originally developed for disabled people. However, gun-safety groups say they essentially can be used to lengthen a concealable handgun so that it can be braced against the shoulder and fired like a rifle or shotgun.

Advocates for the rule point to deadly mass shootings while arguing that the braces make concealable handguns more deadly. Opponents of the rule say the devices make handguns safer to use by making them more stable, comfortable to fire and accurate

— an argument noted in questions from appellate panel judges Don Willett and Stephen Higginson at Thursday’s hearing. “All that to me seems synony-

mous with safer. Do you disagree with that?” Willett asked administration attorney Sean Janda.

Janda argued that regulating the braces is consistent with

longstanding federal law outlawing sawed-off shotguns or other short-barreled non-handguntype firearms.

“That particular combination, Congress has determined, is dangerous,” Janda said.

In May, the 5th Circuit issued an order preventing enforcement of the rules against plaintiffs in the case, who include two Texas gun owners and a firearms accessory manufacturer. It’s uncertain when the three-member panel that heard arguments Thursday will rule on whether to permanently block the rule. It’s also not clear whether the judges will apply their ruling nationwide or just within the circuit, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

The rule is also being challenged in other parts of the country, attorneys said. The issue may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

Arguments during the nearly 90-minute hearing dealt with whether the rule is simply a rea-

things a lot easier,” he said. “I’ve never even looked at a Late Model schedule before, so I don’t even know what else is out there.”

York, the points leader at Caraway, didn’t finish and was in 28th place.

To open the racing, Bryson Brinkley won the Bandoleros event.

In the Pro Late Models, Caden Kvapil secured the victory in the 100-lapper ahead of runner-up Kate Hettinger among the 17 entrants.

The race card ended with the Legends division. That race endured multiple cautions – including a wreck that ended Neil Dulin’s race – and was ultimately placed under a time limit. It turned out that the race was reduced from 25 laps to 19 laps, with 17-year-old Landen Lewis of Supply as the winner. London McKenzie of Asheboro was the runner-up.

sonable interpretation of existing congressionally passed firearms law or an overreach by the administration; and whether it’s fair and legal to make an estimated 3 million-plus owners of the devices register them and pay fees if they want to use them.

A stabilizing brace was used in March by the shooter who killed three students and three staff members at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2021, the man who killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, also used one. And in 2019, a stabilizing brace was used in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that left nine people dead.

That the devices can be used by criminals is not sufficient reason for the regulations, argued plaintiffs’ attorney Erik Jaffe. “They don’t think they’re bad because they’re dangerous. They think they’re bad because criminals liked them. But criminals like handguns too. Just because criminals like something is not a reason why it’s dangerous.”

On Thursday’s panel with Higginson, who was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama, and Willett, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, was Jerry Smith, who was nominated by former President Ronald Reagan.

Left, Layne Riggs celebrates

week’s CARS Tour race at Caraway Speedway, though the result was later overturned. Right, former NASCAR champion Kyle Larson

the

during his race at Caraway Speedway last week.

AP PHOTO

Semi-automatic handguns are displayed at shop in New Castle, Pa., March 25, 2020.

George Glenn Brookshire

October 13, 1932 — June 30, 2023

Mr. George Glenn Brookshire, 90, of Asheboro, passed peacefully at his residence on Friday, June 30th, 2023.

Glenn Brookshire was born in Alexander County, NC, in the town of Taylorsville on October 13th, 1932.

In Taylorsville, he met and married the love of his life, Mrs. Judy Freeman Brookshire (deceased). He is preceded in death by his mother and Father, Mrs. Bessie Childers Brookshire and William Lawrence Brookshire. Sisters: Aleene Stafford, Phyllis Jean Brookshire and Mrs. Delores Brookshire Wyatt. Brothers: William “Billy” Brookshire and James Ray Brookshire.

Surviving family members include: Sister, Mrs. Linda Barriger, Daughters, Lee Brookshire Schwarz (Billy), Sally Brookshire Burkhead (Brent), Grandchildren, Logan Schwarz Elliot (Blake), Camryn Schwarz Boggs (Christian), Jake Strickland (Braden), and Jordan Strickland (Owen). Glenn received his bachelor’s degree from Lenoir Rhyne University and his master’s degree in education from Appalachian State University. He taught at three colleges including Appalachian State, Warren Wilson and Lenoir Rhyne before moving to Asheboro to pursue his career interests. He retired from the Asheboro City School System after more than 30 years of service where he served as a School Administrator and Principal.

Later in life, Glenn and Judy hand-built their own fine home on Lake Tillery. There, they enjoyed entertaining family, friends and the many co-workers they both worked with over the years and shared many evening pontoon rides with. Glenn enjoyed carpentry and had a love and passion for riding horses and had many four-legged friends over the years. He passed his love for horses to anyone who would accompany him on rides or visit his barn. He was quick to help anyone in need with whatever it may have been. He was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and Paw Paw.

Darrell Prine

December 9, 1953 — June 26, 2023

Darrell Jerome Prine, age 69, of Trinity, passed away Monday, June 26, 2023 at Moses Cone Hospital.

Mr. Prine was born December 9, 1953 in Chicago Heights, IL to Rolland and Cora Prine. He was employed with MESA which is now Consolidated Container in Thomasville and attended Westfield Baptist Church in Trinity. Darrell was a simple man and "Good Ole Country Boy" who enjoyed fishing and deer hunting. In addition to his parents, Mr. Prine was preceded in death by his son, David Prine and brother, Leroy Prine.

Mr. Prine is survived by his wife of 30 years, Debra Rhymer Prine; children, Chad Prine of Trinity, Cody Prine (Sarah) of Raeford, Misty Ward of Trinity, Jason Rhymer (Heather) of Waco, TX; grandchildren, Brittany Schwarz (Zach), Maelynn Ward, Kendyl Rhymer, Aiden Rhymer, Cayden Prine, Raelynn Prine; great grandchildren, Colton and Sophie Harrelson; sister, Candy Taitt, Cookie Maciejewski (Bob); brothers, Dennis Prine (Maurea), Randy Prine.

Robert Kincaid

May 12, 1937 - June 30, 2023

Robert Joseph Kincaid, 86, of Asheboro, passed away Friday, June 30, 2023 at his residence.

Born May 5, 1937 in Wolf Co., KY, Mr. Kincaid was the son of the late Edgar Blaine and Effie Jane Fletcher Kincaid. He retired from Tyco as a tool maker. Robert enjoyed wood working, gardening, making peanut butter fudge and and peanut butter cookies. He was a "gentle giant" that had a big heart. He was known as the "Candyman" by the children at his church.

In addition to his parents Mr. Kincaid was preceded in death by his sisters, Ethel Clark, Hazel Richardson, Gracie Ellen Mathis, Eunice Scheckler; and brothers, Melvin Kincaid, Millard Kincaid, Edward Kincaid, Billy Kincaid, and John Kincaid.

He is survived by his wife, Barbara Jean Kincaid of the home; sons, Robert Allan Kincaid of Ft. Wayne, IN, William Edward Kincaid and wife Lisa of Asheboro, John Eric Kincaid and wife Beverly of Palm Bay, FL, Joseph Douglas Kincaid and wife Janice of Randleman; grandchildren, Tyson Kincaid April Hursey and husband

Jeff, Angle Vaughn and husband

Jim, Adam Kincaid and wife Kayla, Andrew Kincaid, Erica Mills and husband Jason, Katie Kincaid, Spencer Kincaid, Bryce Kincaid and wife Stefanie, Zachary Kincaid and wife Ashley; great grandkids, Michael, Rugar, Emma Rae, Sarah, Rebecca, Morgan, Travis, Courtney, Brooke, Michah, Wyatt, Hector, Liam, Olivia, Aynsleigh; great great grandchildren, Jaxon, Bentley; and several much loved nieces and nephews.

Jackie W. Carter

April 28, 1938 - June 26, 2023

Jackie W. Carter, 85, of Asheboro, passed away on Monday, June 26, 2023 at The Randolph Hospice House in Asheboro.

Mr. Carter was born in Chesterfield County, SC to John and Thelma Anna Crowley Carter on April 28, 1938. He was an avid outdoorsman where he loved hunting and fishing. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He also loved gardening with his wife, Nancy. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy Carter, children, Kathy Ann Carter, J.H. Carter, Mark Glenn Carter, granddaughter, Alisha Carter, brothers, John P. "Buck" Carter, Carson E. Carter, Joseph B. Carter, and sister, Edith Brown. He is survived by; daughters, Darlene Mitchell (Todd DeForest) of Asheboro, Linda Sparks (Jerry) of Sophia, Sharon Hill of Sophia; grandchildren, Ciara Massingale (Daniel), Heather Smith (Edward), Zachary Varner (Kaitlyn), Matthew Varner, Josh Carter, Christian Carter, Jay Hill, Daniel Hill, Jimmy Lee Hill; great grandchildren, Luna Massingale, Holden Smith and eight additional great grandchildren, brothers, Carlos R. Carter of Patrick, SC, J. Cecil Carter of Asheboro, and Freddie W. Carter of Patrick, SC, and sister, Barbara Dixon of Hartsville, SC.

Earl Lucas

October 23, 1946 - June 27, 2023

Earl Lee Lucas, 76, of Asheboro, passed away peacefully in his Pisgah home, Tuesday, June 27, 2023. He was born on October 23, 1946, to his parents; Eldon Dale Lucas and Bertha Mae Williamson; who preceded him and one brother, Johnny Ray Lucas. He loved working in construction and later he retired to help take care of his mother. During retirement, he enjoyed his time gardening and mowing and taking care of the Lucas Family Cemetery.

He is survived by his siblings, Mrs. Dale Gertrude Marshall, Betty Seabolt and husband Richard, Eugene Darrell Lucas and wife Clara Mae, Nancy Jean VonCannon, Dorothy Lucille Collinson, Paul R. Lucas, Shirley Dean Luck and husband Bobby, Don Wayne Lucas, Steve Lucas, and Leisa Gail Hurley of Pisgah; 25 nieces and nephews, and 38 grand nieces and nephews.

STATE & NATION

Republicans expand their Hunter Biden investigation by seeking an interview with the lead prosecutor

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans last week requested voluntary testimony from nearly a dozen Justice Department officials involved in the investigation of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter as GOP lawmakers widen their scrutiny into what they claim is improper interference by the agency.

Leaders of the Republican-controlled House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees asked in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland for nine officials from the Justice Department and two from the FBI to appear for the interviews to address recent allegations made by two IRS employees who worked on the federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business dealings.

“Recent startling testimony from Internal Revenue Services whistleblowers raises serious questions about the Department’s commitment to evenhanded justice and the veracity of assertions made to the Committee on the Judiciary,” Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky and Jason Smith of Missouri wrote in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The individuals named in the letter include David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware in

charge of the investigation, as well

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf of Delaware and the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves. Garland said last week that the Justice Department will not object to Weiss testifying to Congress.

A department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter but declined further comment.

The request comes about a week after Biden, 53, reached an agreement with the government to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. The plea deal would

Safety concerns dominate Norfolk Southern railroad CEO’s job since Ohio derailment

The Associated Press ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s CEO has spoken often of safety and better service since he took the job over a year ago, but it’s safety that has dominated discussions after one of his trains derailed and caught fire in February in Ohio, creating towering black smoke, forcing evacuations and raising environmental worries.

Alan Shaw has said his plans include adding more trackside detectors to help spot mechanical problems. He also has hailed work with unions to improve safety — something labor leaders say Norfolk Southern hasn’t done much of since it began overhauling operations in 2019.

“That interaction and that engagement with our craft colleagues is really important to me,” Shaw said in an interview with The Associated Press at the railroad’s Atlanta headquarters last week, a day before federal hearings on the East Palestine derailment began. “I need all 20,000 voices at Norfolk Southern pushing for safety. And that’s what you’re going to see.”

Scrutiny over safety

The railroad — and the entire industry — is under intense watch because chemicals spilled in the East Palestine derailment, and because thousands of people had to evacuate when officials blew open cars of vinyl chloride to burn

it and prevent cars from exploding. Several other industry derailments reinforced concerns.

East Palestine highlights that even though freight railroads are regarded as the safest way to ship cargo over land, just one derailment can be disastrous.

The railroad has spent months removing contaminated water and soil, and the cleanup continues. Meanwhile, residents worry about potential long-term harm, though health officials insist the air and water are safe.

Shaw believes “we’re a safe railroad” because Norfolk Southern had its fewest derailments and injuries last year in more than a decade. But some other Federal Railroad Association measures have worsened, like the rates of total accidents and railyard accidents.

An FRA report on Norfolk Southern’s safety culture is expected soon, and the National Transportation Safety Board continues to examine its safety practices as it investigates what caused the Ohio derailment.

Worker concerns

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union was the only of Norfolk Southern’s 13 unions that didn’t sign a letter last month promising to cooperate to improve safety. It doesn’t think Shaw’s pronouncements have translated into meaningful changes and worries new employees and those return-

ing from furloughs might not have enough safety training.

“Mr. Shaw comes across to me as kind of as that used car salesman trying really hard to sell Norfolk Southern and saying all this great stuff,” said James Orwan, a Machinist Union general chairman on Norfolk Southern.

Shaw said he has met with that union and is glad officials feel comfortable raising concerns. And Shaw knows “you judge me by the results,” but he’s convinced the railroad is “making a lot of progress.”

Operations and hiring

Unions say the new lean operating model that Norfolk Southern and the other major freight railroads are using — known as “precision-scheduled railroading” — has made the industry more dangerous because deep workforce cuts make it hard to keep up with jobs and preventative maintenance. And workers say an increasing reliance on longer trains is a safety concern.

Examples cited most often by unions, including at the Friday’s NTSB hearing, are that inspectors who used to have several minutes to check each car are pressured to do so in one minute or less, and that Norfolk Southern relies too much on abbreviated inspections by train crews instead of detailed ones by experts.

But Shaw said Norfolk Southern’s safety record has improved

also avert prosecution on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as Biden adheres to conditions agreed to in court.

Days later, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Smith, voted to publicly disclose congressional testimony from the IRS employees.

The testimony from Greg Shapley and an unidentified agent detailed what they called a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” and delaying enforcement actions in the months before the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.

