Opinion Roundup: Marching for voting rights; service access lacking for disabled; a first in Cumberland courts; a new way to 'watch' your health; and more.

Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 -- A round up of opinion, commentary and analysis on: Voting rights take center stage at historic march; limited access to state's disabled; road to normal still tough in Bahamas; a first in Cumberland County district court; 'Outlander' boosts state economy; and more.

STEVE HARRISON & JODIE VALADE: Trump Touts Economy, Blasts 'Failed Impeachment Hoax' In Charlotte Speech (WFAE-FM reports) -- President Donald Trump spoke Friday at the N.C. Opportunity Now Summit at Central Piedmont Community College, briefly commenting on his impeachment acquittal two days ago and praising N.C. representatives who supported him, but primarily focusing on the economy and his Opportunity Now initiative in a nearly hour-long speech.

AYESHA RASCOE: Trump Ramps Up Outreach To Black Voters After State Of The Union Push (NPR reports) -- President Trump ramped up his outreach to black voters in a speech aimed squarely at highlighting policies he says are helping provide jobs, education and opportunities. In his first policy speech since his State of the Union address — which also highlighted his outreach to the African American community — Trump traveled to Charlotte and announced a new addition to his team.

‘We’re one American family,’ Trump says at Charlotte opportunity summit (Charlotte Observer reports) -- President Donald Trump, speaking at Charlotte’s Central Piedmont Community College, claimed credit for an economic “renaissance” that he said has especially boosted African Americans and lower-income workers. “The forgotten men and women of America are no longer forgotten because we are finally putting America first,” Trump told an audience at CPCC’s Halton Theater. “It took a long time, a long time.”

On Big Stage, Trump Aims Message at Black Voters (Wall Street Journal reports) -- President Trump has had two major national audiences in the past five days, and both times he aimed a message at African-Americans, a group that overwhelmingly disapproves of the job he is doing but could help decide whether he gets to keep it.

FALSE: Bloomberg says N.C.'s Democratic primary is open to all voters (PolitiFact/WRAL-TV) – Michael Bloomberg’s campaign letter said “North Carolina election law allows all registered voters, regardless of registration, to vote in the Democratic Primary.” That’s not true. N.C. has a “semi-closed” primary. Unaffiliated votes can vote in one of the major party primaries. If you’re registered with a certain political party you cannot participate in another party’s primary like Bloomberg’s letter implies. We rate this statement False.

TRAVIS FAIN: Fundraising 101-Breaking down the millions in NC politics (WRAL-TV reports) -- More than $30 million flowed - just to state level campaigns - in the last half of 2019.

NC Republicans once considered impeaching Elaine Marshall. Now 3 want to unseat her (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Michael LaPaglia is not ready to let Secretary of State Elaine Marshall’s constituents forget his allegations that she commissioned people living in the United States illegally to serve as notaries. The two faced off against each other in the 2016 election and though LaPaglia lost, his allegations against Marshall led legislators to consider impeaching her. But before LaPaglia can face off against Marshall, he first has to defeat two other Republican candidates in the primary who have very similar values.

Fight over Trump’s impeachment shifts to battle over the impact on Senate races (Washington Post) -- The Senate’s impeachment trial of President Trump may have ended, but the political fallout will continue for weeks and possibly months to come. A pair of Democratic super PACs on Friday announced reservations for a several-million-dollar digital ad campaign targeting Republican senators in N.C., Arizona and Maine two days after the trio voted to acquit Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Republican candidates discuss issues: 3 want to unseat Rep. G.K. Butterfield (Wilson Times reports) -- Although the names of four candidates will appear on the Republican primary ballot March 3 for the U.S. House District 1 seat, only three — Sandy Smith, Michele Nix and Ethan Baca — are actively running for the seat. A fourth candidate, Jim Glisson, announced in December he had withdrawn from the race, but his name will still appear on the ballot.

NED BARNETT: Virginia’s political shift may spread to NC (Durham Herald-Sun column) -- So far this year, Democratic lawmakers in Virginia’s House of Delegates have used their new majority to pass seven pieces of gun safety legislation. They did it in one day. Coming up next on Virginia’s legislative agenda: expand voting rights, ease abortion restrictions, raise the minimum wage, protect LGBTQ rights and increase funding for taxes to promote mass transit.

