VOLUME 7 ISSUE 20 |
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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2022
Jill Biden compares Hispanics to ‘breakfast tacos’ in speech San Antonio First lady Jill Biden is facing intense backlash for a remark she made about Hispanic Americans, Fox News reported. Biden was speaking Monday at the 2022 UnidosUS Annual Conference titled “Siempre Adelante: Our Quest for Equity” when she boasted about the “diversity” of the Hispanic community nationwide. “As distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio,” Biden said before a brief chuckle. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists condemned the first lady, saying, “Using breakfast tacos to try to demonstrate the uniqueness of Latinos demonstrates a lack of cultural knowledge and sensitivity to the diversity of Latinos. We are not tacos.” The group added, “Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by a variety of diasporas, cultures and food traditions, and should not be reduced to a stereotype.”
JOE BRADY | EA SPORTS
PNC Arena hosts the Apex Legends Global Series championship in Raleigh.
PNC Arena hosts its first ever esports event
NSJ STAFF
Cooper announces 125 jobs in Hickory as Merchants Distributors begins new expansion Hickory Merchants Distributors, LLC (MDI), a wholesale grocery distributor founded in Hickory in 1931, will invest $35 million in a new expansion of its services and operations, creating 125 jobs, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday. The company anticipates adding approximately 250,000 square feet to its perishable capacity at its Caldwell County facilities. MDI and its parent company Alex Lee, Inc. were founded in Hickory, distributing both food and non-food grocery items to more than 600 retail stores across the United States and other locations. The company’s new project in Caldwell County will add perishable capacity to the company’s existing facility in Hickory, with the conversion of ambient space into space that can be chilled and maintained at a temperature of 34 degrees. NSJ STAFF
Pig organ transplants inch closer with testing in the dead New York New York researchers transplanted pig hearts into two brain-dead people over the last month, the latest in a string of developments in the long quest to one day save human lives with animal organs. The experiments announced Tuesday come after a historic but failed attempt earlier this year to use a pig’s heart to save a dying Maryland man — sort of a rehearsal before scientists try again in the living. “We learned so much from the first one that the second one is much better,” said Dr. Nader Moazami, who led the operations at NYU Langone Health. “You stand there in awe” when the pig heart starts to beat in a human body. Pigs are being genetically modified so their organs are more human-like — increasing hope that they might one day help fill a shortage of donated organs. More than 100,000 people are on the national waiting list for a transplant, most of them kidney patients, and thousands die every year before their turn comes. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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By Griffin Daughtry North State Journal
Greensboro, Fayetteville races to be decided July 26 Incumbents in both cities faced multiple primary challengers
just over 61% of all votes cast in that race. Chip Roth came in second with 3,108 votes, however, Roth pulled out of the race and endorsed Matheny after announcing he had been diagBy A.P. Dillon nosed with prostate cancer. The North State Journal third candidate in the race, Bill RALEIGH — Mayoral and Marshburn, moves up to face city council races in Greensboro Matheny July 26. District 4 did not have a priand Fayetteville are set to be demary on May 17 as there are cided by voters on July 26. In both cities, the top two only two candidates, incumbent vote-getters in the primary ad- Nancy Hoffmann and challenger vanced to the general election. Thurston Reeder. In District 5, the top two finThe races are also nonpartisan and both saw a number of chal- ishers who will face each other on July 26 were seplengers to incumbent arated by only 175 members. votes. They are Tami Greensboro’s inZ. Thurm, who took cumbent Mayor Nanin 2,795 votes, and cy Vaughan advanced In both cities, Tony Wilkins with from the primary the top two 2,600 votes. with 18,003 votes In Fayetteville, or 45% of the votes vote-getters Democratic Mayor cast. Vaughan, be- in the primary Mitch Colvin will face fore becoming mayadvanced to Freddie Delacruz in or in 2013, served on the July 26 general the Greensboro City the general election. Colvin had Council in an at-large election. faced four challengseat from 2009 to ers in