It is unclear whether the conflict they describe amounts to internal disagreement about how to pursue the investigation or a pattern of interference and preferential treatment. Department policy has long warned prosecutors to take care in charging cases with potential political overtones around the time of an election, to avoid influencing the outcome.

The Justice Department has denied the claims and said Weiss, appointed to his job when Donald Trump was president, had full authority over the case.

The letter provided a deadline of July 13 for the department to begin scheduling the individuals for transcribed interviews. It said that if the deadline is not met, the committee chairmen will resort to using a congressional subpoena

to force cooperation.

Beyond Hunter Biden, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee led by Comer has undertaken a broader review of the Biden family’s finances and foreign dealings, issuing dozens of subpoenas to business associates and financial institutions.

Republicans have focused much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. The unsubstantiated claim, which first emerged in 2019, was that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, an oiland-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board.

Democrats said in a letter Thursday to Comer that the Justice Department investigated the claim when Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” that it was true. Democrats highlighted the transcript of an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s co-founder, in which he denied having any contact with Joe Biden while Hunter Biden worked for the company. “Mr. Zlochevsky’s statements are just one of the many that have debunked the corruption allegations,” said the committee’s top Democrat, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin.

since it started using precision scheduled railroading in 2019. The model’s core concepts are something “any industrial company would fully support,” he said — while noting that he has also tempered his railroad’s approach to that model in the past year to focus more on long-term revenue growth and less on short-term cost-cutting.

And Norfolk Southern, he said, is backing away from rushing inspections.

“My expectation is, is that we will not put an unsafe railcar out onto our network,” Shaw said. “In the past, we’ve had guidelines on inspection times. We’ve removed those recently.”

Derailment aftermath

Steps like adding more trackside detectors — devices that

check indicators like wheel-bearing temperatures — after the East Palestine derailment seemed obvious, given that the NTSB has said that an overheating bearing that triggered a warning likely caused the crash.

Norfolk Southern has also pledged over $62 million to help East Palestine recover. Resident Misti Allison, who hosted Shaw at her home for lunch after she testified alongside him at a congressional hearing, said things like $25 million to improve East Palestine’s parks are welcome but tangential.

“While I think that he is doing a good job, they are doing it in a way to benefit Norfolk Southern and not necessarily the priorities of the residents,” Allison said. “I wish Norfolk Southern’s priorities would be about the health and safety of the families.”

AP PHOTO

Norfolk Southern Railroad CEO Alan Shaw speaks during an interview Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, walks from Marine One upon arrival at Fort McNair, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The Biden’s are returning from Camp David.

HOKE COUNTY

Grant to increase the accessibility of library facilities

Last Friday, the Hoke County Public Library and Friends of the Hoke County Public Library held an informational press conference to introduce a $10,000 grant to increase the accessibility of library facilities, services, and programs available for people with disabilities. Lynette Dial, Assistant Director of the Hoke County Public Library, gave local residents a presentation on how the grant will be used in the county. The library is also interested in receiving feedback from the community about ways they can better assist those with disabilities better access the library. Community members can complete an online survey by visiting the Hoke County Public Library’s website.

Hoke County Schools to offer ‘Summer Transition Programs’ for rising students

Hoke County Schools will be offering a series of “Summer Transition Programs” for rising 6th and 9th graders this August. Students who will be transitioning from elementary school to middle school at either East Hoke Middle School, Sandy Grove Middle School, or West Hoke Middle School can attend this program on August 2 from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Middle school students moving into the 9th grade at Hoke County High School can attend program dates set for August 3 and 4, which will take place from 8 a.m. until 3:40 p.m. A free breakfast and lunch will be provided for each student who attends. The registration deadline for each of these programs is set for July 21, 2023. To register or access additional information about this program series, please contact your child’s school.

Hoke County Public

Library to offer ‘Adult Paint Night’ this July

Are you looking for a fun date night? Do you need a girl’s night out? Are you looking for some quiet time to yourself? Come down to the Hoke County Public Library for Adult Paint Night. This event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Wednesday, July 26, from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. This event will be taking place in the Hoke Public Library Conference Room. For more details, please visit the Hoke County Public Library’s Facebook page or call (910) 875-2502.

Hoke County Schools completes rigorous professional learning aligned to statewide improvements in reading scores

North State Journal

RAEFORD — North Carolina’s youngest readers have continued to make strong gains in early literacy over the last year, improving critical skills like letter naming, phonemic awareness, and decoding, according to data previously released from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

The gains by North Carolina students were achieved during the second full year of a far-reaching statewide initiative, as laid out in legislation, called the Excellent Public Schools Act, which was enacted into law in spring 2021.

This legislation provides professional learning to elementary school teachers with extensive training in instruction based on the “science of reading,” a phonics-based approach with strong evidence of effectiveness. Statewide improvements in reading proficiency are an indication that the required two-year professional learning program – called Lan-

guage Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS®) and recently completed by 29 school districts – has not only been embraced by school districts but is being effectively implemented in classrooms and positively impacting students.

In the fall of 2021, North Carolina’s 115 school districts were given the choice to join one of the three “cohorts” with staggered start dates where all participating teachers would receive the same high-quality professional development and hands-on support. Within each cohort, districts embark on a two-year professional learning experience geared towards two tracts of students: either kindergarten through fifthgrade students or pre-kindergarten students. In total, more than 44,000 North Caroline educators will have received professional development by the time the third cohort completes its work, slated for summer 2024. Improving early literacy out-

State Board of Elections approves voter ID rules, appoints county board members

North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Car -

olina State Board of Elections

(NCSBE) met on Tuesday, June 27, and approved temporary rules related to the implementation of voter ID rules in North Carolina elections.

Beginning with Fall 2023 municipal elections, all voters will be asked to show a form of photo ID when voting in-person and via absentee ballot.

“The agency is proposing rules to ensure uniform, standard implementation of the photo ID requirements in all 3,000-plus polling locations and among all 100 county boards of elections,” a statement from the NCSBE read.

The board also reviewed more than 1,300 comments on the proposed rules, making some changes based on feedback from

the public. The state’s Rules Review Commission, which reviews proposed rules from state agencies for approval, will now conduct reviews of the proposals for adoption.

Rules approved by the board focused on the responsibility of poll workers to examine the appearance and name of voters based on their identification provided and that any outside evidence beyond the four corners of the ID is not to be used.

The board also unanimously approved two voter ID exception forms, which were required in the underlying statute. The NCSBE must adopt a reasonable impediment exemption form which must, “at a minimum,” include specific reasons listed in the statute that a voter may select. Voters claiming an excep -

“I want to congratulate the educators who are part of cohort one, as they have worked tirelessly to learn new skills and master old ones so they could sustainably change the trajectory and outcomes for thousands of students across our state.”

Superintendent Catherine Truitt

comes has been a core tenant for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt and has been highlighted in her fouryear strategic plan called Operation Polaris. Superintendent Truitt commanded the first cohort for their willingness to be trailblazers in the science of reading and help

students gain the foundational literacy skills needed to master reading.

“As an educator and veteran high school English teacher, strengthening early literacy has been a priority since I stepped into the role of State Superintendent,” said Truitt. “Knowing the effects of the pandemic on student learning and reading proficiency, we had no doubt that LETRS® professional development would be a key investment in both our teachers and students, and for the future of North Carolina. I want to congratulate the educators who are part of cohort one, as they have worked tirelessly to learn new skills and master old ones so they could sustainably change the trajectory and outcomes for thousands of students across our state.”

Cohort one includes nearly 10,000 kindergarten through fifth-grade educators, 870 pre-kindergarten educators, and over 500

See SCHOOLS, page 2

Outgoing NC Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan considering gubernatorial bid

The Associated Press

RALEIGH — North Carolina Supreme Court Associate Justice Mike Morgan, who announced last month he won’t seek reelection to the court next year, says he’s weighing a 2024 bid for governor.

Morgan, one of two registered Democrats on the state’s highest court, said this week that many within the party are asking him to look at a gubernatorial candidacy.

Attorney General Josh Stein has been the only high-profile Democrat to get into the race, announcing his plans in January. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is barred by term limits from running again now.

“I’ve been asked, quite frankly, to look at the race for See ELECTIONS, page 2 See MORGAN, page 2

♦ Everett, Ashley Michelle (B/F/32), AssaultSimple, 07/02/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Jackson, Joseph Matthew (W/M/32), Larceny of a Firearm, 07/01/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ McRae, Erick Danyelle (B/M/38), Firearm by a Felon, 06/30/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Moore, Terrell Lashawn (B/M/41), Felony Death by Vehicle, 06/30/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Warfield, Devin Shane (W/M/24), Felony Death by Vehicle, 06/30/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

SCHOOLS from page 1

administrators, impacting over 437,000 elementary-aged students. The Sandhills Regional – which includes Hoke County Schools – participated in cohort one and is one of the first of three cohorts to complete this rigorous professional development.

Topics addressed in the LETRS® professional learning courses that North Carolina educators receive include speech sounds, phonics, word recognition, spelling, advanced decoding, oral language, vocabulary, reading comprehension and writing. A key component of the learning includes helping educators un-

ELECTIONS from page 1

tion to showing photo identifica -

tion must attest that they are the voter casting the ballot.

The NCSBE also appointed four members – two Democrats and two Republicans – to each of the 100 county boards of elections.

In Hoke County, the two Democrats chosen were Walter Blue and Linda Revels, and the two Republicans were Gene Shelnutt and Emily Weidner.

♦ Bean, Emily Sutphen (W/F/35), Possess Methamphetamine, 06/30/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Locklear, Prentiss Lance (I/M/39), LarcenyFelony, 06/29/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Pitts, Michael Capadeo (B/M/32), Attempted Murder, 06/28/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Kegler, Jahmel Raemone (B/M/25), Firearm by a Felon, 06/28/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

♦ Cummings, Joel Wesley (I/M/34), Trespass - Second Degree, 06/27/2023, Hoke County Sheriff’s Office

derstand how to apply what they are learning by embedding these skills into everyday classroom instruction.

As a result of the educators’ and administrators’ hard work in the cohorts, North Carolina has already begun to see improvements in students’ literacy skills. Most recently, North Carolina’s statewide literacy benchmark results showed that more students were on track in each grade – kindergarten through third – and were performing at or above previous benchmark scores. Data also shows that North Carolina students were outperforming students in other states or districts using the same assessment.

County board members serve two-year terms.

“We are happy to welcome new members to North Carolina’s elections team,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Together, we will continue to ensure that our elections are accessible, safe, and secure, and that every eligible vote counts.”

Morgan has been on the bench for over 30 years, serving as an administrative law judge, a Wake County District Court judge and a Superior Court judge before being elected to the Supreme Court in 2016.

At the time of his announcement last month to leave the court, Morgan told The Associ-

ated Press that he didn’t know whether he’d serve out the remainder of his term through the end of 2024 or step aside early.

Morgan said then he was keeping his options open for future endeavors and didn’t rule out seeking another elected office. Cooper would appoint someone to serve out Morgan’s term should he step down early.

The Republican field for governor includes state Treasurer Dale Folwell, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker.

Morgan, who like Robinson is black, told the NC Insider that Democratic voters need more than one option heading

into next March’s primary given the full plate of GOP candidates and that his entry would enhance Democrats’ chances to retain the executive mansion.

“There are some disturbing voices that want to lead our state in a direction that’s backward, downward and wayward,” Morgan said. “If I would decide to run, it would strengthen our party going forward to the 2024 race and it would strengthen our ability to keep the governorship in a responsible leader’s hands.”

Morgan said he would evaluate his potential support and ability to raise campaign funds before deciding whether to get into the race.

Their terms will begin when they are sworn in on July 18.

Gov. Roy Cooper appointed the fifth member who will also serve as the chair a day later, naming Lornette McCaskill to the board ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting on July 18. governor,” Morgan told the NC Insider state government news service in a phone interview. “And while I highly respect the declared candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, I feel inclined to respect the calls that I’m getting.”

We are part of the Randolph County School System

MORGAN from page 1

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Defending your rights and celebrating our nation

“WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

As Congress’ leading defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue to focus on solutions that protect our rights.

Since our nation’s founding 247 years ago, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have defined the American dream. In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers set the goal of building a land where all could live freely and peacefully.

As your Congressman, I will always defend your rights from those who seek to destroy life, threaten our liberties, or endanger your pursuit of happiness as an American citizen.

That’s why throughout my time in Congress, I have been a leading proponent of protecting your Second Amendment rights. In recent weeks, I have led multiple pieces of legislation that reverse government overreach into your home and on your right to keep and bear arms.

Earlier this year, President Biden’s ATF established a new pistol brace ban which turned millions of combat wounded veterans and law-abiding citizens into felons overnight.

These braces were first designed to help wounded veterans continue to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Following the Biden administration’s latest regulation, I took to the House floor to sponsor the legislation to block it and am proud my bill passed the House with bipartisan support.

The ATF’s brace rule illustrates the dangers of an unchecked federal agency that is willing to go around Congress and the millions of constituents we represent. Although our resolution was just a few votes short of passage in the Senate, I will always defend your Second Amendment rights and will never stop fighting for our nation’s heroes who have sacrificed for our country.

As Congress’ leading defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue to focus on solutions that protect our rights.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s

children what it was once like in the United States where people were free.”

While there are many things that can divide us, being American unites us all and it’s up to us to preserve our nation for the next generation.

Independence Day is one of the most important holidays in our country, and I am, and always will be, proud to be an American. I am especially grateful to the millions of patriots who have served our nation in uniform and sacrificed along with their families, many of whom call our region home, for our freedoms.

As we commemorate the founding of our nation, I hope you are able to enjoy time with family and friends to celebrate the rights we enjoy as Americans and all the things that make our country the greatest on Earth.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat.

“EXTREME HEAT KILLS more people in the United States than any other weather hazard,” is the first claim in this Washington Post piece warning about the deadly summer heat — and it is almost certainly false. Similar warnings about the deadly weather appear in virtually every mainstream media outlet.

First off, the only reason “extreme” temperature kills more people than other weather hazards is that deaths from weather have plummeted over the century — even as doomsday climate warnings about heat, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts have spiked. All extreme weather accounts for only about 0.1 death for every 100,000 people in the United States each year. That is a massive drop from the time of your grandparents. The Post and others should be celebrating the fact that humans have never been less threatened by the climate in history.

