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Is N.C. (possibly) the best place in the U.S. for offshore wind farms?
Interesting piece here from Politifact/The News & Observer about whether North Carolina is a great place for offshore wind farms. You may remember that back in June the N.C. Senate moved to ban most wind turbines on land in N.C. but a number of state Democrats are pushing for the off-shore option. The piece looks at […]
Allen Johnson on respecting police – but holding them accountable
Greensboro has had its share of high profile police problems, going all the way back to the handling of the 1979 Klan/Nazi shootings. More recently they’ve been taking steps to address racial disparities in policing in the city featured in a front page New York Times story and struggling to address police body camera footage and how it […]
Highlights – and low moments – from a 12 hour NC Board of Elections meeting
Thursday’s 12-hour NC Board of Elections meeting may be the longest on record – a few members stood around exhausted and a bit loopy after it was over, speculating. It was, without question, one of the most bizarre. The board had quite a task ahead of them. They had to thread the needle of complying […]
NC Board of Elections cools voting plan controversy in marathon meeting
Given the controversy leading up to Thursday’s State Board of Elections meeting, many were predicting a bit of a mess. And for good reason. First, a federal court invalidated large parts of NC election laws rewritten in 2013, including the cutting of early voting down to 10 days. Then, as county election boards across the […]
McCrory’s HB2 timeline: Tracking the Governor’s oft-changing stance and explanations
As the battle of HB2 continues it is instructive to look at Gov. Pat McCrory’s shifting positions on the law, its necessity and the arguments used to justify it.
Whether he was voicing concerns about “public safety” and protecting “long established values and norms,” defending “state sovereignty” or contending that that transgender people are actually mentally ill, the Governor’s explanations for the law (and, indeed, his position on the law itself) have changed frequently and sometimes dramatically over the last six months.
Inside NC’s “monster” voting law
The Washington Post takes a deep dive into the creation of North Carolina’s “monster” voter ID law – which recently had a stake definitively put through its heart. The piece reconstructs the law’s origins from e-mails from and between North Carolina General Assembly members and their staffs, painting a pretty grim picture of just how […]
Meet the American College of Pediatricians
Yesterday we published a story about the state’s reliance on the vice president of the American College of Pediatricians for expert testimony in the lawsuit over HB2. The group’s name certainly makes them sound like an above-board and by-the-book group of physicians concerned with sound science. But scratch the surface and you find the group is […]
HB2 injunction reveals state’s anti-LGBT position and its controversial allies
Last week's federal ruling blocking part of HB2 for three defendants in the ongoing lawsuit was seen as a victory for LGBT people and their advocates.
In his 81-page ruling, federal Judge Thomas Schroeder concluded those challenging HB2 "are likely to succeed" in arguing HB2 violates Title IX, ?the federal law against gender discrimination in educational institutions.
Susan Ladd on the mixed legacy of Gov. Charles B. Aycock
It’s happening all over the country, but particularly in the South – communities confronting their sometimes ugly racial histories and the part revered historical figures played in them. In Greensboro the long-simmering question of whether to continue to honor Charles B. Aycock seems to have been decided. In February UNCG decided to drop the former […]
Large increase in Charlotte Pride attendance – and participation by church groups
The Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade drew about 130,000 people last weekend, the Charlotte Observer reports. That’s about 10,000 more than last year’s estimated attendance. Around 3,500 people marched in the parade – including, the Observer, reports, a record number of faith groups. HB2 – and opposition to it – could be the driver. From […]
Greensboro Police Chief attends White House discussion on “21st Century Policing”
Last week Greensboro Police Chief Wayne Scott and two staffers attended a White House briefing and discussion on “21st Century Policing.” Scott told the News & Record the Aug. 16 seminar was “an opportunity for us to broaden our horizons.” You may remember that the Greensboro Police Department, the center of a number of controversies […]
Uncertainty, anxiety overshadow new school year for transgender students
As North Carolina families load up at back-to-school sales this week, a looming question remains for North Carolina students:
Will they be returning to public schools and universities where House Bill 2 still dictates which restrooms they can use?