VOLUME 10 ISSUE 20 | THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2025
NSJONLINE.COM
PJ WARD-BROWN / NORTH STATE JOURNAL
Chantal storms through North Carolina
Debris is strewn across the Buddy Collins Memorial Bridge on Church Road in Saxapahaw on Monday following flooding to the Haw River caused by Tropical Storm Chantal.
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Names floated for Senate seat
BRIEF this week
Former Gov. Roy Cooper and Lara Trump are the top picks to succeed Sen. Thom Tillis, but neither has committed to running
Swain County sheriff resigns after sexual misconduct charges Bryson City The longtime Swain County sheriff accused of sexual misconduct has quit before he could be permanently removed. Curtis Cochran, who was first elected Swain County sheriff in 2006, retired from the post effective July 1, according to a statement from the county Board of Commissioners. The chief deputy is performing the sheriff’s duties while the commissioners decide who will serve out the remainder of Cochran’s four-year term through late 2026, the statement said. Cochran, 72, was charged in state courts with felonious restraint and misdemeanor sexual battery, soliciting prostitution and assault on a female, according to June 27 arrest warrants. Officials sought to remove him from office for “willful misconduct and maladministration in office,” but Cochran, who was immediately suspended, then announced his retirement.
Impostor used AI to impersonate Rubio Washington, D.C. The State Department is warning U.S. diplomats of attempts to impersonate Secretary of State Marco Rubio and possibly other officials using technology driven by artificial intelligence, according to two senior officials and a cable sent last week to all embassies and consulates. The warning came after the department discovered an impostor posing as Rubio had attempted to reach out to at least three foreign ministers, a U.S. senator and a governor, according to the July 3 cable. The scam messages were sent by text, Signal and voice mail.
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By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
ed unanimously to approve a short-term contract extension with PowerSchool, the student data system used by the state that suffered a global data breach near the end of last year. Following the breach, there were subsequent ransom demands from “threat actors“ to North Carolina districts
RALEIGH — Speculation is swirling about which candidates will lead the field for U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis’ seat following his announcement he will not seek reelection in 2026. Republicans and Democrats alike reacted with praise for Tillis after the news broke. Former N.C. Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry said he was thankful for Tillis’ “years of dedicated service to our state,” mentioning Tillis’ accomplishments as speaker of the N.C. House. “I respect Senator Tillis’s decision to end his career in the Senate when he felt the time was right,” said N.C. Attorney General Jeff Jackson, a Democrat, said on X. Jackson’s name is one being floated as a candidate for Tillis’ seat should former Gov. Roy Cooper decline to run. “Jackson’s somebody, as a Republican, he scares me down the road,” longtime Republican strategist Carter Wrenn said in an interview earlier this year with North State Journal. The state’s other senator, Sen. Ted Budd,
See CONTRACT, page A3
See SENATE, page A8
PowerSchool contract partially renewed by state The National Guard was solicited to vet PowerSchool’s cybersecurity By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — At a called meeting of the North Carolina State Board of Education on June 23, the board vot-
NC cases part of DOJ health care fraud sweep North Carolina-linked cases account for around $49 million By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Multiple cases involving North Carolina residents and companies are a part of the recently announced $14.6 billion health care fraud takedown by the U.S. Department of Justice on June 30. “This record-setting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a press release. “Make no mistake — this administration will not tolerate criminals who line their pock-
ets with taxpayer dollars while endangering the health and safety of our communities.” Officials described the operation as the largest takedown involving health care fraud schemes in U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) history. Through “Operation Goldrush,” federal authorities used data analytics to identify and charge 29 individuals involved with “transnational criminal organizations” with schemes totaling $12 billion in fraudulent claims, including a $10.6 billion scheme involving stolen identities for fake Medicare claims. Those charges are from multiple Eastern European countries, Pakistan, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. More than 320 people are See FRAUD, page A2
“This recordsetting Health Care Fraud Takedown delivers justice to criminal actors who prey upon our most vulnerable citizens and steal from hardworking American taxpayers.” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi
“I will work hard to ensure we elect a strong conservative candidate to represent the people of North Carolina in 2026.” Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.)