Opinion Roundup: Aug. 3, 2016 -- Voting rights, presidential politics, HB2 and clean water

A challenge to McCrory, Cooper (Charlotte Observer) -- Pat McCrory released a negative TV ad against Roy Cooper on Tuesday. They both should take a pledge to run no false or misleading ads all campaign.

Tide turns against the GOP’s voting restrictions (Washington Post) -- Federal courts conclude some states’ statutes are racially biased.

Courts are finally pointing out the racism behind voter ID laws (Washington Post column) -- Laws targeting minority voters are no different today than they were during Jim Crow.

Ruling against voter ID laws (Wall Street Journal) -- Heritage Foundation Senior Fellow Hans von Spakovsky on judicial overreach in North Carolina, Wisconsin and Texas.

Voting law gets a needed reversal (Southern Pines Pilot) -- Though federal judges are not always known for their wit, we liked the zinger that a three-judge panel of the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals got off in issuing its welcome ruling striking down North Carolina’s ill-begotten 2013 election law.

Science vs. Expedience on drinking water (Salisbury Post) -- Neighbors of Duke Energy’s coal ash ponds were skeptical in the spring when the state reversed earlier do-not-drink warnings for their well water.

Reaching the youngest victims (Winston-Salem Journal) -- Gun violence is a fact of life in America that many Americans are unwilling to confront in any meaningful ways. But even if we adults accept the toll on us, we should never accept it on our children.

Striving for fair, timely and complete campaign coverage (Wilson Times) -- Hope Bethea was exasperated when she picked up last Friday’s edition of The Wilson Times. It wasn’t a news story, photograph or headline that caused her consternation. Instead, it was the conspicuous absence of all three.

ROBERT GRUBER: Publisher starts new chapter (Wilmington Star-News column) -- It is difficult to believe that it has been nearly 11 years since our move to Wilmington. I always told my children that life is like a novel and as you progress through yours, it will be like you are writing another chapter. What a great chapter our time in Wilmington has been. I have been so blessed in leading an incredible group of dedicated, loyal, hard-working employees that create your newspaper and web site each day.

Judge's questions expose HB2 for the sham it is (Fayetteville Observer) -- If the leaders of the N.C. House and Senate had asked these questions before they pushed through House Bill 2, we might have avoided national embarrassment and expensive blowback.

McCain's rebuke (Greensboro News & Record) -- At last, an act of grace and common decency.