The Post also warns that 62 million people in the U.S. may be “exposed” to dangerous heat “today.” That’s a lot of people, even considering nearly all of them live in the southernmost spots in the country and it’s summer. The Post counts anyone exposed to heat over 90 F as being in some level of danger. Fortunately, most Americans enjoy the luxury and health benefits of air conditioning, one of the great innovations of the past century.

Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat. Anyway, it’s around 700 people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — if you liberally count heat as both the “underlying” and/or “contributing” causes. It is about 400 people when heat is the underlying cause. And that’s terrible. But, also, it’s around 3,600 fewer people than those who drown every year.

Though there has been an uptick in recent years — as Bjorn Lomborg has pointed out, this is almost surely due to an increasingly aging population that is more susceptible to heat — both numbers are still near-historic lows.

And most of those deaths, despite the Post’s claim, are from the cold, which is far more lethal to humans today, as it has always been. I come to this information via another Washington Post piece that ran this very winter, which helpfully notes that for “every death linked to heat, nine are tied to cold.” That piece relies on a recent peer-reviewed Lancet study to make that claim.

Another recent peer-reviewed study in The BMJ found that “cold weather is associated with nearly 20 times more deaths than hot weather.”

Other studies have come to the same conclusion.

So where did the Post get the idea that heat was the leading cause of weather deaths? After following a few hyperlinks, I land on a National Weather Service chart from 2019 that lists heat

as the leading cause of extreme weather deaths. Where it gets these numbers is a mystery to me. And though I’m sure they aren’t concocted by some bureaucrat, they certainly seem to be an outlier.

Not to worry. Even here we find promising news. Though the National Weather Service says the leading cause of weather deaths is heat, it also found that the average was only 103 deaths per year over the preceding decade. That’s hundreds of fewer deaths per year than the CDC reports — and hundreds fewer than die from, say, over-the-counter headache medicine overdoses.

Enjoy the summer.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of five books - the most recent, “Eurotrash: Why America Must Reject the Failed Ideas of a Dying Continent.”

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI Americans have never been less threatened by ‘extreme weather’

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL Wright to initially remain with the Commanders

Washington, D.C.

Jason Wright is expected to retain his job as president of the Washington Commanders at least initially after Josh Harris’ group takes over. Wright has served in the role since the summer of 2020, according to a report by The Associated Press. It’s expected that he’ll be an important part of the transition between Dan Snyder and new ownership that also includes Magic Johnson. NFL owners are set to consider and potentially vote to approve the record $6.05 billion sale at a meeting July 20 in Minneapolis.

NBA Irving staying with Mavs, Curry back for third stint

Dallas Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks have agreed on a $126 million, three-year contract to keep the star guard in Dallas. The Mavericks paired All-Star starters for the first time in franchise history by adding Irving in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn last February to play him alongside Luka Doncic. Dallas also is bringing back shooting guard Seth Curry for a third stint with the club. Curry, who like Irving played at Duke, played the 2016-17 and 2019-20 seasons with the Mavericks. Curry played the last two seasons with Brooklyn and also has had stops in Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, Cleveland and Memphis.

COLLEGE SPORTS

NCAA mulls proposal to shorten transfer portal window

Indianapolis

The NCAA Division I Board will consider shortening the transfer window from 60 days to 30 after data showed most transfers enter the portal in the first few days. The window was created this year in an attempt to limit the amount of time athletes can move from one school to another and be immediately eligible to compete. Current rules give football players 45 days to enter the portal in the winter and 15 more in the spring. Athletes in winter sports have 60 days to enter the portal, while athletes in spring sports have a 45-day window.

IRS takes aim at nonprofit NIL collectives

A 12-page memo says donations used to pay athletes may not be tax-exempt

The Associated Press

THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING landscape of nonprofit, donor-backed collectives paying college athletes to promote charities has been hit with a potentially seismic disruption.

A recent 12-page memo from the Internal Revenue Service determined that, in many cases, such collectives may not qualify as tax-exempt if their main purpose is paying players instead of supporting charitable works. If the collectives aren’t tax-exempt, the donations they collect that are used to pay quarterbacks, point guards and pitchers may not be, either.

“There’s a high likelihood we will cease operations, within the

next period of months,” said Gary Marcinick, founder of the Cohension Foundation, a collective formed to connect Ohio State athletes with charities for name, image and likeness (NIL) promotional deals. “In our space, we are donor driven .... It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast majority of cases.”

The collectives were born out of the massive change that hit college sports in 2021 when athletes were allowed to earn money in ways that had been prohibited for decades.

Some collectives — and there are dozens of them — are set up as for-profit entities that help connect athletes with endorsement deals as the new market swelled into the millions and NIL became a recruiting tool. Opendorse, a company that partners with schools to help initiate, track and monitor NIL deals, projected nearly $1.2 billion flowing through

Gary Marcinick, founder of the Cohension Foundation

the industry in 2023.

The nonprofit model was an attractive option for some donors and entrepreneurs, who tout such things as appearances at sports camps and fund-raisers and social media promotions for select charities. There are an estimated 80 such collectives. Charities gained exposure from star athletes who earned money. And donors got the promise of a tax-deductible donation.

According to the IRS, those collectives already granted tax-ex-

ESPN lays off about 20 personalities

Jeff Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose were among those let go

The Associated Press JEFF VAN GUNDY, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young are among roughly 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off on Friday as part of job cuts by the network.

ESPN had planned this additional round involving on-air talent to prevent further reductions to off-air staff after two rounds of mandated cuts by its corporate owner, the Walt Disney Company.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would reduce 7,000 jobs either through not filling positions or layoffs.

Friday’s announcement resembled what happened in April of 2017, when reporters and hosts were informed at one time that they would no longer be on the air.

“Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun. This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the shortterm and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months ahead,” ESPN said in a statement. “This is an ex-

tremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”

The New York Post first reported the layoffs of Van Gundy and Rose.

Van Gundy had been the network’s top NBA analyst since

2007 and recently completed calling a record 17th NBA Finals.

Kolber was a longtime ESPN vet-

empt status don’t lose it as a result of the June 9 memo. But it does lay out new guidelines for how they are expected to operate if they want to keep it.

“These collectives may face future examinations or enforcement action by the IRS,” the agency said without elaboration.

A bipartisan bill filed in 2022 would limit tax deductions for bankrolling nonprofit NIL collectives, but it has yet to pass.

The IRS was granting tax-exempt status to collectives for more than a year before issuing the memo that determined, in many cases, paying players isn’t merely incidental to the charitable cause but “is the very justification for the organization’s existence.”

The NCAA has raised concerns about the collectives, but the federal government is a different story when it comes to enforcing rules that have been somewhat murky when it comes to athlete compensation.

eran, including being the co-host of a nightly show when ESPN2 debuted in 1993.

She was also the host of ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” show.

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off. Heartbreaking-but 27 years at ESPN was a good run. So grateful for a 38 yr career! Longevity for a woman in this business is something I’m especially proud of,” Kolber said on social media.

Rose had also been with ESPN since 2007. He was mainly part of the NBA studio shows but also did a radio show for 11 years and was a co-host when Mike Greenberg’s “Get Up” morning show premiered in 2018.

ESPN’s NFL coverage and the radio side, were the ones to take the biggest hits.

Longtime draft analyst Todd McShay, who also contributed to college football coverage, and analyst Matt Hasselbeck were also laid off.

ESPN Radio’s morning show team of Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson as well as afternoon host Jason Fitz were also affected. Kellerman also did an afternoon show on ESPN, but that was unlikely to continue after Pat McAfee signed to bring his show to the network’s airwaves in the fall.

Others include “SportsCenter” anchor Ashley Brewer, radio and ACC Network host Jordan Cornette, college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis, NBA reporter Nick Friedell, baseball writer Joon Lee and “College GameDay” analyst David Pollack.

“It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast majority of cases.”

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off.”

Suzy Kolber

AP PHOTO

Jeff Van Gundy, center back, is among the TV and radio personalities who have been let go by ESPN.

New pro women’s hockey league to launch in January

The NHL could get behind the new entity

The Associated Press ORGANIZERS announced plans Friday to launch a new women’s professional hockey league in January that they hope will provide a stable, economically sustainable home for the sport’s top players for years to come.

The North American league is expected to start with six teams — three in the U.S. and three in Canada — according to a person with knowledge of the league’s plans. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the details were not made public. There are still unanswered questions — where exactly teams will play, will the economic model work after earlier leagues fell short, will there be a broadcast deal — but an initial framework is in place as the new league prepares to join a crowded sports

landscape. The effort also has deep pockets behind it: Los Angeles Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter and wife Kimbra, team President Stan Kasten and tennis legend Billie Jean King will help run the league.

“I don’t think there’s a more significant moment for the game since women’s ice hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998,”

Professional Hockey Federation Commissioner Reagan Carey said. “I think it will forever change the landscape of our sport — and certainly for the better.

The agreement ends a long standoff between the seven-team PHF and the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association. The latter group includes Kendall Coyne Schofield, Sarah Nurse, Hilary Knight and many other U.S. and Canadian national team players who were unwilling to join the PHF, whose assets were purchased by Walter’s firm.

“We’re not celebrating dissolving a league,” said Nurse, who

helped Canada win Olympic gold last year. “We’re excited that we can continue forward together with a league that women’s hockey has really never seen before. There’s been so much hard work and time that has been put into this project, so we’re excited that it is paying off.”

The deal also could bring the National Hockey League to the table, perhaps in a way similar to how the NBA supports the WNBA. Commissioner Gary Bettman has said the NHL did not want to get involved in a dispute between leagues and would throw weight behind one, once it was formed.

“The National Hockey League congratulates the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association and the Premier Hockey Federation on their agreement,” the NHL said. “We already have initiated discussions with representatives of this unified group regarding how we can work together to continue to grow the women’s game.”

Kasten said he called Bett -

man to deliver the news, which was greeted with satisfaction and excitement.

“He offered all the help he could give us,” Kasten said. “We are going to take him up on that. It’s going to help make our runway a little smoother because we’re playing in January and I have a lot to do between now and January. I don’t even have a name for this league yet.”

“There’s been so much hard work and time that has been put into this project, so we’re excited that it is paying off.”

Wozniacki returning to tennis 3 years after retiring

The former No. 1-ranked women’s player will get a U.S. Open wild card

The Associated Press

CAROLINE WOZNIACKI, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced Thursday that she is returning to competition three years after she retired to start a family.

The U.S. Tennis Association said it will grant Wozniacki a wild card invitation to participate in the U.S. Open, which begins in New York on Aug. 28. She also is receiving a wild card entry for a tournament in Montreal that begins earlier in

August, she intends to play in the Australian Open next January and hopes to represent Denmark at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Another aim: She wants to show women that it is possible to combine motherhood with a career.

Wozniacki, who turns 33 in July, has not played an official match since losing to Ons Jabeur in the third round of the Australian Open in January 2020. Wozniacki revealed a month earlier that her appearance at Melbourne Park would be the last of her career.

She and her husband, former NBA player David Lee, have a 2-year-old daughter and an 8-month-old son.

“Over these past three years away from the game I got to make

up for lost time with my family, I became a mother and now have two beautiful children I am so grateful for. But I still have goals I want to accomplish. I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter your age or role,” Wozniacki wrote Thursday on Twitter. “We decided as a family it’s time. I’m coming back to play

and I can’t wait!”

She was No. 1 in the WTA rankings for a total of 71 weeks — first reaching that spot in 2010 — and earned 30 titles, including the first in Grand Slam singles for a player from Denmark when she triumphed in Australia about 5½ years ago.

Wozniacki twice was the runner-up at the U.S. Open, in 2009 to Kim Clijsters and in 2014 to good friend Serena Williams, and reached the semifinals at Flushing Meadows three other times.

She announced in October 2018 that she has rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune condition that can cause pain and swelling in the wrist and other joints. She wrote in a first-person

piece for Vogue magazine posted Thursday about speaking to women “who gave up on their own dreams because they wanted to be with their families, but somewhere deep down they have this yearning to do something they’re passionate about.”

Wozniacki said she began hitting tennis balls last year and, after her father — who was her coach for much of her career — agreed she was striking shots well, she “knew” she had to return.

“How long will I be able to play at my highest level — a year, two years, three years? I don’t know. But I know that five years from now, when the kids are in school, it will be too late,” she wrote. “I’m not going to make any bold predictions — but if I didn’t believe in myself, I wouldn’t be doing this: I’m too competitive to just show up and not feel like I’m going to be one of the best players out there.”

Sarah Nurse

“I want to show my kids that you can pursue your dreams no matter your age or role.”

Caroline Wozniacki

AP PHOTO

Los Angeles Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter, left, and Billie Jean King led a group that bought out the PHF women’s hockey league with their sights set on creating a new professional league in January.

AP PHOTO

Caroline Wozniacki, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player and the 2018 Australian Open champion, announced last Thursday that she is returning to competition three years after she retired.

Gun advocates challenge Biden administration rules on handgun braces at appeals court

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — Appellate court judges in New Orleans closely questioned a government attorney on Thursday over a Biden administration rule aimed at curbing the use of stabilizing braces, which are handgun attachments that have been used in multiple mass shootings in recent years. The braces attach to the back of a gun, lengthening it, and strap to the arm. They were originally developed for disabled people. However, gun-safety groups say they essentially can be used to lengthen a concealable handgun so that it can be braced against the shoulder and fired like a rifle or shotgun.

Advocates for the rule point to deadly mass shootings while arguing that the braces make concealable handguns more deadly. Opponents of the rule say the devices make handguns safer to use by making them more stable, comfortable to fire and accurate — an argument noted in questions from appellate panel judges Don Willett and Stephen Higginson at Thursday’s hearing.

“All that to me seems synonymous with safer. Do you disagree with that?” Willett asked administration attorney Sean Janda. Janda argued that regulating the braces is consistent with longstanding federal law outlaw-

ing sawed-off shotguns or other short-barreled non-handguntype firearms. “That particular combination, Congress has determined, is dangerous,” Janda said.