the primary but 2013 and also reprecame out on top with sented District 4 from 13,266 votes representing 65% of 1997 to 2001. Justin Outling, who did not the total votes cast. Delacruz, a run for his own District 3 seat distant second with 2,855 votes, in order to challenge Vaughan, finished with just under 14% of came in second with 14,121 or the vote. Colvin was first elected in just over 35% of the vote. Chris Meadows is also waging 2017 after defeating Republican an active write-in campaign with incumbent Nat Robertson with 59% of the vote. Colvin, a busihelp from local Republicans. For Greensboro’s at-large city nessman and local mortician, council race, 10 candidates ran ran unopposed in the 2019 elecin the May primary with the tion. Prior to the mayoral run, he top six advancing to the gener- was a member of the city council al election. Those candidates for two consecutive terms from include incumbents Marikay 2013 to 2017. In the Fayetteville City CounAbuzuaiter, Hugh Holston, and Yvonne Johnson along with cil races, incumbent members all challengers Tracy Furman, Katie moved on to the July 26 general Rossabi and Linda Wilson. The election. Vote totals were relatop three finishers on July 26 tively small, with only three of will take seats on the city coun- the District seat races had winners who surpassed a 1,000 vote cil. Greensboro District 1 incum- mark. In District 1, incumbent Kathy bent Sharon Hightower took in the most votes with 4,603 (78%) Keefe Jensen pulled in 913 votes and Felton Foushee came in sec- or just over 47%. She will face Alex Rodriguez who came in second with 764 votes. District 2’s incumbent Goldie ond with 578 votes (30%). The top two finishers in DisWells came in first with 2,168 (43%) votes followed by Cecile trict 2 were separated by only (CC) Crawford with 1,517 votes 42 votes. Incumbent Shakeyla Ingram brought in 598 votes and (30%). District 3 saw former coun- Tyrone A. Williams had 556. cilmember Zack Matheny coming in first with 6,724 votes or See RACES, page A2
RALEIGH — PNC Arena holds a variety of events throughout the year, including professional hockey and college basketball games, concerts, and even monster truck rallies. This past weekend, however, Raleigh’s largest indoor venue hosted something a bit out of the ordinary: a professional video game tournament. The Apex Legends Global
Series 2 Championship, sponsored by EA Sports and Lenovo, certainly wasn’t your old-school local area network (LAN) party. It was the real deal. Dozens of teams, with players from all over the world, gathered around two massive LED screens and the arena’s video board to duke it out over a $2 million prize pool. The winning team, DarkZero Esports from Australia, took home See ESPORTS, page A2
Cooper signs 2022 budget bill, vetoes others as total reaches 75 By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed House Bill 103, the 2022 Appropriations bill on July 11. An ABC omnibus bill was among 19 bills signed by Cooper on July 8. The day before, he signed 11 other bills. Those of note recently include Senate Bill 762, the NC Farm Act of 2022; Senate Bill 435, Terminations of States of Emergency; and Senate Bill 671, which makes various changes to virtual education options. Of the seven bills outstanding bills requiring action, Cooper signed two, vetoed four and let one become law without his signature. The four new vetoes bring Cooper’s total to 75, well beyond the 35 issued by all of his predecessors combined. “Today, I signed the state budget (HB 103) that includes critical investments in education, economic development, transportation and the state workforce,” Cooper said in a press statement Monday. “This budget does not include Medicaid expansion, but the leadership in both the House and Senate now support it and both chambers have passed it.” Cooper also said, “Negotiations are occurring now and we are closer than ever to agreement on Medicaid expansion, therefore a veto of this budget would be counterproductive.” In a joint statement, House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Kings Mountain) and Senate Leader Phil Berger (R-Eden) addressed Cooper’s remarks on Medicaid expansion. “The General Assembly passed the 2022 budget with strong bipartisan support, and we are pleased Gov. Cooper signed this responsible spend-
ing plan into law,” the lawmakers said. “Moving forward, we are committed to working together to improve healthcare access and expand Medicaid, while providing the necessary safeguards to preserve the state’s fiscal strength. Active negotiations are occurring now toward that end.” Cooper’s office also announced that changes requested by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure flexibility to respond to See BUDGET, page A2