VOLUME 7 ISSUE 35 |
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2022
State Fair attendance highest since 2018 Raleigh The annual North Carolina State Fair brought 960,172 visitors to the state fairgrounds in its 11-day run this year, the highest total attendance since 2018. Benefitting from warm weekend weather in the first and second weeks, the fair’s highest-attended day was Saturday, Oct. 22, with 136,961. “We were blessed with good weather and we made the most of it,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “It truly was a celebration of our state’s $92.9 billion agriculture industry.”
Britain’s new leadership
NSJ STAFF
Obama cuts ad for Beasley Raleigh Former President Barack Obama endorsed Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley in a new campaign ad that began running Tuesday. North Carolina, which Obama narrowly won in 2008 and lost in his 2012 reelection, traditionally has been one of the most competitive states for control of the U.S. Senate. Recent polling, however suggests Republican Ted Budd is pulling away in the contest. The former president’s support comes two weeks before Election Day, with inperson early voting already underway in North Carolina. He has also cut endorsement ads for Democratic Senate candidates John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Mandela Barnes of Wisconsin. Obama has not indicated whether he will travel to North Carolina to campaign for Beasley, according to the Associated Press. NSJ STAFF
Columbus County sheriff who disparaged black employees resigns Whiteville A suspended North Carolina sheriff has resigned in the aftermath of a leaked audio recording in which he called black employees by derogatory names and said they should be fired, his attorney announced. Attorney Michael Mills made the announcement during a hearing on whether Jody Greene, who was elected in 2018, should be removed from office. District Attorney Jon David had sought Greene’s removal alleging that he had engaged in racial profiling of employees both personally and through those under his command, WECT reported. David has said that he asked the State Bureau of Investigation to probe allegations of obstruction of justice within the sheriff’s office. That investigation is ongoing. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ted Cruz makes stop in Johnston County Selma Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz urged Republicans in Johnston County to support Ted Budd for U.S. Senate and Bo Hines for U.S. House at a rally Tuesday afternoon in Selma. Cruz appeared after an eventful trip to New York City in which he battled the hosts of The View and went viral for multiple crowd interactions when he attended Game Four of the ALCS as the Houston Astros defeated the New York Yankees. He made an impassioned plea for those in crowd to vote and said the basic test for anyone who is still undecided is to ask “is your life better than it was two years ago.” He ended by predicting there would be not just a “red wave” but a red tsunami on Election Day. NSJ STAFF
AP PHOTOS
Top left photo; Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, left, welcomes Liz Truss during an audience at Balmoral, Scotland, where she invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative party to become Prime Minister and form a new government, Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. Top right; Britain’s King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak, newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, to become Prime Minister and form a new government, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022. Bottom; British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak waves from the steps of 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022.
Will Republicans regain supermajorities in the General Assembly? Republicans need to lock in 72 seats in the House and 30 in the Senate By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — As Election Day approaches, the battle for control of the North Carolina General Assembly isn’t in question. Both Democrats and Republicans expect the GOP to remain in control of the state legislature, as they have been since sweeping into power in 2011. The question this year is whether Republicans can regain veto-proof supermajorities in both chambers. To achieve that goal, Republicans need to win 72 seats in the House and 30 in the Senate. “I’m not personally on the ballot,” Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper told The Atlantic in a recent interview. “My ability to stop bad leg-
CDC committee has added COVID vaccines to the child immunizations list K-12 kids would only be impacted if NC Commission for Public Health adopts the schedule change By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — On Oct. 20, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention committee voted unanimously, 15-0, to add a COVID vaccination series to the 2023 immunization schedules for adults and children. The schedule changes approved by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) call for children to begin getting Pfizer and Moderna’s primary two-dose series starting when they are 6 months old. ACIP passed the measure with little discussion and despite some 33,000 comments filed by the public ahead of the meeting. “A CDC committee of unelected bureaucrats voted unanimously to
add the COVID vaxx to the childhood immunization schedule,” tweeted Republican Congressman Dan Bishop (NC-09). “This decision paves the way for vaccine mandates for children to attend schools, sports, and daycares across the country. Shameful.” Bishop also tweeted: “It’s important to note that state legislatures have the power to reject these CDC guidelines and ensure that parents can make the best health decisions for their own children. I hope that they take action.” Republican U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08) also issued a statement opposing the move. “COVID-19 vaccines delivered through Operation Warp Speed helped save lives at the outset of the pandemic. However, I oppose the CDC adding this experimental vaccine to the immunization schedule for children who face extremely low risk of danger from See IMMUNIZATIONS, page A2
AP PHOTO
Medical personnel vaccinate students at a school in New Orleans on Jan. 25, 2022.
islation is. The effectiveness of the veto is on the line.” Since taking office in 2017, Cooper has issued a record 75 vetoes; more than double the number issued by all past governors combined. When Republicans held supermajorities in both chambers during Cooper’s first term, 23 of Cooper’s 28 vetoes were overridden. Democrats have 93 candidates and Republicans fielded 113 candidates for the 120 seat races. The number of Republicans running unopposed for House seats outnumbers Democrats 27 to seven. Examples on the Republican side include Richmond County’s Ben Moss, who won the primary for House District 52 and will assume the seat since there is no Democratic challenger. The same is true for Republican Jake Johnson of Polk County in House DisSee SUPERMAJORITY, page A2
‘The most interesting thing you’ll do’: Sondland reflects on politics, diplomacy and Trump Gordon Sondland talks to North State Journal about his new book and his experience in international diplomacy By Matt Mercer North State Journal RALEIGH — Gordon Sondland, who represented the United States in Europe for two years as the ambassador to the European Union, knew in his mid-20s that representing his country abroad was something he wanted to do. “Those that had an ability to serve as a U.S. ambassador under either a Democrat or a Republican president, every single person, man and woman, described their experience as the most interesting thing they’ve ever done in their life. And, you know, these are people who have done other very interesting things,” said Sondland in an interview with North State Journal ahead of the release of his book “The Envoy.” “For them to say that really sort of struck a chord with me. And I decided I’d like to do this as well.” A successful businessman See SONDLAND, page A3
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