Opinion Roundup: Fact-checking Trump; troops families; short long session; telecommuting; and more

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Fact-checking Trump; illegal deals, troop families rally, short or long legislative session; telecommuting honors; and more

Camp Lejeune Marines' redirection to Middle East felt across Jacksonville (WRAL-TV reports) -- The 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force is now joining thousands of troops headed to the Middle East as tensions remain high between the United States and Iran.

GILBERT BAEZ: Left behind during deployments, troops' loved ones turn to prayer, community (WRAL-TV reports) -- More than 4,000 members of the 82nd Airborne Division are in the Middle East now. With tension escalating in the region, families left behind are turning to prayer.

U.S. troops deserve a clear mission from President Trump (Durham Herald-Sun/Charlotte Observer) -- U.S. soldiers, especially those in the 82nd Airborne Division, train for a rapid response to threats against the United States. But those who send them toward danger should know — and plainly explain — why the troops must go, what they are to accomplish and what achievements will make it possible to bring them home. So far, none of that is clear, and that ill serves those who serve.

MATTHEW BURNS: Student newspaper says secret negotiations leading to 'Silent Sam' deal broke NC law (WRAL-TV reports) -- The UNC Board of Governors violated the state's open meetings laws by secretly negotiating and approving a deal to dispose of a controversial Confederate monument from the UNC-Chapel Hill campus, according to a lawsuit. DTH Media Corp., which publishes The Daily Tar Heel student newspaper on the Chapel Hill campus, wants a court to void two agreements between the Board of Governors and the state chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

‘It should be brought to light.’ Daily Tar Heel sues UNC over secrecy of Silent Sam deal (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- The Daily Tar Heel, UNC-Chapel Hill's student-run newspaper, is taking legal action against the University System, its Board of Governors and individual board members over the controversial Silent Sam statue agreements. The DTH Media Group filed a lawsuit Tuesday saying the $2.5 million settlement and an additional $74,999 payment between the UNC System and the N.C. Sons of Confederate Veterans were "conceived, negotiated, approved and executed in total secrecy" in violation of North Carolina Open Meetings Law. The group is asking the court to declare both settlements null and void.

UNC newspaper sues over deal to remove Confederate statue (AP reports) -- The UNC Board of Governors violated the state’s open meetings laws by secretly negotiating and approving a deal to dispose of a Confederate monument from the campus of the system’s flagship school, according to a lawsuit filed by a student newspaper.

TRAVIS FAIN: Short end for a long legislative session? (WRAL-TV reports) -- The General Assembly goes back into session next week. Leaders say don't expect much to happen.

Fact-checking Donald Trump's speech after Iran missile strikes on US troops (POLITIFACT/WRAL-TV reports) -- President Donald Trump said U.S. troops in Iraq had not been harmed by Iranian missile strikes launched in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed one of Iran's top military leaders, Gen. Qassem Soleimani. He also made a number of statements about Soleimani and U.S. relations with Iran. Here's a roundup of key claims, fact-checked and with additional context.

Fact check: Pompeo claims Trump didn't say he'd go after Iranian cultural sites (POLITIFACT/WRAL-TV reports) -- President Trump tweeted that the U.S. has targeted 52 Iranian sites. In response to Democratic criticism, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Fox News that Trump did not threaten to target Iranian sites that are culturally significant.

Got impeachment questions? UNCW wants to help you get answers (Wilmington Star-News reports) -- Next week’s event will explore the impeachment of President Trump and its potential consequences

New study says large incentive deals don’t spur growth at state and local level (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Large incentive packages targeted at individual companies don't seem to spur broader economic growth at the state and local level, a new research paper finds. The study -- written in the wake of Amazon's HQ2 expansion. Owen Zidar, one of the co-authors of the study, said after surveying individual state strategies toward incentives, North Carolina seems to be overly optimistic about the outcomes of companies taking their incentive offerings. "One thing that was striking about North Carolina," he said, "is that the estimated spillover, (gross domestic product) and tax revenue effects of these deals seem quite optimistic and much larger than some estimates implied by the economic literature on fiscal multipliers. I'd encourage folks to re-evaluate their assumptions in those assessments and reform incentive provision accordingly."

Granville County appoints new sheriff after Brindell Wilkins' suspension (WRAL-TV reports) --Granville County has appointed a new sheriff while former Sheriff Brindell Wilkins, who was suspended in September, is investigated.

Ex-deputy sues Wake sheriff, claims he was fired after demoting sheriff's friend (WRAL-TV reports) -- A former deputy is suing Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker, claiming Baker fired him in retaliation after the deputy demoted one of the newly elected sheriff's friends.

Memorial proposed for N Carolina college shooting victims (WRAL-TV reports) -- A committee formed in the wake of a shooting on a N.C. college campus last April has proposed a $1 million memorial to honor the victims.

Asheville wine pros oppose new Trump tariffs, which could double the cost of European wines (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- A trade war that began over airplanes might soon lead to a bottle of wine costing twice as much at your favorite local restaurant.

Will new Buncombe district lines doom GOP? (Asheville Citizen Times reports) -- Political party breakdowns in Buncombe County's newly drawn districts more closely resemble the county as a whole.