Voting Process Under Spotlight After Iowa Confusion (Wall Street Journal reports) -- States conducting presidential nominating contests in the weeks ahead – including N.C. -- are facing new scrutiny of their voting processes after glitches caused confusion over which candidate won in Iowa’s caucuses.

The Iowa debacle (Greensboro News & Record) -- Last week’s Iowa caucuses, the first major primary event for the Democratic presidential candidates, came off like a well-oiled machine, if by “well-oiled machine” we mean a dumpster fire fueled by an oil spill to illuminate a fight between a wolverine and a honey badger.

Tillis among GOP Senators Who Tried to Stop Trump From Firing Impeachment Witness (New York Times reports) -- A handful of senators reached out to the White House to warn the president not to dismiss Gordon D. Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union who testified in the House hearings. But President Donald Trump went ahead anyway. Among the Republicans who warned the White House was Senator Thom Tillis of N.C., Susan Collins of Maine, who after voting to acquit Mr. Trump said she thought he had learned a lesson. Others included Senators Martha McSally of Arizona and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.

NC Democrat compares GOP impeachment vote to Nazis making Hitler a dictator (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- The Republican Party’s decision to stand behind President Donald Trump could send America down a path similar to Nazi Germany’s, a N.C. Democratic leader implied this week. The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate voted against removing Trump from office despite his impeachment. Bobbie Richardson, a former state lawmaker from Franklin County who is now the second-in-command at the N.C. Democratic Party, posted Thursday on her Facebook page that the Senate vote “will be as pivotal” as when Germany made Adolf Hitler a dictator in 1933.

HAL TARLTON: Impeachment’s now a partisan exercise (Wilson Times column) -- Congress has not rescinded the authority of Congress to impeach “all civil officers.” Article II, Section 3 has not been erased from the Constitution. But the Senate’s action this week has rendered moot Congress’ (and by extension the public’s) authority to convict public officials of “high crimes and misdemeanors” (a phrase that is open to widely differing definitions).

Marchers rally for voting rights, fair elections in HKonJ (WRAL-TV reports) -- Thousands gathered in downtown Raleigh on Saturday morning for the Thousands on Jones Street March and Rally.

HKonJ marchers had many causes, but most agreed on the importance of voting (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- The annual event in downtown Raleigh, now in its 14th year, included dozens of organizations touting their issues, but the focus always shifted back to the ballot box.

Annual 'Mass Moral March' draws thousands (AP reports) -- Thousands of people took to the streets in an annual march and rally designed to call for action on social and economic justice issues. The 14th annual “Mass Moral March on Raleigh" drew support from the state NAACP, over 200 other organizations and their supporters.

2nd Amendment worthy of defense in Wilson County (Wilson Times) -- Designating Wilson County a 2nd Amendment sanctuary won’t override any gun laws, but as part of a movement sweeping the state, it could stop new gun control efforts in their tracks.

Judge: N.C. falls short in service access for disabled (AP reports) – N.C. has failed to do enough to ensure people with certain disabilities receive access to services in their communities, a judge has determined.

Investigation prompts Raleigh mayor to help families leave high-crime motels (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- A January investigation into the most dangerous hotels in Raleigh drew the mayor’s attention to the families living there.

Sheriff: Inmate dies in apparent jail suicide (AP reports) -- Officials say an inmate at the Guilford County jail in High Point has died after being found unresponsive in his cell.

Judge Ed Pone becomes first African American to lead Cumberland’s District Court system (Fayetteville Observer reports) -- As the son of a sharecropper raised in the Gray’s Creek area, Ed Pone did not grow up in a house of privilege. “My mother was a stay-at-home mom,” he said in an interview earlier this week. “We grew up with hard work.” Pone said he had supportive and loving parents who helped mold him into the man he is today.

RICHARD CRAVER: Amazon's fulfillment centers offer brisk work pace, chance for advancement (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- There’s a free-flowing rhythm and precision at the heart of an Amazon fulfillment center.

