VOLUME 9 ISSUE 41 | THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2024
NSJONLINE.COM
End of an era Mack Brown’s second tour of duty at UNC ended Saturday with a 35-30 loss to rival NC State, the fourth consecutive time the Wolfpack have beaten the Tar Heels. Brown was 113-79-1 in 16 seasons in Chapel Hill. See more in Sports on B1.
CHRIS SEWARD / AP PHOTO
the
Audit reveals $7.8M in late unemployment payments
BRIEF this week
Democrats stick with Schumer as Senate minority leader Washington, D.C. Senate Democrats reelected Chuck Schumer as its leader Tuesday as the party moves into a deeply uncertain time with no real consensus on a strategy as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. Schumer faced no opposition in the party leadership elections, in which Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin was also reelected to the No. 2 spot and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the new No. 3. In a statement, Schumer, of New York, said he was honored to move the party forward “during this crucial period for our country.”
U.S. labor market mixed as job openings rise, hiring slows Washington, D.C. The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3½-year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September, the Labor Department said Tuesday. The increase suggests that job gains could pick up in the coming months. Still, the latest figure is down significantly from 8.7 million job postings a year ago. Last month, job openings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, managers, and accountants, as well as in the restaurant and hotel and information technology industries. The number of people quitting their jobs rose in October, a sign of confidence in the job market. And layoffs tumbled to just 1.6 million — below the lowest figures in the two decades that preceded the 2020 pandemic.
$2.00
Biden pardons convicted son The president had previously pledged not to intervene By Zeke Miller and Alanna Durkin Richer The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden pardoned his son, Hunter, on Sunday night, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not
The review says the Division of Employment Security did not fully implement past recommendations By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members. The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after his convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California. The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two
RALEIGH — A new state audit says that $7.8 million in first unemployment benefits did not go out in a timely manner between Jan. 1, 2023, through Dec. 31, 2023. The report by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) says the Division of Employment Security (DES) “remains at risk” of not being able to provide timely payments, especially in an instance of an economic downturn. Additionally, DES consistently did not meet federal timeliness standards. From the data graphs in the report, DES failed to reach federal timeliness standards (87% within 21 days) for the three years spanning 2020-23. DES is part of the state Department
See BIDEN, page A2
See AUDIT, page A3
December offers America 250 events Deadlines for local grants have been extended to Dec. 16 By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — As America’s 250th anniversary approaches, monthly events in North Carolina are being held in the lead-up to celebrations planned for the state and federal level in 2026. Deadlines for the America 250 North Carolina grants for towns and municipalities have been extended to Dec. 16. These grants are intended to fund America 250 N.C. programming and activities in the coming year. Questions about the grants can be directed to Dan Brosz at Dan.Brosz@dncr.nc.gov. December’s America 250 events in North Carolina include:
Yuletide by Lantern
Dec. 6, Historic Halifax 25 St. David St., Halifax Hours: 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., Free entry An “authentic Christmas of long ago” with interactive historical vignettes decorating homes, public buildings and taverns.
A Light in the Darkest of Nights
Dec. 6, Brunswick Town/ Fort Anderson 8884 St. Phillips Road S.E., Winnabow Hours: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Free entry Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson offers a “peaceful evening amongst the ruins of St. Philips Church as it is decorated in its holiday finest, See AMERICA 250, page A2
“First payment timeliness decreased despite North Carolina’s unemployment rate decreasing from 13.5% in April 2020 to 3.5% in December 2023.” N.C. State Auditor report on the Division of Unemployment Security