VOLUME 148 ISSUE 24 | THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2025
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
THE CHATHAM COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
COURTESY CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Catch of the day A crane lifts a submerged Nissan Maxima from Jordan Lake at the U.S. 64 bridge last Friday. The vehicle was spotted earlier in the week by a fisherman using sonar and recovered by the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office with help from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and Barnes Towing. Investigators are looking to see if it’s connected to any known incidents or reports.
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BRIEF this week
Violent crime in U.S. dropped 4.5% last year, FBI data shows Washington, D.C. A new FBI report says violent crime in the United States fell 4.5% last year while property crime dropped 8% from the year before. The FBI statistics released Tuesday show murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in the U.S. fell nearly 15% in 2024, continuing a decline that’s been seen since a coronavirus pandemicera crime spike. Reported hate crimes decreased 1.5%. The FBI collects data through its Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Not all law enforcement agencies in the U.S. participate. The 2024 report is based on data from more than 16,000 agencies, or more than 86% of those agencies in the FBI’s program.
House committee subpoenas Epstein files, depositions with Clintons Washington, D.C. The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department for files in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation and is seeking depositions with the Clintons and eight former top law enforcement officials. Meanwhile, federal prosecutors are asking in court to unseal grand jury transcripts in the sex trafficking cases against Epstein and his ex-girlfriend but say there’s not much new in them.
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Chatham residents can now seek state aid after Chantal flooding The governor wrote to FEMA to ask for federal disaster relief funds Chatham News & Record staff RALEIGH — Individuals in Chatham and seven other counties whose homes and belongings were damaged by massive rains last month
from Tropical Storm Chantal can now seek state-funded financial grants for temporary assistance. Gov. Josh Stein issued a state disaster declaration Tuesday, making available state emergency assistance funds in Orange, Durham, Alamance, Caswell, Granville, Person, Wake and Chatham counties. Stein declared a Type 1 disas-
ter under the North Carolina Emergency Management Act. As much as 9 to 12 inches of rain fell in the region at the close of the July 4 weekend, sending some rivers to record-breaking levels, affecting public water systems, and damaging homes and businesses. There were at least six storm-related deaths, law enforcement agencies said.
Democratic governors may offer path forward for party out of power Republicans have control of D.C., but state houses offer a respite By Bill Barrow The Associated Press ATLANTA — Anderson Clayton wanted a headline name to speak at North Carolina Dem-
ocrats’ summer gala — but the state party chair bypassed familiar Capitol Hill figures, looking instead to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker. She described him as “a real fighter” against President Donald Trump, someone who gets things done because he controls levers of government — unlike any Democrat in Washington.
“I wanted people to hear from one of the Democratic governors who has defended their state, who could look at the president and say, ‘I’m in a position of power right now just like you are, and I’m doing good things,’” Clayton said. Indeed, some Democratic activists see the party’s 23 governors as their best answer to
NC’s US Senate race turns into battle for middle class Roy Cooper vs. Michael Whatley may turn on issues rather than culture wars By Thomas Beaumont and Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press RALEIGH — Democrats still in the dumps over last year’s elections have found cause for optimism in North Carolina, where former Gov. Roy Cooper jumped into the race for that state’s newly open seat with a vow to address voters’ persistent concerns about making ends meet. Even Republicans quiet-
ly note that Cooper’s candidacy makes their job of holding the seat more difficult and expensive. Cooper had raised $2.6 million for his campaign between his Monday launch and Tuesday, and more than $900,000 toward allied groups. Republicans, meanwhile, are hardly ceding the economic populist ground. In announcing his candidacy for the Senate on Thursday, Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley credited President Donald Trump with fulfilling campaign promises to working Americans and See SENATE, page A3
“We can attack Republicans all day long, but unless we have candidates who can really embody that message, we’re not going to be able to take back power.” Pat Dennis, American Bridge 21st Century
Stein also wrote President Donald Trump and the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday asking them to issue a federal major disaster declaration that would accelerate federal aid to help local governments with the costs of rebuilding roads and utilities, and for removing See DISASTER, page A7
Trump’s second Republican presidency. Those statehouse chiefs provide proof voters will embrace alternatives — and could give them a roadmap for the 2026 midterms, when Democrats hope at least to reclaim a U.S. House majority. They also will likely be central to the party’s hopes in the 2028 presidential race. There is no question Democrats are down at the federal level. Republicans control the White House, the House and the Senate, allowing Trump to pursue an aggressive agenda. The party See DEMS, page A7