Displaying items by tag: north carolina

RALEIGH — Discussion of the coronavirus dominated the first half-hour of the gubernatorial debate between incumbent Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Forest. But at times, Cooper treated Forest like a proxy for the GOP-led General Assembly, as the governor attacked school choice, tax cuts, teacher pay, and other issue-driven fights between Cooper and the legislature. 

The post of lieutenant governor is a constitutional office in North Carolina, and the only one empowered to exercise both legislative and executive powers. Those powers are rather limited, however — casting a vote in the state senate when there is a tie, “presiding” over that chamber in a titular (but rarely practical) sense, and serving on several boards.

PEMBROKE — Drs. Malinda Maynor Lowery and Arwin Smallwood will facilitate a discussion titled “Sharing Black and Native Histories” as part of UNC Pembroke’s Virtual Diversity Series.

History is full of cases in which people subverted their own just causes by acting impulsively rather than carefully considering the costs and benefits. As the ancient poet Horace put it, “The one who cannot restrain their anger will wish undone, what their temper and irritation prompted them to do.”

Once again, a prominent leader in North Carolina is coming under intense criticism for responding to a “Black Lives Matter” inquiry with the “But All Lives Matter” retort. UNC-Wilmington Chancellor Jose Sartarelli, upon being requested to allow a “Black Lives Matter” painting to be placed on campus responded with the all too familiar “No. All lives matter.” 

HAMLET — A downtown, full-wall mural of jazz legend John Coltrane is now complete.

The mural is the first in a planned series by artist Scott Nurkin of musicians born in the Tar Heel State.

RALEIGH — Gov. Roy Cooper encourages all North Carolinians to honor June 1, 2020 as a Day of Mourning to grieve the 100,000 people in America, including almost 1,000 in North Carolina, who have lost their lives to COVID-19.

RALEIGH — North Carolina employers shed 616,000 jobs in March and April, according to the latest establishment survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a decline of 13% in just two months. Our labor-market collapse will look even worse when BLS releases its May survey in a few weeks.

Along with public health, the COVID-19 pandemic is testing government transparency in North Carolina. 

RALEIGH — About 400 North Carolina churches could join a lawsuit challenging Gov. Roy Cooper’s statewide stay-at-home order.