CELIA RIVENBARK: Bowled over by super Kansas City cheeks (Wilmington Star-News column) -- Menfolk, what part of you doesn’t get that you don’t have the right to tell a woman how to dress/act/think/be?

Quarter million reasons Wilmington needs bus system (Wilmington Star-News) -- Wilmington isn’t Mayberry any more, and New Hanover County isn’t “the country.”

The Earth Fare failure: How it happened (Asheville Citizen-Times reports) -- The homegrown Earth Fare chain went from one tiny location in Asheville to 50 stores, taking on massive debt

​​​​​​​One ECU trustee resigns, another censured for meddling in student election (WRAL-TV reports) -- Both board members were recorded recruiting one ECU student into a Board of Trustees power struggle and bashing another student.

UNC System and ECU Boards Face Another Scandal​​​​​​​ (Inside Higher Ed reports) - Two ECU trustees accused of meddling in student government elections. One has been censured, and the other has resigned.

LIZ SCHLEMMER: ECU Trustee Resigns After Meddling In Student Elections (WUNC-FM reports) -- The UNC Board of Governors has accepted the resignation of a member of the ECU Board of Trustees. The Board of Governors convened a special meeting to consider sanctions against ECU Trustees Phil Lewis and Robbie Moore for meddling in student government elections.

ECU trustee resigns, another is censured after they meddled in student election (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- One ECU trustee resigned and another was censured after they were recorded offering to help finance a student body president campaign on the Greenville campus. Phil Lewis, who had been appointed to the ECU Board of Trustees by the UNC System Board of Governors, offered his resignation. It was accepted effective immediately. The UNC board voted to censure ECU trustee Robert Moore. It was the strongest action the board could take against Moore because he was appointed to the ECU trustees by the state legislature. The legislature would have to decide to remove him.

ECU senior Jahad Carter responds after one ECU trustee resigns, another is censured (Durham Herald-Sun reports)ECU senior Jahad Carter responds after one ECU trustee resigns, another is censured (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- ECUy senior Jahad Carter speaks about the resignation of ECU trustee Phil Lewis and censure of trustee Robert Moore during a UNC Board of Governors special meeting.

N.C. earthling comes home (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch ended a lengthy tenure on the International Space Station last Thursday when she and two colleagues returned to Earth, landing in a remote desert in the middle of Kazakhstan. Doing so, she put her name in the record books: the longest single spaceflight by a woman at 328 days. It’s a record that will stand for a long time to come. We can’t help feeling a bit of hometown pride in Koch because, while she was born in Michigan, she grew up in Jacksonville.

Mako Medical CEO quits Wake Tech board after false info discovered on job application (Durham Herald-Sun reports) -- Mako Medical CEO Chad Price resigned from Wake Tech’s board of trustees a day after it was reported that his application to the board included a resume that inflated his educational qualifications and work experience. The resignation was announced by Wake County Board of Commissioners Chairman Greg Ford.

GWENDOLYN GLENN: Bennett College President Optimistic About School's Future Despite Low Enrollment (WFAE-FM) -- Enrollment has dropped significantly at Bennett College in Greensboro amid its fight to remain accredited. Only about 300 students are enrolled at the historically black school for women, down from about 470 in 2018 and nearly 800 in 2009. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission [SACS] denied renewal of Bennett’s accreditation in 2018 citing unstable finances.

New Hanover Schools must right a rudderless ship (Wilmington Star-News) -- Even after several top resignations, there still needs to be a full legal and administrative accounting of what has transpired in recent years.

RICHARD CRAVER: Insurers remain on board, but keep close eye, on N.C. Medicaid reform delay (Winston-Salem Journal reports) -- Insurers preparing to participate in N.C.’s ambitious $6 billion Medicaid managed-care reform say they remain committed to the initiative. However, one insurer — Centene — cautioned analysts that the rollout delay could cost it at least $500 million in fiscal 2020 revenue. It is operating as WellCare of N.C. The other approved insurers are AmeriHealth Caritas N.C., UnitedHealth Group and Blue Cross Blue Shield of N.C.