In May, the 5th Circuit issued an order preventing enforcement of the rules against plaintiffs in the case, who include two Texas gun owners and a firearms accessory manufacturer. It’s uncertain

when the three-member panel that heard arguments Thursday will rule on whether to permanently block the rule. It’s also not clear whether the judges will apply their ruling nationwide

or just within the circuit, which covers Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

The rule is also being challenged in other parts of the country, attorneys said. The issue may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

Arguments during the nearly 90-minute hearing dealt with whether the rule is simply a reasonable interpretation of existing congressionally passed firearms law or an overreach by the administration; and whether it’s fair and legal to make an estimated 3 million-plus owners of the devices register them and pay fees if they want to use them.

A stabilizing brace was used in March by the shooter who killed three students and three staff members at a Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2021, the man who killed 10 people at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, also used one. And in 2019, a stabilizing brace was used in a shooting in Dayton, Ohio, that left nine people dead.

That the devices can be used by criminals is not sufficient reason for the regulations, argued plaintiffs’ attorney Erik Jaffe. “They don’t think they’re bad because they’re dangerous. They think they’re bad because criminals liked them. But criminals like handguns too. Just because criminals like something is not a reason why it’s dangerous.”

On Thursday’s panel with Higginson, who was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama, and Willett, who was nominated by former President Donald Trump, was Jerry Smith, who was nominated by former President Ronald Reagan.

AP PHOTO

Semi-automatic handguns are displayed at shop in New Castle, Pa., March 25, 2020.

Trinia Michelle Richardson

September 21, 1967 ~ June 25, 2023

Mrs. Trinia Michelle Richardson age, 55 transitioned from earth to glory on June 25, 2023. She leaves to cherish her loving memories her husband, Lee A. Richardson; children: Maurice Bethea, Christopher Bethea, Kiara Bethea along with a host of other family and friends. Trinia will be greatly missed.

Kenneth McDonald

April 2, 1957 ~ June 19, 2023

Mr. Kenneth McDonald age, 66 went home to be with his heavenly father on June 19, 2023.

Anthony King

November 16, 1960 ~ June 27, 2023

Mr. Anthony King age, 62 transitoned from earth to glory on June 27, 2023. He leaves to cherish his loving memories his wife, Renee E. King; children: Nathaniel King (Eshanise), Kinsey King, Celeste King, Terrell Herring, Clarissa Herring, Stephen King, Lynette King; brother, Robert King (Vanessa), twelve grandchildren along with a host of other family and friends. Anthony will be greatly missed.

Former Connecticut Gov. Lowell P. Weicker Jr., maverick senator during Watergate, dies at 92

The Associated Press

HARTFORD, Conn. — Low-

ell P. Weicker Jr., a Republican U.S. senator who tussled with his own party during the Watergate hearings, championed legislation to protect people with disabilities and later was elected Connecticut governor as an independent, died Wednesday. He was 92.

Weicker’s death at a hospital in Middletown, Conn., after a short illness, was confirmed by his family in a statement released by a spokesperson.

With a 6-foot-6-inch frame and a shoot-from-the-hip style, Weicker was a leading figure in Connecticut politics from his first election to the General Assembly in 1962 until he decided against running for a second term as governor in 1994.

He inspired strong feelings among many people he met. In one poll, opinion was split over whether Weicker was “decisive and courageous,” or “inflexible and arrogant.”

“I think he was just incredibly genuine, a little unfiltered,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat who considered Weicker a friend, told the Associated Press in 2021. “And we sort of miss that in this day and age with the teleprompter.”

Elected in 1990 to his single term as governor, Weicker restructured Connecticut’s revenue system, shepherding in a new income tax despite vocal opposition. He also helped craft a compact with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation which ultimately brought casino gambling to eastern Connecticut.

“He was a leader who constantly challenged the status quo. He

didn’t want to win any popularity contests,” said Republican state Sen. Ryan Fazio, who represents Greenwich, the town where Weicker once served as first selectman. Such independent mindedness was praised Wednesday by Republicans like Fazio as well as Democrats, who control state government and the state’s congressional delegation.

“He did immense good for Connecticut and our country, and he did it his way,” said Democratic U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

Former Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy praised Weicker for being “tough and compassionate at the same time.”

Nationally, Weicker’s political marquee burned brightest during the 1973 hearings of the Senate’s special committee on Watergate.

One of three Republicans on the

We Are Here For You

YEARS

seven-member panel, the freshman senator was not afraid to criticize President Richard Nixon, his own party or the attempted cover-up.

In his 1995 autobiography “Maverick: A Life in Politics,” Weicker said he didn’t volunteer for a spot on the committee to be an “anti-Nixon man,” or a “tough prosecutor,” acknowledging that he supported Nixon politically and how Nixon campaigned for him in 1968 and 1970.

“More and more, events were making it clear that the Nixon White House was a cauldron of corruption,” Weicker wrote. “And even as disclosures kept coming, more and more national leaders were acting as though nothing especially unusual had happened.”

Barry Sussman, a former Washington Post editor who worked

with Weicker on his autobiography, credited Weicker with taking the Watergate scandal more seriously than his Senate colleagues and for investigating whether Nixon underreported his income.

“None of the other Republican senators had any interest in doing any probing, period,” Sussman said. “That was basically true of the Democrats, too.”

Weicker was born in Paris in 1931, to Lowell P. Weicker Sr. — whose family founded the pharmaceutical giant E.R. Squibb and Sons — and the former Mary Bickford, a daughter of a prominent British family.

After college, law school and service in the Army, Weicker was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1962 and served three terms. His national political career began in 1968 with election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Two years later, he moved up to the U.S. Senate.

Besides serving on the Watergate committee, Weicker worked for passage of the War Powers Act. The father of a child with developmental disabilities, he sponsored the Protection and Advocacy for the Mentally Ill Act in 1985 and 1988 and introduced legislation that would later become the Americans with Disabilities Act.

But Weicker was at odds with the conservative wing of his party on social issues such as school prayer, busing and abortion.

Irritated Republicans in 1988 backed then-Democrat Joe Lieberman and denied Weicker a fourth term in the Senate. But two years later, he was back in politics with a new affiliation. He won the governor’s office, sworn in as the state’s first — and last — independent

governor since the Civil War, heading a new independent political party called A Connecticut Party.

When he took office, Connecticut’s budget deficit was $963 million. During the 1990 campaign, Weicker opposed instituting a personal state income tax, saying it would be like “pouring gasoline on a fire.” But his budget secretary convinced him the tax was the only fiscally responsible choice.

Weicker vetoed three state budgets passed by legislators until he got his way. On Aug. 22, 1991, lawmakers finally passed a budget with a 4.5 percent flat income tax and a reduction in the sales tax from 8 to 6 percent, coupled with spending cuts.

An estimated 40,000 protesters packed the state Capitol grounds in Hartford on Oct. 5, 1991, demanding lawmakers “axe the tax.” Some hanged him in effigy. Meanwhile, others, including furloughed state workers, protested Weicker’s budget cuts. A nun said she would “pray that he burns forever in the fires of hell” for trying to slash state aid to parochial schools.

Weicker’s favorability rating plummeted but the income tax prevailed and the state ended the 1992 fiscal year with a $110 million surplus.

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation awarded Weicker a Profiles in Courage Award in 1992.

He said his decision against seeking a second term was a matter of family and money, not politics. Weicker said he wanted to spend more time with his third wife, Claudia Testa, his seven children and his grandchildren. He said he also wanted to make more money than the governor’s annual salary at the time, $78,000. Weicker considered running for president as an independent in 1996 and was back in the spotlight in 1999 when former wrestler and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura encouraged Weicker to run for the Reform Party nomination. Weicker turned him down.

AP PHOTO

Sen. Lowell Weicker, R-Conn., tells a Senate subcommittee on April 8, 1974, in Washington, DC, that a secret task force to compile intelligence reports on President Nixon’s political enemies was set up inside the Internal Revenue Service within months of Nixon becoming president.

STATE & NATION

Republicans expand their Hunter Biden investigation by seeking an interview with the lead prosecutor

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans last week requested voluntary testimony from nearly a dozen Justice Department officials involved in the investigation of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter as GOP lawmakers widen their scrutiny into what they claim is improper interference by the agency.

Leaders of the Republican-controlled House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees asked in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland for nine officials from the Justice Department and two from the FBI to appear for the interviews to address recent allegations made by two IRS employees who worked on the federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business dealings.

“Recent startling testimony from Internal Revenue Services whistleblowers raises serious questions about the Department’s commitment to evenhanded justice and the veracity of assertions made to the Committee on the Judiciary,” Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky and Jason Smith of Missouri wrote in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The individuals named in the letter include David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware in

charge of the investigation, as well Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf of Delaware and the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves. Garland said last week that the Justice Department will not object to Weiss testifying to Congress.

A department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter but declined further comment.

The request comes about a week after Biden, 53, reached an agreement with the government to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. The plea deal would

Safety concerns dominate Norfolk Southern railroad CEO’s job since Ohio derailment

The Associated Press ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s CEO has spoken often of safety and better service since he took the job over a year ago, but it’s safety that has dominated discussions after one of his trains derailed and caught fire in February in Ohio, creating towering black smoke, forcing evacuations and raising environmental worries.

Alan Shaw has said his plans include adding more trackside detectors to help spot mechanical problems. He also has hailed work with unions to improve safety — something labor leaders say Norfolk Southern hasn’t done much of since it began overhauling operations in 2019.

“That interaction and that engagement with our craft colleagues is really important to me,” Shaw said in an interview with The Associated Press at the railroad’s Atlanta headquarters last week, a day before federal hearings on the East Palestine derailment began. “I need all 20,000 voices at Norfolk Southern pushing for safety. And that’s what you’re going to see.”

Scrutiny over safety

The railroad — and the entire industry — is under intense watch because chemicals spilled in the East Palestine derailment, and because thousands of people had to evacuate when officials blew open cars of vinyl chloride to burn

it and prevent cars from exploding. Several other industry derailments reinforced concerns.

East Palestine highlights that even though freight railroads are regarded as the safest way to ship cargo over land, just one derailment can be disastrous.

The railroad has spent months removing contaminated water and soil, and the cleanup continues. Meanwhile, residents worry about potential long-term harm, though health officials insist the air and water are safe.

Shaw believes “we’re a safe railroad” because Norfolk Southern had its fewest derailments and injuries last year in more than a decade. But some other Federal Railroad Association measures have worsened, like the rates of total accidents and railyard accidents.

An FRA report on Norfolk Southern’s safety culture is expected soon, and the National Transportation Safety Board continues to examine its safety practices as it investigates what caused the Ohio derailment.

Worker concerns

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union was the only of Norfolk Southern’s 13 unions that didn’t sign a letter last month promising to cooperate to improve safety. It doesn’t think Shaw’s pronouncements have translated into meaningful changes and worries new employees and those return-

ing from furloughs might not have enough safety training.

“Mr. Shaw comes across to me as kind of as that used car salesman trying really hard to sell Norfolk Southern and saying all this great stuff,” said James Orwan, a Machinist Union general chairman on Norfolk Southern.

Shaw said he has met with that union and is glad officials feel comfortable raising concerns. And Shaw knows “you judge me by the results,” but he’s convinced the railroad is “making a lot of progress.”

Operations and hiring

Unions say the new lean operating model that Norfolk Southern and the other major freight railroads are using — known as “precision-scheduled railroading” — has made the industry more dangerous because deep workforce cuts make it hard to keep up with jobs and preventative maintenance. And workers say an increasing reliance on longer trains is a safety concern.

Examples cited most often by unions, including at the Friday’s NTSB hearing, are that inspectors who used to have several minutes to check each car are pressured to do so in one minute or less, and that Norfolk Southern relies too much on abbreviated inspections by train crews instead of detailed ones by experts.

But Shaw said Norfolk Southern’s safety record has improved

also avert prosecution on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as Biden adheres to conditions agreed to in court.

Days later, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Smith, voted to publicly disclose congressional testimony from the IRS employees.

The testimony from Greg Shapley and an unidentified agent detailed what they called a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” and delaying enforcement actions in the months before the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.

It is unclear whether the conflict they describe amounts to internal disagreement about how to pursue the investigation or a pattern of interference and preferential treatment. Department policy has long warned prosecutors to take care in charging cases with potential political overtones around the time of an election, to avoid influencing the outcome.

The Justice Department has denied the claims and said Weiss, appointed to his job when Donald Trump was president, had full authority over the case.

The letter provided a deadline of July 13 for the department to begin scheduling the individuals for transcribed interviews. It said that if the deadline is not met, the committee chairmen will resort to using a congressional subpoena

to force cooperation. Beyond Hunter Biden, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee led by Comer has undertaken a broader review of the Biden family’s finances and foreign dealings, issuing dozens of subpoenas to business associates and financial institutions.

Republicans have focused much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. The unsubstantiated claim, which first emerged in 2019, was that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, an oiland-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board.

Democrats said in a letter Thursday to Comer that the Justice Department investigated the claim when Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” that it was true. Democrats highlighted the transcript of an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s co-founder, in which he denied having any contact with Joe Biden while Hunter Biden worked for the company. “Mr. Zlochevsky’s statements are just one of the many that have debunked the corruption allegations,” said the committee’s top Democrat, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin.

since it started using precision scheduled railroading in 2019. The model’s core concepts are something “any industrial company would fully support,” he said — while noting that he has also tempered his railroad’s approach to that model in the past year to focus more on long-term revenue growth and less on short-term cost-cutting.

And Norfolk Southern, he said, is backing away from rushing inspections.

“My expectation is, is that we will not put an unsafe railcar out onto our network,” Shaw said. “In the past, we’ve had guidelines on inspection times. We’ve removed those recently.”

Derailment aftermath

Steps like adding more trackside detectors — devices that

check indicators like wheel-bearing temperatures — after the East Palestine derailment seemed obvious, given that the NTSB has said that an overheating bearing that triggered a warning likely caused the crash.

Norfolk Southern has also pledged over $62 million to help East Palestine recover. Resident Misti Allison, who hosted Shaw at her home for lunch after she testified alongside him at a congressional hearing, said things like $25 million to improve East Palestine’s parks are welcome but tangential.

