VOLUME 145 ISSUE 101 | WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2025 | STANLYNEWSJOURNAL.COM
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Stanly NewS Journal THE STANLY COUNTY EDITION OF NORTH STATE JOURNAL
WHAT’S HAPPENING Minaj surprises conservatives with praise for Trump, Vance at Arizona event Rapper Nicki Minaj made a surprise appearance at a gathering of conservatives in Arizona. Speaking on stage at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest convention, the artist praised President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling them “role models” for young men. The rap star was interviewed by Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who has since taken over as leader of Turning Point. Kirk asked Minaj about her newly found support for Trump, whom she had condemned in the past. Minaj’s appearance Sunday at the flagship event for the powerful conservative youth organization may shore up her status as a MAGA acolyte.
“60 Minutes” pulls critical piece on Trump deportation policy Hours before airtime on Sunday, CBS News’ “60 Minutes” held a planned story on President Donald Trump’s deportation policy at the order of the network’s new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss. Weiss, the founder of the Free Press website, had sought to get Trump administration perspective included in the story. The move is sure to increase scrutiny on CBS and “60 Minutes,” which Trump sued last fall over an interview with Kamala Harris and has recently complained about stories critical of him. Weiss said in a statement that holding stories that aren’t ready, because they lack context or are missing critical voices, happen every day in newsrooms.
NSA employee sues Trump administration over transgender rights, “immutable” genders A transgender employee of the National Security Agency is suing the Trump administration and seeking to block enforcement of a presidential executive order and other policies the employee says violate federal civil rights law. Sarah O’Neill, a NSA data scientist who is transgender, is challenging the order requiring the federal government to recognize only two “immutable” sexes: male and female. O’Neill says it has led to a hostile work environment that denies her very existence, claiming that she is unable to use the women’s restroom and can’t use her preferred pronouns.
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President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign event last Friday in Rocky Mount.
Trump touts economic progress during Rocky Mount visit For many, the promised golden age hasn’t yet arrived By Makiya Seminera The Associated Press ROCKY MOUNT — She had worked 22 days straight in her job as a technician at an engine plant to save up, and now Daijah Bryant could finally do what she was putting off: Christmas shopping. Bryant pushed her cart out of a Walmart in Rocky Mount and loaded her sedan’s backseat with bags of gifts. While they would soon bring joy to her
friends and family, it was difficult for the 26-year-old to feel good about the purchases. “Having to pay bills, if you happen to pay rent and try to do Christmas all at the same time, it is very, very hard,” she said with exasperation. Ahead of President Donald Trump’s Friday evening visit to Rocky Mount, some residents said they were feeling an economic squeeze that seems hard to escape. The uneasy feeling spans political affiliation in the town, which is split between two largely rural and somewhat impoverished counties, although some were more hopeful than others that there are signs
“I inherited the mess. I got the prices down and they are going down still further.” President Donald Trump of reprieve on the horizon. It was Trump’s second event this month aimed at championing his economic policies ahead of a consequential midterm election next year, both held in presidential battleground states. Similar to Trump’s earlier stop in Pennsylvania, Rocky
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Albemarle reveals health inside clinic project details
Former Wake Forest basketball star Rodney Rogers was among the sports figures who died in 2025. See more in Sports.
“The city’s work to support this project is part of the city’s strategic plan goal of enhancing community and economic growth opportunities.” Albemarle Mayor Ronnie Michael
The facility at 410 Pee Dee Ave. will create 28 new jobs By Jesse Deal Stanly News Journal ALBEMARLE — More details have been released about a new Atrium Health medical facility planned for downtown Albemarle following the city’s recent receipt of a $350,000 Rural Infrastructure Grant from the North Carolina Department of Commerce. In early December, Gov. Josh Stein announced that Albemarle had been awarded
the grant to help redevelop a long-vacant 17,000-squarefoot building into a health clinic. On Thursday, the city issued a news release outlining additional specifics about the project at 410 Pee Dee Ave. The city describes the family medical facility as a “transformational investment in modern family medicine, an urgent care clinic, workforce development and downtown revitalization.” The clinic, expected to create 28 high-paying jobs and leverage $1,235,500 in private investment, will offer a range of services, including See CLINIC, page A5
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Mount sits in a U.S. House district that has been historically competitive. But earlier this year, the Republican-controlled legislature redrew the boundaries for the eastern North Carolina district to favor their party as part of Trump’s push to have GOP-led states gerrymander their congressional districts to help his party retain its House majority for the last half of his term. Rocky Mount may be in a politically advantageous location, but the hardships its residents report mirror the tightening financial strains many Ameri-
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