Category Archives: State/Regional

Appeals court rules felony offenders can’t be prosecuted for voting unlawfully by mistake

Appeals court rules felony offenders can’t be prosecuted for voting unlawfully by mistake

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that a North Carolina law making it a crime for felony offenders to vote before completing their punishments without knowing they were breaking the law is unconstitutional. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a trial judge’s decision, pointing out that the law has disproportionately affected Black ex-defendants. The General Assembly changed the law so that starting in January 2024 it required intent to break the law for it to be a crime. But the law had not changed for pre-2024 voting and became the lawsuit’s focus. The unanimous appeals court ruling could be appealed.… Continue Reading

Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies

Americans mark the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with emotional ceremonies

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans are marking 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with solemn ceremonies, volunteer work and other tributes honoring the victims. At the World Trade Center site in New York City, the nearly 3,000 victims’ names were being read aloud Thursday. At the Pentagon in Virginia, a memorial service honored the 184 service members and civilians killed. And near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a similar ceremony honored the victims of Flight 93. The remembrances are being held during a time of increased political tensions. The 9/11 anniversary comes a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a college in Utah.… Continue Reading

A Democrat governor, a Republican legislature: How Josh Stein is navigating North Carolina politics

A Democrat governor, a Republican legislature: How Josh Stein is navigating North Carolina politics

FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is taking a more collaborative approach with Republican opponents in his first eight months in office despite disagreeing with them on many issues. Stein succeeded fellow Democrat Roy Cooper in January. He aims to work with the GOP-controlled General Assembly and has built dialogue with them. Stein’s approach contrasts with Democratic governors elsewhere who have taken more combative stances against President Donald Trump and the GOP. Republican leaders have said they appreciate the open lines of communication with Stein. Still, the new governor has vetoed 15 bills, with lawmakers so far overriding eight of them.… Continue Reading

Republican North Carolina state Sen. Bobby Hanig announces bid to unseat Democrat Don Davis in 2026

Republican North Carolina state Sen. Bobby Hanig announces bid to unseat Democrat Don Davis in 2026

POWELLS POINT, N.C. (AP) — Republican state Sen. Bobby Hanig has announced his bid for a U.S. House seat in North Carolina. The coastal legislator aims to unseat two-term Democratic Rep. Don Davis. Hanig plans to run for the 1st Congressional District, which is the state’s only swing district and spans 22 counties. Davis has already filed federal candidate paperwork for the 2026 race. Another Republican, Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, has filed as well. The official election filing period is in December, with primaries in early March. Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats.… Continue Reading

Trump and Republican senators fight over a century-old tradition for judicial nominees

Trump and Republican senators fight over a century-old tradition for judicial nominees

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the Senate’s century-old tradition of allowing home state senators to sign off on some federal judge and U.S. attorney nominees is “old and outdated.” Republican senators disagree. Trump has been complaining about what’s called the blue slip process for weeks and has pushed Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley to abandon the practice. But the veteran Iowa Republican senator hasn’t budged. On Monday, Trump said he may sue, arguing he can only get “weak” judges approved in states that have at least one Democratic senator. Senate Republicans have been unbowed, arguing they used blue slips to their own benefit when Democrat Joe Biden was president.… Continue Reading

Hurricane Erin leaves rough seas with 2 swimmers dead and a search underway for a missing boater

Hurricane Erin leaves rough seas with 2 swimmers dead and a search underway for a missing boater

SALISBURY, Mass. (AP) — Hurricane Erin never made landfall, but it left behind rough ocean conditions along the U.S. East Coast. At least two people have died, a 17-year-old boy in New Hampshire and a 59-year-old man in New York, after they went swimming in heavy current. A search continued Monday for a man who was missing after his boat capsized off of Salisbury Beach in Massachusetts on Saturday. The teen was pulled away by a strong ocean current off of Hampton Beach. The man was swimming at Sailors Haven in the Fire Island National Seashore. Forecasters say there are no coastal watches or warnings for newly formed Tropical Storm Juliette in the Pacific Ocean and Tropical Storm Fernand in the Atlantic.… Continue Reading

Hurricane Erin never hit land or caused major damage, but threatened turtle nests weren’t so lucky

Hurricane Erin never hit land or caused major damage, but threatened turtle nests weren’t so lucky

As Hurricane Erin pelted North Carolina’s barrier islands with strong winds and waves, it destroyed many nests of threatened sea turtles. The waves buried the eggs deep in sand or washed them out to sea. On Topsail Island more than half the 43 loggerhead turtle nests were lost this week. The storm also likely wiped out eight of the 10 remaining nests on Emerald Isle. Loggerheads are threatened in the U.S. due to bycatch from fishing. But conservation groups can do little to keep nests safe during a hurricane given North Carolina’s strict laws about keeping the sea turtle hatching process natural.… Continue Reading

North Carolina Supreme Court says bars’ COVID-19 lawsuits can continue

North Carolina Supreme Court says bars’ COVID-19 lawsuits can continue

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The North Carolina Supreme Court has issued favorable rulings for bars seeking compensation from the state for COVID-19 restrictions. On Friday, the court decided that two lawsuits filed by bars and their operators can continue. These lawsuits claim that through ordered closings they were treated unfairly compared to restaurants during the pandemic. The restrictions began in March 2020 under then-Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat. The court’s Republican justices agreed one lawsuit could proceed, rejecting state arguments to halt it. They ruled the other case also can return to a trial judge so evidence could be analyzed on the claim the owners’ rights to earn a living were violated.… Continue Reading

North Carolina updates more than 20,000 voter records, seeks more ID numbers

North Carolina updates more than 20,000 voter records, seeks more ID numbers

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina election officials have successfully amended over 20,000 voter registration records. This effort began in mid-July to address a lawsuit from President Donald Trump’s Justice Department. The lawsuit focused on records missing a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. A “Registration Repair Project” by the State Board of Elections created an online database of over 103,000 registrants lacking these identifiers. As of Monday, the number of registrants on the list has dropped by 20%. Now the remaining people are getting letters requesting to act. Those who don’t provide the information will have to vote provisionally in upcoming elections.… Continue Reading

Hurricane Erin forecast to churn up dangerous swells and winds from Florida to New England

Hurricane Erin forecast to churn up dangerous swells and winds from Florida to New England

RODANTHE, N.C. (AP) — Hurricane Erin is churning slowly toward the eastern U.S. coast and stirring up waves that already have forced dozens of beach rescues several days before the biggest storm surges are expected. Forecasters remain confident the center of the monster storm will remain far offshore. But the outer edges are likely to bring damaging tropical-force winds, large swells and life-threatening rip currents. Warnings about rip currents have been posted from Florida to the New England coast. In New Jersey, towns are closing some beaches to swimming. The biggest swells along the East Coast are expected to develop Wednesday and last into Thursday.… Continue Reading

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