“While I think that he is doing a good job, they are doing it in a way to benefit Norfolk Southern and not necessarily the priorities of the residents,” Allison said. “I wish Norfolk Southern’s priorities would be about the health and safety of the families.”

AP PHOTO

Norfolk Southern Railroad CEO Alan Shaw speaks during an interview Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, walks from Marine One upon arrival at Fort McNair, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The Biden’s are returning from Camp David.

Trump rallies in South Carolina

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a rally, Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Pickens, S.C.

COUNTY NEWS

Local educator named to 2023-24 National Humanities Center advisory council Forsyth

County

The National Humanities Center (NHC) has announced the selection of twenty talented educators from across the country as members of its 2023–24 Teacher Advisory Council. These teachers, from schools in twelve states, will work with the Center’s staff in piloting, evaluating, and promoting NHC resources and professional development programs for collegiate and pre-collegiate educators.

The Teacher Advisory Council was formed by the National Humanities Center to aid in its ongoing effort to help teachers be more effective in humanities classrooms. “The Center’s education resource collections, webinars, courses, and institutes support teachers from across the country,” said NHC Director of Education Programs Mike Williams, “and our teacher advisors help ensure that our classroom tools and professional development experiences are pedagogically sound and relevant in a wide variety of classroom settings.”

We are particularly pleased to have council members from an array of learning environments as part of the group,” said Williams. “This year’s council includes educators who work with a wide spectrum of students in public and private institutions of all sizes.”

Twenty teachers from across the nation were chosen for the council, including four from North Carolina.

Winston-Salem is represented by Theresa Higgins of The University of North Carolina School of the Arts High School Program

County approves purchase of 28 new police pursuit vehicles

Commissioners to submit request to correct boundary mistake by US Census

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

WINSTON-SALEM — The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners met Thursday, June 15 with a handful of budgetary and oversight items on the agenda.

The board’s first action was to approve a resolution authorizing the submission of a request for count question resolution (CQR) to the US Census Bureau in order to correct its mistake in the Forsyth-Davidson County Boundary.

“This is a resolution by which this board, and specifically the chairman as the highest elected official of Forsyth County, would submit what is called a Count Question Resolution or CQR case to the US Census to correct a mistake they inadvertently made in the 2020 census regarding a small portion of the border

or what they call a boundary between Forsyth County and Davidson County,” said County Attorney Gordon Watkins

According to census.gov, “The Count Question Resolution (CQR) operation provides an opportunity for tribal, state, and local governmental units to request that the Census Bureau review their boundaries and/or housing counts by block to correct geographical errors.”

The board then approved four budgetary matters including a resolution authorizing joint applications by Forsyth County and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools to receive $3,725,026 from the Education Lottery Fund to retire a portion of the county’s school bond indebtedness, an amendment to the state public school building capital fund grant project ordinance to close the 2013 and 2015 school bond, an amendment to the FY 22-23 budget ordinance to appropriate funds to comply with a new government accounting standards

$1,033,679.08

Amount approved for the purchase of new police pursuit vehicles

board (GASB) 87 lease and 96 subscription-based IT arrangement standard, and an amendment to the FY 22-23 budget ordinance to appropriate health improvement dollars to the employee health benefits internal service fund.

“This essentially recognizes $75,000 that is part of the Cigna TPA agreement that we had that was competitively bid a number of years ago,” said County Manager Dudley Watts.

The board then approved two contracts, one with Horace G. Ilderton, LLC for an amount not to exceed $1,033,679.08 for the

State Board of Elections approves voter ID rules, appoints county board members

North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) met on Tuesday, June 27 and approved temporary rules related to the implementation of voter ID rules in North Carolina elections.

Beginning with Fall 2023 municipal elections, all voters will be asked to show a form of photo ID when voting in-person and via absentee ballot.

“The agency is proposing rules to ensure uniform, standard implementation of the photo ID requirements in all 3,000-plus polling locations and among all 100 county boards of elections,” a statement from the NCSBE read. The board also reviewed more

than 1,300 comments on the proposed rules, making some changes based on feedback from the public. The state’s Rules Review Commission, which reviews proposed rules from state agencies for approval, will now conduct reviews of the proposals for adoption. Rules approved by the board focused on the responsibility of poll workers to examine the appearance and name of voters based on their identification provided and that any outside evidence beyond the four corners of the ID are not to be used.

The Board also unanimously approved two voter ID exception forms, which was required in the underlying statute. The NCSBE must adopt a reasonable im-

pediment exemption form which must, ‘at a minimum,’ include specific reasons listed in the statute that a voter may select. Voters claiming an exception to showing photo identification must attest that they are the voter casting the ballot.

The NCSBE also appointed four members – two Democrats and two Republicans – to each of the 100 county boards of elections.

In Forsyth County, the two Democrats chosen were Catherine Jourdan and Alfred Harvey and the two Republicans were Adam Draper and Chad Loomy.

Their terms will begin when they are sworn in on July 18.

purchase of 28 2023 V-8 rearwheel drive Dodge Charger police pursuit vehicles and the other with A Step Above Cleaning Service LLC for a three-year deal, in an amount not to exceed $243,754.56 for janitorial services at designated Forsyth County Parks and Recreation facilities.

The board also approved an ordinance amending Chapter 22 of the Forsyth County Code, Voluntary Agricultural Districts in order to incorporate the town of Lewisville into the Voluntary Agricultural Districts program.

The board then approved a resolution declaring certain county-owned personal property surplus and authorizing its disposition by public electronic auction.

“Essentially that will set the stage for an auction on June 26 and people will need to be looking out for that to go live,” Watts said.

Finally, the board approved a resolution accepting an offer to purchase real property at 2530 Pittsburg Avenue.

“Basically, we’ve accepted the last bid which is a $100,000 offer from BostonThurmond Community Network, a non-profit, and the proceeds will be split with the City of Winston-Salem,” Watts said.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will next meet June 29.

We stand corrected:

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

♦ Dr. Philip Roger Aronson, 100, died June 30, 2023.

♦ Donald Earl Clark, Sr., 86, of Kernersville, died June 28, 2023.

♦ James “Jim” Carlton Eller, 92, of WinstonSalem, died June 28, 2023.

♦ Helen Venable Hall, 93, of Westfield, died June 29, 2023.

♦ Peggy Ward Miller, 91, of Forsyth County, died June 30, 2023.

♦ Theodros McKenzie Koumbis Mitiku, 32, of Winston-Salem, died June 29, 2023.

♦ Mary Jane Hubbard Price, 83, of WinstonSalem, died June 28, 2023.

♦ Lewis Edward Roop II, 68, of Winston -Salem, died June 28, 2023.

♦ Shirley Lucille Talbert Sindelar, 94, of Kernersville, died June 29, 2023.

♦ Gurney “Pete” Eugene Snow, 82, of Kernersville, died June 29, 2023.

♦ Ron Elwood Teague, 64, died June 30, 2023.

BOE from page 1

County board members serve two-year terms.

“We are happy to welcome new members to North Carolina’s elections team,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “Together, we will continue to ensure that our elections are accessible, safe, and secure, and that every eligible vote counts.”

Gov. Roy Cooper appointed the fifth member who will also serve at the chair a day later, naming Robert Durrah to the board ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting on July 18.

Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, and parental ‘love’

LAST WEEK, Republicans in the House of Representatives revealed the testimony of an IRS whistleblower who worked on the Hunter Biden investigation. That whistleblower had two revelations to present. First, he said that the federal prosecutor overseeing Hunter’s case told at least six witnesses that he had been blocked by Attorney General Merrick Garland from special counsel status -- status that would allow him a free hand in fully investigating Hunter. Second, the whistleblower presented a WhatsApp message between Hunter Biden and a Chinese executive shaking down the executive for cash by leveraging Joe Biden’s presence in the room.

“I am sitting here with my father,” Hunter texted, “and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. Tell the director that I would like to resolve this now before it gets out of hand, and now means tonight. And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”

This was not the first piece of evidence clearly linking Joe to Hunter’s influence-peddling operation. Hunter’s laptop infamously contained a message from one of Hunter’s business partners, James Gilliar, suggesting that 10% of a deal with CEFC China Energy Co. be “held by H for the big guy.” Gilliar, in other texts, has also referred to Joe Biden as “the big guy.” And Hunter himself complained in text messages to his daughter, Naomi, “I hope you all can do what I did and pay for everything for this entire family for 30 years. It’s really hard. But don’t worry, unlike pop, I won’t make you give me half your salary.”

Joe Biden, for the little it’s worth, has claimed to know nothing about Hunter’s business activities. That’s absolutely uncredible, considering that Joe squired Hunter around on Air Force Two, including to China -- where Hunter signed lucrative deals -- and that Hunter’s business partner Tony Bobulinksi alleges he met personally with Joe Biden over business issues. The credulous reaction to this obvious trail

♦ ARANAMATA, URIEL was arrested on a charge of IMPAIRED DRIVING DWI at 399 N MAIN ST/E FOURTH ST on 7/1/2023

♦ BENITEZ, OSCAR ALBERTO was arrested on a charge of AWDWIKISI at 5255 SHATTALON on 6/29/2023

♦ BENJAMIN, CORNELIUS MAURICE was arrested on a charge of POSS COCAINE FEL at 2999 IVY AV/E THIRTIETH ST on 6/30/2023

♦ BERRY, PHILIP WENDELL was arrested on a charge of MURDERFIRST DEG at 2160 FOXHUNTER CT on 6/30/2023

♦ Brame, Daniel Eric Dority (M/43) Arrest on chrg of Larceny-felony (F), at 2500 Old Lexington Rd, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/29/2023 10:17.

♦ BROWN, DWAYNE PATRICK was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 249 W FOURTH ST on 6/30/2023

♦ BUFORD, MONTE RASHAD was arrested on a charge of ROBBERY at 3421 OLD VINEYARD RD on 6/28/2023

♦ CARTEE, CODY RANDALL was arrested on a charge of ASLT ON OFFCR/FELONY at 4906 VOSS ST on 6/28/2023

♦ Cisnerosavila, Omar (M/19) Arrest on chrg of 1) Ccw (M) and 2) Resisting Arrest (M), at 2598 Union Cross Rd/thomasville Rd, Winstonsalem, NC, on 6/29/2023 17:49.

♦ COBB, RSHAWNDA EVELYN was arrested on a charge of ASSLT ON OFF/ST EMP at 530 N TRADE ST on 6/30/2023

♦ DAVISBAILEY, RAEQUAN DENARD was arrested on a charge of P/W/I/S/D MARIJUANA at N MLK/ LOWERY ST on 6/30/2023

♦ EUDY, AMANDA COREY was arrested on a charge of PROBATION VIOLATION at 690 SAINT GEORGE SQUARE CT on

6/29/2023

♦ GATHRIGHT, MANDELL C was arrested on a charge of COMMUNICATE THREATS at 1401 E FIFTH ST on 6/28/2023

♦ GIRGIS, PORFIRIA BERSAN was arrested on a charge of VAND-PERSONAL PROP at 2718 PIEDMONT CR on 7/1/2023

♦ Goad, Alexander Edward (M/28) Arrest on chrg of 1) Fail To Appear/ compl (F), 2) Fail To Appear/compl (F), 3) Fail To Appear/compl (F), and 4) Probation Violation (M), at Us 52/wistinghouse Rd, Winston Salem, NC, on 6/28/2023 11:15.

♦ HAAS , KEITH SHAWN was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 301 MECICAL CENTER on 6/30/2023

♦ Hathcock, Tanya Montana (F/33) Arrest on chrg of Concealing Mdse, M (M), at 2451 Market Center Dr, Clemmons, NC, on 6/29/2023 16:25.

♦ HENRY, JOHN ROBERT was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT - INFLICTING SERIOUS BODILY INJURY at 3411 OLD VINEYARD RD on 6/30/2023

♦ Hill, Anthony Eric (M/62) Arrest on chrg of 1) Larceny-firearm (F), 2) Larceny After B&e (F), 3) Financial Identity Fraud (F), 4) Rec/ poss Stole Mv (F), 5) Weap-poss By Felon (F), 6) Resisting Arrest (M), and 7) Fail To Appear/compl (M), at 8330 Baux Mountain Rd, Germanton, NC, on 6/28/2023 21:45.

♦ Hill, Anthony Eric (M/62) Arrest on chrg of Fugitive (F), at 201 N Church St, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/29/2023 20:04.

♦ ISMAIL, MAZEN FAWZY was arrested on a charge of COMMUNICATE THREATS at 431 E SIXTEENTH ST on 6/30/2023

♦ Love, Abbigail Lauren (F/24) Arrest on chrg of Probation Violation (M), at 1399 N Liberty St/e Fourteenth

of corruption from many in the media has been incredible to behold. The going line these days in Biden-allied media is that Joe’s suspected influencepeddling operation and pressure on his Attorney General to dump the Hunter investigation isn’t corruption -- it’s actually a sign of his magnificent parental love. In the words of The New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof, “The real meaning of the Hunter Biden saga, as I see it, isn’t about presidential corruption, but is about how widespread addiction is -- and about how a determined parent with unconditional love can sometimes reel a child back... That can give others hope.”

Meanwhile, this loving father isn’t exactly a loving grandfather when it comes to Hunter’s illegitimate child, Navy Joan. The same week Hunter was let off the hook by Biden’s Department of Justice, Biden signed a child support agreement with former stripper Lunden Roberts in which Roberts accepted a deal including a massive reduction in child support and a prohibition on Navy Joan using the Biden family name. Joe himself refuses to acknowledge the existence of Navy Joan. Yes, that famed Biden name is apparently reserved for raising cash in Ukraine and China; those who are actually sired by Hunter Biden in untoward circumstances are disowned by the upstanding Biden family.

Joe surely loves Hunter. But that love is twisted. Hunter is a 53-year-old wreck of a human being with a trail of abuses of other human beings behind him. Joe may have helped curb Hunter’s addiction, but he has also apparently used his son as a tool and continues to use him as a crutch -- and meanwhile, Joe has enabled Hunter throughout his adult life, humoring his egregiously evil behavior. The story here, then, is twofold: political corruption, and the corruption of familial love into something much uglier.

Ben Shapiro, 39, is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and co-founder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author; his latest book is “The Authoritarian Moment: How The Left Weaponized America’s Institutions Against Dissent.”

St, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/29/2023 21:03.

♦ MARIANO, BRYAN MENDOZA was arrested on a charge of RESISTING ARREST at 723 FERNDALE AV on 6/29/2023

♦ MELTON, ANGELA ANTIONETTE was arrested on a charge of FELON ADW/SER INJURY at 3161 BUTTERFIELD DR on 6/28/2023

♦ Moreno, Donte (M/19) Arrest on chrg of 1) P/w/i/s/d Sched I (F), 2) P/w/i/s/d Marijuana (F), 3) Maintain Dwelling (F), 4) Drug Paraphernalia (M), and 5) Resisting Arrest (M), at 900 Bethlehem Ln, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/28/2023 21:30.

♦ Neal, Mark Alan (M/61) Arrest on chrg of Poss Cocaine Fel, F (F), at 4588 Old Belews Creek Rd/ williston Rd, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/30/2023 02:17.

♦ Oneal, Ryan Dale (M/57) Arrest on chrg of 1) Rec/poss Stole Mv (F), 2) Misd. Poss. Of Stolen Goods (M), 3) Misd. Poss. Of Stolen Goods (M), 4) Poss Cocaine Fel (F), 5) Alter Manufacture Vin # (F), and 6) NdlSuspended / Revoked (M), at 5094 Baux Mountain Rd, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/29/2023 23:37.

♦ Quiroz, Marisol (F/50) Arrest on chrg of 1) Resisting Arrest (M) and 2) Fail Heed Siren (M), at 1069 Lewisville-vienna Rd/dexter Dr, Lewisville, NC, on 6/29/2023

20:30.

♦ REID, CHRISTOPHER DESHAWN was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 6/30/2023

♦ Rizzi, Tayler Kathryn (F/34) Arrest on chrg of 1) Rec/poss Stole Mv (F) and 2) Vio School Attendan (M), at 216 North St, Lewisville, NC, on 6/29/2023 00:16.

♦ Roberts, Rashaad Devon (M/28) Arrest on chrg of 1) Assault On Female (M), 2) Affray (M), and 3)

Breaking/larc-felony (F), at 126 Willow Trace Cr, Clemmons, NC, on

6/30/2023 00:09.

♦ Shelton, Zachary Cole (M/26) Arrest on chrg of 1) Drugsposs Sched I (F) and 2) Drug Paraphernalia (M), at 5198 Reidsville Rd, Walkertown, NC, on 6/30/2023 04:21.

♦ SMART, CHRISTOPHER CLARENCE was arrested on a charge of ASSAULT ON FEMALE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 6/29/2023

♦ Smith, Tywone Bernard (M/33) Arrest on chrg of Unauthorized Use Of Motor - Propelled Co, M (M), at 1399 N Liberty St/e Fourteenth St, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/29/2023 22:00.

♦ STROUD, ANTHONY RAY was arrested on a charge of VIO.

PROTECTIVE ORDER BY COURTS ANOTHER STATE/ INDIAN TRIBE at 201 N CHURCH ST on 6/30/2023

♦ Tolliver, Javarie Daeshun (M/29) Arrest on chrg of 1) Poss Marijuana Fel (F), 2) P/w/i/s/d Marijuana (F), 3) Drug Paraphernalia (M), 4) Weap-poss By Felon (F), 5) Ccw (M), and 6) Weap-school Property (F), at 601 S Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/28/2023 17:07.

♦ WARDLOW, LAPORSHA NICOLE was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 2115 PETERS CREEK PW on 6/29/2023

♦ WILKINS, THADDEUS LAMONT was arrested on a charge of COMM LAW ROBBERY at 3720 SAWYER DR on 6/30/2023

♦ WORTHY, JAKIM DARVAY was arrested on a charge of 2ND DEGREE TRESPASS at 634 W FOURTH ST RD on 6/30/2023

♦ Young, David Alexander (M/70) Arrest on chrg of Aid And Abet Larceny ($1,000 Or Less), M (M), at 2632 Peachtree St, Winston-salem, NC, on 6/29/2023 13:39.

COLUMN | BEN SHAPIRO

This was not the first piece of evidence clearly linking Joe to Hunter’s influencepeddling operation.

SPORTS

SIDELINE REPORT

NFL Wright to initially remain with the Commanders

Washington, D.C.

Jason Wright is expected to retain his job as president of the Washington Commanders at least initially after Josh Harris’ group takes over. Wright has served in the role since the summer of 2020, according to a report by The Associated Press. It’s expected that he’ll be an important part of the transition between Dan Snyder and new ownership that also includes Magic Johnson. NFL owners are set to consider and potentially vote to approve the record $6.05 billion sale at a meeting July 20 in Minneapolis.

NBA Irving staying with Mavs, Curry

back for third stint

Dallas Kyrie Irving and the Mavericks have agreed on a $126 million, threeyear contract to keep the star guard in Dallas. The Mavericks paired All-Star starters for the first time in franchise history by adding Irving in a blockbuster deal with Brooklyn last February to play him alongside Luka Doncic. Dallas also is bringing back shooting guard

Seth Curry for a third stint with the club. Curry, who like Irving played at Duke, played the 2016-17 and 2019-20 seasons with the Mavericks. Curry played the last two seasons with Brooklyn and also has had stops in Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, Phoenix, Cleveland and Memphis.

COLLEGE SPORTS

NCAA mulls proposal to shorten transfer portal window

Indianapolis

The NCAA Division I Board will consider shortening the transfer window from 60 days to 30 after data showed most transfers enter the portal in the first few days. The window was created this year in an attempt to limit the amount of time athletes can move from one school to another and be immediately eligible to compete. Current rules give football players 45 days to enter the portal in the winter and 15 more in the spring. Athletes in winter sports have 60 days to enter the portal, while athletes in spring sports have a 45-day window.

GOLF

Stanford wins Senior

LPGA

Jasper, Ind.

Angela Stanford took advantage of Trish Johnson’s late collapse Saturday at Sultan’s Run to win the Senior LPGA Championship.

Five strokes back entering the day and four behind playing the final hole, the 45-yearold Stanford birdied the par4 18th for a 7-under 65 and an eventual one-stroke victory over the 57-year-old Johnson. After making four straight birdies, Johnson had a triple bogey on No. 17, and Stanford soon birdied 18 to make it a four-shot swing. Johnson bogeyed 18, missing a 12-foot par putt. The Englishwoman shot a 71. Stanford finished at 10-under 206. Karrie Webb closed with a 69 to finish third at 8 under.

IRS takes aim at nonprofit NIL collectives

12-page

The Associated Press THE RAPIDLY EXPANDING landscape of nonprofit, donor-backed collectives paying college athletes to promote charities has been hit with a potentially seismic disruption.

A recent 12-page memo from the Internal Revenue Service determined that, in many cases, such collectives may not qualify as tax-exempt if their main purpose is paying players instead of supporting charitable works. If the collectives aren’t tax-exempt, the donations they collect that are used to pay quarterbacks, point guards and pitchers may not be, either.

“There’s a high likelihood we will cease operations, within the

next period of months,” said Gary Marcinick, founder of the Cohension Foundation, a collective formed to connect Ohio State athletes with charities for name, image and likeness (NIL) promotional deals. “In our space, we are donor driven .... It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast majority of cases.”

The collectives were born out of the massive change that hit college sports in 2021 when athletes were allowed to earn money in ways that had been prohibited for decades.

Some collectives — and there are dozens of them — are set up as for-profit entities that help connect athletes with endorsement deals as the new market swelled into the millions and NIL became a recruiting tool. Opendorse, a company that partners with schools to help initiate, track and monitor NIL deals, projected nearly $1.2 billion flowing through

Gary Marcinick, founder of the Cohension Foundation

the industry in 2023.

The nonprofit model was an attractive option for some donors and entrepreneurs, who tout such things as appearances at sports camps and fund-raisers and social media promotions for select charities. There are an estimated 80 such collectives.

Charities gained exposure from star athletes who earned money. And donors got the promise of a tax-deductible donation.

According to the IRS, those collectives already granted tax-ex-

ESPN lays off about 20 personalities

Jeff

The Associated Press

JEFF VAN GUNDY, Suzy Kolber, Jalen Rose and Steve Young are among roughly 20 ESPN commentators and reporters who were laid off on Friday as part of job cuts by the network.

ESPN had planned this additional round involving on-air talent to prevent further reductions to off-air staff after two rounds of mandated cuts by its corporate owner, the Walt Disney Company.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced in February that the company would reduce 7,000 jobs either through not filling positions or layoffs.

Friday’s announcement resembled what happened in April of 2017, when reporters and hosts were informed at one time that they would no longer be on the air.

“Given the current environment, ESPN has determined it necessary to identify some additional cost savings in the area of public-facing commentator salaries, and that process has begun. This exercise will include a small group of job cuts in the short-term and an ongoing focus on managing costs when we negotiate individual contract renewals in the months

ahead,” ESPN said in a statement.

“This is an extremely challenging process, involving individuals who have had tremendous impact on our company. These difficult decisions, based more on overall efficiency than merit, will help us meet our financial targets and ensure future growth.”

The New York Post first reported the layoffs of Van Gundy and Rose.

Van Gundy had been the network’s top NBA analyst since

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off.”

2007 and recently completed calling a record 17th NBA Finals. Kolber was a longtime ESPN veteran, including being the co-host of

empt status don’t lose it as a result of the June 9 memo. But it does lay out new guidelines for how they are expected to operate if they want to keep it.

“These collectives may face future examinations or enforcement action by the IRS,” the agency said without elaboration.

A bipartisan bill filed in 2022 would limit tax deductions for bankrolling nonprofit NIL collectives, but it has yet to pass.

The IRS was granting tax-exempt status to collectives for more than a year before issuing the memo that determined, in many cases, paying players isn’t merely incidental to the charitable cause but “is the very justification for the organization’s existence.”

The NCAA has raised concerns about the collectives, but the federal government is a different story when it comes to enforcing rules that have been somewhat murky when it comes to athlete compensation.

a nightly show when ESPN2 debuted in 1993.

She was also the host of ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” show.

“Today I join the many hard-working colleagues who have been laid off. Heartbreaking-but 27 years at ESPN was a good run. So grateful for a 38 yr career! Longevity for a woman in this business is something I’m especially proud of,” Kolber said on social media.

Rose had also been with ESPN since 2007. He was mainly part of the NBA studio shows but also did a radio show for 11 years and was a co-host when Mike Greenberg’s “Get Up” morning show premiered in 2018.

ESPN’s NFL coverage and the radio side, were the ones to take the biggest hits.

Longtime draft analyst Todd McShay, who also contributed to college football coverage, and analyst Matt Hasselbeck were also laid off.

ESPN Radio’s morning show team of Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson as well as afternoon host Jason Fitz were also affected. Kellerman also did an afternoon show on ESPN, but that was unlikely to continue after Pat McAfee signed to bring his show to the network’s airwaves in the fall.

Others include “SportsCenter”

anchor Ashley Brewer, radio and ACC Network host Jordan Cornette, college basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis, NBA reporter Nick Friedell, baseball writer Joon Lee and “College GameDay” analyst David Pollack.

Van Gundy, Suzy Kolber and Jalen Rose were among those let go

A

memo says donations used to pay athletes may not be tax-exempt

“It’s not only a game changer, it’s a game ender, I think, in the vast majority of cases.”

Suzy Kolber

AP PHOTO

A 12-page memo from the Internal Revenue Service released in June 2023 determined that in many cases, the nonprofit collectives may not qualify as tax-exempt if their main purpose is paying players instead of supporting charitable works.

AP PHOTO

Jeff Van Gundy, center back, is among the TV and radio personalities who have been let go by ESPN.

STATE & NATION

Republicans expand their Hunter Biden investigation by seeking an interview with the lead prosecutor

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Republicans last week requested voluntary testimony from nearly a dozen Justice Department officials involved in the investigation of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter as GOP lawmakers widen their scrutiny into what they claim is improper interference by the agency.

Leaders of the Republican-controlled House Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, and Ways and Means committees asked in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland for nine officials from the Justice Department and two from the FBI to appear for the interviews to address recent allegations made by two IRS employees who worked on the federal investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and foreign business dealings.

“Recent startling testimony from Internal Revenue Services whistleblowers raises serious questions about the Department’s commitment to evenhanded justice and the veracity of assertions made to the Committee on the Judiciary,” Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, James Comer of Kentucky and Jason Smith of Missouri wrote in the letter obtained by The Associated Press.

The individuals named in the letter include David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware in

charge of the investigation, as well

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf of Delaware and the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves. Garland said last week that the Justice Department will not object to Weiss testifying to Congress.

A department spokesperson confirmed receipt of the letter but declined further comment.

The request comes about a week after Biden, 53, reached an agreement with the government to plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. The plea deal would

Safety concerns dominate Norfolk Southern railroad CEO’s job since Ohio derailment

The Associated Press ATLANTA — Norfolk Southern’s CEO has spoken often of safety and better service since he took the job over a year ago, but it’s safety that has dominated discussions after one of his trains derailed and caught fire in February in Ohio, creating towering black smoke, forcing evacuations and raising environmental worries.

Alan Shaw has said his plans include adding more trackside detectors to help spot mechanical problems. He also has hailed work with unions to improve safety — something labor leaders say Norfolk Southern hasn’t done much of since it began overhauling operations in 2019.

“That interaction and that engagement with our craft colleagues is really important to me,” Shaw said in an interview with The Associated Press at the railroad’s Atlanta headquarters last week, a day before federal hearings on the East Palestine derailment began. “I need all 20,000 voices at Norfolk Southern pushing for safety. And that’s what you’re going to see.”

Scrutiny over safety

The railroad — and the entire industry — is under intense watch because chemicals spilled in the East Palestine derailment, and because thousands of people had to evacuate when officials blew open cars of vinyl chloride to burn

it and prevent cars from exploding. Several other industry derailments reinforced concerns.

East Palestine highlights that even though freight railroads are regarded as the safest way to ship cargo over land, just one derailment can be disastrous.

The railroad has spent months removing contaminated water and soil, and the cleanup continues. Meanwhile, residents worry about potential long-term harm, though health officials insist the air and water are safe.

