Opinion Roundup: Burr and the FBI; Berger's barbers; COVID-19 job creation and more

Thursday, May 14, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: COVID-19 job creation; Burr and the FBI; Berger's barbers; keeping legislative e-mails secret; prisoner health issues; and more.

Creating jobs, protecting lives: NC companies switch gears to PPE production (WRAL-TV reports) -- A Holly Springs business that typically makes signs has shifted gears, now creating quality face shields. Not only is this new influx of PPE protecting lives, it's also creating new jobs in a time of economic need.

Some states that have reopened during pandemic aren't seeing spike in coronavirus infections (WRAL-TV reports) -- Several states are giving North Carolina a preview of coronavirus spread as restrictions are lifted in phases.

Panthers owner David Tepper: NFL can play with ‘some fans’ in attendance this year (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is optimistic the NFL will play games this season — with fewer fans than usual. Appearing on CNBC Wednesday, Tepper said he thinks there will be enough COVID-19 tests available by the fall to make sure that players are safe. And he thinks fans, in some towns, could be in the stands to watch. “There should be some amount of fans in the stadiums,” Tepper said “depending on what locale and where you are and what the local rules are.

Records reveal data gaps in one of NC's key COVID-19 metrics (News Consortium/WRAL-TV reports) - -Limited data provided by the state indicates several large hospitals have had significant gaps in their response rates. But a month after a collaborative group of newsrooms requested that survey data, DHHS has yet to produce it.

NAOMI PRIOLEAU; Breweries Face Financial Strains Amid Coronavirus Pandemic (WUNC-FM reports) --Little Brother Brewing is a small, boutique brewery owned by the Collie and McCoy families. Located in downtown Greensboro since 2017, the brewery has a regular menu of about nine beers, including "Jim's Lunch" - a stout American brew - and "The Big Slow" - a smoke bacon porter.

Should Berger and NC lawmakers turn over their emails in voter ID case? A court will decide. (N.C. McClatchy reports) - State legislators accused of passing a 2018 voter ID law for racist reasons are now fighting efforts to force them to turn over documents like emails that could show what they discussed while writing that law. New voter ID rules were originally supposed to go into place for this year’s elections. But they were blocked during the March primaries after judges both in federal court and in state court found that lawmakers may have written the law with “racially discriminatory intent.”

Christian leaders to rally in Raleigh demanding reopening of churches (WRAL-TV reports) -- A group of Christian leaders plans to rally in downtown Raleigh on Thursday, demanding that churches should be allowed to reopen like retailers.

Johnston County pastor says his church will hold services indoors after sheriff says he won't interfere (WRAL-TV reports) -- Johnston County Sheriff Steve Bizzell said his deputies won't "interfere or prevent churchgoers to peaceably assemble and exercise their constitutional right to freely worship."

Berger joins hair salons, barbershop owners in call to allow them to reopen (WRAL-TV reports) -- Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger called on Gov. Roy Cooper to grant counties local flexibility to reopen hair salons and barbershops, noting 25 states have reopened these businesses in some capacity, with three more to follow in the coming days.

Berger asks Cooper to let counties reopen barbershops (AP reports) -- One of North Carolina's most powerful Republican elected officials has called on Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to give county governments the ability to reopen barbershops and hair salons now.

Berger wants barbershops, salons to reopen amid coronavirus threat (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- Phil Berger is pushing for counties to be able to allow barbershops and salons to reopen. In a press release Wednesday, Berger said 25 other states, including nearly every state in the Southeast, have allowed these businesses to operate, with three more states allowing reopenings in the coming days. Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, said at a news conference Wednesday that the plan is to move through activities in “a measured way,” starting with lower risks first.

Pro-State’s Rights Protesters Exercise Open Carry And Defy Social Distance (WUNC-FM reports) -- A small group, mostly armed, walked the streets of downtown Raleigh Saturday in support of their Second Amendment rights.

Tax code (The Insider reports) -- Businesses receiving Paycheck Protection Program loans might still be taxed at the state level for loan forgiveness benefits — but legislators said Wednesday that they hope to change that. The legislature’s Revenue Laws Study Committee approved several draft bills of tax code changes for consideration in the short session. Much of the debate centered around plans to “decouple” the state’s tax code from several federal tax changes made in the recent CARES Act for coronavirus relief. That’s the decision the state has to make whenever the federal tax code changes to determine if the same provisions should apply to state taxes

FBI serves warrant on senator in investigation of stock sales linked to coronavirus (LA Times reports) -- Federal agents seized a cell phone belonging to Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) as part of a Justice Department probe into stock transactions.

Report: FBI serves warrant on Burr in investigation of stock sale during coronavirus outbreak (WRAL-TV reports) -- Federal agents served a search warrant at the Washington, D.C., home of U.S. Sen. Richard Burr on Wednesday night as the investigation continued into stock trades that were made in the early stage of the coronavirus outbreak.

Judge refuses to intervene in N.C. prisons' virus response (AP reports) -- A judge on Wednesday rejected requests of several offenders and civil rights groups exhorting him to tell North Carolina corrections leaders to reduce the prison population further to protect inmates from COVID-19.

