VOLUME 8 ISSUE 17
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WWW.NSJONLINE.COM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21, 2023
BIG ROCK BLUE MARLIN TOURNAMENT
SUSHI wins top prize at Big Rock The crew of Sushi celebrates with the 484.5-pound marlin it caught that proved to be the winning catch of last week’s Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. Read more in Sports on page B4.
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Biden officially taps Cohen for CDC director
BRIEF this week
NC’s unemployment rate slightly below national average Raleigh North Carolina’s seasonally adjusted May 2023 unemployment rate was 3.4%, remaining unchanged from April’s revised rate, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. The national rate increased by 0.3 of a percentage point to 3.7%. The state’s unemployment rate was unchanged from a year ago. The number of people employed increased by 20,351 over the month to 5,033,140 and increased by 42,690 over the past year. The number of people unemployed decreased by 3,076 over the month to 175,754 and decreased 1,737 over the year. Seasonally adjusted Total Nonfarm employment, as gathered through the monthly establishment survey, increased to 4,901,500 in May. Major industries experiencing increases were leisure and hospitality services (4,300), professional and business services (3,200), trade, transportation and utilities (2,500), education and health services (1,200), government (700), information (200), and manufacturing (200). Major industries experiencing decreases were construction (2,400), other services (2,200) and financial activities (1,300). Despite coming in under the national average, the 3.4% rate ranks 32nd among the 50 states. The lowest rate is shared by three states, Nebraska, New Hampshire and South Dakota, at 1.9%. NSJ STAFF
By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
Cooper vetoes total of four bills, override votes likely By A.P. Dillon North State Journal RALEIGH — Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed four bills – one on Friday and three more Monday, bringing his total to 81 in seven years. The veto on Friday concerned a bill that would bar compelled speech in state hiring practices and in the workplace. “In North Carolina, the diversity of our people is a strength. This legislation attempts to eliminate training that can help us understand the unconscious bias we all bring to our work
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See COOPER, page A2
Governor’s Commission on Public University Governance makes initial recommendations Cooper calls for increasing UNC Board of Governors membership in the name of “bipartisanship.” By A.P. Dillon North State Journal
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and our communities,” Cooper wrote in his veto message. “It is troubling that a legislature that witnessed open racism on the floor of the House of Representatives wants to stop training aimed at creating a more effective and understanding workforce. Instead of pretending that bias and racism don’t exist, the legislature should instead encourage training that can help eliminate discrimination so we can work toward common goals.” Senate Bill 364, titled Non-
cord protecting Americans’ health and safety.” “As Secretary of North Carolina’s RALEIGH — President Joe Department of Health and Human Biden issued a press release June 16 Services, Dr. Cohen developed inofficially announcing “his intent” to novative and nationally recognized programs that improved choose Dr. Mandy Cohen the health and lives of as the next director of the families across the state,” Centers for Disease ConBiden’s statement reads. trol (CDC). “Her leadership through Cohen served as the “Dr. Cohen the COVID-19 crisis drew secretary for North Car- developed bipartisan praise, as did olina’s Department of her successful transforHealth and Human innovative mation of North CaroliServices under Demo- and na’s Medicaid program cratic Gov. Roy Cooper. and pivotal role in the biShe oversaw the state’s nationally partisan passage of MedCOVID-19 response pri- recognized icaid expansion.” or to her resignation in programs Biden’s statement also December 2021. In early highlighted that Cohen 2022, Cohen went to work that served under the Obama for Aledade, a company improved administration as chief that describes itself as a operating officer and chief “physician enablement the health of staff of the Centers for company” working with and lives Medicare and Medicaid “independent practices, Services, and as acting health centers, and clin- of families director of the Center for ics” to improve care for across the Consumer Information their patients. state.” and Insurance Oversight. Though Cohen’s mediCooper reacted on socal license lapsed in 2012 cial media by tweeting and she only practiced President “Dr. Cohen is a strong medicine for a few years Joe Biden leader and a problem solvbefore that, Biden said er who was uniquely qualCohen “is one of the nation’s top physicians and health ified to lead @NCDHHS. @POleaders” and that she has “experi- TUS has made an excellent choice ence leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-re- See COHEN, page A8
RALEIGH — On June 12, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper announced his 15-member Commission on Public University Governance had issued its initial recommendations. “North Carolina’s visionary leadership in higher education has distinguished our state and made a real difference for our people,” Cooper said in a press release.
“These recommendations will help strengthen this system and keep it as the priceless gem and economic recruitment tool it is for our state.” Among the recommendations is a new “Center of Higher Education Governance,” a call for more transparency and accountability, and expanding the UNC Board of Governors from 24 members to upward of 32 to 36 members in the name of “bipartisanship.” The governor’s press release included remarks by the co-chairs of the Commission, Tom Ross and Margaret Spellings. Both are past UNC System presidents; Ross served from 2011-2016 and Spell-
ings from 2016-2019. “Our recommendations are focused in significant part on ensuring the voices of all North Carolinians are reflected and represented on the governing boards of our universities,” said Ross. “I believe they will enhance our current university governance, increase public confidence in our university and its leaders, and make it possible for more diverse thoughts, ideas and innovations to be considered by the governing boards. Put simply, these recommendations, if adopted, will make our great University system See COMMISSION, page A2