Shaw believes “we’re a safe railroad” because Norfolk Southern had its fewest derailments and injuries last year in more than a decade. But some other Federal Railroad Association measures have worsened, like the rates of total accidents and railyard accidents.

An FRA report on Norfolk Southern’s safety culture is expected soon, and the National Transportation Safety Board continues to examine its safety practices as it investigates what caused the Ohio derailment.

Worker concerns

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union was the only of Norfolk Southern’s 13 unions that didn’t sign a letter last month promising to cooperate to improve safety. It doesn’t think Shaw’s pronouncements have translated into meaningful changes and worries new employees and those return-

ing from furloughs might not have enough safety training.

“Mr. Shaw comes across to me as kind of as that used car salesman trying really hard to sell Norfolk Southern and saying all this great stuff,” said James Orwan, a Machinist Union general chairman on Norfolk Southern.

Shaw said he has met with that union and is glad officials feel comfortable raising concerns. And Shaw knows “you judge me by the results,” but he’s convinced the railroad is “making a lot of progress.”

Operations and hiring

Unions say the new lean operating model that Norfolk Southern and the other major freight railroads are using — known as “precision-scheduled railroading” — has made the industry more dangerous because deep workforce cuts make it hard to keep up with jobs and preventative maintenance. And workers say an increasing reliance on longer trains is a safety concern.

Examples cited most often by unions, including at the Friday’s NTSB hearing, are that inspectors who used to have several minutes to check each car are pressured to do so in one minute or less, and that Norfolk Southern relies too much on abbreviated inspections by train crews instead of detailed ones by experts.

But Shaw said Norfolk Southern’s safety record has improved

also avert prosecution on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user, as long as Biden adheres to conditions agreed to in court.

Days later, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Smith, voted to publicly disclose congressional testimony from the IRS employees.

The testimony from Greg Shapley and an unidentified agent detailed what they called a pattern of “slow-walking investigative steps” and delaying enforcement actions in the months before the 2020 election won by Joe Biden.

It is unclear whether the conflict they describe amounts to internal disagreement about how to pursue the investigation or a pattern of interference and preferential treatment. Department policy has long warned prosecutors to take care in charging cases with potential political overtones around the time of an election, to avoid influencing the outcome.

The Justice Department has denied the claims and said Weiss, appointed to his job when Donald Trump was president, had full authority over the case.

The letter provided a deadline of July 13 for the department to begin scheduling the individuals for transcribed interviews. It said that if the deadline is not met, the committee chairmen will resort to using a congressional subpoena

to force cooperation.

Beyond Hunter Biden, the House Oversight and Accountability Committee led by Comer has undertaken a broader review of the Biden family’s finances and foreign dealings, issuing dozens of subpoenas to business associates and financial institutions.

Republicans have focused much attention on an unverified tip to the FBI that alleged a bribery scheme involving Joe Biden when he was vice president. The unsubstantiated claim, which first emerged in 2019, was that Biden pressured Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor in order to stop an investigation into Burisma, an oiland-gas company where Hunter Biden was on the board.

Democrats said in a letter Thursday to Comer that the Justice Department investigated the claim when Trump was president and closed the matter after eight months, finding “insufficient evidence” that it was true. Democrats highlighted the transcript of an interview with Mykola Zlochevsky, Burisma’s co-founder, in which he denied having any contact with Joe Biden while Hunter Biden worked for the company. “Mr. Zlochevsky’s statements are just one of the many that have debunked the corruption allegations,” said the committee’s top Democrat, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin.

since it started using precision scheduled railroading in 2019. The model’s core concepts are something “any industrial company would fully support,” he said — while noting that he has also tempered his railroad’s approach to that model in the past year to focus more on long-term revenue growth and less on short-term cost-cutting.

And Norfolk Southern, he said, is backing away from rushing inspections.

“My expectation is, is that we will not put an unsafe railcar out onto our network,” Shaw said. “In the past, we’ve had guidelines on inspection times. We’ve removed those recently.”

Derailment aftermath

Steps like adding more trackside detectors — devices that

check indicators like wheel-bearing temperatures — after the East Palestine derailment seemed obvious, given that the NTSB has said that an overheating bearing that triggered a warning likely caused the crash.

Norfolk Southern has also pledged over $62 million to help East Palestine recover. Resident Misti Allison, who hosted Shaw at her home for lunch after she testified alongside him at a congressional hearing, said things like $25 million to improve East Palestine’s parks are welcome but tangential.

“While I think that he is doing a good job, they are doing it in a way to benefit Norfolk Southern and not necessarily the priorities of the residents,” Allison said. “I wish Norfolk Southern’s priorities would be about the health and safety of the families.”

AP PHOTO

Norfolk Southern Railroad CEO Alan Shaw speaks during an interview Wednesday, June 21, 2023, in Atlanta.

AP PHOTO

Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, walks from Marine One upon arrival at Fort McNair, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Washington, D.C. The Biden’s are returning from Camp David.

First ever homeschool prom in Moore County held

By A.P. Dillon North State Journal

WHISPERING PINES —

On May 12, the first-ever Moore County Homeschool Prom was held for students in grades 9-12 in Whispering Pines, North Carolina. The prom was held at The Country Club of Whispering Pines from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets to attend were $75 and included a seated dinner, raffle ticket, mocktail celebration drink, and

COUNTY NEWS

Pinehurst Medical Clinic recognized by the American Heart Association for commitments to workforce well-being

The American Heart Association has awarded Pinehurst Medical Clinic (PMC) national silverlevel recognition for its commitments to employee health and well-being as measured in the Association’s 2022 Workforce Well-being Scorecard™. The Scorecard evaluates factors such as mental health policies, organizational well-being strategies to address burnout, health equity measures, employee financial resources and more to provide a comprehensive assessment of an organization’s culture of health. Three hundred eightyone organizations completed the Scorecard in 2022, and all organizations were recognized with an achievement level of platinum (9%), gold (45%), silver (32%), bronze (9%), or completer (5%). In the last year alone, PMC has implemented an internal career development program, launched new core values, improved its onboarding processes, completed a market analysis to ensure competitive compensation, furthered its employee wellness program and continued to add unique benefit coverage options to cater to the needs of its team members and their families. This is in addition to the organization’s already robust compensation package, employee assistance program, team member discounts, and retirement savings program. PMC acknowledges the importance to continue evaluating and adding resources that aid in the personal and professional goals of its team members.

4x6 commemorative photo. Chris and Betsy Miller, who are homeschool parents from Moore County, organized the event.

“As parents who choose to homeschool, we know that our kids are missing out on certain things; that is WHY we homeschool,” the Millers said. “But there are really important events like prom that no kid should miss.”

Sixty-three students and 17 parents dined and danced the night away at the inaugural event. Miller said she is hoping to double

those numbers next year.

After realizing the only option for their children to attend prom was either in Charlotte or Fayetteville, the Millers took matters into their own hands and created the Moore County Homeschool Prom. What happened next was a night that is still being talked about.

“Most proms are 7-11 with snacks and drinks provided. We wanted to create an experience that was like no other,” Betsy Miller said. “I think we were suc-

cessful.”

One student was chosen at random to win a mystery gift basket containing 2 Movie Tickets, a family bowling night, candy, water balloons, and games. A Prom King and Queen were also chosen at random from the seniors who were in attendance.

Miller said those interested in attending next year should keep an eye on the event calendar on the Eventbrite website under Moore County Homeschool Prom or follow her profile on Eventbrite.

Southern Pines approves FY 2324 budget with $0.29 tax rate

Decision on proposed mixed-use development postponed

By Ryan Henkel North State Journal

SOUTHERN PINES — The Southern Pines Town Council met Tuesday, June 13, with quite a few public hearings on the agenda.

The council held four public hearings, with the first being the second hearing for the proposed FY 23-24 budget, which includes a reduction in property tax rate down to $0.29.

The only significant change to the budget since last month’s hearing was an increase in the solid waste fee from the previously proposed amount of $17 a month to $17.25 a month.

“This is a direct result of Moore County letting us know here in the last couple of weeks that they were going to increase all of their fees for yard waste, recycling and garbage at transfer stations significantly more than what they had told the municipalities a number of months back when we started the budgeting process,” said Town

Manager Reagan Parsons.

Following the hearing, the board approved the FY 23-24 budget.

The second hearing was for a conceptual development plan for 0.786 acres on the west side of S. Bennett Street between New York Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue that includes a rezoning request from Central Business to Planned Development.

“The developer wants to build a mixed-use building on that property,” said Planning Director BJ Grieve. “A mixed-use building contains a mixture of uses. In this particular case, according to the artistic rendering, the ground floor has retail and restaurants, and it can be up to 25% offices on the ground floor. It also has the opportunity to have offices on the floor above that, and then it also has residential condominium units.”

According to the proposal, the building would be four stories, however, the UDO limits building heights to 45 feet with a maximum of three stories. However, a planned development zoning would allow for a developer to draft their own regulations and

“The letter of the law kills, but the spirit of the law brings life, and I think we might need to think about these kinds of opportunities for flexibility.”

Mayor Pro Tem Paul Murphy

deviate from the traditional UDO.

“If we’re really aiming for a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere and for our town to maintain a particular consistency in its architectural integrity, I think that while we might have certain rules in place, there’s a wonderful opportunity for flexibility under certain circumstances,” said Mayor Pro Tem Paul Murphy. “I see it as helping to facilitate that pedestrian-friendly environment. The letter of the law kills, but the spirit of the law brings life, and I think we might need to think about these kinds of opportunities for flexibility.”

However, that same sentiment wasn’t shared by every other coun-

State Board of Elections approves voter ID rules, appoints county board members

North State Journal

RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Board of Elections

(NCSBE) met on Tuesday, June 27, and approved temporary rules related to the implementation of voter ID rules in North Carolina elections.

Beginning with Fall 2023 municipal elections, all voters will be asked to show a form of photo ID when voting in-person and via absentee ballot.

“The agency is proposing rules to ensure uniform, standard implementation of the photo ID requirements in all 3,000-plus polling locations and among all 100 county boards of elections,” a statement from the NCSBE read.

The board also reviewed more than 1,300 comments on the proposed rules, making some changes based on feedback from the public. The state’s Rules Review Commission,

which reviews proposed rules from state agencies for approval, will now conduct reviews of the proposals for adoption.

Rules approved by the board focused on the responsibility of poll workers to examine the appearance and name of voters based on their identification provided and that any outside evidence beyond the four corners of the ID is not to be used.

The board also unanimously approved two voter ID exception forms, which were required in the underlying statute. The NCSBE must adopt a reasonable impediment exemption form which must, “at a minimum,” include specific reasons listed in the statute that a voter may select. Voters claiming an exception to showing photo identification must attest that they are the voter casting the ballot.

The NCSBE also appointed four members – two Demo -

crats and two Republicans – to each of the 100 county boards of elections.

In Moore County, the two Democrats chosen were Hollis Powell and Antoinette Kelly, and the two Republicans were Martin Carpenter and Susan Adams.

Their terms will begin when they are sworn in on July 18. County board members serve two-year terms.

“We are happy to welcome new members to North Carolina’s elections team,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections.

“Together, we will continue to ensure that our elections are accessible, safe, and secure, and that every eligible vote counts.”

Gov. Roy Cooper appointed the fifth member who will also serve as the chair a day later, naming William Howell to the board ahead of their regularly scheduled meeting on July 18.

“As parents who choose to homeschool, we know that our kids are missing out on certain things; that is WHY we homeschool. But there are really important events like prom that no kid should miss.”

Chris & Betsy Miller

cil member.

“This offers middle-income affordable ownership, which is something that none of those other apartments have,” said councilmember Taylor Clement. “That’s something that, if you build this, you offer to people, which is a huge asset, and it’s hard to find somebody who’s willing to build something that offers that ownership opportunity. All those things being said, I would put a ton of conditions on this before I would approve it.”

Due to public comments and the need to draft out potential conditions for the development, the council continued the hearing.

“We have a lot to think about,” said Mayor Carol Haney. “There’s a lot of growth in Southern Pines, and we need to do it right.”

The third hearing was for a rezoning request for 2.6 acres of property on the west side of Valley View Road adjacent to Hyland Hills Golf Course.

“What we have is an application to rezone a parcel that is 2.6 acres that is presently zoned FRR,” Grieve said. “It is zoned FRR because it was part of the Highland Hills Golf Course. The subject parcel is now under individual ownership, and the owners would like to rezone it to an RS-3 zoning to put a detached single-family residential home.”

Following the hearing, the

See BUDGET page 2

Attendees pose for a group photo at the first ever homeschool prom in held Moore County.

CRIME LOG

council approved the request.

The final hearing was a request to rezone one acre of town-owned land on the north side of Eastman Road from RS-1 to FRR.

“The subject parcel was acquired by the town in 2003, and as it was town property, it was never rezoned from RS-1 to FRR,”

Grieve said. “That district allows for public uses, including utility uses, and since it’s right next to the town’s water tank, the town engineer initiated this request to make it easier to use it in a public manner that way.”

The council approved the request following the hearing.

Finally, the council approved an architectural compliance per-

mit for a Sheetz convenience store to be built at 1930 North Poplar Street and adopted the Metropolitan Planning Area for the newly formed Sandhills Area Metropolitan Planning Organization that will oversee the new urban district within Moore County that encompasses seven municipalities. The Southern Pines Town Council will next meet July 11.

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up in Moore County:

July 6

Trivia

Moore County Sheriff’s Office, Felony Larceny (x2), Possess Stolen Goods/Prop (x2), $50,000 Secured

are part of the Randolph County School System

Thursday

July 7

Carthage Farmers Market

2pm – 6pm

Come out and support your local farmers at the brand-new farmers market in Carthage! The market features fresh produce, meats, eggs, and handmade goods! The market will be set up on S. Ray Street in the parking lot across from the post office.

July 8

Moore County Farmers Market

8am – 12pm Enjoy the Moore County Farmers Market at the Armory Sports Complex, which is located at 604 W. Morganton Road in Southern Pines! Buy local and fresh seasonal produce and products every Saturday morning from 8am until 12pm!

Sandhills Farmers Market

10am – 1pm

Come out for the Sandhills Farmers Market in the heart of the Village of Pinehurst! The market features many wonderful farms, nurseries, bakeries, meat and egg providers, cheesemakers, and specialty food producers in the area.