MELISSA BOUGHTON: Judge denies help request for incarcerated people (N.C. Policy Watch analysis) -- Help is not coming for North Carolina’s incarcerated population facing growing concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Wake County Superior Court Judge Vince Rozier denied requests from incarcerated people and civil rights organizations to force Gov. Roy Cooper and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to take more precautions to allow for social distancing. His two-page order didn’t explain why he denied their requests, citing case law that injunctions like the one the plaintiffs requested are “generally disfavored and are only appropriate where the case is urgent and where the right is clear.”

NC inmates helping protect prison staff from coronavirus (WRAL-TV reports) -- Prisons have been a hotspot in North Carolina for coronavirus cases, but the inmates themselves are now engaged in the fight against the pandemic.

Privacy laws delayed public report of COVID outbreak at Cumberland jail (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- Local officials waited until state officials determined it was legal to report four jail employees tested positive for coronavirus.

Alamance County agrees to some bail system changes (AP reports) -- Alamance County has agreed to change some conditions of its bail policy as part of an ongoing lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union accusing the system of unfairly jailing the poor while releasing people with money.

Lag in call center training adds to NC unemployment agency woes (WRAL-TV reports) -- Some North Carolinians have filed twice for unemployment as they try to navigate an often complex world of state and federal benefit programs and a help center overwhelmed by calls. Others have waited hours for help, only to be told they need to speak with someone else. Still others have run into North Carolina's 12-week cap on benefits, and they'll need to wait for a new program to get up and running to turn the spigot back on.

NCDOT suspends Piedmont train service between Raleigh and Charlotte to save money (N.C. McClatchy reports) -- The cash-strapped state Department of Transportation is suspending Piedmont passenger train service between Raleigh and Charlotte to save money. NCDOT had already eliminated two of the three daily round trips of the Piedmont because of low demand for travel during the coronavirus outbreak. Now, with tax revenue down sharply because of the pandemic, the state is ending the final runs for the foreseeable future, after Sunday’s round trip.

Fact check: CEO says airplanes are 'as safe' as any other environment (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV) -- During an appearance on "Face the Nation," Southwest CEO Gary Kelly said that he believed it was safe for Americans to fly during the coronavirus epidemic and that a plane is as safe as any other space.

NC startups running out of cash? If not now, maybe later as pandemic drags on (WRAL-TV/TechWire reports) -- Revenue is challenged, cash reserves are dwindling, and more layoffs are just around the corner as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy. This is the bleak picture being painted for startups around the country, according to numerous reports released in recent weeks. But in North Carolina, the view on the ground, at least at this moment, is more nuanced.

Vigilante mob or search party? Family involved in Pender County incident breaks their silence (Port City Daily reports) -- It’s been one week since the story broke, alleging an all-white vigilante group had terrorized a black family in Pender County; now, the family involved in the group has broken their silence. The family refutes the prevailing narrative that the ‘mob’ had racist intentions — noting, among other things, that their family is mixed-race — and claims at the time of the incident they were actively coordinating with local authorities.

Amazon bringing $28M distribution center, 200 jobs to Mills River (Hendersonville Times-News reports) -- Amazon, the behemoth retail and distribution company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, will locate a distribution center employing about 200 people in the Henderson County town of Mills River.

Health service delivery in North Carolina schools: Landscape analysis and bright spots (EdNC analysis) -- This report provides a landscape analysis of the ways in which schools across North Carolina deliver health services. We identify five categories of health service delivery: school nurses, school health centers, telehealth, university partnerships, and miscellaneous programs. The report also features exemplary programs or “bright spots” in the state that other school districts, individual schools, or organizations could adopt.

MANDY ABLEIDINGER: NC Pre-K slips in national rankings as COVID-19 crisis underscores need​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ (EdNC column) -- NC Pre-K is serving the same percentage of the state’s 4-year-olds that it was 10 years ago, and the program no longer receives the highest quality rating in an annual study of the nation’s state-funded preschool programs. As North Carolina grapples with the COVID-19 crisis and young children face what will be at least a six-month gap in their schooling, questions arise for what will be needed for NC Pre-K in 2020-21 to address what some researchers are calling the COVID slide.

LIORA ENGEL-SMITH: COVID breathes life into North Carolina’s rural telehealth, but broadband remains an obstacle​​​​​​​ (N.C. Health News reports) -- The coronavirus pandemic forced providers to see many of their patients virtually. In rural North Carolina, where the broadband infrastructure is lacking, that transition can be challenging.

Nursing home CEO compares outbreak labeling to 'Scarlet Letter' (WRAL-TV reports) -- Of the 80 North Carolina long-term care facilities with coronavirus outbreaks, 23 - nearly 30 percent - report fewer than five infections.

Nursing homes are working hard to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks, but more funding is needed (N.C. McClatchy column) -- Despite these challenges, fewer than 15% of North Carolina’s nursing facilities have experienced an outbreak. While that number will almost certainly grow, it is lower than the national average and a testament to the hard work of the staff and administrators working in our state’s nursing homes. Gov. Cooper and DHHS Sec. Cohen also deserve special praise for restricting visitors to nursing homes in early March, a difficult decision that has saved countless lives.

Bring Your Own Paper Goods: Beach Towns (Coastal Review reports) -- Beach towns are gearing up to welcome visitors as coronavirus restrictions begin to ease, but along with beach towels and swimsuits, vacationers are advised to pack toilet paper and other scarce grocery items.

Durham woman wins $2 million in Powerball (WRAL-TV reports) -- Special numbers made up of birthdays and ages proved the right combination that unlocked a $2 million Powerball win for Shanika Miller of Durham.