NC school chief says students are being improperly promoted. School leaders disagree. (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- School leaders argue they want to retain control over the decision of whether or not to promote a student.

Charter School Academic Ratings Raise Board of Education Questions (WFAE-FM reports) -- N.C.’s charter schools are seeing troubling trends in academic performance, even as their popularity grows.

NC superintendent makes 'emergency purchase' so schools can continue using reading test as battle continues (WRAL-TV reports) -- N.C. Superintendent Mark Johnson announced he made a $928,570 "emergency purchase" so schools can continue using Istation's K-3 reading test while he deals with an ongoing fight over how the state's students are tested.

NC Supt. Mark Johnson makes $928,000 ‘emergency purchase’ to keep using Istation (Durham Herald-Sun reports) - State Superintendent Mark Johnson has made an emergency purchase of more than $900,000 so that elementary schools can continue to use Istation while a legal fight continues over the program. North Carolina elementary schools were left without a program to test students under the Read To Achieve program after a judge declined to lift a stay that blocks Istation from getting a new three-year, $8.3 million testing contract.

Regional approach helps ENC schools face natural disasters (Jacksonville Daily News reports) - As school superintendents from across N.C.'s southeastern region came together to talk about lessons learned from hurricane recovery, they didn't focus on individual losses. The impacts on school districts from Hurricane Florence were widespread across the 13-county southeastern region and what they learned is that when it comes to disaster response and recovery, the districts share many of the same needs and experiences. From dealing with water damage and flooded buildings to long-term school closures, they are stronger working together. The region includes school districts from Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, and Wayne counties as well as Clinton City.

Grant program helps retain effective teachers (Greenville Daily Reflector reports) -- A program designed to retain effective educators also has inspired more teacher collaboration, school officials learned.

SARAH OVASKA: Ahh-choo! Flu season hits hard in N.C. (N.C. Health News reports) -- Preliminary reports pointing to a bad year across the nation; older people and those already ill can be hit the hardest

AMANDA MCGOUGH: NC is close to an important step on suicide prevention ​(Durham Herald-Sun/Charlotte Observer column) -- N.C.’s challenges with suicide are part of a national problem. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that between 2007 and 2017 the rate of suicide among those ages 10 to 24 jumped by 56 percent. Only accidents account for the deaths of more young people in our country and in our state. The good news is that there is a simple, noncontroversial step lawmakers can take during their upcoming special session beginning Jan. 14 that will help save the lives of our youth and support the families caring for them. Legislation already introduced in both the House and Senate , would require school systems to train their employees to recognize and respond when a young person indicates they are at risk of suicide or may be struggling with their mental health . Thirty-one other states have already approved similar legislation, and N.C. can and should do the same.​

CULLEN BROWDER: Carbon monoxide problems found in 40% of McDougald Terrace apartments checked so far (Investigates/WRAL-TV reports) -- Contractors needed to make repairs in 40 percent of the McDougald Terrace apartments checked for carbon monoxide issues according to Durham Housing Authority Chief Executive Anthony Scott.

Durham startup plans to cure baldness with LED light (TECHWIRE/WRAL-TV reports) -- A cure for baldness at last? That’s what a Durham tech company is promising. REVIAN, formerly known as PhotonMD, announced it has patented its dual-band technology that uses LED light to stimulate the body’s cellular generation of nitric oxide, stopping hair loss and regenerating new hair.

Traumatic brain injury reveals incredible talent (WRAL-TV reports) -- A horrific car crash changed a Wilmington man's life, leaving him with severe trauma and an incredible gift: painting.

NOAA: 2019 was North Carolina’s hottest year on record (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- N.C. just completed its warmest year on record, a federal agency that compiles the totals announced. The Old North State's average mean temperature of 61.22 degrees Fahrenheit topped the previous high, 1990's 61.08 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the annual summary of temperatures across the country from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information. Kathie Dello and Corey Davis of the N.C. Climate Office wrote in a blog post that in addition to 2019 and 1990, the state's five warmest years on record since 1895 include 2017, 2016 and 1998.

Coastal Research: Would You Swim Here? (Coastal Review reports) -- Students with the UNC Institute for the Environment’s Field Site program spent last semester researching how contaminants get into Beaufort’s Town Creek and what happens next.

What to do about pollution from “forever chemicals”? (N.C. Policy Watch reports) -- State and federal officials are starting to act, but proposed rules and standards take time and vary widely. Toxic PFAS — perfluorinated compounds — are known as “forever chemicals” because they persist in the human body and the environment for decades, if not hundreds of years.

It's official: 2019 was the second-hottest year on record (CNN reports) -- From France to Australia, from India to Alaska ... if you stepped outside in almost any corner of the globe, you could feel it.

App State creates ‘roadmap to climate neutrality’ (Watauga Democrat reports) -- Appalachian State University’s new Climate Action Plan will be released April 22, 2020 — the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

Study: Raleigh No. 8, Durham No. 15 among best metros for telecommuters (TECHWIRE/WRAL-TV) -- If you live in the metro Raleigh area and want to find a job where you can work as a telecommuter then you are in the eighth best city across the US for that workforce trend. Durham is not far behind at No. 15. Charlotte comes in at No. 12.