We

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Defending your rights and celebrating our nation

“WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS to be selfevident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

As Congress’ leading defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue to focus on solutions that protect our rights.

Since our nation’s founding 247 years ago, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have defined the American dream. In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers set the goal of building a land where all could live freely and peacefully.

As your Congressman, I will always defend your rights from those who seek to destroy life, threaten our liberties, or endanger your pursuit of happiness as an American citizen.

That’s why throughout my time in Congress, I have been a leading proponent of protecting your Second Amendment rights. In recent weeks, I have led multiple pieces of legislation that reverse government overreach into your home and on your right to keep and bear arms.

Earlier this year, President Biden’s ATF established a new pistol brace ban which turned millions of combat wounded veterans and law-abiding citizens into felons overnight.

These braces were first designed to help wounded veterans continue to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Following the Biden administration’s latest regulation, I took to the House floor to sponsor the legislation to block it and am proud my bill passed the House with bipartisan support.

The ATF’s brace rule illustrates the dangers of an unchecked federal agency that is willing to go around Congress and the millions of constituents we represent. Although our resolution was just a few votes short of passage in the Senate, I will always defend your Second Amendment rights and will never stop fighting for our nation’s heroes who have sacrificed for our country.

As Congress’ leading defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue to focus on solutions that protect our rights.

President Ronald Reagan once said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s

children what it was once like in the United States where people were free.”

While there are many things that can divide us, being American unites us all and it’s up to us to preserve our nation for the next generation.

Independence Day is one of the most important holidays in our country, and I am, and always will be, proud to be an American. I am especially grateful to the millions of patriots who have served our nation in uniform and sacrificed along with their families, many of whom call our region home, for our freedoms.

As we commemorate the founding of our nation, I hope you are able to enjoy time with family and friends to celebrate the rights we enjoy as Americans and all the things that make our country the greatest on Earth.

Richard Hudson is serving his sixth term in the U.S. House and represents North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. He currently serves as the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and is a member of the House Republican Steering Committee.

Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat.

“EXTREME HEAT KILLS more people in the United States than any other weather hazard,” is the first claim in this Washington Post piece warning about the deadly summer heat — and it is almost certainly false. Similar warnings about the deadly weather appear in virtually every mainstream media outlet.

First off, the only reason “extreme” temperature kills more people than other weather hazards is that deaths from weather have plummeted over the century — even as doomsday climate warnings about heat, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and droughts have spiked. All extreme weather accounts for only about 0.1 death for every 100,000 people in the United States each year. That is a massive drop from the time of your grandparents. The Post and others should be celebrating the fact that humans have never been less threatened by the climate in history.

The Post also warns that 62 million people in the U.S. may be “exposed” to dangerous heat “today.” That’s a lot of people, even considering nearly all of them live in the southernmost spots in the country and it’s summer. The Post counts anyone exposed to heat over 90 F as being in some level of danger. Fortunately, most Americans enjoy the luxury and health benefits of air conditioning, one of the great innovations of the past century.

Nowhere in the piece, however, do the authors tell us exactly how many Americans have perished from the oppressive heat. Anyway, it’s around 700 people a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — if you liberally count heat as both the “underlying” and/or “contributing” causes. It is about 400 people when heat is the underlying cause. And that’s terrible. But, also, it’s around 3,600 fewer people than those who drown every year.

Though there has been an uptick in recent years — as Bjorn Lomborg has pointed out, this is almost surely due to an increasingly aging population that is more susceptible to heat — both numbers are still near-historic lows.

And most of those deaths, despite the Post’s claim, are from the cold, which is far more lethal to humans today, as it has always been. I come to this information via another Washington Post piece that ran this very winter, which helpfully notes that for “every death linked to heat, nine are tied to cold.” That piece relies on a recent peer-reviewed Lancet study to make that claim.

Another recent peer-reviewed study in The BMJ found that “cold weather is associated with nearly 20 times more deaths than hot weather.”

Other studies have come to the same conclusion.

So where did the Post get the idea that heat was the leading cause of weather deaths? After following a few hyperlinks, I land on a National Weather Service chart from 2019 that lists heat

as the leading cause of extreme weather deaths. Where it gets these numbers is a mystery to me. And though I’m sure they aren’t concocted by some bureaucrat, they certainly seem to be an outlier.

Not to worry. Even here we find promising news. Though the National Weather Service says the leading cause of weather deaths is heat, it also found that the average was only 103 deaths per year over the preceding decade. That’s hundreds of fewer deaths per year than the CDC reports — and hundreds fewer than die from, say, over-the-counter headache medicine overdoses.

Enjoy the summer.

David Harsanyi is a senior editor at The Federalist. Harsanyi is a nationally syndicated columnist and author of five books - the most recent, “Eurotrash: Why America Must Reject the Failed Ideas of a Dying Continent.”

COLUMN | U.S. REP. RICHARD HUDSON

COLUMN | DAVID HARSANYI Americans have never been less threatened by ‘extreme weather’

Jeremy Keith Fowler

June 21, 1985 - June 29, 2023

Jeremy Keith Fowler of Derby, left his earthly home on June 29, 2023.

Jeremy was born on June 21, 1985 to Dewayne Fowler and Sonya Sasser. He worked at a young age at Aberdeen Supply, working side by side with his best friend Jason Vuncannon. He worked for Martin Marietta and Richwood before starting his business, Carolina Farm Service.

He loved Derby, deer hunting, farming, riding his four-wheeler, his precious Jem, his “Queen” Sierra, dog Willie and his other Derby dogs.

He is preceded in death by his grandfather, Roy Fowler and grandmother, Barbara Kennedy.

He is survived by his wife, Sierra McQueen-Fowler; daughter Jem both of Derby; Father, Dewayne Fowler (Donna) of Oak Island; mother, Sonya Sasser of Star; sisters, Stacey Fowler (Kelly) of Star and Courtney Sasser of Aberdeen; grandfather, Doug Kennedy of Star; grandmother, Alease Fowler of Aberdeen.

Lorraine "Tina" Greenfield Burns

July 11, 1934 - June 27, 2023

Lorraine “Tina” Greenfield Burns, age 88, of Southern Pines, NC passed away peacefully on June 27, 2023. Tina was born in Brandywine, Maryland on July 11, 1934 to Paul Greenfield and Mabel Spicer Greenfield.

Tina is survived by her husband, Douglas Burns; sisters Lois Beker, Elsie Aker, sons Rodney Duley, Dennis Duley and Timothy Duley (Julie), daughters Lisa Bunge and Laura Burns, grandchildren Chistopher Duley (Kellie), Colleen Puzzo (Chris), Kallie Duley, Bradley Duley, Olivia Duley, Hunter Duley and Philip Bunge and great grandchild Ronan Puzzo. She also leaves behind her grandchildren of the heart, Megan Liederbach (Daniel), and Jordan Fruchte and our family's angel on earth, Justine Iskrzycki. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers William Greenfield, Donald Greenfield and Earl Greenfield, sister Ruby Dobson, and daughters-in-law Patricia Duley and Janice Duley.

Donald Wayne Hardee

January 12, 1933 - June 26, 2023

Donald Wayne Hardee of Seven Lakes passed peacefully on Monday June 26, 2023. He was born January 12, 1933 in Harnett County to the late John Calvin and Ida Womble Hardee. He was preceded by his wife Betty Hardee to whom he was married for 27 years, sisters, Vandelia Hart, and Ruby Washington; brothers, Clarence, Reece and Mack Hardee. He is survived by his daughters, Yuvonda Hendricks (Don), Angela Brustad (Greg); stepdaughters, Carol Allen (Fred), and Janet Shephard; granddaughters, Allison Matthews, Aimee Bray (CR), Erin Vereen (Todd), Laura Scott (Dan), Catherine Allen (Jimmy) and Brooke Shephard; and six greatgrandchildren. He is also survived by his sisters, Melba Young, Betty Stewart, and many nieces and nephews.

Holton Reid Batton

June 27, 1996 - June 28, 2023

Holton “Reid” Batton lost his battle to cancer on June 28, 2023, the day after his 27th birthday. Born on June 27, 1996, in Pinehurst, North Carolina, Reid was one of those rare people with the ability to talk to a perfect stranger and make them feel comfortable.

Reid grew up in Pinehurst, spending his early years playing recreation and travel inline hockey and recreation basketball, all coached by his father. Reid had a close-knit group of childhood friends, that continued to grow as he got older. Weekends were often spent together at his mother’s house with sleepovers, mounds of junk food and campfires in the backyard.

After graduating from Pinecrest High School, he attended the University of South Carolina and graduated cum laude in 2018 with a degree in Supply Chain and Operations Management. He made lifelong friends in his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi, and was looked up to and respected by his brothers. It was also at USC that he met his soul mate, Elizabeth “Beth” Richardson. The love they shared only grew stronger and they eventually moved to Greenville, N.C., where Reid worked at International Paper. They fought his illness together, with Beth supporting him during each and every treatment. They got married on December 30, 2022.

Lois Mary (Luckhardt) Hieber

Emily Caroline Adams

May 15, 1986 - June 27, 2023

Emily Caroline Adams, 37 of Pinehurst, daughter of Timmy and Suzie Adams passed on June 27, 2023.

Emily was born May 15, 1986 in Pinehurst. Despite her profound physical and mental disabilities, Emily managed to leave an incredible impact on her parents, sisters, family, friends, caregivers, and even strangers. She was loved, protected and cherished by her incredible parents for 37 years.

She was very affectionate and made her love and appreciation known. She loved to lean in for a good squeeze around her shoulders or a kiss on the cheek. She loved to be at eye-level to connect and press her forehead together with you. She gave what was termed “love taps,” a firm pop on the leg or arm, with a playful smile on her face. She was so loved and she loved BIG too.

Emily shared a special bond with her grandmother, Carolyn Black Smith. Emily spent many days with her Grandmother as a young child and loved her homemade cookies and special southern food.

Debbie Fay Tanner

June 18, 1954 - June 27, 2023

Debbie Fay Tanner, 69, of Rockingham, NC passed away on June 27, 2023.

Debbie was born June 18, 1954 in Rockingham, NC to the late Carl W. and Elle Williams Tanner. She grew up in Rockingham and graduated from Richmond High School.

Debbie is survived by her sister Denise Tanner; brothers Kenneth (Betsy), Brenton (Joyce), Michael (Trudy), Timothy (Marlene) and Thomas (Gail) and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, and sister Gayla. She will be missed and always loved.

MaryAnn Smith

August 10, 1939 - June 24, 2023

MaryAnn Smith was born August 10, 1939. She was the daughter of Nick and Rose Ortalano D’Angelo. She had a sister, Rose, and a brother, Nat. While in high school, MaryAnn met Rex G. Smith. Family was of great importance to both and they became parents to a daughter, Lesli, and a son, Patrick. Through the years their family continued to grow to include five grandchildren - Andrew, Jessica, Michelle, Jeanette, and Tony. It didn’t stop there, however. The entire family welcomed AJ and Bobbi, making MaryAnn and Rex great-grandparents.

MaryAnn is survived by Rex, her loving husband; her daughter, Lesli; her son, Patrick, and his wife Abigail; her grandchildren, Andrew, Jessica, Michelle, Jeanette, and Tony; her greatgrandchildren, AJ and Bobbi; her sister Rose Rago; and numerous nieces and nephews.

December 18, 1928 ~ June 16, 2023

Lois Mary Luckhardt Hieber - 94 - passed away peacefully on June 16, 2023. Lois was born December 18, 1928, in Saline, Michigan to Ernest and Lula (Klein) Luckhardt. She graduated from Saline High School. Lois married Elton (Tony) Hieber. They were blessed with three children, Marcia, Donald, and Sheryl. Lois later married her second husband, Jack Kerby. Survivors include her children - Marcia Kuzniar (Ron) of Pinehurst NC, Don Hieber (Nancy) of Manchester MI; Sheryl Pratt of Highlands Ranch, CO; step-daughter Brenda DeJong (John) of Vancouver, Canada; six grandchildren, 12 greatgrandchildren, and one greatgreat-grandchild and several nieces-and-nephews. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Tony Hieber, and her second husband, Jack Kerby. Her six brothers, their wives, and a stepdaughter, Wendy Kerby.

Reid was special. He was an avid fan of the Carolina Hurricanes and Gamecock football. He was a devoted son, loving husband, beloved grandson, nephew, son-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle -- truly a friend to everyone. He was friendly, approachable and one of the funniest people you’d ever meet. Though he was an only child, he was fiercely protective of his two younger cousins, whom he loved like siblings.

Reid is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Richardson; mother, Kathy Batton; father, Jeff Batton; grandparents Donald and Janet Batton, Susan Swinarski and Jack and Susan Moore; aunts and uncles Susie Masten, John and Catherine Moore, Tammy and Brad Spencer; cousins, Paige and Sam Masten; father and mother-in-law, David and Allison Richardson; his sister in-law Kate Highley and her husband, Sean; and niece, Paige Highley.

Emily’s sisters’ lives were shaped and molded in every way by Emily. They learned selflessness, compassion, humility, empathy, perseverance, fierce love and protectiveness, and the importance of advocating for people, and for doing what is right. As adults, April and Christy stayed in close proximity to “home,” knowing Emily needed them.

Emily’s parents’ lives orbited around Emily. They gave selflessly, constantly, laboriously and unconditionally and strived with all their will to include Emily, when possible. Emily was able to enjoy many of the same activities as her able-bodied peers due to the planning and efforts of her parents. She experienced horseback riding, boat rides, sledding, tubing, swimming, visiting the zoo, the state fair, the beach and sporting events. Emily’s five nephews, all under age 10, have also been positively influenced by Emily. They are kind and compassionate. She absolutely loved them.

She is survived by her father, Timothy Samuel Adams and her mother, Suzie (Smith) Adams of Pinehurst; two sisters, April Eilert and husband Harry of Pinehurst and Christy Tucker and husband Will of Jackson Springs; her grandmother, Carolyn Smith of Pinehurst; nephews, Sam Eilert, Owen Eilert, Wyatt Tucker, Wesley Tucker, and Whitt Tucker; her close friend and caretaker, Lourdes Bahena; and many cousins, aunts and uncles.