THOMAS GOLDSMITH: Volunteer caregiving for seniors, already vital in NC, gets $19M push from feds (N.C. Health News reports) -- Cary’s Center for Volunteer Caregiving has built expertise during 28 years of recruiting, training and monitoring people who will volunteer to help seniors and people with disabilities. Now a federal push proposes spending millions to do the same thing with innovative methods.

RENEE CHOU: NC State, UNC scientists develop wristwatch that monitors body chemistry (HEALTH/WRAL-TV reports) -- Thanks to Triangle researchers, the next high-tech health invention could be a wristwatch that collects health data from the skin's surface.

4 people being 'monitored' for coronavirus symptoms in Charlotte (WRAL-TV reports) -- The 4 recently returned from China and are being monitored for possible development of coronavirus symptoms.

ROBERT YOUNG: Let us now praise the dedicated public servant (Charlotte Observer column) -- I am a climate scientist. To be more specific, I am a coastal geologist who helps a variety of different entities (from individual property owners to large federal agencies) understand and plan for rising sea level and other coastal hazards, such as erosion and storms. I was a co-author on a sea-level rise report for the state of North Carolina that was squashed by our Legislature. I know what it is like to feel slighted or ignored by the decision-makers we hope to reach.

DANA ERVIN: Trump’s environmental rollback will be costly to NC (Durham Herald-Sun column) -- President Trump is making good on a campaign promise to rollback clean water rules. Late last month, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler announced a dramatic reduction in the reach of the Clean Water Act, exempting many streams and most of the nation’s wetlands from protection. It’s a big win for farmers and real estate developers, who say compliance with the rule was costly and complicated. But the changes will likely hurt many N.C. homeowners, and they’ll waste a lot of taxpayer money — consequences the administration refuses to acknowledge.

James Taylor Narrates Life Before Fame And Sings American Standards On New Album (NPR reports) -- James Taylor has been a household name for a long time now. Taylor was just 20-years-old when he released his self-titled debut in 1968; in the half century since then, he has sold over 100 million albums and cemented his status as one of the most successful American singer-songwriters. But in Break Shot: My First 21 Years , his audio memoir on Audible , Taylor narrates his life before fame — including details of his struggle with drugs, alcohol addiction and time in psychiatric institutions

ALLEN JOHNSON: Controversial tweet and book about an 1898 coup cross paths (Greensboro News & Record column) – David Zucchino conceded to a big crowd at Scuppernong Books he is hardly the first to tell the shameful history of the savage armed siege in Wilmington that killed dozens, burned businesses and forcibly removed an elected government. Many of us in Greensboro recently became acquainted with the story as this community was rethinking the numerous landmarks here that bore the name of one of the bloody coup’s instigators. A famous Greensboro native, Rhiannon Giddens, also has paid homage to the Wilmington victims in a musical tribute she performed in November. But Zucchino brings the reporting muscle and writing flair of a veteran journalist to the story. His compelling, painstakingly researched narrative breathes new life into tragedy — and makes it all the more heartbreaking.

‘Outlander’ giving boost to N.C. tourism sites (Wilmington Star-News reports) -- The wildly popular books series and Starz TV show has inspired fans to visit local historic sites

WWII artifacts preserved in 3D scans at N.C. museum (AP reports) -- The jump helmet used by the “Father of the Airborne” during World War II has been digitally preserved in three-dimensional form.

Southern Pines man is 2nd $1 million winner in Colossal Cash (WRAL-TV reports) -- Kenneth Moore of Southern Pines took a second-chance for luck on a lottery ticket and ending up winning $1 million.

After Dorian, the N.Carolinians who made lives and businesses in the Bahamas are only beginning to pick up the pieces (WRAL-TV reports) -- Hurricane Dorian blasted the Bahamas in September, devastating lives, homes and businesses. Recently, a group of student journalists from UNC-Chapel Hill returned to check the progress of recovery and connect with the Carolinians trying to rebuild there.

Gas prices dropping in N.C. (WRAL-TV reports) -- Gas prices seem to be dropping. The average price for gas in N.C. is currently $2.24 compared to the average U.S. cost of $2.53 a gallon. Analysts said the cheaper gas prices are a result of falling crude oil costs.