VOLUME 7 ISSUE 39 |
WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2022
Happy Thanksgiving from NSJ State unemployment rate increases again Raleigh The state’s seasonally adjusted October 2022 unemployment rate was 3.8%, increasing from September’s revised rate of 3.6%. The national rate increased to 3.7%. In the summer, the state’s unemployment rate stood at 3.4%. The number of people employed decreased 10,310 over the month to 4,933,609 and increased 154,352 over the year. Since October 2021, the state’s labor force increased by 128,783. NSJ STAFF
GasBuddy: Gas prices plummet as oil market turns bearish Charlotte For the second straight week, the nation’s average gas price has declined, falling 11.9 cents to $3.64 per gallon according to GasBuddy. The national average is down 16.4 cents from a month ago but still 24.5 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. “It’s terrific news as motorists prepare for Thanksgiving travel, with tens of thousands of stations under $3 per gallon,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Everyone will be seeing relief at the pump this week, with even more substantial declines on the way as oil prices plummeted last week to briefly trade under $80 per barrel.”
Chocolate off the menu this Thanksgiving
President Joe Biden pardons Chocolate, the national Thanksgiving turkey, at the White House in Washington, D.C., Monday, Nov. 21, 2022. Biden is joined by, Ronald Parker, Chairman of the National Turkey Federation, and Alexa Starnes, daughter of the owner of Circle S Ranch.
Berger: NC Supreme Court majority’s ‘extraordinary’ Leandro remedy is about power
NSJ STAFF
Consumers could pay price if railroads, unions can’t agree Omaha, Neb. Consumers could see shortages of some of their favorite groceries during the winter holiday season if railroads and all of their unions can’t agree on new contracts by an early-December deadline that had already been pushed back. The likelihood of a strike that could paralyze the nation’s rail traffic grew when the largest of the 12 rail unions, which represents mostly conductors, rejected management’s latest offering that included 24% raises. It appears increasingly likely that Congress will have to settle the dispute. Lawmakers have the power to impose contract terms if both sides can’t reach an agreement, and hundreds of business groups have urged Congress and President Joe Biden to intervene. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bankrupt exchange FTX owes top creditors over $3 billion New York The failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX owes more than $3 billion to its largest creditors, the company disclosed in a court filing over the weekend. The list of the top 50 unsecured claims against FTX gives the public a first glance into the amount of money Sam Bankman-Fried’s companies may owe his customers. The top claim was more than $226 million. “Never in my career have I seen such a complete failure of corporate controls and such a complete absence of trustworthy financial information as occurred here,” said John Ray III, the new CEO of FTX.
This year’s Thanksgiving dinner cost jumps 20% over 2021 Cost of a meal for 10 rose $10.74 per the American Farm Bureau Federation By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — According to this year’s Thanksgiving Dinner Farm Bureau survey, the average cost for a family of 10 has risen $10.74 or 20% over the previous year, going from $53.31 in 2021 to $64.05 this year. While the cost has crept up each year, this year’s Thanksgiving dinner will be the most expensive in the history of the survey. This year’s price jump is almost four dollars more compared to the increase between 2020 and 2021 when the average cost rose $6.41. This is the 37th year the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) has conducted the Thanksgiving Dinner survey. “General inflation slashing the purchasing power of consumers is a significant factor contributing to the increase in average cost of this year’s Thanksgiving dinner,” AFBF Chief Economist Roger Cryan said in a press release. Inflation rates have been rising over the past two years. Inflation hit a high this year in June of 9.1%. Prior to the 2020 election, the inflation rate for October was 1.2%. The current annual inflation rate for October came in at 7.7%; a small decline from 8.2% in September. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for food overall was 10.9% in October. Drilling down,
the CPI reported a rate of 12.9% for food at home and 8.6% for food purchases away from home. Cryan also said other factors raising the cost include “supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine,” and higher turkey costs can also be linked to “a slightly smaller flock this year, increased feed costs and lighter processing weights.” “Farmers are working hard to meet growing demands for food – both here in the U.S. and globally – while facing rising prices for fuel, fertilizer and other inputs,” Cryan said. The majority of the menu items have double-digit increases this year. The only decrease was a 14 percent drop in the cost of fresh cranberries.
“The essence of this case is power — who has the power to craft educational policy and who has the authority to fund that policy.” By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — The N.C. Supreme Court released its opinion on the long-running Leandro education funding case on Nov. 4, just days ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. In the 4-3 decision, the Democratic majority sided with former Judge David Lee’s previous decision ordering three state entities — the state controller, state
treasurer and the N.C. Office of Budget and Management — to transfer billions from the state’s coffers. Penned by retiring Associate Justice Robin Hudson, the majority opinion consists of 136 pages out of the 227-page ruling. Hudson’s majority ruling also says the trial court will “retain jurisdiction over the parties to monitor State compliance with this order.” The bulk of the majority opinion is spent justifying what Hudson calls an “extraordinary remedy,” which is the court bypassing the state constitution’s appropriations clause that states “No money shall be drawn from the State treasury but in conseSee LEANDRO, page A2
16-pound turkey: $28.96 or $1.81 per pound (up 21%)
NC Supreme Court dismisses request to expedite constitutional amendments case
14-ounce bag of cubed stuffing mix: $3.88 (up 69%)
North State Journal
2 frozen pie crusts: $3.68 (up 26%) Half pint of whipping cream: $2.24 (up 26%) 1 pound of frozen peas: $1.90 (up 23%) 1 dozen dinner rolls: $3.73 (up 22%) Misc. ingredients to prepare the meal: $4.13 (up 20%)
See THANKSGIVING, page A2
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
USA, Wales tie in opening World Cup match Doha, Qatar The USA Men’s National Soccer team tied Wales 1-1 after giving up a late penalty kick to Welsh star Gareth Bale in the first game of the 2022 World Cup. Up next for the USA team is a match against England on Friday, Nov. 25. NSJ STAFF
AP PHOTO
COURTESY GRAPHIC
RALEIGH — A request to expedite trial proceedings by plaintiffs in the ongoing case involving two constitutional amendments passed by voters in 2018 was rejected by the N.C. Supreme Court last week. On Nov. 15, attorneys representing the N.C. NAACP filed a Writ of Mandamus in the case involving two state constitutional amendments approved by voters in 2018. In their request, the Plaintiffs claim a panel of N.C. Court of Appeals judges are delaying the transfer of the case to a trial court in Wake County and asked the state supreme court to force the transfer. “Given the additional factual inquiry that this Court has ordered the trial court to conduct, additional delays in resolving this case may be inevitable,” the Plaintiff’s request states. “But there is no reason to allow the inexplicable delay caused by the Respondent Court of Appeals to drag on indefinitely, blocking the trial court from fulfilling this Court’s order.” The amendments being sued over, Voter ID and a state income tax cap, were among six See AMENDMENTS, page A3
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